Dangerous Attraction Romantic Suspense Boxed Set (94 page)

Puzzled, Kelly turned to walk back into the house, but a grinning Jack stood right behind her.

“Do you like it?” Jack asked.

“Like what?” Kelly asked slowly. She didn’t want to believe that Jack had bought her a car. And, apparently gotten rid of her car. Without even asking her.

Jack held up a set of car keys and smiled at her. “Your new car.”

Kelly leveled a stare at him. “Where is my car, Jack? My Civic?”

“I donated it to the Big Buddies Mentoring Program.”

“You did what!” Kelly all but yelled at Jack and Jack’s face fell into confusion.

“Well, yeah. You won’t need it with your BMW and this is a safer car anyway. Much safer. I passed the dealership driving home and saw it and couldn’t resist. I wanted to surprise you,” Jack explained as if he couldn’t understand why she didn’t appreciate such a nice gesture and such a great car.

Kelly sighed as she noticed the hurt look on Jack’s face. “Jack, you can’t do things like that. I have to go back to my life after the year is up and I need my car,” Kelly said as she reminded Jack that her life with him was only temporary.

“You can keep the car at the end of the year,” Jack said and this time anger seeped into his voice. “Why would you think I’d make you give up the car?”

Kelly crossed her arms and faced Jack head on. She didn’t honestly know why his actions angered her so much but it felt like a big reminder of what she was; a wife who was bought and paid for, who wouldn’t be needed after her expiration date.

Kelly didn’t want to be reminded of that fact.

“That’s not the point, Jack. I have to go back to living a normal life instead of this fairy tale. I’ll be a student, Jack. And now I’m a student who has to pay to insure a BMW. And maintain a BMW. And fix a BMW if it breaks down. Did you think about that, Jack, because normal people have to think about these things? Did you even think to ask me before you gave away my car?” Kelly hated that she sounded so edgy and needy and catty but she couldn’t reel the emotions back in. It was like a dam had broken and there was no sticking a finger in these holes.

“I’ll pay for the insurance and maintenance for you, Kelly. I won’t abandon you when this is over.” Jack looked confused as though he genuinely wanted to fix things, but he couldn’t fix this for Kelly.

Kelly stepped back as if she’d been struck. “So, I’ll be a kept woman, huh? You’ll put me up and pay everything for me and
what
? You’ll swing by for a good lay when you feel like it?”

Now Jack stepped back. “You don’t understand, Kelly. I didn’t mean it like that. You know I didn’t mean it like that. Maybe you shouldn’t leave in a year, Kelly. You can stay.”

Jack said it cavalierly as if it were nothing for her to stay with him and that’s when Kelly’s fairy tale came crashing down around her. She had been so caught up in the fun fairy-tale life, in the incredible sex with Jack, and in getting to play house that she’d forgotten that she shouldn’t, couldn’t fall for this man. Because he wasn’t talking about love or forever. He was just talking about a convenient extension of a lie.

Kelly’s eyes began to tear up. She closed her eyes and held them shut for a long moment, willing the tears back. She knew that she was falling in love with him. She also knew that this was all a game to Jack and once the terms of their agreement were honored, she couldn’t stay with him after this year for anything less than love. Her love was there, but there also had to be his love as well and that wasn’t what he offered.

Kelly shook her head and opened her eyes as tears began to fall. She grabbed the keys from a stunned Jack’s hands. “No, this isn’t a game, Jack. This is my life and you can’t just tell me you want to keep playing house and expect me to stay until you get tired of this – until you don’t want to play anymore. That’s not fair. I have to go back to a normal life after this. I have to get past this.” Kelly’s voice broke. “I have to get past you.”

Kelly couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth – that she would have to find a way to stop loving him in a year. So, as the tears fell freely, Kelly ran down the front steps and took the BMW because there wasn’t any other option. She gunned the engine out of the drive and let the tears fall as she drove to the clinic. Kelly didn’t know how, but knew she needed to find a way to protect herself from Jack Sutton and the feelings she had for him. Deep down, Kelly knew it was already much too late. She’d fallen in love with Jack a long time ago.

