Jamie’s brows shot up. “Your dad still doesn’t know?”

I shook my head, saying, “Only you,” and watching Jamie’s eyes get soft. “You’re the only person who knows. Syd doesn’t even know.”

Jamie closed his eyes for a breath, feeling what I just gave him and letting it sink in deep. Then he looked at me again and moved his thumb over my cheek, whispering, “Babe,” as his fingers curled around my neck.

“I quit after two months and I don’t regret it,” I continued. “Not only because me leaving killed those rumors, but because I didn’t love that job. I liked it. It was a job. It was something I could’ve done until I retired and I would’ve been satisfied, but I wouldn’t have been happy. Not really. Not like I am now.”

“What’d you tell your dad?” Jamie asked.

I smiled, stating, “That I wasn’t happy. He told me to go find my happiness and I did. Right here.”

Jamie’s mouth twitched hearing that, but not much. He was still angry at what I’d gone through.

I reached out and took his face between my hands. I scooted to the edge of the cushion.

“I am very protective of my family, Jamie,” I repeated, wanting him to cling to these words and the ones that followed. To hear these over the others I’d said. “I would never let anything near them that could hurt them in any way. Or bring them shame or anything negative. I wouldn’t let it happen.”

“I got that, babe,” he replied. “Loud and clear.”

“Good.” I smiled again. “Then you should get why I had no problem asking my father if Rivera Frozen Foods would like to sponsor their first world-champion surfer.”

Jamie’s brows shot up. I felt his jaw tick beneath my palms.

“He said yes, by the way,” I added, smiling bigger because Jamie was looking shocked. “But you’re going to have to talk to him because I have no idea what all he has to do and he has no idea either. They’ve never sponsored anybody before. But that doesn’t matter. Dad said he would be honored to back a man like you.”

Jamie’s nostrils flared as he pulled in a deep breath.

“He also had some choice words for the sponsor who dropped you,” I continued on a chuckle, remembering those words and how quick he was at letting them fly. “Dad said if people don’t want to back a man who goes to his woman and chooses her over everything else, then they’re a bunch of idiots—only he didn’t say idiots.” I chuckled again, thinking Jamie would join in this time, but he didn’t.

Tilting my head, I let my eyes roam over the heavy expression he was wearing. I couldn’t read him. He wasn’t saying anything. Wasn’t smiling. His jaw was still tight. He was still holding my face but his thumb was no longer moving.

He was a statue, only breathing and blinking.

And not knowing how Jamie felt about all of this led to me having a panicking thought.

“Do you not want to be sponsored by them?” I asked, keeping the hurt from my voice because I didn’t want him hearing it. “It’s okay if you don’t. I know they’re just a frozen food company and not some major sports retailer. If you’d rather they didn’t, I can talk to my dad. It won’t—”

My words were halted when Jamie slid his hand to my neck, yanked me forward, and crashed his mouth against mine in a hard, deep kiss that made my toes curl inside my shoes and the muscles in my stomach clench and every fear or worrying thought I had go quiet inside my head.

“You did that for me,” Jamie panted against my lips, keeping his grip firm on my neck and bringing his other hand up to palm my cheek.

“It was nothing,” I whispered, my breaths heavy. “All you’ve done for me …”

“It was everything,” he argued back, staring into my eyes. “Givin’ me your family. Trustin’ me with that. After everything you just said, straight up, babe, this ain’t nothin’. I know it ain’t.”

He was right. This was far from nothing.

“Easiest phone call I ever made,” I declared, speaking that honesty straight from my soul.

It was as if someone had flipped a switch and turned off everything around us. Stilled the water. Silenced the summer wind. The world went still.

Jamie’s fingers on my neck squeezed. He closed his eyes for a breath, then opened them again, brought us closer, pressed his forehead to mine, and swept his thumb over my cheek.

“I’d do it again,” he said quietly, staring into my eyes. “Don’t give a fuck what I’d end up losing as long as that ain’t you.”

I let his words circle my heart and sink inside it. I was never letting them out.

This love was mine.

Then pushing my fingers through the ends of his hair, I dipped lower so I could brush my mouth against his and whisper-teased, “You fuckin’ love me, boy,” just like Jamie was always doing with me.

His lip curled up, then he kissed me, slow and sweet, and told me he didn’t, which meant that he did.

So, so much.

Chapter Twenty-four

JAMIE

Six weeks later

Tori was kneeling between my legs and running her tongue down the underside of my shaft. I closed my eyes and hissed when she licked my balls.

“Fuck, babe,” I growled, looking down and watching her slowly work her way back up to the tip. Too fucking slowly. “Quit with your playin’ and swallow me.”