A Wicked Game(26)
He’d call Tori when he was ready.
* * * *
Two weeks later
“Hi, Jack.” There was a pause. “I-I. Hey, listen. I hope all is well with you. Guess work must be keeping you busy. Call me if you get a chance.”
Jack tapped the screen of his cell phone to check the time and let out a long breath. It was freaking seven o’clock at night on his side of the world, and three o’clock in the morning in LA. He eased back on his chair, lifting his gaze from the conference table to the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. He wasn’t ready to contact her yet. He needed to make up his mind, to figure out what exactly it was he felt for her, what she meant to him.
Ethan’s words still looped in his mind. What do I feel for Tori? Their relationship started based on revenge, and developing an attachment wasn’t meant to be part of their hate and lust equation. Accepting that he’d fallen for her would be hard—he wasn’t ready to admit it. He didn’t want to fall in love with her. Not with Tori.
The possibility of falling in love and being rejected—once again by the same woman—wasn’t something he cared to entertain. Jack wouldn’t allow her to reject him twice because he hadn’t fallen for her. No, he hadn’t. What the fuck am I thinking?
* * * *
One month later
“Hey, Jack. I thought maybe I’d catch you at this time. I’m guessing you’re either still at work or asleep. Who knows, I may even have the times mixed up.” A soft giggle escaped her, then she continued, “Talk to you… I don’t know… soon… whenever.”
Jack pressed number seven on his phone keypad, saving her voicemail just as people walked in the conference room for the meeting he was getting ready to facilitate. If things went right today, he’d be able to go home by the end of the week.
He missed Tori. His day job had been taking every minute of every day, weekends included, making it hard for him to contact her. Not a good excuse, he knew that, but it was his only excuse. He’d had some time to think about them and what they had. Jack still had to sort through some things in his mind, but part of him was ready to move forward. He made a mental note to send her an email later tonight.
* * * *
Six weeks later
“Jack, it’s Brandy. I just received a box here at the office. It’s from Tori. Can you please email me to let me know what you’d like me to do with it? I’m not sure if you want to keep it in your office or have one of the guys take it to your condo or your home in the valley. Talk to you soon.”
Jack frowned. A box? Had Tori just packed the clothes and other belongings he’d left at her place and sent them back to him? Fuck. He dropped the pen in his hand on the desk, staring at the graphs on his laptop screen. He’d been such an asshole. He hadn’t even taken the time to email her. He could’ve at least tried, but that damn part of him that wasn’t ready yet to fully admit his feelings for her hadn’t let him.
The fact remained that he had deeper feelings for her, and fighting what he felt was useless. Whether he admitted it or not, he’d fallen for her.
He breathed out. Wrapping up things here and heading back to LA soon was his top priority now. He had to see Tori. He had talk to her. He yearned to hold her in his arms again, kiss her and most of all, to make love to her. Did Tori feel for him the same way he did for her?
Jack looked at the time—it was four in the morning in LA. He didn’t give a shit anymore. Ready or not, he wasn’t about to lose the woman who occupied his mind all hours of the day. He picked up the phone and dialed her number. Tapping his fingers on the desk, he listened to the tone of the call going through. He’d wake her up, and the asshole he was didn’t care. He needed to hear her voice. She’d be upset that he hadn’t kept his promise of calling her and he’d make it up to her. He swore he would.
“This is Tori Michaels. I’m unavailable right now. Please leave a message. I’ll call you back at my earliest convenience.”
He sighed. “Hi, Tori. It’s Jack. Listen, I don’t have an acceptable excuse for not calling you earlier. All I can say is I’m sorry I didn’t.” He paused. “I’m trying to wrap up things here so I can get back to LA in two weeks. Please call me when you have a moment.” His thumb lingered on the end call button of his phone.
Disconnecting the call was the hardest thing he’d done in a long time.
* * * *
He’d been away in Tokyo for two long damned months. Jack couldn’t wait to get home. He’d called Tori every day for the past two weeks and left her as many voicemails as he’d sent her emails. He still hadn’t heard back from her. What did he expect? Her silence could only mean one thing: she was pissed at him. He’d make it up to her any way he could. How he’d do it, he didn’t have a clue. Jack just knew he’d do everything in his power to get her to listen to what he had to say. He slid his finger on his phone and scrolled down until he found her name. He dialed her number and listened to the call go through.