Page 82 of The Boyfriend Gamble

And everythingwasperfect.

The bread came out from the oven right after I finished the Caesar salad, and the lasagna was cool enough to eat when Jasper tromped down the stairs looking fresh as a proverbial daisy.

We ate, we laughed, and then his phone buzzed.

I rose, grabbed our plates, and headed to the kitchen. Privacy was impossible unless he went into the powder—

“I’m in the Glencairn Estates. Are you sure I can’t drive to you? I have snow tires and used to live in the north—” He winced. “Okay, that makes sense. And you’ll bring me back here?” Another pause. “Right. Fifteen minutes. If you text me when you get here, I’ll be waiting.” Another pause. “I keep all my winter gear in my car. I’ve got gloves, a toque, a scarf, a parka, and sturdy boots. I’ll put them all on now.” He moved to the sliding glass door that led to my tiny balcony which held a café-style table, two chairs, and a gas barbecue. “Fifteen.”

The washing of clothes might be finished, but no way could I dry his underwear that quickly.

He’s leaving his car, and he’s coming back.

I moved to the kitchen window. Night had fallen, but the streetlamp illuminated the driving snow.Holy crap. I hadn’t checked the forecast, which was unusual for me. On weekends, I was a little less vigilant. I always surveyed everything Sunday night to determine if we were opening the office on Monday. Mission City didn’t get much snow, so the calculation was only needed a couple of times a year. If the roads weren’t properly plowed by tomorrow night, I’d consider asking Kyla, my receptionist, to cancel the Monday appointments. I yanked out my phone to check the hour-by-hour forecast. I kept scrolling, and all I saw was snow for the next two days.

Wow. How the fuck did I miss this?

Because I’d been focused on hoping to get laid at the party.

And what I’d gotten was about a thousand times better.

Still, vague guilt beset me.

“Thanks, Taryn. See you soon.” Jasper pulled his phone away from his ear. “I hope it’s okay that I leave my car here.”

“Of course. Whatever works. I want you to be safe.”

“I will be.” He sighed. “Not how I expected tonight to end.”

“While you’re getting dressed, why don’t I prepare some food. Coffee? Sandwiches? If I put some leftover lasagna in a container, will there be somewhere for you to heat it up?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, there’s plenty. Do you need water? I’ve got a stainless-steel bottle. Let me fill it with ice water. Although you’ll be cold—”

“I’ll need hydration after the coffee.” He pointed over his shoulder. “It’s bad out there.”

“Right. Go to the bathroom, then head downstairs. Seriously, is there anything you need? I have extras of everything. I adore Kade, but he often leaves shit here.”

He laughed. “I think I like this Kade. Nah, I’ll take everything you’ve offered.” He advanced, placed his hands on my chest, and leaned to press a kiss to my lips. “I won’t forget this.”

Does he mean the sandwiches or the hand job?I just didn’t know. “Yeah, okay.”

He pushed off me gently, then headed to the bathroom.

I scrambled to pull bread, ham, lettuce, and mayo from the fridge.Tomatoes? Might make the sandwich soggy. A separate container.I snagged my large lunch cooler and started tossing in everything I could think he might need as the coffee brewed.

He emerged and came over to join me. “I need to head—” His hand rested on my lower back. “Uh, Cameron?”

“Yes?”

“You’re not feeding an army.”

“Well, you don’t know how long you’ll be gone. And Taryn—”

“I suspect Taryn’s well-equipped. She seems pretty fierce.”

Well, so am I.I scooped out a huge section of lasagna and put it in a glass container.

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