“Of course I do. I always do, but I miss kissing you.”
“Ah, I get you now. I think you miss my lips and tongue for other things too.” He laughed. A suggestive arch of his brows made her let out a single throaty laugh.
“Yes I do, and I think you miss my mouth, all of it, no matter what it’s doing,” she teased.
“What time is it for you?”
“Midday.”
“Shit! Then it must be four a.m. for me. You are very distracting, Miss Winters,” he accused with a smile that now seemed fixed to his face.
“Right back at ya, Mr Maybury, right back at ya.”
Chapter 33
Having lay together for probably only a few minutes, Jim broke the comfortable silence they were sharing. “Why did you choose to use Winters instead of Bailey?” he asked with what appeared to be randomness, but the truth was it had been a question in his mind since the meeting in Jerome Stewart’s office. He explained his choice of question when he continued, “I was shocked when your grandparents were introduced as Winters and your siblings as Bailey.”
“I didn’t want anything to tie me to them and my grandparents had a much better work ethic, life ethic really and I felt more like a Winter than a Bailey.” Tasha realised keeping Bailey as her professional name had never been a consideration. It was bad enough to have it as her actual name without choosing it freely.
“So, legally, are you Winters or Bailey?”
“I haven’t legally changed it to Winters, but I always have to fill in the section on official stuff as also known as. I should probably think about it. I could ask Mr Stewart when I see him.”
“Or just wait until you become Natasha Maybury,” he said quite seriously.
She laughed at him, well, laughed at his persistence, “You don’t miss an opportunity, do you?”
“Not where you’re concerned.”
“If, I get married, I may choose to keep my name and not take my husband’s,” she said with a very straight face because she hadn’t even considered another name change.
“Oh dear, baby. I think we have found the subject of our first fight because my wife will have my name.”
“Then maybe I won’t be your lucky seven,” she replied and although she hadn’t intended for this to become an issue between them it had the potential to become just that.
“Are you playing with me, Tasha? You will only ever be marrying me and we both know it, so just acknowledge you will be Natasha Maybury,” he said with agitation.
“No,” she replied, feeling very brave and a little irritated by his assumptions about her and their marriage that wasn’t even a thing, not yet. She ignored her choice of the wordyet. Three little letters that were loaded and full of so many possibilities.
“No? Really?” His voice carried a mixture of annoyance and amusement she thought, the latter somehow managing to raise her hackles further, making her genuinely angry with him.
“James, you haven’t ever asked me to marry you. You just tell me I will and if I ever agree to marry you I will not automatically change my name. We will discuss it, like grown-ups.” She sounded calmer than she felt.
“Correction, when you agree to marry me, we will discuss it. We will fight about it and then you will agree with me and we’ll make up,” he said confidently.
“You are very sure of yourself, Mr Maybury. Some might say, cocky.” Tasha smiled at him, just a small smile, reluctant to get into a real argument about their non-existent wedding right now, she didn’t doubt there would be plenty of time for that in the future. Briefly she wondered if he truly felt as sure of himself as he appeared.
“You like me when I’m cocky,” he said, smiling back at her triumphantly.
“I need to get showered and dressed for my date with Mr Stewart.” Her phrasing was unassuming. She briefly glanced in the direction of the clock only to find Jim raising an eyebrow when her eyes returned to his image.
“A date? I think you’re trying to piss me off again, honey.”
She replayed her words and offered him a smile. “I didn’t mean it like that, and I am not trying to piss you off, sorry.”
“I will sext you later then, Miss Winters.”
“I look forward to it, Mr Maybury.”
