She tapped her fingers against the side of her bag as she tried to come up with a plan to get rid of him. What the hell did he want anyway? An introduction? Maybe as Jenny’s father he thought he had the right to vet her men friends.
Somehow she didn’t think that was his reason. He was being territorial, which, after the way they had left things a week ago, was pretty weird.
They’d been standing without saying anything for over a minute. She opened her mouth, then clamped it closed again as Jack came through the doorway. Great timing. He caught sight of her immediately—or maybe someone had told him she was out here consorting with an undesirable type, and he was rushing to the rescue.
Her head hurt.
She saw the moment Logan noticed Jack coming toward them. His shoulders tensed; his eyes narrowed. He looked from her to Jack, and his jaw clenched. Jeez, he was uptight. She reached out and rested her hand on his arm. “You okay?”
He glanced down at her hand and shook his head, the tension easing from him. He gave a short laugh. “No. I’m a fucking moron.”
She didn’t have time to answer as Jack came up beside her. “Everything okay, Abby?”
“Why the hell shouldn’t she be okay, Jack?”
So he knew who Jack was, or he’d guessed. Great, just great.
Jack shrugged, but she could tell he was uncomfortable. She had an urge to sit down, cover her head with her hands, and wait until it all went away. She was getting fed up with being the sensible one, the one who always did the right thing despite what she wanted to do. But strangely, until Logan had come back in her life, she’d never been tempted to do the wrong thing. It hadn’t occurred to her. He obviously had a very bad effect on her.
Logan and Jack stared at each other, and it was a good job they weren’t armed because neither of them looked happy. Time to pretend she was the nice, perfect person she used to be.
“Of course I’m okay,” she said, plastering a smile on her stiff face. “Logan came to tell me what a nice lunch he had with Jenny.”
“Oh. Well, do you want me to walk you to the station?”
Did she look like she needed someone to walk her to the station? Had she suddenly morphed into some fragile little woman who couldn’t take care of herself? Something must have shown in her face, because Jack’s eyes widened. “I mean as we’re going the same way.” He glanced between her and Logan. “That is, if we are…”
“No, go ahead. I’ll be along in a minute.”
He hesitated for a moment longer, and she glared.
He left.
Beside her Logan chuckled, and she looked at him sharply. His lips were curved into a smile. At least the tension seemed to have left him. “I think Jack just got a glimpse of my fantasy girl. Nice to know she’s still there, hiding under all that sweetness and light.”
“I am sweet.”
“No, you’re not. You just feel you have to pretend.” He nodded to where Jack was disappearing down the road rather quickly. “I’m surprised he didn’t stick around. I wouldn’t leave my woman with someone like me.”
“I’m not his woman. Whatever Jenny told you, there’s nothing between us. We had one date two weeks ago, and I haven’t been out with him since.”
“Why?”
None of your goddamned business. But she kept the words inside. She was good at that, but it was getting harder and harder. Instead she took a deep, calming breath. “I didn’t think it was right to see him while…” She wasn’t sure how to end that.
“While you were fucking me.”
Her lips tightened, but in fact, she rather liked the straight talking; she was sick of prevaricating over everything. “Exactly.” Though that wasn’t the only reason. She’d known Jack a long time, and she’d never had the urge to jump him, never had to curl her hands into fists to stop herself reaching out for him. Logan might not be right for her, but after what she had felt with him, she wouldn’t settle.
She sighed. “Jack’s a friend. I guess I’m realizing that if he was meant to be anything else, it would have happened by now.”
“You mean like us. Five minutes after our eyes met, you were in my arms.”
It had been like a blast of lightning. Lust at first sight. One look and she’d known she wanted him.
“Now all you need is to find a nice, suitable man who makes you feel like that.”
“Good plan.”
“Except, I don’t think you like nice, suitable men. I don’t think sensible gets your pussy all hot and wet.” He leaned in closer. “I think Sergeant Abigail Parker has a secret hankering for bad boys.”
She didn’t answer. What was there to say? That her secret hankering was for just the one bad boy?
After a few seconds he stepped back and stood looking down at her. “I actually came here today to tell you I was happy you’d found someone suitable. I told myself it was the right thing to do. But I find that I’m not capable of being quite that civilized yet.” He gave her a feral smile. “And it would be a fucking lie. I don’t want him touching you. And I certainly don’t want him fucking you.”