Page 81 of Finding Jess

“Exactly,” Jess shot back, “and afterwards we’d end up in bed together.”

The words sparked a certain burn in her stomach, but she pushed it away, ignoring it as fast as it had come.

She cleared her throat, forcing a light laugh as she said, “well I guess we still end up in bed together even without the dancing.”

Jess chuckled, and Sam was grateful for the small pause to calm whatever feeling had begun to work itself up inside her.

She shifted again, pulling her arm out from under her head and replacing it with the other one.

A few beats of silence passed, and Sam wondered if that would be the end of the conversation. Really, that would probably be for the best. It seemed that the more they talked, in any situation, much less in bed beside each other, it always led back to something that made her feel a burning anticipation.

And she’d felt enough toward Jess in the past that she knew that feeling was something she needed to be careful with.

She closed her eyes, letting out a slow breath, trying to will away the thoughts creeping up, trying to keep things simple.

They were friends. Nothing more.

Chapter seventeen

“I’m happy with how smoothly things are going so far,” Michelle said from beside her as the elevator doors closed.

Sam had spent the better part of the morning at Michelle’s office, working on setting up the integration for their new client. And she was right. Everything was going much better than they’d anticipated.

“Yeah, me too,” Sam answered as she pulled out her phone and saw a text from Jess with the address to her apartment.

They’d planned to meet there that day to go over some more PR stuff. Although, the last meeting with Michelle had run longer than expected.

Right as she was about to type out a quick text to let her know she’d be a little late, the phone began buzzing in her hand, filled with Jess’ name on the screen.

“Hey,” she said, holding the phone up to her ear. “Sorry, I was just about to text you.”

“That’s okay,” she replied, her voice cutting in and out. “I just wanted to make sure we were still on to meet up?”

“Yeah,” Sam answered. “I was with a client, but I’m all done now.”

The phone went silent for a moment, before Jess’ broken words crackled through. “Okay—sent—did you—”

Sam glanced down at the screen as the elevator whirred on its descent.

“I have my bike, so I’m gonna ride over now,” she said, placing the phone back against her ear. “Should be there in like twenty.”

She thought she could make out Jess’ muffled, suddenly louder voice as it crackled in and out. But as the phone cut out again, she couldn’t make out what she was saying.

“I’m in an elevator, so the reception is bad,” Sam continued. “But I’ll see you in a bit.”

She ended the call and stuffed her phone into her backpack just as the elevator chimed softly at the ground floor.

When the doors slid open, she followed Michelle into the expansive lobby, where the sound of rain immediately met her ears. Sheets of water streamed down the towering floor-to-ceiling glass windows, distorting the view outside.

She frowned, adjusting the motorcycle helmet in her hands. At least her bike was in the parking garage.

“It’s really coming down,” Michelle said beside her.

“Yeah,” Sam murmured, her gaze fixed on the relentless rain. “Guess I’ll get an Uber then.”

That was one big con of being back in Seattle. The rain was an almost constant surprise.

“Where are you headed?” Michelle asked, turning to her as she pulled her keys out of her purse.

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