Page 31 of Finding Carly
Her words were cut off by the man himself sticking his head into the room. “Everything okay in here?” he asked.
Carly ignored Elodie’s laughter and smiled at him. “We’re good. We were just coming back out.”
Jag nodded and opened the door all the way, holding it for the two of them.
“Told you,” Elodie whispered as she passed Carly on her way to the door.
Carly followed, but when she got to Jag, he stopped her and asked quietly, “You good?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“Just making sure. Lexie’s extra chatty today, she’s busting at the seams to talk to you.”
“She driving you crazy by making you talk?” Carly teased.
Jag’s lips twitched. “I’m not the talkative type.”
“Except with me.”
“Except with you,” he agreed. Then he leaned close and kissed her. It was a quick kiss, nothing deep, but she still felt tingles throughout her body at the intimate touch. She was aware that Elodie, Lexie, and Theo could clearly see them standing in the doorway, but if Jag didn’t mind kissing her in front of them, Carly certainly wasn’t going to complain.
“What was that for?” she whispered.
“Because I can’t resist you,” he said. Then he put his hand on the small of her back and urged her into the other room.
“Theo, want to take a walk around and scope out the area? Make sure it’s all safe?” Jag asked the other man.
“Yes!” Theo said eagerly, as if Jag asking him to check the perimeter was akin to winning the lottery.
“We’ll be back soon, and I’ve got eyes on the area, so don’t worry,” Jag said, directing his words to Carly.
She nodded at him.
The second the front door shut behind the men, Lexie said, “Giiiirl, we need more info on what’s up with the two of you!”
Carly knew she was blushing, but smiled anyway. “There’s not much to tell.”
“Bullshit,” Lexie retorted, pulling out a chair and pointing to it bossily. “There’s so much chemistry crackling between the two of you we could bottle it and not have to pay electricity for a month. Now, start talking.”
Carly laughed, enjoying girl time. She wished Kenna was here, and Ashlyn. And she wanted to get to know Monica. As she’d admitted to Jag, shedidneed this. A connection with her friends. Being holed up in her apartment had made her more paranoid, more terrified. She still wasn’t comfortable with her situation, with the fact that someone could be out there somewhere, waiting to get to her. But with Jag’s help, she knew she’d be able to start living fully again.
Thirty minutes later, Jag and Theo walked back into Food For All, accompanied by Ashlyn.
“Carly!” the other woman exclaimed, rushing forward to greet her.
Carly saw the amused grin on Jag’s face before he could hide it.
They stayed another twenty minutes or so before Carly’s stomach growled. She’d been so into catching up with her friends that she hadn’t realized how much time had gone by or how hungry she’d gotten.
Jag ushered her out of Food For All before she had time to do more than tell the others she’d be in touch. Elodie told her that Kenna would probably have another sleepover soon, now that Carly was “back,” and that she should be prepared to say yes to attending.
The thought of being isolated somewhere with the other women, who could be hurt because of her, was distressing, but Carly just smiled and nodded. Then Jag took hold of her hand and they were walking back down the sidewalk toward the small parking lot and his car. He got her settled in the passenger seat and they were on their way in less than a minute.
“I needed that. Thank you,” she told Jag.
“You’re welcome. I’ve got some chicken I can bake when we get home, if that’s okay. It’s nothing fancy, but while it’s cooking, we can have a salad and I can roast some broccoli to tide you over until the chicken’s done.”
Talking about what to have for dinner seemed so…domestic. And Carly loved it. “Sounds good. Jag?”
