get her breath back, she nodded. “Everything’s great. Although you’ll never believe her crazy reasoning for what she did. But before I tell you about that, I need to know—how did things go between you and Chelsea after we left?”
“Thank you for being my own personal superhero,” he said first. And then, “We cleared the air. It was good to finally get a chance to talk things through. We both needed to say we were sorry.”
“Britt and I did too.”
“So I made the right decision in leaving you alone with her for so long?”
“Absolutely. You would only have ended up smothered in napkin samples if you’d made the mistake of walking into my office.”
“After attending more than a dozen weddings for my cousins the past few years, there’s a good chance that I know more about putting one on than either of you.”
“You really shouldn’t have told me that,” Zara said. “Because now I know exactly how to keep you in line. One call to Britt to drop that little nugget her way, and you’re toast.”
“Actually…” He pulled her close. “I have a much better idea for how you can keep me in line.”
“I haven’t checked my email yet today to deal with all those orders you claim are going to be pouring in,” she said. But of course that didn’t stop her from taking his hand and leading him into her office to see if they were on the same page.
And after they’d torn each other’s clothes off and had a glorious quickie, she could confirm that they most definitely were.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The next twenty-four hours were a blur. Once Zara had finally logged on to email and checked her voice mail Wednesday afternoon, she’d learned that her new ads had been a bigger hit than even Rory had anticipated. Orders were through the roof, and she’d spent nearly every second since packaging and mailing her frames to buyers from around the world.
Joyce from the post office was cracking jokes about Zara spending more hours on the premises than most of the full-time employees, she had bought out all the packing supplies from the local stores, and her inventory was down to the bare bones.
She’d just gotten off the phone with her materials supplier to let them know she needed a rush on her next order to meet the increased demand when she felt two strong hands massaging her shoulders.
“Mmmm, that feels so good.”
“Tell me how I can help.” He spun her chair around so that they were face-to-face, then resumed massaging her shoulders from the front. “I’m done for the day, so I’m all yours.”
Zara had long thought that one of the biggest benefits to starting her own business was that it kept her too busy to stew about everything she wanted to avoid. But even she knew when she’d hit her work-hour limits. Fortunately, she had an idea about another good way to make sure the storm clouds couldn’t possibly return to ruin her newfound happiness.
“And remember,” he added, “nothing’s off-limits.” He put on his best lecherous look. “No matter how filthy.”
“Perv.” But she had to pull him down for a kiss anyway. She was loved and in love. She’d made up with her stepsister. And her business was growing like gangbusters. Surely there was no way the darkness could get back in now. “I want to turn it up to eleven.”
“Tell me more, baby.”
They both laughed at his faux-smarmy baby.
“Well, I am pretty impressed by the armadillo in your pants.”
“Armadillo?” He looked confused…and then the light bulb went on. “Are you trying to tell me that D minor is the saddest of all keys?”
“Ding ding ding!” She grinned. “The Criterion Theatre is playing This Is Spinal Tap this week between new releases. What do you say we go annoy everyone at the showing by quoting all the best lines and making out during the rest of the movie?”
“I know I keep saying this—” He pulled her up out of her seat. “—but you really are the perfect girlfriend.”
* * *
For two hours, they fed each other candy, competed over who could yell out the classic lines louder—it was part of the This Is Spinal Tap experience, so they didn’t feel bad about disturbing the other attendees—and laughed their heads off at one of the best mockumentaries ever made.
Oh yeah, and making out with Zara in the dark theater was pretty damned awesome too.
By the time they left the movie, the sun had set. A food truck was