Fiance by Fate (11 page)

After Mrs. Metzger walked past them, Sabrina pinned a hard glare on Jack. “Why in the world would I ask you to stay?” she whispered heatedly.

“We both had too much to drink last night, so you told me to stay, and you’d drive me to pick up my car in the morning.”

“Oh.” She vaguely remembered that now, as she rubbed her forehead. It kind of made sense.

Without warning, Jack tore off his damp T-shirt in front of her, making her legs tremble a bit with anticipation of what might come off next. She stared at his bare chest, feeling even more off balance when his hands traveled to his bellybutton. Jack paused, then looked up at her with a hint of amusement. A rush of heat seized her cheeks, and her gaze shot to the wall behind him, then to the counter, then to the floor. She had a sneaking suspicion Jack knew his body was impressive, so she was not about to give him the satisfaction of ogling it. Yet somehow—despite her will—her eyes kept being drawn in to catch peeks of his dark chest hair. It seemed to be distributed along those sculpted pecs of his with absolute perfection.

Suddenly curious, Sabrina looked down at herself. She was still wearing the same black dress from last night. That also made sense. But something else kept nagging at her as she thought about three adults staying in her one little apartment.

She looked back up, willing her eyes on his and not his body. “Uh, Jack, where exactly did you sleep last night?”

A lazy grin swept over his rugged face. “With you.”

She was afraid of that.

She lunged for the bat. “I should have known,” she spat.

Jack quickly held up his hands, trying to control his laughter. “Take it easy, will you? Jeez, you’re touchy. I slept with you in your room, but
on the floor
. By the way, my back’s paying for that one.”

“Oh.” She didn’t want to think about why she felt a trickle of disappointment at that. Jack had been a gentleman. That was…good. But she had to wonder if he even tried anything funny—or had wanted to. Since she was still wearing her pantyhose and he complained about her bossiness last night, she guessed not.

What was the matter with her?

She wasn’t interested in Jack. Why would she be? David was right. Jack wasn’t even remotely her type. The man was clearly an egomaniac who probably slept with more women than there were hairs on Mrs. Metzger’s cat.

“Good,” she said, trying to sound pleased. “What time is it anyway?”

“Almost eight.”

“
Eight?
” she cried. “We’ll never have time to pick up your car this morning. Can you wait until after work?”

“Yeah, I’m not traveling today. You have a razor I can use?”

She nodded and held out a hand. “Let me have your T-shirt. I’ll throw it in the wash and bring it to work for you tomorrow.”

He casually tossed it to her with a smile. “Thanks,
Mom
.”

His comment triggered a memory of the conversation they’d had at dinner. She realized that Jack ha
d opened up to her—their first real conversation since meeting. No wonder Jack was so anti-commitment. Having a parent commit suicide would be a lot of strain on a family. The children would have dealt with a lot of guilt issues…and worse, shattered trust.

Sabrina continued to stand there, twisting his T-shirt. “I know I had a lot to drink last night, but I did listen to everything you told me. I know it wasn’t easy for you to share that.”

“Not a big deal.”

She licked her lips and did her best to not let his tone affect what she still wanted to say. “I know what you went through. Although my parents didn’t take their own lives, someone else did. So, I know what it’s like to feel lost and even question the purpose of life.”

She watched his tense features slowly relax.

“I appreciate all you did for me last night,” she continued, “and I thought that maybe under the circumstances, you would now consider me a friend.”

“Friend?” He looked like he’d just swallowed rotten cheese, and so she safely assumed someone like Jack wasn’t used to getting proposals of friendship from women.

“Yes. I think that if we were more united on a personal front, we would have a better chance of reaching our goals more quickly, don’t you?”

J
ack seemed to consider it over in his mind. When he finally looked back at her, his eyes held a trace of amusement. “Okay,
friend
.”

She let out a deep, pent-up breath. “Okay.” About to walk back to her bedroom, she stopped mid-stride at the sound of Jack’s voice.

