Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Aaron’s POV

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The hum of the jet’s engines was the only thing filling the silence of the cabin. I looked across the aisle at Jessica.

She had fallen asleep an hour into the flight, her head resting awkwardly against the window, a stray lock of hair falling over her face.

She looked smaller like this-less like the defiant assistant who had snapped at me in the office and more like the girl I used to tease until her cheeks couldn’t hide the colors anymore.

When we touched down in Spain, she didn’t wake. I stood over her for a long moment, watching the way her eyelashes cast long shadows on her cheeks.

I should have shaken her shoulder. I should have been professional. Instead, I slid my arms beneath her knees and back, lifting her against my chest.

She let out a tiny, soft sigh and tucked her face into the crook of my neck. Her vanilla scent invaded my senses until my head spun.

I carried her through the private terminal and into the waiting car, and eventually, into the elevator of the hotel.

By the time I swiped the keycard to the penthouse suite, my arms were aching, but I didn’t want to put her down.

The moment the door clicked shut, she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, dark and disoriented.

“Aaron?” she whispered, her voice thick with sleep. She realized I was holding her and scrambled to find her feet, her face flushing a deep, beautiful pink.

“I… I fell asleep. I’m sorry.”

“You were dead to the world,” I said, my voice sounding rougher than I intended.

I stepped back, shoving my hands into my pockets to keep from reaching for her again.

Jessica’s POV

I looked around the room, trying to shake the cobwebs from my brain.

The suite was breathtaking-floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lights of Madrid, marble floors, and a scent of fresh lilies. But then my eyes landed on the center of the room.

One bed.

It was massive, draped in white silk and piled with pillows, but it was undeniably just one bed.

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Chapter 85

“Where is the other room?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“There isn’t one,” Aaron said casually, loosening his tie. “This is the suite.”

“I’ll take the couch,” I said immediately, turning to find where my suitcase had been placed.

I didn’t even get two steps. Aaron’s hand shot out, grabbing my arm and yanking me back.

I collided with his chest, the air leaving my lungs in a sharp puff.

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He didn’t let go; he pulled me closer until I could feel the steady, heavy thrum of his heart against my own.

“You’re a billionaire, Aaron,” I hissed, looking up at him. “You’re telling me you couldn’t book two rooms? Or was this intentional?”

He let out a sharp, annoyed hiss.

“You’re my assistant, Jessica. You were the one who handled the travel arrangements and the final confirmations. Did it ever occur to you that you might have looked at the wrong column on the booking sheet?”

The realization hit me like a bucket of ice water.

In my frantic state, balancing Aunt Lydia’s appointments and my own panic, I must have missed it. I frowned, looking at his collar.

“You know I’m new to this. You could have double-checked.”

“Oh? So now it’s my fault?” He raised a dark brow, his eyes flashing with a mix of amusement and irritation.

“Is it my fault you didn’t do proper research? Is it my fault you were incompetent?”

I bit my lip and looked away, refusing to give him the satisfaction of an apology.

“I’m going to take a shower. Then I’m sleeping on the couch.”

His grip on my arm didn’t loosen; instead, it slid down to my waist, his fingers splaying across the small of my back and pulling me flush against him.

The heat of his body was a drug, making my head swim and my pulse skyrocket.

“Why are you being so stubborn?” he murmured, his voice dropping to that low, dangerous tone.

I struggled with the sudden spike of arousal, my body betraying me at the first hint of his touch.

“This isn’t nice, Aaron. You’re engaged.”

The silence that followed was heavy, thick with things unsaid. Aaron didn’t move. He just stared down at me, his gaze searching mine.

“What do you think, Jess?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. “Do you honestly think I want to get married

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Chapter 85

to Lauren?”

冬

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I swallowed hard. Deep down, I knew the answer. I’d seen the way he’d spoken to her-like she was a business contract he’d been forced to sign.

But I couldn’t say it. If I acknowledged it, I’d have to acknowledge us.

“Why did you run away?” he asked suddenly.

The question was a ghost that had been haunting us for years, and now it was finally out in the open.

I stared at him, the words burning in my throat, but the fear of everything-of his grandfather, of the world he lived in-kept them locked behind my teeth.

“Your absence tormented me,” he said, his voice cracking with a raw, jagged edge. “I almost lost my sanity, Jessica.”

He dipped his head, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

His hands began to roam, tracing the curve of my hip and the line of my spine.

I shut my eyes, drowning in the sensation. I didn’t have the power to fight him, not when my soul felt like it was finally coming home.

I felt alive for the first time in six years.

His lips brushed my neck, trailing fire upward until they reached the corner of my mouth.

He didn’t kiss me fully; he just let his lips linger there, a torturous, light contact.

“I won’t do anything, Jessica,” he breathed against my skin.

“Not until you finally tell me why you ripped my heart open and left it bleeding for years. Every day I woke up to the idea of ending it just so I could find you wherever I thought you were… little did I know that you were indeed alive.”

The confession tore through me. My knees went weak.

He wanted to commit suicide? Because of me? A wave of crushing guilt washed over me.

Had I been the villain in this story all along?

“Aaron,” I tried to say, my voice breaking.

But he pulled away abruptly. He turned his back to me and pulled his sweater over his head, discarding it on a chair.

I stood there, rooted to the spot, staring at the broad, muscular expanse of his back and the intricate tattoo of an eagle etched across his skin.

He climbed into the massive bed without another word, immediately pulling out his iPad and immersing

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Chapter 85

himself in work.

0:0

I remained standing in the middle of the room, heavy with the weight of his words.

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I eventually found my footing and retreated to the luxurious bathroom. I stayed under the hot water for a long time, my skin tingling.

I found myself washing gently, almost afraid to scrub too hard. I didn’t want to wash away the ghost of his touch or the lingering warmth of his lips.

When I finally emerged, wrapped in a plush robe, I saw that Aaron wasn’t in the bed. He was crumpled on the couch, his long legs hanging off the edge, his eyes closed.

Guilt stabbed at my chest.

He looked miserable. It was my mistake that we were in this room, and even though I wanted him close, I had been the one to insist on the divide.

I climbed into the giant, empty bed, but sleep was impossible. The silence of the room was too loud.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I got up and walked over to the couch.

“Aaron?” I whispered, shaking his shoulder.

He sat up instantly, looking concerned. “Is there a problem?”

I fumbled with the tie of my robe, feeling foolish.

“Come to the bed,” I said softly. As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how they sounded.

“No-”

“I had a nightmare,” I lied quickly. “I can’t sleep.”

He looked reluctant, but I didn’t give him a choice. I grabbed his wrist and pulled.

He eventually sighed and followed me, climbing into the other side of the vast mattress.

I immediately turned my back to him, staring at the window.

“I thought you had a nightmare, Jess?” he asked into the dark.

I scrambled for another lie, my heart racing.

“Yes. I did. I just… I want to feel your presence. I need to know you’re here with me.”

He didn’t respond. I waited for a few minutes, assuming he had turned away too.

I shifted, glancing over my shoulder to see if he was asleep.

He wasn’t. He was lying on his side, his head propped up on his hand, staring at me with a burning, intense

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Chapter 85

gaze.

:

“Good night, Jessica,” he said, and finally, he turned his back to me.

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I lay there in the dark, watching the silhouette of the eagle on his back. It reminded me of the nights back in our old apartment, when he’d come home late from practice and think I was asleep.

I used to lie just like this, having a silent staring contest with that eagle, wondering if I’d ever be brave enough to tell him I loved him.

Six years later, the eagle was still there, but the man was a stranger.

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