Page 109 of Pursuing Desire

Jess tries to hide it, but I see her face light up just as a giggle erupts from her chest. “I should feel bad, but he totally deserved that. I wish I could’ve been there to see it all go down.”

“Babe, you have no idea how bad he deserved it. That brings me to one of the things I have to tell you. I need to make a confession, and I’m hoping you won’t be too upset.”

She stiffens beside me as though expecting bad news. I don’t blame her at all, after all that she’s been through.

“Okay, tell me,” she says after a pause.

“I had your asshole ex investigated by a private investigator. He is hiding some pretty big secrets in his closet.”

Jess sucks in a breath. “What could they have found? I know he’s a jerk, but he’s not into anything illegal, is he?”

I slow the car down as I look for the turnoff I saw earlier. “The investigator I hired found some shady shit going on with his investments. I’m not going into all the details, but suffice it to say, it’s pretty ugly.”

She narrows her eyes on me. “You hired an investigator? Did you do this because you thought I was involved in something illegal, too?”

“Hell no! That thought didn’t cross my mind.” I pull the car into a parking lot of a small park and cut off the engine. I turn to Jess. “I did it because I was convinced there was more to Anthony than we knew about. I’m telling you all of this because the asshole and I came to an agreement.”

“Was this after you punched him or before?”

“After . . . I’ll remind you, he punched me first. I may have encouraged the punch by taunting him relentlessly, but that’s neither here nor there,” I boast.

“So, what’s the agreement you made?”

This is it. This is what I came here to tell her. I just hope she isn’t angry that I took over and handled this for her.

“Anthony’s name is coming off of everything. The condo is all yours, and I made sure he won’t bother you again. He’s moving his stuff out as we speak, and I have a locksmith coming to change the locks tomorrow.”

The silence that follows is so thick I swear I can hear my pulse. Then I notice the tiniest glimmer of hope light her eyes.

“The condo is mine?” she whispers. “How?”

“I can be pretty persuasive, Jess. Something you should keep in mind. There was no way I could let Anthony get away with everything he’s done.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she says quietly.

“I hope you aren’t upset with me. I found a way to solve the problem, and I took care of it. I know you prefer to take care of everything yourself, but I couldn’t let him do that to you.”

She shakes her head slowly. “Upset? Thank you seems lame and not nearly enough,” Jess says.

“I don’t want your gratitude. Do you remember in the interview when you said I’d do anything for those I care about?” I wait for her to nod, and then I take hold of one of her hands. “I hope you know I’d do anything for you.”

A single tear slips down her cheek. “Look at the mess I’ve caused. Your name and your family’s name are being dragged through the mud. And your business! What if there are repercussions to your business? It only took a few months for Hurricane Jessica to bring about chaos to your otherwise calm existence.”

A chuckle slips out of my mouth. “My last name is Anders. Nothing is ever calm in my family. Trust me. We’ve dealt with far worse than this.”

“You know what I mean. Because of me, we’re going to be fighting off reporters for months,” she says miserably.

I use my thumb to swipe the tear from her face. “I don’t give a damn about the press. We can deal with all that. I don’t think you’re getting what I’m trying to tell you.”

“You don’t get what I’m trying to tell you, either,” Jess responds. “I’m trying to apologize. Not only is all this my fault, but I’ve been awful to you. I’ve been all wishy-washy, giving you hot and cold signals. I’ve accused you of sleeping around and of being a playboy. I don’t know why I’ve been acting like this. I’ve been a horrible person lately.”

“This crap with Anthony is not your fault. It’s his fault, so you might as well quit blaming yourself. And you’re not a horrible person. Like me, I think you’ve been scared to admit what’s right in front of your face.”

“Don’t say it, Dax.”

“Hell yes, I’m going to say it. We love each other.”

“You can’t speak for me,” she says hotly. A thrill shoots through me at the first show of fire I’ve seen since arriving.