Loving Jack(26)

"I don't just want you to be my CFO, Grace. I want you to be my wife. So  here I am, on the floor of my closet, asking you to marry me. Because  I'm that sure about us. Because I love you this much. Will you marry me,  Grace Yates?"





EIGHT





"Have you lost your fucking mind?"

Grace stormed out of the closet and began to search for her shoes again.  Jack was fucking crazy! Marry him? After one night of sex? It was  incredible sex, but still, who does that? She found her shoes in the  bathroom and holding the wall for balance, she slid them on. Grace got a  good look at herself in the long mirror over Jack's vanity. She looked  confused. She looked afraid. She didn't look at all like herself in a  wrinkled dress, flushed cheeks, and rumpled hair.

Grace felt like her entire orderly life was drifting on a stormy sea and  she was just barely holding on from one wave to the next. Her carefully  planned career made her miserable. Her relationship with a good man,  the perfect devoted man, was over because she couldn't commit to more  than sex. Her best friend was suddenly less than his usual supportive  self. And the man who tormented her dreams had just proposed marriage . .  . and she'd walked away. Why had she walked away? Because she was  afraid he would remember that she wasn't enough for him. She was even  more frightened by how difficult it was to walk away from that proposal.  It was too soon. This behavior wasn't like her. None of this was like  the Grace Yates she'd worked so hard to become.

Grace reentered the bedroom after girding her loins for a fight. Jack  was going to push for what he wanted. The man didn't understand the word  no when it came to his desires. Rightly so she supposed. Who had ever  told him no? She had once upon a time. Matthew had as well. And where  was Matthew now? Not with Jack. She doubted she would be for long  either. No matter how badly she wanted to realize her dream of a life  with Jack, Grace refused to rush into marriage. Damn it! They weren't  even dating!         

     



 

The sight that greeted Grace in the bedroom brought her up short. Jack  was waiting for her, but he wasn't in battle mode. He sat on the end of  his rumpled bed with his head hung and his forearms resting on his  knees. She stopped in front of him and his head came up. His eyes were a  deep, sad blue-green. He looked anxious, embarrassed even. Warm color  spread over his cheekbones.

"I understand." He hung his head again. "I guess I was a little too . .  .," he shook his head in self-recrimination, "confident in my ability to  woo you. It was just that it felt so good to have you back in my arms.  That crazy heat between us, our instant connection, it all made me think  you'd want more than just sex." If possible, his head seemed to dip  even lower. Grace didn't know how to react to this new unsure Jack. She  was dumbfounded standing there staring at the top of his lovely head.  His hair was rumpled from sleep and sex. His muscular shoulders looked  unnatural slumped in defeat. He continued when she remained silent.

"I get it, though. You're here for the job. I'll keep my distance. I  hope you won't let my rash behavior affect your decision to accept the  partnership at Artifex."

Grace sighed deeply. What was she going to do with this impossible man?  She sat on the carpet next to his legs and leaned back against the end  of the bed. Jack shifted and looked away. He was really embarrassed. She  shouldn't have reacted the way she did to his proposal. He'd just  surprised her with the impulsive action and Grace blurted the first  thing that came to her mind. She sighed again.

"I've been talking about wanting to be sure this is what you want, Jack.  Why would you think this was just about sex?" she asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe you're trying to use our past as an  excuse. That way you don't have to come right out and say you're not  interested anymore. I mean, I hurt you in the past. I know that. I  didn't want to hurt you but I did. It must be nice to see me squirm  now."

Grace scowled at him. Did he think she was here for revenge? Like she  would cross the country and spend her vacation working for free, just to  have a chance to pay him back for crushing her heart into little jaded  pieces that would never heal enough to love anyone else? She was  insulted. And hurt by the accusation.

"Fuck you, Jack," she told him as calmly as she was able, and got to her  feet. "I don't share my body with just anyone. I can't believe you  would think me capable of going through all of this drama . . . just to  hurt you." She was done with this argument. He could think anything he  liked about her. She'd be on a plane in a couple of days. "I'll let  Rachel know when I make a decision."

Jack watched her walk to the door. "Grace, wait." She paused to glare at  him again. "I'm sorry, okay?" He took Grace's hand and pulled her into  his arms. He looked truly repentant so she allowed it. "I'm sorry, baby.  I don't really believe that shit. Not really." He kissed her forehead.  "I want you in my life forever. I want you to be mine. I want to be  yours and yours alone. I just want you to see how great we could be  together and I don't know how else to show you. I know what I want.  That's why I bought the ring. It was spontaneous. But when I saw it in  that window I just knew it belonged to you." He squeezed her tight. "I  hadn't planned on proposing so soon. I just . . . didn't know how else  to prove my readiness to commit when you have so many objections. It  would have been lovely and much less mortifying if you'd accepted."

"I can't accept yet, Jack. It's far too soon for me. While I appreciate  your readiness, I must admit, I feel much better knowing you care enough  to go to such lengths. But I need more time. We need to date. We need  to get to know each other again."

"Of course, I know all of that logically. I'm a very logical man,  Grace." He lifted her chin so he could look at her face. "It's entirely  your fault." He smiled. She sputtered. He kissed the corner of her  mouth. "You're the only person on this planet who can make me crazy.  You're the only person alive who could make me forget myself and be  impulsive like that, baby."

Grace caressed Jack's cheek. "You know I love you now, right? I never stopped."

Jack's smile was blinding. He suddenly lifted her and tossed her on the  bed. Grace squealed and bounced on the mattress. Jack was over her  before she could blink. The joy in his expression made her heart melt  the rest of the way. She couldn't resist this man. But she would wait  until she felt completely settled before she accepted his proposal.         

     



 

"I love you, Grace. I'll wait for you to be ready. I'll wait as long as  it takes." He moved in slowly to take her mouth in a burning kiss. There  were no more thoughts of marriage or fear of the future. There was only  Jack and the love they had for each other.





****





Grace checked out of the hotel later that day when Jack insisted she  spend the remainder of her stay at his place. She only had a few days  left and they wanted to spend that time together. Grace was finished  reviewing the financials at Artifex but she realized she'd left the  charger for her tablet in the office. Jack also wanted to inform Rachel  that he was taking a few days off to spend with Grace. They stopped by  the office when they left the hotel.

Jack opened her door and Grace climbed out. He took her hand and they  crossed the parking lot like that. He was playing with that stunning  ring that adorned the fourth finger of her left hand. Grace felt weird  about wearing it when she hadn't agreed to marry Jack yet. But he'd  asked her to put it on so he could see if it fit. Once it was on her  finger the possessive and triumphant light in his eyes was unmistakable.  He didn't want her to take it off. He asked Grace to wear it while she  thought about the future. If she decided she couldn't be his wife -he  scowled furiously at the idea- she could give it back to him. If she had  it on then he knew she would think of him every time she looked down.  Lord, the man could be a romantic. So she wore the ring to please him.  Honestly, she hated the idea of taking it off herself.

Grace worried about what the employees of Artifex would think when they  saw one of the owners and the woman in line for the CFO position walking  hand in hand. Grace's character was sterling. Her reputation for being  loyal, hardworking, and driven had been earned. But this wasn't New  York. She wasn't at Stein and Watson. And these people didn't know her  or the fact that she was qualified for the position she'd been offered.  Grace didn't want the employees to believe she'd been handed the job  because she was with Jack.

She also had concerns about accepting a business partnership from the  man in her life. What if it didn't work out? What if it did? Mixing  business with pleasure was a bad idea in most cases. She worried about  what her personal relationship with Jack would mean for the professional  dealings.