Page 73 of Making Over Maris

“Yeah.” Okay. First part of the mission completed. Now here came the tough part. “I was flirting with Jenny this afternoon.”

She bristled.

Oh, crap.

“But only to make you…jealous.”

Her sharp expression softened. “You were trying to make me jealous?”

He dug into the carpet with his toe. “Yeah. I know. It was stupid. Kat explained it wasn’t a good idea. I’m sorry.”

“Kat explained it wasn’t a good idea? You needed Kat to tell you that?” This, she squawked.

“Kinda.”

Sara blew out a breath that turned into a laugh. She rearranged the bangs on her forehead. “Okay. Why did you want to make me jealous?” He loved that her voice had gone all wispy and sweet.

The question, not so much.

“I…don’t know.”

Her features tightened. “Don’t you?”

Again, he mauled the carpet. “Sara…”

“You have to tell me, Jack. I’m not a mind reader.”

Aw. Crap. She was right. Again, he struggled with putting the right words together. In the end he blurted, “I wanted you to like me more.”

“Jack.” She put her hand on his arm. It was warm. Nice. “I like you plenty.”

Elation flared. Holy crap. I like you plenty was good. Damn good. “You do?”

“Yes.”

Relief washed through him. “So you’ll forgive me for flirting with Jenny?”

“Oh. No.”

An acid volcano erupted in his gut. “You won’t forgive me for flirting with Jenny?”

“No way, Buster. You’re gonna pay for that.” Her tone made him twitchy. It was playful and perhaps a bit wicked. It put ideas in his head.

His heart hitched. “I will?”

“Oh, yes.”

Jack shivered. Judging from her tone, he might enjoy it. He swallowed heavily and whispered, “Okay.” Silence between them swelled. It was an uncomfortable silence but Jack suspected it was only uncomfortable for him. Sara’s eyes glowed as she studied him—as though he were a roast she was contemplating how to carve. “So,” he said, simply to diffuse the sizzling tension building in his gut. “Where did Turd go?”

“T-Turd?” Sara spurted a laugh. “You mean Todd?”

“I’m pretty sure I mean Turd. I thought you two had a date.”

“So did he,” she muttered. “He pissed me off. I sent him packing.”

Jack glanced down at the rose petals on the floor.

Holy crap. Sara loved roses. He must have really pissed her off for her to dismember them like that.