She nods again, still unable to meet my gaze. “Me either.”
I lift her chin with my finger until our eyes meet. It’s like I’ve known this woman my whole life, and yet there are so many things I don’t know about her at all. At the end of the day, all I know is that I care about her, what’s best for her.
“Thank you.” She whispers, gently leaning into my touch.
“Please, go home.” I pull away from her before I lose my nerve. “I’ll contact you later, but you don’t want to be here when the shit hits the fan.”
Sierra’s wet lashes beat against her cheeks. I close my eyes and lead her away, eager to get her out of my sight before I change my mind. Sierra is mine, and I’ll be damned if another man dares to lay a hand on her and expects to get away with it.
Seven
Sierra
I paceback and forth with my cell phone in hand. Outside, the sun’s been down for over an hour, and I still haven’t heard from Jack. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him about Dan’s pass at me, but it was completely unprofessional, and I don’t have to put up with that type of behavior. I didn’t think Jack would be as angry as he was. The look of pure rage in his eyes frightened me, and I’m not even the one on the other end of his wrath.
It shouldn’t send a wave of tingles throughout my body, and it shouldn’t make me weak in the knees, recalling how protective he acted when I told him what happened. But these are the truths I’m living with. I’m fucking in love with my boss, and it’s turned into something I can no longer handle.
I jump when my phone buzzes against my palm. The unknown number could only belong to one person. I hold my breath and answer.
“Sierra, I’m outside.” I rush to the window and pull back the curtain. A flash of lightning splits the sky, acting as a spotlight, revealing Jack. Still dressed in his work suit, but his jacket is off, and his dress shirt is unbuttoned. He’s gazing up at my window. My center aches the minute I see him.
“I’ll buzz you up.” I say and end the call. I run to the buzzer, my heart in my throat. For a moment, I run around like a chicken with its head cut off, checking my hair in the mirror, wishing I’d spent less time worrying and more time taming the flyaways that have escaped my ponytail.
The loud knock at the door halts my thoughts, and I rush over to meet him. I throw open the door as a clap of thunder echoes in the distance. His dark hair is mussed and hanging over one eye, and his jaw remains clenched. “Come in,” I finally say.
He hulks by me, causing the ground to buckle slightly under his massive weight causing me to shiver. It’s not that I’m scared of him; I’m not. I’m afraid of the conversation we’re about to have. Things will never be the same. I can feel it.
“What happened?” I finally say.
“Can I get some ice?”
“Ice?” That’s when I notice his swollen knuckles. “Oh, Jack. You didn’t?”
“I did.” He says and runs his good hand through his hair. “I couldn’t help it. That motherfucker was so cocky…” His nostrils flare, and the aggressive energy radiating off of him causes my body to stiffen. “He said you asked for it. That you wanted it.”
“What?” I shout, not knowing what the hell to say. “That’s insane.”
“That’s,” he holds up his knuckles, “why I knocked him out cold.”
With a slack jaw, I rush over to the freezer and pull out some ice, throw it into a ziplock bag and join Jack, who’s already sitting on my couch. He looks so dejected, so ashamed of himself, that I want to wrap my arms around him and nurse him back to his cocky, confident self.
“I lost control, Sierra.” He shakes his head and places the ice pack on his hand. “There’s going to be a lawsuit, I’m certain of it.”
“Not if I can help it.” I puff out my chest. Jack raises his chin to meet my eyes. I nearly melt into the warmth of his wounded, golden eyes. “My brother is a lawyer, so I know a few things about loopholes in the law. Where did you punch him?”
“In his smug ugly face.” He snarls.
A little laugh escapes my mouth. “No, I meant the location.”
“In the parking garage.”
“Good!” I clap my hands together. “Not on company property. The building owns that garage, not Magic Media PR, correct?”
“Correct.” He echoes. “But the truth is, Sierra.” He turns to face me. When his knee brushes mine, a wave of excitement rushes into my bloodstream. “If we were in the office, I would’ve knocked him out just the same and not felt one ounce of regret over it.” He lets out a long sigh. “I can’t do this.”
“Can’t do what?” My voice comes out weaker than intended.
“See you every day,” his brow furrows, searching for the right words, “and not be with you. You’re the perfect woman for me, and I’m tired of denying it. From the second I saw you in that bar, it wasn’t just sex I was after. It was you. It’s always been you.”