“There’s no need to be smug.”
“What? No need to be smug? I have single-handedly changed your life. I have just given you a reason to keep trying new things.” She returned to her spot and sat down on his desk again.“I’m gonna ask you something and answer me honestly. If you had to compare it to cream donuts, where would it stand?”
“If I had to compare it to cream donuts…I would say…” He rolled his eyes, hating the fact that he had to reveal this to her. “It’s possibly my new favorite.”
“Hear that, folks? A new favorite!” She erupted with more silliness, hands waving in the air and cheeks flushed with excitement. “A new favorite! All thanks to the incredible advice given by Jordan Shepard. Jordan Shepard is amazing. Jordan Shepard is a revolutionary human being.”
He laughed and rolled his eyes again. He loved watching her when she was like this, but God was she cocky.So adorable yet so annoying.
“I want you to say it.” She raised her brows and stared at him with blue-gray eyes beaming with arrogance. “I want you to say…Jordan Shepard, I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”
He let out a small humph and stood up, using a less than humble tone to give her what she asked for. “Jordan Shepard…I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”
“Jordan Shepard, you are the greatest,” she prompted.
Always with these antics.“Jordan Shepard, you are the greatest…the greatest pain in the ass.”
She giggled but she still wasn’t giving up. “Jordan Shepard, thank you for helping me find my new favorite.”
“Jordan Shepard,” he whispered, “I found my new favorite.”
And then his head dropped, mouth crashing straight onto hers. She didn’t even see it coming. Neither did he. But she was too close and he couldn’t resist. Her lips parted beneath his and he heard her groan, the same throaty groan he heard every time his tongue entered her mouth.
It had been almost two months since he felt these lips on his and it was like finding a piece of himself he hadn’t known was missing. He shifted, moving in front of her as he deepenedthe kiss. His arm wrapped around her, pulling her up off the desk and she pressed her slender body against him in the most enticing way. One hand moved lower, closing over the soft curve of her ass. His other hand, however, felt sort of restrained. He didn’t know what to do with it. Option one was weaving it into her hair, but she was so neat and…inaccessible, the very opposite of imperfect Jordan. Option two was sliding it up her skirt, but being at the office…
Oh, yeah. We’re at the office.He stepped back and took a deep, steadying breath. “Whoo…well…I’m sorry…about that.”It seemed like the right thing to say.
She smiled. “No, you’re not.”
He slowly shook his head, trying to hide a grin. “I’m not…I’m really not.”
Sighing playfully, she started backing away. “That’s eight for you, Mister Evans,” she said, walking out of his office.
He waited for her to close the door before he slumped down in his chair and threw his head back.New favorite indeed.
September
Trip to V-town
Jordan twisted her hand around Roscoe’s leash as she made her way along the winding path in David Rodger’s park. Although overcast, it was still relatively warm today and she wanted to bask in the fresh air. She loved this park. With big trees and open spaces, it reminded her of home. It was the perfect place for families to have picnics, for a couple to take a long, romantic stroll, or for a slightly confused spinster to take her dog out for a walk.
Slightly confused? That was the understatement of the year. Tyler was still bouncing back and forth with her. Usually he freaked out every time they kissed, but that kiss in his office was different. He didn’t freak out and that was freaking her out because she didn’t know what it meant. Did he want something more? Did he need more time? What the hell was he thinking?
Just when she thought they’d stabilized into a boss slash accountant slash friends type of relationship, he goes and ruins it. After Perry’s funeral, she was sure things had fizzled. Not from her side, but from his. He came to see her often, bringing her dinner and ice-cream, and it was all completely innocent. He was comforting. He’d let her cry when she needed to. He’d cheered her up with his weird jokes. Apart from an occasional quick hug, there was nothing else. Just two friends sitting on the couch watching a Soap Opera. It couldn’t get more platonic than that.
And then WHAM! He kissed her. Out of the blue. No time to prepare. One minute she’s doing a little victory dance and the next minute his hand was on her ass. And that meant something.She wasn’t sure if she could give him any more time, because when he kissed her like that it took everything in her to not throw herself at him. More time with Tyler only left her with more mixed messages.
Now looking back at the events of the last month, they actually seemed like a couple. They talked. They ate dinner together. They watched movies. Yet not once did he tell her what he was thinking or feeling. Not once did he confirm or deny that something deeper was happening between them. In all other aspects, theybehavedlike a couple…except there was nothing physical.
But now he’d KISSED HER!
What did that mean? Her hormones were all a rage, she was thinking about him all the time, and he still had not said one thing. They’d spent so much time together and she still didn’t know where his head was at.
She groaned her frustration and brought Roscoe to a halt beside her. Reaching into her knapsack, she took out a baguette. She broke off small pieces and tossed it on the ground. It didn’t take long for the birds to crowd around her. “And behave yourself,” she said to Roscoe.
She didn’t need to tell him that. They’d done this together many times before and he’d quickly gotten over the habit of nose-diving into the flock. Now he just watched silently as she fed them with an uninterested yawn every few minutes.
“You guys are hungry today,” she said, tossing the last few morsels of bread. “I have to admit, I feel a lot like Mary Poppins and I bet you’re wondering what else I have in this knapsack. Well, I’m gonna tell ya.” She reached into her bag again. “Oh, my God! It’s another baguette. You don’t have to thank me. I’m feeling charitable today. It’s like Christmas in September.”
