But his flight had begun to taxi, so now was not the time for that conversation. Perhaps next week, when Nate saw his buddy in person. Actually, that would have to be item number one on his agenda since there was no way Jack, or Michelle especially, would miss the vibes between him and Casey.

They chatted for another minute, then Nate told him the plane was about to take off. He said goodbye, then quickly fired off a text to the woman who was front and center for him: Looking forward to seeing you later tonight. Your place?

They’d been at his home a few times, and at her apartment the other nights. Her next-door-neighbor had even started saying hello to him when they ran into each other in the hall. There was something that felt right about being a part of her life like that.

Then he added one more line to the text before he sent it off.

Thanks again for helping with the sculpture.

As promised, Casey had helped him find the one-time wedding gift on a back shelf of his closet, then boxed it up for him. He’d told Joanna he’d deliver it to the gallery where she was showing some of her work. Casey had offered to take it, but he couldn’t let her do all his dirty work. Besides, if he was going to move forward with her, he had to be man enough to face his ex-wife, even if it was simply to hand over a sculpture.

Once the jet was airborne, he reviewed the formal proposal that Casey had sent him for The Luxe’s rollout of the pleasure packs in some of their resorts, with the LolaRing as the centerpiece. He sent a few minor notes back, suggesting they announce the pending deal soon. All in all, it looked good, and they were on the same page when it came to marketing—no need to say it felt like being licked and fucked at the same time. For the business deal, they’d decided to go with her classier suggestion for their honeymoon suite wording: You’ve given her a diamond ring, now give her the LolaRing. An exclusive partnership, it made The Luxe the only hotel chain in the world to partner with Joy Delivered on the new product’s launch.

Funny how all the details of their business deal were laid out in black and white, and all the specifics of their lessons had been determined in advance. But now, he was flying blindly with Casey, operating without a guidebook, and completely unsure how to navigate this new stretch they’d encountered.

He only hoped he didn’t crash.

23

New York, same day . . .

As Casey finished a sip of her cinnamon dolce latte, she tossed out a question that had been nagging at her.

“I have no clue how to do this, Jane. When I see him tonight, do I just say I’m absolutely crazy for you and I want to have a go at this for real?”