I kissed him softly but he didn’t respond, just stood there. I pulled back, hurt.
“I’ll just go to the spare room, shall I?” I said irritably, jumping up and grabbing the clothes from his hands and turning away. I prepared to stalk out of his bedroom but I felt his hand on my shoulder. I stopped and sighed.
“What do you want?” I asked. There was a long pause and I heard Jack breath out slowly.
“I want you to tell me what happened last night with Max.” His voice was desperate but gathered. I got the impression that he was preparing himself for whatever terrible story I was about to tell him. Ha, fat chance!
“Why should I tell you?” I still didn’t face him; I couldn’t, I wouldn’t. It was easier to talk to him this way without getting distracted or persuaded by his powerful eyes.
“Chloe, my son was kidnapped. I think I have every right to know what happened and how you and Max were involved,” Jack said, sliding his hand down my arm. The trail he left there was like a wildfire, totally distracting me for a few seconds from what I was going to say. I crossed my arms like a stubborn child and his hand dropped off me. I chose my next words carefully.
“Fine! You want to know? I got a call from Max saying he had Henri and he was in Paris. He told me to come and get Henri... or else. He arranged for someone to drive me to the nearest Eurostar which I got and then someone to drive me to the hotel he was in. I got Henri and then called you and now here we are.”I ran through the events quickly, cutting out central chunks of information that would have upset Jack and made him mad. It wasn’t lying to him as such, just not telling him everything. Surely that was okay?
“He gave you Henri? Just like that?” Jack asked dubiously. I could sense that he had moved closer and my heart rate quickened.
“Yes... and there was a fire in the hotel so that distracted him,” I insisted, hoping with all my compassion that Jack would buy it. But hey, this was Sir Jacques Sinclaire we were talking about. And everyone knows that he’s not stupid.
“There’s something you’re not telling me,” he mused.
“There is not!” I almost shouted. My eyes were beginning to water as the events with Max came flooding back to me. The overwhelming grief and fear caused a single tear to stream down my cheek. I cursed mentally and wiped it away. Thank God I wasn’t facing Jack and he couldn’t see me like this.
“I want you to tell me.” Jack’s harmonious voice soothed me as always like a lullaby to a baby. Nevertheless, I shook my head. I couldn’t tell him what happened! I was so upset and for some reason I was embarrassed by Max’s actions. Plus, every time I thought about what happened, my heart tore a little deeper.
Jack sighed and put his arms around my waist from behind. He nestled his head between my neck and shoulder and kissed the sensitive skin there. My heart jumped and so did I. Suddenly, I was thrown onto the bed with as much force to knock the breath out of me but not to hurt me. What the hell? I started to sit up but Jack slid on top of me. Woaaah! His eyes were liquid blue and the mischievous twinkle in them had certainly grown.
He pressed his lips into the hollow of my neck and I moaned involuntarily. He proceeded to kiss and suck my neck as I fought to stay conscious from the instantaneous pleasure. I turned my head slightly so I could inhale the scent from his silky hair. He smelled amazing; a mixture of musk, vanilla and expensive aftershave.
“What really happened, Chloe?” Jack whispered huskily against my skin before kissing it again. My eyes rolled back in my head as I tried to gain control of my mind and mouth.
“Max... he wouldn’t let Henri go unless...” It was like my mouth was separated from my brain and talking on its on accord. That’s the effect Jack’s kisses and general presence had on me. This man was dangerous!
“Unless what?” Jack prompted. He kissed me full and firm on the mouth and I was too euphoric to even kiss him back. My heart rate was off the chart as his hot tongue traced over my bottom lip.
“Unless I did something for him,” my stupid big mouth blurted out.
“Care to elaborate on what, exactly?” Jack asked. I shook my head. He wasn’t getting that one out of me, even though the thrills he was giving me were precariously great.
Unexpectedly, I felt Jack’s hand on my waist slide down to my thigh. My breathing accelerated as he slid his hand under my towel.
“Hmmm?” He encouraged. His warm hand came into contact with the bare skin on my thigh and I fought back a scream of ecstasy as I closed my eyes.
“Unless I had sex with him!” I cried out. Everything stopped. Jack’s hand under my towel stopped, his breathing stopped and his kissing stopped. I opened my eyes, still breathing hard from the almost intolerable pleasure I had just experienced. Jack was staring at the pillow with glazed eyes. I realized that what I’d just told him would probably destroy him.
“Jack! What’s wrong? I’m sorry I shouldn’t have told you...” I babbled. There was still no response from him. I reached up to touch his frozen face but as soon as my hand made contact with his taut jaw, he whipped his head away from me. He jumped off me and backed away from the bed. The collar of his shirt was open and his black hair more than ruffled. He looked too cute for words. However, he was staring at me like I was a ghost. I couldn’t believe he’d backed away from me. That hurt me deeply and I sat up, pulling my towel up around me.
“Don’t be like that,” I pleaded. I couldn’t stand it if he left me again. That would destroy me. He stopped staring at me to look at the floor.
“I’m so sorry that you had to go through that, Chloe,” Jack said earnestly.
“It’s fine,” I replied flatly. He whipped his head up to look at me in shock.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S FINE?! IT’S NOT FINE, IS IT?! MY BROTHER, MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD RAPED YOU!” He bellowed across the room. He was shaking with anger and looked distraught. Then I realized that he thought Max had raped me when he didn’t because I had managed to get away just in time. There was hope!
“Jack, Max didn’t-” I began but Jack put his hands up to me.
