Something About Maggie

Excerpt:
Jack halted. “Excuse me? Save your job?”

She came to a stop three steps away and nodded casually. As if the prospect of losing her research position at the multi-million dollar, privately run Eco-Corp didn’t upset her one iota. But he knew Maggie and it was all for show. Something else must be going on at work. Why hadn’t she said anything?

“Professor Know-It-All gave me the ultimatum a fortnight ago. Oh, he worded it more subtly than that, offering me a position with infectious disease control and saying what a valued scientist I was, but it was all there. Either I find some real proof that Grey’s Ghost Hawk exists or they shut me down.”

Jack closed the distance between them, seeing the hurt in her eyes battle with the stubborn pride. “Was that before or after you got the photo email?”

“Before, but the photo in the email is useless. It’s so blurry that if I didn’t know what a Grey looked like, I wouldn’t have known what it was. But let’s not discuss it, Jack. It’s Friday, I’m tired, and I have to work tomorrow.”

Drat, he’d hoped they could spend Saturday hanging out like old times. “Sure.”

She turned to glance at the elaborate security set-up. The swing of her lush hair made him suck in a breath. Electricity snapped along his skin at the very sight of her. When was the last time he’d reacted to Maggie like this? Okay, so he’d been gone a while, but something about Maggie drew his attention like never before.

“Do you have your passport?”

Unzipping his camera bag, he found the silk long stemmed rose and smiled. He’d almost forgot about it. Lifting it by the green wire stem, he waited for her to turn those golden eyes back on him and chuckled when they stretched wide.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Mags.”

Her full lips curved upwards but then she squinted and stared at him hard with one eye closed. “Are you making fun of me?”

“Why would I do that?”

Still she took the rose and twirled it between her fingers. “Because I’m desperate and dateless?”

“Come on, Mags. Those words don’t describe you any more than they do me. You might be dateless since kicking Zach out on his rear end, but you certainly are not desperate. Smell it.”

Her eyes sprang open. “Smell what?”

Taking her hand in his, he pushed the head of the fake rose close to her nose. “What do you smell?”

Her nostrils flared slightly as she sniffed. “Oh, wow. It’s almost real.”

Jack grinned, so glad he could give her something to cheer her up. “Are you okay with me staying at your place for the night?”

“Of course.”

Walking toward the security lines, Jack gritted his teeth. “I can’t believe my dad asked me to find somewhere else to stay. I mean, I’ve just come off a twenty-hour flight, and he wants a little Valentine’s Day privacy.”

Maggie patted his shoulder while he set the camera bag down on the small conveyor belt, handed over his passport, and declared his camera so they wouldn’t question him about the metal objects.

“He’s entitled, you know.”

Entitled or not, Jack still thought the old man audacious. Jack had been left with virtually nothing after his ex had stripped him of all his assets and had his accounts frozen. It sucked that he’d had to start all over again. Couldn’t his father give him a little slack?

He grumbled to himself, retrieved his things, and followed Maggie toward the baggage area.

Falling into step with her, he draped an arm across her shoulders and pulled her to him, liking the way her curves fit against him. Though why was he thinking about Maggie’s curves? And the way the bones of her shoulder moved under his fingers each time she swung her arm? Come to think of it, he noticed more about Maggie today than ever before.

The devil on his left shoulder argued with the angel on his right, and he suddenly felt fifteen again. It had to be jet lag.

“Everything okay?” she asked, her gaze intense on his face when they stopped at the slow moving conveyer belt,

Jack swallowed.

She’s your friend. Your best friend. Don’t go there.

Despite the internal warning, his gut stirred at the thought of him and Maggie and that ridiculous kiss fifteen years ago. Part of him wanted to close his eyes and keep his thoughts from her. He really didn’t want to relive that unfortunate mess again. Another part of him wanted to see if they could wipe out the old disaster by building a more memorable moment right now.

“Jack?”

Her knuckle brushed against his chin, taking him completely by surprise.

“Jet lag,” he blurted, reminding himself she was the touchy one.

Maggie’s brows knitted together as she patted his chest. “Poor baby. I’ll make sure to tuck you in tonight.”

He spied his blue rucksack and waited for it to chug around to them. Ever the helpful friend, Maggie leaned toward it, but he wrapped his big hand over her shoulder to save her from lifting the two ton monstrosity. The contact sent a jolt up his arm, and by the way she snapped straight, he wondered if she felt it, too.

She didn’t look at him, merely took his camera bag from him and looped the strap over her shoulder. He took that as a sign. It had to have been a static shock. He was reading too much into it, because if had been more, she would have definitely reacted.

Jack shrugged into his rucksack and eyed Maggie’s hour-glass shape from behind. What the hell was happening?