“Couples who don’t divorce. It’s depressing. What’s the point of dating, you know?”
He gave her a naughty smile. “Oh, there are merits to dating.” At her look of disgust, he laughed. “Come on. It’s nice to have someone you can trust that way. Intimately, I mean. But think about it, Ann. Coming home to share your day. Movies, dinners, spending time together with someone who loves you and can show you in so many creative ways.”
She glanced down at her plate, uncomfortable with the way he seemed to be looking at her. Had he seen the longing in her eyes? She sure hoped not. Granted, a fantasy of him being her special someone was all nice and good, but far from reality.
“Isn’t that something you want?” he asked.
She nodded and continued to concentrate on her plate. “Eventually. I don’t know. Relationships are a lot of compromise. My parents argue then spend their time making up with kisses and laughter. They’ve had their ups and downs. But their relationship is so true, so real. I’m just worried I’ll never find something like that.” She stopped herself from rambling, mortified she’d been so candid. But when she chanced a look at his face, she saw only his understanding.
“Tell me about it. Not only do I have my parents to deal with, I have Dan and Julie. My folks are celebrating their thirty-fifth anniversary this year. Dan and Julie their tenth. And me? I’m the loser who broke up with yet another girlfriend. My mom is on me about grandkids daily, as if Josh and Julie and Dan’s next one isn’t enough.”
“Julie’s pregnant?”
He smiled. “Yep. I’m going to be an uncle twice over.”
“That’s terrific. Congratulations.”
His goofy grin brought down another part of the wall holding her heart safe from him. How could she not feel such affection for a man who not only rocked her world, but doted on his family? She loved children, and clearly Jack did too.
Then she remembered that they’d once almost had a child between them. And it shocked her, because she never dwelled on that time in her past.
“Hey. You okay?” He sounded concerned.
She forced herself to cough to explain the shine in her eyes. “Sorry. Hot pepper.”
He relaxed. “Good. I mean, I thought I’d said something to upset you. Not my fault. I told you not to order the hotter stuff.”
They teased good-naturedly, argued over the bill, which he insisted on paying, then ended the dinner with a plan to meet again Friday night.
“Remember,” he said as he walked her to her car. “I won you. You’re mine for twenty-four hours. Friday to Saturday night. Your place, because, yeah, I’m still living with my brother. And no way I can do all the things I want to with my nephew in the next room playing with Legos.”
“Good point. But I don’t think winning the bet entitles you to my house too.”
“Sure it does.” He stepped closer, backing her against her car. “Every part of you is mine Friday night. You have no idea how hard it’s been waiting.” He fused his body to hers, so she felt exactly howhardit had been—and still was.
The kiss, when it came, demanded a response, and she gave it to him. Moaning into his mouth, clinging to his shoulders, she felt possessed.
He pulled away slowly and smiled. She just stared, wondering how he continued to do that. Melting her into a puddle of obedience with a kiss.
“Oh yeah,” he promised in a low voice. “I’m going to own that pussy, that mouth and that ass Friday night.”
She swallowed hard, trying not to be aroused and failing miserably. “Ass?” she squeaked.
His menacing smile aroused her. “Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle. At first.” He kissed her again and stepped back. “See you soon, angel.”
“Again with the angel,” she muttered, watching him walk to his car. She got into her own and sat there, tapping the steering wheel.
The man was dangerous, no two ways about it. He played her like a master, and she kept falling for his moves. The sweet pet name. The fiery kisses. The incredible smell of his cologne that lingered just under his skin. Not overpowering, but seductive all the same.
How could she protect herself from the man if she found herself falling for him all over again? And after Maya had bet money on her…
Laughing to herself, a bit hysterically, she did her best to pretend they had nothing between them but sex.
And knew she was telling herself one whopper of a lie.
Chapter Nine
Friday night. Jack knew he’d arrived early. He didn’t care. He hadn’t been able to think past the idea of having Ann under him for the next twenty-four hours. Even his introduction to his new job yesterday hadn’t dissuaded him from planning on how best to use his time with Ann.
