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But none of his relationships had felt as good as this one.
Jake took the shot. Missed, and glared at Matt. “Laugh it up, why don’t you?”
“Don’t worry, I will.” Matt grinned. “Your mind is elsewhere, which is lucky for us. Whoever she is, we salute her. For the sake of my bank balance, I hope it never ends. Now pay up, you two.”
What happened when their relationship did end?
Would he still see her? Of course he would still see her.
They were friends.
In fact since he’d stopped trying to keep her at a distance, they were as close as they’d been when she was a teenager. Closer, because the sex had given everything a different dimension.
When they’d had enough of the sex, they’d still be friends.
And since he wasn’t near having enough of sex, it wasn’t worth dwelling on.
Muttering protests, Chase reached for his jacket. “If I carry on hanging out with you I’m going to need to go back to working eighteen-hour days. Talking of which—” he threw a bundle of notes at Matt “—I need some rooftop landscaping for a building in Tribeca. Big project. Are you interested?”
“That depends. Are you expecting me to take my fee out of that lump of cash you just handed me?”
“No.”
“In that case, yes, I’m interested.”
“Good.” Chase flung his jacket back over the chair. “Because I want your company to do the work. Are you busy this weekend? You’re welcome to join Matilda and me at the beach.”
“A weekend sailing in the Hamptons. Now that’s tempting.” Matt slid the money into his pocket. “Jake?”
“Not me. I’m busy.” He kept his head down, careful not to reveal that it was Matt’s sister who would be keeping him busy.
Right now she was probably waiting at his apartment.
He’d given her his key.
Not that the gesture had meant anything. It was convenience, that was all.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Life is an unpredictable mix of sunshine and showers. Always carry an umbrella.
—Paige
PAIGE GREETED THE doorman in Jake’s apartment building and headed for the elevator, her arms loaded with so many bags she could barely see where she was going.
She felt the weight of the key in her pocket. Not just the metal, but its significance. The knowledge that Jake had given it to her made her light-headed.
She was pretty sure he had never given his key to a woman before.
That had to mean something, didn’t it?
It was evidence that he trusted her, that she was important to him.
Just how important was something she intended to find out. Maybe he hadn’t expressed deeper feelings, but their relationship had changed; she knew it had. And she knew not just because of the confidences they’d shared, but because of the way they were together.
What made their relationship special was the fact that they knew each other so well. They already knew everything there was to know.
And one thing she knew about Jake was that he loved Italian food, which was why her bags were filled with plump, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and a bottle of good olive oil.
