Page 32 of I Never Stopped Loving You

“If this is what Purgatory’s like, I’ll gladly stay there for eternity,” she laughs as she finishes off the last bite.

A small drop of the peanut butter sauce is on the corner of her lips. She reaches for her napkin, but I’m already there.

“Here. Let me.”

Her eyes slightly widen as I lift the napkin to the corner of her mouth and wipe away the sauce. My hand closes around the napkin as the back of my knuckles caress the side of her cheek.

She’s so fucking beautiful. She looks almost exactly like the age-progression renderings Monty was able to do, except nothing could ever compare to the real thing.

“So, do I have to bribe you?” I ask again.

“I don’t know…”

“Come on. This is basically like a second interview.”

I relax in my chair as I take another bite of one of the burgers.

“No, it’s not.”

“Why not?”

“Because you haven’t asked me work-related questions.”

Those stunning eyes narrow on me again.

“I asked you why you wanted to become a lawyer, didn’t I?” I say, teasingly.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make me a good lawyer.”

“You said it yourself, Willow. I need you on my team.”

Game. Set. Match.

She’s the one who said it, not me. Her eyes become slightly less narrowed, then she grabs another quarter of Purgatory.

“Maybe. Can I give you my answer tomorrow?”

“What time?” I teasingly ask.

“I don’t know. Are you on a time crunch to fill the position?”

“No. Your friend just said I had to have you back by three. I didn’t know what else I need to do between now and then to convince you how badly I need you.”

Those plump lips part ever so slightly at the heat in my words. Oh yes, Little Rabbit, that’s exactly how I meant it.

I. Fucking. Need. You.

She pulls her cell phone out of her purse and glances at it before tucking it back inside.

“What do you want to do after this?” she asks.

“Depends. How do you feel about arcade games?”

“Like pinball?”

“Pinball, video games, air hockey, Skee-ball, and racing games. That sort of thing.”

“You want to go to Dave ‘n Busters?”