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  My mouth suddenly filled with dust and I licked my lips nervously as I reached the big doors. I hadn’t seen Jack since arriving in New York. It was still a dreamlike idea that I could be here, that any of this could be happening. My brain was still having a hard time believing that he would still be interested in me, even though our vacation was over. My world had been turned upside down and I was still struggling to catch up. After my run-in with the paparazzi the day before, I wasn’t sure what to expect anymore.

  With a deep breath, I knocked and pushed open the heavy doors. They swung inward easily, and I pulled the cart of food quietly behind me. Jack looked up from his desk, the mask of a businessman slipping away as soon as he saw me. The boyish glint I remembered from the beach shone in his eyes. He signed the last piece of paper on his desk in a hurry and stacked it neatly on the corner before coming around to greet me.

  There was an awkward moment where neither one of us was sure what we were supposed to do. Did we hug? Did we kiss? Shake hands? I went for a hug and he kissed me softly on the cheek. My heart pounded in my chest, threatening to shake my entire body.

  “Jeannette said you came by yesterday,” he said, breaking away from me. I wanted him to keep touching me, but I wasn’t sure my nerves could handle it. I felt like a girl meeting her crush behind the school for the first time.

  “Yeah, I didn’t know you weren’t going to be here. I’m learning the importance of scheduling,” I replied. I played with the food tray, wheeling it back and forth.

  “I’m sorry I missed you. I just realized that I haven’t seen you since you got here and that was a couple of days ago,” Jack said, leaning back against his desk.

  “You’ve been busy, I get it. You’re important.”

  “That isn’t a very good excuse,” he said, shaking his head. His hair gleamed in the soft light from his desk, and it took all my will power not to run my fingers through it. He shrugged and gestured to the food. “You hungry?”

  “Starving actually,” I answered. He came beside me and pushed the cart towards a couch and coffee table in the corner of his office. As he took the cart, he brushed against me, sending shivers down my spine. My body ached to remember how he felt, the way he moved inside of me. The beginnings of a blush tried to sneak onto my face, but I tried to mimic Jack’s easy nonchalance and it seemed to keep the heat down lower.

  He carefully placed each of the plates on the small table, motioning me to sit down. I sat gingerly on the leather sofa, my stomach doing flip flops. I couldn’t understand my anxiety; I had slept with the man, but now, now that we were going to actually have to get to know one another, I was nervous. Jack had met vacation me. Vacation me was bold and did crazy things like marrying strangers.

  Unfortunately, vacation me lived in the Caribbean, not New York. Now I was New York me and I suspected New York me was pretty much the same as Iowa me. The cautious boring me that didn’t know how to have a boyfriend. I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to be near him.

  "You brought hamburgers!" He grinned as he opened up the lid.

  "Yup. They are fancier than any burger I've ever seen. Look, they even have fancy catsup. Notice how it's spelled with a C?" I pointed to the glass bottle.

  Jack laughed and opened the bottle, pouring the red sauce onto his burger. I quickly mimicked him and poured it on my burger as well.

  I really liked Jack. I liked the way his smile was slightly crooked, but always genuine when he looked at me. I liked the way he smelled, the combination of cologne and man was intoxicating. I liked that he seemed to relax with me. His shoulders seemed to lower as I watched him poor sauce on his plate for the fries, like he was unwinding.

  Jack sat down next to me, our knees barely inches from touching. A current of electricity ran between us and I knew if we touched, sparks would fly. A nervous giggle escaped and I tried to keep it under control. I wanted to be sophisticated and interesting, but I was pretty sure I was nervous and obviously attracted to him.

  “Tell me about your day,” he said, lifting the lid to one of the entrees.

  “You really want to know?” I asked, raising the lid to my own plate. It smelled divine. Jack nodded and took a bite of his dinner. “Well, Dean—my bodyguard—took me to the New York Museum of Art and gave me the tour he promised.”

  “Dean knows art?” Jack asked, his mouth full of burger. The normalcy of it made me smile.

