He opened his mouth to give her the same flippant response he gave to every woman who had asked that question before her. Instead, he heard himself telling her the truth.
“My wife died a little over four years ago.” He paused, then added, “It’s so much worse knowing what it’s like to be truly happy because then no matter how hard you try, you can’t ever seem to settle for less.”
They sat with their knees touching, the silence stretching out between them. Finally, she broke it by asking, “What was she like?”
He thought over her question, looking for the best way to describe Kim, smiling he answered. “Funny. That’s the best word I can think of. She laughed constantly. No matter how black of a mood I was in when I came home, she had a story to tell about her day that would have me laughing so hard, tears would be rolling down my face. It wasn’t necessarily that she had all that many humorous things happen to her as much as that she had a funny way of looking at things. When she died, so did all the laughter.”
Jack’s hand went unconsciously to her throat before she seemed to catch the movement and dropped her hand to her lap. “My marriage was nothing like that,” she admitted, sounding defeated.
Paul looked away, his fist clenching where it rested on the swing behind her. Staring off into the darkness, he had a startling moment of clarity. He wanted to keep her.
He glanced back at her, only to find her watching him curiously. Holding her gaze, Paul lowered his head, intent on tasting those lips that had teased him all night, only to have her turn her head at the last moment. He experienced an awkward moment where his mouth hovered near her ear, but she cleared it all up nicely by jumping out of the swing.
She smiled, but it seemed strained. “Well, this has been fun, but I really need to be heading back to my room.”
Despite the situation, Paul felt the first genuine smile touch his lips in a long time. She had turned him down flat. He’d forgotten what it was like, the thrill of the chase. That’s what it was, after all, there was no way he was letting her get away now.
“Coward,” he accused lightly.
“Oh most definitely,” she admitted before slipping away and disappearing down the dark driveway, leaving him smiling at the sight of her retreating back. He let her go this time, but next time she wouldn’t even know what hit her. He chuckled out loud, the sound drifting off into the night.
Jack’s heart was racing in her chest. She knew she was running away but that still didn’t slow her step. He had been about to kiss her! Remembering the feel of his lips as they brushed across her ear caused her cheeks to flame. He must have thought she was an idiot.. She wasn’t even sure why she had run. When she had noticed him leaning towards her, she had panicked. The night had been so perfect. Why had she run? The question caused her to stop in her tracks. She was leaving, cutting all ties to her old life. Why not have this one memory to take with her? Backtracking, she found him sitting where she had left him. She paused to take in the sight of him. He took up more space than any man had a right to as he sat sprawled across the porch swing, his arm resting on the back. A smile quirked up in one corner of his mouth at the sight of her. She almost turned to leave at the sight of that knowing smile, but the look in his eyes forced her feet forward until she stood hovering over him.
“Did you forget something?”
“Yeah,” she answered breathlessly. Leaning over, she braced her arms on either side of his head, caging him in before claiming his mouth with hers. At the first brush of his tongue, her knees refused to hold her any longer and she found herself straddling his thighs. His arms encircled her as he took control of their kiss.
The swing groaned under the strain of their combined weight and a loud pop was their only warning before the chain snapped, tumbling them both to the ground. Paul cushioned her fall taking the brunt of the impact, but he wasn’t quick enough to stop her forward motion before she smacked her forehead against the wall behind them.
“Ow,” she responded inadequately. Cupping her head with both hands, she held still until the darkness receded from the corner of her eyes.
Paul was frantically trying to pry her hands away from her face. “Let me see. Let me see, Jack.” Tilting her head back, she allowed him to inspect the wound.
“You’re going to have a nice sized goose egg. Let’s go put some ice on it. That should help some with the swelling.”
Jack sat down hard in the first chair she came to while Paul rummaged around in the kitchen.
“Here,” he said, coming back over to her. “Put this on it.”
She glanced down at the plastic bag in her hand and grunted out a laugh, pressing the ice to her head. “Huck-a bucks,” she breathed, leaning back in the chair.
CHAPTER FOUR
Smith Brothers Fight Club was deserted with the exception of Walt and Alyssa when Paul came in the next morning. He had been unable to fight since the car accident but he still made it a point to come in to lift weights. There was no sense in letting himself go completely. Then it would’ve been harder to get back to fighting shape when the time came.
To give Alyssa credit, she made it all of fifteen minutes before her curiosity got the best of her. “So, Bryant tells me you came in with Ms. Swanson yesterday.” She raised an eyebrow, but when she realized he wasn’t going to take the bait, she continued, “He also tells me that not only was he truly impressed with her level of intelligence, but that you couldn’t take your eyes off of her. I told him you couldn’t keep your eyes off any woman but he says no, this was different.”
Paul remained stubbornly quiet, but Alyssa wasn’t deterred. “I’m thinking that I need to take a second look at this girl. Would you two like to go out with Walt and me tonight? We could go to that new sports bar at the corner of Main.”
