Fiance by Fate

by Jennifer Shirk

  “What are friends for?” he said as he fell into step beside her. “And since we’re so chummy now, I think I should mention something to you.”

  Sabrina watched him warily. It was only thirty minutes into it and she wasn’t so sure she could handle this friends thing with him much longer. “What’s that?”

  “You snore.”

  She stopped in the middle of the hallway and gaped. “I do not.”

  “Oh yeah, you do.” He nodded, beaming from ear to ear. “Cute, kind of baby snores, but still snores by standard definition. Maybe that was the problem that broke up you and David. Doctors need their sleep, you know.”

  She shot him a withering glare. “Boy, you’re kind of jolly for a man who has a sore back and took a tomato juice shower.” He chuckled as she stormed out the doors of the main entrance.

  “Hey, seriously, what really caused your breakup?” Jack called after her.

  Stopping at her blue Honda, she looked up. “I’m not sure.” She tried to pull open her car door, but Jack pressed his hand on it, making it near impossible.

  “Hold it. David didn’t even give you a solid reason for breaking off the engagement?”

  “Not exactly.” She tried to fling his arm away, but Jack held tight.

  “Why not?” he demanded. “The guy proposes, then changes his mind but gives you no real explanation. How could you let him do that to you?”

  The anger in his tone had her blinking up at him. She couldn’t understand why he was even pressing the issue. It was her life. Her fiancé. “David said he was confused and—” She caught sight of David’s car pulling in next to them.

  “Put your arms around me,” she said urgently.

  “Huh?”

  Do I have to do everything? “It’s David. Quick, do something.”

  In an instant, Jack pressed his hands against the car window on either side of her, pinning her in. Her head automatically fell back and her heart started pounding so fervently through her chest, it almost hurt. She convinced herself it was because of David and what he would say, and not because of the way Jack began nuzzling her neck.

  “How’s that?” Jack murmured in her ear.

  There was a tingling in the pit of her stomach and her mouth went bone-dry. “O…k-kay.”

  He smiled against her skin, sending off sensations like a domino effect throughout her entire body. She thought she would melt right into the paint of the car. And all he was using was his mouth.

  Oh dear. She hated to think what her traitorous body would do if his hands were actually on her. His breath came fast and hot against her throat, but his lips were soft and caressing. If she didn’t keep herself in check, she was afraid she’d almost purr.

  Then he shifted closer.

  His body, warm and solid, felt especially good against the freezing cold temperature outside. It made her feel sheltered and cozy, and if she didn’t know he was only acting, really…wanted?

  No. Jack was just a better actor than she was. Telling herself she was acting too, Sabrina closed her eyes, tilting her head back to give him better access to her neckline. She could smell her own vanilla soap on his face, but somehow it didn’t seem feminine at all—nothing about him could.

  Her eyes sprung open when she heard David’s door slam behind them, but Jack didn’t immediately pull back. An itsy bitsy part of her almost hoped he wouldn’t. When Jack finally did break away, she felt a huge surge of guilt, and not being able to even glance at him, feebly turned to David. And her eyes widened. He looked awful.

  “David.”

  “Hello,” he said, his eyes only on her. “I had an emergency last night at the hospital. I’m just getting back now.”

  She only nodded. Little did he know, with the way he looked, he didn’t have to explain.

  “I’m glad I ran into you, actually,” David said, taking a step closer. “I didn’t have time to mention it last night, but I assume I can still count on your help with the charity dinner next Sunday?”

  Her mouth almost fell open. The last thing she expected was to still be invited to attend the fund-raiser he’d been planning for months prior to their breakup. “Oh, of course. No problem.” She hoped she sounded nonchalant.

  David smiled warmly at her, and she found it comforting—like an old quilt. “In case I don’t see you, I’ll make sure I leave your ticket under your door.”

  “She’ll need two, Doc,” Jack added sharply.

  David’s smile wiped clean away as he turned to Jack with grim eyes. “Of course,” he said, sounding more agreeable than he looked. “Any friend of Sabrina’s is a friend of mine. See you both then.” Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he stormed away.

  Jack bent his head toward Sabrina but kept his eyes on David’s retreating back. “Something about that guy rubs me the wrong way.”

  She cocked her head as she watched David walk into the building. “It seems the feeling is mutual.”

  “So that’s your type, huh?”

  “Yes, he is. Why do you ask?”

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m having a hard time believing someone like him is worth all that you’re doing. Tell me what’s so great about him.”

  Unfortunately, she had to think a minute. “Well, as you can see he’s very dedicated to the hospital.”

  “Okay, you might as well say boring. You like boring.”

  Sabrina shoved him out of her way and opened the car door. “You’re being ridiculous. I don’t have to explain why I love him.” She climbed in and slammed the door.

  As she started the engine, Jack calmly walked around to the other side and let himself in.

  The car ride remained silent for almost twenty minutes before Jack turned to her. “Stay in this lane,” he told her.

  Sabrina pressed her lips together and did as he said. She was expecting he’d mumble out at least one “I’m sorry” for his remark about David.