  “Yeah, a lot about art in fact. I’ve never really understood what makes one painting better than another, but having him explain the paintings to me actually made it interesting.” I took a bite of my own food before asking, “What about you? How was your day?”

  “Insane. We had a board meeting today and practically everything is behind or delayed. I don’t want to bore you with the details, but this is honestly the best part of my day today. Tell me more about the museum. I haven’t gone in years and never with a guide.”

  “Like I said, I know almost nothing about art, but I did discover I have a favorite artist. Monet. His paintings make me feel like summer. I don’t know if that makes sense, but I’m happy when I look at them.” I blushed, feeling like I had revealed something.

  “Monet... he did the water lilies painting, right?” Jack asked, his brows scrunched together as he tried to remember the artist.

  “That’s one of the most famous ones. They had one there called, “View of Vétheuil”. It reminds me of summers at home. Here I took a picture.” I pulled out my ancient flip phone and began navigating through the menus to show him some of the pictures from the museum.

  “How old is that phone?” Jack asked, looking askance at the archaic device. I shrugged.

  “I’m not really sure. I ‘inherited’ it when I got my phone plan and I haven’t had the money to upgrade it. My plan isn’t up for renewal for a while yet.” I shrugged sheepishly.

  “You are getting a new one. Whatever the top of the line one is right now, I am getting you one. No wonder half my texts to you don't go through,” he said, pulling out his own smart phone. He hit a button and held it up to his ear. “Rachel? Emma needs a new phone. All the bells and whistles. Yes. Thank you.”

  “Thank you,” I said as he hung up. I was a little baffled. Despite all the shopping I had done with Rachel, the idea of spending money the way Jack did was still intimidating.

  “You are most welcome. Let me see the picture.” He reached over and took my hand, pulling the phone screen to where he could see it. His hand was hot against mine and it sent sparks racing through my spine. I was a little sad when he let go. “It’s beautiful, like you. I can see why you like it.”

  “Thank you.” I couldn’t help but smile at the compliment. I wondered if he was this charming to all the models he took to the social events from the tabloid pictures. I hoped it was only for me.

  There was a long pause as neither of us knew what to say next. It had been so easy to talk to him on the beach, but now, I was tongue-tied and shy. I played with my food, trying desperately to think of something to say.

  “So... , how are you liking New York?” Jack finally asked, breaking our awkward silence.

  “It’s huge!” I blurted out. Jack laughed. “I mean, it is so much bigger than where I’m from. It’s been a little overwhelming.”

  “Do you think you could get used to it?” There was more to the question than just the words and the implication made my heart speed up.

  “If I keep getting to have dinners like this, then I think I could.” A smile flashed across Jack’s face. It reminded me of a time in high school when I said “Yes” to a boy who asked me for a date—excited and optimistic. It made my chest go tight and my knees loose.

  “I’m glad then. I’m glad you’re here.” Jack set his empty plate on the table and reached over, placing his hand on my knee. A surge of heat splayed out from my belly at his touch. Even though my head wasn’t sure what Jack and I were doing, my body knew exactly what it wanted. He leaned forward and our lips hov
ered inches from one another. I could tell he wanted to kiss me, but something was stopping him. He pulled his mouth away from mine.

  “Jack?”

  He leaned back, keeping his hand mercifully on my leg. It made it hard to think, but I would have gone crazy if I couldn’t have him touching me. My body sang out for more while my head begged for caution.

  “I think we should take things slow,” he said. His words were controlled and even, but the tightness in his jaw told me that this wasn’t easy for him to say. “With the public eye on us, we can’t afford any more mistakes.”

  “More mistakes?” my knee pulled away from his hand before I could stop it, and I instantly regretted it when he let me go. I wanted him to touch me and yet I was nervous of what it might lead to. I wasn’t sure where we were going. I wished my body would stop pushing for more and for my head to stop worrying.

