second flight of stairs when she heard his voice.
“—like to talk to someone about advertising space in an upcoming issue.”
Her shoulders sagged at the realization that he wasn’t here for her. She dug her nails into her palms as she considered her next move. Should she talk to him? What was she going to say? What did her hair look like? Of course, she couldn’t think of anything and apparently her appearance would have to cut it because Jamie had spotted her.
“Lauren?” His husky tenor was as gorgeous as she remembered. As was the rest of him. Head to toe, he was perfection. God, she was a love-struck ditz. Of course he sounded the same—it was only a week ago.
Taking a deep breath, she walked down the rest of the stairs and waited as he crossed the lobby to meet her. “Hey, Jamie. I—I, um… So how have you been?” Where was that confident woman she had promised herself she would be? She closed her eyes in embarrassment.
“A moron.”
Blinking at his terse statement, she searched his face for some clue. “A—a moron? You?” She laughed unevenly.
“Yeah, I never should’ve let you get away that night.” He cupped her cheek with his right hand. “I was a fool. A moron. Anything you can think to call me, I’ve called myself already. Or Sawyer has.”
“S-Sawyer? But he invited me—”
“To the Cave? Yeah. I asked him to. I thought maybe if I had you on my home turf, this would be easier. That I would feel like less of a dimwit. But apparently I couldn’t bring the mountain to Mohamed.” He ran a thumb across her lips.
Mountain? He wanted her to be the crazy stalker chick? Her?
“So that was you? You put in the ad? You’re J?”
He chuckled and she could swear his cheeks turned a touch red. “You saw that? I, uh, didn’t know if you read all your magazine’s classifieds, but I planned to be in the parking lot when the issue came out on Friday. I had roses and…never mind.”
Her heart warmed at the mental picture and his apparent embarrassment. “And today you’re here to set up some advertising for your gyms?”
“No, well yes, but mostly I came in for a chance to see you.” He ducked his head for a moment and when he looked back up at her she gasped at the emotion so close to the surface. He looked scared and nervous as hell. If it were possible her heart melted even more. “I’m so sorry I forced you to safe-word out. I have issues with sharing…and trusting. Goes back a long way… But I’m not going to let my past hurt you again. Am I too late? Can you forgive me for freaking out on you? Making you run away?”
She stared up at him. “Making me run? I left because that’s the code. It was just a weekend fling. We agreed no strings, remember?”
Jamie closed his eyes with a soft curse. “Yeah that’s how it started anyway. But later… That second night, I realized I wanted more. But then you left before I could say anything, and I’ve been out of my mind trying to come up with ways to make it up to you. Hoping that this amazing woman with the largest heart I know could ever forgive me and give me another chance.”
Someone tittered behind her and she winced at the reminder they were having this conversation in the lobby. Her palms sweated and her knees trembled, but the way he made her feel was worth any amount of embarrassment.
“I—I…” She stopped and cleared her throat. “I don’t think you’ve done anything to apologize for. I was the moron. I could’ve saved us both a week of could’ve beens if I just stuck it out and confronted you like a grown-up. I’m so sorry, Jamie. Did I screw this up? Can you forgive me for being such a silly, self-doubting twit?”
“Oh, I think you’ll have to make it up to me first.” His eyes promised all sorts of wicked things she probably hadn’t even heard of—let alone performed. “Are you sure you’re willing to date a kinky perv like me?”
She shivered under the power of his gaze.
“Oh say yes,
“—like to talk to someone about advertising space in an upcoming issue.”
Her shoulders sagged at the realization that he wasn’t here for her. She dug her nails into her palms as she considered her next move. Should she talk to him? What was she going to say? What did her hair look like? Of course, she couldn’t think of anything and apparently her appearance would have to cut it because Jamie had spotted her.
“Lauren?” His husky tenor was as gorgeous as she remembered. As was the rest of him. Head to toe, he was perfection. God, she was a love-struck ditz. Of course he sounded the same—it was only a week ago.
Taking a deep breath, she walked down the rest of the stairs and waited as he crossed the lobby to meet her. “Hey, Jamie. I—I, um… So how have you been?” Where was that confident woman she had promised herself she would be? She closed her eyes in embarrassment.
“A moron.”
Blinking at his terse statement, she searched his face for some clue. “A—a moron? You?” She laughed unevenly.
“Yeah, I never should’ve let you get away that night.” He cupped her cheek with his right hand. “I was a fool. A moron. Anything you can think to call me, I’ve called myself already. Or Sawyer has.”
“S-Sawyer? But he invited me—”
“To the Cave? Yeah. I asked him to. I thought maybe if I had you on my home turf, this would be easier. That I would feel like less of a dimwit. But apparently I couldn’t bring the mountain to Mohamed.” He ran a thumb across her lips.
Mountain? He wanted her to be the crazy stalker chick? Her?
“So that was you? You put in the ad? You’re J?”
He chuckled and she could swear his cheeks turned a touch red. “You saw that? I, uh, didn’t know if you read all your magazine’s classifieds, but I planned to be in the parking lot when the issue came out on Friday. I had roses and…never mind.”
Her heart warmed at the mental picture and his apparent embarrassment. “And today you’re here to set up some advertising for your gyms?”
“No, well yes, but mostly I came in for a chance to see you.” He ducked his head for a moment and when he looked back up at her she gasped at the emotion so close to the surface. He looked scared and nervous as hell. If it were possible her heart melted even more. “I’m so sorry I forced you to safe-word out. I have issues with sharing…and trusting. Goes back a long way… But I’m not going to let my past hurt you again. Am I too late? Can you forgive me for freaking out on you? Making you run away?”
She stared up at him. “Making me run? I left because that’s the code. It was just a weekend fling. We agreed no strings, remember?”
Jamie closed his eyes with a soft curse. “Yeah that’s how it started anyway. But later… That second night, I realized I wanted more. But then you left before I could say anything, and I’ve been out of my mind trying to come up with ways to make it up to you. Hoping that this amazing woman with the largest heart I know could ever forgive me and give me another chance.”
Someone tittered behind her and she winced at the reminder they were having this conversation in the lobby. Her palms sweated and her knees trembled, but the way he made her feel was worth any amount of embarrassment.
“I—I…” She stopped and cleared her throat. “I don’t think you’ve done anything to apologize for. I was the moron. I could’ve saved us both a week of could’ve beens if I just stuck it out and confronted you like a grown-up. I’m so sorry, Jamie. Did I screw this up? Can you forgive me for being such a silly, self-doubting twit?”
“Oh, I think you’ll have to make it up to me first.” His eyes promised all sorts of wicked things she probably hadn’t even heard of—let alone performed. “Are you sure you’re willing to date a kinky perv like me?”
She shivered under the power of his gaze.
“Oh say yes,
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