“Oh, Jack, I can’t accept this.”
But how she wanted to. She flipped the box over and read the description. Not only had he replaced her stolen camera, he’d gotten her the upgraded version.
“Sure you can. You never got the old one back, and I know you love taking pictures.” With one finger, he nudged the box closer to her. “I want you to have it. It’s important to me.”
Pulling the box against her, she clutched at it, wanting something—anything—to hang on to. She dropped her head and slammed her eyes closed because, yes, she was about to cry. The pressure inside her was too much. Too much hurt and agony and loneliness had built up and she couldn’t stand it anymore. Release. That’s all she needed. A way to get past this heartbreak.
Jack stepped closer and dropped his hands on her shoulders. “Please don’t cry. I thought you’d be happy.”
“I am happy. That’s the problem.”
“I don’t understand.”
“For two days, I’ve been missing you. Trying to convince myself that you and I will not work. That our issues—which, frankly, is just one big issue—will be too much to overcome. It’s been killing me. All I’ve wanted was to call you. Tell you that I screwed up and that I do trust you. But I don’t trust myself. I’m confused and it’s not fair of me to throw my confusion at you. Not when you’re trying to stay clean.” She smacked him in the chest again. “Then you go and buy me a camera. A camera! You know it brings me comfort and you’ve given it to me. God, Jack. You’re making this hard.”
She stepped back, sucked air through her nose and focused on him. The man who desperately tried to control his features because, yes, he was about to laugh.
She shoved him. Hard. “Seriously! I’m having a moment here. A total freaking breakdown and you’re laughing at me. What the hell is that?”
He put his hands out before she shoved him again. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I give you a camera and suddenly you hate me, but you don’t hate me. You’re a lunatic right now. It’s kind of funny.”
She gritted her teeth, but he looked so darned cute standing there—his slightly messy blond hair, the baby face, the ridiculous cane—that she stepped up, threw her arms around him and kissed him. A good smack right on the lips.
That’ll teach him for laughing.
With his free hand, he pulled her closer and returned the kiss. This couldn’t be considered bad. Not when it felt this right.
Slowly, she backed away from the kiss, but stayed close. Close enough to feel his breath. “What do you think?”
“About what?”
Dope. “Us. I’ve missed you. Everything in my life has changed. I’m starting from scratch. I need a new job, which definitely stinks, but it’s more than that. The last two days have been empty. Without you around, my self-imposed isolation, the little life I’d created, feels vacant.”
He shook his head, faux somber. “Vacant is not good.”
“Vacant sucks, Jack. Sucks.”
“I know. Look, I’m not the one fighting this. I gave up the fight when we made love the first time. I blew my one-year plan. I’m okay with it. Because of you, I feel like myself again. Before the addiction, I was a responsible guy who cared about others and got shit done and faced every day like something great would happen. That’s where I am again, and I don’t want to lose that. I’ve been miserable these last two days, but I’ve been going to meetings, making sure I take care of myself. I wanted to be able to come to you, though, and tell you that I’m still clean. I planned on waiting a week or so to give you time. That’s when I planned on giving you the camera. When you showed up here, I figured life was throwing me a bone.”
“So the camera is bribery?”
“If it works, why not?”
Ass. She smacked his chest again. Lighter this time. At least she hadn’t knocked him off his old-man cane.
But he got serious again. The pensive, frowny face that was so much a part of him. “Jillian, I wish I could tell you I’ll never relapse, but I’d be crazy to say that. I can tell you that every day my focus will be on not using. Every day. And if I’m having a bad day, I’ll talk to you about it. If I need a meeting on an off day, I’ll tell you why. I’ll be as honest as I can because I never want you to wonder. I don’t want that for either one of us.”
“You’re such a good man, Jack.”
“But—”
She sighed. “There’s always a but.”
“You have to trust me. You can’t run every time things get rough. I’ve accepted my situation, but this is a relationship. Relationships are never perfect. If I’m talking to you about my issues, you need to do the same. When you’re scared, you need to tell me you’re scared. And you need to introduce me to your family.”
She swallowed. Her family. Wow.
He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “You don’t have to hide them from me. I get it. If anything, I understand a little of what your dad faces.”
A burst of heat exploded inside her and her shoulders felt...light. Finally. Someone who understood the mess that was her family. “I’m gonna love you, Jack Lynx. It’ll hurt us sometimes, but I know we’ll take care of each other. I know that and I want to risk it.”
He squeezed her hand again. “I’m in. All the way.”
She stepped closer, snuggled into his neck, and he rested his cheek on top of her head. After fiddling with the zipper pull on his jacket, she felt his chest rise and fall with a deep breath. In the odd quiet of the garage, they stood in silence, for once not running from each other. “Then let’s do it. Let’s take a chance.”
* * * * *
Acknowledgments
With every project there are people to thank and I’ll start with my readers. Thank you all for coming along on this amazing journey with me.
Thank you to Amy Remus, who won the Name a Hero contest and finally, after five stories that included him, gave Lynx a first name. Jackson Lynx. What an awesome name. To Wendy M., I can’t thank you enough for your patience with me as I worked out plot details. Your input on this project was invaluable. To my friend Sara McCaw, who sat with me at Starbucks and helped me with organizational charts, thank you for the laughs. Brandi Prazak, thank you for helping me understand the differences between specific prescription drugs.
