“Right.” He bobs his head. “I saw your book came out. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. You didn’t… Did you read it?”

He hesitates for a beat. “Yes. I did. It was really good. Better than your last book even.”

“You think so?”

“I wouldn’t lie.”

“Well.” I plaster a smile on my lips. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

We both stare at each other for a moment, the air between us heavy with everything that happened the last time we saw each other. When he stormed out of my house.

Finally, he blurts out, “I miss you.”

A lump rises in my throat. “You do?”

“I really do.” He stands up and leans against the desk. “A lot. You have no idea…”

I attempt to swallow the lump. “I took care of that… situation. I paid him off.”

A lie, of course. I wonder if Luke knows it. Maybe he’s decided not to care.

“I shouldn’t have run out on you like that.” He adjusts his glasses on his nose. “I know you didn’t really mean that we should… I mean, I should’ve helped you figure out the situation. I just got freaked out. I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you.” I clear my throat. “And… I miss you too. A lot.”

His shoulders sag. “I’m so glad to hear that. Honestly, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you the last few months. I tried—believe me, I tried. But it’s no use. I can’t even sleep at night because I keep tossing and turning, thinking about how I blew it with the best woman I ever met.”

I arch an eyebrow. “I could call in a prescription for some Ambien.”

He reaches over and takes my hand in his larger hands. I missed this feeling. “Or you could have dinner with me tonight.”

My lips stretch into a smile. “I’m going to have a late night at the clinic tonight.”

“I can wait.” He leans in towards me. “Also, I have a confession to make. I wasn’t entirely truthful with you.”

My stomach flips. Does he know what I did to EJ? “You weren’t?”

He grins. “The truth is, I knew you were going to be working today. Gloria told me. I asked her what days you would be in this week before I planned my schedule.”

That’s his confession—that he was trying to see me. My knees wobble with relief. I grab his shirt collar and pull him towards me, then I press my lips against his. The way he kisses me back, I know he’s been missing me as much as I’ve missed him.

He’ll never know what I’ve done. I’m going to keep it that way.

_____