“Does Playboy still run fiction?”“I have absolutely no idea, Melinda,” he said, grinning.”

“Did you miss me?’“A little bit,” she said with a shrug.“You have tears running down your cheeks,” he said with a grin. “I think you missed me more than a little.”

“Jack, there are only two of us here. One of us is going to push him out, one of us is going to catch him. Which job do you want?”(Melinda talking to her husband)”

“Well, you’re just going to have to take a leap of faith,” he said.“I think I can do that,” she said. “If you’re there to catch me.”“I’m here,” he said. “I haven’t let you down yet, have I?”She put her hand against his face. “No, Jack. You sure haven’t.”

“Honey, I have a feeling he doesn’t think of you as a friend. Have you seen the way he looks at you?”She glanced at him and as if he could feel her gaze, he turned his eyes on her. Soft and hard all at once. “Yeah,” Mel said. “He promised to stop doing that.”

“Wow,” she said. “Do you realise how wonderful you sound?”“Yes, I do,” he said with a firm nod. “And I think I’m underappreciated.”

“Why do I have to earn it by being good? Don’t you feel like bragging?”“It’s better when you beg,” he said, his voice low. “It’s always better when you beg.”