A Better Reason to Fall in Love

by Marcia Lynn McClure

  Tabby shivered with pleasure as Jagger ground one last, deeply impassioned kiss against her mouth. She gasped when he broke the seal of their lips—teetered back just a little in regaining her senses.

  “You must think I’m a real player,” he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair and shaking his head, as if he were as surprised by his actions as Tabby was by hers.

  Tabby shyly glanced away from him. “No,” she said. “But I don’t even want to know what you think about me.”

  He breathed a chuckle as he reached down, tugging at the strap of his duffle bag.

  “Only good things,” he said.

  She dared to look up at him and was relieved when she saw he was smiling at her. Rather guiltily smiling, but smiling all the same. He winked, adding, “I guess my Gilligan persona is shot to hell, huh.”

  Tabby giggled. He amused her, to the very core of her sense of humor.

  “That’s all right,” she told him, “because I never bought it in the first place.”

  He breathed a soft laugh.

  “Thanks for breakfast,” he said. His smile broadened. “And for sharing your bed with me.”

  “You’re welcome,” she giggled. The sense of his kiss was still on her lips and in her mouth. She was still trembling at having been in his arms.

  “You’re sure your friend can pick you up in the morning?” he asked, opening the door to the garage. “I can always run out this way for some hamster food.”

  Tabby shook her head, for as much as she would rather ride with him to work than she would Jocelyn, she knew it was out of his way.

  “Jocelyn can pick me up. I’m sure she can,” she said.

  “Okay, then,” he said. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Flanders.”

  “Yeah,” she breathed.

  She followed him through the garage, watched him get into his car, and waved as he smiled and drove away.

  Almost instantly, Jocelyn pulled up into Tabby’s driveway.

  As she got out of her car, she said, “Tabby…I could have sworn I just saw none other than the Derrière-inator himself driving down your street.”

  Tabby blushed. “Oh, it was His Royal Hineyness all right.”

  A broad smile of understanding spread across Jocelyn’s face, and she whispered, “He was here?”

  “It’s a long story,” Tabby said.

  “Well, I’ve got time to hear it.” Jocelyn glanced around. “Where’s your car?”

  “Like I said, it’s a long story.”

  Jocelyn giggled. “And like I said, I’ve got plenty of time to hear it.”

  Tabby laughed, shaking her head, still bathing in disbelief.

  “Well, I guess if you saw him driving away…then I didn’t dream up the whole night. That’s comforting at least.”

  “The whole night?” Jocelyn exclaimed.

  Tabby laughed and ran both her hands up through her hair and down over her face. “Yes, the whole night,” she squealed with excitement. “And I swear this to you, Joss…I’ll never be the same again. Never.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  “Making out with Jagger Brodie,” Jocelyn giggled the next morning as she pulled into the office parking garage. “I still can’t believe he spent the night at your house. I still can’t believe you had the chance to see the Derrière-inator in his underwear and you turned away!”

  “Jocelyn!” Tabby scolded. “I couldn’t just stand there and…and see him in his underwear.”

  Jocelyn shrugged. “Why not? Remember the Marky Mark Calvin Klein ad that hung in Times Square for, like, centuries? Everyone saw Mark Wahlberg in his underwear. What’s the difference?”

  “There’s a world of difference, Joss, and you know it,” Tabby giggled.

  Jocelyn parked the car. “I wonder if the Derrière-inator wears Calvin Klein underwear.”

  Tabby shook her head as she opened the car door to step out.

  “Well, I guess we’ll just never know,” she said.

  “Don’t be so sure,” Jocelyn teased as they hurried toward the elevator. “This could be it, Tabs! This could be the start of one of those ‘anything-is-possible’ things you’re always talking about. Seriously! Doesn’t it seem like everything is just falling into place? It started with Emmy and Luke…then me and Armando…even Naomi and her poetry professor. And now, you’ve spent the night with Jagger Brodie and—”

  “We were snowed in at my house, Joss,” Tabby interrupted. “It sounds scandalous when you say it any other way.”

