Executive Engagement

“I’m sure your fans are going to be ecstatic that you’re staying on the air,” she says with a smile.

I cut my eyes at Toby, then back to Layla. “That’s where you’re wrong, babe.”

I let that hang there for a second, watching as her eyes cloud with confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m not staying on the air.”

“What?” Layla grips my wrists and looks at me like I’m crazy. Her mouth falls open in shock. “Why would you do that? I can’t believe this. After everything that’s happened and everything that we’ve all gone through to try to keep your show on, you're just going to quit? You can’t do that, Jake.”

I smile. That’s because she doesn’t know the whole story.

Layla

I’m reeling. I don’t understand it. Not even a little. How could Jake just throw it all away after we fought so hard to make sure he could keep his show on the air? It just doesn’t make sense.

“Why would you do that?” I ask again, incredulous.

He’s smiling about it. The man is fucking smiling about the fact that he’s just going to walk away from everything he’s ever worked toward achieving.

I won’t lie, part of me hates the idea of him staying on the show and being with a different woman every night of the week. But a stronger part of me wants him to continue the good work he’s doing, even if it breaks my heart.

“Layla,” he says, tilting my chin up, still looking totally amused.

“You think it’s funny?” I try to push at his chest, but he just wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me tightly against him, trapping me in his embrace.

“I think you’re funny.”

“Ugh, let go.” This man is going to be the death of me. He drives me wild in every sense of the word. Right now in a really fucking frustrating way.

“Layla,” he says, his voice more serious this time. “Listen to me for half a minute, will you?”

“Fine,” I say petulantly.

“I said I’m not staying on the air. I didn’t say A Cunning Linguist wasn’t.”

I stop resisting him and stare up into his eyes. “What?”

He nods. “Yeah. The show is still moving forward. But I’m bowing out. From here on out it’s going to be hosted by Toby.”

“Toby?” I echo, struggling to speak in sentences of more than one word. But he has me scrambling to catch up.

“Yeah, I think he’s proven he’s up to the challenge. Wouldn’t you say?”

I can’t help but laugh, and Toby joins in. “I should fucking hope so after an episode like that,” he jokes, rising to his feet next to us. “So, I guess this means the infamous Jake Kent has finally tired of hearing women scream his name?”

Jake looks down at me, his eyes full of something that looks a whole lot like...well...love. I hate to be that girl that needs constant affirmation. That’s so not me. But it’s been a few days. Maybe Jake was just caught up in the moment when he told me he loved me.

“There’s only one woman I want to hear scream my name, and that’s Layla.” He lowers his head to mine and kisses me softly on the lips. “I love you, Layla.”

Oh my God. This man is known for two things. His magic tongue, and his ability to use words to really get a woman to open up to him. The first one I’ve experienced more than enough to know that he’s the real deal. The second? Well, I think Jake Kent may have just swept me right off my feet.

“I love you, too,” I say, a little dizzy from how fast this conversation switched gears. “And I’ll make sure you never get tired of hearing me scream your name. But you better not get out of practice now that you don’t have a show to film every night.”

“That’s why I have you.”

Jake

Toby’s taken to his new role like an old pro. What did I tell you? He learned from the best.