Catch Me a Catch (18 page)

Now my
future can begin,
she’d said
. A future with this guy?

It was a new
sensation, but he didn’t have to be a genius to recognize it. Jealousy, wrapped
in a hot glove of rage. Jack picked his jacket off the seat next to him, and
slipped into it. He hadn’t been alone when he’d told her he wanted to try for a
relationship, he reminded himself, she’d been right there too. He’d walked away
when he found Sharon had a lover, but no way would he turn around and walk away
now.

The car locked
with a muted beep. Jack dashed across the street. Cold rain dripped through his
hair to run in little streams through his scalp.

He didn’t want
to catch her out, didn’t want to find her snuggling under a towel with the man
she lived with. He stood there anyway, waiting for the door to open.

“Jack!” She
was all over him. Her hands slid over his chest and she stared into his eyes.
She didn’t notice his hands stayed firmly at his side.

“You’re
soaked!” She stood back and he stepped in stiffly, eyes casting behind her in
the empty room. There was no sign of the man, but his leather jacket was slung
over the chair, water dripping from it onto the floor.

“I’ll get a
towel.” Before he had a chance to confront her she was gone, running from what
he could see was a small sitting room into what he presumed must be the
bathroom. Jack closed the front door quietly. There was no need to bring her
neighbors into it.

She was back,
rushing to him with a large blue towel clutched in her hands. Despite it all,
he wanted nothing more than to forget the man he’d seen her with, the man with
his arm around her. A man who’d looked like he had after three weeks at sea, a
scruffy charmer. He glanced towards the spreading puddle on the floor, and her
eyes followed his.

“Bloody hell.”
She glared at the pool of water. “David!”

A door opened
next to the bathroom and the one who must’ve been David appeared, pulling a dry
tee- shirt over his impressive chest. “Bring an old towel out of the airing
cupboard will you? Your jacket’s making one hell of a mess.”

“I think the
mess can wait.” Jack stood still, staring at her lover.

He’s big,
but I’m bigger.
Satisfaction blazed through him. He could take him in a
fight, and one was brewing. He clenched his fists at his side, ready.

“I think you
need to introduce me to your friend, Annie.”

****

If she didn’t
know better, Annie would swear there was steam coming off Jack as he faced
David. There was a stillness in the steady way he looked at her cousin. A
muscle flexed in the corner of his jaw, and his fists were clenched.

“Didn’t I tell
you about David?” she asked, weakly.

“No,
surprisingly you omitted all mention of him. I guess we’ve been too busy for
David’s name to come up.” He stared at the man with open contempt now.
He
thought he was her lover.
The realization struck her like a blow to the
solar plexus.

“I’m Annie’s
flat-mate.” David said.

“David’s my
cousin
,”
she said. “There are
two
bedrooms. His and mine.” She gestured towards
the doors on the other side of the small sitting room. “We’ve shared a flat
since I left Durna.”

“Cousin?” The
tension released the stiffness of his shoulders instantly.

“First
cousin,” David grinned. “Our fathers are brothers.”

“Your father
is Sean?” Jack glanced at Annie.

“Yes.”

Jack reached
for the towel and rubbed it over his hair.

Needing time
to think, Annie walked into the bathroom to retrieve an old towel to mop the
moisture from the floor. Her hands shook as she pulled it out of the cupboard.

Jack hadn’t
tried to hide his fury.
He wasn’t capable of hiding it.
He’d really
thought she was living with David. Which she was, but not in the way he seemed
to think.

The room was
empty when she strode back in. She dropped the cloth over the spreading pool of
water, then sank down onto her knees rubbing it ferociously. Jack and David
were talking in the sitting room.
Bloody male bonding.
She picked up the
cloth and tossed it into the sink.
He needn’t think I’m going to be so easy
to talk around.
She walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer, turning to
rifle the drawer for the bottle opener.

“It’s here.”
She hadn’t heard him come in, still steaming at the unfairness of being unjustly
accused. “We had it next door.”

He approached
her, crowded into her personal space, and she backed up against the fridge.
Without looking he took the bottle from her hand and carefully placed it on the
counter, the heat of his thighs against hers seeping through the cotton of her
dress.

