“Thanks so much, Ms. Atwood. You wouldn’t happen to be free for lunch would you?”
Taylor stole a glance in my direction. “I’m sorry, Mr. Burns, I wish. I’ve got another appointment right now.”
Ouch. That one hurt. Standing, I cleared my throat while the asshole looked me over. Turning his attention back to Taylor, he said, “Well then, we’ll have to make it for another day.”
“Sounds like a plan. Have a good day, Mr. Burns.”
When he placed his hand on Taylor’s arm, I squeezed my hand into a fist. “Have a good afternoon, Taylor.”
Taylor walked up to me with a blank expression. “Jase, what are you doing here?”
My smile quickly faded. “I was wondering if I could speak with you.”
“You couldn’t call?”
Glancing over to the receptionist, I lowered my voice. “You haven’t answered any of my calls, Taylor. Otherwise I would have.”
“Follow me,” she said making her way back down the hall.
Once we got into her office, she shut the door and motioned for me to sit down.
“Man, I feel like this is a serious meeting or something,” I said with a chuckle. Trying to lighten up the tension in the air.
Her eyebrow arched as she stared while waiting for me to start the conversation.
“I um . . . well, I wanted to first off apologize for what happened in Paris. I regret what happened.”
Her face turned white as a ghost. “What?” she whispered.
“No! I don’t mean I regret making love to you; I would never regret that, Taylor. It was the most amazing time of my life.”
Taylor looked away as her cheeks flushed. “I see. What exactly are you regretting then?”
“What I said afterwards . . . what happened. For pushing you away because I was scared.”
“Scared? Why were you scared?”
Everything! Hurting you, letting you into my heart to hurt me. The insane way I feel about you that has my heart stopping every time you smile at me. My heart was pounding in my chest as I drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Hell if I wasn’t scared shitless now.
“Taylor, I’ve never felt like this before. You know I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“Really? Because making love to me and then telling me it wouldn’t work between us and leaving with another woman hurt me. A lot.”
Pulling my head back in confusion, I asked, “What are you talking about? I didn’t leave with anyone.”
Taylor let out a gruff laugh. “Really? Cammie left with you, or have you forgotten that?”
“She followed me out the door; I didn’t go anywhere with her. I walked around Paris for hours by myself.”
Taylor sat back in her chair. “You . . . you didn’t spend the day with her?”
“Fuck no. Jesus, Taylor, do you really think I’m that much of an asshole?”
With a smirk, she replied, “If the shoe fits.”
Well damn.
“I freaked out and got spooked, but I honestly was and still am worried about dating and living so far apart from each other. But I think we can make it work.”