An Irresistible Bachelor(110)

Jack was about to demand what the hell was going on when Callie burst into the room. She stopped short as all the attention around the table focused on her.

Oddly enough, his first thought was that her hair was down, just the way he liked it. And then he did himself a favor by remembering that what she looked like was no longer his concern.

Although where she was mattered if she was on his property.

"This is a private meeting,'' he said, trying not to look into her eyes. He had no interest in seeing that particular shade of blue again.

"I'll call security," Latasha muttered while reaching for a phone.

"That's all right. I'm sure Ms. Burke is just passing through."

"Actually, I'm not."

He cocked an eyebrow, not really in a big hurry to indulge her. But as she put her hands on her hips, he had a feeling she was not going to leave unless she was dragged out or she had a chance to say her piece.



Jack shrugged. He wasn't about to sic a security guard on her. And there was no reason for the two of them to have it out in front of three judges, a senator, the Speaker of the House, a DA, four CEOs, and a clergyman.

Although maybe Father Linehan would make a good referee.

"Ladies and gentlemen, would you give us a moment?"

Gray shot him an amused look as he left the room with everyone else.

When they were alone, she clasped her hands together and took a deep breath.

"So," he drawled, "what's on your mind?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but this is really important. I have to talk to you."

"You want to sit?"

She shook her head.

"Jack, I made an awful mistake last night. I'm so sorry. I should have known you'd keep your word. You always have. I jumped to the wrong conclusion about that announcement."

He sat in his chair and stared down the long table at her. If she thought that was what bothered him most, he wasn't going to correct her. He'd had it with trying to reach out. Now, he was more concerned with getting over her.

"Thanks for saying something." He looked at his watch.

"I just wasn't thinking straight. I've been so torn."

There was a period of silence.



"If there isn't anything else," he got to his feet, aware of a feeling of disappointment.

Christ, he still had hope? What an idiot he was.

"Jack, I didn't come here to say I love you and expect you to forgive me."

"Good."

"Because saying I love you wouldn't be enough."

He narrowed his eyes on her face. He could see she was having trouble choosing her words.

She cleared her throat. "Right before my mother died, my father came to the apartment. He brought a dozen roses with him. The moment I looked into his face, I knew he had come to say good-bye. She was getting worse.... He knew it was time."

Jack slowly sat down in the chair. He had a feeling she was going to tell him everything.

"I was at her bedside, and I knew they wanted to be alone. I went into the living room but the apartment was very small so voices carried. Even the very quiet ones." She looked at him. "I heard my father say that he would have married her. He would have left his wife and m-married her. If it hadn't been for me."

She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"He, ah, he told her that it was impossible with me around. He couldn't very well marry a woman who already had a twenty-some-year-old daughter who looked like him. His indiscretion would have been so obvious. I—” she tapped her chest, "it was me who he blamed for keeping them apart. Me."

Jack got to his feet, and came around the table unable to stand the way her voice sounded. He wanted to take her into his arms, but she started to pace.



"After he left, I went to my mother's bedside. She looked up and I knew he wasn't the only one who regreted having me. I mean, God, it was her whole dream. To be his wife. I tell you, I hated them both that day. I hated them and what they had done to each other. And what they did to me."

She stopped and faced him. "There were a lot of reasons that I didn't want to tell you what had happened. One of them was noble because I wanted to protect my half sister. But the real reason was—” She straightened her shoulders, breaking his heart with how strong she was trying to be. "But the real reason was me."

She pushed a piece of hair out of her eye. Or maybe it was a tear. "I didn't want to relive any of it and I had convinced myself that with both of them dead I would never have to. Telling you the story was hard enough. Telling you who he was, though, would bring it all back. I could barely get through the events when they actually happened. I couldn't see how I could—”