She moved, but
he was quicker. He placed his hands flat against the fridge’s surface on either
side of her face, and moved so close his mouth was bare millimeters from hers.

“I’m sorry.”
He kissed her gently, lovingly, and despite her hurt she couldn’t resist him,
her mouth softening under his. “I’m sorry,” he said again, against her lips
before deepening the pressure. The flame burned out of control between them
again and she ran her fingers around the back of his head, holding him
desperately.

“I can’t
believe you thought David and I were living together.”

“You are.”

“You know what
I mean,” she glowered. “You thought David was my lover and I was sleeping with
you. How could you think that?”

“I’ve told you
I’m sorry, I don’t know what else I can say. It was a stupid mistake.”

“I thought you
trusted me.” Of all of the things he might have believed her capable of, this
was the one thing which hurt most. After being on the receiving end, she’d
never cheat on someone.

“Why would I
even pretend to be your girlfriend if I had a boyfriend of my own?”

“You told me
you were a different person in Durna, had a different life.”

“Yes, I guess
I did, didn’t I?” Pain burned in her chest. It was a lifetime ago. Before
they’d slept together and everything changed completely. For her anyway. She’d
thought things had moved to another level. He’d wanted her to go to New York
with him for a visit. But he didn’t trust her. His response to David proved it.
Once again she’d made the mistake of thinking she knew what was in another
persons heart. They never should have moved from a pretend relationship to a
real one.

“David’s in
the sitting room.” She suddenly remembered her cousin. “We’re supposed to be
all having dinner together.”

“He said he’s
decided to take his girlfriend out for a meal. He called her, and has gone to
change.” She didn’t trust the innocence of his gaze for a second.

“Did you…” she
started.

“He made the
decision all by himself. He told me he didn’t fancy my chances after the way I
acted earlier.” He rubbed his hand across his jaw line, looking embarrassed.
“He said he reckoned he’d escape the fireworks.”

“Yeah, well,
David and I have shared a flat for a long time,” she nodded. “And I haven’t
forgiven you yet.” She squeezed out from beneath his arm, putting distance
between them and running her hands down the skirt of her dress, trying to look
at least vaguely respectable.

“Annie?” David
called tentatively from the sitting room.

“He sounds
scared,” Jack said.

“Like I said,
he knows me.” Annie pushed open the door from the kitchen, knowing without
looking that Jack was following her.

“I’ve called
Sophie and we’re having dinner out. I’m going to stay with her tonight.” His
voice lowered. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, fine.”
She reached up to kiss her cousin on his cheek. “I’m going back to Durna
tomorrow for the ceili, are you coming up?”

“Maybe. If I
can drag Sophie away, otherwise I’ll stay down here.” He turned to Jack,
“There’s nothing worse than a ceili if you’re on your own.”

“I’ll be going
with her,” Jack grabbed David’s proffered hand. “Hopefully see you tomorrow
then.”

“Right,” David
said then turned to Annie. “Don’t forget to call home; Bull should be back from
the pub.”

“I’ll call
them now.” Annie patted her cousin on the back.

He grabbed his
jacket from the chair and left.

****

Jack sank down
on the sofa. Silence stretched between them. Annie fiddled with her hair. She
was uncomfortable with him, now they were alone together. He rubbed his hands
over his jean-clad thighs. His over-the-top reaction to David had ruined a
potentially wonderful night.

“So, can I
help you with dinner?”

“You can do
more than that.” She grinned. “You can do it, while I call Bull.” He pulled a
face, obviously she loved cooking as much as he did then.

“It’s easy. We
got a selection of stuff from the deli. I was going to pretend I cooked it, but
you better know everything at this stage.” She ran her hand through her hair,
pushing it back from her face. “I’m a rotten cook. It’s a well known fact my
specialty is ‘heat and serve’.”

“My favorite.
Is everything in the fridge?” He strode towards the kitchen relieved to have
something to occupy him. A few moments apart to let the awkwardness dissipate
couldn’t be a bad thing.

