Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“Really?” he says. “I love tennis too. I play every week with my father.”
“You must be very close to your family,” I say, a wistful tone creeping into my voice.
“We are, though I’m the odd one out,” he says, lightening the mood.
“How so?” I ask him. “I can’t imagine you being the black sheep of the family.”
He laughs. “I’m the only one who is not a doctor.”
I know that. I bite my tongue before I say the words. “Oh?”
He goes on to explain his parents' specialties and those of his brothers, all of which I already know. I ooh and ah at the right places and feel like an absolute jerk. I don’t like myself very much at the moment.
My stomach rumbles at just the right time.
“Oh, you’re hungry,” Jace says and pats my belly. “So am I. Let’s go eat.”
He gets up and offers me his hand. “The bathroom’s that way. I’ll use the guest one. Find me in the kitchen when you’re done.”
I grab my clothes and carry them into the bathroom with me. I stare at my reflection in the mirror and I don’t recognize the woman staring back at me. She had sex with her boss who believes she’s his temporary PA. Okay, calm down, Olivia. It was just sex.
I inhale a giant breath. It really was just sex.
Just because Jace is a good person doesn’t mean that he wants happy-ever-after with me. Think about it, I lecture myself. He wouldn’t get involved with a permanent PA. It doesn’t take a genius to know that would be looking for trouble. As the CEO of a well-respected organization, Jace definitely knows all the pitfalls of office dating.
I brush my teeth with a spare toothbrush in the holder. I clean myself up as best as I can, then dress. It feels weird wearing the dress I’d worn earlier and for a total of three seconds, I consider borrowing one of Jace’s shirts, then instantly dismiss the idea. That’s too intimate. It’s what people who are dating do.
I inhale the scent of food in the hallway and my stomach growls again. It smells wonderful and I can’t wait to taste his food.
“There you are,” Jace says from the kitchen table. “I almost sent a search party for you.”
“Sorry I took so long.”
“It’s fine, I was teasing.” He removes the dish covers.
There’s lasagna and a green salad. “That looks so good.” I take a plate and proceed to serve myself. For once, I wish I was one of those people who have big appetites. Alas, I’m not and I content myself with a serving spoon of each.
“You’re not a big eater,” Jace says as he serves himself.
“No. I learned early that kids who ate too much annoyed their foster parents.” I almost clamp a hand on my mouth. I can’t believe I said that aloud. I keep the details of foster care to myself and have only ever shared them with Chris. Even then, I kept them to a bare minimum when I saw how much they were affecting him.
“Did it work?” Jace asks as if I haven’t just dropped a bombshell.
“It did to an extent,” I tell him. “The foster parents kept you longer if you weren’t constantly asking for food.”
“That’s terrible,” Jace says but there’s no pity in his voice and I like that.
We chat throughout dinner as though we’ve known each other for years. We wash the dishes side by side, then Jace carries the wine to the living room.
“Hey, I’m going to my brother’s house for dinner tomorrow. Come with me,” he says.
I hesitate. Going to his brother’s house is a bit much. I’m in Jace’s life under false pretenses and I don’t want to forget that.
“You wanted to meet Ivy Martin,” he says in a teasing tone. “This is your chance.”
Ivy Martin. When will I ever get another chance to meet the author that I admire so much? I exhale. Just the once, after which, I’ll keep out of Jace’s family life. “Okay, but only because I want to meet my favorite author.”
“I’ll take it,” he says and smiles at me.
Chapter 9: Jace
I hate that Olivia went through such a tough upbringing but at the same time, I admire her for her sweet nature. She has no bitterness whatsoever and she has clearly come to terms with her past. I don’t know if I would be that gracious if roles were reversed.
“Is it odd being the only non-medic in your family?” Olivia asks. Her face is flushed from the wine, making me want to kiss her.
I’m enjoying talking to her and getting to know her. There’s freedom in knowing that we won’t have to continue working together when the affair is over. I can be myself and it’s easy to do that with Olivia. She’s very different from the women I’ve known in my life, yet she’s young. From twenty-four to my thirty-four years, she makes me feel ancient.