MisTaken: A Novella by McGee Laurelin

Author:McGee, Laurelin [McGee, Laurelin]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781466866751
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2016-02-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 5

Noah scrubbed a hand over his face and glanced around his apartment at the sea of brown. Everything finally seemed to have a place. Time to get to work. He’d delayed for longer than he should and now he was behind. At least he’d managed to completely unpack. Though he’d rather that his procrastination was due to something else, such as a date with Jaylene. Or an after-date with Jaylene. Or whatever it was called that involved nakedness and his body pressed on top of—inside of—Jaylene.

Was that called a booty call? Now that was too crude. An affair? Too Night Owl. A neighborly get-together sans clothing? Too Wallbanger.

Maybe he needed to write them a new book. Whatever the story turned out to be, it would star Jaylene.

Jaylene. He couldn’t think about her without letting out a sigh. She was so … so … stubborn. That’s what she was. Along with a host of other less frustrating adjectives such as smart, adorable, sexy, intriguing, passionate. It was the stubborn that was the issue though. He got that she was worried. She’d invested all of herself into her independence, and that was one of the things he admired most about her. She was determined. She was strong.

But underneath her strength he sensed something fragile and insecure, a part of her that yearned to let her guard down and be swept away. He could do that for her, he was sure. If only she’d let go and stop hiding.

Hell, who was he to blame someone for hiding? Wasn’t that exactly what he did, not telling any of the people in his life what he really did for a living, dodging the questions, deflecting? There had been a moment outside with Jay that he’d almost told her. When she’d decided he worked in that lingerie store, he’d almost explained. But after what happened at the bookstore, after she’d correctly guessed his bedroom persona, he didn’t need a reason to push her away further. So he’d remained silent.

It wasn’t like he was embarrassed about his choice of occupation. Actually, that was exactly what it was. He loved his job, wouldn’t give it up for the world, but there was a stigma. So many people out there were quick to point a finger, quick to judge. People like Jaylene Kim.

And here he was again, back at Jaylene. His thoughts couldn’t help but circle back to her. Might as well let it go, he told himself. Stop fantasizing that his words sunk into her and that she’d show up on his doorstep in one of those slinky nighties he’d seen at Desires. Truthfully, that had been the reason he’d delayed working tonight—he was hoping she’d change her mind. Three hours had passed since he’d left her, though, and he was still alone. She obviously wasn’t taking him up on his invitation.

Time to move on.

Blowing a tuft of hair off his face, he slumped into his desk chair and opened up his laptop. He’d just pointed his cursor over his documents file when the knock came.

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