Page 96 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

Jamie raised a brow at Elliott. Yuka’s directness wasn’t new for her, but she supposed it could take some getting used to.

“We haven’t really gone anywhere anyone might see us. We’ve been staying in a lot.”

“Nice.”

Elliott rolled her eyes. “Not like that.”

Jamie gave her the side-eye. “It’s a little like that.”

Yuka laughed and Elliott punched him in the arm.

“Well, either way,” Yuka said. “I’m glad you two figured it out. I like you for her, Jamie.”

Jamie reached over to squeeze Elliott’s hand and tipped his head at her best friend. “I like me for her, too.”

After spending two hours talking and laughing over chips and salsa, Jamie and Elliott headed back to Omaha.

When Jamie parked, Hank bounded out to sniff a nearby tree. Jamie headed in the direction of his building, stopping short when Elliott didn’t follow.

“What are you doing?”

She gave him her best beseeching look. “I need to get some work done.”

“Work? What work?”

“I told you the owners of that doughnut shop called me. I really need to get a few ideas down for their website.”

“Bring your laptop over.”

She shook her head. “I can’t focus when you’re around.”

He looked as if he might argue, but he knew she was right. The chemistry between them was off the charts. Take what had been there all along and subtract a long list of reservations, and suddenly one plus one equaled five hundred.

“Now kiss me goodnight and I’ll see you in the morning.”

His eyes went wide. “I thought we were talking, like, two hours. You’re not coming overat all?”

She let out a sad laugh. “I know. I just ... I need to get this done. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise.”

He stepped forward and backed her against the truck. She smiled up at him, loving the happiness emanating from his hazel eyes. “Just come sleep with me, at least. I’ve gotten used to you being beside me. I won’t even touch you”—She shot him a skeptical look.—“much. Just a little.”

She dropped her forehead to his chest and huffed out a breath. Gripping his shirt in her fists, she pulled him flush against her body.

“Jamie,” she whispered.

He dipped his head to bury his nose in her neck, inhaling deeply. “Hmm?”

Her voice trembled as the words tumbled out. “I—I think I’m in love with you.”

He jerked his head up and stared at her, his expression unreadable. His eyes darted back and forth between hers. When he didn’t respond right away, unease started creeping in.

She frowned.

“I love you,” he blurted out. “I do. I love you so much, Elliott.”

Thank God.

He kissed her just within the bounds of propriety for the public space they were in. Somehow she extricated herself and went the opposite direction, the burning weight of Jamie’s eyes on her back the entire time.

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