factor.”
Kim narrowed her eyes again.
“I think you’ve got some dirt. Like a smudge or something.” She took a step closer when her eyes flew wide. “Oh my God. Do you have a hickey?”
Oh my God, did I?
I had a vague recollection of Boone’s mouth on my neck more than once between last night and this morning. But he wouldn’t—he couldn’t.
The expression on Kim’s face said he had.
I slapped both my hands over my throat. “No. I’m sure I don’t—”
“And I’m sure you do. You did Mr. Manny Candy,” she accused, looking satisfied.
“Shh.” My gaze flew to the doorway to make sure no one was within ear shot.
“I’ll shush when you admit I’m right.” She was back to folding her arms and staring me down again.
“Okay, fine. Yes,” I hissed.
She smiled. “Good. You needed it.”
“I don’t know about that, but it happened.” I blew out a breath.
“And that’s what’s different about you. I knew it.”
I rolled my eyes. “I can’t possibly look different just from doing that.”
Although I think I might have been walking a bit differently. I was sore in places I hadn’t known existed. And there was that hickey. And my hair was starting to give in to its natural wave because I’d left the house with it still damp.
Kim shook her head. “Think whatever you want, but a woman has a certain look about her after really good sex.”
My gaze cut to her before I dropped my eyes away to straighten a stack of papers that didn’t need straightening. “What makes you think it was really good?”
“Wasn’t it?” she asked.
Even with as appalled as I was that she’d guessed, I couldn’t help my smile. “Yeah. It was.”
She let out a laugh. “Ha! I knew it. And girl, you stop looking embarrassed. It’s every single woman’s right to have a lover who makes her look like you do today. Embrace it and ride that boy for all he’s worth.”
Jesus. I needed her to stop talking.
I felt my cheeks grow hotter as I said, “I’m going to try to cover up my . . .” I pointed to my throat. “Uh, you know, before the meeting starts.”
“You do that. Then come back and give me all the dirty details.”
“No. That will not be happening.”
“We’ll see.” Kim smirked, nodding like she was completely confident she was right.
And in the middle of all this craziness, I had a presentation to make. The biggest of my career.
So why did my mind keep going back to Boone?
EIGHTEEN
Boone
I glanced at the time on the microwave again, frustrated.
It figured the day that I really—and I mean really—wanted Sarah to get home early from work, she was late.
What did that mean? Had the presentation gone so well she stayed to start working on setting it in motion? Or had it gone so badly she was there brainstorming a new one?
If that were the case, I wished she’d come home so I could help her.
Forget that—I just plain wished she’d come home.
Yeah, I was going out of my mind wondering how her presentation went, but even more than that, I wanted this woman here, arm’s length away from me, within grabbing distance.
Within kissing distance too.
With that thought I remembered Stewie and glanced to where he was playing with his truck out in the grass.
I might be able to sneak in a quick smooch, but anything more than that was going to have to wait until after his bedtime.
I’d waited plenty for this woman already. Now that I’d had her, it seemed I didn’t have the patience to wait even a few hours to have her again. And I didn’t feel bad about that.
To me, my impatience when we were apart was just an indication that we were meant to be together.
A sound in the driveway had me sprinting for the front door. I opened it in time to see Sarah getting out of the car, before she reached back in and emerged with her giant bag.
None of this told me anything. Impatient, I called, “How did it go today? I’m going crazy waiting to hear.”
She cocked up one perfectly shaped brow. “Oh, really?”
“Yes, really. You didn’t text me back to tell me how it went.” I’d finally given up being patient about an hour ago and had sent her a text.
She slammed the door and moved around the nose of the car. “I was driving.”
I couldn’t fault her for not responding if she was on the road, but I sure as shit could fault her for not ending