I cannot forget my usual suspects who keep me sane and grounded and laughing. Misty Evans, thank you for always answering the “brainstorming” call when I’m stuck. I love your devious mind. To the wonderful LJ Charles, who bravely takes on the challenge of reading my early drafts, you’re a wonderful friend and author and I’m so glad we have each other. John Leach, you always seem to come up with an answer that will save my plot. Thank you! Milton Grasle, you always make writing action scenes so much fun that I’m in awe over my luck at having you in my life. Thank you to Nicole Mannis for giving me the incredibly funny “helmet” line. A special shout-out goes to the Dangerous Darlings, you guys rock!
Theresa Stevens, Kelsey Browning and Tracey Devlyn, my sisters of the heart, I’d be lost without your constant and unwavering support. We are an awesome team.
To my editor, the fabulous Gina Bernal, who somehow crawls into my brain and knows exactly what I’m trying to do even when I mess up a scene. You’re the best.
To my stepdaughter, Julie, who has overcome so much in her life, thank you for keeping me well stocked when it comes to swag for my readers.
Finally, to “my guys” who make my life the wonderful place it is, I love you.
But wait, there is one person I cannot forget to mention. To Rich Picerno, who told me it would be nice if I mentioned him in a book and said something nice, thanks for always making me laugh. There you go. I mentioned you and said something nice. I’ve held up my end.
If you liked Opposing Forces, don’t miss the first five
explosive titles in the Private Protectors series from Adrienne Giordano. Available now!
Man Law
Security Consultant Vic Andrews lives by his Man Laws:
Never mess with your best friend’s sister
Never get caught
Never get attached
But he can’t deny his irresistible attraction to Gina Delgado, a young widow with three kids and plenty of strings attached. Even so, having a physical relationship doesn’t mean they’re “in a relationship.” Gina lost her husband to tragedy; she is not getting emotionally involved with another man in a dangerous profession. Sleeping with Vic is just stress relief. Until one of Vic’s assignments goes wrong and the target selects Gina and her kids for revenge. There’s nothing Vic won’t do to protect Gina and the children—the family he realizes, too late, he wants. He’ll accomplish his mission but will he have lost his only chance at true love?
A Just Deception
The protector: Peter Jessup, former Navy SEAL, currently employed by Taylor Security. He likes being the hero—in charge and in control.
His client: Lawyer Isabelle DeRosa. The sexy brunette is the personification of Peter’s fantasies. She’s willing to get physical but nothing more serious.
The assignment: When Isabelle becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her cousin, Peter is there to protect her and help her find the real killer. As their search leads to danger, Peter realizes he’s falling in love with Isabelle. He wants all of her, but she’s too used to guarding herself to let him in...
Risking Trust
Roxann Thorgesson’s world is out of control. After her father suffers a fatal heart attack, she must take over as publisher of Chicago’s second-largest newspaper. Then her ex-boyfriend Michael Taylor, CEO of his own security company, shows up needing a favor. The last thing Roxann needs is Michael around causing trouble—and potential heartbreak—but he’s involved in a scandalous story she can’t pass up...
Negotiating Point
As a hostage negotiator for Taylor Security, Gavin Sheppard has just been given the toughest assignment of his career: securing the release of his boss’s pregnant wife. He’ll have to work closely with the one woman who could prove to be a distraction...
Janet Fink, the agency’s tech geek, is conflicted about working alongside the man she’s irresistibly attracted to. Though she’s determined not to risk her career by getting involved with a coworker, especially a superior, she can’t forget the passionate kiss they once shared...
Relentless Pursuit
You call this a mission?
Yeah, ex-Army Ranger and Taylor Securities operative Billy Tripp screwed up. So instead of being assigned to a dangerous international mission, he’s sent to babysit a pricey necklace at a trendy South Beach hotel. The only bright side to the assignment is working with the manager, smoking-hot hotel heiress Kristen Dante.
When three luxury cars go missing from the hotel’s lot, Billy sets out to find the thief. Suddenly, he has a case with the risks he thrives on. But when his investigation leads to Kristen being threatened, the real danger is losing his heart.
Connect with us for info on our new releases, access
to exclusive offers and much more!
Visit CarinaPress.com
We like you—why not like us on Facebook:
Facebook.com/CarinaPress
Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/CarinaPress
About the Author
Adrienne Giordano is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her workaholic husband, sports-obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten Terrorist (Terrier). She is a cofounder of Romance University blog and Lady Jane’s Salon-Naperville, a reading series dedicated to romantic fiction. For more information on Adrienne’s books please visit www.AdrienneGiordano.com. Adrienne can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AdrienneGiordanoAuthor and Twitter at twitter.com/AdriennGiordano.
Where no great story goes untold.
The variety you want to read, the stories authors have always wanted to write.
With new releases every week, your next great read is just a download away!
Keep in touch with Carina Press:
Read our blog: www.CarinaPress.com/blog
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CarinaPress
Become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarinaPress
ISBN: 978-14268-9540-1
Copyright © 2013 by Adrienne Giordano
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.CarinaPress.com
Opposing Forces Page 29
