Right, of course. All of this was because he felt guilty. I sniffed again and he handed me a tissue.
“You’ve not lost the money from this week. I’m still going to pay you.”
“But –”
“On the condition that you check your blood glucose now, take the correct amount of insulin, and then eat the corresponding correct amount of breakfast.”
I tried to push up to sitting but his arms stayed tight around me. Now that I had come out of total meltdown mode I was feeling a bit weird wrapped around Jack. I’m not sure any man wants his shirt soaked with a random woman’s tears and snot.
“Jack,” I said carefully, managing to manoeuvre enough so that I could tilt my head back and look up at him. “My health ismyresponsibility. You do know that, right? There’s nothing for you to feel bad or guilty about. It wasn’t your fault that –”
“I employed that . . . how did Kira put it? Thatwankpuffin,” Jack said, cutting me off. “And I assumed the worst of you when you . . .” he sighed, and I listened to the air whoosh in and out of his lungs with my ear still to his chest. “I thought you’d used drugs on the plane when that airhostess got you out of the toilet. I was just behind the curtain and I . . . I thought the worst.”
“Oh.” What did I say to that? Adrug addict? “Hmm … no wonder you ignored me. I thought it was a bit odd that you’d turned into this massive snob overnight.”
“I’m sorry, Urvi. It’s just I was already angry about . . .” he trailed off and let out another sigh.
“Angry about what? And hey, we said no apologising.”
“No, I saidyouweren’t allowed to apologise anymore. Nothing about me.”
“Jack –”
“Listen, I promise to pay you all of the money if you’ll just stay until the end of the week. No waitressing. No working. Just stay and concentrate on your diabetic control. The doctor said you’ll be tired for a few days anyway. You shouldn’t really travel.”
“Jack! I’m not going to sue you.”
“No, you’re not. You’re also not going to risk your life again. So we’re agreed.” He stared down at me. “Stay with me, Urvi.”
His hand came up to my jaw and he tilted my head back. That strange intense expression was back and his body felt tense under mine. His eyes dropped to my mouth and became unfocused before his face lowered and he kissed me. It was just a soft brush of the lips at first, after which he pulled back fast liked I’d burned him. But having tasted his mouth, felt his stubble on my skin, there was no going back for me. I pushed up to reach his mouth again and used both my hands to keep his face steady.
He started at the second kiss as if he wasn’t expecting it and pulled back again to search my no-doubt hazy expression. Whatever he saw there must have satisfied him because when he kissed me again both of our control went out the porthole. I flung my leg over his hip and moved onto his lap as our mouths stayed connected and felt a low growl in his chest. I moved against him but it wasn’t enough. As if sensing my frustration he flipped me onto my back and settled on top of me, his delicious weight pressing me into the bed. My hair had come loose from its messy knot and was spread across the pillow. He kissed down my neck as one of his hands combed through the thick, silky mass of loose hair at the side of my head.
“You’re so beautiful. I can’t believe you’re real. How can you be real?” he murmured against my mouth and my breath hitched.
Then there was a thud next to us like something had fallen. I barely registered it and was all set to ignore it, but Jack’s mouth wrenched away from mine to look over the side of the bed to see what it was.
“Bloody fucking hell,” he groaned then pushed up off me and bent to retrieve my diabetic kit. “What am Idoing? You haven’t even taken your blood glucose yet. Jesus, I’msucha selfish shitbag, it’s like I’m fifteen again.”
Chapter10
Real Character
Urvi
“Look, I’m sorry but this is making me feel really uncomfortable now,” I told Jack as I pushed back from the table and stood up. We’d just been served lunch for two in the main dining room by all the people I’d worked with for the last three days. It was weird. They didn’t even talk to me, well apart from Kira, who had to be the worst waitress of all time. By the time she’d spilt my soup onto my hand and knocked over my water glass I actually felt a certain level of sympathy for all the people that had complained about her earlier in the week. And she kept winking at me and then jerking her head from me to Jack as if she expected us to copulate right there on the table. To be honest, from some of the stories she’d told me before, that really wouldn’t be such an unusual a happenstance in Kira World.
“Urvi, please sit down,” he said, looking from my still-full plate to me.
I threw up my hands and huffed out a frustrated breath. “I can’t eat when the situation is so ridiculous. I can’t have these guys serve me.”
“Urvi,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’ve just taken your insulin. I’d really like you to sit and eat lunch now.”
“But –”
He stood up suddenly, grabbed his plate, then mine, and stalked out of the salon.
“What the –” I muttered as I followed him, and we wound our way down to the kitchen. Once there he nodded to the surprised staff, put both our plates up on the counter, and pulled out a stool for me.
