Breathe Out (Just Breathe, #2)(7)
With Joe’s family in town and our upcoming meeting tomorrow, he hasn’t been able to pop over unexpectedly or unannounced, which is nice. He’s not overbearing or needy, even though I desperately need to get laid again. As bad as I want it — want him — I’m not in any hurry to let him know that.
My current task at hand is going through all of the photos Ian uploaded to my cloud system that his and his wife’s company took during Maggie’s wedding — there are so many. I’m trying to sort them into different folders for easy access when I finally start constructing the picture book I’m giving to Maggie and Henry as part of their wedding gift. I'm also creating one for the Li family and one for the Wú family. Depending on the amount of pictures, I may make a smaller photo book for Jared and Nathan and myself. I definitely will be getting framed prints set up for all of the immediate family.
As I peruse the pictures, I notice that there are a lot of candid shots of Joe and me, alone and together. Many of them are when we were performing our maid-of-honor and best man duties, but there are a number of them that aren’t. I purposefully put most of them in a separate folder labeled miscellaneous two, so if anyone checks my computer or iPad, they won’t think much of it. My heart races as my eyes stare at the photos of Joe and me. The majority of them are when we are laughing and smiling — and not in the because we’re having fun at our friends’ wedding kind of way. I start to sweat when the photos change to when I was giving my toast. Whoever took the shots did me justice for the most part. I don’t see any that make me look like a dear in headlights, but the terror in my eyes in a couple of pictures is apparent. When I come across the shots of Joe placing the garter up my thigh, I find myself laughing under my breath.
By bedtime, I’ve got what I think is the preliminary outline of the photo book for Maggie and Henry. One or two more scans of it, then I think it’ll be ready to be ordered.
Wednesday morning after my regular routine, I start getting ready for the official meeting with the Covelli family and their lawyers to proceed with our business agreement. The documents have been reviewed and now it’s time to sign them and begin this joint business venture. I’m excited and nervous simultaneously for a variety of reasons.
Sadie notifies me that someone is at the door before I hear the knock.
“Hi,” greets Joe with a half-hearted smile when I open the door.
“What are you doing here?” I say, confused by his presence.
“I came to get you for the meeting,” Joe mentions.
“I was planning on walking,” I comment.
With a look in his eye that tells me he won’t let me walk like I had the last time, Joe adds, “That’s why I’m hear a little earlier.”
I take a step back to let Joe in and turn to get my heels and briefcase, avoiding the temptation of being distracted by his body — God, does he smell good.
Joe follows me into my bedroom. “So you did steal this,” he remarks, holding up the sleeve of his button down shirt from the wedding that’s hanging in my closet.
Shit! I thought I had it hidden well.
“I didn’t steal it . . . I borrowed it,” I contend, taking the shirt and its hanger and handing it to him. “You can have it back. I’m done with it.”
I’d rather hold onto it for some strange reason, but Joe doesn’t need to know that.
“Keep it,” Joe offers with a wicked grin as he pulls me into him. He returns the shirt to its previous spot.
“What makes you think I want it?” I playfully inquire.
“I want you to have it even if you won’t admit that you do,” he insists.
“Why?”
“Because I’m hoping to see you where it . . . and nothing else,” he admits.
“So you think you’ll get lucky again, huh?” I try to calmly present without any hint to the fact that I want him.
Without saying anything, Joe leans in and delivers a deliciously deep kiss. “Besides, I have the garter and your underwear.”
“Why do you still have my underwear?” I question, not really wanting to pull away from his attempted seduction. “That you ripped off?”
“I couldn’t just through them away,” he states before seeking another kiss. “They’re priceless.”
“Joe . . .” I barely mutter with my lips stuck to his.
“Mmmm hmmm,” he checks, then slides is tongue in further to meet mine.
I allow him and his tongue to temporarily distract me. “The . . . meeting,” I reluctantly remind him.
Grunting, Joe hesitantly peels his lips away.
From the time we leave my apartment and take our short drive to his place, Joe and I are quiet.
The meeting doesn’t take long and I am surprised to find out that the Covellis' lawyer flew all the way out from New York just for this small business dealing. Mr. George Steinberger is a very friendly, older gentleman, probably around Pop-Pop’s age, and has been apparently working for Mrs. Covelli’s family before Mr. Covelli and her were married.
Starting next Monday, two of my contractors will be testing the updated software with Nathaniel’s social media marketing, making sure there aren’t any glitches before having the staff from Mr. Covelli’s first hotel integrate the software into their sales and marketing programs. The Covellis aren’t paying for the service until its cleared for sale, but Maggie has already done some video conferencing and training with the five members who will begin implementing social media advertising for the first time.