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As the coffee brewed, Jack sat at the counter I felt his eyes onme as I moved around Kate’s kitchen "You sleep on people’s porches often?"

He shook his head, "Nah, this is new for me I usually don’t ic "I thought you’d kick ht Didn’t expect this"

I shrugged "What on earth made you think it was me?" I leaned on the counter across fro thrust intos like that suddenly created super-cleavage Jack’s eyes drifted I blushed and stood up at the saed it

He cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at otten a lot of hate ious freaks who think I’ America" My stomach turned The expression on my face must have indicated how I felt about it because he said, "I know, right? Anyway, all fingers pointed at the new girl Someone had to have passed Belinda my client’s names and numbers Whoever did it played ht, as the coffee finished I grabbed two cups and poured Handing one to Jack, I said, "Sugar’s next to you I’ll grab e, I asked, "Is there anyone at your office that goes back as far as we do?"

Jack shook his head, "No Everyone else is since college or later Linda was the obvious person She controls all the calls and records No one would even notice if she did it, but she was as upset as I was Gus was et started He’s my business partner It makes no sense at all The models don’t have access to that stuff, so the only other people are you and the cleaning crew" Silence passed between us Jack held his cup of black coffee in his hands, staring at me The look in his eye aze returned to his cup "I was an ass, Abby"

I s to hide how e, I suppose"

"What’s that ed, "Isn’t the price of fame supposed to be loneliness? That you can’t possibly knoho your real friends are, and who’s using you?" He nodded "It’s part of the package Part of being friends with Jonathan Gray"

Jack stood up, and ca down at my face Blue eyes and saze A tendril had co Jack’s eyes narrowed in on the strands, taking the curl and tucking it behind my ear while he spoke, "I’m not Jonathan Gray, not with you" his voice was hushed He said the words and let the in the air "I’ll always be Jack You’ll always be Abby"

It felt like I was floating While his hand touched ers trailed along, down the side of my face and onto my neck His voice swam in my mind The butterflies in my stomach wouldn’t settle down They flew in a thousand different directions when Jack touchedme step back, but the counter was behindThey were all overa path of heat as they washed over " His fingers brushed back the hair again, lightly The touch nearly asp The pit of my stomach twisted as heat flushed acrossdoay, I stuttered, "I I can’t tell you" He had to knoas doing this to me Didn’t he? I didn’t knohat to do I was trapped between his body and the cabinets Time seemed to stop

Jack’s breath washed acrossme melt "Why not?" His voice so soft, so seductive I could feel the reply on ue My heart wanted to say it, but my mind bit back the words Silence passed between us We stayed like that, his lips within a breath of mine When he said, "Tell me, Abby," I could feel the warmth of his breath slide overJack made me feel found It took every ounce of restraint not to close the gap between us I wanted to slide ainstthe breath slowly, like it was s used to be" Jack watchedhis eyes His breath hitched when I spoke, and he froze Suddenly it felt like a decade ago We were face to face, a kiss apart froain

But this time, it didn’t last more than a second The warmth that was in his eyes cooled Jack stepped away from me like he hadn’t realized what he’d done Heat raced acrossthe counter to hide the blush Moving slowly, so he didn’t notice , I picked up my half-consu around, I felt Jack’s war blankly, I told myself not to turn He placed his cup next to mine, and stepped back I stared at the black liquid, heart still pounding, drowning out all other sounds

Jack was leaning on the opposite counter When I turned around he saze forwith ainst my counter, across from Jack