I move to sit at one of the temporary chairs in the room. Until this morning we had nothing. Luckily Kat realized it and made a few calls.

The woman is super human, and I don’t know how I live my life without her.

I gesture for Maeve to sit, but she doesn’t. She even goes a step farther by crossing her arms and popping out a hip, showing me that in no way, shape, or form is she going to have a seat.

And as much as I’d love to poke and prod the bear, I know there’s only one way this ends up with her staying and decorating my home.

I need to grovel.

“Maeve, I’d like to start?—”

“What the fuck, Logan!”

Okay, groveling can wait. I have to go right into defense mode.

“I can explain.”

“Oh, you’re going to explain, all right! You’re going to explain a whole hell of a lot.”

I don’t say anything, as Maeve has started to pace in circles. Call me old fashioned, but I want to look a woman in the eye when I beg for forgiveness.

Because I know that’s how this is going to end—me on my knees, begging her to stay. And I’m okay with that. Because that’s what you do when you meet the woman you’re sure is the one who’s going to change your life.

“Are you going to say anything?”

Shit, I must’ve spaced off. “Sorry, Love. Can you sit, though? You’re making me slightly dizzy.”

I don’t know if it was the use of the word “Love” or my request that currently has her stabbing me with her eyes.

“Don’t call me that.”

The first one. Got it.

“Apologies, but please, sit. I’ll explain everything.”

Maeve lets out a huff before doing as asked. “Start talking. Now.”

Here goes nothing…

“I didn’t know.”

Her narrowed eyes clearly don’t buy that.

“Not until the airplane!” I clarify. “I promise you, not a second before that, and it even took a few questions for me to be sure.”

“Really, Logan? You think I’m that gullible?”

“Not at all, Lo—” I stop myself short before using the pet name. She’s already pissed at me enough. “Maeve, I promise you, everything that happened up until you tossed your mobile in frustration at my canceling again was purely by random chance.”

She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes. “So why did you sit down next to me if you didn’t know me? Why even talk to me?”

That I can answer.

“Because when you see a beautiful woman at a bar, you buy her a drink. And then you pray she’ll look your way.”

My direct reply throws Maeve for a second. She uncrosses her arms and sits up a little straighter, but uses the time to harden her stare at me again. I know she’s trying to look intimidating, but between the gray power suit, the hard line of her lips, and the slicked back bun, I feel like I’m getting yelled at by a sexy librarian. And as a kid who grew up checking out my maximum limit of books each week, this is unlocking a new fantasy I didn’t realize I had.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter,” she says. Even though I’d bet today’s stock profits it does matter. “You knew on the plane and didn’t say anything.”