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couldn⬠"!t do another Simon and, at all costs, she had to bypass that big breaky heart Madame Hooch had planned for her. With her track
record, she⬠"!d be hitting forty before her heart recovered sufficiently to trust another man.
She marched to the front door, was about to jerk it open when she heard the dampened hum of conversation. She put her ear to the paneled
wood and held her breath.
Â
Nick paced a short path up and down the hallway just outside his door, his cell pressed to his ear. ⬠SJackson, have you heard a word I⬠"!ve
said? She⬠"!s moved in, lock, stock and four smoking barrels.â¬
Glued by the bone. What the hell did that even mean?
⬠SI hear you, man. Take a breath and slow down.â¬
He heard a rustle of paper down the line, a sure sign that the situation⬠which required him to take a breath⬠had Jackson fidgeting for a
cigarette.
Jackson coughed and muttered inaudibly through chewing and swallowing noises. ⬠SShe really moved in? Like, with her bags and
stuff?â¬
⬠SHave I been talking to myself for the last five minutes?â¬
⬠SWell, man, this must be about that bouquet she caught.â¬
⬠SYou said that didn⬠"!t mean anything.â¬
⬠SYeah, but we⬠"!re dealing with an unknown factor here. Maybe in England, catching the bouquet is like step three or something of
their courtship ritual.â¬
Nick exhaled noisily. ⬠SAnd moving in is step four?â¬
⬠SNo,⬠said Jackson after a long chew, ⬠SI think some steps have been skipped along the way, man, no matter what country
you⬠"!re in.â¬
Finally, someone to back him up. This from the mice-man as well. ⬠SWhat are my options?⬠he demanded. ⬠SI can⬠"!t just kick her
out⬠¦can I?â¬
⬠SThat depends, man.⬠Jackson took the time to suck down some breaths. ⬠SHow much do you like this one? Is there some kind of
future there?â¬
⬠SDo I see a future with Gemma?⬠What did that have to do with anything? Do I want her to move in? No.
⬠SOnce a chick decides it⬠"!s time for the next step, you⬠"!re willing or you⬠"!re out,⬠said Jackson. ⬠SIf you kick her butt out
that door, you⬠"!re never going to see it again. You okay with that?â¬
The last time he⬠"!d been okay with anything was just before he⬠"!d opened the door to Gemma. What was happening here? Some
minor transatlantic misunderstanding, or was she missing as many screws as the steps she⬠"!d skipped? Were the last two months real or the
last two days? He wanted to say yes, he was more than okay with never seeing Gemma or her butt again, but his chest tightened at the thought. Hot
damn! He was a damn lab rat, a white gamma lab rat, chasing phantom cheese through a maze, but he wasn⬠"!t ready to give up on Gemma yet.
⬠SNo,⬠he muttered, then added more firmly, ⬠Sdefinitely not.â¬
Nick stopped his pacing and pushed a hand through his hair. ⬠SBut I don⬠"!t want her moving in either.â¬
⬠SLiving with someone isn⬠"!t all bad, you know,⬠Jackson mumbled between fast chewing. ⬠SGive-and-take. Profit and loss.
Benefits and liabilities.â¬
Chewing was bad. Rambling about spreadsheets was worse. Jackson was talking and thinking two different things.
Nick ground his teeth. ⬠SMy life was nicely balanced as it was and if I wanted advice from an accountant, I⬠"!d have phoned a real
one.â¬
⬠SYou⬠"!re just scared, man.â¬
⬠SI am not.⬠He was scared shitless. Thirty-six and he⬠"!d never lived with a woman before. Even Candice, who⬠"!d been the
longest-standing candidate to date, had only been allocated one bottom drawer for the occasional sleepover. In hindsight, maybe she wouldn⬠"!t
have left in such a hurry if he⬠"!d given her a second drawer, though then she⬠"!d still be around, and Gemma wouldn⬠"!t. Some mistakes
worked out better than others, but this wasn⬠"!t one he wanted to repeat with Gemma.
⬠SBenefit number one,⬠went on Jackson, ⬠Sa warm meal to come home to every night. You⬠"!ve landed yourself a gourmet chef,
buddy. Benefit number two, no more laundry and cleaning-up days. You leave it long enough, she⬠"!ll stop hinting and decide it⬠"!s just easier
to do it all herself.â¬
Nick slumped against the wall. So, maybe his resistance was a little archaic. This wasn⬠"!t about the number of allocated drawers; it was
about opening up to the possibility of sharing more than just apartment space. Being a hard-core bachelor had been fine, until the women had
started dumping him.
Jackson was on to benefit number three. ⬠SNo more midnight dashes to the store. You⬠"!ll never run out of milk and bread again.â¬
Lean fridge days. Sour milk, moldy cheese and stale bread. Giving that up wouldn⬠"!t be too hard.
⬠SThat⬠"!s not even the best part,⬠said Jackson.
