And then there was Vance.Who had spent every night with me since our first time together.Who had given me more this week than I could have ever hoped for.
“You look amazing yourself.Got a date later?”
Keely swished her knee-length skirt back and forth.“No date.I think I’m admitting defeat.I’ve also dated most of the available guys in the area, and there wasn’t so much as a little spark with any of them.I’m beginning to think that love is a made-up concept created by Hallmark and chocolate companies.”
I chuckled, getting off my stool.“You don’t believe that.I don’t know anyone who believes in soul mates as much as you do.”
She hung her head.“Well, looking at you, I might start believing again.But for now, I think I’ll give it a rest.It’s exhausting.”
Footsteps from the hallway stopped me from answering.Vance appeared in the doorway to his office, his suit fitting him perfectly as usual.Now that I knew what was underneath it, my cheeks heated and my body tingled with awareness whenever I looked at him.
He came straight to me, lifting me off the ladder.“Don’t go up there by yourself.You could fall off.”
Keely grinned at me and then left with a wave over her shoulder.
I tipped my head back, my hands on Vance’s chest while his rested on my hips.The position was one I’d found myself in a lot over the last week.And I had no complaints.Absolutely none.“I’m only about one foot off the ground.Even if I did fall off, I doubt I’d get seriously hurt.”
I’d also been going up and down the small ladder multiple times since my first day working at the office.But I didn’t think that was a fact I should share.
He responded by kissing me, something that was sure to make me forget what we were even arguing about.
When he pulled back, I leaned my forehead against his chest.
“What do you want to do for dinner tonight?”The words rumbled through his body, and I fought the pleasant shiver that wanted to work its way up and down my spine.
“Pizza?”
“Then pizza it is.”
I didn’t mind pizza, though I didn’t love it.But the great thing about choosing pizza was that it would maximize the time I had to spend with Vance.Because it was our last night together.The girls were coming back tomorrow.So pizza it was, because all we had to do was pick it up.
He kissed my nose, and I reluctantly released him.“I need to make a few calls, and then I’m ready to go.”
The next hour went achingly slowly, a fact not helped by my incessant need to check the time every few minutes.Vance had been in his office the whole time, the deep baritone of his voice audible through the door.
Malena had told me how much Vance used to work.The ten-hour days he did now paled in comparison.
“I called Colosseum, so we can pick the pizza up on our way home.”
Don’t do something embarrassing, Mae.A man not only remembering your order but also placing the call himself does not mean you have to rip your blouse open and offer to suck his cock.
Okay, that escalated quickly.I clearly still had to work on how to manage my emotions and set higher expectations.It also concerned me that I was now thinking of giving him a hand job to tide me over until we could get to the main event.Just a little one.We wouldn’t have time for more on the ten-minute drive.
Is it hot in here?God, what is wrong with me?I’d never once wanted to do anything like this to Cockalorum.After the first year together, I was happy when he left me alone.
My hormones must be confused.This could be their last-ditch effort before menopause.Oh no, what if every time I get hot around Vance, it’s a hot flash, not arousal?
My spiraling thoughts were replaced with daydreams of dragging Vance into the nearest broom closet.Something that was on my mind from the moment I woke up until I fell asleep.Lucky for me, he seemed all too happy to accommodate me.Needless to say, neither of us had been getting much sleep.
Vance took my hand, and we walked to his car, where he helped me into my seat, making my core clench in longing.We parked in front of the pizzeria, and he turned the engine off.He leaned over, pressing his lips to mine.“I’ll be right back.”
I stopped him with a hand on his arm and he stilled, already gripping the handle.“Thank you.”
He gave me one of his tentative grins, which were personally my favorite.
He was back five minutes later with a large box in one hand and a bag in the other.He dropped them on the back seat and then slid back inside the car.
I didn’t want to ask what was in the bag, but I had zero chill and about the same surprise-level tolerance as my four-year-old.“What’s in the bag?”