“Don’t forget this.” He held out her baseball bat and gave her a wide, toothy grin. “I don’t think you’ll be needing it anymore.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure.” She took it from his out-stretched hand and winked. “We haven’t been friends that long.”

…

Sabrina finished applying her ruby lipstick, then gave her hair a quick shake. After toying around with a few strands of her bangs in front of the foyer mirror, she turned to Jack. “Okay, let’s go.”

“Finally,” he mumbled, swinging open the front door.

“Sorry, but I don’t want your father thinking I went on some drinking binge last night.”

“You
did
go on a drinking binge last night. But he won’t notice.” His eyes swept over her with an appreciative gleam. “You look really great.” When she slanted him a look, he cleared his throat. “I mean…considering.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes. Men had it way too easy. Just shaving and splashing cold water on his face, Jack looked like he was ready to do another
Boston
magazine layout. Life wasn’t fair that way. Although because of Mrs. Metzger, he did smell a little like a salad. She smiled in spite of herself. “Thanks, I think.” She locked her door and led the way down the aisle.

“What are
friends
for?” he said as he fell into step beside her. “And since we’re so chummy now, I think I should mention something to you.”

Sabrina watched him warily. It was only thirty minutes into it and she wasn’t so sure she could handle this friends thing with him much longer. “What’s that?”

“You snore.”

She stopped in the middle of the hallway and gaped. “I do not.”

“Oh yeah, you do.” He nodded, beaming from ear to ear. “Cute, kind of baby snores, but still snores by standard definition. Maybe that was the problem that broke up you and David. Doctors need their sleep, you know.”

She shot him a withering glare. “Boy, you’re kind of jolly for a man who has a sore back and took a tomato juice shower.” He chuckled as she stormed out the doors of the main entrance.

“Hey, seriously, what really caused your breakup?” Jack called after her.

Stopping at her blue Honda, she looked up. “I’m not sure.” She tried to pull open her car door, but Jack pressed his hand on it, making it near impossible.

“Hold it. David didn’t even give you a solid reason for breaking off the engagement?”

“Not exactly.” She tried to fling his arm away, but Jack held tight.

“Why not?” he demanded. “The guy proposes, then changes his mind but gives you no real explanation. How could you let him do that to you?”

The anger in his tone had her blinking up at him. She couldn’t understand why he was even pressing the issue. It was her life. Her fiancé. “David said he was confused and—” She caught sight of David’s car pulling in next to them.

“Put your arms around me,” she said urgently.

“Huh?”

Do I have to do everything?
“It’s David. Quick, do something.”

In an instant, Jack pressed his hands against the car window on either side of her, pinning her in. Her head automatically fell back and her heart started pounding so fervently through her chest, it almost hurt. She convinced herself it was because of David and what he would say, and not because of the way Jack began nuzzling her neck.

“How’s that?” Jack murmured in her ear.

There was a tingling in the pit of her stomach and her mouth went bone-dry. “O…k-kay.”

He smiled against her skin, sending off sensations like a domino effect throughout her entire body. She thought she would melt right into the paint of the car. And all he was using was his mouth.

Oh dear.
She hated to think what her traitorous body would do if his hands were actually on her. His breath came fast and hot against her throat, but his lips were soft and caressing. If she didn’t keep herself in check, she was afraid she’d almost purr.

Then he shifted closer.

His body, warm and solid, felt especially good against the freezing cold temperature outside. It made her feel sheltered and cozy, and if she didn’t know he was only acting, really…
wanted?

No. Jack was just a better actor than she was. Telling herself she was acting too, Sabrina closed her eyes, tilting her head back to give him better access to her neckline. She could smell her own vanilla soap on his face, but somehow it didn’t seem feminine at all—nothing about him could.

Her eyes sprung open when she heard David’s door slam behind them, but Jack didn’t immediately pull back. An itsy bitsy part of her almost hoped he wouldn’t. When Jack finally did break away, she felt a huge surge of guilt, and not being able to even glance at him, feebly turned to David. And her eyes widened. He looked awful.

“David.”

“Hello,” he said, his eyes only on her. “I had an emergency last night at the hospital. I’m just getting back now.”

