amazing. And then there’s the way you look first thing in the morning, when you open your eyes and see me.”
She let out a surprised laugh. “That was once.”
“Yeah, but we can fix that. And then there’s your laugh, that goofy, self-conscious laugh. It melts my damn heart every time. So you should know, it’s not just a one-time thing, not anywhere close. I’m in love with you, Maggie.”
Before she could respond, Alice screamed through the walls. “Why is your heart rate going up? Goddammit, are you getting naked?”
Maggie couldn’t hear anything past the roar of her own blood in her ears, and those three words still echoing between her ears.
He loved her.
Loved her . . . “Jacob—”
“Maggie!” Tim yelled. “She’s going to start shooting. Get back in here!”
“Come on.” Jacob led her back into Scott’s office, and Maggie, her heart still racing over what Jacob had just said, handed the vial over to Alice.
“Wait.” Tim was staring at the vial.
Maggie froze. Obviously, the color was off, and he knew it. She locked gazes with him, holding her breath.
“You had a lot left,” he finally said.
“Yeah. I did.” Crap. Maggie turned to Alice. “You know how illegal this is, right?”
“Yes, because waving a gun in your face isn’t illegal at all.” Alice jammed the vial into her pocket and pulled out a fistful of cuff ties from her other. “Look, I’m sorry, all right?” She cuffed Scott to his filing cabinet and Tim to the desk. Then she came up to Maggie and Jacob, and after a hesitation, hooked them together. “For you,” she whispered to Maggie. “Because he looks to be a keeper, someone you’d never need this lotion for.”
Jacob didn’t say a word but there was a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“Don’t do this, Alice,” Maggie begged her. “It’s not too late to—” She broke off when Jacob jerked his arm—and therefore hers as well—hitting the button on Tim’s desk that activated the magnetic couch.
The couch shot straight up from the floor, coming to a hover about two feet above the carpet, causing a handful of objects to instantaneously fly through the air as if hurled by a slingshot—like Scott’s phone, which nearly hit Tim, and . . . the gun, which was yanked right out of Alice’s hands.
It slapped hard to the couch and stuck there.
“Dammit!” Alice yelled as Tim used his leg to trip her to the floor. Still attached to the filing cabinet, he slid down and sat on her.
“Hey!” she yelled, struggling. “I’ll sue you for sexual harassment!”
“I’m gay,” Tim informed her dryly. “I’m more likely to sexually harass Maggie’s hottie than you, trust me.”
Maggie stared at her “hottie”—the one who loved her—her free hand clutching her heart, because it had only just now started beating again. “Did you did mean it?”
Jacob’s eyes softened, and some of the tenseness left his body as he lifted his free hand and cupped her face. “Yes, I meant it.”
“Oh, God. I love you, too.” Her throat was so tight she could hardly speak. “For so many reasons. You say what you think and you do what you say, and you’ve got more logic and common sense in your pinkie than my last five dates combined.”
“Hey,” Scott said, insulted.
Maggie ignored him. “I think you’re the smartest, funniest, sharpest, smartest man I’ve ever met.”
“I could have said what I thought and what I feel,” Scott muttered to Tim. “I could be solid and loyal.”
Jacob pulled Maggie close. On Scott’s desk, her heart monitor was still going nuts. With her free hand, she pulled the vial Tim had given her out of her pocket and smashed it to the floor. “That was the last of it,” she told her soon to be ex-bosses. “I realize you can make more, but if you do, know this—I’ll turn Data Tech over to the FDA, the DFA, the CIA, and the DEA, and whoever else will listen to me.”
“You’re bluffing,” Tim said. “Your work is your
She let out a surprised laugh. “That was once.”
“Yeah, but we can fix that. And then there’s your laugh, that goofy, self-conscious laugh. It melts my damn heart every time. So you should know, it’s not just a one-time thing, not anywhere close. I’m in love with you, Maggie.”
Before she could respond, Alice screamed through the walls. “Why is your heart rate going up? Goddammit, are you getting naked?”
Maggie couldn’t hear anything past the roar of her own blood in her ears, and those three words still echoing between her ears.
He loved her.
Loved her . . . “Jacob—”
“Maggie!” Tim yelled. “She’s going to start shooting. Get back in here!”
“Come on.” Jacob led her back into Scott’s office, and Maggie, her heart still racing over what Jacob had just said, handed the vial over to Alice.
“Wait.” Tim was staring at the vial.
Maggie froze. Obviously, the color was off, and he knew it. She locked gazes with him, holding her breath.
“You had a lot left,” he finally said.
“Yeah. I did.” Crap. Maggie turned to Alice. “You know how illegal this is, right?”
“Yes, because waving a gun in your face isn’t illegal at all.” Alice jammed the vial into her pocket and pulled out a fistful of cuff ties from her other. “Look, I’m sorry, all right?” She cuffed Scott to his filing cabinet and Tim to the desk. Then she came up to Maggie and Jacob, and after a hesitation, hooked them together. “For you,” she whispered to Maggie. “Because he looks to be a keeper, someone you’d never need this lotion for.”
Jacob didn’t say a word but there was a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“Don’t do this, Alice,” Maggie begged her. “It’s not too late to—” She broke off when Jacob jerked his arm—and therefore hers as well—hitting the button on Tim’s desk that activated the magnetic couch.
The couch shot straight up from the floor, coming to a hover about two feet above the carpet, causing a handful of objects to instantaneously fly through the air as if hurled by a slingshot—like Scott’s phone, which nearly hit Tim, and . . . the gun, which was yanked right out of Alice’s hands.
It slapped hard to the couch and stuck there.
“Dammit!” Alice yelled as Tim used his leg to trip her to the floor. Still attached to the filing cabinet, he slid down and sat on her.
“Hey!” she yelled, struggling. “I’ll sue you for sexual harassment!”
“I’m gay,” Tim informed her dryly. “I’m more likely to sexually harass Maggie’s hottie than you, trust me.”
Maggie stared at her “hottie”—the one who loved her—her free hand clutching her heart, because it had only just now started beating again. “Did you did mean it?”
Jacob’s eyes softened, and some of the tenseness left his body as he lifted his free hand and cupped her face. “Yes, I meant it.”
“Oh, God. I love you, too.” Her throat was so tight she could hardly speak. “For so many reasons. You say what you think and you do what you say, and you’ve got more logic and common sense in your pinkie than my last five dates combined.”
“Hey,” Scott said, insulted.
Maggie ignored him. “I think you’re the smartest, funniest, sharpest, smartest man I’ve ever met.”
“I could have said what I thought and what I feel,” Scott muttered to Tim. “I could be solid and loyal.”
Jacob pulled Maggie close. On Scott’s desk, her heart monitor was still going nuts. With her free hand, she pulled the vial Tim had given her out of her pocket and smashed it to the floor. “That was the last of it,” she told her soon to be ex-bosses. “I realize you can make more, but if you do, know this—I’ll turn Data Tech over to the FDA, the DFA, the CIA, and the DEA, and whoever else will listen to me.”
“You’re bluffing,” Tim said. “Your work is your
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