Harper adopted a don’t-mess-with-me expression, curling her top lip for good measure. ‘How do you know he doesn’t love me?’
Liz’s chin went up to an imperious height. ‘He told me so.’
Harper had to work hard not to show how much the older woman’s words wounded her. It was like being struck in the face with a blunt object, the pain travelling to every part of her body in stinging, pulsating waves. Surely Jack could have at leastpretendedto love her for the sake of appearances? Was she to suffer the shame and indignity of always being seen as not good enough?
Not worthy enough?
Unlovable? But hadn’t she always believed that about herself?
Harper pushed herself away from where she was leaning indolently against the door jamb. ‘He might not love me but look at the size of the ring he gave me. Pretty awesome, huh?’ She knew she was acting exactly like the trashy little gold-digger Jack’s mother thought her to be, but right then she didn’t care.
The older woman’s mouth tightened like the strings of an old-fashioned purse, her eyes flashing with loathing. ‘I don’t believe for a moment you didn’t set Jack up by deliberately falling pregnant. You saw him as a meal ticket and went for it with both greedy hands. Cryptic pregnancy be damned. You might have convinced everyone else but you haven’t convinced me.’
‘If you have an issue with me falling pregnant, you’d best speak to your son,’ Harper shot back with venom. ‘They were his condoms, not mine.’
Liz’s cheeks burned a deep shade of pink as if the intimate topic was way outside of her normal experience. ‘I only hope you turn out to be a better mother to Marli than you’ll be a wife to my son.’
Harper locked gazes with Jack’s mother as if she was in a boxing tournament and determined at all costs to win. ‘I damn well will be.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
Four weeks later...
JACKCAMEINfrom a long day, after being in Rome for an important meeting, to find Harper asleep on the sofa in front of the television. The volume was so low he didn’t see the point of having it on at all but he guessed she was trying not to disturb Marli, who was usually asleep at this time in the bedroom.
He hunkered down in front of Harper, gently stroking his fingers through her hair. He found it increasingly hard to keep himself from touching her. The magnetic pull had only intensified over the last month. The sensual energy between them was at times palpable. If ever she touched him even incidentally—such as when she was passing him Marli—a lightning-fast zap of energy shot through his blood. And it was obvious she felt the same, for she often pulled her hand back, or blushed, or turned away as if to disguise her reaction.
‘Hey, sleepyhead. Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in bed?’
Harper opened her eyes and blinked owlishly at him. ‘What time is it?’ Her voice was soft and slurry from sleep.
‘Half one in the morning.’
She groaned and pulled herself up to a sitting position, her long, sleep-tousled hair tumbling about her shoulders. ‘How was your trip to...where did you go again?’ She scrunched up her face as if trying to recall their conversation earlier that morning.
Jack sat beside her, resting one of his arms along the back of the sofa. ‘Rome.’
‘Oh, that’s right. Sorry, my memory is all over the place.’
He threaded his fingers through her hair again, loving the silky feel of it against his skin,the fruity fragrance of it filling his senses and making him want to bury his face against her neck and breathe in more of her. She didn’t move away from his touch, but instead leaned into it, her eyes closing momentarily, like a cat that was blissfully enjoying being stroked.
‘It’s because you don’t get enough sleep.’
She opened her eyes and turned her head to meet his gaze. ‘Nor do you. Do you normally work such long hours? And travel so much?’
Jack had actively sought time away to process what was happening between them. What was happening to him. Feelings he refused to acknowledge, feelings he didn’t want to name or examine in any detail were burgeoning inside him. Spending day after day with Harper made it near impossible to keep his heart off limits. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that chipped away at his emotional armour so relentlessly. But strangely, time away from her didn’t help at all. It only made him miss her and Marli all the more. He threw himself into his work with a passion he didn’t feel. The only passion he had was for Harper.
Jack let out a long sigh and reached for one of her hands, holding it between both of his. ‘There are a few new developments I’m juggling right now. Plus, the house I’m in the process of buying needs some work. I want everything perfect before we move in with Marli.’
‘You sound like Aerin. She’s such a perfectionist, which is what makes her such a brilliant wedding planner.’
‘How are your friends managing without you?’
Her slim shoulders went up and down in a shrug. ‘Okay, I guess... They’ve found a photographer but she can only cover the next couple of months. It’s so hard on Aerin and Ruby without me there. We’re a team and we complement each other so well. I feel like I’ve created a logistical nightmare for them.’
He stroked the back of her hand with a lazy finger. ‘You really miss work, don’t you?’
She gave him a worried look. ‘Does that make me a bad mother?’