She only nodded. Little did he know, with the way he looked, he didn’t have to explain.

“I’m glad I ran into you, actually,” David said, taking a step closer. “I didn’t have time to mention it last night, but I assume I can still count on your help with the charity dinner next Sunday?”

Her mouth almost fell open. The last thing she expected was to still be invited to attend the fund-raiser he’d been planning for months prior to their breakup. “Oh, of course. No problem.” She hoped she sounded nonchalant.

David smiled warmly at her, and she found it comforting—like an old quilt. “In case I don’t see you, I’ll make sure I leave your ticket under your door.”

“She’ll need
two
, Doc,” Jack added sharply.

David’s smile wiped clean away as he turned to Jack with grim eyes. “Of course,” he said, sounding more agreeable than he looked. “Any friend of Sabrina’s is a friend of mine. See you both then.” Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he stormed away.

Jack bent his head toward Sabrina but kept his eyes on David’s retreating back. “Something about that guy rubs me the wrong way.”

She cocked her head as she watched David walk into the building. “It seems the feeling is mutual.”

“So that’s your type, huh?”

“Yes, he is. Why do you ask?”

Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m having a hard time believing someone like him is worth all that you’re doing. Tell me what’s so great about him.”

Unfortunately, she had to think a minute. “Well, as you can see he’s very dedicated to the hospital.”

“Okay, you might as well say boring. You like boring.”

Sabrina shoved him out of her way and opened the car door. “You’re being ridiculous. I don’t have to explain why I love him.” She climbed in and slammed the door.

As she started the engine, Jack calmly walked around to the other side and let himself in.

The car ride remained silent for almost twenty minutes before Jack turned to her. “Stay in this lane,” he told her.

Sabrina pressed her lips together and did as he said. She was expecting he’d mumble out at least one “I’m sorry” for his remark about David.

“How did your parents die?” he asked instead. His voice was different now. Low and somber. She was trying to concentrate on driving through the morning rush hour traffic, but could feel his eyes closely set on her. It was unnerving.

“Car accident.”

Jack swore under his breath.

Like the popping of a balloon, Jack’s reaction deflated her anger. “At least, that’s what I was told by Childhood Services. I don’t have any real family. Instead, I grew up in a few different foster homes until I was able to go to college and get out on my own.”

Without warning, Jack laid a hand on her thigh. She tried not to stiffen at the intimate gesture, since she knew he was only trying to be comforting. And probably with any other person, it would be calming, but instead she found herself trying not to drive them off the overpass.

“So you have no family at all?” she heard Jack ask.

“No—until I met David. He was the first man to make me feel as if I wasn’t alone anymore. I felt…whole. His family is wonderful and they accepted me as a part of it so quickly. It was weird, meeting him the way I did, and then getting engaged. Everything about it was just so perfect. It was like fate,” she added. “I guess you can see now why I would want him back so badly.”

“No.”

Hands tight on the wheel, Sabrina glanced over at him.

He was serious.

“You don’t?” Frowning hard, she made a quick left and pulled into the parking garage only a block from their building.

“No,” he repeated, finally removing his hand from her leg. “Do you really think he’s so great just because of his family?”

“Well.” She cleared her throat, not sure if she should share her superstitions with him. “No. Like I said, there are other reasons—”

“Yeah well, what I’m not hearing is that he
does it
for you.”

“He
does it
for me.” It sounded like more of a question, even to her own ears. She hoped Jack hadn’t picked up on it.

“Wow, convincing.”

She winced. He had picked up on it. It only made her frustrated at him—and herself. “Look, I don’t have to convince you of anything. David is what I want and that’s that.”

“Sabrina, do you really think David—love—is worth everything you’re going through?”

“Of course it is.”

Jack snorted. “I don’t think so. Putting everything you have into one person is a set-up for an emotional disaster. At least your parents went together. I saw what the death of my mom did to my dad. It wasn’t pretty.”

After turning off the motor, she turned and gave him a solid look. “Just because you’ve seen a bad side to love and marriage doesn’t mean there aren’t any good sides to it.”