Page 22 of Until Then

“In case you hadn’t noticed”—she waves a hand a little wildly—“my calendar is free.”

I give a gruff chuckle. Her sass probably shouldn’t entertain me as much as it does. “You can invite your sister if you want.”

She arches a brow. “And your son?”

Lips pursed, I nod. “I can extend the invitation if you prefer?”

She bites her bottom lip, an innocent gesture I shouldn’t find seductive.

“Actually”—she flips her hair over her shoulders and drops her focus to her plate—“if it’s okay with you I’d prefer to keep it just us. My sister… she’s worried about me, and I’m fine, really. Or I will be.” Licking her lips, she peers up at me through her lashes. “But I’d like to relax and look for whales without having her hovering over me like a mother hen. I might throw her overboard.”

I choke back a snort at the visual.

I can’t say I’m not relieved that she doesn’t want them to come. I’ve moved on from my disastrous dating experience with Via, but the awkwardness between us remains.

Izzy hops up from the table with her empty plate, snatching mine as she goes. It’s only then I realize I’ve eaten the whole thing.

“I made lunch for you,” she says as she sets the plates in the sink.

I really do need to fix that dishwasher now that she’s living here, too.

Frowning, I tilt my head and assess her. “Lunch?”

“Yeah,” she says over her shoulder, wearing a bright smile. “You know, the meal people typically eat in the middle of the day.”

I join her at the sink and take one soapy plate from her hands. “I don’t normally bother with lunch.” After a quick rinse, I dry the plate with a dish towel, then start the process over with the second one.

With a brow raised, she gives me an unimpressed look. One that says she could complete the task on her own. But she’s already doing a lot around here. I don’t mind helping, and I’d feel guilty watching her work while I sat at the table.

“If you don’t want it, it’s no biggie. Just take it with you. Maybe someone else will eat it.”

I choke back a growl that comes out of nowhere. What the hell? The visceral reaction is unexpected, but the idea of giving one of my guys the lunch she made formedoesn’t sit right.

“I’ll eat it.” I might regret this declaration once I take my first bite, but when she smiles from ear to ear, I find myself smiling back.

“Good, I think you’ll like it.”

That means I’ll hate it.

Turning away, I open the cabinet door. “I gotta get going.”

Izzy whirls around, nearly smacking me across the face with her too-long hair, and scurries to the fridge. When shepulls out an actual lunchbox, like the kind I used to send to school with my kids, I stare down at it in disbelief.

“Spiderman?”

“I know,” she sighs dramatically, shoulders drooping, as I take it from her. “You’re more of a Grumpy Cat kind of guy, but I couldn’t find that kind of merch anywhere but eBay, and I was not paying fifty bucks for it, so Spiderman it is.” With a pat to my chest, she saunters away, then she bounds up the stairs. Wonton lets out a yip and runs after her.

For a moment, I’m still, staring at the space she just occupied, soaking in the heat left behind by her touch.

It takes me a moment to gather my bearings, but when I do, I grab my keys and I’m gone.

Desk work ismy least favorite part of the job, but I have to spend at least one day a week in the office.

Jessica, my assistant, gets up from her desk with a groan. Hand on her large stomach, she makes her way over. Her shadow looms above me, begging me to look up, though she doesn’t speak.

With a sigh, I tip my head back. “Yes?”

She places a hand over her heart. “I know you love me, but you really need to take a look at those applications I emailed to you and hire a temporary assistant. I’ll be on maternity leave in a matter of weeks.”

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