  “Whatever,” Jocelyn said, dismissing Tabby’s comment with a wave of her hand. “I mean, the whole thing is wild! Armando knowing the Derrière-inator, Professor Lowery’s brother being David who works with us…it’s crazy!”

  “It is crazy,” Tabby said as they stepped into the elevator.

  As Tabby and Jocelyn stepped off the elevator into the office entry, they were met by an absolutely glowing Emmy.

  “You guys will never believe this!” Emmy whispered excitedly, falling into step with them.

  “You will not believe the tale Tabby has to tell!” Jocelyn whispered.

  “Really?” Emmy asked, momentarily distracted.

  “It can wait,” Tabby said. The more she talked about her evening and next morning with Jagger, the more she began to feel as if she shouldn’t, as if talking about it would somehow cancel it out—make it seem as though it never happened.

  “Okay,” Emmy said, more than willing to tell her own story first. “Luke was able to call me yesterday!”

  “Oh, Emmy!” Tabby and Jocelyn exclaimed in unison.

  Tabby was so happy for Emmy. No wonder she looked radiant! Tabby had never been able to imagine how lonesome Emmy must feel with Luke being so far away—and in constant peril. She imagined that being able to hear his voice was the most fantastic thing in the world to a woman waiting for a soldier to return.

  “It was so wonderful!” Emmy sighed. Her cheeks were absolutely rosy with delight. “Just hearing his voice…it makes me feel like I can make it…like it’s all real, and he really will be home in a couple of months.”

  “Did he propose?” Jocelyn asked.

  “Not exactly,” Emmy said, though her deepening blush was an indicator that he’d at least mentioned it to her. “But that’s not what I wanted to tell you,” she continued. “Tabby, you know your whole Kevin Bacon theory thing? The way we’re all connected—Armando, Jagger, Professor Lowery, and us?”

  “Yeah,” Tabby said, nodding.

  “Well, I was telling Luke about it, and I asked him if he’d ever bumped into Professor Lowery at Boston University. And guess what? He actually knows him!”

  “What?” Jocelyn gasped.

  “It’s true!” Emmy squealed with excitement. “He had two classes with good old poetry-spouting Professor Anthony Lowery. Luke says he was one of his favorite professors…and that they had lunch together a couple of times a week…that they became pretty good friends. Are you freaking out or what?”

  Tabby stopped cold in her tracks. “Are you serious, Emmy?”

  Emmy giggled, nodding emphatically. “Can you believe it? Me and Luke, Joss and Armando the cliff-diving restaurant owner, Naomi and Professor Poetry Man…”

  “And now, Tabby and the Derrière-inator have…um…connected,” Jocelyn interrupted. “So it’s a slam dunk. Right?”

  “What?” Emmy gasped. “You’ve connected with Jagger Brodie? How?”

  “It’s a long story, Emmy…and none of this is a slam dunk yet,” Tabby said. “It’s freaky…weird…unbelievable…but…”

  “He spent the night at her house Monday night,” Jocelyn whispered to Emmy. “They got snowed in when he gave her a ride home…and then…then they made out after they shoveled the driveway.”

  “What?” Emmy giggled.

  “We did not make out, Joss,” Tabby scolded in a whisper. “I swear, you exaggerate so much sometimes.”

  “He kissed you?” Emmy whispered.

  “Yes,” Tabby an
swered, unable to keep from smiling at the reality of it.

  “Did it last longer than sixty seconds?” Emmy asked.

  “Well, yeah, but—” Tabby began.

  “Then it counts as making out,” Jocelyn said.

  “Hey, ladies,” David Lowery said as he strode past them.

  “Hi,” Emmy managed to answer.

  “It’s meant to be!” Jocelyn said once David was out of hearing distance. “Me and Armando, Luke and Emmy, even cynical Naomi and the professor…and now you and Jagger Brodie! It’s, like, awesome!”

