Page 85 of Forgotten Desires

You don’t need to be her friend if she didn’t see how amazing you were before.

Olivia

I know, I know. Anyway, I have speech therapy and Dad is staring at me with that look. Love you!

Me

I love you most.

I head back to the apartment and do some work. Thea and I got an email from Catherine about a possible publicist coming to work with us. Since we’re a sub-branch from her California office, we had talked about expanding to celebrity clients once we were more established.

I’m kind of surprised she wants us to consider someone when we haven’t even gotten the business and crisis management division launched yet.

Thea replied asking to do a video conference this week to discuss the plan for when I’m out.

Right now, I don’t even know how I’m going to manage any clients when I’m going to be recovering from surgery in a few weeks.

That’s another worry to add to the list.

I swear, for each one we remove, another goes on.

“Hey,” a deep voice calls and I jump.

“Crew!”

He stands there smiling with a box in front of him. I don’t even have to ask what it is. I smile taking in the light pink square that holds my favorite thing.

“I think we mentioned a celebration was in order.”

I get to my feet and walk toward the box of happiness. “You’re home early.”

“I had something else on my mind and couldn’t focus.”

When I’m a few feet away, he puts the box down and pulls me into his arms. “What was on your mind?”

“You.”

His nose brushes mine and I inhale his cologne. My eyes close as I memorize it all and how he makes me feel.

“And donuts?” I ask.

“Not even a little, other than I like the way your lips taste after you’ve eaten one.” I glance up at him, and the warmth in his eyes causes heat to pump through my veins. All I want to do is bite into a donut and kiss him until neither of us can think.

Rules. I have them. I think I have them. What were they again?

Oh yeah, no seducing. He’s totally doing that.

Instead of doing what I think he will, which is strip me down and make me scream, he kisses the tip of my nose and steps back. “As much as I want you to bite that donut, we have plans tonight.”

That stuns me. “Plans?”

I was really hoping that donuts and sex was the plan.

“Yup. We’re going on a date.”

* * *

I should’ve known that Crew’s version of a date wasn’t normal. I figured since we’re in New York, we’ll go get dinner and walk around. I don’t know, something like that.

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