Chapter 240 - Give me your tomorrow

In JoAnna's apartment, she logged off from the video chat and turned toward Jeff. His gaze was fixed on her intently, as if he is trying to read her mind. He was smiling. 'Handsome… very handsome.'

Her mind flashed images of previous few hours she spent with him.

Shopping in a mall... visiting few stores that specialize in men's clothing. Jeff was quite uncomfortable looking at t-shirts and jeans, not sure what to pick, and he agreed to try whatever JoAnna suggested.

She slightly blushed when image of him in a tight-fitting t-shirt appeared in her mind. His v-shaped torso and toned body is usually hidden under a suit, but today's experience of him trying out clothes made JoAnna catch herself gawking at him more than once.

She saw him smiling... he noticed that she was staring and forcing herself to look away from him.

JoAnna was disappointed that she didn't get to pay for the clothes, but he was faster than her and didn't give her the opportunity to replace clothes she ruined.

Dinner with him... She picked the place. Restaurant was more intimate than what she remembers. 'Was this place always so dimly lit?'

His keen dark eyes fixated on her most of the evening, made her highly aware that he is watching her.

JoAnna exhaled. Jeff paid for the meal as well.

"You cheated!", she accused him when he used the excuse of going to the restroom to give his card to the waiter.

He responded with a laugh.

She was disheartened. "I only wanted to do something for you. To repay the favor and atone for my mistakes."

He was amused. Everything she did was so adorable in his eyes. How can she call it a mistake? In his eyes, she can't make any mistake no matter what she does. Jeff could see her sincerity. "You want to do something for me? Well, there is something..."

Her heartbeat speed up when she saw his mischievous smile. "Tell me..."

"Give me your tomorrow." His bottomless eyes pulled her in, and she lost her last ounce of resistance.

JoAnna held her breath, entranced by his voice that sounded like a promise.

"Well? Will you spend your tomorrow with me?" His fingers touched her cheek, and her head moved on its own toward the fiery touch making her cheek brush against his palm.

"Yes." She whispered.

…

"Why did you do that?" Jeff's voice pulled JoAnna out of her haze.

She was blushing, still under the influence of her memories. "What?"

"You explained my presence." He clarified.

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Are you not curious?"

"I am. I would like to know... But I believe that you will tell me if it's important." JoAnna was confident.

He lowered his head. Guilt was eating him up from inside. "You should not trust me that much."

"I don't have a choice anymore.", she admitted with a whisper.

Jeff lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. 'Does this mean she likes me?'

All of his plans fell apart. He selfishly wanted to be with her now, he wanted to pull her into his embrace. His arms were hurting how much willpower he used to keep them by his side and not to reach out for her. But he needs to tell her the truth. He does not want to start anything based on lies.

"I came... to see you." Words removed some constriction he felt in his throat.

She was surprised to hear him admit so openly. "Why?"

"Because I needed to confirm that you are real."

His response surprised her even more. "I don't understand."

"Since I've met you in the hospital, I could not stop thinking about you. When I saw you that evening sitting on the fountain, I realized that it was fate that made me walk that way and allowed me to meet you again. Every moment I spent with you replayed million times in my head. I remember every word you said, every expression you made… and my dreams were always about you. I thought I was going crazy. I found out you are Sarah's sister and I asked her to put us in touch… When I heard that you are doing the night shift, I was not able to stop myself. I needed to confirm that you are not a figment of my imagination." He looked at her stunned expression and hesitated. He never spoke so much in his life... But he was not done. He needs to say more.

JoAnna listened to his words and she was not sure she is hearing right. Is he telling her that since his hospital stay, he is thinking about her, trying to find her, to be with her? How is that possible? This handsome, confident, accomplished, powerful man who is making her get lost in a daze and her heart pound so strongly that it feels like it's going to jump out of her chest… he was looking for her?

JoAnna opened her mouth to say something, but Jeff interrupted her. "Please, let me finish."

She closed her mouth and gave a small nod.

It took him few minutes to speak again. "My heart is heavy because I feel that I'm doing something that I should not. I want to be with you, and show you how I feel, but... there are things that I need to take care of. I know that I should have fixed that mess first, but I'm too selfish and could not delay looking for you."

JoAnna observed him, and it looked that he is done talking. "What mess?" She was afraid of his answer, but she needs to know.

Jeff struggled to find words. "Many years ago, my parents arranged for me to... get married to someone." He heard JoAnna gasp and forced himself to continue talking. "I never cared about that, thinking how it does not matter with whom I end up with. And until last weekend I didn't even know who she was. When I met her, I didn't feel anything... " He took a deep breath. "Please, give me some time to fix that. I will make my parents cancel whatever agreement they have with her family. I want my freedom. I want to be with you... If you will have me."