AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She spun around. He hadn’t moved, and they stood ten feet apart. “Say what, Jack? You’re not making any sense.” Turning around again, she started picking her way across the rocks.
“I love you, goddammit!”
She froze, her heart pounding.
“Sara, I’ve been in love with you almost from the start.”
She slowly turned around, staring at his tormented face.
“The air shimmers when you walk into a room, and I felt incredible when we got together. Hell, we’re both artists! But I was so scared. I knew you didn’t feel the same way, and it could cost me everything I’m trying to build here. I was afraid you’d leave me.” He stopped, his chest heaving, and Sara stared at him. Finally, he continued, “I didn’t break up with you because I didn’t care. It was because I cared too much.”
The angry red furnace had died, and was replaced by soft, pink hope that spread to fill the empty hole in her heart. Sara moved toward him, as if her feet weren’t under her control. Her voice was soft now and a small smile played at the corners of her lips. I can work with this. “That’s terribly presumptuous of you, you know.”
He still hadn’t moved. “What?”
“That you knew how I felt. You never even asked.”
He squeezed his eyes tight before opening them again. “I couldn’t hear it. That you wanted to keep it casual, then move on if it suited you.”
She stepped closer, searching his brown eyes. They were wide, frightened, and a pulse hammered in his temple. Her heart squeezed, spreading the warmth through her. “I did want to keep it casual. Until we broke up and I realized how miserable I was without you. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d never wanted to get serious. It just wasn’t true until now—what I feel is anything but casual. I love you, too.”
Without warning, Jack rushed toward her, wrapping her in his arms as he kissed her. His mouth felt different, softer with his beard. As their kiss deepened, she ran both hands through his thick hair, then finally brushed her fingers down the silkiness of his beard. Their tongues melded together, and both moaned in unison, pressing tighter against each other.
“I’ve missed you so much. You have no idea,” he said against her mouth.
“I’d lie awake half the night, knowing you were right below me.” She kissed him again, just because she could. She stepped hard against him, running her hands across his shoulders. Why was I in such denial about this? About him?
When they finally broke apart, he stroked a finger down her cheek, then met her gaze again, his eyes strengthening. “You’re ok? That asshole you were with last night didn’t hurt you, did he?”
She stepped back, frowning. “I’m fine. Why would you ask that?”
Jack laced his hands on top of his head. “I really screwed that up. Communication isn’t my strong suit, but let me try this again. He’d bad news, Sara. I knew I’d seen that man somewhere, but I couldn’t place it. It came to me last night as I was trying to sleep.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s some real estate developer that Alex and Hope had a run-in with, and Alex hates the guy. A few months ago, Alex and I went out for a beer, and he was there. Alex actually threatened him.”
Sara took a step back, her mouth going dry as pieces started to come together inside her mind. “Do you know what happened between them?”
“Alex’s explanation was kind of weird. Believe it or not, it had to do with Hope’s dog. The guy you had dinner with is such a dick that Cruz was desperate to run away from him. He wanted the dog back and threatened Hope. Alex got involved—whatever that means—and chased him off.”
Sara’s head had become fuzzy during his account, and her heart pounded as she pressed a hand against Jack’s chest to steady herself. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me Wayne is Creepy Guy?”
CHAPTER 35
Jack stared at her, holding her gaze. “I don’t know anything about Creepy Guy, but from what I’ve gathered, Wayne Timmons isn’t a real stellar individual.”
Sara wrenched her eyes away, staring at the beautiful, deserted strip of land and seeing it with different eyes now. A gaping hollowness formed inside her as the truth sunk in, and her stomach plummeted. “He’s been using me this whole time.” Her gaze settled on the resort in the distance. “No wonder he was so set on this location. He wants to get back at Hope and Alex.”
“Sara, what are you talking about?” Jack’s voice was soft, but his lowered brows made his confusion obvious.
She wrapped both arms around herself as tears threatened. “Wayne is building a luxury spa and has been after me to manage it. Once he found out who I was, he started pushing hard for me to work for him. He even dangled an ownership share in front of me.”
“It looked like more than business to me.”
She wrenched her head back to Jack, her heart twisting. “It was. To start with. But I kept comparing him to you. Last night, he kissed me in the parking lot, and I couldn’t stand how it made me feel. I made him take me home.”
Jack’s eyes clouded as his face took on a wounded look. “I was there. I saw you next to his car.”
