Page 102 of Making Over Maris
“I’ll throw them out.”
His nostrils flared. “They were expensive.”
“I don’t care.”
He took one of the exquisite blooms from the vase and pulled off a velvet petal. Rubbed it between his fingers. She could tell he was thinking, that an idea was simmering in his brilliant mind.
“What?”
He shot her a scorching leer. “I’m thinking we should get into the hot tub tonight.”
She blinked. Not what she’d expected but… “Okay.”
“The hot tub filled with rose petals.”
“Ah. That would be interesting.” And then she barked a laugh. “But Jack, what would that do to the alkalinity?”
His gaze spoke volumes. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a shit.”
“I need to talk to you.”
Sara blinked and struggled to emerge from a fog. She’d been engaged in an intensive review of the Sydney presentation and this interruption shattered her concentration.
When she realized who was standing in the doorway of her office, her jaw dropped. Todd, holding yet another bouquet of flowers. He was tall and handsome and sexy. She waited for her heart to thump.
Nothing. Not so much as a quiver.
He shot her that here-I-am-you-lucky-girl smile he’d perfected. “Hi, baby.” He froze when he noticed six dozen rose stems poking from the vases—all completely denuded. Her desk looked like an angry hedgehog. She and Jack had played a game of “She Dominates Me, She Dominates Me Not” in preparation for this evening, collecting the harvested petals in a bag for a later frolic. She was very excited about their date—the last before her trip to Paris. “She Dominates Me” had won.
“Todd, what are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to you.”
She set her teeth. “I thought I told you. It’s over.”
He shut the door then plopped down in a chair. “I know you weren’t serious.”
“Wasn’t I?” She was pretty sure she was. Serious.
He thrust the flowers at her. She didn’t take them so he dropped them on her desk. On a spot that was not already littered with vases. “Of course not, baby. We were so good together.”
“Were we?” Funny. She didn’t remember it that way. She remembered always feeling inadequate. As though she was never quite good enough for him.
“Sure we were.”
She glared at him. “Listen, Todd. When I told you it was over, I meant it.”
“You’re pouting because I didn’t play along with your stupid game.”
“My…stupid game?” Yeah. He’d called it that once before. “It’s not a game. It’s something I enjoy. And frankly,” she spat, “I’ve found someone who enjoys it as much as I do.”
Todd gulped. “What?”
“Yep. I’m seeing someone else, Todd. So when I say it’s over, you can believe it. Now get out.”
“But, Sara. Baby.”
She nearly snarled. She hated when men called her “baby”. She always had. She’d told him not to call her that a thousand times and he still— Oh, what the hell. Why was she even bothering?
