Page 21 of Her Dark Salvation

Excitement crept up my spine. My shoulders tingled with it. “It is,” I admitted. “It really is.”Corporate larceny and paranoia aside…

“See, there you go.”

“I have to pose as his assistant, though.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“Hence the coffee.”

He moved his hand in front of his face to adjust his glasses, but I knew better; his shoulders were shaking, and he snorted.

“God, you are such an ass,” I said.

He stopped trying to hide his face and doubled over laughing.

“Isn’t he?” Michael called out.

“Sorry,” Jeff managed while he stopped to breathe. “Sorry. It’s just…” He stood up straight and wiped the tears from behind his glasses. “You? A secretary?” He shook his head and snickered. “I’m just imagining you bringing Marco DeVita coffee in those heels.” He threw his head back and resumed cackling.

“Laugh it up, jerk. But when I ruin one of his expensive suits, I’ll have him send the dry-cleaning bill to CMG.”

Which, of course, made him laugh even harder.

“Whatever.” I crawled out from beneath Lady’s head and walked into the kitchen. “If this is the price I have to pay not to be holed up at MIT all semester, I’ll make the damn coffee myself.” I poured another glass of the smoky Sangiovese and drank in its fragrant earthiness. “Oh, this is good.”

“Right?” Michael said. “It’s going to pair perfectly with the wild mushrooms and truffle.”

“You’re an artist, Michael.”

“I am. Remember that, Jeff. You’re a lucky man.”

Jeff regained his composure enough to lean across the distance and kiss Michael on the cheek. “The luckiest.”

I left the two lovebirds and reclaimed my seat on the couch. Lady joined me.

Jeff and I had been best friends since grad school, and I’d happily inherited Michael along the way. They were so in love, had been for years. I sighed and ran my hand over Lady’s wrinkled head. I’d be lucky to find even a sliver of the happiness they shared.

I had another date with David Lancaster that upcoming weekend, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. Everything about the relationship, including my nonexistent feelings for him, was unremarkable. And, unfortunately, that single word summed up my love life for the past two decades. Unremarkable.

My eyes wandered back to the kitchen. Jeff resumed his quest to wrap his arms around Michael’s waist, and Michael continued to swat at him like a fly. Michael finally relented and tilted his head to allow Jeff to nuzzle his neck. He looked up from his risotto to his husband, and my chest ached at the depth of love in Michael’s eyes. He smiled, kissed Jeff on the lips, and returned to his stirring with Jeff’s chin resting on his shoulder.

“I love how much you two love each other,” I said wistfully, my eyes misty with tears.

I wanted to look at someone the way Michael looked at Jeff. I’d had my share of partners and relationships, but they’d always fallen flat. No one had ever stirred my emotions or touched my heart.

Jeff lifted his gaze to meet mine, and his mouth turned down in a sympathetic frown. I’d laid a lot on my best friend last week at Scholar’s, but unlike my career, he didn’t have a solution to my unremarkable love life.

“It’s not all sunshine and roses, love,” Michael said. “Remember that. Do you know how hard it is to stay wrinkle free when your beauty sleep is interrupted by a human chainsaw?”

“Hey!” Jeff slugged Michael in the arm.

“You love it,” Michael quipped.

I huffed and shook my head. One step at a time. Career first. Love life… Well, some things you just couldn’t work at fixing.

I sipped my wine, and the slight burn from the alcohol heated my chest and cheeks. The last time I’d felt flushed like that was Friday when I’d caught Mr. DeVita staring at my ass. He’d known I’d caught him, but that didn’t stop him from finishing what he’d started. He’d practically undressed me with his eyes, and I swear the intensity of his gaze made it feel as though he’d used his hands.

And God, he’d looked so good in his white shirt and black waistcoat. I bit the rim of my wineglass. I could almost smell the cigar smoke and leather, and a rush of desire zipped up my spine and made me shiver.

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