Page 25 of Loved By You

He steps away from our embrace, running his hands through his hair as I smooth out and tug down my skirt. Reaching for the radio on the shelf behind me, I press the button to reply. “Yeah,I’m okay, Kate. Sorry, a bottle smashed. I'm just cleaning up. I won't be long,” I tell her, trying to not make it obvious I was just kissing my boss, and he was seconds away from having my panties off.

“Okay, babe,” she radios back.

I drop the radio back onto the shelf and turn away from Jack. Closing my eyes and covering my mouth with my hands, I let out a sigh.

What the hell just happened?How could I have let myself get carried away like that? This isn't me. Shit, I've just ruined everything.All because my horny ass couldn’t keep herself together. I run my fingers through my hair, panic building in my chest, making my breaths shallow.

Jack puts his hands on my shoulders. “Ri, that—”

“Was a mistake,” I interrupt. “And it shouldn't have happened, I'm sorry, I had a moment of weakness, I should have…”

He spins me around, cupping my face with his hand.

“No, it was wrong of me,” he tells me. “I'm the one that should have stopped it. I got caught up and forgot my place. I'm so sorry, Ri… if I made you uncomfortable.” His expression is full of regret.

“You didn't, you didn't do anything I didn't want, Jack,” I reassure him, stepping out of his hold and taking the bottles of alcohol off the shelf. “But what I want and what is right are two different things.” My voice is shaky.

“I don’t have the luxury of making mistakes and putting my wants first. I've got my girls to think of, and I really need this job. What I want doesn't matter right now,” I say, fighting back the tears that threaten to fall.

“Ria, what you want does matter.”

“Jack, please,” I say with a sniff. “This didn't happen, okay? Can we just forget it happened… please,” I beg.

“Whatever you want, Ri” His gaze drifts to the floor, his voice sounding dejected.

I hurry past him, needing to put some space between us before I get lost in the feelings I have when he’s around me.” I need to get these up to Kate.”

I walk as quickly as my shaky legs will carry me and fight back the tears that are trying to escape. I can't fall apart now. I don’t have time. I've spent my whole life burying my feelings and my wants. What's another evening? I take a deep breath and swing open the club door. The music thumps and the smell of sweat and alcohol fills the air.

I see Kate and she waves me over. I take an order for four spicy margaritas, acting as if that moment with Jack didn't just happen. A moment I know I will replay in my mind like an old movie because for the first time in my life, I got a taste of what it was like to act on my wants, and God did it feel good.

Chapter Eleven

Jack

Two days. It’s been two days since I saw her, two days since I felt her lips on mine, and it's all I can think about. I know we took it too far. I know she’s not ready for anything right now, but I lose my head when I'm near her. I know she wanted it as much as me, but, for whatever reason, she just can’t let herself give in to what she wants. I suspect that prick, Alex, is the root cause. How he’s treated her and made her feel makes me feral. I want to find him and make him regret everything he has ever said or done to her.

Despite knowing I shouldn't, I’ve somehow ended up outside her house. I need to see her, to reassure her. To be her friend. Because I need her in my life. In any way, she’s willing to let me in. She doesn't need another asshole making her feel like shit. She needs someone she can trust and rely on and I want to be that for her.

I’m sitting outside the blue and white house with flower boxes that decorate the porch. It’s small but cute and has Ria written all over it.

I step out of my black Audi, walk up the small brick-paved driveway, and pass her car.Fuck, she needs a new one. I can't believe she drives around in that or more importantly that Alex lets the mother of his children drive around in that.

I didn't want to turn up as Jack, her boss. I want to be Jack, her friend, so I'm in a pair of tennis shoes, dark jeans, and a plain black tee. Does it show off my muscles? Maybe. Did I pick it out on purpose for that very reason? Also, maybe. I want her to see me as a friend, but I'd be lying if I didn’t admit that I hope that, over time, she will see me as more.

I knock on the door and a dog barks on the other side—if you can call it that. It's more of an annoying yap. No one comes to answer, so I go to knock again just as the door opens. My eyes drop to where a little brunette, who is the image of Ria, stands. She’s dressed in a pink princess dress, holding a little white dog, who is still yapping.

This must be Lexi.

“Hello, who are you?” she asks in the sweetest voice.

I am just about to introduce myself when the dog leaps out of her little arms and tries to jump up at me

“Nugget, nooooo,” she shouts.

Nugget? The dog’s called Nugget?

I scoop the dog up and stroke it till it starts to calm. I bend down so I am at eye level with Lexi. I don't know much about kids, but a friend of mine has a toddler and I know he likes it when I get down on his level.

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