Page 12 of Don't Lie to Me
It wasn’t long before the front door slammed open. I jumped in the kitchen when I heard it crash into the wall behind it and then jumped again when it slammed shut. Choosing to do what I had done every night for the last four nights, I kept my back to the doorway, my focus solely on making the dinner salad in front of me. I knew when Jack stepped into the doorway without even looking. It had been like that for me for years, like there was a shift in the air current whenever he was around.
I ignored him and kept my focus on the salad, not wanting to turn around and see the frustrated face that had become so familiar that week.
His deep voice jolted me. “When are you going to yell at me?”
I turned around slowly, crossing my arms protectively in front of me and leaned back against the counter.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied, hoping my voice sounded much smoother and calmer to his ears than it did mine. My heart jumped at the mere sight of him and lodged a lump in my throat so large it made swallowing difficult.
He shifted uncomfortably in the doorway but didn’t make a move to enter the large room. This was getting ridiculous.
“I have nothing to yell at you for, Jack.”
“I took advantage of you. You should hate me.”
I scoffed. I didn’t remember it happening that way at all. “You didn’t take advantage of me. I wanted…” I felt heat creep to my cheeks and I shut my mouth. The last thing I wanted was to let him know how much I actually wanted him. I closed my eyes and shook my head a few times to clear my thoughts. “You told me to forget it ever happened. I’ve been acting normally, just like we agreed.”
He growled and took two steps forward into the kitchen for the first time in four days. I didn’t bother trying to stop my eyes from wandering from his short messy hair, to his square jaw that was set like he was getting ready to demolish a competitor, down to his light blue button up shirt that had the top button un-done. He was missing his tie. I don’t know why I noticed, but I did. He always wore a tie. But two things shocked me most of all, while my eyes travelled slowly down his body, appreciating every single inch of it. The first, was that he didn’t make a move to stop me even though I was being completely obvious; and two, based on the tightness I saw along the zipper on his dark grey dress pants, he was clearly aroused.
I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat, but I couldn’t. I tore my gaze away and took a sip of my glass of water that was sitting next to me on the granite counter.
“Did you forget?” he asked with a voice that sounded much rougher than it did earlier.
I rubbed my tongue across the front of my teeth. “Did you? You’re the one that told me we should.”
A frown line appeared in between his eyes as he narrowed his gaze at me. I had no idea why this was making him so angry. I could understand the regret if he thought he was taking advantage of an employee, but anger?
He moved his hands to his hips, never once taking his eyes off mine. He still looked angry when he said, “No. I didn’t.”
In all my fantasies I had had that week, and all the dreams I envisioned of this moment, I always pictured Jack looking lustfully at me, admitting he made a mistake before carrying me off to his bedroom and making love to me for hours. My stomach dropped to the floor as I saw a fire in his eyes like he hated me for not being able to forget one simple kiss. I instantly had the sinking feeling that nothing about my relationship with Jack would be the same again, and not in the good way it played out in my fantasies.
“Do you want my two weeks’ notice then?” I choked the words out softly, barely audible and turned back to his salad, not able to bare another minute of seeing the anger in his stare.
I gasped when his hand grabbed my elbow, spinning me around and pinning me against the cold countertop. His arms blocked me in on the sides and the fire in his eyes burned brighter than before.
“I don’t want you to quit, Emma.” I cringed as he spit the words out vehemently. I felt his hot breath on my cheek from him standing so close. I wanted to tear my eyes away from him, but I couldn’t. My heart was pounding in my chest with so much force I was sure it was loud enough for him to hear.
I was almost afraid at his forcefulness, but that feeling was tempered by the desire I had for him as soon as he had walked into the kitchen and allowed me to gaze on his arousal.
“Then tell me what you want because I don’t want to keep seeing the regret in your eyes every time you look at me.”
“I want…” He started and stopped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, they were softer than before; his voice gentler, much like they had been last Saturday. “I want to know what it is about you that suddenly makes me feel completely out of control. I want to know why, when I saw you lean in to kiss Dean on the cheek last week I wanted to pummel him for having his hands on you.”
“I told you about Dean.” I interrupted him, but he just scowled at me and continued.
“I don’t get emotional, Emma, you know that. But ever since I touched your lips last week I feel like I’m a volcano ready to explode and I don’t know how to handle all this shit I’m dealing with.”
I made a face. He didn’t make that sound like a good thing; at all. I didn’t bother hiding my disappointment.
“Oh.”
“That came out wrong.” Slowly, one of his hands gently cupped the back of my neck. His hips leaned in just a little bit, just enough for me to know he was still aroused. Goosebumps flooded my body at the mere touch he gave me, making me crave more.
His thumb gently rubbed my bottom lip and he sighed. “I’m not good enough for you.”
“You’re intelligent, successful, and handsome. What else could I want?”
“I’m too old for you.”
