“Oh. Sorry.”
“You okay?”
His expression was tender. When he looked at me that way it got me every time. And why did he have to be so gorgeous? His blue-gray eyes squinted against the dull light, causing attractive laugh lines. His cheeks were unshaven, and he wore a beautifully fitted dark gray shirt and black suit pants.
Running the hotel and fun park had become Jack’s full-time job. Between his mother’s lawyers and my contacts through the Paxton Group, Jack had gotten his mother’s case for full ownership of the businesses pushed through before his father’s trial. Which started tomorrow. Once Ian lost the businesses to Rosalie, she signed it over to Jack. He tried to argue with her about it, but in the end, she convinced him she didn’t want anything to do with Hartwell.
However, the hotel and park were a big part of the community here and they’d finally have a decent owner in Jack. Once she explained this, I convinced Jack to accept her gift graciously. I’d also asked Hague for advice about finding the best defense attorney he knew. I then gave the woman’s number to Jack for Rebecca. She was a New York lawyer and Hague assured me she had an outstanding win percentage. It turned out she cost a heck of a lot of money. I wanted to offer to help, but Jack said Rosalie had her own money and would pay for Rebecca’s defense.
Poor Jack had been rushed off his feet with these matters, trying to get up to date on where the hotel and park were financially while implementing changes to both. And he was trying to be there for me. I was worried he was exhausting himself.
“Em?”
I stopped ogling him and looked out at the sea. His change in work clothes were not unwelcome. While I liked him casual, there was something about Jack in a shirt and trousers, no tie, collar open showing off that strong, tan throat of his that appealed to me.
It made me want to nuzzle my face in his throat and pull his shirt out of his pants, unbuckle his belt—
“I’m fine.” I cut off my wayward thoughts. “Is it time to go?”
“Yeah. You sure you’re okay?”
“Absolutely.” I gave him a tight smile and got up off the swing.
Jack’s eyes dropped down my body. I was wearing jeans and my favorite white blouse that had oversized balloon sleeves. “No bump yet?”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him to examine me closer.
Jesus!
What was wrong with me?
I scooted past him into the house. “There’s a little swell.”
I could feel his intense regard as he followed me inside. “Why are you blushing?”
“I’m not,” I lied. I threw him a quick look. “We should go.”
In an effort to distract him as he pulled away from the house and headed to Essex, I decided to tell him something else that was on my mind. “I’m going with you tomorrow. To the trial.”
Tension fell between us, thick and fast. A different kind from the usual sexual tension. “Absolutely not.”
I bristled at his overbearing tone. “I wasn’t asking.”
He cut me a dark look. “You’re not going.”
Hurt, I wanted to go ice queen on his ass and give him the silent treatment. But I needed to know why he didn’t want me there more than I needed to pout. “I want to be there for you.”
“And while I appreciate that, you’re pregnant with our baby and I would rather you (1) stay away from stressful situations, and (2) stay as far away from my father and brother as possible.”
“The trial is not going to stress me out to the point I’m endangering our child, and I think I’m the best one to decide that. You need support.”
“I said no.”
Fury built inside me, fast and boiling.
THIS!
It flooded out. “This is why we’re not together! Your total lack of respect for my ability to make sound decisions for myself!”