  “He drove me home and got stuck with me, Joss,” Tabby reminded.

  “Good morning, ladies.”

  Tabby swallowed. Slowly she turned to see that the Derrière-inator himself had just stepped off the elevator.

  Instantly Tabby’s heart was hammering. Her stomach was freaking out with butterflies!

  Her attention lingered on his mouth a moment as she said, “Good morning.”

  “Good morning,” Emmy managed.

  “Hi,” Jocelyn said.

  He strode past them then, as if it was just a regular day—as if he wasn’t any more familiar with Tabby than he’d been a month ago.

  “That’s it?” Jocelyn exclaimed. She looked to Tabby and said, “Good morning? That’s all he has to say after spending the night with you?”

  Tabby’s throat was constricting with sudden and overwhelming hurt and disappointment. Yet she wasn’t stupid. She knew the office policies on romantic dalliances or dating between employees. She tried to tell herself that he was just playing it cool—that he didn’t want to raise any suspicions. Furthermore, he had a secret identity to protect. He couldn’t very well walk into the place he worked—where he was, for all appearances, a professional businessman—and simply drop into a casual conversation about their time together. Could he?

  “Joss,” Emmy began in a whisper, “you can’t expect him to walk up to Tabby and just say, ‘Hey, I had fun spending the night at your house and making out the next morning. Do you wanna meet me in the break room and pick up where we left off?’ He’d find his iron buns out the door and unemployed in a heartbeat!”

  “True,” Jocelyn said. “But still…if I was Tabby I’d think—”

  “It’s all right, Joss,” Tabby half lied. “Emmy’s right. Remember the girl last year that was dating that guy in marketing? They both got fired for not reporting their relationship. Maybe he’s just being safe.”

  “I’m sure that’s it,” Emmy said. She smiled with understanding. “Believe me, Tabs…you don’t sing the blues about a girl, spend the night at her house, shovel her driveway, and make out with her…just for kicks.”

  Tabby nodded. Emmy was right. At least she decided to believe she was.

  “So tell me,” Emmy said then, “what did you guys talk about?”

  Tabby smiled and whispered, “Gilligan’s Island, actually.”

  “What?” Emmy giggled.

  “I’ll tell you at lunch,” Tabby assured her. “That is, if there’s any time left after you tell us about Luke’s phone call.”

  Emmy smiled and nodded.

  Jocelyn frowned, glancing around the office. “Where’s Naomi? She’s never late.”

  “I don’t know,” Emmy answered, looking around as well.

  Tabby smiled. “Maybe she’s having a hot and heavy poetry recitation via texting with the dashing Professor Lowery.”

  Jocelyn and Emmy laughed.

  “I wouldn’t doubt it,” Emmy said.

  Tabby hurried to her desk, trying not to be upset about the fact that Jagger had only said good morning to her. She was certain her and Emmy’s rationale was correct. If Jagger kept his musical talents and performing a secret from everyone at the office, it made sense he wouldn’t let on he had spent an evening at the house of one of the graphic designers.

  Still, as she sat down at her desk and booted her computer, she was distracted. Jagger wasn’t in his office. His door was open, and she could see straight into it; he wasn’t there. She wanted to see him—wanted to make eye contact with him—wanted to have him wink at her.

  Tabby sighed, tossed her purse under her desk, and silently told herself to get busy. She shook her head and sighed again. It was going to be a long day.

  “I just wanted to tell you as soon as possible, Mark…whether or not anything comes of it,” Jagger said. “I mean, I want something to come of it, of course,” he added, smiling.

  Mark chuckled. “Who wouldn’t, man?” he asked. “Any guy here would like to spend time with Miss Tabitha Flanders outside of work.”

  Jagger’s eyes narrowed as a slight pang of irritated jealousy pricked his mind. He watched as Mark made some notes on the computer.

  “So I’ll give you the standard spiel,” Mark began. “Keep the physical stuff outside the office…as well as any emotional drama that may ensue. Do you know what I mean?”

