Page 82 of Only You
“I was keeping an eye on you in case you wanted to escape.”
“I was having an okay time.”
“Obviously,” he said, repeating her sentiment.
They were quiet for the duration of the ride home. Once inside, Kayla kicked off her shoes, and plunked down on the couch, anxious to get off her feet. She wasn’t used to wearing heels for that length of time. Jack removed his jacket and laid it over the back of the couch. He loosened his tie and sat down beside her, leaving some space between them.
“Did he ask you out?” Jack blurted out.
“Who?”
“Grayson.”
She furrowed her eyebrows. “No. Why?”
“Because he said he was going to.”
“He did?” Grayson hadn’t given her any indication he was interested in her other than as a coworker.
“He asked if you and I were dating. When I said no, he told me he was going to ask you out.”
“Well, he didn’t,” she said.
“Would you have said yes?”
Kayla eyed him closely. “Would that have bothered you?” She was very curious to hear his answer.
Jack shoved his hands in his hair and averted his eyes.
“Answer the question,” Kayla prompted him.
Jack was debating something. Finally, he met her gaze. “Yes.”
It was only one word, yet it held enormous weight. “How come?” She was really poking the bear tonight.
Jack shook his head and looked away again.
Kayla scooted a little closer to him. “Tell me why, Jack.” A vein ticked in his neck, and she stared at it with fascination. She suppressed the urge to reach out and touch it.
He met her gaze again. “Because I don’t like the idea of you going out with anyone else but me.”
“You told Grayson we weren’t dating.”
“Only because that’s what you would have wanted me to say. You didn’t want anyone thinking we were together, remember?”
Kayla glanced down at her hands that she’d clasped in her lap to keep from reaching for him.
“Do you want to go out with him?” Jack asked, his voice thick.
She slowly lifted her head. “No.”
“Right before we left, it looked like you two were exchanging phone numbers,” Jack said.
“We were, but only because Jim wants Grayson to shadow me for a couple of days.”
Jack’s relief was palpable. “Jim asked the same of me.”
Kayla nodded. Now what? She waited for him to say something else.
