Jonas isn’t by any means relaxed, but it’s clear he trusts his brothers, and all of them work
together to get Jonas through the crowd without being touched by strangers. That’s one of the things I
noticed at work. Casual brushes in the coffee room or in the hallways are just a fact of life in a busy
office. But Jonas takes pains to make sure he has space. Though that doesn’t seem to apply to me,
Cara, or anyone else he’s close to.
Maybe it’s my imagination, but the air around me seems to shift. Slowly, carefully, I move my
gaze back to Zach and find him locked on me. The heat in his eyes sucks the breath out of my chest. I
choke a bit, thankful he can’t hear me from all the way over there and give him a wobbly smile and a
wave.
He doesn’t wave back, he’s too cool for that. But the way his lips curl at the corner is better than
screaming and yelling. Because none of the other women in that crowd get that smile. It’s just for me.
The guys move faster, and I sit back to catch my breath. The intensity of his focus heats my already
hot cheeks, and I slide my eyes over to Janey, hoping for a distraction. Only she looks a million miles
away as she glares at her phone screen, aggressively tapping out a text.
“Are you ok?” I ask her. “You seem…upset.”
She startles, clutching the phone to her chest. She smiles, but it’s forced. “No…well, yes.” Her
laugh is shaky. “I don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s just…”
I smile at her encouragingly. I don’t have it in me to pry. My habit of keeping to myself makes it
impossible for me to dig when someone so clearly doesn’t want me to. But I want her to know I’m
here, willing to listen.
She bites her lip and drops the phone onto her lap. “Keith and I broke up. I’m just trying to…sort
some things out.” She’s blinking furiously, and I wish I knew the right thing to say in this situation.
“I’m sorry, Janey.”
She shakes her head. “It’s fine. That’s the way life goes, you know. People break up all the time.”
She takes another sip of her drink and stares at the floor. First Abigail, now Janey. There are
relationships falling apart all around me. Who the hell am I? Thinking Zach and I will be any
different? I mean, realistically, what’s the likelihood that I find a forever man my first time out?
Not very, I’m thinking.
There’s no more time to contemplate my relationship status as Zach appears in front of me. He’s
sliding onto the couch next to me, casually unbuttoning his jacket. He leans in and presses an intimate
