Page 36 of Stolen

“Leo?”

“Yeah. I’m handling the stress just fine.” I smiled. “Got to, right? Or else you just sort of crumble?”

“That’s the secret to being good at what we do. Finding ways to not crumble.” Mandi smiled back at me before she went on. “Keith’s your ex, right? The one you were dating for a minute?”

“Oh, I don’t think we need to get into any of that?—”

“I’ve been there.” Mandi shrugged. “Dated one of my clients. His name was Gregory. And he sucked.”

“Even while you were dating him?”

“Even while I was dating him, yeah.” She laughed. “Don’t tell me why that whole thing ever happened. I think I was just lonely.”

A few seconds of silence passed between us. “Do you ever get lonely out there, Leo?”

Again, my mind went to memories of Jacob, kissing me, holding me, laughing with me.

“I used to feel lonely, all the time,” I admitted. “But not so much anymore.”

“Lucky you.” Mandi smiled wide. “Keep up the good work, okay? Rumor has it that you’re a shoo-in for that PR promotion in Roanoke. Fingers crossed!”

“Fingers crossed!” I said, while literally crossing my fingers on the video call. “Talk to you later, Mandi.”

“Talk soon!” Mandi ended the call, her face beaming at mine.

When the call was finished, I leaned back against the couch, my eyes glancing over at the crackling fireplace.

Was I just lonely?

I let the possibility sink in as I thought back on my career in PR. I couldn’t really think of any actual friends I’d made along the way, just acquaintances like Mandi and Tommy, people I respected a great deal but never really let into my life. Not to mention the clients I’d had that I couldneverlet get too close to me, learning all too well what could happen if I ever crossed that line again.

Huh.

It was strangely comforting, actually, to consider that I wasn’t being a needy sub or trying to make things into something they weren’t with Jacob. If I was just lonely, then of course, everything felt so exaggerated and extreme. I was emotionally vulnerable, not used to connecting so openly with anyone, not used to anyone saying that I wastheirs.

And if I was just lonely, then when it was time to say goodbye to Jacob, it wasn’t going to break me.

Because we were just passing time with each other, and nothing else.

Hell, maybe Jacob was just lonely, too.

“Working hard?” Jacob asked, as he suddenly appeared on the other side of the room.

I motioned toward my half-full glass of wine. “Yep. Otherwise, I would’ve finished that like an hour ago.”

“It’s smart to pace yourself,” he started, as he walked over to me. “But that goes for wine and for work. You’re doing enough here with the photoshoot. Should you really be piling anything else on your plate?”

“I don’t have much of a choice.” I sighed. “If you’re not overworking yourself in PR, you’re never going to get anywhere."

"Un-huh." Jacob took a seat next to me on the couch before he pulled my drink into his hands. He then finished the rest of it, casually drinking it down. “Damn. This is really good wine. Too bad you can’t enjoy it.”

“Right?” I frowned. “It’s just not fair.”

“All right. Enough of that.” Jacob grabbed my laptop and closed it. “You’re coming with me.”

“Jacob—”

“I have something to show you.”

---