Leo(A Sign of Love Novel)(48)

"You're crazy," I say, as we lie down next to each other again, holding hands. But I feel better. He's mine, and he always will be.





CHAPTER 24



The next couple of days are pretty uneventful. I stay at my own place Sunday and Monday, feeling like a little space in a new relationship is probably a good idea. Jake doesn't seem to agree but he doesn't push.

He has to fly to the office in San Diego again for work and he leaves on Tuesday morning so he can be in the office for meetings all day. I feel slightly anxious about him leaving because of what happened on his last trip, but I put it out of my mind as best as I can.

He calls me several times while he's traveling and between meetings and seeing his name on my phone gives me butterflies each time. God, I really need to get a hold of myself. I think several times about how my relationship with Jake has traveled so far out of my safety zone. If (when?) he decides I'm not enough for him, how will I survive that? I stop and take deep breaths when these thoughts assault me and somehow, I am able to resist talking myself into returning to my safety cocoon. Instead, I keep busy with work, running and catching up on the book I was in the middle of reading and have neglected recently.

I go to lunch with Nicole on Tuesday afternoon and catch her up on my suddenly interesting life. We giggle like schoolgirls and it feels great to share my happiness with her and ask her questions about her relationship with Mike, things I never would have had the courage or the need to ask her about before now. Is it normal to want sex all the freaking time? Nicole: In the beginning yes, after five years of marriage and a three year old, not so much. Can you fall in love with someone after less than a month of knowing them? Nicole: More likely lust than love, but enjoy it all the same.

We look at our calendars and she asks if I can come over for dinner a week from Saturday. We plan it and as she hugs me outside the restaurant, she says, "Invite Jake!" "Okay," I say, smiling, looking forward to introducing him to three more of the people I love most in the world.

I call Jake at his hotel room that night and we talk for an hour before I'm so tired I can't stay awake any longer.

On Wednesday, I clock into work at ten a.m. and make my way up to the top floor to clean the penthouse suite. I knock three loud raps on the door and wait a minute and when no one answers, I use my key card to let myself in. I wheel my cart in and look around confused. The place is immaculate. Clearly no one has used the room which is weird because I know they wouldn't have me scheduled to clean it unless someone had rented it the night before.

I grab my walkie talkie and am about to press the button to connect to my manager in his office downstairs when I hear a sound from the bedroom. I frown and call out, "Hello?" No one answers and so I take a few steps towards the room. Seriously, if there's some serial killer in there, I will totally bash him over the head with this heavy ass walkie talkie. Wait, those sound like really bad famous last words. I grab the spray bottle of bleach too just in case I need extra ammunition.

I peek around the corner, craning my neck and what do I see? Standing in the far doorway is Jake, hands stuffed in his jean pockets, grinning at me.

I don't know if it's the shock of seeing him or just that I react instantly to my emotions, but I drop my "weapons," let out a happy shriek and run across the room, launching myself at him. He catches me, laughing and spinning me around while I rain kisses over his face. I squeal, taking his face in my hands and kissing his mouth now, laughing along with him. He's kissing me back and we're acting like two people who haven't seen each other in ages. And that's how I feel. I feel like I haven't seen this man in years and years and the joy that pounds out of my chest is something I don't question. I just hold him close and relish the feeling of him being in my arms. I've missed him so much. And this is crazy. It's only been two days! But he seems to accept my reaction as perfectly normal and he keeps kissing me, saying my name again and again, both of us caught in this strange, joyful moment. I don't look below the surface, I just soak it in.

I finally go still but don't let go, holding him close. I close my eyes and just enjoy the throatiness of his voice against my ear, the smell of him, uniquely Jake, and the beating of his heart against my own. I can't explain it but I know that if I could freeze time right this second and live in this feeling forever, I would.

Finally, we are quiet and I slide to the ground, gazing up into his warm, brown eyes. "What are you doing here, Jake?"

"I wanted to surprise you. When we talked on Sunday, you told me you were cleaning the penthouse all this week if it was occupied and my evil wheels started turning. I rented it on Tuesday morning before I left town. How long does it usually take to clean it?"

"You rented this room so you could have the time with me it takes to clean it?" I say, confused.

"Yup."

Oh, okay, then.

"Um, how long to clean it? If the guests are really messy, an hour and a half?"

"They're dirty slobs."

"Oh, okay, then, maybe I could push it to two hours."

He starts unzipping my dress. "What are you doing, Jake?"

"Not wasting any time."

Right.

"Um, Jake - " I start, but he's doing this thing on my neck that feels so good, I forget what I was about to say.