Recipe for Love (Jupiter Tides #1)

by Anne Malcom

“He’s not here,” I told her, gripping the front door. Maggie was pressed against my legs, as if in support. The girl looked to me then to Maggie. “I, um. I’m so sorry,” she looked down, blushing. “This is really embarrassing. I got an Uber here, because, um…” She turned her head down the driveway to where her ride had left her behind before looking back at me. “Rowan is usually home, and he’s usually alone, and… I’m so fucking sorry. I never would’ve done this if I knew he had… if I knew you were here.” The poor girl sounded completely sincere and utterly mortified. She was not some kind of harlot having an affair. She was a young girl who had an arrangement with a hot older man, and I would’ve said more power to her if the situation were different. But the situation was not different. “I’ll just wait out here and order a ride,” she babbled, fumbling for her phone. I paused. Only for a second, but I felt guilty over it. “No, come in,” I offered, stepping back. “No, I couldn’t do that,” she exclaimed. “This is, like, bad enough. I feel like such a fucking bitch, and I can’t believe I woke you up. I promise, my ride is like…” she squinted at the screen on her phone, “twenty minutes away. I’m good waiting.” She smiled tightly, but I could see the goose bumps on her exposed skin, which there were a lot of. It was cold and dark, and she was not to blame for all of this. “Please come in,” I asked. We were far enough out for the Uber to take a while, and the amount of available r...