When the buzzer rang again, it gave me a bit of a start and I finally went over to hit the button. “Yes?”
“I have a delivery for Jacqueline?”
I frowned. “I haven’t ordered anything.”
There was only a brief pause. “No, ma’am. This is from someone called Jesse. It’s already paid for.”
Both of my eyebrows shot up, but I buzzed him in, my curiosity officially piqued. When I opened the door a minute later, I was handed a bag that smelled like heaven, fresh coffee and something buttery and sweet.
“Thank you,” I murmured to the delivery guy. “Sorry about the confusion.”
“No problem, ma’am.” He tipped his cap at me and then he was gone.
I shut the door and carried the brown paper bag to my kitchen counter, setting it down and eagerly peeking inside. Coffee, a selection of pastries, and a cup of fruit salad stared back at me. Written on a note tucked neatly on top of it all was a message from him, but not in that same elegant script as before.
Assuming that he’d instructed the cafe to write the note, I smiled when I read it, a welcome change.
Jacque,
Eat. Hydrate. Enjoy.
—J
I laughed and shook my head, finally ambling back to my room to fetch my phone, and shot off a quick text.
Me: Where did you go?
The reply came almost immediately.
Jesse: I had some quick business to take care of. Try not to miss me too much.
Jesse: I’ll be back later. I owe you a day.
He owed me a day?What does that even mean?
Still, a warmth settled in my chest at the knowledge that he truly intended on returning. He hadn’t hit it and quit it, or whatever that saying was.
“He really is dangerous, isn’t he?” I murmured to myself before taking a sip of coffee. “Charming, gorgeous, funny,andgreat in bed. The most lethal of all combinations.”
Lethal or not, however, he was proving to be surprisingly thoughtful too. I set my phone down and drank the coffee while eating a pastry. After, I forced myself into the shower, taking a little more care than usual to shave properly. Once that wasdone, I dressed and convinced myself I could be productive while I waited for him to come back.
I even opened my laptop, stared at a document, and typed half a sentence before my concentration started drifting. The fact of it was that I’d ended up having a fantastic night despite Thomas’s surprise appearance.
Obviously, I hadn’t forgotten about that little tidbit. Nor had I forgotten the question he’d asked me, but I was choosing to ignore it for now. Jesse had thoroughly distracted me—and then some.
When my phone rang, I grabbed for it, assuming it’d be him, but instead, my mom’s face smiled up at me from the screen. I answered immediately, tucking the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I pushed the laptop away.
“Hi, Mom,” I said. “How are you?”
“Hi, darling,” she greeted happily. “I’m well. Just glad to hear your voice. How are you?”
“I’m good,” I said, and for once, it didn’t feel like a complete lie. “I’ve just been busy.”
“I’m hoping that means you’ve been going out, exploring, and enjoying your new city?”
“I have.” I smiled as I turned to look out at the street below. “I’ve been having a wonderful time, actually.”
“That’s great news. I was worried you’d bury yourself in work and forget that the outside world even existed.”