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” he said holding up his hands in defense. He sighed, “I am the image of my company and we can’t afford any bad press right now.” He placed my hand in his and he brought it to his lips. “I think you are beautiful and fascinating. I thought so the moment I met you. There is no mistake there, and now, since you’re here, I’d like to take the time to get to know you. I mean, really get to know you—not just random secrets and how your body reacts when you’re excited. We have time now.” His eyes glinted with memories of what I did when I was excited.

  “Jack, how long am I going to be here?” I asked, looking up into his hazel eyes. They were greener today. A girl could happily drown in those green seas.

  “As long as you’d like.”

  My mouth went dry and I tried to swallow. I hadn’t thought about how long I was going to be in New York. It still felt like I was on vacation. None of this seemed like it could possibly be real life. How long was I going to stay? Another week? A month? A year? Forever? My breath caught at the idea of forever, though I wasn’t sure if I was apprehensive or excited. If we connected half as well in New York as we did on the island, forever might not be long enough.

  What about my friends? My family? My job? I was still waiting on responses to my vet school applications. I had already interviewed at several universities and was waiting to hear back on their decisions. I wondered if there was a vet school in New York I could apply to. My head spun for a second, too many thoughts swirling through it. My only anchor was Jack’s hands holding mine. They were warm and real and all I wanted.

  “Jack, I don’t know what to say. This whole thing has me upside down and I don’t know what I’m doing,” I whispered. He gripped my hands tighter.

  “Neither do I, but I do know that no one makes me feel the way you do. Today was crappy until you walked in that door. I don’t know how you manage it, but I’m pretty sure you’re magic.” Jack’s words made me glow.

  “You make me feel pretty amazing yourself,” I said with a blush. Jack grinned, his smile lighting up the room. He leaned forward, guiding his lips towards mine. It felt so natural, so right as I leaned in.

  The phone suddenly rang, jarring the moment to a standstill. Jack swore lightly under his breath, our lips never connecting. He stood, dropping my hand and striding forcefully across the room. His demeanor changed as he picked up the phone. His face was darker, less rounded with happiness and thinner, sterner with strength and power. He was master of his domain... and he knew it.

  I played with my empty plate, making designs in the leftover sauce with my fork. I glanced at my watch and saw that our allotted dinner hour was up. It was time for Jack to get back to work. Our mini vacation together was over. I wondered if this was going to be a recurring theme for us, the only time we got to spend together was a few short reprieves from our daily lives. I hoped we could be more.

  Jack clicked the phone down on his desk and I stood up and started putting the now empty plates back on the cart.

  “Thank you for dinner, Emma,” he said softly. I looked up. The boy from the beach was looking at me, his hazel eyes glowing in the light. I wanted to kiss him so badly right then.

  “It was my pleasure. I’ll have Jeannette put me in your schedule permanently.”

  Jack took a step forward, closing the distance between us. The room closed in and was suddenly very warm. I felt like a schoolgirl alone with her crush for the first time, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.

  “I have wanted to do this all night,” Jack whispered, reaching his hand to my chin. He gently guided me to his lips. Fireworks exploded in my brain and I swear a brass band was playing a happy song as he kissed me. I pressed up against him, feeling his strong body mold into mine. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me in closer as his tongue quested for mine.

  I could have stood there kissing him for the rest of the evening, but the phone began to ring again. Jack ignored it for a moment, but when the shrill sound refused to stop, he released me. His kisses left me breathless, dizzy and craving more.

  “Call back in two minutes,” Jack said into the phone. He didn’t wait for an answer as he set it down in the receiver.

  “What if that was important?” I gasped, tearing my eyes away from his perfect mouth.

  “It’s always important. If they want to talk to me, they’ll call me back. Now where were we?” He stepped forward again, his smile hungry. He was about to reach for me again when the phone began to jingle off its hook yet again.

  “I think they want you almost as much as I do,” I said, glaring at the offending phone. Jack chuckled. He leaned forward and kissed me softly, our lips barely pressing together, but filling me with desire and the hope for more.

