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Jo’s eyes were wide and unblinking.
“They no longer had the footage of us with Pam from two years ago. It was too old. But for the IP case, it was a goldmine. They found multiple videos that directly counter Cole’s statements and connect him to the guys he’s accused of stealing from as well as a few other shady deals. That will cripple his defense against the IP charges, and he’ll have to make a plea deal. He’s going down for the sexual assault, and he’s going down for the IP thing too.”
Rivers shared that it was my sense of something being off and my demand for transparency that caused the original investors in the deal to look deeper in the first place. A weight was lifted. The deal hadn’t gone wrong because of me, it had gone right because of me, and the investigation would help put a few more slimeballs behind bars. Tech and tech deals were my strengths, my thing. And I’d feared I not only lost my touch, but I destroyed it. It was a relief to know that I hadn’t.
Jo stared, her mouth a little agape.
“You’re the hero of the day, Jo. My knight in shining armor.”
“Lucas! That’s fantastic.” She set down her wineglass and climbed into my lap for a hug.
“But wait, there’s more. To celebrate, I’m volunteering as your personal noob. Boss me in the kitchen, boss me in the bedroom, the hot tub, wherever you desire for the next thirty-six hours.”
“Favorite part of the trip?”I asked as I leaned on my elbow by her side. She was lying on her stomach in rumpled sheets, her face turned to me, and her hair fanned out along the pillow. So. Damn. Beautiful.
“Naked or dressed?” she asked.
“Dressed.”
“The walk yesterday afternoon. The air was so fresh and clean. It was like every breath made me newer.”
“Not bossing me in the kitchen yesterday morning?”
“Oh, you’re right. Thatwaspretty sweet. You should cook in your underwear more often. It’s close, but I still think the walk.”
I leaned in to place a few kisses on her bare shoulder and whisper against her skin. “And what about naked?”
“That’s harder.”
“Not yet, but keep talking in that raspy voice, and it will be.”
She grinned. “All of them, Lucas. Every single time. I’ve never had that before, the way you make me feel, and I want you to know I will carry it with me forever. You’ve changed me.”
I hadn’t told her I loved her yet. It had been on my tongue the past two days more times than I could count, but something held me back. She was holding something back. Now those words of hers sounded like a goodbye. Did she want this to end? I had to know before I said that to someone for the first time.
“I was offered a job in Seattle.”
Her eyes closed for a moment, then opened again, somehow different.
“Congratulations,” she said, her tone bright.
“It’s with my old company, AppLake. When they heard the IP case was closing, they offered me a promotion. I’ll be able to make a real difference. Call some shots. Drive projects that will change lives.”
“When do you start?”
“They want me there Monday.”
She turned her head and sat up, pulling her robe over her shoulders. Other than being dressed for the walk yesterday, she had worn only that robe since we arrived, occasionally teasing me with sexy glimpses of her skin. But now, it was like a barrier between us, a shield.
“That’s great. It’s past time I concentrated on my chef business,” she said. “I’ve been lazy.”
“Jo, I doubt you’ve ever been lazy in your life. Even now. Come back to bed with me. We have a little more time.”
She glanced at the clock. “This was wonderful, but we both have to get back to the real world. As my mama says,all good things must come to an end.”
“The trip or us?” I sat up.
“Lucas, we’ve always known this was temporary. Your life’s in Seattle. Mine isn’t.”
