Crash Into Me(107)

"I've never told you what any of my employees look like, Nina. They're simply people who do things for me. I don't pay attention to what they look like."

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. "Is that supposed to make me jealous too?"

Tristan smiled and reached out to caress my cheek. "No. You misunderstood. But perhaps you can see my point from earlier now?"

Sighing heavily, I wilted under the weight of my anger. I hated that I was jealous. I hated that it was so easy for me to feel insecure.

"Tristan, I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. I can't be worrying so much that my husband is having some hot thing with his blond assistant that I go crazy here out in the country and begin to stalk him while he's at work. And I have to be honest. I'm not above the whole stalking thing. It's not my most attractive trait, but I get jealous."

He kissed me and pressed his forehead to mine. "I love you, Nina. Even the jealous you. Maybe we should both remember what happens when we get jealous."

"Okay. I promise no more flashing your gardener," I teased.

He straightened to his full height and laughed. "I wouldn't worry about that. I fired him."

Guilt over Blake's firing made my stomach turn and I stepped back away from Tristan. "Are you kidding? How could you do that? You fired someone for something I did? Do you plan to fire Kacey too since she made me jealous?"

He seemed to consider my idea and reached out to take my hand. "No, but I see your point. I will if you want me to."

I pulled away, horrified at what he was saying. "No f*cking way! I won't be responsible for you firing someone twice today, even if it is that snarky bitch. If you fire her, it's because you want to, not because I said to."

"Nina, I want you to be happy. Tell me what would make you happy, and I'll do it."

The petty, jealous me wanted him to fire Kacey, but that was no more right than firing Blake. I understood his jealousy, but we couldn't go on like this. Not if we ever expected to be happy together.

"Don't fire Kacey, but promise me she doesn't ever get close enough to you to touch you again."

With a smile, he took my hand in his and brought it to his lips. "Agreed."

"And give Blake his job back. I can understand you aren't crazy about him working as the gardener since he saw me without my bikini bottoms, but give him another job somewhere else."

Tristan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Agreed. Now here's one for you. No staying in the city tonight."

"Agreed." I hadn't planned on staying with Jordan anyway, so it wasn't much of a concession.

"I have to get back to work. That magazine is expecting to tour the house, and I have to be there."

A stab of hurt pushed on my heart and I began walking toward the car. I guess I wasn't allowed to be known as Tristan Stone's live-in girlfriend. "Fine. I guess it's your house, so you should be there."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me back toward him. "Nina, let me explain."

"No need. I understand," I said with a pout.

Spinning me around, he forced me to look at him as he explained, "No, you don't. I didn't think you'd want to announce our engagement to the world this way. I know how private you are, and I love that. I don't need anyone else to know how much I love you as long as you know. But eventually the world is going to find out. I just didn't want it to find out this way."

I couldn't disagree with that. This way, I'd have the chance to tell Kim and Jordan first.