⬠SIt isn⬠"!t?⬠Nick⬠"!s mood perked up and he tuned in. This man, his buddy, was the expert after all. Jackson had been married for
five years.
⬠SWe⬠"!re talking convenient sex around the clock here. When you want it, where you want, whichever which way you want it.â¬
Nick snapped the cell shut and closed his eyes, conjuring up images of Gemma trouncing around his kitchen in skimpy underwear as she
prepared a steaming meal for him, straddling his lap to serve it up the minute he walked in from the office. Gemma removing the shirt from his tired
back after a long day, popping it into the washing machine before flitting into the room again to massage his shoulders. Beckoning him into the
bedroom and pressing him down onto the freshly laundered red satin sheets she⬠"!d surely insist on.
Â
⬠SDo I see a future with Gemma?â¬
⬠SNo. Definitely not.â¬
Gemma slunk away from the door. Well, so much for that. Nothing she and Madame Hooch and apparently the whole damn universe
didn⬠"!t already know. But really? He⬠"!d taken his sweet time answering, enough time to play through all their special moments in his head,
and he couldn⬠"!t even come up with a maybe in there somewhere?
She stared at the suitcase she⬠"!d left in the entrance, blinking back a sudden spate of tears. Angry tears. She couldn⬠"!t be mad at
Nick. He hadn⬠"!t promised her anything. He⬠"!d done nothing but smile his dimpled smile, curl her toes and rekindle some of the dreams
she⬠"!d left behind in London.
But seriously, not even a maybe? Gemma grabbed the handle of her suitcase and rolled it determinedly into Nick⬠"!s bedroom. She had
a simple mission⬠stay put until he dumped her and then she⬠"!d find that blasted happily-ever-after life Madame Hooch had promised.
By the time Nick returned, she had half his clothes strewn across the bed and all her clothes jammed into his closet and drawers. She gave
him a helpless shrug and waved a hand over the chaotic bed. ⬠SI tried to pack as economically as possible, but those will have to go.â¬
His smoky gaze raked her body from head to toe and a grin charmed that dimple into his chin. ⬠SI haven⬠"!t worn some of those suits in
years⬠a good spring cleaning was overdue anyway.â¬
Of course it was. Gemma sighed. Nick saw no future for them, but he wasn⬠"!t done with her yet. He⬠"!d just kick her out when he got
bored, so her moving in had no long-term repercussions. Seemed the practice of getting herself dumped was twice as hard as the theory. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl chiara76.opx.pl
couldn⬠"!t do another Simon and, at all costs, she had to bypass that big breaky heart Madame Hooch had planned for her. With her track
record, she⬠"!d be hitting forty before her heart recovered sufficiently to trust another man.
She marched to the front door, was about to jerk it open when she heard the dampened hum of conversation. She put her ear to the paneled
wood and held her breath.
Â
Nick paced a short path up and down the hallway just outside his door, his cell pressed to his ear. ⬠SJackson, have you heard a word I⬠"!ve
said? She⬠"!s moved in, lock, stock and four smoking barrels.â¬
Glued by the bone. What the hell did that even mean?
⬠SI hear you, man. Take a breath and slow down.â¬
He heard a rustle of paper down the line, a sure sign that the situation⬠which required him to take a breath⬠had Jackson fidgeting for a
cigarette.
Jackson coughed and muttered inaudibly through chewing and swallowing noises. ⬠SShe really moved in? Like, with her bags and
stuff?â¬
⬠SHave I been talking to myself for the last five minutes?â¬
⬠SWell, man, this must be about that bouquet she caught.â¬
⬠SYou said that didn⬠"!t mean anything.â¬
⬠SYeah, but we⬠"!re dealing with an unknown factor here. Maybe in England, catching the bouquet is like step three or something of
their courtship ritual.â¬
Nick exhaled noisily. ⬠SAnd moving in is step four?â¬
⬠SNo,⬠said Jackson after a long chew, ⬠SI think some steps have been skipped along the way, man, no matter what country
you⬠"!re in.â¬
Finally, someone to back him up. This from the mice-man as well. ⬠SWhat are my options?⬠he demanded. ⬠SI can⬠"!t just kick her
out⬠¦can I?â¬
⬠SThat depends, man.⬠Jackson took the time to suck down some breaths. ⬠SHow much do you like this one? Is there some kind of
future there?â¬
⬠SDo I see a future with Gemma?⬠What did that have to do with anything? Do I want her to move in? No.
⬠SOnce a chick decides it⬠"!s time for the next step, you⬠"!re willing or you⬠"!re out,⬠said Jackson. ⬠SIf you kick her butt out
that door, you⬠"!re never going to see it again. You okay with that?â¬
The last time he⬠"!d been okay with anything was just before he⬠"!d opened the door to Gemma. What was happening here? Some
minor transatlantic misunderstanding, or was she missing as many screws as the steps she⬠"!d skipped? Were the last two months real or the
last two days? He wanted to say yes, he was more than okay with never seeing Gemma or her butt again, but his chest tightened at the thought. Hot
damn! He was a damn lab rat, a white gamma lab rat, chasing phantom cheese through a maze, but he wasn⬠"!t ready to give up on Gemma yet.
