Gage took a deep breath. Here it was all over again. Running from the media, playing silly hide-and-seek games. All the things he thought he’d escaped. It wasn’t fair to put Janet under this kind of pressure. She didn’t deserve to be hounded away from the one thing she loved above all else—her job.
He glanced over at her. Her knuckles were bone-white from gripping the chair arms. Obviously, she didn’t want to do this either.
“Really, Dr. Jackson, we can’t accept,” Gage said.
“I’m sorry, Gage, Janet,” their boss replied. “I’m not able to give you the option. To protect the clinic and your careers, you’ve got to get out of town until things cool off. I really must insist.”
13
We’re gonna be alone with Gagey-pooh for three entire days and nights, impish voice sang to the tune of some boppy oldies number as Janet packed for the weekend.
Will you knock it off? You’re giving me a headache, rational voice grumbled.
Janet felt as if she were being pulled in opposite directions. Her old self on one side of a giant fault line, this new unexpected self on the other. What was happening to her?
CeeCee stuck her head in the bedroom. She and Lacy had dropped by to ask nosy questions about her trip. “This is so great, you and Doctor Handsome going away for the weekend.”
Janet loved her friends, but sometimes they were annoying.
“Do you think he could be the One?” Lacy asked, coming to stand beside CeeCee.
“How many times do I have to tell you, Lacy, that I don’t believe in all that thunderbolt nonsense,” Janet sighed, exasperated.
“Don’t believe or won’t believe?” Lacy nodded knowingly.
“What’s the difference?” She shrugged.
“You’ll find out.”
“Look, I didn’t get struck by a bolt of lightning or cursed by a gypsy or succumbed to an astrologer’s prediction or anything like that. Gage is a nice guy. End of story.”
“And you’re going to be spending three days alone with him.” CeeCee plopped down on the bed.
“If Gage isn’t special, then why are you acting so weird?” Lacy asked.
“I’m not acting weird,” Janet denied.
“Oh yes, you are,” CeeCee and Lacy cried in unison.
She looked at them as if they’d lost their minds. “In what way?”
“Humming love songs under your breath,” Lacy said.
“I don’t do that!” Janet snorted.
“Oh no? I could have sworn you were in here singing ‘Can’t Help Myself.’”
“Nope,” Janet lied.
“And…” CeeCee pointed out. “You’ve started wearing more makeup.”
“And sexier clothes,” Lacy chimed in.
They were enjoying teasing her, Janet realized, and secretly, she admitted the truth. Lately, despite the craziness of the paparazzi surrounding their “engagement,” she was feeling lighter, freer...happier.
But it wasn’t because of Gage, she assured herself. It was because she had gained her father’s approval at long last.
CeeCee leaned over and rifled through Janet’s suitcase. “Let’s see. Bathing suit, check. Shorts, check. Skimpy tops, check. Oh, yeah. You’ve changed.”
“Get out of there.” Janet tried to close the suitcase.
“Wait! What’s this?” CeeCee shrieked gleefully and pulled out a pair of thong panties Janet had purchased that afternoon. The damn things had been an impulse buy. She’d never worn a thong in her life—they weren’t her style—and she couldn’t explain why she had picked them up, except impish voice had possessed her.
“Omigosh, you in a thong.” CeeCee hooted. “Who’d have thunk it? That’s so great.”
“Gimme those.” Janet snatched the scarlet underwear from CeeCee’s hand and stuffed them back into the suitcase.
CeeCee struggled to keep a straight face. “I trust you’re packing condoms along with that thong. Gage gets one look at you in that thing and you’re done for.”
Janet’s face flamed. Dammit, she did not blush.
“Janet’s gonna have sex.” CeeCee giggled.
She wasn’t planning on having sex with Gage. Not at all. The thought had never entered her head. Liar, liar, thong on a four-alarm fire. Okay, the thought had entered her head, but she’d squelched it.
“Go home,” she told CeeCee and Lacy.
It was bad enough having impish voice in her head echoing CeeCee’s sentiments without having her best friends in on the conspiracy.
“We’ll see you when you get back,” Lacy said, tugging CeeCee off the bed. “Have a great time and don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.”
Heaven forbid.
She walked her friends to the door, feeling oddly disconcerted, then went back to her packing.
Maybe you should pick up some condoms, impish voice whispered. Just in case.
Janet glanced at her watch. Gage would be down to pick her up in less than thirty minutes. She didn’t have much time to make it to the drugstore and back. She stepped to the dresser and picked up her car keys.
As she turned and headed for the door, Janet heard rational voice’s whine in despair. What in the world has come over you?
Gage had a single goal in mind.
Show Janet a good time. The woman worked too hard and she desperately needed a little R&R. If he could just get her to relax, as she had last Sunday, he knew they would find a satisfactory solution to their dilemma.
Fact of the matter? He liked the thought of Janet as his fiancée. Probably too much. Also, he very much wanted to take her to bed.
Definitely, he liked that idea too much. Having sex with her was all he could think about. Sharing an office with her had become downright painful. How did he expect to survive this extended weekend with just the two of them?
All alone.
How? By keeping a rigorous schedule and showing her a good time. He’d already made the reservations. They would go jet-skiing and swimming and kayaking. They would hike nature trails and fish and build a campfire. After dark, they would lie on their backs in the cool grass and gaze up at the stars.
Busy, busy, busy. Anything to keep his mind off the sensuous feel of her soft skin, the delightful taste of her tender lips, the melodic sound of her sweet laughter.
On Saturday night, they’d drive into town, go two-stepping at a local country music nightclub.