Page 101 of Fighting Mr. Knight

I open the door a few inches to find his brown eyes peering in.

“I have a stomach bug,” I say, forcing a small smile.

He gently pushes the cubicle door farther open, forcing me to step back.

“You’re trembling.”

“Please just leave me.” My voice cracks. I can’t stand Jack seeing me right now.

He takes my hands and pulls me tight against him. My head barely reaches his chin.One arm wraps around my back and the other gently pushes my head down until it rests on a warm solid slab of chest muscle.

He’shuggingme.

Jack’s hugging me.

Stunned, my arms dangle at my sides. He takes my hands and wraps them around his waist, then his arms come back around my body, crushing me against him.

“Bonnie.” I feel his warm breath against my forehead. “Do you feel my heartbeat?”

“Yes,” I whisper. And I do.

“Good,” he murmurs. “Close your eyes and listen to my heart and my breathing.”

My head rises and falls slowly with the movement of his chest. He takes slow deep breaths. My body warms against his with every breath. We stay like this for minutes. I don’t know how long. I don't know why he’s here, but I need him.

With my face buried in his chest, I listen to his hypnotic breathing. Slowly, my breathing stabilises. I breathe in his scent. It surrounds me, consuming me, overpowering me. Protecting me.

“It’s okay,” he says quietly into my hair. “I think you had a panic attack. My sister used to have them after Dad died.”

His fingers lift my chin so that our eyes meet. Our faces are inches apart. “Want to tell me what happened? What was it about?”

I inhale sharply and drop my hands from his waist. “I realised Max was cheating on me with Olivia. For months.”

“Uh-huh.” He doesn’t look surprised. “How?”

“Max bought a blue necklace last year.” I swallow the knot in my throat. “He didn’t know I found it. He never gave it to me, and it was gone from the sock drawer, so I thought he’d returned it. Olivia was wearing it today.”

He doesn’t say anything. He just stares down at me, willing me to go on.

“I’ve never been cheated on before. I guess I always had the naive impression that my guy would never do that. Not Max. Realising it was all lies in the middle of the meeting with our co-workers, you and Olivia sitting there smiling, I…panicked.”

“It was supposed to be your wedding day,” Jack says softly.

How did he. . .?

I give a small nod, averting my gaze.“Shit day to find out.”

His fingers nudge my chin forcing me to look up at him. “Want me to beat the shit out of Max?”

I laugh and his hand drops. “Maybe. I don’t know what I want to do about Max yet. I sure as hell don’t want to confront him at work.”

“That soundswise.”

“Wait.” I frown. “Did the meeting end?”

“I told Sean to take over.”

My eyes widen. “You walked out in the middle of the meeting?”

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