Page 41 of Don't Lie to Me

I was falling in love with Jack, avoiding dealing with Marcus out of fear of rejection – again, and still a bit afraid that Jack was still going to leave me. The last one wasn’t a big deal until tonight when I stepped into the limo and then the seriousness of the night and the fact that I knew I was going to be seeing Marcus at the ball came crashing down on me.

I was about to see the first man who tore my heart out of my chest. It took years to recover from the betrayal. I wanted to wrap myself in bubble wrap and steel to prevent my heart from being broken because after knowing Jack for so many years, and being ‘with’ him for the last month, he sat poised to be able to do the exact same thing to me all over again.

I hated not being able to trust him fully. Would I even be thinking these things right now if Marcus hadn’t walked back into my life?

It was a question I couldn’t answer.

What I did realize earlier today was that Logan’s birthday was coming up in two weeks. What better present could I give him than his dad? I thought of wrapping Marcus up in a large air-tight box with a big red bow and snorted.

“Where are you?”

I looked away from my window and down at Jack’s hand resting firmly just above my knee, one eyebrow raised in question at the blank look on my face. I immediately felt the warmth from his hand spread to my legs, and then everywhere else on my body. I still couldn’t believe how a simple touch from him could instantly turn me on. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and I looked at him and smiled.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” he asked me cautiously.

A breath left my mouth in an unattractive manner. What’s wrong? Only everything. And yet, Jack’s simple touch had the ability to calm me. Should I even be concerned about it being our third date? He was probably going to tell me to tap my shit down, or screw me senseless.

Which really – sounded okay to me. Maybe I could use the stress relief.

“You’ve been quieter than normal all night. Tell me.”

I looked out the window, needing to take my eyes off him in order to gain a semblance of control. My bottom lip started quivering, betraying me instantly and I knew he saw it when his hand left my thigh and gently cupped my chin between his thumb and index finger. He turned my chin to him slowly, until I had no other choice but to stare directly into his brown eyes.

“Tell me.” His voice was rougher than before.

“It’s our third date tonight.”

“And?” A slight twinkle of amusement flashed in his eyes before he shuttered it. I was instantly embarrassed. He looked like he had no clue what I was trying to say.

I sighed. My chest heaved out and in quickly, just once. I rubbed my fingers together trying to stop them from shaking in my lap.

“You always end things after the third date.” My words came out just above a whisper. His hand left mine immediately and fell to his lap, like I had shocked him.

I looked away from him, terrified of what he was going to say. I wondered if he would stop the limo and just have me leave right then.

“Look at me.”

I listened immediately because when he spoke to me in the dark and sexy voice that he usually reserved for the bedroom I had no other choice but to obey. I was just shocked that he was using it now when I was clearly so upset.

“You think that’s what is happening here?”

“I’ve known you for five years…”

“And I’ve wanted you for five years.”

His admission startled me. I mean, he had told me this before, but somehow in this moment, it sounded….heavier. More important, maybe.

“What?” I asked, just barely breathing.

He smiled widely at my bemused expression.

“Would it help if I told you I was falling madly in love with you?” Holy shit. Jack looked nervous. I couldn’t tell if he was messing with me to get me to smile – which worked, by the way – or totally serious. Jack didn’t let anyone close enough to love them; or care about, really. But yet, he had gotten close to me. He had broken all his dating rules for me and Logan and I instantly felt like a shmuck for bringing this up now.

“Are you?”

His lips twitched a bit into a smile but then he frowned- like maybe he wasn’t so sure himself what he was feeling.

“I don’t love anyone, Emma,” he said and my heart dropped to my stomach. Without another word, he grabbed my hips and flipped me around so I was no longer sitting next to him, but straddling him. Thankfully, my floor length black silk gown had two slits cut up to the mid-thigh or the outrageously expensive thing would have ripped. The movement was so quick it caught me off guard and a gasp left my lips. Jack’s eyes darkened as he looked at my slightly opened mouth.

---