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  What had she done? Thankfully she’d decided to wear jeans that day, so she sat on the commode holding her head in her hands as the tears silently fell on the tiled floor. Why didn't she just go with him? Why couldn’t he move here to be with her instead? All he’d offered her was for them to live together. But she didn’t need to live with him to know she loved him.

  She loved him as she’d love no other, but he had to want her the same way. She yearned for today as well as all of their tomorrows, but he never offered her that. Not once. Her friend Karen had ended up in San Diego because she'd followed her boyfriend out here. They'd lasted a couple of months before he left her. At least Karen had a happy ending and met the man she was supposed to marry. Still, it took five years.

  How long must she wait only for Baron to leave?

  Jasmine couldn't take the chance. She stepped out of the stall and approached the sink, making it a point not to look at her face in the mirror, already knowing she’d be horrified by what she saw.

  She washed her face and dried it with one of the paper towels. Once she finished, she left the bathroom and turned right to go back to her parked car. Alone. Her head down, she walked in a bit of a daze, her thoughts internal, already desperately missing Baron. What had she done letting him get on that plane?

  She bumped into someone. The contact startled her and she tightened the grip on her purse.

  “Excuse me,” she mumbled, not looking up. She tried to go around the obstacle in her path. Familiar warm hands settled on her arms. She looked up, and her cry of delight drowned in mid-squeal by the mouth covering hers. The tears, already on the verge of erupting, fell full force as she grabbed unto his shirt and held on like a lifeline. But these were tears of joy.

  “I’m sorry,” he managed to say between kisses. “I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.”

  Like a lifeline, she covered his hands with hers, needing to feel him in every way, unable to believe what she saw right in front of her. “Why? Why are you sorry?”

  “Because I just demanded you give up your life here and move clear across country to be with me. That was a selfish thing to ask you to do. But more importantly, I never told you why I need you with me.”

  She hiccupped and draped her arms around his waist. “Why…do you need me?”

  “I love you. Because I love you. You keep the loneliness out of my life. But if you really don’t want to move to D.C. I’ll move here.”

  She hung on to him tighter and bawled harder.

  Baron froze, he laid his soul in her hands and his heart rate increased at her continued tears. He couldn’t be wrong. “Oh, God. Don’t tell me you don’t feel the same way about me.” For the first time in his life he knew uncertainty. She held his soul and could crush him.

  Jasmine shook her head and sniffed. “No, no.”

  Her words had his stomach and heart cramping. A punch to his gut and a knife in his chest would have hurt less.

  Tears still pooled in her beautiful eyes when she looked into his. She must have seen the misery in them because she smiled through her tears. “I love you, too. I just wanted to hear you say you’d be willing to do the same thing for me, that you were asking that I do for you.”

  At those words, the colors around him grew brighter. The pain in his stomach and around his heart disappeared. “Let’s go back to your place, and I’ll get online and look into the possibilities for me out here. I’ll take—”

  She placed her finger over his lips, and he kissed it. “No. I believe you’ve missed your flight so let’s see if there’s a later one.

  “I don’t understand,” he said.

  “All I wanted to know was that you were willing.”

  He shook his head. “I'm more than willing.” And he was. He’d do anything.

  “I know,” she replied, “but we’ll both think about it during the next couple of weeks. We’ll do a little research first and see which would be the best move.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “More sure than anything in my life.”

  God he loved this woman. And he’d make damn sure he did whatever he must to keep her.

  Two weeks later, Baron waited for Jasmine at Ronald Regan Airport. They’d spoken or video-chatted a few times a day, and texted every day, too, for the last couple of weeks. This time they wouldn’t have to worry about recognizing each other. She was imprinted on his heart. He carried a bouquet of a couple dozen purple roses, which were her favorites. But he had something else, which caused him to quiver. This woman instilled emotions in him he’d never thought to experience. And with a hope and a prayer, he wanted to continue those experiences with her for the rest of their lives.

  The way he saw it, they’d already been apart for way too long. He’d found what he’d been searching for and wasn’t giving it up. He anxiously awaited the sight of her.

  As Jas came through the doorway, Baron’s happiness welled up even more. She was dressed as she had been the first time they met. Was it just two weeks? His life had changed so much and all for the better. She had decided to join him here in D.C. The larger buildings she managed were located here, so her company had no problem setting her up locally. He watched her approach, putting his love in his eyes and offering her his heart until the day he took his last breath. And not giving her up even then.

  Jasmine saw him the moment she came through the door. She couldn’t miss him. He held the most beautiful roses in his hands, and love glittered in his eyes at the sight of her. She walked toward him, and he met her halfway. He handed her the bouquet and dropped to his knees.

  Her heart began beating faster, and her chest heaved like she had run a long way to reach this moment in time. But her senses were fully alive as she listened to the man she loved propose to her on his knees before one and all.

  “We first met in an airport, but I feel like we’ve known each other before we were ever born. As I see it, we’ve wasted enough time already. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, even if it’s just a lifetime of airports, as long as it’s with you. But before we leave this terminal, I want my ring on your finger for all time. Will you marry me?” He pulled out a blue box from his jacket pocket and offered it up to her.

