Page 74 of Making Over Maris

Excellent.

Looked as though the door was wide open for Jack Maris to waltz in and save the day.

Double excellent.

“Would you…like to have dinner with me tonight?”

Sara stilled. “You mean a date?”

“Um, yes?”

“A real date?”

“Of course a real date.”

She tipped her head and studied him again. Then she thrust out a lip. He wanted to suck it. “Wouldn’t you rather go out with Jenny?”

“No, Sara. I would not.”

“Then I would love to go on a real date with you.”

His heart soared.

“But not tonight.”

And plummeted.

“Why not?” He hadn’t intended to sound so…petulant.

But seriously. Why not?

“You won’t have time to go on a date tonight. Not with me.” She shot him a meaningful glare. “Not with anyone.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You have homework.”

His heart stilled. Not because of the words she said, as much as how they came out.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.” She chuckled as she made her way down the hallway to the bedroom. When she returned she held a flat package wrapped in brown paper. She thrust it in his hands.

“What’s this?” He started to open the package but she stopped him.

“Ah, ah, ah, Jack. Wait until you get home. When you open it, call me.”

Something in her eyes, in her voice, in her bearing, sent shock waves through his body.

Oh, God.

He was going to like this. He could tell. He was going to like this a lot.

Twenty minutes later, Jack sat on his sofa, staring at the present Sara had given him. Staring was about all he could manage.

Because he was fucking blown away.

He’d gotten home, tossed his keys into the dish by the door and headed straight to the living room, ripping the paper from the package as he went.

It was a book.