“Not everyone’s hell bent on screwing you over, Brooke. Some people genuinely care about you.” I turned away but he grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to face him. “If you want to know the truth, don’t ask a friend who’ll tell you only what you want to hear. Check the facts and you’ll see that, yes, I made a mistake, but I’m telling you the truth when I say I only tried to protect you.”
I yanked my hand away from him. Awkward silence ensued. I knew I had hit a soft spot. I could see it in his face, in his eyes, the way he moistened his lips, pondering his next move. Eventually, he let out a frustrated groan.
“I lied to you one time when I didn’t know you. Before we decided to have a relationship. I know I did many things wrong, but I never stopped caring about you.”
A liar is known to tell many lies but the one who speaks the truth will always stick to the same story. It was a universal knowledge I had embraced many years ago. In this case, however, the truth scared me. What if he cared about me but not enough to avoid hurting me again?
“I need to go, Jett.” I checked the time on my cellphone again, silently praying he’d let me go. I was no match for him if he didn’t. He stepped back but his gaze never left me.
I made my way across the terrace and down the stairs, minding my steps as Jett followed behind. I reached the waiting taxi in a few long strides. His strong grip on my upper arm told me our conversation wasn’t over and, as usual, he was about to fight for the last word.
“Brooke. We never had a real date.” His eyes were two glowing pits of smoldering heat. I had never seen so much determination in anyone. Then again, I had probably never seen the real Jett. “In spite of everything that happened and what I explained to you today, would you go on a date with me? I’m not asking you to trust me. I know that takes time. I’m asking you to give me a chance to earn that trust and make things right again.”
My heart hammered in my chest. The attraction was still here, coursing back and forth between us like an intangible current. “I would. Just prove your claims are true.”
“They are. Even if you don’t understand things now, sooner or later you’ll find out I never meant to hurt you.”
“I still need evidence,” I said coolly, holding on to my determination for dear life.
“And then you’ll give me a chance to redeem myself?”
“Yes.” It sounded fair enough. With proof I could understand his motives. “I really have to go now. Sylvie’s waiting for me.”
His smile returned with full force and brought with it the most gorgeous dimples. I held my breath as his mouth came closer. But instead of kissing me, he whispered in my ear, “I’m still thinking of you. Even though everything’s messed up, I still want you by my side. I still want to be with you, within you, inside you, hearing you panting my name.”
Chapter 8
I had never been one to deal with emotions easily. My heart was racing, my mind was spinning, and my body was floating in a vacuum as Jett drove me back to the spa. After our conversation and the few unexpected turns it took, I didn’t know what to believe or think and, most importantly, I didn’t know what to say to him when letting my guard down wasn’t an option.
“Thanks for lunch.” My hand hovered on the door handle but something kept me from pulling it open.
“My pleasure,” Jett said softly. His gaze was focused on me, like always, but there was something in his eyes that made me instantly aware of the confined space we were in. He dominated everything: my thoughts, my space, even the air I breathed. My breath hitched. He was too close for comfort and I couldn’t get away fast enough.
“I’m sorry, I have to leave.” Without so much as a glance back I sprinted out of the car, heading for the safety of the spa’s salon.
As I pushed the heavy glass doors open, I could feel his stare burning a hole in my back. Only once I was inside the reception area did I dare stop and take a deep breath, searching for him across the street, but the car had already sped off. I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Either way, I had to conceal it because Sylvie had the keen eye of a hawk. The second she got suspicious, she’d commence her interrogation.
Luckily for me, Sylvie’s treatment wasn’t finished for another ten minutes. I left a message with the receptionist in case I wouldn’t be back on time and took off down the busy main street, through the gathered crowds of midday shoppers and tourists. Even though my eyes could see them, my brain continued to be occupied. Jett’s statements about the club bothered me. I was ready to take his warnings seriously and investigate his claims. My thoughts circled back to Jett and the fact that the spark was still there.
What did you expect, Stewart?
I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity. The kind of attraction we shared wasn’t likely to go away on its own within a few days. Deep down I had known this all along, and yet I still agreed to have lunch with him.
If you really wanted to move on, you could have done so with someone else—find a rebound, just like Sylvie. But you didn’t. You reserved a place in your heart for Jett, and you don’t want to fill it with someone else. You want him and you need to see if you can take things slowly. You’re ready to chase away the demons of your past and make room for a future with him.
I stopped at a tiny corner café that sold gelato cones and freshly made smoothies, and bought two plastic cups of watermelon frappe before returning to the spa. Sylvie was typing furiously on her phone when I reached her and handed her a cup. Her face was glowing and she seemed relaxed. I breathed out, relieved.
“Ready?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” She pointed at her watermelon frappe and took a sip as we walked out onto the street. “You were right. It was amazing. Such a shame you couldn’t come.”
“Yeah.” I shot her a smile.
“How did it go?”
“Good. The shops kept me busy,” I said. “Wanna grab lunch?”
Her entire expression changed within an instant. “I thought you were supposed to do something for the old man.”