Page 51 of Second Time Around

“You too,” she said with a warm smile.

Then the two women looked accusingly at Jenna.

“What? He was supposed to be gone already,” she huffed.

If she’d been trying to throw them off the scent, she’d chosen the wrong words. Instead of watching her squirm, he decided to rescue her.

“I brought food for your book club meeting.”

“You did? That was so sweet,” Stacy gushed.

“What kind of food?” Kelsey asked.

He chuckled. “Sandwiches and desserts from my restaurant.”

“Yum! I love that place!”

“I haven’t been there in a while, but I’ll have to stop by soon,” Stacy said.

“Please do, and bring your boyfriend,” he said congenially.

“Maybe we can double date,” Kelsey said excitedly.

In the meantime, Jenna stood off to the side, clearly irritated, with her hands on her hips and tapping her foot.

“Well, I should probably get going. I don’t want to disrupt your meeting,” he said.

“Or you could stay. It would be fun to have a man’s perspective for a change,” Stacy said.

Jenna practically exploded. “What? Absolutely not! How can he contribute when he hasn’t even read the book?”

“I’m sure he’d still have something to say on the subject of second chances,” Stacy said pointedly.

As entertaining as it was to watch the sisters square off, he didn’t want to be the cause of it. “I appreciate the invite, but I really need to get going.”

“Yes, he really does,” Jenna said.

“You ladies have fun tonight, and I hope you enjoy the food.”

“We will,” Stacy said. Then she ushered Kelsey down the hall and into the kitchen.

“I’m never going to hear the end of this,” Jenna whisper-hissed after they’d left.

“I brought food, Jen. They don’t have to know about the kiss unless you tell them.”

She nodded and then practically pushed him out the door. “Out you go. I have a meeting to run.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll see you soon.”

“If you’re lucky.”

As he drove home, images of their make-out session in the kitchen ran on a loop through his head. She’d mentioned luck, and he considered himself very lucky that she’d kissed him like that. After weeks of pushing him away, she’d come at him like a starved woman to a buffet.

Was that all it was, though, sexual desire? If it’d been someone else, he might have been satisfied with that, but with her, he wanted more. He wanted her to trust him again, confide in him, go on dates with him. If he’d only wanted sex, he could have stayed with Cassie. Surely, she would have agreed to keep their relationship going, but he’d lost interest.

Now that he’d been lucky enough to kiss Jenna again, he couldn’t imagine kissing anyone else. He was the one who’d held back this time, but if there was a next time (and he felt confident there would be), maybe they’d both get lucky!