  Tears rolled down her face and landed on the sapphire stone surrounded by diamonds that he presented her. Dropping to her knees, she clasped her hand over his. “I love you and I will.”

  With steady hands, he placed the ring on her finger, and they sealed their pledge with a kiss. Lost in their love, she heard the whistles and applause around them.

  Chapter Seven

  Jasmine looked at the date on her electronic tablet screen. She couldn’t believe she’d been living with Baron for the last three months. Much less engaged. There were times she’d still get up in the middle of the night thinking she was living a dream. Some nights Baron was there to hold her close and love her back to sleep. Things were good between them, when he was around. That was the problem he wasn’t.

  Even though they’d gotten engaged they decided to get married in less than six months to give themselves a chance to get to know each other in this new relationship. In truth, when they were together it was good, oh so very good. In the months since she’d moved in with him, changed her entire life for him, she’d spent a total of fourteen days, not consecutively with him. He’d been traveling all over the country all this time. Sometimes he’d be gone a week. Other times there was a day here or two there, but back-to-back trips. She hated being left to her own devices in a strange city without her family or best friend. Worst of all, she missed the water. She kept telling herself being together was more important. He was worth it. They were worth these little bumps in the road. Besides it wouldn’t be like this all the time, just another couple of months and these projects would be done with. She just needed him with her.

  Most days her pep talks worked, up until she found out he didn’t always take those trips alone. His executive assistant sometimes went with him. His young, blonde, and beautiful
female assistant. At least she was married. She trusted Baron. Believed he loved her, but there were times the phone would ring and it would be a female from his past, reminding her that he had one hell of a life before her. Even while he’d flirted with her on the phone, before they’d ever meet he was screwing other women.

  The house phone rang interrupting her thoughts. She picked it up to the sound of a husky voice. Betsy. Today would not be one of those good days. It was not the first time this bitch had called and she’d answered. She thought before she’d made it perfectly clear that Baron was off the market. And she knew damn well he had told her that himself. He’d answered the phone when she’d moved in with him, and spoke to her while Jasmine stood there. For this woman to call now yet a third time pissed Jasmine off to no end. She slammed the phone down in the woman’s ear, then took a deep breath. Betsy was not the only one who still called, though. Those first few days were a nightmare, it got to the point she wouldn’t answer the phone. Thankfully, a month later, things had calmed down more but there were still one or two who didn’t take ‘fuck off’ for an answer to ‘Is Baron There’. Once a woman even showed up at his condo. She was tired of it. Baron needed to change his number. Frankly, they should just move.

  Her cell rang, and she saw it was Tony’s number. This time she smiled as she answered the phone.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Hey, Sexy. Got tickets to see the Nat’s. Wanna go?”

  She loved baseball, and although she wasn’t a Nat’s fan, if she was living in D.C. she better learn to embrace them. And they were playing well, so it was all good.

  “Sure.”

  “Pick you up in an hour.”

  Tony had been her lifesaver. While Baron traveled to meet with their growing list of nationwide clients, Tony took care of things locally. He was Baron’s partner and had recently broken up with his fiancé. Baron’s other friends were all married, they were very nice, but in a totally different world. She didn’t want to feel like a third wheel going out with them without Baron. She’d tried having girls’ night out with some of the women, but two were pregnant and one had a kid, so the conversation eventually treaded into diapers and daycare, the not-ready-for-that-yet category for her. But she and Tony had been going to dinner or just a movie a lot lately since Baron wasn’t around as much. In truth, she was lonely and she missed Baron.

  The Nat’s lost and Tony was depressed, so when he asked her to dinner she went to try to cheer him up. But he had a little too much to drink. All he could do was talk about his ex-fiancé. Baron never said why they’d broken up and she didn’t want to pry, but she felt they’d known each other long enough she could ask. And it might do him some good to talk about it.

  “It’s clear you still have feelings for her,” Jasmine began, “so what happened?”

  He took a breath and said, “I went to her office one day at lunch time to surprise her. She told me earlier she had a hellish day. I brought her takeout from her favorite place. No one was at the desk out front, her door was closed, but I knocked once and then pushed it open.” He looked away for a minute then at her again. “The joke was on me. I’d surprised her, she was sitting up on her desk when I opened the door without a stitch of clothes on from the waist down. Her shoes were off and her fucker of a secretary was kneeling at her feet. When he turned around to see who’d interrupted them, I saw his face wet with her cum.” He pounded the table. “Sonofabitch.”

  “Whoa!”

  He smirked. “Yeah, whore indeed.” He stood up and took her hand. “Come on let’s get out of here.”

  He didn’t give her a chance to protest, she was still reeling from what he’d told her. She felt sorry for him. He was a good guy and she could tell he really loved his ex. There were a lot of screwed-up people out there, male and female. Tony had driven and he had the valet bring his car round. But when the valet pulled up, she moved around to the driver’s side. He’d been drinking quite a bit.

  “Let me drive.” He got out of her way and went around to the passenger side.

