Page 59 of The Making of Marnie Jones

“Oh, okay.” Olivia seemed appeased by his answer to her question.

Times like this, he appreciated her naïve acceptance. If she picked up on his attraction to Marnie, he was going to have to be more careful. The last thing he needed was for Marnie to read his thoughts. Because his first thought upon seeing her in the new dress was how he could get her out of it.

“I'm going to put on my new pajamas.” She moved away.

“Did you have fun today, sweetheart?”

When her gaze met his, the emotion shone there. “I had a great day, Uncle Jake. The best day I’ve had in a long time. Maybe the best day ever.”

His heart lightened as she retreated to her room. He made his way to the fridge to sort out dinner. He’d managed to place an overseas call to Jessica today, and confirmed she wouldn’t be home for another month or two. Although she always had the option to return to Toronto during her assignments, she never did. She trusted him to take care of her condo when he was in town. She had no family, and only a few friends to visit in Toronto. Usually she stayed put, spending her days off immersed in local fare, absorbing culture as she traveled.

He had some time before he needed to decide what he and Olivia were going to do. He should be looking for a place of his own, but he never got around to it. He and Jess struck this deal years ago and it just worked for them. The network never had them home at the same time, so it seemed a waste to have his own place. Plus, he was saving up to get his own condo. With Toronto real estate as expensive as it was, he was biding his time. Saving up and waiting until the next cooling period. Analysts said it was coming, and that prices couldn’t continue on an upward trajectory forever. Only time would tell.

He was pulling the third slice of pizza from the microwave when the women reappeared. Their faces scrubbed free of makeup, they looked like girls in their teens. Matching pajamas made them look like they were having a sleepover.

He handed each woman her pizza and Diet Coke, and the three of them settled onto the couch. Olivia sat between the two adults, and he handed her the remote. “Your choice. No horror movies, and you should probably consult our guest for her preferences.”

“Of course I will.” Olivia quickly reassured him, a sparkle in her blue eyes. “I agree horror movies are definitely out. She scrolled down the films. When she stopped, his brow arched.

“You're sure?”

“Any objections?”

“None for me.” Marnie’s words were quiet, and there was a spark in her eyes as well. “Apparently you don't have to have seen the first two movies in order to enjoy this one. It got rave reviews, so I'm in. Jake?”

“I've seen this awesome film, and I'm totally game for watching it again.”

Olivia pressed the play button, and the three settled back to watch the action film based on a comic book.

When he placed his plate on the table, he noticed although Olivia’d propped her legs on the coffee table, Marnie's were too short. She tucked her shapely legs, shown off to perfection by the pajama shorts, beneath her. He almost offered to angle the coffee table but thought better of it. She didn't need him to remind her of her height challenges.

So instead, after his gaze lingered longer than it probably should, he settled back to watch the rest of the movie.

Chapter twenty-two

Marnieawokeearlythenext morning and started both coffee and water for tea. She wished there was easy access to the balcony that didn’t involve disturbing her temporary roommates who were still sleeping.

No such luck.

Dragging her suitcase out from under the couch, she retrieved her toiletries and a fresh set of clothes, looking forward to changing out of the new pajama set.

The shorts were, well, short. She swore Jake checked out her legs last night, but that must’ve been her imagination.

Fanciful dreaming.

She made her way to the bathroom. The shower was both quick and refreshing as she wasn’t going to hold up the bathroom, in case Jake needed it.

As she was pulling her hair in her standard ponytail, she stopped, opting to leave it down. The strands were damp and already fighting gravity. Despite constant straightening, sometimes her natural curls fought their way through. At times she expected to see her hair the blonde it used to be. She’d spent seven years in captivity without the luxury of a mirror and hadn’t recognized the woman staring back at her when she finally saw herself.

She turned on the stove to boil the kettle and took a whiff of the coffee. Although she preferred tea, she enjoyed coffee now and again. While waiting for the water to boil, she stowed her suitcase back under the couch and chuckled. So this was what it was like to live out of a suitcase.

It still startled her that she was comfortable in the condo. At ease with Jake sleeping in the next room. He asked for her trust, and she’d given it to him.

It helped that he was nothing like Lester Ulster. Although the sociopathic monster had been physically fit, she viewed him as gross and disgusting. His breath always reeked of beer, and it made her stomach churn. He also wore a strong distinctive cologne.

One of her greatest nightmares was being stuck in an elevator with a man who wore that sickly smell, and she still suffered bouts of nausea if exposed to any cologne for a prolonged period.

Jake appeared to not use it. He was a soap-and-water kind of guy.

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