Page 69 of Conquered Obstacles

I wasn’t going to cry on him again. Not again. I shook my head even when he tried to get me to talk about it. He respected when I said I didn’t want to. Today was for fun and relaxing.

I just needed him and his coven to know that my pushing them away wasn’t equal to their mistake. There were a lot of other factors and problems that had popped up.

“Jacob is actually a really good fit,” he told me, letting go of what I’d said and moving things along.

I winked at him and loaded his plate up. “Yeah, he’s doing a great job now that he’s not being a pain in the ass. He’s a bit of a rogue sometimes going out on his own and contacting people when Jamie was doing that as the CFO, but—he’s doing better. I thought Renee was going to flatten him a few times.”

He blinked at me a moment. “I meant for the coven. I didn’t know there were issues with him at work.”

I blew air through my lips. “Yeah, they cut him slack a bunch of times. Libby said she was ready to suck him dry for his island act. You can’t be the manager working with other managers and do that. And they set it all up. But given his situation—they trained him.” I popped a strawberry in my mouth with a smirk.

“Well, thank you for that. I’m sorry. I thought he was doing great.”

I shrugged. “It was work. He was worth the adjustment. They get along much better now, and he is good at the job. Renee, Libby, and Rebecca agree he’s got great potential. He just needs to learn how to be a team player better.”

“Yeah, that was exactly the issue I had with him too,” he admitted. “He was left—his family is so fucked. And it’s stupid. His dad shouldn’t have cheated. Full stop. But it happened and he had a kid. Like enough of the old-timey bullshit that it’s the kid’s fault and his wife was horrible to him. It wasn’t his fault—he went through in life. He had to be an island to survive.”

“Which they all understood and were willing to accept to make it work. Has it been for the coven?”

“Yes. He’s actually better with magic than I am.” He nodded when I couldn’t hide my shock. “My dad actually was a slacker on that side and—my training was kind of shit. He was such a damn drunk and—then I took over and it was keeping everyone afloat and out of trouble. Jacob might be an island, but he knows when people are drowning.”

“Very true. He’s been great with that. He just tends to take over.”

“He does,” Isiah agreed. “He does best when he can right the ship and have his own area. Something his. So now he’s in charge of training the younger ones. In two months, he’s killing it. Their control is better than with me. He’s really a great teacher.”

“Renee said the same when he showed her the new software for something and something,” I told him. I saw the worry in Isiah’s eyes. “Hey, you kept everyone safe. That’s the bigger job. You kept the coven going. You have help now. I’m glad he’s doing good. I won’t beat him up anymore.”

He snickered, reaching over and rubbing my knee. “Yeah, we all have those kinds of regrets. Thanks for helping me not get swallowed by mine.”

I nodded that I heard him. We all needed that perspective and help.

We talked some more about things going on and life. I was glad to catch up more about the coven, but then I lost track of the conversation as I watched his mouth a bit too closely as he drank from his water bottle.

And I wanted it on my body.

“Fuck, Arabella,” he whispered. “If I get images like that from you—I don’t know if I should act on them or not.”

I shrugged. “I think this time you should but yeah, normally, check. I think checking best.”

Our plates were moved and suddenly I was straddling his lap and he was sitting up. His lips were a breath from mine. “You want my mouth on you. You want me to eat you out. Tell me you really want that and I can taste you.”

I nodded. “Yes, I want that. I can’t—I’m not there yet or—”

“Do whatever you’re ready for when you’re ready for it.” Then he mashed his mouth to mine. He kissed me like a man dying for me and desperate to make me his.

But in a bit of a scary way.

No, not scary… Overwhelming. I wasn’t scared of Isiah, just what he was and the way he could hurt me.

“Stop thinking so much, Arabella,” he whispered. “I can be gentler and like him.”

I frowned. “I don’t want you to be like Jamie. I like you. I don’t want another Jamie.”

“No, I meant… I’m not sure how I meant it. My blood isn’t in my brain.” He gently brushed his lips over mine. “I can be what you need too. That’s what I want to be. Not because of him. Because I feel that for you.”

I nodded, not sure what else to say and feeling a bit selfish that it was always about what I needed or my issues.

But Isiah made me forget about that. He made me feel worth taking the time with. He slowly kissed all over my body and made me feel precious instead of like a burden, a problem that had to be managed.

And it meant the world to me.

So did progressing with him. I touched him too even if it probably wasn’t exactly what he wanted and he had to finish himself. I was able to handle him doing that next to me, helping it.

Oh, and he said he loved the taste of me.

Yeah, we needed more days off to simply enjoy life and each other.

The End