  “How did your parents die?” he asked instead. His voice was different now. Low and somber. She was trying to concentrate on driving through the morning rush hour traffic, but could feel his eyes closely set on her. It was unnerving.

  “Car accident.”

  Jack swore under his breath.

  Like the popping of a balloon, Jack’s reaction deflated her anger. “At least, that’s what I was told by Childhood Services. I don’t have any real family. Instead, I grew up in a few different foster homes until I was able to go to college and get out on my own.”

  Without warning, Jack laid a hand on her thigh. She tried not to stiffen at the intimate gesture, since she knew he was only trying to be comforting. And probably with any other person, it would be calming, but instead she found herself trying not to drive them off the overpass.

  “So you have no family at all?” she heard Jack ask.

  “No—until I met David. He was the first man to make me feel as if I wasn’t alone anymore. I felt…whole. His family is wonderful and they accepted me as a part of it so quickly. It was weird, meeting him the way I did, and then getting engaged. Everything about it was just so perfect. It was like fate,” she added. “I guess you can see now why I would want him back so badly.”

  “No.”

  Hands tight on the wheel, Sabrina glanced over at him.

  He was serious.

  “You don’t?” Frowning hard, she made a quick left and pulled into the parking garage only a block from their building.

  “No,” he repeated, finally removing his hand from her leg. “Do you really think he’s so great just because of his family?”

  “Well.” She cleared her throat, not sure if she should share her superstitions with him. “No. Like I said, there are other reasons—”

  “Yeah well, what I’m not hearing is that he does it for you.”

  “He does it for me.” It sounded like more of a question, even to her own ears. She hoped Jack hadn’t picked up on it.

  “Wow, convincing.”

  She winced. He had picked up on it. It
only made her frustrated at him—and herself. “Look, I don’t have to convince you of anything. David is what I want and that’s that.”

  “Sabrina, do you really think David—love—is worth everything you’re going through?”

  “Of course it is.”

  Jack snorted. “I don’t think so. Putting everything you have into one person is a set-up for an emotional disaster. At least your parents went together. I saw what the death of my mom did to my dad. It wasn’t pretty.”

  After turning off the motor, she turned and gave him a solid look. “Just because you’ve seen a bad side to love and marriage doesn’t mean there aren’t any good sides to it.”

  Jack checked his watch. “We’d better get going.”

  She nodded, and then stepped out of the car. It was obvious talk of marriage and love made Jack uncomfortable. And just as she hoped he respected her beliefs, she would have to respect his.

  Jack walked around the car and when he did, he stopped, contemplating her. “How can you be so sure this thing with David will really last?”

  “I’m not. But I’ll never know unless I try. I think if you ever found the right woman, you’d understand what I was talking about.”

  He met her gaze for a long moment. “Yeah, maybe,” he said, finally turning and walking away.

  But he didn’t sound swayed.

  Chapter Eight

  Friday afternoon, Jack wearily walked onto the elevator and pushed thirty-two. He’d been traveling all week but was finally able to schedule an in-office day and catch up on some paperwork. He hoped to catch up with Sabrina as well. They’d both been so busy, they’d only managed to communicate by leaving each other voicemails. Voicemails, he noted sourly, that were business-related only. After all that talk she gave him last week about friendship, he assumed she’d mention if anything had progressed with her fiancé. But she hadn’t said a thing about David.

  Interesting.

  Sabrina didn’t belong with someone like David—not that he was an expert on love. But Jack had been there in the parking lot last week, saw how they interacted. The reserved politeness between them had him shaking his head. She deserved much better. Someone who could appreciate her loyalty and quick wit.

  Her sexiness.

  That thought suddenly had his teeth aching. But it was the truth. He was actually enjoying this pretend boyfriend stuff with her. Maybe a little too much. How could he not when she smelled sweeter than honey and fit so perfectly in a man’s arms? Unfortunately, Jack was not looking for the kind of relationship Sabrina wanted. Marriage. Commitment.

  His insides shuddered.

  No, she deserved better than Jack, too. Plus, she was counting on him to help her.

  And help he did. When Sabrina had demanded he do something while David was watching, he had actually ended up doing the second thing that popped into his mind. Ninety nine percent certain he would have been slapped for the first, he was glad at the time for his decision. Although with the way she’d reacted, he now wondered.

  Against her car, he had felt her body humming to his touch—and not her precious doctor’s. The way her breathing had almost stopped, her pulse scrambling under his lips. It was irresistible. Sabrina could protest all she wanted that she was in love with David, but she couldn’t hide the fact that she wanted Jack.

  And he wanted her.

  There. He admitted it. There was no alcohol in his system this time.

  He wanted her. Big deal. He’d wanted lots of women in his lifetime. And even some women he knew he couldn’t have. In fact, he had just been fantasizing about Scarlett Johansson last month, but he wasn’t knocking on her door.

  It wasn’t like he couldn’t rein in his hormones. After all, he had no right interfering with Sabrina’s engagement. And he wouldn’t—if that’s what she truly wanted.

  The elevator doors finally opened. As soon as Jack walked onto the main floor, he searched out Sabrina. He frowned when he noticed she wasn’t at her desk.

