Page 89 of Making Over Maris

His reward for being brave, his reward for being honest, his reward for admitting something he had never told another soul, was her smile. It was beatific. Relief, pleasure and something else altogether—something warm and incandescent—trickled through him at the sight.

“So you’re truly into it?”

He cleared his throat. “Sara—”

“Not merely playing at it, you know, to make me happy?”

He waited until she glanced at him again before answering. “No, Sara. I’m not playing at anything.”

Fortunately—or unfortunately, whichever the case might be—she missed his true meaning. She collapsed with a bubble of a laugh. “Oh, thank God. I needed to know. I had to be sure because when Todd—”

His heart skittered twice. First because she’d said Todd’s fucking name. And then because of the sheer mortification on her face. “When Todd what?”

“Oh.” She plucked at a thread on her sleeve. “Never mind.”

Jack stood and closed the door. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “No. When Todd what?”

“Jack, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I think we need to.”

She frowned at him. “Since when are you the bossy one?”

“I’ve always been the bossy one. I like to pick my battles. And this is one I’m not going to lose. So give. I can stand here all day.”

Her expression turned mutinous. He put out a lip. To show her he could be as stubborn as she was.

She caved first. Thank God.

Because he wasn’t sure he could be as stubborn as she was. He wasn’t sure anybody could be as stubborn as she was.

“It’s an embarrassing story.”

“Then be embarrassed. I think I need to know.”

“All right. Quit nagging.”

He stared at her. Blinked. Several times. In succession.

“Oh, all right. I tried…I thought… Okay. One time…” She let out a groan and buried her face in her hands.

“One time you tried that with Todd.”

“Yes.” She shot him a grateful look.

“And it didn’t go well.”

“No.” Tears pricked her lashes.

He hated that they did. But he would not be moved by tears. Not right now. Not when they were discussing the guy she’d once referred to as “Mr. Right”. Because, by God, Todd was not weaseling his way back into Sara’s life. No way. No how.

He’d been supplanted.

“What happened?”

She flushed. “Oh. It was…awful. He called me names and stormed out and never called again. Well, not until a few days ago. And then he was fucking patronizing.”

Good.