Despite the fact that Alyssa was trying to mettle, he was thrilled at being given a chance to ask Jack out again, but he’d be damned if he gave Alyssa the satisfaction of seeing him too eager. Shrugging as if it didn’t really matter, he grunted out a simple “Sure.”
Rushing through his workout, he took a quick shower at the club before running by Jack’s hotel. He had to knock several times before a scuffing noise sounded on the other side of the door, alerting him to her presence. The door swung open revealing an adorably half asleep Jack. He chuckled at her squinting look. “Did I wake you?” he asked perversely, only wanting to see her reaction. She didn’t disappoint. She slammed the door in his face. He felt his smile hitch up a notch and he knocked on the door again. “I have coffee,” he lied blatantly.
Throwing the door open she mumbled, “Asshole,” when she realized his hands were empty.
“Okay I don’t have coffee, but I’ll buy you some later if you’ll go out with me tonight.”
She eyed him carefully. “Dress or casual?’
“Casual.”
“Fine,” she grumbled. “Be here at seven.” The door closed in his face a second time with a definite snap but he still left whistling.
The rest of the day seemed to drag as the anticipation grew inside of Paul. At six fifty-nine, he presented himself at Jack’s door once more. This time when she answered, she was looking more rested and sexy as hell. Her usual baggy shorts and t-shirt had been replaced with a short fringed jean skirt and spaghetti strap tank top. She stood looking unsure of herself as his gaze traveled the length of her body, lingering at the strategic parts. By the time he meet her eyes, she was blushing prettily and he had broken out into a sweat.
Clearing his throat, he told her, “You look beautiful.”
Plucking at the fringe of her skirt, she asked, “Are you sure this outfit is okay? I didn’t know where we were going, so I wasn’t sure.”
“It’s perfect,” he answered, leading her to the car. “My friend Alyssa, the one you meet in Louisiana, she wanted to meet us at this new sports bar that just opened up a couple of streets over from the club.”
“Sounds like fun. Hey, you’re hardly limping at all today.”
“It must be you. You have healing powers.”
“Do you ever say anything serious?” she asked, but her laughter only caused him to become more outrageous.
“I am serious. I think when you broke my swing last night, you jarred something back into place because I feel perfectly fine today.”
“I did not break your swing! It was unsound.”
“That swing has held me up for almost five years, and in one night you brought the whole thing down.”
“I only weigh 110 pounds,” she retorted, outraged.
“Apparently it was a crucial 110 pounds.”
Walt was at his most charming and Alyssa was on her best behavior, but none of that mattered because Paul didn’t notice any of it. He only had eyes for Jack. She had smiled and laughed all through dinner, even when Walt told a very unflattering story about a wild party Paul had attended after a fight in Idaho one night that had led to Paul being stalked by a trio of crazed women for six months afterward. Jack and Paul stayed sitting side by side in their booth long after Walt and Alyssa had called it a night.
“I’m sorry about Walt. He loves to embarrass me.”
“You know, there is a reason why women love and hate you all at the same time,” Jack told him as she rubbed her beer bottle between her hands. Paul felt his brows draw together in confusion “What are you talking about?’
She smiled a little before answering. “You’re a dangerous man, Paul. You look at people and they feel like they are being seen. That’s a hard thing for a woman to give up without a fight.” Paul scoffed but Jack persisted. “No, Paul, I’m serious. Look around at all the men in the room.”
Paul did as she asked, letting his gaze travel the room, paying special attention to each one of the men there. Jack leaned closer to his ear. “See, none of them are smiling or even looking anyone in the eye. They nod while their eyes scan the room, always on the lookout for something better. None of them are ever satisfied with the woman they already have sitting at their table. Except you; you look at someone, giving them your full attention, then you flash that sexy grin and they feel special.”
Paul turned his head before she had a chance to lean away. Her face was only inches away.
“You are special,” he told her, capturing her lips in a blistering kiss before she could guess his intentions.
Jack allowed him to deepen the kiss for only a moment before gently pushing him away. “It’s probably time for me to head back to my room. I need to get some sleep before I head out tomorrow.”
Paul slid out of the booth, trying to hide his disappointment. He had known she wasn’t there for long, but he had hoped just the same.
Silence filled the air between them all the way back to the hotel, and as he walked her to the door, Jack tried hard to calm the racing of her heart. The kiss they had shared at the bar had moved something inside of her she had thought long dead, and she didn’t want to examine it any closer. Mannie had killed her dreams, permanently destroying any hopes that she could live a normal life with someone else. How could she be so stupid? Hadn’t Mannie taught her anything about pursuing a fighter? Who said God didn’t have a sense of humor? she thought wryly. He was probably laughing his ass off when Paul’s car ended up in her shop.
“Well, Jacquelyn, it’s been nice knowing you.”
Jack flinched at the name and she hissed out, “Don’t call me that.”
He leaned against her door and eyed her closely. “Okay,” he drawled. “It won’t happen again.”
Jack felt like shit for snapping at him. Running a hand through her hair, she told him “Look, I’m sorry I just don’t like to be called by that name. It makes me feel like I’m being called to task on something.”
Paul smiled wickedly. “It doesn’t fit you anyway. It’s too girlie.”
