“And your parents?”

“They know too.”

“And?”

“Can hardly wait to hear your reaction. My mom helped me pick out your ring. Do you like the solitaire?”

“Yes! It’s what I always wanted. Just a solitaire. How did you know?”

“Mom asked if you wore a lot of jewelry, and I said no. This is what she said to go with.”

“Remind me to thank her. It’s so huge.”

“No, it’s not. It’s two carats.”

“Whoa. I’ll be afraid to wear this.”

“Don’t be. It’s insured. I love you. You, Cate are everything to me.”

“I love you, too, Drew. I can’t wait until you’re Drew Forbes.” I manage to say straight faced before a laugh bursts from me.

He cracks a smile. Then his lids lower to half-staff and he says, “Let’s dance.”

“What’s wrong?” I ask, because his mood has shifted.

“Not a thing. I’m just so damned happy you’ve agreed to make it official and be mine forever.”

He pulls me into his arms, and it’s here I want to stay. For a lifetime.

FOR SOME REASON I STAND in the elevator glancing at my ring-less finger. I want to run, but I promised Andy I wouldn’t. I’ve been given a second chance and I’m ready to take it.

The doors part and Ted is standing there, waiting. I step out.

“Cate, just the woman I’m looking for.”

I frown and say, “Me?” I place my hand on the hollow of my throat.

“Yes, I have to reschedule our ten o’clock. I’m hoping we could do lunch instead.”

I hesitate because I want to see Andy for lunch.

“I’m actually already late for a meeting. I have to run. Talk to my assistant if you can make lunch.”

He steps into the elevator and is gone before I can respond. I walk over to the cube I’ve been using. Jeff is standing there flipping through papers. He glances up when I get close.

“What’s the long face for?”

I shake my head not wanting to get into the Ted debate with him. “I think this is my last day here.”

“No, come work for me,” Jeff pleads dramatically.

I smile. “I’m going to miss you all.”

“We should do lunch.”

I give him a tight smile. “I actually have plans. However, it’s not like my office is that far away. We can plan a lunch another time.”

He leans in for a hug. “I’m going to miss you. I have to run to meeting, but promise you won’t be a stranger.”

Then he’s off and I sit at my desk and boot up. While I wait to log onto the system, I dial Ted’s extension from the list posted on the wall. After short conversation, I learn that Ted is booked solid for the day and going out of town tomorrow. His only available appointment short of something late in the evening is lunch. The project deadline is tomorrow. I have no choice but to take the lunch meeting.

Sighing, I make a call to Andy to give him the bad news.

“Hey, I’m sorry but I have to break our lunch date.”

“Something came up?”

There’s hesitancy in his voice. I can’t get mad that he sounds as though he doesn’t quite trust me. I have been running from him the last few weeks.

“I have a meeting that got rescheduled to lunch. However, that means I can probably swing leaving early. Why don’t I come to your place and bring dinner to make it up to you?”

“You sure?”

“Yes, I want to see you again.”

His voice is more relaxed. “Then it’s a date. See you later.”

“I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”

The meeting with Ted turns out to only be two minutes. I end up e-mailing him the document at his request. He tells me he’ll be in touch if he has any questions and apologizes for breaking our lunch date. Our conversation almost seems sterile. Clearly, he’s moved on after my refusal to go to France with him, which isn’t a bad thing. I’m grateful we can remain cordial with no bad feelings either way.

Ted makes up our missed lunch by paying for me, Jeff and the rest of the staff to go out instead. By the time I get to my office at the firm, Mandy follows me through my door.

“You don’t call. You don’t write. I thought we lost you to Ted.”

I turn and hug her. “I missed you too. How are things?”

She spins in a whirlwind and sits in one of the chairs in front of my desk.

“How are things? I’ll tell you how things are. Daniel is dating that redhead downstairs from the law office—Tammy. And she’s not good enough for him.”

I sit on the edge of my desk and face her. “In other words, she’s not you.”

“Exactly.”

“I can’t say I blame him. You totally freaked after he spent that one night at your place. Then you pawned him off to other girls.”

“Whose side are you on?”

“Yours, but you have to see the part you played in this.”

I have that déjà vu moment of saying words that have been said to me.

“Fine,” Mandy says. “We’re going out Friday and finding me a new guy. And don’t say no. I see it in your eyes.” She holds up a finger. “You promised.”

I sighed. “Fine. We’ll go out for drinks on Friday.”

She stands and smirks. “I see someone isn’t in a dry spell anymore.”

I open my mouth. She shakes her head. “Don’t say a word. Tell me on Friday. It will give us something to talk about other than Daniel. Anyway, I’m glad your assignment’s over. We missed you.”

I spend the rest of the morning making sure my billable hours are in the system and I compose an e-mail to my boss about my two minute meeting with Ted. I currently don’t have any assignments, so I’m able to duck out a little early.

At home, I take a quick shower and get dressed. When my cab arrives, I finish placing my takeout order to be delivered to Andy’s. The Thai place he recommended says it will be about forty five minutes. The ride to his place is just over thirty.

I knock on his door and he opens it with grand smile.

“Hey gorgeous.”

“Hey you,” I say before lifting on my toes and giving him a quick kiss.

When he asks me, “How was work?” it feels so domestic it’s as if I’ve arrived home.

“Boring. I’d much rather have spent the day with you. What did you do all day?”

He takes my coat and my skin feels electric everywhere he touches me.

“I went to the gym, did some laundry, picked up my dry cleaning, boring stuff. I would have preferred being with you as well.”

He kisses me as his hands slide down and rest at the small of my back. He pulls me closer and I can feel how happy he is to see me.

I pull back far enough to say, “I ordered dinner on the way. It should be here in about fifteen minutes.”

He grins. “I can accomplish a lot in fifteen.”

“Is that a challenge or a dare?”

His eyes twinkle and before I know it he’s kneeling before me. I run my fingers through his blond hair liking his blue eyes radiating up at me.

We don’t speak. Holding eye contact with me, he pushes my skirt up my thighs. It might have been more practical for me to wear jeans since we didn’t have plans to go out. But I wanted to wear the garters because they make me feel sexy.

When my skirt is bunched up at my waist, he tugs a little at the garters that hold up thigh highs. “You know I like these.”

I bite my lips because I remember all too well.

Then his mouth is on me. First through the fabric, then his breath heats my bare skin before he feasts on me. He’s good, so very good and easily gets me there. I let out an unladylike scream seconds before a knock sounds on the door.

I cup my hands over my mouth as my eyes widen. My face gets hot as Andy grins at me, still on his knees. I point at him and then at the door.

He laughs and gets to his feet. My feeble attempt at angry face is a massive fail because I’m flaming hot from embarrassment.

“Just a minute,” he calls out and heads to the kitchen to wash his hands. He uses the towel to wipe his face and I duck in the shadowy hallway.