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She thought for a moment. ‘Let me up, Greg.’
Damn! She wasn’t going to say it. Greg shifted, sitting up, and she followed, sitting close, smiling when he put his arm around her.
‘I have a right to expect your attention.’ She whispered the words into his ear.
He chuckled. ‘Was that so difficult?’
She rocked her head from side to side, as if weighing it up. ‘Surprisingly easy.’
He wondered how long she had before she had to go back to work. Actually, it didn’t matter. He’d say what he had to say if he had to follow her back, and gabble it into her ear in the lift up to Cardiology. ‘If I sounded a bit gruff… over you going shopping with my mother… ’
She made a face. ‘Somewhere between noticeable disapproval and overt censure. Just to let you know, we didn’t talk about you, or us.’
That only made things worse. Greg swallowed his disappointment. ‘Rub it in, why don’t you? Just when I was coming to terms with feeling left out.’
‘Ah. Well then, we did talk about you a bit. Only I can’t tell you about that, because Rosa was buying Christmas presents. Anyway, don’t you hate shopping?’ She smiled up at him, that beguiling, mischievous look flickering in her eyes. Jess had a way of making everything seem right.
‘Well, Ted and I might have made a few faces at each other.’ Even so, he liked the thought of watching Jess and his mother, discussing their purchases, deciding for and then against, laughing together at the brightly lit counters, ablaze with Christmas decorations. He could have carried her bags, shepherded her through the crowds in the shops and on the pavements.
‘There you are, then. Anyway, shopping’s a pretty cut-throat business at this time of the year.’
‘Jess?’
‘Yes?’
‘Come back to me.’
‘I… We… ’ There was only one answer that Jess could give to that. There had only ever been one answer where Greg was concerned. If she didn’t give it immediately, it was only because she wanted so badly to
do it right this time. ‘Do you really think this is the right thing, Greg?’
His chest rose and fell in a short, explosive laugh. ‘As a friend, I’d tell you that waiting around for any guy is bad news. That you deserve a lot better than someone who’s fighting to keep his head above water and can’t always give you the attention you deserve.’
‘Yeah. And?’
‘As a lover, I’ll say that I’m a pretty miserable excuse for a suitor. That sometimes I get distracted, and I feel guilty about that and lash out at you, instead of doing what I should and telling you that I’m sorry. But you always have my heart, I promise you that.’
‘You’d better make up your mind which you are, then.’ Choose right. She was willing him to choose right.
‘Are you free tomorrow?’ Warmth filtered back into his tone.
‘Yes. What about you? There’s a whole twenty-four hours for Shaw Industries to come up with something that’s more important.’
‘I’ll be there. I promise.’
‘It’s a date, then.’ It was almost impossible to keep from smiling when his voice caressed her like this. Liquid caramel. Jess tried to think of something else but the only alternative she could come up with at the moment was melted chocolate.
‘What time shall I pick you up? Is five o’clock too early?’
‘No, that’ll be great. I’ve got to pop into the hospital, take a look in the library to see if they’ve got any of the books we need for the storytellers, so perhaps I could do that first and then come straight over to you?’
‘Why don’t I meet you there? At about three o’clock. I could give you a hand.’
Pure, unadulterated happiness crashed over her, like a wave. Bubbling around her and then pulling her under. ‘I’d really like that.’
He smiled. That slow, delicious smile that just kept on giving. ‘When do you have to be back at work?’
‘About thirty-five minutes. I have to go soon.’
