Naturally work dragged on and on because I was so keyed up about seeing Jake again. I'd been dying to do some serious Google stalking, but with Macon having become an Olympian crawler and all my chores I never got the chance. By the time Caroline got home, I'd been in a rush to get my hair situated, so there was never any time to do it. Of course, I was dying to know all of the pertinent information about him. Had he ever been married? When was his last serious girlfriend? Was he always fascinated with the cleaning staff? Granted I knew that one sounded weird, but I'd heard some weird fetishes in my time.
I raced through my cleaning jobs like a whirling dervish, buffing and polishing as I made my way from one office to the next. I grinned like a lovesick fool when I wheeled my cart into Jake's office. I let out a happy sounding sigh as I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath. It was funny how I'd never paid it any attention before, but his scent hung in the air, ever so lightly. It was sporty and a little sensual, the perfect combination for him.
Without a doubt, I knew it had been created to his exact specifications. I was certain of this because when I cleaned his grandmother's office restroom, I'd have to lift her perfume bottle—Lily's Allure—up off the glass shelving to wipe below it. The Fragrance Allure collection had several different scents, but Lily's Allure wasn't one of them. One of my co-workers had told me the family each had their personal scents that were never released to the market.
I'd learned my lesson about cleaning with my earbuds in the night before, so I was humming to myself as I made my way through my cleaning routine. I always did the desk last, after vacuuming and dusting everywhere else. Stepping behind Jake's desk, I spotted a cream-colored envelope in the middle of his desk calendar. I lit up when I realized it said For my Pancake Girl on it. With a squeal of excitement, I lifted the envelope, opened it with the nail on my index finger, and pulled out the thick stationery inside.
I almost melted into a puddle of pure joy right there next to his desk.
* * *
When I got down to the parking garage, he was leaning against the pillar closest to the elevator. Jake was clad in a white tee shirt and khaki cargo shorts, and I liked the glimpse I got of his strong calf muscles. Everything about him was sexy.
He walked to me with a smile and my name on his lips as he handed a small bouquet of pink flowers wrapped in brown paper held together with an elaborate pale pink lace bow to me. I took them in my right hand and parted my lips to say thank you but didn't have a chance to speak. In less than a second, he slid his arm around me and pulled me close and began kissing me like we hadn't seen each other in eons. I'm not sure how much time had passed when he broke the kiss and stepped back, but my lips tingled from the pleasure of it.
I beamed up at him as I lifted the flowers to my nose and sniffed. "These are beautiful."
He reached behind me and tugged gently on my ponytail. "I knew you liked pink," he said with a grin.
"Love it," I confirmed. “If having a pink car were a thing, I'd do it."
Jake laughed as he walked to my side and slid his arm over my shoulders and began walking us toward my car. "I think you could pull off anything you wanted to," he mused. "If you want a pink car, do it. Tear down the walls and shatter the glass on the ceiling. Be you, baby. There's no one better."
He said it so seriously that I knew he was sincere. I'd never felt that kind of calm back and forth on a date before. Normally there was some tension, and I'd be nervous about what the man's intentions were. That wasn't the case with Jake at all. With him, I didn't feel insecure or uncertain. I didn't just believe he was genuine—I somehow knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was serious.
"You'll give me a big head," I teased as we arrived at my car.
"Never going to happen," he scoffed.
"You don't think?" I laughed as I unlocked the door.
"I'm one hundred percent certain that isn't who you are," he answered.
I knew my smile was huge as I opened the door. "I like your faith in me," I admitted.
He gripped the top of my door and held it as I slid into the driver's seat. "Good, because I've got plenty," he said.