The Do It List (The Do It List #1) (40 page)

I bit my lip and nodded. “The meeting with Troy was emotional and nostalgic. I got swept away in the moment.”

His gaze remained wary. “Nothing more than that?”
 

I eyeballed him back slightly annoyed. “What about the woman formerly and presently known as wife?”
 

“She’s off townhouse shopping in Georgetown.” Bradley had always been blunt about his situation with his ex and he didn’t try to smooth talk me now. “I’m afraid Claire is part of the baggage I come with—take me or leave me.”

“I assume she stayed at your mother’s the whole time we were…” I didn’t want to use the word fighting. “The whole time we were…”

“Not together?” Bradley offered, a hint of smile in his eyes. “Nothing happened, Gracie.” He stepped closer and tilted my chin so we were eye to eye. “Claire and I are long over. What about you and Troy?”

“Thanks to you I’m still not sure of his motives, why he asked for the meeting in the first place. The whole thing is a nightmare.”

“Sorry I’m not sorry.”

I shook my head. “The real nightmare would be if you didn’t want to be with me anymore.”

His gaze softened, and for a moment I thought he might kiss me and make everything better. Issues magically resolved. Bradley and Gracie skip happily off into the California sunset together.

But he didn’t kiss me. Instead, he nearly broke my heart.

“Before you leave for L.A. do you want to have the talk?”

I swallowed. “The one where we agree to part ways, date other people?

“That would be the one.”

I stared into stormy blue eyes for a long time. “No.”

“You’re sure?”

My pulse rate skyrocketed. “Do you want to call it off?”
 

He shook his head. “No.”

I exhaled silently, near dizzy with relief.

He backed away then hesitated. “I almost forgot your plane ticket.” He got out his phone and pressed a few buttons. “Check your email.”

I confirmed the boarding pass and rental car reservation.

Sarah opened the trailer door and read the atmosphere. “I’ll come back.”

“I was just leaving.” Bradley backed off.
 

“Where are you going?” I blurted out, not really wanting him to go.

“Back to the office, help Derek pull sniff test model selects. Later on, we’re heading over to Chelsea Piers. Seems I’ve found a new sparring partner.”
 

I nodded. “Have a good workout.”
 

He jammed his hands in his pockets. “When you get back we should talk.”

I pulled a V-neck tee over my head. “I’d like that.” I met his gaze and smiled.
 

“Have a safe flight, then.” He lingered a moment, and in that moment I wanted to reach out, ask him to drop everything and come with me.

He exited the trailer and I stood there, mouth slightly open, unable to say the words, and hating myself for it.

Spyder insisted on driving me to JFK and we made excellent time until we hit the Van Wyck Expressway. Twenty minutes from the airport, I received a text from Bradley.
 

Where are you?

I answered:
Stuck in traffic on expressway.

I’m overprotective and possessive.

My heart did a little flip-flop.
U R all that and more.

More?

I typed:
You forgot control freak.

Yeah, that too.

I smiled.
What are you going to do about it?

Check that giant carryall of yours.
 

Hold on.
I grabbed my messenger bag.

I rummaged through the contents with no luck. Puzzled, I typed out:
Nothing yet.

Dig deep.

My fingertips butted up against the smooth surface of a square box, and my heart skipped a beat.

I pulled the box out and gasped. It was the watch. Not just any watch—the watch.
 

Before I even opened the box, I grabbed my phone and texted.
OMG Bradley. I love you so much.
 

I froze for a moment, staring at the words I’d just typed. I closed my eyes tight and pressed send.

I waited for an answer.

The airport swarmed with weekend commuters, but I managed to breeze through security even in a daze. I purchased a stack of trashy gossip magazines—a guilty flying pleasure—and made my way to Gate 55.

I checked my new watch for messages. Bradley and I had gotten cut off, and so far the only contact I had made was with his voice mail.

I looked down at the watch with the raspberry wristband and smiled. The color of my dress on our first date. Bradley had signed a small gift card and slipped it inside the box.
 

You’re all set to go, love. Just press the watch app on your phone to start pairing.
 

Stay in touch, Bradley

I stepped off the escalator and decided to follow two Virgin Atlantic flight attendants who led me straight to my gate. I glanced at my new watch—again.
 

The flight was already boarding, so I got in line.

“Let me help you with that.” A young male attendant stowed my carry-on while I settled into a first class lounger.
 

I stared at the empty seat beside me. All I could think about was Bradley and his breathless words after we’d fucked each other senseless in his office. “I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you, Gracie.”
 

Not half as much as I would miss him this weekend.

A glance out the window revealed an empty luggage cart pulling away from the airplane. I pushed back into the cool, plush leather seat and sucked in a deep breath.
 

My watch pulsed.

And the pulses quickened. A fuzzy pink heart throbbed on the small wrist screen. And there was an arrow symbol next to the name Bradley.

My heart danced to the beat on my wrist.

