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“See you on the flip side,” Jud said when he and Bobby stepped out onto the third floor, leaving him, Mike, and Tara behind.
Jesse flipped open the little envelope that held his key. Room 401.
The elevator doors rolled open on four, and he and Tara made for the opening at the same time. Hiking his duffle up higher on his shoulder, he gestured for her to go first.
“’Night, Mike,” she called.
“’Night,” the man replied. Jesse threw a wave over his shoulder.
He turned left. So did Tara.
She threw a skeptical look over her shoulder, one eyebrow arched.
Jesse couldn’t help but chuckle. “Promise I’m not following you.”
“Didn’t think you were,” she said.
They passed a bunch of rooms, yet both of them were still heading toward the end of the hall.
Tara looked over her shoulder again. “What room are you in?” she asked, her tone a mix of exasperation and humor.
“Uh, four oh one?”
“Oh, for crap’s sake.”
She muttered it under her breath, but he heard it all the same. “Why? Where are you?”
Stopping in front of 403, she peered up at him. “This is me.”
There was only one door left in the hallway—the room right next to hers. His room. “Guess we’re destined to be neighbors.”
Her gaze went from his eyes to his mouth to the floor. “I guess. Well, good night.” She turned toward her door.
Jesse swallowed hard, because her gaze had been hungry, and it’d left his body hard and wanting. “G’night,” he managed, forcing his feet to keep moving. This was work. And Tara was a colleague. That was all she could be.
All she wanted to be. She’d made that clear.
He stuck his card in the slot.
“Hey, Jesse?”
His gaze whipped toward her, and his heart was a sudden bass drum in his chest. “Yeah?”
“Just try not to throw any wild parties over there or anything.” A ball-busting smile played around her mouth. A mouth he’d tasted. And that had tasted him. Jesus.
“Shit, T,” he said, liking everyone’s nickname for her. “The DJ’s supposed to be here in like five fucking minutes.”
For a split second, her eyes went wide, and then she smirked. “Smart ass.”
“Uh huh, but I got you. For just a second, you fell for it. Admit it.” This teasing between them was good. Natural. Maybe he hadn’t fucked things up too bad after all.
Her expression went soft, almost wistful. She nodded. “Yeah, I guess I did fall for it. ’Night.” Then she was gone, closed inside her room, the door locking mechanism clicking loudly between them.
Jesse was left standing there, half certain her parting words had been about more than just his joke. And those rocks took up residence in his gut once again.
* * * *
Tara had made a grave, grave mistake.
