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Jackson caught her gaze. “I’ve been listening to you. I need to stop getting so deep in the weeds that I can’t see the sunlight.” Jackson shrugged. “We need a bigger team so I can start working on strategy. And maybe work less than an eighty hour week.”
Lisa grinned. “Just think of all that free time you’ll have. No dog, no eighteen hour work days. What will you do to fill it?”
“Sleep,” he told her deadpan. “And the occasional surf.”
A month ago that would have sounded perfect. Now it felt lame. And a little empty, too. It was ironic that he’d spent the last few years of his life complaining about having no free time, but now that it was a possibility it made his gut clench hard.
Shaking his head at himself, he walked back to his desk and sat down heavily on his office chair, swinging it around until he was facing the big screens on his desk. He might be facing a future of free time, but right now he still had a load of work to do, and only a few hours to get it finished.
Lydia wrapped Eddie’s leash around her wrist and balanced the cardboard tray filled with coffee cups and bagels in her hands, using her butt to push open the office door. She and Eddie had dropped into Déjà Brew to see Ally and Nate so the dog could say goodbye to them, before she picked up her lunchtime order and went to Jackson’s office. Eddie had sniffed the bagels with interest – his appetite was definitely returning.
Maybe animals had the right idea. They didn’t let little things like food poisoning ruin their week. They got over it and picked themselves up so they could go back to whatever it was that interested them.
She wondered if she’d be able to get over heartache as easily as Eddie got over his stomach pain.
As soon as Jackson saw her walk through the door, he was out of his seat and heading toward her, his expression warm and soft. Such a difference to yesterday and the hard, blank look he’d had on his face when they’d left the vet’s office.
“I bought lunch,” she told him. “For you and Lisa. And the third one’s mine. I’ll take it back with me and Eddie.”
Jackson didn’t reply for a minute. He was too busy looking at her, his eyes filled with tenderness, and something darker that made her shiver.
“You didn’t need to buy me lunch,” he told her, his gaze holding hers. “I should be buying it for you. To say thank you for looking after the dog.”
“I wanted to,” she admitted. “Mondays are always such dull days. Everybody should get bagels on Mondays.”
“Amen to that,” Lisa agreed, giving her a grin. “And thank you. How’s Eddie doing?”
Jackson put the tray on the table and dropped to stroke Eddie. The dog stared at him adoringly, his tongue lolling with pleasure as Jackson tickled behind his ears.
“He’s got a lot more energy. When we went to the coffee shop he wagged his tail so hard he almost knocked down one of their displays.”
“They let dogs in the coffee shop?” Lisa asked.
Lydia laughed. “Only Eddie. He’s special.”
“Thank you,” Jackson said again, his thigh muscles flexing as he stood. “Lisa, can you keep an eye on Eddie for a moment? I want to talk to Lydia in the meeting room really quick.”
“It’d be a pleasure.” Lisa stood and grabbed Eddie’s leash. “In fact, I think I’ll go eat my lunch outside. It’s such a beautiful day. Eddie can come with me.” She pulled at his leash, grabbing her purse and her phone. “Come on, Eddie.”
“Don’t forget your bagel and coffee,” Lydia said, passing them to her. Lisa somehow managed to fit the bagel in her purse, and grabbed the Styrofoam cup with her free hand, making a hasty retreat, and leaving the two of them alone in the office.
The silence danced around them, as he stared at Lydia, drinking her in. Her head was lifted, her skin tight over her throat, and she swallowed hard, as though she could feel the tension in the moment.
“Hey,” he said softly, closing the gap between them. “I’m so sorry for being an ass yesterday.”
“I didn’t know what to do,” she admitted. “You just closed off from me. It… hurt.”
Her words felt like a knife to his chest. Hurting Lydia was the last thing he wanted to do. She was too good for him to so casually bat away. “I know,” he told her. “And I’m sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you. I just got spooked knowing Eddie’s leaving tomorrow. And you’ll be going soon after that. I’ve had the best few days with you two, and I don’t want it to end.”
“Jackson, I…”
He cupped her face with his warm hands, his breath soft against her skin as he brushed the corner of her mouth with his lips. “You brought me lunch,” he murmured again. “That’s the nicest thing anybody’s done for me.”
“It’s just a bagel,” she murmured, before he pressed his lips against hers and swallowed her words. Her arms wrapped around him, her body pressing against his as he deepened the kiss. For a moment all words and coherent thought disappeared.
“Sorry,” he said, when they parted, breathless. “I needed to kiss you.”
Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “No need to apologize for that. And I’m glad you’re okay. I missed you.” It was her turn to initiate the kiss this time, rolling onto the balls of her feet as she inclined her face toward his. Her lips were sweet, soft, and sent a thrill of pleasure right through him. He ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her mouth, his body aching as she opened up for him, letting him in the way she always did. Sliding his hand down to the small of her back, he hitched her against him, leaving h
