Page 40 of Curious Hearts (The Healing Hearts #2)

When Ali came apart beneath her, it was Jessica’s name she screamed.

And when Ali’s clever fingers and wicked mouth returned the favor, bringing Jessica to a shuddering release that left her boneless and breathless, she knew with sudden, striking clarity that no corner office, no prestigious title, no parental approval could hit this level of high.

After, they lay tangled together, mingled sweat cooling on their skin, Ali’s head resting on Jessica’s chest.

“I’m thinking of turning them both down,” Jessica said into the quiet darkness. “Hamilton Trust and Meridian.”

Ali propped herself up on one elbow, her face half-shadowed in the dim light. “You can’t make that decision just like that.”

“Why not? I know I don’t want to leave.” Jessica traced the curve of Ali’s cheek, her skin impossibly soft beneath her fingertips. “Not you, not the cats, not what we might have.”

“Jessica...” Ali caught her hand, pressing it against her face briefly before lowering it. “This is your entire career we’re talking about. Your future. You can’t decide something this important because we had one night together.”

“It’s not just about this,” Jessica insisted, frustration rising in her chest. Why couldn’t Ali see this wasn’t some impulsive decision? “It’s about everything. I’ve spent my entire career helping other people invest in sustainable futures. Maybe it’s time I invested in my own.”

Ali studied her with those penetrating blue eyes that seemed to see straight through Jessica’s carefully constructed defenses. “I think you need to take the weekend. To really think about what you want.”

“I know what I want.” The words came out with an unintentional sharpness.

“Do you?” Ali sat up fully now, the sheet tucked around her. “Because only a matter of hours ago you were hiding the London offer from me. That doesn’t sound like someone who’s made up their mind.”

Jessica felt her arguments falter beneath Ali’s gentle but relentless logic. “Ali?—”

“I need you to be sure,” Ali said softly. “Not for me, but for you. This is the kind of decision that shapes your entire life. I don’t want to be the reason you give up something you’ve worked so hard for.”

“You wouldn’t be?—”

“I would. We both know I would.” Something flickered across Ali’s face—pain, maybe, or resignation. “I think we shouldn’t see each other until you’ve given Walter your final decision.”

Jessica sat up abruptly. “What? That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s necessary,” Ali countered. “Everyone else is putting pressure on you—your mother, Walter, even Vikram with his weird as hell proposal. I won’t do that.”

“Being with you isn’t pressure, Ali.” Even as Jessica said it, she knew it wasn’t entirely true. Being with Ali made her want to be better, different—to choose a different life.

“Isn’t it?” Ali’s smile was sad. “After last night? After everything we just shared? You don’t think being around me would influence your decision?”

Jessica fell silent, unable to deny it. The warmth of Ali’s body next to hers, the memory of their lovemaking still fresh on her skin—of course it would influence her. How could it not?

“Take the weekend,” Ali repeated. “Think about what you really want. And when you know—whatever that is—you tell me.”

“And if I choose London?” Jessica asked quietly, the question lodging in her throat like a stone.

Ali reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together. “Then we’ll figure it out. I’ve never been to London.” She attempted a smile. “I can save up my vacation time. We’ll make it work.”

“Just like that?” Jessica couldn’t keep the skepticism from her voice. Nothing in her experience had ever been that simple.

“No, not ‘just like that.’ It would be hard. Maybe the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” Ali’s voice wavered slightly. “But I’d wait for you, Jessica. Even if it’s years, as long as I know you’ll come back to me.”

Jessica searched Ali’s face, looking for any sign of insincerity, any hint that this was just a beautiful lie meant to ease the inevitable goodbye. She found none. “You would?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t deserve you.” The admission slipped out before Jessica could stop it.

“This isn’t about deserving,” Ali said. “It’s about giving you the space to make the right choice for you. Not for your parents, not for Walter Hamilton, not for Vikram. Not even for me.”

Jessica leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Ali’s, breathing in her scent—the faint herbal shampoo she used, the lingering traces of their combined arousal. “You’re asking me to leave.”

“I’m asking you to be sure,” Ali whispered, her breath warm against Jessica’s skin. “When you come back to me—if you come back to me—I need to know it’s because that’s what will truly make you happy.”

They sat like that for a long moment, the oppression of possibility and loss crowding the small bedroom. Jessica closed her eyes, memorizing the feel of Ali against her, terrified this might be the last time.

When she finally kissed Ali, she tried to pour everything into it—all her confusion, her fear, her gratitude, and most of all, her love. It was gentle, almost reverent, but tinged with the bitter taste of what might be goodbye.

“I should go,” Jessica said softly, pulling away before her resolve crumbled completely. “I need to check on the cats.”

Ali nodded, her eyes glistening even in the dim light. Jessica gathered her clothes, the familiar routine of dressing a welcome distraction from the chaos in her mind. With each garment, she felt herself slipping back into a life she no longer wanted.

At the bedroom door, Jessica paused, turning back to Ali who looked impossibly small in the center of the rumpled bed. “Ali?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you. For loving me enough to let me choose.” The words caught in her throat, inadequate for what she really wanted to say.