didn’t want to think about what else she could be hiding. He swallowed hard, trying to focus on the positive. Although whatever had happened between them in the past few minutes appeared to be crumbling apart.
She was shaking like a leaf. Dammit, he’d really fucked up. He reached for her, wanting to provide her some measure of comfort. “Did I-”
“Don’t start,” she said. “What the hell was that for?”
He paused. “We were kissing. You weren’t exactly stopping me.”
“Well, I’m stopping you now.”
Jack ran a tired hand through his hair. Goddammit, she ran up and down so fast he didn’t even know what he was doing anymore. It didn’t matter that trying anything had been a terrible idea. He’d done it and there was no going back.
“I was half asleep,” she said. “You took advantage of me.”
Now, that was an unfair accusation. But he couldn’t let his temper get the best of him. Not yet. “You pulled me toward you. You whispered my name. You kissed me back. You wanted it as much as I did.”
Caroline drew the covers around her. “Please leave,” she said icily.
He was done with leaving things unresolved. “No. You’re not going to be alone.”
“Fine. Then stay as far away from me as possible.” She turned and scooted as far away from his side of the bed as she possibly could, wrapping herself in the covers again. “Good night,” she mumbled.
She was going to make it as difficult as she could, wasn’t she? “Caroline-”
“Leave me alone,” she said. “You can stay in here but that’s it.”
Jack flopped down on the pillow next to her and lay there brooding. After a few minutes he could hear the unmistakable sound of her crying. Amazing how quickly his anger could fade, leaving only the guilt behind. He sat up and placed a hand on her back. “Sweetheart-”
“Leave me alone! Just leave me the fuck alone.”
She kept saying that like she was trying to convince herself that she could make a go of it on her own. “Please, Caroline. I want to help you.”
“No!” Her voice was tearful. “Leave. Me. Alone.”
“I don’t want to leave you alone,” he said, his voice breaking. “You shouldn’t be doing this by yourself.”
Caroline rolled over to face him. “I don’t want you to be the one helping me. How much clearer do I have to make it? Get out.”
He knew she was tired. He knew she was scared. But dammit, those words wounded him more than they should. Jack sat up, cradling his head in his hands and rubbing his eyes. He sat there for a moment, feeling completely and totally useless.
“Okay,” he said quietly, and stood up and left the room.
Chapter Seven
Jack was cranky the next morning. Sleeping on the couch had left him sore and annoyed and he’d tossed and turned most of the night. At some point in the early morning, Caroline closed the bedroom door. He didn’t bother checking on her when he awoke. In fact, he had little desire to see her at all. She emerged from the room shortly before noon. Evidently she hadn’t slept all that well either. She also hadn’t expected him to be there and when she saw him she started to turn around.
Oh, that was how she was going to play it. “Are you going to avoid me all day?” he asked.
“If it works for you, it works for me.”
“It hasn’t ever worked for me, but my opinion doesn’t seem to matter to you.”
Caroline made a face and sat on the couch. “Okay, Commander .” She used the term as a pejorative. “What would you like to talk about?”
He glowered at her. “It’s hard for me to have a conversation with you when you speak to me that way.”
“How else am I supposed to act? I can’t believe what you pulled last night.”
He felt his temper rising, the same way it had the night before. “I didn’t pull anything. I kissed you. You responded. You liked it. And then you acted like I assaulted you. Don’t rewrite what happened.”
“You shouldn’t have done it.”
Was there
She was shaking like a leaf. Dammit, he’d really fucked up. He reached for her, wanting to provide her some measure of comfort. “Did I-”
“Don’t start,” she said. “What the hell was that for?”
He paused. “We were kissing. You weren’t exactly stopping me.”
“Well, I’m stopping you now.”
Jack ran a tired hand through his hair. Goddammit, she ran up and down so fast he didn’t even know what he was doing anymore. It didn’t matter that trying anything had been a terrible idea. He’d done it and there was no going back.
“I was half asleep,” she said. “You took advantage of me.”
Now, that was an unfair accusation. But he couldn’t let his temper get the best of him. Not yet. “You pulled me toward you. You whispered my name. You kissed me back. You wanted it as much as I did.”
Caroline drew the covers around her. “Please leave,” she said icily.
He was done with leaving things unresolved. “No. You’re not going to be alone.”
“Fine. Then stay as far away from me as possible.” She turned and scooted as far away from his side of the bed as she possibly could, wrapping herself in the covers again. “Good night,” she mumbled.
She was going to make it as difficult as she could, wasn’t she? “Caroline-”
“Leave me alone,” she said. “You can stay in here but that’s it.”
Jack flopped down on the pillow next to her and lay there brooding. After a few minutes he could hear the unmistakable sound of her crying. Amazing how quickly his anger could fade, leaving only the guilt behind. He sat up and placed a hand on her back. “Sweetheart-”
“Leave me alone! Just leave me the fuck alone.”
She kept saying that like she was trying to convince herself that she could make a go of it on her own. “Please, Caroline. I want to help you.”
“No!” Her voice was tearful. “Leave. Me. Alone.”
“I don’t want to leave you alone,” he said, his voice breaking. “You shouldn’t be doing this by yourself.”
Caroline rolled over to face him. “I don’t want you to be the one helping me. How much clearer do I have to make it? Get out.”
He knew she was tired. He knew she was scared. But dammit, those words wounded him more than they should. Jack sat up, cradling his head in his hands and rubbing his eyes. He sat there for a moment, feeling completely and totally useless.
“Okay,” he said quietly, and stood up and left the room.
Chapter Seven
Jack was cranky the next morning. Sleeping on the couch had left him sore and annoyed and he’d tossed and turned most of the night. At some point in the early morning, Caroline closed the bedroom door. He didn’t bother checking on her when he awoke. In fact, he had little desire to see her at all. She emerged from the room shortly before noon. Evidently she hadn’t slept all that well either. She also hadn’t expected him to be there and when she saw him she started to turn around.
Oh, that was how she was going to play it. “Are you going to avoid me all day?” he asked.
“If it works for you, it works for me.”
“It hasn’t ever worked for me, but my opinion doesn’t seem to matter to you.”
Caroline made a face and sat on the couch. “Okay, Commander .” She used the term as a pejorative. “What would you like to talk about?”
He glowered at her. “It’s hard for me to have a conversation with you when you speak to me that way.”
“How else am I supposed to act? I can’t believe what you pulled last night.”
He felt his temper rising, the same way it had the night before. “I didn’t pull anything. I kissed you. You responded. You liked it. And then you acted like I assaulted you. Don’t rewrite what happened.”
“You shouldn’t have done it.”
Was there
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