The Temporary Wife - By Jeannie Moon Page 0,60

across his chest. “Or is there something else you want to tell me?”

Oh, shit. He knew. And based on the look in his eyes, Jason figured he knew everything, “Do I need to tell you, or did Harper do it for me?”

His friend chuckled. “She did, by accident. I had no idea you had knight in shining armor tendencies.”

“I thought I was doing it for my sister and Molly, but . . . ”

“But it’s about Meg, too.” Owen had nailed it. “So what’s the problem, exactly? Other than the ex-boyfriend.”

Jason leaned his back against the marble kitchen island. “I never thought about what a change it would be for her. Then her ex makes a dick move and tells her he loves her, and she sees the marriage she didn’t get, the kids she won’t have . . .”

“Her life passed before her eyes and she was all alone.”

“I never even thought about it. I was so fucking self-centered, it never occurred to me how my brilliant idea to get married would affect her.”

“I still can’t believe the ex told her he loved her. That’s ballsy.”

“That’s what I think. Fucking bastard. She’s my wife. Mine.” Owen smirked, and Jason started pacing. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Jesus, man, you are fucking gone over this girl. You’re jealous.”

Jealous? He didn’t get jealous. Jealousy would indicate that he had something to lose.

Christ.

He did have something to lose; he could lose her. “I’ve always been gone over her,” he confessed. “But I always hurt her. Every time.”

There was silence while the two sucked down their coffee, and Jason pulled the cookie jar from its spot against the wall and pulled off the top. There were peanut butter cookies today. Made by Meg.

Owen took a cookie, and when he bit into it, his eyes rolled back in his head. Meg’s cookies had that effect on people. “God, that’s good,” he groaned. “Maybe you need to talk to the ex-boyfriend. Have a sit-down and explain things to him.”

“I hear he’s six-four and at least two-thirty. A gym teacher.”

“Shit. Why do they need such a big guy for little kids? Isn’t that overkill?” Owen was on his second cookie when Meg walked in the room.

Jason had gotten used to her routines in the time they’d lived together. After dinner, she got Molly bathed and ready for bed. Molly had her story, which Jason had been reading to her with more frequency, and then Meg worked out and showered before watching TV for an hour, often with a pile of papers in her lap. She never stopped.

Gliding into the room, she was wearing one of her pretty white nightgowns, which was, unfortunately, covered by her ugly pink bathrobe. But just thinking about that white gown, which was sheer, light, and more than likely trimmed with delicate lace, had Jason fantasizing about all the ways he could get her out of it.

But then he looked in her eyes and he could see she was still emotionally wiped, and it twisted Jason’s gut.

“Hi, Owen.”

“Hey, Meg.”

She pulled the milk from the fridge and poured herself a glass. “You guys working late tonight?”

Owen looked at Jason and then back at Meg, who took a cookie for herself. “You know, I think I’m going to go home. We can go over these numbers tomorrow.”

“You’re not staying?” Meg asked. “Why?”

“I’m beat,” Owen said.

Meg squinted, and Jason knew she was on to them. “Owen, you’re never tired. You have little caffeine pumps embedded in your skin.”

Picking up his battered bag, Owen planted a kiss on Meg’s forehead and smiled. “I’m going home, gorgeous. Thanks for the cookies.”

When he left the house, Meg turned to Jason. “He knows. You told him I’m a crazy woman.”

“No, I told him your ex-boyfriend upset you.”

“That was weeks ago.”

“I know. That’s why it’s better Owen went home.” They stood in silence, and Jason thought about everything he had coming up in the next few weeks and how he could arrange to be home more. There were a couple of late nights ahead with the divisional meetings that had been scheduled for months, and there was an event in the city that he was originally going to go to alone, but it might be a nice night out for Meg. It should have been a no-brainer; he was a married man, and showing up at these black-tie events alone, caused more problems than he wanted to deal with. The benefit would be a perfect debut for