* * *

Jack stood on the steps stunned at what had just happened. Everything had been perfect. He was so happy.
They
were so happy. At least he’d thought they were.

Anger and frustration boiled over and Jack stalked back in the house and slammed the door behind him. Hell, all he’d wanted was to surprise her, to see that smile again. What had he done wrong? Jack wondered, but he didn’t find any explanation.

That incredible, sexy, luscious, funny, maddening woman was driving him out of his mind. Jack turned to go back into the house and found Mrs. Poole behind him. She looked ready to mother him and he groaned, knowing she wouldn’t let him get away without saying her piece.

“Oh, Jack, dear. She’s in love with you, Jack,” Mrs. Poole said quietly. She wiped her hands on the kitchen towel she held and shook her head at him. “She has been for a while.” She turned and walked away, leaving him stunned in the front hall.

Jack wheeled and went back out to the driveway and got into his car. Mrs. Poole’s words echoed in his head as he drove down the drive and turned onto the road. His hands gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles whitened and his teeth clenched as he stewed over what Kelly had said to him. Jack couldn’t understand why she would be angry that he asked her to stay. They were good together. Life was pretty darned close to perfect with the two of them together so why is she so eager to leave? And if Mrs. Poole was right and she loved him why would she want to leave?

As Jack drove, the anger gave way to confusion and then to fear.
Does Kelly want to leave now?
No, Jack couldn’t believe that. She couldn’t be faking what they had. But, what did they have, Jack began to wonder as he drove toward New Haven. Was she right? Were they playing house?

Damn it, Jack thought as he struck the steering wheel with the heel of his hand, it’s not playing house when you’re in love.

And then Jack realized the truth of it. He had fallen in love with Kelly somewhere in all of this. Once the realization hit him, it hit like a ton of bricks. He didn’t want a year, or two years, or anything less than forever with Kelly. He wanted it all. Their love, a family together, eternity with Kelly.

And suddenly Jack understood why Kelly couldn’t accept anything less from him. If Mrs. Poole was right and she was in love with him, she couldn’t accept an extension on their time if he didn’t love her. She needed to know that he loved her too. She needed to know that it was the beginning of forever and that he wasn’t playing house with her.

But even if she loved him, would Kelly want more? She was going on to law school soon and school and her career might not leave room for Jack. Jack wanted to drive right over to the clinic to see her and tell her he loved her. To find out if their love was enough to build a life together. He started to head that way when he hit New Haven, but stopped himself.

Kelly hadn’t wanted him to jump in and buy her a new car. She probably wouldn’t appreciate him busting into the clinic and announcing his love in front of everyone. He slowed the car as he thought through his options. He would go to work himself and talk to her tonight. He could bring flowers, open a bottle of wine on the patio under the stars, and tell her how he felt.

Jack wasn’t a patient man, but he knew he needed to have patience here. It went against everything in his nature, but he made himself wait to see her. He needed to let Kelly calm down and telling her how he felt and what he wanted, at home in private this evening, seemed the best option.

The decision made, Jack turned his car toward his office and tried to force on the day – when all he really wanted was to have Kelly back in his arms and secure in his heart.

* * *

Kelly sighed as she pulled into a space outside the clinic. She had to admit that Jack had picked a really nice car for her. It was fun and fast and it drove like a dream. But that was the problem. This was a dream and she was going to wake up soon and then where would she be?

Kelly exited her new car and clicked the key fob to lock it. Jack also forgot the neighborhood I park in at the clinic, Kelly thought as she realized that her new car stuck out and begged to be stripped as it sat there. With a roll of her eyes, she crossed the street to enter the clinic.

Denise arrived as Kelly was walking in. Kelly held the door for her. “Hi, Denise. Working the morning shift?”

“Yup.” Denise smiled at Kelly. “‘Til noon, like you.”

Chapter Thirty-three

Chad knocked on Jack’s office door and poked his head in. “Hey Jack, your secretary isn’t out there. You have a minute? I want to touch base about the tail on Kelly.”

“Sure, come on in,” Jack said and waved Chad into his office.

“So, what do you have?” asked Jack as Chad came into the room and sat in one of the large leather arm chairs facing Jack’s desk.

