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

“Of course, you were something good to report.”

“I was?” I turned to look at him with slight defeat.

“You are,” he said, taking a step forward.

“Don’t do that. Just say what you really mean.”

“Rose, I still lov

e you,” he said, taking another step forward.

“Well, it would be pretty shitty of you to love someone else so soon after,” I countered, wanting to get to the heart of it.

“Let’s go join them at the table, okay? We can talk after,” Jack promised as I stood in front of the door.

“I don’t have to be here. I can check into a hotel. I can wait for you there.”

“Why the hell would I want that? I want you here,” he said with slight irritation.

“Kind of hard to tell what you want,” I said in an aggravated tone.

He was in front of me in an instant, cupping my face with his hands. “I want us back.”

“Could’ve fooled me. I guess I didn’t know quite how pissed off I was at you until now. Lucky you.”

He chuckled as he caressed my skin. “We’ll talk after dinner.”

“I may not want to hear it,” I said, letting my hormones talk. “Matter of fact, just shut up.”

Jack laughed harder as he leaned down and took my lips. I whimpered as a tear slipped from me that told him exactly how hurt I was.

“I fucking hate to see this,” he said as he wiped my tear away with his thumb. “Don’t cry, baby.”

“Then stop doing this to me,” I said with a sigh.

“Come on,” he said, opening the door for me. “I want them to know you.”

“What the hell for?” Jack stopped in the middle of the room and turned back to me in all seriousness. I took in his blond halo, beautiful features, and stellar body, and my heart sighed as the flutter in my belly extended to my chest.

“Because you own me.”

Well played, Jack, well played.

He reached back, took my hand, and yanked me to him. “I know we have a lot of hurt between us, but just give me dinner with my parents and we’ll sort it out, okay?”

“Okay.”

We made our way back down the hall as I prayed that no one had heard us going at it. All five of his parents stopped their hushed conversations and greeted us with smiles. We took our seats at the table, and Jack piled food onto my plate. I had just shoved a heaping forkful of dirty rice into my mouth when his mother asked her first question.

“How is the center going, Rose? Have your doors opened yet?”

I nodded to give myself time to swallow as I turned to her with a smile. “We admitted our first six patients yesterday,” I said with excitement. “Two of them are long-term care.”

“Jack said you would be taking them in for the length of their whole treatment,” Nadine said as she looked at me with admiration. “I just… we just think what you’re doing is amazing, really.”

“Thank you,” I said, trying my best to keep from squirming under all the eyes trained on me.

“Such an accomplishment,” his Uncle Spencer commented as he raised his glass toward me. I brought my glass to his and took only a small sip of the wine I hadn’t declined so no suspicions were raised.