Page 42 of Jack
His face was expressionless, and Zuri hadto force herself not to squirm as the unfathomable gray eyes trackedher progress across the lush gold carpet. The man was intimidatingeven when he was not uttering a word.
He gestured to a chair, and she sat down,her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
"Let's get to the point," heinterrupted, his eyes narrowing. "Why are you here?"
Forcing herself to relax, she slidbackwards in the chair and had to tamp down a sigh of pure indulgenceas the padded cushion enveloped her body.
"To apologize."
When he did not say anything, she squelchedthe urge to just get up and walk out. The man was hateful!
"I realize that I was wrong inencouraging Jason to come and see me, and the things I said to youwere not necessary. It's none of my business how you deal with yourson."
When he continued to stare at her withoutsaying anything, she felt her hackles rising.
"Look, this is not easy for me. And Iwish you would say something."
"Like what?"
"Like you accept my apology."
"As far as apologies go, yours leave alot to be desired."
Her eyes flashed, and everything she hadtalked to herself about not doing went through the open door.
"I swallowed my pride and came here todo the right thing, and you're being an ass about it. I get that youthink you're somehow untouchable, reigning in this glass temple ofyours, but you're still a man who is not doing what he's supposed tobe doing as a parent. That boy needs his father, and instead of beinghome to look at his homework or go to a game or two, you're sittinghere at minutes to eight, trying to make more money than you alreadyhave. How much money can one person possibly spend in their lifetime?One day you're going to look back and realize that you made the wrongchoice, and then it will be too late!"
The silence that followed her outburst wasprofound and strained with tension. Belatedly, she realized thatinstead of making amends, she had compounded the situation by makingit worse. Her brother was going to kill her, and the man seatedbehind the desk was going to destroy their legacy. They were doomed.
She rose unsteadily, going still when herose slowly and stepped from behind his desk.
"Look-"
"Shut up." He said it in such acalm and controlled manner that if she had not seen the pulse tickingbeside his left eye, she would not have known how angry he was.Andfor the first time since bucking heads with him, she felt the acridtaste of fear inside her mouth.
Ignoring the desperate need to flee, shestood her ground and angled her chin despite her hammering heart.
"What? No more barbs?" He stoodin front of her and had to rein in the violence blowing through himlike a storm.
"I have said too much already, and Ihave taken up enough of your time. I'll just-" She broke offwith a gasp when, in a lightning move that had her blinking, hishands shot out to halt her edging towards the door. With fingersdigging into her arms, he hauled her closer, gray eyes smoldering.
"Please," she whispered. Beneaththe fear vibrating inside her, she felt the undertone of a desirethat was sending heat shooting through her body. It was so unexpectedand so tangible; her body was vibrating with it.
"Please what?" His voice wassilky, his face hard and unyielding. "Don't give you what youdeserve? You came into my office, claiming that you want toapologize, but staying true to bloody form, you maligned my characterand pretend that you know a damn thing about me."
He shook her hard enough to have the hairshe had loosely pinned up tumbling down and around her shoulders andface. In spite of himself, Jack's gaze was rivetedonit, the fat curls with their golden ends fascinating him. The lustpouring through him left him feeling both angry and staggered at thesame time. His eyes flew to her face, taking in the stark fear andvulnerability in her golden-brown eyes before touching on her partedlips.
He literally felt when his control snappedlike a twig, to be replaced by a violence he never knew existedinside him. One tiny part of his mind warned him to step back, thatmaking this move would forever change his life, but it was quicklyswept away by a current so rapid, he felt as if he was drowning.Ignoring the warning bells going off, he shoved her up against thedoors and closed them with a snap.
At first, Zuri was too stunned to doanything but grab and grip his shirt in tight fists. Her eyes wentwide, and she had a moment of fear as she stared into a face gonedark with intense passion. Her heart was roaring so loudly, itdrowned everything out.
Jack gave her one small chance to push himaway, and when she didn't take it, he seized her lips. He was hungry.Christ Almighty! He was greedy for her. The taste of her surroundedhim, poured into him like an avalanche, and had him wanting more.
His fingers grabbed her hair, sending pinsscattering as he lifted her head. His mouth plundered hers. He wantedhis hands all over her body. He wanted all of her and was not goingto stop until that was accomplished.
A dim part of her brain was screaming ather to get him to stop. But she was drowning. Emotions swirledthrough her like a tidal wave and had her tearing at his shirt to getto his skin. Not fully aware that he had shrugged out of the ruinedshirt, he concentrated on her mouth, his long, lean body pressingagainst hers.
Tearing his mouth from hers, he savaged herthroat, using tongue and teeth until they were both crazy with need.Tugging the sweater over her head, he broke the clasp of her bra andfilled his palms with her small breasts. Her nipples were aching.When the moan escaped her, it tore at something inside him.
