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Her frown surprised him. ‘What is it you want to do?’
And that was where he and his father differed—his father had wanted to conquer mountains. But most of all Jack wanted to conquer himself. ‘That next world champs gold is mine. And I’ll win it with something no one else has ever done.’
Kelsi’s silver eyes widened and she leaned closer, asking him with a whisper that did nothing to soften the killer effect of her words, ‘And for how long will that satisfaction last, Jack?’
NINE
Kelsi heard the knock on the door and hauled herself off the sofa, knowing it was Jack coming to cook dinner.
‘Oh, wow.’ She stared, her heart seizing. ‘Um...um...I...’
Yeah, words weren’t possible.
He stepped inside. ‘Not what you expected, huh?’
She leaned on the door and watched the back view as he walked into her kitchen. Jack was in a suit. Jack was in the most beautifully tailored tux she’d ever seen outside Oscar telecoverage. Jack was looking so out of this world her eyes watered.
‘You’re going to cook in that?’ she croaked.
‘Actually I prepared something last night. It’s in the fridge. Just needs heating. You have to heat it up really well, and let it cool, okay?’
Yeah, she got the stop-the-salmonella instruction. Did that mean he wasn’t dining with her tonight?
Of course he wasn’t. He was in a tux. He was going out. Her heart sank into the abyss. Did he have a hot date or something? With one of those uber-rich babe types who liked to stay at his lodge?
‘It’s a celebrate sports dinner thing tonight. The rugby guys and netball girls get the gongs.’ He winked. ‘But we go for the free food and the fans who win the tickets to sit at the table.’
Okay, not a date. She breathed a fraction. But there’d be all those talented women there. And diehard fangirls.
And she was so pathetically jealous.
He was frowning as he looked around her room. Suddenly he turned to face her. ‘You want to come with me?’
Um. That would be a no.
‘I wasn’t going to go but the team knows I’m back in town and as half of the others are still overseas, I have to rep them.’
‘Of course.’
‘So you’ll come, too? It’s at the gallery. Be a big crowd, but it’ll be fun.’
‘Oh, no. Thanks.’ Could the earth open up and swallow her now. Please?
‘Why not?’
Because it was such a last-minute idea. He’d known he had this coming—he’d prepared food for her last night because he’d known he was going out. It was only now he was seeing her look so tragic and alone on a Friday night that he thought he’d better issue a sympathy invite.
‘I’m feeling really tired,’ she said. It was the perfect excuse—face-saving.
But he looked too concerned.
‘I’m fine,’ she assured him instantly, ‘I’ll just have an early night and sleep.’
His frown didn’t lighten. ‘You’ll eat something though, right? You want me to get it ready now?’
‘I can manage the microwave,’ she said, feeling sicker than she had this morning. ‘You go. Go.’ She opened the door. ‘You don’t want to be late.’
‘I don’t really want to go.’
