“I’ll think about it.” She didn’t have an intention to take the request seriously. Wasn’t she suffering enough? Well, not suffering exactly. Lunch was good, and staying with Viv was really nice. She was even getting used to the house and was feeling more confident about her job.
The only snafu was Tyler. She thought about asking for Viv’s advice, then changed her mind. She needed to forget about him and stick to it this time. She was spending way too much energy on a dorky guy with glasses. He wasn’t even her type.
As of right now, she wasn’t going to think about Tyler Hernandez anymore. Not ever. Ever. And never.
“Want to get pedicures?” Viv asked.
Kalista grinned. Finally, she was going to do something fun.
* * *
Jade’s eyes grew wide. Leave it to Sebastian to keep throwing her loops.
During the ride back from Crescent Ridge Café, her stomach churned with dread, the scrumptious pie she’d just eaten making it worse. All morning she’d been able to forget about the ledger. Sebastian had made that easy. It felt like they’d picked up right where they left off ten years ago, even sharing a bite of food the way they used to.
For the first time ever, she allowed herself to think about whatwould have happened if things were different. If she had told Sebastian about Logan and hadn’t run off to Atlanta to make more money, only to ultimately fail to adopt him. If she had trusted him enough, would they still be together? Would she, Seb, and Logan have been a family?
When he pulled into the inn’s parking lot, she ceased her thoughts. There was no point in what-ifs. She was just grateful to have spent this time with him. A complete one-eighty to how she felt almost a week ago. Then he parked his car, and the time had come. She had to confess to taking and losing the ledger. She shoved her shaking hands under her thighs.
Then he knocked her off guard with his question. Her automatic answer was something he could relate to—she was too focused on work and her own security to have a social life. She turned to tell him that.
His tender gaze caressed her, making the words disappear and uncovering the real truth. Sebastian Hudson had her heart. He always had.He still does.
Suddenly he turned away. “Doesn’t matter,” he mumbled, opening the car door. “I’ll walk you to the inn.”
The encompassing warmth she’d felt a second ago vanished, making her think she’d imagined the moment. She probably had. Anything to keep the sick feeling at bay. She got out of his car, and he met her on the passenger side.
“I guess this is goodbye,” he said.
Jade nodded. “Thanks for talking to Miles.”
Seb shrugged. “I’ll see what he has to say.”
They both knew he wasn’t going to agree, and Jade was fine with that. Actually, she was glad. Sebastianwas The Clementine Times. He deserved to keep it.
She swallowed, ready to tell him about the ledger. She lifted her eyes to meet his. She’d been enough of a coward. “Sebastian...”
Her words, her thoughts, everything around her disappeared as their gazes met. Her pulse danced—no, itdo-si-do’das he took a step forward. Bedroom eyes.He has bedroom eyes.
She willed his mouth to meet hers, pressing against him, kissing him with so much emotion she wanted to weep. His arm went around her waist, drawing her closer, slightly arching her back while his fingers dug into her hair as he returned her kiss. The hollow emptiness inside her began to fill.
At some point he pulled away, but not very far. “I missed you,” he said, his already deep voice husky and deliciously low.
She smiled, fully relaxing in his arms. “I can tell.”
“Yeah, I’m not exactly hiding it.”
He wasn’t. And he was perfect.
He traced his fingertips down her cheek. “Stay, Jade. An extra day or two. Three, even. Let me get to know you again.”
Her instinct was to say no. Her default setting whenever it came to doing something for herself. She was a logical woman who worked with numbers and understood objectivity and order. Objectively, she had to go home. She had work to do. She had... nothing else.
Yet, in Clementine she had this sexy, dependable man, right in her arms.Right where I want him.Taking a day or three off wouldn’t hurt. She had plenty of vacation time accrued. “Yes,” she said. “I’ll stay.”
His eyes lit up and he kissed her again. “Then it’s a date.”
“When?”
