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I blurted it out before I could stop myself, "I’m not on the fence, Jack Your work is divine I’ve never seen it’s equal Ever I’m on your side I’ll do it!" And you can’t stophard,Slowly, he turned back to look atas he looked at ht If it’s not wrong, then I have nothing to hide and neither do you"

Moving back to me, he looked down, "You really think that?" His voice was deep, and the way he looked at me made my stomach clench Parts of me that I hadn’t felt in years were suddenly on fire The way his eyes lingered on mine, the set of his jaw and slant of his shoulders, it felt like I was ht between disbelief and awe

Nodding slowly, I looked away from him I couldn’t say it to his face, "You’ve always been an a artist Jack, but this--what you do here--it’s jaw-dropping for so many reasons You appreciate beauty, but it’s soI’ve never seen that before You’ve taken all the best attributes of the art world and co It took my breath ahen you pulled back the curtain earlier" My voice grew softer as I spoke

I could feel Jack’s eyes on the side of my face as I tried to look anywhere but at hi, the roo was theonto the sand When I turned back to look at Jack, I couldn’t tell what he thought His head was tilted to the side, his ar else I just didn’t knohat "It’s late I better go Kate onder what happened tome to my car Before I reached for the door, he held out his hand When I looked down I saw a sliet in touch with you in case the shoot tied like it was nothing

I stared at his hand, shaking my head, "I can’t take that" Cell phones were expensive, and I couldn’t afford to pay the bill Before I could protest rabbed me by a belt loop with one hand and shoved the phone intowide open

Jack laughed when he saw the look on my face, "It’s a job requirement, Abby, and I know you don’t have a cell Take it You need it It’s a coet to keep it forever We’re only footing the bill while you work here" He pointed at the phone as I pulled it out ofIf you’re late, call" I slid into the car, knowing I’d have to take it "Saain, all the waroing to hurl I’d said tooin my stomach

CHAPTER EIGHT

"You did not! Abby, what they hell are you thinking?" Kate scolded First she was ht someone killed me and buried ht I’d made a really stupid decision Third, she went nuclear when she realized Jonathan Gray was Jack Gray I shouldn’t have told her that Ooops

Irritated, I grabbed a glass fro on the faucet "I already told you There’s nothing wrong with it There’s no lust/ porn ele me there will make sure it stays that way"

Her dark hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned over the counter, "Abby, he’ll drag you doith him What if the press sees you? What if there’s a scandal in the next year? Do you really want to risk it all for this? For hi my water like it was air I didn’t want to justify myself to her, but in the back of my mind--I knew that if I couldn’t ht, there was no way the church board would be okay with it Before berating me more, she leaned back Her jaw dropped open, "Oh my God It’s him, isn’t it?"

Startled, I turned to look at her "What are you talking about?"

"It’s Jack Gray He’s turned your head," she ss out like a bloodhound I blanched as she teased, half sighing while she slass in the sink "It’s not like that It can’t be like that"

"Lust doesn’t cancel out just because you took a vow, Abby" She grinned like the Cheshire cat, green eyes glinting

I stiffened, appalled at her suggestion, "It’s not lust! Good night!" I walked away fro my bare feet down the hallway like a petulant child, and sla, "Call it what you want, but you have the hots for Jack Gray!"