“No, please Chloe. You don’t have to tell me anything more after I made you tell me something as awful as that like the bastard that I am.” He shook his head and banged both fists against the wall. He stood there for a while, facing the wall in silence.
I got up quietly from the bed and walked over to him. His head was in his hands and he rested his elbows against the wall. I couldn’t see his face so I tugged on his arms lightly. His biceps were tensed but relaxed slightly at my touch and he let his arms fall to his sides. I put each one of my hands on either side of his face and turned his face to me. I gasped when I saw that he was crying. A full grown man crying! Now, that was something I hadn’t seen before.
“Jack! Baby, talk to me,” I begged him, looking into his sad eyes.
“It’ just... every woman I have... he fucks,” Jack said miserably. God, him crying made me want to start bawling. Although I was mesmerized by his crying... it was like witnessing the Northern Lights- something rare and beautiful.
“That’s the thing, I didn’t sleep with Max.” Jack’s eyes widened and he took my hands off his face and backed me to the wall.
“What do you mean?” He asked, his eyes searching my face for clues. I smiled; he was actually looking hopeful now.
“You know that fire I told you about?” He nodded slowly.
“That sort of saved me,” I said honestly. He blinked his gorgeous denim eyes repeatedly and stepped back as he came to realization.
“So he didn’t rape you?” He asked carefully.
“Well, he tried,” I admitted. Jack winced.
“But I was saved by the butler who barged in to tell us about the fire. I’m fine, really.” Jack’s expression was no longer filled with horror. His eyes darted about the room as he swallowed and bit his lip.
“I know you’re not fine; you are a victim of an attempted rape so being fine is an actual impossibility. But I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” he assured me.
“What? You’re not gonna run away and leave me like you did before when my Dad threw a wobbly?” I said wryly. Jack grimaced and looked away.
“Chloe, why I left was because I thought I didn’t deserve you- I don’t deserve you. I’m an ass most of the time; I’ve got baggage because I have Henri; I’m always away for my work; I have problems from the past that always get me down; I have the media on my back and I have a masochistic older brother.”
“Wow, that’s a long list,” I said sarcastically. Jack smiled faintly.
“The point is, I do have my problems and they do get me down. But you, you help me get through them. I don’t know how to explain it! It’s like whenever I’m around you I can have fun and be myself. So yes, now I’m being selfish and I’m not breaking up with you. I’m going to be self-centred and not give a damn.”
I grinned- I couldn’t help it.
“You, Sir, are just too cute for your own good!” I said. Jack laughed, breaking the emotional atmosphere at once. It was then quiet for a while.
“So... what about Max?” I asked, swallowing nervously. Jack’s eyes darkened and his jaw became clenched again as he looked away from me to the window.
“You don’t need to worry about that... that animal. He will be sorted out soon, I swear it,” he promised more to himself than to me.
“Did it ever occur to you that you are a teeeeeny bit overprotective?”
“Did it ever occur to you that you are a constant liability?” Jack replied calmly, turning his head to me sideways and raising an eyebrow. Stupid sexy French man.
“Hmph.”
Jack POV:
“So, let me get this straight. You want to move my daughter in with you? Is that what you’re saying?” Chloe’s father demanded in a slightly high-pitched voice. I bowed my head.
“Well, yes. It’s her choice and she says she would like to but I thought it best if I asked you before we made any plans,” I said hastily.
“Well you thought rightly! What makes you think I’m going to let my sixteen year old daughter swan off to live with some multi-billionaire who’s probably twice her age?!” His face was red and angry as he pointed a finger at me accusingly. I just wanted to give up there and then but this was Chloe’s safety at stake. I couldn’t leave her at the house after what happened with Max; he knew where she lived and could easily contact her again. No, she would stay with me.
“I’m twenty-one, Mr. Taylor. Hardly twice her age,” I said, avoiding his question. Her father thought about that for a second, obviously comparing the ages in his head.
“Oh, I... I thought you were older seeing as you have accomplished so much already,” he admitted, having the grace to look sorry. People always assumed I was older and it didn’t bother me so I just smiled.
“Once your mind is set on something, there’s no limit as to what you can achieve and when you can achieve it.” I translated the old French saying my own Father would tell me over and over again when I was a child.
“Yes, okay! You got me! Sorry I’m being such an arsehole about all this but she is my only child, you know?” Mr. Taylor said heartily.
“There’s no need to apologize, I totally understand, Mr. Taylor.”
“Please, call me Phil, Sir.” He held his hand out to shake and I took it.
“Only if you stop calling me Sir!” I joked. Phil laughed and nodded.
“Agreed. So, about my daughter...”
“Chloe is fine about moving in with me but as I said, it’s up to you.”
“Ugh. I should say no, shouldn’t I?”
“You should say whatever you think is best for Chloe,” I replied sincerely. Phil groaned.
“Ooookay then; she can move in with you. I’m so fed up of her moping around here being miserable anyway so maybe living with you will cheer her up,” he acknowledged.
“Then move in she shall!” I said, unable to contain my happiness.
“On one condition!” He warned seriously. I stopped smiling and put on a serious expression to match his.
“No sex.”
:O NO SEX?! WHAT? NOOOO!
hahaha well... do you think Jack will stick to Phil's warning?
Sorrryyy if this chapter was short/boring but the next chappy will be waaaay better with lots of dodgy things happening. Who knows, maybe Max will show up? Or someone else... :S
And what do you think of the first Jack banner? >>>
Sexy, no? XD
COMMENT VOTE FAN !
<3