⬠SNo,⬠he muttered, then added more firmly, ⬠Sdefinitely not.â¬
Nick stopped his pacing and pushed a hand through his hair. ⬠SBut I don⬠"!t want her moving in either.â¬
⬠SLiving with someone isn⬠"!t all bad, you know,⬠Jackson mumbled between fast chewing. ⬠SGive-and-take. Profit and loss.
Benefits and liabilities.â¬
Chewing was bad. Rambling about spreadsheets was worse. Jackson was talking and thinking two different things.
Nick ground his teeth. ⬠SMy life was nicely balanced as it was and if I wanted advice from an accountant, I⬠"!d have phoned a real
one.â¬
⬠SYou⬠"!re just scared, man.â¬
⬠SI am not.⬠He was scared shitless. Thirty-six and he⬠"!d never lived with a woman before. Even Candice, who⬠"!d been the
longest-standing candidate to date, had only been allocated one bottom drawer for the occasional sleepover. In hindsight, maybe she wouldn⬠"!t
have left in such a hurry if he⬠"!d given her a second drawer, though then she⬠"!d still be around, and Gemma wouldn⬠"!t. Some mistakes
worked out better than others, but this wasn⬠"!t one he wanted to repeat with Gemma.
⬠SBenefit number one,⬠went on Jackson, ⬠Sa warm meal to come home to every night. You⬠"!ve landed yourself a gourmet chef,
buddy. Benefit number two, no more laundry and cleaning-up days. You leave it long enough, she⬠"!ll stop hinting and decide it⬠"!s just easier
to do it all herself.â¬
Nick slumped against the wall. So, maybe his resistance was a little archaic. This wasn⬠"!t about the number of allocated drawers; it was
about opening up to the possibility of sharing more than just apartment space. Being a hard-core bachelor had been fine, until the women had
started dumping him.
Jackson was on to benefit number three. ⬠SNo more midnight dashes to the store. You⬠"!ll never run out of milk and bread again.â¬
Lean fridge days. Sour milk, moldy cheese and stale bread. Giving that up wouldn⬠"!t be too hard.
⬠SThat⬠"!s not even the best part,⬠said Jackson.
⬠SIt isn⬠"!t?⬠Nick⬠"!s mood perked up and he tuned in. This man, his buddy, was the expert after all. Jackson had been married for
five years.
⬠SWe⬠"!re talking convenient sex around the clock here. When you want it, where you want, whichever which way you want it.â¬
Nick snapped the cell shut and closed his eyes, conjuring up images of Gemma trouncing around his kitchen in skimpy underwear as she
prepared a steaming meal for him, straddling his lap to serve it up the minute he walked in from the office. Gemma removing the shirt from his tired
back after a long day, popping it into the washing machine before flitting into the room again to massage his shoulders. Beckoning him into the
bedroom and pressing him down onto the freshly laundered red satin sheets she⬠"!d surely insist on.
Â
⬠SDo I see a future with Gemma?â¬
⬠SNo. Definitely not.â¬
Gemma slunk away from the door. Well, so much for that. Nothing she and Madame Hooch and apparently the whole damn universe
didn⬠"!t already know. But really? He⬠"!d taken his sweet time answering, enough time to play through all their special moments in his head,
and he couldn⬠"!t even come up with a maybe in there somewhere?
She stared at the suitcase she⬠"!d left in the entrance, blinking back a sudden spate of tears. Angry tears. She couldn⬠"!t be mad at
Nick. He hadn⬠"!t promised her anything. He⬠"!d done nothing but smile his dimpled smile, curl her toes and rekindle some of the dreams
she⬠"!d left behind in London.
But seriously, not even a maybe? Gemma grabbed the handle of her suitcase and rolled it determinedly into Nick⬠"!s bedroom. She had
a simple mission⬠stay put until he dumped her and then she⬠"!d find that blasted happily-ever-after life Madame Hooch had promised.
By the time Nick returned, she had half his clothes strewn across the bed and all her clothes jammed into his closet and drawers. She gave
him a helpless shrug and waved a hand over the chaotic bed. ⬠SI tried to pack as economically as possible, but those will have to go.â¬
His smoky gaze raked her body from head to toe and a grin charmed that dimple into his chin. ⬠SI haven⬠"!t worn some of those suits in
years⬠a good spring cleaning was overdue anyway.â¬
Of course it was. Gemma sighed. Nick saw no future for them, but he wasn⬠"!t done with her yet. He⬠"!d just kick her out when he got
bored, so her moving in had no long-term repercussions. Seemed the practice of getting herself dumped was twice as hard as the theory. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]