Page 67 of Homebody
“Then, I’m hoping my incredibly generous boss will let me have some time off to fly here and visit with my boyfriend once he’s back,” Tessa hinted.
“Forget that. I’ll fly to you the moment my boots hit US soil. Or as soon as command cuts me loose for leave.” Dean tightened his arm around her.
“Either way, Tessa can take whatever time off she needs.” Liam clapped his hands together once. “Good. Looks like everybody’s on the same page.”
“Thank you. You really are the best boss ever,” Tessa gushed.
“You had better not tell Ruby you said that,” Liam joked. “All right, so Tessa and I will talk more back at the lab on Monday. Until then, I’m actually flying back tomorrow morning. You, Tessa, are flying back Sunday evening as scheduled. A car will pick you up in Albany and drive you back to Mudville.”
“Wait, what?” Tessa asked.
Liam grinned. “I thought you two might want as much time alone together as you can get.”
“What about your meetings?” Tessa asked.
“What meetings?” Liam winked. “You’re not the only one capable of lying.”
“You didn’t have to be here for work? You flew here just for me and Dean?” she asked.
“I’m notthatgenerous. I do have a lecture to deliver in about an hour so I gotta get going. But your hotel room is booked for a Sunday late check-out. I didn’t want Sinclair to get written up for sneaking a female into the bachelor barracks on my account. This okay with you both? We all good?” Liam glanced between them.
“Yes!” Tessa agreed.
“That is very okay,” Dean agreed. “But…one question. What if we didn’t make up? What was your plan then, genius?”
“Oh I wasn’t leaving, and neither was she, until you reconciled.” Liam looked smug as he said, “Have fun, you two.” Then he left and they were alone again.
Tessa turned to face Dean and slid her arms around his waist. “Liam is so amazing. I mean, look at everything he did for us. Paying to fly me down here. Getting us a room. Booking me a car from the airport. And look at how he came up with this plan all on his own?—”
“Tessa, please stop talking about how amazing Liam is.”
“Why? You’re not jealous, are you?” Her lips twitched with just a hint of a smile she was trying to hide.
“So much so I’d deck him just for looking at you if he wasn’t my friend. And your boss,” Dean admitted.
“Good,” she said.
“Good?” His eyes widened.
“Yes. Because just seeing Juniper and knowing you two were together makes me feel like I need to throw up.”
His dark brows shot up. “Nowthatis ridiculous.”
“Why? She’s gorgeous and you have to admit you two were together for quite a while.”
“It’s ridiculous because I never loved her. Not really. It was a teenage crush when we were in school. Pure animal lust later?—”
“Not helping,” she warned.
He paused and ran his thumb over her cheek. “What I’m saying is I never loved her the way I love you. Totally and completely.”
Tessa visibly melted at his words. He saw it happen starting with her expression that said,awweven if her mouth didn’t. It traveled down her body as she leaned toward him and her knees softened, close to buckling. All at his words.
Maybe he wasn’t so bad at this romance stuff after all.
Standing on tip toe, she said close to his mouth. “Now would be a good time for you to take me to bed, because I’m so in love with you I might just die if you don’t.”
He smiled. “That I can do.”