“We’ve seen the tail on Kelly multiple times and occasionally on both of you when you’re out for the evening. My guys have run the plates but they’re expired and they rotate the plates frequently so we’re sure the registrations have no connection to the driver of the car. That makes me think this is a professional, not some crazed ex-boyfriend or stalker type that doesn’t know what they’re doing. We don’t have an ID on the guy yet.”

“I don’t like the sound of that. Starting tomorrow, let’s put someone with Kelly whenever she leaves the house. I want them to stay right with her. I’ll talk to her about it tonight and let her know she’ll have someone with her until we figure this out. I don’t care if it does scare the crap out of her, I’m not taking chances at this point,” Jack ordered.

“You got it. I’ll have someone meet her at the house in the morning,” Chad said.

“Hey, Chad….” Jack hesitated and ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Do you think this could be your mom having Kelly followed? Investigated?” Jack asked even though he didn’t want to bring up that possibility with Chad.

Chad’s eyebrows shot up. “What?” he said and he didn’t try to hide his shock. “What makes you think that? You can’t be serious.”

“Well, I know your mom’s set on proving my marriage isn’t real. Kelly’s theory all along has been that your mom hired a private investigator and she wants to ignore the tail so that they can report back to your mom that she isn’t seeing someone else or hiding anything. I don’t know if she could be right or not. What do you think?”

“Jack, man, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why Mom thinks doing this to you is okay, but she seems to be getting worse.” Chad looked deep in thought for a few minutes before he responded to Jack’s question.

“She did say that she wanted to try to show the board members that your marriage was fake. I guess she could’ve hired someone to try to find proof,” Chad said and he frowned at the thought that his mother would go that far.

“Well, I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise since she’s moved in with us. She does seem to be taking this pretty far.”

“She did
what
?” Chad’s eyebrows were practically off his head now.

Jack laughed. “She didn’t tell you? I was going to ask you the night you offered her a lift home from the party. She’s been with us almost from the wedding. She made up some excuse about fixing up her kitchen and not being able to stay in her townhouse or with you because you had a friend visiting. She’s been living with us for over three weeks. I figured I’d let her get it out of her system and she’d give up.”

Chad started to laugh. “Sorry, Jack, I know it’s not funny, only, it kind of is. No wonder she said she didn’t need a ride home from the party the other night. I wondered how she was getting home but didn’t press it. I guess she was home!”

Chad sobered then. “Oh God, Jack. Kelly must think our family is nuts. What did she have to say about all of this?”

Jack joined Chad and laughed at the situation that now resembled a sitcom. How had his life become like this?

“Kelly’s been great about it. She barely batted an eye when your mom showed up. She didn’t even object when she had to move into my room.” Jack froze, realizing one second too late that he had let that little bit of information slip out.

Damn, there was a time when I was on top of every fact, every angle of a deal and I never would have let a detail like that slip. This thing with Kelly has me a hell of a lot more tied up in knots than I thought.

“Wait…. What?” Chad wasn’t laughing anymore either. He stared at his cousin. “Jack?”

Jack stood and moved to the front of his desk and leaned against it, legs crossed in front of him. “All right, listen. If I tell you the truth will you promise not to tell your mom yet? I need some time to convince Kelly to stay with me.”

“Oh, this I have to hear,” said Chad and he moved to Jack’s couch and sat back with his feet up and his arms behind his head, ready for a good story.

Jack sighed and began. “Well, the day you guys met Kelly when she came to my office?” Chad nodded and Jack went on. “That was the first time I met her, too.”

“You met her that day!” Chad said, and laughed at the look on his cousin’s face. He could see that Jack was miserable having to admit this and he loved every minute that his cousin squirmed.

Jack shook his head. “That minute. When she walked in and introduced herself to you guys? That was the first time I saw her,” Jack said and he looked more than a little sheepish.

Chad was now holding his stomach, he was laughing so hard. He sat up on the couch with his arms around his stomach, doubled over from the hilarity of Jack’s situation. He seemed completely unable to talk and there were tears running down his face.

“I know, I know,” Jack said. “Laugh it up. She’s had me completely wrapped around her little finger since the day I set eyes on her.”