He stiffens, then draws himself up to his full height. "Are you implying I’m watching you?"
"Aren’t you?"
"I haven’t seen you in three days."
"The very fact that you went out of your way to avoid me is another sign that you feel an affinity for me."
"I’m not sure I’d call it an affinity; more like an itch I need to scratch."
I gape at him. "Seriously? Did you just say that to my face?"
"Best to be up-front about what this is. Explosive chemistry. Nevertheless, it’s only a physical attraction. If we fuck it out of our systems, we can both move on."
"A-n-d, I can’t believe you’d stoop low enough to proposition your son’s girlfriend."
"At least I am being up-front about what I want. I’m not the one lying to myself and those around me."
"I’m not going to stay here and listen to you insult me. I—"
I begin to rise to my feet, but he firms his lips. "Sit down, Lena."
I sit.What the hell? How can he control me this easily? I am not a pliable woman. I’m not. But with this man? I want to resist him, but everything in my body insists I obey his commands.
"What do you want?" I glance up at him. I really shouldn’t be talking to him. In fact, right about now I should be rising to my feet, brushing past him and out the door. I shouldn’t engage with him, except as necessary for my job. Which, to be fair, is what I’ve been doing so far. But when I didn’t see him for a few days, I admit, I missed him. Isn’t that screwed up?
I peer into his face, and everything I’m feeling is reflected there. Damn, this is not helping things at all. I’d hoped I could resist him, but the more days I spend under his roof, the more I sense his presence in the same space—even when I’m not in the same room as him. What a mess.
"What do you want, JJ?" I whisper.
He growls, "I told you, it’s Jack."
"I can’t call you that."
He bends his knees and looks into my eyes. "Why not? Why can’t you call me by my name?"
"Because everyone calls you JJ."
"You’re not everyone."
"You can’t say things like that," I protest.
"Why the fuck not?"
I narrow my gaze. "Because it gives the wrong impression."
"And what impression is that?"
"That there’s something more between us."
"Which there is."
"And I’m your son’s girlfriend," I shoot back.
"How long do you think we can tiptoe around whatever this is between us?"
"For as long as I possibly can. I can’t do this, JJ. I can’t betray Isaac. And with his own father." The pressure behind my eyes builds, and I look away so he doesn’t see how close I am to tears.
Of course, jerkface notices.