An overhead compartment slammed shut, jolting me back to plane cabin reality.
 

“I’ve got a tuxedo in this bag, any room to hang it up?”
 

I looked up and stared. Bradley stood beside the empty aisle seat.
 

The flight attendant reached for the suiter. “I’ll take care of that, sir.”
 

Still gawking, I sputtered out a silly question. “I sent you a text message, did you—?”

His eyes sparkled. “Did you receive my answer?”

I glanced at my watch and nodded. “I believe so.”

“Gracie—”

Before he could speak another word I was on my feet kissing his face and lips and nose and chin. His arms wrapped around me and held on tight—fiercely tight.
 

Husky gentle words brushed my cheek. “I love you, Gracie.”
 

A rush of tingles swept through me. Girl parts, toe parts, heart parts.

“Excuse me, sir. At this time, we ask that you and the young lady take your seats and prepare for departure.”

We settled in and all I could do is stare at him. “You never canceled your ticket.”

Gorgeous blue eyes went all sensitive and tender. “I’m not going lose you Gracie—not now or ever.”
 

I wanted to jump his bones. Make mad love to him from JFK to LAX, until we were both raw and exhausted.

And arrested.

That last part kept me in my seat.
 

He reached for my hand. “If I had known that the universe was going to gift me with you—that I would get stuck in a lift with the loveliest creature on earth…” He laced his fingers through mine. “I’m just grateful I found you.”
 

My pulse nearly pounded out of my chest. I needed to say the words out loud. “I love you, Bradley.”

He leaned well over the armrest to nuzzle the tip of my nose. “Madly?”
 

I nuzzled back. “Deeply.”

I continued to stare, unable to take my eyes off him. I could hardly believe he was here, on board the plane, sitting next me. “How on earth…how did you get here so fast?”
 

He grinned. “Chopper. Gotham Air—six minutes from Manhattan to JFK.”

“Bradley, you overwhelm me. To fall so hard so fast my first and only time.”
 

He stared. ”You’ve never been in love?”

I grabbed a menu from the seat pocket and fanned my burning cheeks.
 

Gently, he prodded the card out of my hands. “You know how I feel about your blush.”

“What we have together is so…and…” I frowned, at a loss for words again.
 

“And…?” He kissed the tip of my nose.

The more my heart filled with emotion, the more my brain went mute, inaccessible. All I could think about was the list we had made together.

“And…we have this kinky list that grows longer not shorter.”
 

“Not so fast—I’ve made a recent addendum to my old list.” He pulled the folded paper out of his shirt pocket and handed it over.
 

Outside the window, a blur of runway lights caught my eye. Our plane had left the gate.
 

I opened the notepaper carefully. I hadn’t thought about Bradley’s old list since that amazing, magical night in the elevator. I perused the numbers. “Nothing new here.”
 

“You might have a look at the last entry again.” His smile was downright electrifying.

71. Sex with someone I love.
 

I looked up into his dazzling eyes, the ones that had mesmerized me from our first night together.

“I believe that completes my old list.” He leaned close, the familiar scratch of his stubble brushed against my cheek. “Now, is there something on our list I can help you with?”

The jet rumbled down the runway, pressing us together. “Let’s begin with a kiss,” I whispered, “all the way through take off.”

Gracie and Bradley’s story continues in the

suspenseful, sensuous sequel,
 

COMING SOON!

Dear Readers,
 

Thank you for reading THE DO IT LIST. If you enjoyed Gracie and Bradley’s story I would appreciate your help in getting the word out so that other readers can find this book. Here are some things you can do:

Recommend the book to friends, readers’ groups and discussion boards
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Review THE DO IT LIST. Tell other readers why you liked this book by reviewing it on Amazon.
 

If you do write a review, please send a copy to: [email protected]. I’d like to gift you with my next ebook as a way of saying thanks. I will also add you to my Readers Review Club.
 

Take care,
 

Jillian Stone

Jillian Stone
was born a storyteller. A skill that got her into considerable trouble as a youth until she solved the problem by becoming an advertising creative. And the career did seem to suit her as she won many national ad awards including the Clio and the New York Art Director’s Club Gold. What more could she ask for? Create her own worlds? Become goddess of her own universe? Yes! So, she began to write fiction. Her Victorian Romantic Suspense novel AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY won the 2010 Golden Heart and sold to Pocket Books. Her sexy supernatural steampunk novel, THE SEDUCTION OF PHAETON BLACK, won the 2010 Romance Through The Ages Erotica category and sold to Kensington Brava. Jillian lives in Southern California and is currently writing a number of new tales, including the sequel to THE DO IT LIST—coming soon!
 

Visit her website: jillianstone.com

The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard
 

Pocket Books

An Affair with Mr. Kennedy

A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis

A Lesson in Chemistry with Inspector Bruce

A Private Duel with Agent Gunn

Moonstone Investigations
 

Kensington Brava