  Jagger nodded. “Yeah,” he answered. “But I can talk to her at the office, right?”

  Mark chuckled again. “Yeah, you can talk to her. Mild flirting is okay…stuff like that.” Mark’s smile broadened. “You just can’t drag her into your office, throw her on the couch, and—”

  “Yeah, I get the idea,” Jagger interrupted.

  Mark laughed again, and Jagger thought what a joke it was—that a womanizer like Mark Clark was the human resources guy for the company. Any girl in the office could slap the guy with sexual harassment, but they didn’t. Everyone worked very hard to stay on the HR rep’s good side—including Jagger.

  Mark typed some more information into the computer.

  “Okay, it’s in here,” he said. “Just keep me posted on the situation every once in a while.”

  “All right,” Jagger agreed.

  “And, dude,” Mark said, leaning forward. An entirely carnal smile spread across his face. “Enjoy every minute of it while it lasts.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Jagger mumbled as he stood to leave. Mark Clark was a slime.

  “She doesn’t have to come in, by the way,” Mark added as Jagger turned to leave. “I’ll submit the same info for her files.”

  “Thanks, man,” Jagger said, forcing a fake smile.

  “Later,” Mark said as Jagger left the HR office.

  “Much later, you idiot,” Jagger mumbled to himself as he straightened his tie and headed for the main office space.

  Jagger tried to cool the irritation Mark had provoked in him. He had plans, and he didn’t want the jerk messing it up for him. Reporting to HR the fact that he intended to pursue Tabby Flanders was a necessary evil. He didn’t want to risk getting her in trouble. Well, it was done. He checked the necessary, albeit stupid, task off his list and determined to just go forward.

  He hadn’t slept at all the night before, having been entirely too stirred up over what had transpired between him and Tabby before he had left the previous morning. He’d totally lost it! He wouldn’t be a bit surprised if she turned him down flat when he asked her out. She would probably be afraid he’d attack her again. He couldn’t believe he’d kissed her that way! Well, actually, he could. It was how he’d wanted to kiss her for months. Still, it was messed up. No matter what she said, she probably thought he was a player, and now he would have to prove to her that he wasn’t.

  Jagger smiled, however, as he walked into his office—because if he had to do it over again, he wouldn’t change a thing. He’d still take hold of her, tell her to brace for impact, and just go for it. Besides, she’d kissed him back—really kissed him back—and he wasn’t stupid enough not to take it into account. Just thinking of how perfectly their mouths had blended together—the memory caused the back of his neck and his ears to feel hot.

  Grabbing an ad proof off his desk, Jagger inhaled a breath of determination and headed back out into the main office space. He’d given her twenty-four hours to herself, talked to HR, and now his patience was spent.

  “Hi.”

  Tabby startled as she whirled around in her cha
ir to see Jagger approaching. Just the sight of the smile he was directing at her made her heart leap.

  “Hi,” she whispered as he pushed some stuff over on her desk and sat down.

  “So, here’s an ad I want you to fix for me,” he said. He handed her an ad proof, and she felt her heart sink a little. “However,” he added in a lowered voice, “what I really want to know is this. I was thinking that maybe we oughta sort of consummate that kiss we had yesterday by going out on an actual date. Don’t you think?”

  Tabby felt her cheeks growing warmer and warmer—felt the rhythm of her heart growing erratic with excitement.

  “Yeah,” she answered.

  “Good,” he said, smiling. “And I have a plan. Are you free Friday night?”

  “Yes,” she said. “What’s your plan?”

  “Oh, you let me worry about that,” he chuckled. “I’ll pick you up at, like, seven. Okay?”

  “Very okay,” she said.

  “Good.” His smile broadened. “I don’t usually do things so backwards. Do you know what I mean? Usually I would’ve asked you out first and then attacked you. But the opportunity just presented itself and…well, you know what they say about missed opportunities.”