He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe his bad luck. “Guess so.”
“What are you going to do?”
We came to a stoplight. He turned to me, placed his hands on either side of my face, and the next second, his lips were against mine.
That insatiable, hungry, and desperate state we seemed to live in was alive and well. The pain of it shot through my core. I wanted Jack, but damn it, Sarah was blocking our play.
“I’m not sure yet, but I will figure it out,” he said as the light turned green.
I knew he would—eventually—but I’d come to realize that I didn’t relish surprises. And, more important, I was tired of waiting. I slowed down, getting ready to turn left on Forty-second Street. Jack had told me that I should meet Sarah. Well, I was a take-charge kind of girl, and there was no time like the present.
I put the pedal to the metal.
Jack looked over his shoulder as I zipped past my turn and headed straight up McKinley toward Sac State.
“Lola,” he said, a little warning in his voice. “What are you doing?”
I stalled, not sure how he’d take my Xena approach to his problem.
But really it was our problem, right?
As I made the final turn, I said, “I think it’s time I took your suggestion and had that little chat with Sarah.”
He was stunned speechless. For five whole seconds. “That wasn’t really a suggestion,” he said, then added, “and I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”
“It definitely was a suggestion,” I said. And it had been a brilliant idea. I’d only just realized how brilliant. Anyway, it was too late to turn back since I was already screeching into a parking space.
“How’d you know Brooke’s address?” he asked, a touch of suspicion in his silky voice.
I flashed him a get serious look. “Callaghan, we’ve had this conversation before. Medicine cabinet. Box of Trojans.” I put my hand against my chest. “Private investigator.” I lowered my chin to drive home the point. Call me a stalker, but I left no stone unturned when it came to my cases… or Jack Callaghan.
He stayed wisely silent and looked oh so introspective—for another short five seconds. “You really sure you want to do this?” he asked me.
Good question. In the end, I knew I had to face and accept whatever Sarah was to Jack before he and I could build a solid future together. “Positive,” I said.
If he had any doubt, he masked it better than a down-on-his-luck poker player with a straight flush and the biggest pot of his life heaped in the center of the table. Jack nodded once as he looked at me, a little satisfied smile on his lips. “Okay then, Cruz,” he said, giving my hand a squeeze. “Let’s do it.”
My heart swelled a little bit and it felt like we were the two musketeers. I leaned over and kissed him. This time it was full of promise and hope.
Ten breathless minutes later, I managed to pry myself away from him. “Vamanos,” I said, my voice husky and full of craving. I fumbled as I opened my car door and tumbled onto the asphalt.
He was by my side in two seconds flat, bless his heart. He held my elbow as I straightened up. “You okay?”
“I’m good,” I said, and with Jack by my side, that was the absolute truth.
Melissa Bourbon Ramirez - Lola Cruz 02 - Hasta la Vista, Lola! Page 27