“I fell for you when I saw you in that jail cell.”
I play-punch his shoulder. “I’m going to murder you if you tell people that.”
His laughter is everything. It’s my favorite sound. “No, you won’t. You love me too much to murder me.”
“If you tell my parents I was in jail, I will murder you.”
“Your secret is safe with me, mi amor. You are safe with me. Siempre.” Always.
I hug him as tightly as I can from my desk chair.
Apparently, that’s not good enough for him. With his arms wrapped around me, he stands and brings me with him, leaning back against my desk and holding me close to him as he seems to breathe me in. “I told myself I wouldn’t come to you until I knew for sure I was going to be able to work and live here, but I lacked the willpower to stay away after missing you so much.”
“I’m glad you didn’t stay away. I missed you, too. So, so much.”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with the board. They might say no out of deference to New York. I honestly have no idea how it’s going to play out. All I know is I want to be with you, and if I can’t work here, I’ll find something else.”
“But your research . . .”
“I’ll start over if I have to.”
“I can’t believe you’d do all this for me.”
“Really? You can’t? Do you not have any idea how awesome you are? How smart and funny and sexy and courageous? If you could see yourself through my eyes, you’d have no doubt whatsoever as to why I’m willing to chuck it all so I can be with you.”
“That makes me feel very lucky.”
“We both got lucky the day Mr. Augustino sent you out to babysit me.”
“God, I was so mad that he made me do that. The last thing I wanted to be told to do on the first day of my first real job after years of school was to babysit the new neurosurgeon. And then when you showed up in Priscilla, with Betty riding shotgun, and slipped me a fifty to deal with her . . . You’re lucky I didn’t stab you right then and there.”
He rocks with silent laughter. “I had no idea my life was in danger that morning.”
“Be glad I didn’t have a knife with me.”
“My little hellcat. Just when I think I’ve seen all sides to you, here comes another one.”
“Don’t mess with me.”
“Duly noted. Besides, I’d much rather kiss you.”
I know I should stop this, since I’m at work after all, but I don’t stop it. Rather, I fully participate, wrapping my arms around his neck, opening my mouth to his tongue and rubbing shamelessly against his erection. It’s the best kiss with him yet, because it’s laced with the promise of forever.
“We need to stop before this gets out of hand,” he whispers against my lips.
“It got out of hand about ten minutes ago.”
His low chuckle rumbles against my kiss-swollen lips. “How do you feel about taking sick at work?”
“In general or today?”
“Today in particular.”
“I’m feeling rather lightheaded, short of breath and feverish. My heart is acting up a bit, too.”
He affects a solemn expression as he places one hand on my forehead and the other against the throbbing pulse point in my throat. “I prescribe an afternoon in bed to deal with these worrisome symptoms. Doctor’s orders.”
“If we do this, Mona will never let us forget it.”
“I have a feeling Mona loves a good happy ending as much as the next gal.”
“You want to find out?”
“More than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
“Let’s do it.”
“Oh, we’re going to do it, all right.”
“Jason! Stop. Let me get out of here with a shred of dignity, will you?”
“You might have to go ahead of me. You’ve got me all worked up.”
“I’ve got you worked up? I was in here minding my own business before you showed up.”
“You, ah, might want to fix your hair, and your blouse is all . . .” He rolls his hand as he points to my top, which is indeed askew.
I do the best I can to put myself back together, tucking my black-and-white polka-dot blouse back into black dress pants and running my fingers through my hair to restore order. “Better?”
“Well, no. I like you better when you’re all messed up. But it’ll do to get you out of here with your dignity intact.”
I grab my purse, keys and phone. “Let’s go.”
He follows me out of my office. We catch a lucky break that Mona is away from her desk when we reach the outer lobby.
“How much you wanna bet she’s in the cafeteria telling Debby that you’re in my office?” I ask him.
“You’d win that bet.”
We’re in the elevator before I release the breath I held while we made our escape. On the walk to the parking lot, I send an email to Mona, letting her know I’ve left for the day because I’m not feeling well.
“It’s the only time I’ll ever ask you to lie for me,” Jason says, tuning in to my discomfort.
“This is what happens when I get in bed with the devil. I do time in jail, lie and play hooky.”
“You know what rhymes with hooky?”
I lose it laughing and elbow him in the gut. “Shut up.”
“Admit it. Life is more interesting with me around.”
“I’ll admit no such thing so as not to encourage you to lead me even further astray.”
“Oh, baby, the places I want to lead you.” He takes my hand and walks toward Priscilla. Before I can ask about my car, he says, “I’ll bring you back in the morning.”
With an entire afternoon and evening to spend with him, work is the last thing I care about. When we’re in the car, I text my mother to tell her that Jason is back in Miami and angling for a job at Miami-Dade because he wants to be wherever I am. I send that text and smile at the thought of the news ripping through my family.
They’ll be as thrilled as I am, which makes me even happier than I already am.
“What’re you doing over there?” he asks when we’re stopped at a light.
“Telling my family you’re back so they’ll leave me alone.”
“Good thinking, because we’re not going to want to be disturbed for a couple of days.”
“A couple of days? I have to work tomorrow!”
“You’re very sick. You need rest and fluids. Lots of fluids.”
I snort with laughter. “That is so disgusting!”
“Nothing disgusting about it, baby.”
He gets us back to my place as fast as he possibly can and parks in my space. Then he looks over at me. “You haven’t had anyone else parking in my visitor spot while I was gone, have you?”
I roll my eyes. “Please. It took me five years to find you. It would’ve taken me longer than a week to replace you.”
“You’re never replacing me.”
As we get out of the car and go upstairs, we manage to keep our hands to ourselves. But once that door clicks shut behind us, all bets are off. We pull at clothes and yank on buttons and zippers and swear like sailors with frustration when the clothes fight back against our clumsy attack.