Chapter 382

He could only brood in the dead of night, like a caged animal pacing in circles, thoughts running wild, poring over every moment – searching for the faintest sign that she might actually care for him.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became.

Forget it. Who cares if she loves me or not? As long as she’s here, that’s enough.

At least for now, he was still useful to her. As long as he had value, she’d stay.

But what about later – when that value was gone? If, by then, she still hadn’t truly fallen for him…

Jamison wondered, could he really just let her go when the time came? Could he watch her walk away and act like it didn’t matter?

He had no answer to that. It hadn’t happened yet.

He kept turning it all over in his mind until sleepiness finally crept in. To comfort himself, Jamison thought about how she’d once dated Micah. Everyone said they’d been a golden couple – young, happy, inseparable.

That meant she was capable of loving someone, didn’t it? She knew how to love.

Maybe it was just the last three years that had changed her – made her so calm, so guarded, so cold.

After all, when your own family betrays you, it leaves scars that are slow to heal. Maybe it would take a long, long time before she could trust and love again. Maybe it would take a lot of patience, a lot of love to make her feel safe.

By the time he’d reasoned all that, Jamison managed to soothe himself. He’d found his excuse, tied up his doubts with a neat little bow.

Watching her sleep, her face so close, so soft and beautiful, he couldn’t help but smile. He reached out and pinched her cheek, just gently.

In her sleep, she frowned, shifted, and rolled over, turning her back to him.

He lay there, silent, a little miserable, but what could he do?

Morning came. The bedroom was peaceful and quiet.

At some point, Ivy had rolled over to his side, nestling up close, their faces just inches apart – almost kissing.

The sudden shrill of his phone shattered the stillness.

Jamison rolled over to grab it, but in doing so, pulled at the wound on his back. Pain shot through him, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

Ivy woke instantly, concern in her voice. “Why are you lying flat? Does it hurt?”

“I’m fine…” His face gradually relaxed, but his gaze lingered on the phone, still ringing on the nightstand.

“I’ll get it for you.” Ivy scrambled up and, without thinking, climbed across him to reach the phone on his side of the bed.

Jamison stayed flat on his back. As she leaned over, her body hovered right above him – her chest brushing his nose as she stretched for the phone.

For a split second, it was like a jolt of electricity. Without thinking, he reached up and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“What are you doing?” Ivy yelped, nearly tumbling onto him.

“Here, it’s your mother calling.” She thrust the phone toward him.

But Jamison didn’t take it. Instead, his arms stayed locked around her slender waist. His eyes drifted from her face to her delicate collarbone, then lower still, to the open collar of her pajamas…

Everyone knew mornings were a dangerous time for a man – blood hot, body awake, and with his beautiful, newlywed wife right there in his arms…

Jamison’s entire mind was taken over by desire.

At first, Ivy didn’t realize anything was amiss. But then she caught the look in his eyes, the way his expression shifted. She glanced down –

And her mind went blank.

With a gasp, she slapped a hand over his eyes, flustered and furious. “What are you staring at? Want me to poke your eyes out?”

Jamison only grinned, taking his time. “Ivy, you’re my wife. If I look at you, it’s perfectly justified.”