I glanced up, rubbing my forehead. “Okay.”
“Stop scratching your head.”
My brows hitched. “What the fuck?” I looked down the street. “How did you know…?” A window rolled down from a black limo standing in front of the building, and dark curls came out of it. “You son of a bitch!”
Mike raised his head, his perfect teeth flashing. “Can I come up?”
I beamed, my heart thumping. My friends crammed behind me, gaping at the limo. “Um…I have some friends here, and by the look on their faces, I don’t think you’ll be safe if you do.”
His smile widened, and he waved. “Can you come down?”
Amanda was jumping, her jaw still dropped, screaming like a maniac, while Raoul mashed his face to the glass, looking like an idiotic creep.
Covering my ear, I shook my head. “I’ll have to lock these goons up first. Can you wait?”
“Sure. I’m all yours tonight.”
Scene16
Mike
Mike’s eyes fell past Maggie’s face and landed on her body. She was in gray sweatpants and a tight, navy blue sweater that made her breasts bounce as she ran across the street toward the limo. He ran his hand through his hair and turned his head to the other window.
Her hazel eyes twinkled with joy when she got into the car. “Oh my God. You told me you were going away for a month,” she said, her voice muffled by the wool of his coat.
He closed his eyes and kissed her temple, his arms tight around her. “I managed to squeeze things around to get some free time tonight.”
She pulled away. “Just tonight?”
“Yeah. I have to get back to Newark tomorrow.”
“Fuck.”
“Don’t get upset. Here, look what I got you.” He inserted his hand in the pocket of his coat and got out a black, square-shaped jewelry box. “An early Christmas present from Japan.”
“Oh.” She opened the box. Her lips parted as she stared at the silver bangle bracelet. “Wow. It’s so beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it. Put it on.”
“I don’t just like it. I love it. It has all my favorite colors.” Her fingers traced the titanium, black stems of the cherry blossoms intertwined around the bracelet and reached the red rock in the middle. “Is that a real ruby?”
“Um-hum.”
“Mike…I’m speechless. This is so beautiful.” Her fingers pointed at the Japanese symbols engraved under the ruby. “What does this mean?”
Forever yours.But he couldn’t say that, so he cleared his throat. “I’m not sure. The man who sold it to me had a terrible accent. I barely understood anything he said.”
“It doesn’t matter.” She flipped the bracelet between her palms before she put it on her wrist. “It’s amazing. Thank you.” Another hug from her warmed his heart.
As she drew back, his nose nuzzled her hair and his lips touched the rim of her ear. He shut his eyes for a second, wishing he could slide his lips to her earlobe and travel down her neck, her chest…
“Mike, you’re burning up.” The back of her hand was on his forehead now.
He blinked, shifting in his seat. “Am I?”
“Yes.” She touched his cheeks, and he rubbed his forehead where her hand had just been. Something he did when he was really nervous, which only happened on two occasions. Struggling with the truth or being close to Maggie. “Did you catch something from abroad?”
