Page 31

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Jack

I stare at Gisella as she lounges on the couch in my office.

I made her come into the office with me today. She brought an E-reader with her and has read most of the day. I don’t even question how much I love having her near me. Just like I’m doing right now, I’ve been watching her curled up on the couch all day, reading or playing on her phone. It’s been soothing for more than just the fact that I know she’s safe. The last few days have solidified in my mind how much I care about her. How much I truly enjoy having her around. I love having her care about the most important people in my life.

At one point a couple hours ago, she went to the breakroom to get a cup of coffee, and I walked in on her and Tyler joking good-naturedly. I know he sometimes feels left out by some of the other guys because he’s young and my cousin and doesn’t share the same background as all the rest of the people I employ. I could see the smug look on his face when some of the other guys were in the breakroom, and the pretty new girl was talking to him and not them. She brings out the confidence in him that neither I nor his mom have been able to.

I refocus on my computer to try to get more work done, when she calls my name. Glancing back over at her, I find her walking across the office toward my desk. I motion for her to circle my desk, and when she’s close enough, I pull her onto my lap.

“Jack, we’re in your office.” Her actions don’t match her chastisement when she relaxes against me.

I grip her hip with one hand and the other goes to her cheek. My thumb brushes over her smooth skin. “This is hardly the worst thing we’ve done in this office. Or what I’ve thought about doing to you in this office.”

I chuckle as her cheeks turn pink with the most adorable blush, and she gives me an admonishing glare. “Anywaaay,” she draws out, before asking, “can Maggie come over tonight? I haven’t seen her since I got fired, and I would like to get together with her if I could.” She blows out a long breath. “It would be nice to hang out and relax and just try to forget about all this crap.”

The pictures hit Gisella hard. I still feel the lingering anger that haunted me all last night after she finally cried herself to sleep on my chest. “Is Maggie your friend from work? The one you had dinner with that night I drove you home?”

“Yep, that’s her.”

“Of course she can come over. When you’re staying with me, my house is your house. You don’t need to ask.” I run my thumb over her bottom lip as a small smile pulls it upward.

“I just didn’t know with everything going on.”

I shake my head. “You’re safe in my house. Now, if you were asking to go out to dinner, that would be a different conversation.”

“Thank you, Jack.”

I press a chaste kiss to her lips and gently urge her off my lap. “Go back to being distracting over there. Having you this close is much too tempting.” I swat her ass as she starts to walk away, smiling at the giggle mixed with a yelp that leaves her.

Instead of working like I should, I take care of something much more important.

When we get back to my house after work, I unlock the door and push it open. I smile that my delivery was made as requested as I step to the side to let Gisella enter ahead of me. A small gasp fills the air next to me.

“Jack!” Gisella’s breathy exclamation of my name hits me in the groin. She walks past me to smell the large bouquet filled with white roses, pink carnations, and pink Peruvian lilies. Or so I was told by the florist I ordered it from. She plucks one rose from the bouquet and rubs the petals gently between two fingers while looking at the rest of the packages on the counter. I ordered dinner from a local Italian restaurant with two bottles of white wine, tiramisu, and cannoli for dessert. “You ordered all of this?”

I nod as I sink onto one of the barstools next to where she stands to move her between my thighs. Her arms slide over my shoulders, the flower still in her hand tickling the back of my neck. “I know it’s not Monday, but I wanted to get these for you anyway. And I wanted you and Maggie to have a nice, relaxing evening. I didn’t want you to stress about ordering anything when we got home. She won’t be here for a little while, so I’ll keep it warm in the oven.”

She glances away from me, staring at the food once again. “Can I ask you a question?”

I gently turn her face to mine. I force my expression to stay neutral, but based on her tone, I’m not sure what to expect. “Always.”

“What are we doing?” She pauses, and my eyebrows push together in confusion. “Like, us. We have sex, you help me, and I’m just here, not doing anything for you.” She gnaws her bottom lip as she searches my face. “What’s going to happen when all of this is over? Assuming I don’t go to jail. Pretty sure I know what happens to us at that point.”

I’m shocked that she would even ask that. But it makes sense that she would. How would she know how I’m feeling? How terrible I feel when I don’t see her for longer than a few hours? How she’s exactly what I have been looking for, and I didn’t even realize it until I met her? “Gisella, when all of this is over, I intend for you to be exactly where you are right now.” I grip her chin gently so she doesn’t look away. “With me. I don’t know exactly what that looks like for us, but I cannot wait until we get the chance to figure that out as a normal couple.”