  After he got in, he gave her directions on how to get back to the condo. She was still unfamiliar with the area and they were in Old Town Alexandria. They had to get back to the city but they weren’t far.

  When they reached a light, Jasmine turned to him. “I’m sorry that happened to you. You’re a nice guy and I’m sure you’ll find someone else. Someone who appreciates what you have to offer.” He was just as good-looking as Baron and he didn’t seem to be anywhere near the player Baron had been before they’d met. So she was at a loss as to why someone would throw him away.

  He stared at her. “You know Baron is a lucky sonofabitch. When he told me about you and that he was hopping on a plane to go meet you, I thought he was nuts. A fool. Now I know I was the fool, ‘cause I sure as hell should have jumped on the plane with him and given him a run for his money.”

  Jasmine grinned. “Yeah, it might have worked if I hadn’t already fallen in love with him.”

  Tony took her hand and kissed it. “Thank you. And I damn well would have tried.”

  The light changed and she entered the intersection. She saw a blur out of the corner of her eye just before something big slammed into her. Her head smacked against metal, hard, then it felt too heavy to hold up. Every part of her body screamed in pain, and she couldn’t seem to move. She inhaled, but the bitter smell of smoke and rubber burnt her lungs, tearing her eyes. All she could see was the face of this familiar, gorgeous man telling her, “Hang on, babe. Don’t leave me. Hang on.” Everything slowly faded into black.

  “Tony what the hell happened? Is Jasmine all right?”

  As soon as Tony called him last night, he’d been trying to get home. Three fucking flights and ten hours later, Baron’s plane landed. All his friend could tell him was that he and Jasmine had been in a car accident and she hadn’t awakened. With each flight hop, he’d checked in with Tony. So far, the doctors couldn’t find any internal bleeding. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with her but a blow to the head, some slight swelling from a concussion but they couldn’t wake her.

  He’d rushed from the airport and had taken a cab straight to the hospital. He’d tried to call again to get an update, but the call went straight into voicemail. He sent him a text letting him know he was on his way. As soon as the taxi pulled up in front of the hospital entrance, he paid the guy, got his bag and ran in toward the information desk. They directed him to the third floor. He asked for Jasmine’s room at the nurse’s station but heard his name called and spun around.

  “Baron.”

  “Tony.”

  They hurried toward each other. Tony’s arm was held up in a brace, and his face appeared tired and worn with shadows under his eyes. He looked behind his friend to see if he saw a familiar face. He didn’t know why or what to expect, but the fact she wasn’t there and what had happened finally got through to him. The fear snaking down his spine almost paralyzed him.

  “Wh… Where’s Jasmine?”

  His friend put one hand on his arm. “She’s alive, but in a coma. The doctors think she’ll come out of it. They hope to know more soon.”

  “Oh, God.” He clasped Tony’s arm. Alive, she was alive.

  “Come on, let me take you to her room.”

  Tony turned around and went down the hall. Baron placed one foot in front of the other and followed his friend. They passed two doors and stopped at the third one that was open. The sight of his Jasmine lying on that hospital bed had him rushing forward to her side. He dropped his bag on the floor, picked up her hand and squeezed it, but there was no return pressure. Her eyes remained closed and she seemed to be asleep, but his heart seized. He couldn’t stand seeing her like this. He bent until his lips hovered above hers.

  “I’m here,” he whispered, then kissed her. “Wake up my sleeping beauty. Please, God, let her wake up.”

  Something nudged him at the back of his knees. He turned around. Tony had placed a chair behind him.
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  “Sit down, man. I was just on my way downstairs to buy a sandwich and some coffee. I’ll bring you back something.”

  “Thank you.”

  After Tony left, Baron turned back to Jasmine and ran his fingers over her eyelids, her cheeks, her lips. He took her hand and kissed it, then lowering it, he kept it enclosed in both of his. “I miss you. Please come back to me. I need you in my life. I’ve just found you. Come back to me.”

  But there was no flicker of movement, no hint of awareness. Nothing but the rise and fall of her chest, which was the only thing keeping him sane. The knowledge she was alive.

  Tony returned and handed him a bag, but in truth he had no appetite. He placed the food on the nightstand by the bed. He did drink the coffee. Tony filled him in on all the details of the accident, which wasn’t much more than he’d told him in between flights. Someone had run a red light and hit them, causing the car to go into a tailspin and be struck again, which flipped it. Tony pulled Jasmine from the wreckage just before the car went up in flames. His friend had sprained his shoulder yanking her out of the seatbelt and airbag. But the airbag probably saved her life. As did his friend.

  “I will always be grateful to you, man,” Baron said, glancing over at him.

  “I’m sorry, bro. So sorry. If I hadn’t been wasted, she wouldn’t have been driving.”

  Baron shook his head. “No. This was not your fault. Don’t blame yourself, but the ass that ran the red light. And I’d hate to think what would have happened if you had been driving wasted.”

  “The cops came to the hospital and I spoke to them earlier. They told me the man was drunk, didn’t have a scratch on him. They took him off to jail. So you’re right.”

  A doctor entered the room, cutting off their conversation, and introduced himself to Baron as Doctor Kilgore.