The Reluctant Romantics Box Set (The Fall, The Mind, The Heart)

“Rose?” He’d felt it. He’d seen it. He knew.

I kept my eyes tightly shut as he again addressed me with patience. “Rose.”

I opened my eyes to see his wide smile, and that smile undid me.

“I have to use the restroom.” I leaned in, gave him a light kiss, escaping his arm just as he reached to keep me with him. I raced through the crowd, tears coming fast and hard as I pushed past people and saw the line. Panicking, I pushed again through the same offended crowd and out the front door. “Oh shit,” I said as I ran away from the never-ending crowd of people. “Oh shit,” I mouthed into my palm as I found refuge in between buildings shrouded in darkness and away from the noise.

I made quick work of gathering myself, knowing Jack would come looking for me sooner rather than later.

“Don’t do this to me,” I begged the pumping vessel that betrayed me. “I can’t do this again!”

I put my hands against the brick wall and took several calming breaths. I was running out of time and was still visibly shaking. My connection with Jack was natural. It was always going to happen.

Taking one last calming breath, I wiped my face and rounded the corner to go back.

I froze when I saw Jack at the entrance of the bar. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and he was clearly looking for me. I put on my game face as I moved toward him. I stopped dead in my tracks as a beautiful brunette approached him. Not stop

ping my stride, I watched their exchange. Jack, clearly irritated, searched around her, looking toward the street for me.

My fear morphed in to jealousy at seeing another woman so close to him. I stopped just short of him, his back angled toward me as I listened to the conversation he wasn’t interested in having.

“You lose your dance partner? I’d be happy to save one for you.” She really was beautiful, but by the way she looked at him, she was definitely interested in more than dancing.

“I’m all set,” he said, clipped and clearly finished with her. “Have a good night.”

I watched her face fall, but she remained where she was. “How about a drink, then?”

“Actually, I was hoping you would come over and give me a chance to talk to you.” I reared my head back in shock, as did she. Anger coursed through my veins as his next words struck me in the chest one by one.

“I can see you’ve got a body full of sin.”

Her eyes widened as she leaned in closer, clearly turned on by the Cajun accent. He was laying it on thick. She scanned his body, hanging on his every word as I stood motionless and furious, waiting on his next words.

“And I speak now on behalf of Jesus Christ to let you know you can be forgiven. God loves all his children no matter the amount of sins. Would you care to pray for your soul right here on the street?”

For the second time, I clamped a hand over my mouth but couldn’t control the laughter that escaped me as she looked at Jack with confusion before stuttering her reply.

“I… I… I’m all set, thanks.”

“Jesus loves you,” he called out after her as she fled from him like she’d been lit on fire. Jack’s hand shot out behind him, making it obvious he knew I was listening, and he pulled me into him as I laughed hysterically. After a solid minute of nonstop belly laughter, I looked up to see the same smile I’d just fled from.

“Nothing like a little religion to scare people away,” he said with a chuckle as I shook my head. “Why are people so afraid of Jesus? He was the best of all humans.”

“He was,” I agreed as I wrapped myself tightly around him, my laughter slowly fading.

“It’s not right to run from something that’s good for you,” he said in a whisper as he wrapped his arms around my waist then looked down at me. I nodded without a good response.

“Beb, don’t disappear from me like that, okay?”

“The line was too long, I had to find—”

Gray eyes pierced me as my lie died on my lips. “Okay.”

“Let’s go home.” He made quick work of fusing our hands and pulled me across the street to our parked car. After he’d shut my door and joined me in the front seat, we smiled at each other.

“Do you do that often?”

“Often enough.”