imagined hearing his voice, his whispered words before they’d sleep. Snuggling next to him, her head on his chest, his arm draped over her, cocooning her in his warm, secure embrace.
Her cheek brushed the buttons on the phone as she smiled. “Not at all. I’ve been waiting for you to call.” She took a deep breath. “Well, did she sign the contract?”
“No. She has to run it past her legal department.”
A spasm of disappointment pierced her stomach. Luke had worked hard on this account and without it, he wouldn’t achieve the promotion to partner.
“But it’s okay,” Luke said with enthusiasm. “She’d basically told me tonight that we have a deal. I can’t wait for you to meet her next Saturday. She’s a great lady. Business savvy, concerned about her employees and how their jobs affect their family. She’s the polar opposite of Gwen.” He released a frustrated sigh. “I’m still ticked over how she’d made Jay stay late and miss his kid’s game.”
Jenna cringed at the thought of meeting his boss. The woman sounded like a true bitch. “I suppose I’ll have to meet Gwen too, huh?”
“Not if you don’t want to. Honestly, I don’t want to subject you to her. She can’t stand me and just to bust my ass, she’ll probably go out of her way to make you uncomfortable.”
“Honey.” She paused, did she really just use a term of endearment. Yep, she did and for some reason it felt right. “I’m a big girl. If she tries any of her crap with me, I’ll pull out some psychobabble that’ll make her run for cover.”
Luke laughed. “You have no idea how much I’d love to see that.”
“Besides,” she began. “I’m not going to impress her. I’m going because I’m anxious to put faces to names, meet Margie and your friend Jay, and to…support you.” She closed her eyes and waited for his response. Had she laid it on too thick? Revealed too much?
“Baby, you have no idea how much that means to me.”
She couldn’t help the smile curving her lips at his term of endearment.
“Although Margie’s great and her account means big things for me, I really wish I could have been with you tonight, instead.”
Her smile grew. Luke was sweet and knew just the right words.
So did her ex-idiot boyfriend.
Not willing to go there, or let her insecurities creep in and ruin the moment, she clutched the phone tighter. “There’s always tomorrow night, if you’re free.”
“Absolutely, we can go to dinner and —”
“Nope, you’ve taken me out the past four nights, how about you come over and I’ll cook for you.”
“Should I be scared?”
His teasing tone made her laugh. “Look, I’m not saying I’ll cook a gourmet meal, but I can do better than a box of macaroni and cheese. How about it? Dinner at my place, say around sixish? Or do you need to stay late at the office?”
“Nope, six is good by me. Even if I have some work to wrap up, it can wait until later. I haven’t had a home cooked meal in a long time.” He paused for a second, then said, “I missed seeing you today, and I’m going to miss kissing you good night.”
She missed him too. The words were there, right on the tip of her tongue. But to admit, to utter those words out loud would expose too much. “Then I guess we have some serious making up and making out to do,” she said instead.
After saying goodnight to Luke, she folded her legs underneath her, and hugged herself.
Stupid. That’s what she was. A stupid, chicken shit. Why couldn’t she just tell him? Because she’d rather show him. With that thought, she stood, grabbed the laundry basket, then headed for her bedroom. She had some major planning to do. Tomorrow had to be special. Tomorrow she would reveal how she felt. About him. About them.
*
Luke leaned back in the dining room chair. “That had to be the best meal I’ve had in a long time,” he said, his eyes lacking the exuberance his smile offered.
Best meal, huh? Then why was more than
Her cheek brushed the buttons on the phone as she smiled. “Not at all. I’ve been waiting for you to call.” She took a deep breath. “Well, did she sign the contract?”
“No. She has to run it past her legal department.”
A spasm of disappointment pierced her stomach. Luke had worked hard on this account and without it, he wouldn’t achieve the promotion to partner.
“But it’s okay,” Luke said with enthusiasm. “She’d basically told me tonight that we have a deal. I can’t wait for you to meet her next Saturday. She’s a great lady. Business savvy, concerned about her employees and how their jobs affect their family. She’s the polar opposite of Gwen.” He released a frustrated sigh. “I’m still ticked over how she’d made Jay stay late and miss his kid’s game.”
Jenna cringed at the thought of meeting his boss. The woman sounded like a true bitch. “I suppose I’ll have to meet Gwen too, huh?”
“Not if you don’t want to. Honestly, I don’t want to subject you to her. She can’t stand me and just to bust my ass, she’ll probably go out of her way to make you uncomfortable.”
“Honey.” She paused, did she really just use a term of endearment. Yep, she did and for some reason it felt right. “I’m a big girl. If she tries any of her crap with me, I’ll pull out some psychobabble that’ll make her run for cover.”
Luke laughed. “You have no idea how much I’d love to see that.”
“Besides,” she began. “I’m not going to impress her. I’m going because I’m anxious to put faces to names, meet Margie and your friend Jay, and to…support you.” She closed her eyes and waited for his response. Had she laid it on too thick? Revealed too much?
“Baby, you have no idea how much that means to me.”
She couldn’t help the smile curving her lips at his term of endearment.
“Although Margie’s great and her account means big things for me, I really wish I could have been with you tonight, instead.”
Her smile grew. Luke was sweet and knew just the right words.
So did her ex-idiot boyfriend.
Not willing to go there, or let her insecurities creep in and ruin the moment, she clutched the phone tighter. “There’s always tomorrow night, if you’re free.”
“Absolutely, we can go to dinner and —”
“Nope, you’ve taken me out the past four nights, how about you come over and I’ll cook for you.”
“Should I be scared?”
His teasing tone made her laugh. “Look, I’m not saying I’ll cook a gourmet meal, but I can do better than a box of macaroni and cheese. How about it? Dinner at my place, say around sixish? Or do you need to stay late at the office?”
“Nope, six is good by me. Even if I have some work to wrap up, it can wait until later. I haven’t had a home cooked meal in a long time.” He paused for a second, then said, “I missed seeing you today, and I’m going to miss kissing you good night.”
She missed him too. The words were there, right on the tip of her tongue. But to admit, to utter those words out loud would expose too much. “Then I guess we have some serious making up and making out to do,” she said instead.
After saying goodnight to Luke, she folded her legs underneath her, and hugged herself.
Stupid. That’s what she was. A stupid, chicken shit. Why couldn’t she just tell him? Because she’d rather show him. With that thought, she stood, grabbed the laundry basket, then headed for her bedroom. She had some major planning to do. Tomorrow had to be special. Tomorrow she would reveal how she felt. About him. About them.
*
Luke leaned back in the dining room chair. “That had to be the best meal I’ve had in a long time,” he said, his eyes lacking the exuberance his smile offered.
Best meal, huh? Then why was more than
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