  “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” he whispered, and then turned and stepped behind his wooden desk. The mask of power slipped over his features, turning him cold and indifferent.

  I towed the empty food cart out, closing the door carefully behind me. The heavy wooden door blocked the sound of his phone conversation, and I sighed and leaned back against it. That kiss...

  Butterflies danced in my stomach. I was giddy and happy, his kiss still lingering on my lips. It was like our first kiss all over again. In a way, it kind of was. It was our first kiss as a real couple, not two strangers on vacation. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but all I could see for the future was good things.

  Chapter 15

  I smiled as the golden elevator whisked me up to the top floor of Jack’s building. I didn’t get to see much of Jack during the day, so the only time I got to spend any time with him was over dinner. After our first dinner, we quickly figured out a routine. The past couple of weeks, I would arrive at his office at a quarter to six and bring dinner with me. We would eat and talk, and usually end up kissing. We never seemed to have time for anything more than intense kissing, as every time we got close to going further, a business emergency would spring up. Jack did his best to clear out an hour of time so that we could eat together, but we were usually interrupted. It was like the phone was an overzealous guardian of our virtue.

  I waved to Jeannette as I pushed a trolley full of food towards the big wooden doors. She smiled, her eyes bright and fingers quick on the keyboard despite her gray hair. She was used to our nightly dinners and was always friendly. Jack opened the door to his office, letting me in. His hair was messy, as though he had run his fingers through it one too many times. He looked worn and tired, but his eyes were shining as he smiled at me.

  “I don’t know how you keep this all straight,” I said, waving my hand over the unruly stack of papers covering his desk. He grimaced and grabbed my hand, leading me over to the couch on the far side of his office. The wheeled trolley followed me dutifully with two silver food covers ready to be opened. I pushed the tray so it made a little table in front of the couch for the two of us to eat off before sitting next to him. He made sure I sat close to him, our bodies almost touching but not quite. “What are you working on today?”

  “No work for a little bit. You are my break from work.” He kissed my cheek, smiled an
d lifted the tray to reveal a salmon and risotto dish that smelled heavenly. His knee bumped mine and stayed there, pressed against my leg.

  “Did you get my picture of that dog today?” I asked, taking a bite of the salmon, but my thoughts entirely on how nice it felt to touch him.

  “I nearly spit my coffee across the board of directors,” he said with a laugh. “Best part of my day, other than right now.”

  I grinned and took another bite. Since the camera on my new phone surpassed the abilities of my actual camera by a great deal, I was having a blast taking pictures of things I found in the city. Dean and Rachel kept me busy during the day, sending me to various well supervised events throughout the area. If something appealed to me, I would take a picture and send it to Jack. At first I thought it might be too silly for a busy man, but he always asked for more. He seemed to live vicariously through the pictures I took throughout the day.

  “The woman said it was designed by a groomer in Queens who does only specialty cuts.”

  “If we ever get a dog, can we please never die it blue and give it a lion’s mane? Please?” He laughed. My breath caught in my throat for a moment at the implied future. I was about to tease him about possibly going with a tiger striped look instead, but a knock on the door interrupted me.

  His secretary poked her head inside, a crisp gray bun at the nape of her neck. “I’m very sorry Mr. Saunders, but Mr. Ryans is calling from Saudia Arabia. He says it is urgent,” she said. Jack sighed and set down his meal. There wasn’t much left, as he had wolfed it down. My own plate had only been nibbled on.

  “Thank you, Jeannette. Tell Owen I’ll talk to him in a moment,” he said with a sigh. Jeannette nodded and gave me an apologetic smile before closing the door. “I’m sorry to do this to you... again.”

  “You are very busy. I don’t know how you juggle all of the transition details as well as the day to day stuff. I’m just glad I get to see you at all.”

  “You are too sweet. I have stolen you away from your life and friends, and all I can give you is an hour a day, and not even a guaranteed hour!” He shook his head. I could see guilt weighing down on his broad shoulders.