“Are you calling me a tom boy?”
He eased forward, slipping his arms around her waist and bent to nuzzle the side of her neck. “If the socket wrench fits,” he answered, before burying his hands in her hair and gently brushing her lips with his own. He was teasing her, giving her just enough to frustrate her to the point that she wanted to claw at his arms and pull him closer. Damn him because he knew it. Every move he made had a purpose. It was a carefully controlled seduction and it made her want to scream because she wanted it, even though she knew it for it what it was. But if she was going to burn, he was damn well going to go down in flames with her. Clutching at his shirt, she pulled him tighter, deepening their kiss while pushing with all her might, until she had him backed against the door.
“Invite me in,” he cajoled, his voice sounding ragged. “Invite me in, Jack,” he repeated.
“I’m not staying here after tonight,” she told him, not wanting him to have any misunderstanding.
“I know.”
“It can only be tonight.”
“I know.”
“Good.” Reaching around him, she slid her key into the door, pushing it open for them both. Paul didn’t need any persuading. As soon as the door was open, he walked backwards into the room. Jack surprised him by jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his body. Paul let out a low chuckle, but he obediently walked over to the bed with her wrapped around him. When his knees touched the bed, he let her slide down his body running his hands over as much of her as he could on her way down. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she watched as he undid the buttons at his wrist, then two at his neck. Once he had it opened up enough, he reached over his head and pulled the shirt over his head, baring his upper body. “Holy shit,” she breathed out on a sigh. He was a masculine perfection that went beyond any description she could ever give. Moving up onto her knees, she ran a hand over the smooth planes of his chest, then she brushed her lips along the same path. Looking up into his face, her chest constricted. His eyes seemed to shine even in the dimly lit room. A muscle was ticking in his jaw, where he kept himself tightly leashed. Well, she couldn’t have that. Reaching between them, she tugged his zipper down while watching him closely. His pants slithered to the floor and he kicked out of them. Pushing her flat on her back, he covered her with his body. He was being careful not to crush her, she knew, but she didn’t want him careful or even considerate. She wanted him wild and out of control. She wanted him mad with desire and inside of her now. She pushed until he rolled over. “Are you okay, dawling?” he asked, his accent even thicker than usual.
“Oh, yeah,” she answered, shimmying out of her clothes while he looked on, unabashed. Free of her restrictions, she forced him onto his back while straddling his hips. He was obviously willing but he still wasn’t out of control. Jack followed the indention of Paul’s chest with her tongue, dragging a moan from him. That’s more like it, she thought. Stopping at his stomach, she traced the line of his abs, forcing even more sounds out of him. She used her hands to memorize his body, intentionally not touching him where he wanted her the most. Only when she had him begging did she give him what he wanted. Climbing back up his body she slowly took him inside. He was gripping her hips with enough force that she would probably have bruises the next day, but she didn’t care. She nipped at his bottom lip until he opened for her, then she sucked his tongue into her mouth before she allowed him to enter her fully. He tilted his head back, his eyes falling partially closed, and his lips parted as he took shallow breaths. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Lowering her head, she kissed him again, this time with all the longing she felt inside. Wrapping his arms around her, Paul rolled until he had her underneath him while never breaking their connection. He moved inside her, keeping up a steady rhythm, slowly rocking her into orgasm then following over the edge. She knew immediately that it had been a mistake. She should have left him at the door; better yet, she should have left right after delivering his car instead allowing herself to want. He held her so lovingly, lightly running his fingers through her hair. They both stayed quiet, lost in their own thoughts until he drifted off to sleep, leaving her free to watch him. Even
in his sleep, he was a powerful presence and God help her, she was already in love with him. Maybe she had been long before she had come here. Is this what she had secretly hoped for? If so, then she was truly pathetic, because no matter how wonderful he was, he would never love her back, and the one thing she had learned from the stories Walt was always spewing out about the women in Paul’s past was that Paul was too nice to tell women to go away. They laughed about the women stalking him, but never once did anyone mention him telling them to leave him alone. The last thing she wanted was to become one of those women. So, tomorrow when the sun came up, she would tell him goodbye just like she’d promised, and somehow she’d move on with her life.
CHAPTER FIVE
It had been three long months since Paul had watched Jack drive away and out of his life. He hadn’t made it five days before he had tried calling her, only to find her cell phone had been disconnected. Next, he had tried calling the shop where she had worked, only to find she no longer worked there. Her last day had been the day she’d left to deliver his car, so she had planned all along to never return. As a last resort, he’d sent her an e-mail only to have it come back undeliverable. At a loss at what to do next, he had turned to Parker, Bryant’s wife, for help since she worked as a private detective in addition to teaching self-defense classes at the club. She still hadn’t been able to locate Jack, but she had gotten him a lot of back ground information. He had known by the look on Parker’s face that he wasn’t going to like what he found in that file, but he had sat down and read it from start to finish before exploding into a rage that had almost destroyed his living room.
Undefeated (Undefeated Series Books 1-4) Page 17