  “Oh, hey, Jack,” Christine Young said, stopping in front of him. “I bet it’s nice not to be on the road for a change, huh?”

  Jack glanced over Chris’s blond head and still didn’t see Sabrina anywhere. “Yeah, it’s great, but I still have a lot of work to do,” he said, his gaze roaming the room. “Have you seen Sabrina?”

  “She’s in the lounge area right now, trying to get some quiet.”

  Jack’s gaze snapped to Chris. “She’s sick?”

  Chris nodded. “Bad headache. She gets them every now and then. She’s out of pain reliever so I was just about to run down to the store for her.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I’m sure—”

  “I said I’ll take care of it.”

  Chris blinked at him. He hadn’t meant for his words to come out so gruffly, but Sabrina was his responsibility. Because…they were partners. And friends. “Sorry,” he said with a sheepish smile. “I know where I can get something close by, that’s all.”

  Chris hesitated but then smiled back. “Um, okay, that would be great.”

  He turned around and headed back toward the elevators, his pulse racing. Sabrina never mentioned anything about headaches. She should have told him. Was she getting headaches because of work stress? She was naturally high strung but he hoped he hadn’t put any added pressure on her. Maybe he’d talk to her about it.

  “Jack,” Chris called out.

  Half distracted by his thoughts about Sabrina’s workload, he glanced behind him. “What?”

  “Are you feeling all right?”

  He stopped and punched the elevator. When it didn’t open right away, he eyed the stairs. “I’m feeling fine. Why?” he snapped, pressing the elevator button again.

  She shook her head in bewilderment. “Um, no reason, I guess.”

  When Jack returned to the office, he headed straight for the lounge. Sitting there at the table, Sabrina was hunched over with her head held in her hands. He wasn’t a doctor, like her precious David, but she didn’t look good.

  Standing over her in two strides, he gently placed a hand on her back. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

  She didn’t move, and for a moment, he thought he spoke too quietly for her to hear. “Don’t yell,” she whispered. “My head is killing me. It feels like a migraine coming on.”

  “Did you take anything yet?”

  “No,” she groaned. “Nobody has anything. I asked Chris to run out to the store for me.”

  “You didn’t ask me.” He tried to keep his tone light, even a little consoling, but man, he was frustrated. The woman was obviously hurting. She knew he’d be coming into the office today. You’d think she would have asked him for help.

  She slowly pulled her hands away and squinted up at him. “You carry pain reliever?”

  Her face was pale and her pupils large as dinner plates. She seemed so fragile, like a wounded child. He hated seeing her like this. “No, but here.” He slapped three bottles on the table and went to get some water.

  Sabrina looked at the various OTC medicines in amazement. “Wow, I had no idea you were a walking pharmacy,” she said, picking up the ibuprofen.

  He pushed a Dixie cup of water into her hands and shrugged. “I’m not. You just have to know where to ask. Here.” He handed her a wrapped doughnut, too. “Maybe you should eat something.”

  She glanced at the dougnut, then to the ibuprofen bottle, and then back up at Jack again. “Where did you get all this?”

  “What’s with all the questions? Hurry up and take it. You’re in pain, remember?”

  He hadn’t meant to raise his voice. Yeah, maybe he was overreacting, but the expression she had on her face was making him feel like some sort of superhero. And he was far from that. He just didn’t want her to be in pain.

  Her eyes turned wary, but she ended up swallowing the tablets. “Thanks, Jack.” She drank some more water, then smiled up at him gratefully. “You are a good friend. I owe you.�
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  Jack’s heart almost bottomed out. That smile. It killed him every time.

  Sabrina had a great smile. Actually, she had an incredible smile. And he’d seen it plenty of times these last couple of weeks. But this one was different. It was all for him. That alone was payment enough. Almost.

  Almost? What was going on with him?

  Her smile faltered. “You don’t look so good yourself. Are you feeling okay?”

  He mentally shook himself. “I’m fine,” he bit out. “I have a lot of work to do. Trying to help my dad, too. He’s noticed a slight drop in performance—present company excluded—in the associate wholesalers. I’m trying to come up with a plan. I’m hoping to show the board I’m more than just a pretty face around here.”

  She cracked a smile, pointing the doughnut at him. “You didn’t ask me,” she said wryly.

  He raised an eyebrow. “You have a plan?”

  “Maybe. If you really want to look good to the board, you could work out some kind of bonus system based on how much they help in acquiring sales.”

  “We couldn’t afford it. That would mean we’d have to take the money out of the senior wholesaler commission. I’m not sure they’d go for the pay cut.”

  “With the kind of salary those wholesalers are making, I doubt it would make much of a difference. Besides, it doesn’t necessarily have to translate to a drop in their salary. If the internal assistant boosts sales because of the incentive, it would mean more money for both.”

  Jack considered her idea and had to admit it wasn’t half bad. “I’ll think about it. Thanks for your help.”

  “Just trying to show you I’m more than a pretty face, too.”

  Jack smiled, but he already knew Sabrina was smart and a good problem-solver. But because of their past animosities, he’d never told her. Not that she would have believed him anyway.

  Sabrina suddenly got a funny look on her face and her hand shot to her head. “What’s the matter?” he asked.