Her eyebrows jump in surprise. “Couple?”

“Yes, Gisella. Unless you have other thoughts?”

She shakes her head, her eyes lighting up. “I want that.”

The tightness in my chest eases at that, and I give her a chaste kiss. “I do, too. And as for the going to jail bullshit, I refuse to believe that’s even a possibility, so let’s not think about that, okay?”

She gives me a weak smile, but it’s not convincing.

I run my thumb along her soft cheek as I cup her face. “And as for what you do for me, I’m not even sure I can adequately describe that. It’s less about tangible things you do, but more about what you are doing in here.” I bring her hand up to my chest over my heart. Her face softens with happiness. Before either of us get too emotional, I say, “But there’s something else you can do for tonight, and that’s to try to relax and enjoy your time with your friend.”

Pulling the rose from behind me, she places it on her nose and inhales deeply. “Okay, I will.”

I move the rose from in front of her face. Placing a hand on the back of her neck, I bring her closer to kiss her. As her tongue gingerly slides along mine, I tighten one arm around her waist to bring her body flush. I groan as she shifts her body against my hardening length. She bites my lip gently before she slowly pulls back, peppering my face with tiny kisses.

“Why don’t you go change into something more comfortable before Maggie gets here? If you stay here any longer, she’s going to have to wait outside until I’m done with you.” I reluctantly move her back a few steps to put space between our bodies.

She smirks in that seductive way I’ve come to recognize as she goes to step closer, with me holding her back. “We have time.”

No sooner do those words leave her mouth than my doorbell echoes through the house.

The scowl Gisella sends toward the offending sound makes me laugh. “Go change, baby.” I turn her to the hallway, smacking her ass on my way by to answer the door.

“Fine!” Gisella yells as she stomps away.

Shaking my head with a smile, I open the door to find her friend on the other side. Maggie is short—maybe 5’1” on a good day—and curvy like Gisella. She has shoulder-length sandy blonde hair and oversized glasses, dressed casually in black leggings, a cropped t-shirt, and flip-flops. She’s cute if you’re into miniature buxom librarians.

“You must be Jack,” she guesses as she looks me up and down.

“That I am. Maggie, I presume?”

She nods and walks past me. I can’t tell if I passed her inspection.

“Gisella is changing. Would you like a glass of wine? Or water? I also have diet soda.”

“Wine would be great.”

She follows me into the kitchen as I grab both bottles off the counter and put one in the fridge. I pour two glasses and slide one to her. She takes a sip, eyes never leaving me as I put the food in the oven. She’s opening her mouth to say something when the doorbell rings again.

I asked Ian to come over tonight so we can talk through some cases. He’s been out of the office most of the last two days, so I haven’t had a chance to catch up with him there. I excuse myself to go let him in.

I open my door one more time. “Come on in. Gisella’s friend just got here. We can go into my office and talk in just a few.”

“Okay, boss.”

I sigh. I’ve told Ian countless times he doesn’t have to call me boss. Especially not when we’re at my house. I follow him into the kitchen when I almost knock him over because of how abruptly he stops in front of me. I’m about to give him shit about it when Maggie turns. Her face goes slack when she spies me and Ian.

“You!”

Next to me, Ian stands up straighter and points at himself, then at Maggie. “Me? What about you? What the hell are you doing here? ”

“I’m here to see Ella, you schmuck.”

I notice Gisella standing in the hallway entrance, having come back from changing, looking as mystified by this interaction as I am. I gesture for Ian and Maggie to hold on. “Wait, you two know each other?”

Ian scoffs next to me before rubbing his eyes with his fingers. “It’s complicated.”

Maggie huffs out a humorless laugh. “Complicated. That’s one word for it.”

Ian puts his hands on his hips in frustration. “Well, what would you call it, Mags?”

Maggie turns away from him and grabs Gisella’s glass of wine from the counter. Ignoring Ian’s presence, she stalks past Gisella and moves into the living room, sitting on the couch as if nothing unusual has happened. “I got your wine, Ella.”

“Oh, uh, okay. Great,” Gisella replies as her eyes jump between her friend and Ian.

I slap Ian on the shoulder, knowing I’ll get more information out of him. “Come on, man. Let’s go in my office.”

Ian doesn’t say a word as he heads down the hallway. I make a stop at the fridge to grab a couple of beers, following him after dropping a kiss on Gisella’s head as I pass where she stands frozen. My kiss snaps her out of her confusion because she squeezes my arm affectionately and joins her friend on the couch.

This night is becoming much more interesting than I anticipated. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.