“Hey. Where did you disappear to?” Knox asked as the server set the check on the table.
She shook her head. “Sorry. I was just lost in thought.” Something she tended to do often. Serenity had always affectionately called her a daydreamer. Jade didn’t mind. It was part of who she was.
Knox grabbed the check before she could, and when she reached for her bag, he shook his head. “I’ve got this.”
He’d picked up the tab for dinner last night, too. “I can treat you to breakfast,” she said.
“Call me old-fashioned but I want to take care of this.” He pulled his credit card from his wallet and handed it to the passing server.
“Thank you.” She smiled, appreciating the gesture.
While they waited, a feeling of disappointment settled over her, and she knew it was because it was soon time to say goodbye. Still, she believed she was doing the right thing.
A few minutes later, he’d signed the credit card statement, and they both rose from their seats.
“I can catch a taxi,” she said as they stepped out the door and onto the sidewalk.
He held her hand and walked over to the curb. At the first sight of an empty cab, he raised his arm, hailing it.
The car crossed lanes and came to an abrupt stop, bringing her time with Knox to an end. He opened the back door, but when she moved to get in, he blocked her entrance. “What’s your address?” he asked.
She told him and he bent down to repeat it to the driver.
Standing tall again, he clasped her waist in his hands and pulled her close. “It’s been fun,” he said in the gruff, rumbling voice she found so sexy.
“Very.” She couldn’t deny him the truth.
“Glad we’re on the same page.” He dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers, too briefly for her liking.
Then he stepped aside so she could get in the back of the taxi. “Goodbye, Jade,” he said, his gaze holding hers as he shut the door, closing her inside.
“Goodbye, Knox,” she choked, placing her palm on the window as the car pulled away.
***
Jade sat ather desk, poring over her calendar and events for the week. Mondays were always her day to make sure there would be no hiccups in her upcoming appointments and that she was prepared to handle any potential difficulty with the parties scheduled at the hotel. She had three event coordinators who worked beneath her, as well as Lauren. Together, they could handle anything.
Luckily for her, she’d worked day and night on Friday and Saturday this past weekend, giving her little time to think. Because when she had a free moment, memories of her night with Knox came rushing back. The man had magic hands, a skilled mouth and tongue, and a voice that could make her come just hearing that deep rumble alone. She shivered in her seat and her nipples puckered inside her bra. Dammit. The man didn’t even have to be here for her to be all worked up.
Though she hadn’t been able to get him out of her head, she had no regrets about their time together. He was just that hard to forget.
She tried to concentrate on her laptop screen but found it impossible. A sudden knock on her door was a welcome distraction. “Come in!” she called out.
Lauren sauntered into her office and plopped herself into a chair. “So, what are the odds that Holly will call by nine thirty a.m. today?” she asked.
Jade grinned. Knox’s sister had called the office daily for the last week, hoping that someone had canceled their wedding, opening a slot for her sooner. She always followed up the question with a long assurance that she wasn’t wishing a broken engagement on anyone. She just wanted to be married at the Meridian as soon as possible.
Jade glanced at the time on her screen. Nine fifteen. “Maybe she’s learned to give people some time before calling in? I’ll take ten a.m.”
“No, she’s too impatient to wait. But we’ll see,” Lauren said, laughing.
Jade grinned. “How was your weekend?” Although Jade had worked, overseeing two parties that her coordinators had handled, she’d given Lauren time off.
Her friend leaned back in the chair. “I had a date.”
Jade raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”
“We matched on a dating app, and believe it or not, it went well. I’m seeing him again.” Lauren’s voice pitched with excitement.