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Jane’s cheeks went pink, sending a sizzle down my spine as I looked at her. Wow, that was interesting. “I'll be right back.”
Ignoring my body’s reaction to her, I jogged down into the basement, flicking on the lights and crossing over to the new chest freezer I’d purchased last summer when I was here with my two brothers and my sister. I was pleased to find a few options, including a pan of pre-made lasagna. Maybe it wasn't homemade, but I was fucking starving, and it was freezing outside—perfect weather for lasagna. There was even a loaf of frozen French bread and some butter.
I jogged back upstairs with the items in hand, calling, “We've got frozen lasagna and bread. Let’s have an actual meal.”
Jane's eyes widened as she looked over. “Are you serious?”
“Sure am. Crank that oven on.”
Jane crossed over and turned on the oven. In short order, we had wrapped the frozen bread in foil, and Jane put it in the oven, explaining it would thaw while the oven heated. I discovered her to be efficient and found we worked easily together. After the lasagna was in the oven, Jane melted butter and seasoned it with parsley and a dash of garlic powder to pour on the bread.
I peered into the cabinet where we kept the wine, smiling when I discovered several bottles of good red wine waiting for us. “Would you like some wine?”
“There's wine too?” she asked, a hint of surprise in her tone.
“Absolutely,” I said as I chose a bottle. “Will this work for you?” I held up a bottle of Merlot from a local winery.
Her eyes widened as a slow smile stretched across her face, sending electricity through me in a fiery shimmer. Jesus. I knew I'd been overworked and overstressed, and honestly, so busy that I hadn't even had a casual date in over six months. But still, this reaction was out of place for me.
“Aren't you glad I showed up? You would have made chicken soup and probably not touched anything else here,” I teased as I fetched two wine glasses out of the cabinet.
She shrugged as she sat down at the table. “I was planning to go to the store tomorrow, but I also wasn't anticipating all the snow tonight.”
I filled our glasses, watching while she took a swallow. She was beautiful. She had tip-tilted eyes behind her glasses and graceful, sleek cheekbones. Her mouth was a little lopsided, and her lips pink and full. She seemed taller than I recalled, now that I remembered her. She and Thea had been a few years behind me in high school, so it made sense she’d be taller now.
After I took my own sip of wine, I asked, “So, how far was your drive?”
“I drove up from Boston, so three and a half hours, or thereabouts. Where did you come from?”
“Washington, DC.”
“You drove all the way up today?” Her eyes widened as she rested an elbow on the table and leaned forward.
I shrugged. “I did. Tell me what you do now.”
Jane took a sip of wine before replying, “I'm a science professor.”
“Oh, what kind of science?”
“Biology and environmental sciences. Even though I drove up from Boston, I just moved there. When I called Thea and told her I had a whole month before I started my new position, she suggested I stay here. I'm getting my parents’ house ready to sell. They haven't been there in years, and everything's turned off, so when Thea offered to let me stay here, I took her up on it. What do you do? You're in finance, right?”
“Yup. Investments. In a way, I followed in my father's footsteps, but I'm not all about the fraud.”
Jane cast a quick glance at me. “I heard about everything that went down with your dad. I'm really sorry about that.”
I took a gulp of wine, shrugging. “It is what it is.”
While I wasn't all about the fraud, I'd unintentionally stumbled into it, which was the reason for my vacation or, rather, my need to get away. But I really didn’t want to think about that right now, and I certainly wasn't going to get into it with Jane.
“After the storm passes, I'll see what I can figure out about where to stay.”
I shook my head quickly. “No need. You’re Thea’s friend. Even if I didn't expect you here, you don’t need to leave, and you don't have many options as it is.”
Jane caught a lock of hair that had fallen loose along her neck, spinning it around her forefinger as she eyed me. “Are you sure?”
“I'm positive. It's a big house. Plus, we work well together. We just made lasagna.”
Her low chuckle was throaty, and my body tightened instantly in response. Fuck me. I was seriously overworked, and it was addling my hormones. Jane was beautiful, but I wasn't used to reacting to women like this. My dry spell was muddling my brain.