“All ready to
go in foil containers.” She nodded, reaching for the phone.

Her voice
drifted in from the sitting room as he opened the containers and heated the
oven. She was laughing, reliving the telephone call she’d received earlier in
the day in all its glory. He lingered in the kitchen until she was finished.

Ten minutes
later, she joined him.

“Your parents
must be delighted,” he said.

“They are.
Bull said I must be on a winning streak, what with winning the Chocolate Oscar
and landing a boyfriend in the same week.” There was something in her eyes,
sadness maybe?

“I didn’t tell
him we were only pretending.”

“Because we’re
not.” They’d moved way past pretending. Even when he’d thought she was with
another man he’d not been prepared to let her go. He was going to fight for
Annie. If she didn’t know that now, then she soon would.

“Because I
don’t really know what we’re doing, I can’t believe you thought me capable of
living with someone and making love to you.” Her hands clenched into fists and
her determined gaze challenged him to keep his distance.

It wasn’t
finished then.
He breathed in. He was about to dive into dangerous waters
without the benefit of a spear gun or a safety cage to keep him safe.

“I can’t
explain it.” Jack shrugged his shoulders; he really didn’t have an excuse. He’d
behaved like a caveman.

“I can
apologize for it, but I’m not denying when I saw him outside with his arm
around your shoulders, and watched him open the door
with his key,
coherent thought took a back seat.” She seemed a fraction more approachable. He
took in a deep breath and opened his heart.

“I was
jealous. So jealous I couldn’t see straight. I’ve never had a woman affect me
like you do.” He held his breath. Nothing mattered if Annie didn’t forgive him.
He’d come to Ireland looking for somewhere to belong. The truth hit him like a
lightning bolt. He belonged with Annie.

“It was a
surprise.” She took a step nearer.

“You can say
that again.” He pulled her close, breathing in her potent scent. His body
jolted into life with her soft warmth in his arms. “You smell of vanilla.” He
sniffed the skin of her neck.

“It’s body
lotion, I put some on after my vanilla bubble bath. Vanilla’s my favorite.”

“Mine too.” He
reached for her hand and pulled her into the kitchen with him to turn off the
oven. “Let’s eat later.” He nuzzled her neck. Her fingers reached for the
bottom of his tee shirt, pulling it roughly up so she could stroke his stomach.

“I’m too
hungry for you to bother with food.”

“Oh, you sweet
talker,” she replied. She pulled his tee shirt up and over his head. Reached
for his belt buckle.

“Bedroom.”
Relief flooded through him, relief that she’d understood, relief she’d given
him a second chance. He picked her up, striding from the kitchen with the sharp
nip of her teeth at his neck inflaming him. His arms tightened behind the soft
skin of her knees.

“Slow down.”
He stumbled as she licked his throat and barely made it to the bed. “There’s a
limit to what I can take.”

“No good at
multitasking, Jack?” She wriggled out of her dress with a half smile that
turned his knees to jelly. He dropped his jeans to the ground and quickly
stripped off his socks and shoes.

“I admit it,”
he growled. She unfastened her bra and tossed it in the direction of the lamp.
“I’m only human.”

“Very human.”

He peeled off
his white briefs to stand naked before her and her eyes widened at the proof of
how very human he was.

“Come here.”

“Impatient, sweetheart?”
He ran his hands up her thighs to hook his fingers into the lacy scrap she
doubtless called panties.

“Okay, you got
me.” She moaned as his lips followed the path of his hands, kissing her
stomach. “I’m burning up for you.”

“Good.” He
moved to a nipple, swirling his tongue around its hardening tip, sucking hard.
She gasped, and her legs edged wider under his as his length nudged her.

“I love the
way you smell.” His lips trailed over her neck. His nostrils filled with the
subtle scent of vanilla again and he breathed it in deeply. She arched under
him, her body eloquently transmitting her desperate desire to him. “And the way
your skin feels, so soft and warm.” He nipped her ear lobe gently and her hands
ran feverishly over his back.

“I think I’m
going to explode,” she whispered. “I want you now, Jack.”

“Not yet. Have
you any more of the body lotion?”