His attention swung back to Sophie, but when I glanced over my shoulder, she had her back to us.
“You’ll never get rid of me, sweetheart,” he said. “I’ll be back.”
I refused to engage this bastard any longer, leaving him standing there as I walked up behind Sophie, placing my hand on her back once more.
“Let’s go,” I urged.
I held the door open for her as she entered, steering her toward the back of the gym. We weaved our way between the throng of customers who’d come to take advantage of their memberships. A few of them glanced our way, but none were brazen enough to approach, the dour look plastered on my face most likely the reason why.
Once we stood at the bottom of the landing leading to our apartments, Sophie’s shoulders started to tremble, her lower lip wobbling soon after. An onslaught of unshed tears filled her eyes, but before she broke down in tears, I wanted to get her upstairs and into the safety of her place. As far away from what happened moments ago as possible.
She allowed me to guide her up the stairs, and I stood behind her as she placed her key into the lock. Before she opened the door, she turned to face me. Instead of uttering a word, she threw her arms around me. The press of her body against mine did strange things to me—not the desire she typically wrapped me in. An inane sense of protectiveness coated every fiber of my being, a watchfulness I hadn’t felt since I was a kid.
“Thank you, Jackson,” she mumbled, her breaths hijacked with the blitz of her tears. There in my arms, she broke down, gripping on to me with a fierceness I accepted wholeheartedly.
23
The last thing I wanted was to become a blubbering fool in front of Jackson. But here I was, sobbing against his chest and clinging to him for dear life. If he didn’t fire me after this ungodly display, the man was a true saint.
The stroke of his hand down my back worked to help calm me, although it was fractional. When I eventually tore myself from his embrace, I turned back toward the door. My hand shook as I attempted to turn the key I’d half inserted into the lock. In my haste to bridge the distance between myself and the compassionate man behind me, I knocked the key to the floor.
“Here, let me,” he offered, gently moving me to the side and bending down to retrieve it. His hand was steady as he unlocked the door, pushing it aside so I could enter first. I stalled a moment before crossing the threshold and when I turned around to shut the door, he brushed past me, following me into my apartment.
Suddenly feeling embarrassed, I was at a loss for words. As my brain worked overtime to conjure some semblance of a sentence, we stared at each other. His eyes never traveled from mine, the heat and intensity I’d observed on other occasionsreplaced with worry and a hint of residual anger, which was hopefully not directed at me.
“I’m sorry you had to witness any of what happened,” I finally managed to say, wiping away the rest of my tears.
“No need to apologize, Sophie. And I meant what I said. If he has the balls to show up here again, he’ll regret it.”
I reached out and slid my palm into his. He didn’t flinch. “If he comes back, I’ll deal with it. I don’t want you to get involved.” I summoned what little inner strength I had left. “I don’t need you to rescue me,” I lied. I did need someone to rescue me from Mitch. I just wasn’t sure if I wanted Jackson to be that person, for various reasons. Not only did I not want him to jeopardize his career for me, but I was also wary of allowing myself to become too dependent on him.
The muscles of his jaw flexed, and his grip on my hand tightened. Before I realized my feet had moved, he’d pulled me impossibly close. I craned my neck to peer up at him, a shadow of something I couldn’t pinpoint crossing his face, his features morphing into hardness.
“I won’t let him hurt you.” He released my hand and circled his arm around my waist, anchoring me to him.
Various retorts traveled through my brain, but none of them warranted life. His eyeline dropped to my mouth, lingering for several seconds before returning to my eyes, holding my gaze with an intensity that made me want to squirm. Or was my reaction caused from the way his fingers dug into my side or the heat of his chest pressed against mine? Or perhaps it was the lust pouring from his stare that made me want to live in the moment, praying he’d be the one to make a move. Last time he told me I’d have to take the first step, but right now, I wanted him to be the initiator.
Some of the longest and most agonizing moments flitted between us, and because I wanted to give him the green lightto do whatever it was he was probably thinking, I released the breath I’d held hostage and rose up on my tiptoes in order to bring our mouths closer.
“I won’t take advantage of you,” he whispered, his words filled with trepidation.
“You won’t be.”
“I’m no good for you.” Pain and a touch of what I believed to be regret weaved around the edge of each word, his nostrils flaring with his admission, one I thought was bullshit.
It was true I didn’t know this man well, but in the short time since I’d met him, he’d shown a surprising level of concern. A protectiveness no other man had ever displayed for me. Sure, it was on the cusp of his rudeness, but Jackson kept his guard up, and very few people were able to penetrate it. And from the way he looked at me right now, just maybe I’d managed to crack a tiny piece of that wall.
“Why do you say that?”
“I’m not typically a possessive man, but I feel differently around you. You’re not even mine and my heart threatens to beat outside my chest whenever you smile at Lance. I’d be worse if you gave yourself to me. And that’s not what either of us wants. I need to go.”
“Don’t. Please.”
He dropped his arm from around my waist and moved to take a step back, but I moved with him, wanting him to stay with me. He’d given me a warning, but I ignored it. I wanted to lose myself to him, just this once. I’d followed the rules my entire life, and look where that got me. A twenty-nine-year-old soon-to-be divorcee with no friends and barely any self-worth left.
“Sophie.” His harsh whisper sizzled over me like the sweetest burn. “You have no idea what you’re asking of me.”
“I’m asking to be with you. That’s all.”
