Page 26 of Desperate Temptations

Cain turned back to his desk. He wanted to grab his work so he could get back to Jessa. He missed her already, plus he needed to see that she was okay.

All the bits of information he knew about the man ran like snapshots through his mind. He needed to find out what was going on with Gary because, for some reason, he knew Jessa was a part of it, and it went deeper than Gary’s attraction to her.

Cain just hoped it was something he could handle without causing harm, and there was no threat to Jessa.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jessa opened the door expecting Cain and was surprised to see Gary. A surge of unease swept through her at the look on his face. The last time they’d talked, it hadn’t ended well. She cleared her throat and tried to push back her apprehension.

“Hello, Gary, come on in.”

Gary walked in, his movements jerky, his expression brooding. Jessa had never seen him this unsettled, even after Drew’s murder. Concern and a wave of foreboding sent her pulse spinning.

“What’s wrong?”

He pushed his hand through his hair in agitation. He paced in front of her and remained quiet.

“Does it have anything to do with Drew?” The worry was quickly turning into the icy fear that twisted her heart as Gary’s facial features distorted with anger.

Gary stopped suddenly and whirled toward her with a look of pure rage. Furiously, his voice rose with every word.

“When are you going to let him go? The world did not revolve around Drew.”

Jessa backed away a few steps as her eyes widened in disbelief. She swallowed the anguish that threatened to block her oxygen.

“I know that. I’m sorry. I just thought ... well, I don’t know what I thought.” Jessa looked out the window. Where was Cain? She cleared her throat and rubbed her stomach where her muscles clenched tightly. “Why are you here, Gary?”

Gary paced back and forth, visibly trying to pull himself back together. He tried to smile, but it fell short. He took several deep breaths.

“I wanted to talk to you about Cain.”

Jessa looked startled, not expecting this. A wave of guilt swept through her. An evident and unwelcome blush crept across her cheeks. What did Gary know? What must he think of her? She wrapped her arms around her waist, unable to look him in the eyes.

“What about him?”

Gary sauntered toward her, and then he lightly grasped her shoulders.

“Look at me, Jessa.”

She slowly raised her eyes.

“You need to stay away from him. You have no idea how badly he could hurt you. He’s killed a lot of people. Yes, he did it for our country, but that doesn’t make him any less of a murderer. He was Special Forces, Honey. He’s done things you and I can never even imagine. You deserve so much better.”

Her jaw clenched, and she stiffened. Who was he to tell her what to do?

“What would Drew think?” he said.

Jessa jerked as a mixture of anguish, disbelief, and guilt dashed rapidly through her. Would Drew hate the idea of her and Cain together? That thought tore at her insides. She closed her eyes, pressing the fingers of one hand to her temple, where a deep throb had begun to pound. Her stomach twisted with the sensation of shame, while despair tore at her heart.

A vision of Cain and a memory of how he’d made her feel seemed to give her a sense of calm, strength, and peace that both surprised and thrilled her.

Jessa knew somehow, somewhere deep in her soul, Drew would approve of Cain. Drew would want her happy and safe, and if anyone could do that, it would have been Cain. Jessa swallowed and raised her chin.

“Aren’t you the one who sent him to me?” she asked defensively. Shame was quickly turning to annoyance. She didn’t have to answer to him. She didn’t have to explain any of her decisions to anyone.

She flinched a little when his hands tightened on her shoulders.

“I sent him to scare you, Honey. I’m sorry, but I was desperate to protect you, and I couldn’t think of anything else to do. You wouldn’t listen to me,” Gary said fiercely. He shook her lightly. “I never in a million years would have thought you and he would get together. You two are so different. You deserve better, Jessa. Someone like Drew, someone like me.”

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