A long, cold shiver ran through her heated body at the sudden realization.
“Ohmygosh!” Sara jerked away from him and gave a frantic look around.
“Sara…” Jack stepped close but stopped with a heavy sigh as she jumped back. “Look, itʼs okay. Itʼs deserted here. Nobody saw us.”
It didnʼt matter. She didnʼt care that someone might have seen them. But the fact that she had gotten to the point of considering having sex with him in the middle of a parking lot―only a few feet away from where the whole of Starville was gathered for the fair!―said a lot about the power this man had over her.
It freaked the crap out of her.
“Trust me, baby, I wouldnʼt have let it go any further. I would never embarrass you like that,” Jack tried to comfort her again, his hooded eyes surveying her.
She tilted her head back to look at his face, and her heart sank even deeper down to her stomach. He was right. He would have stopped. Because while she had completely lost herself in him, he hadnʼt given up one whit of his freaking self-control.
But why did she feel so disappointed? And mad? And…humiliated? A long, painful breath escaped from her lips. “Forget it, okay?”
“Sara―”
“Please, let’s just go to the fair.”
“Hey, guys!”
Sara nearly screamed in frustration as she turned around and saw Layla Lacrod and Brent walking toward them. Perfect.
“I should have known a lone wolf like you would park as far away as possible from the crowd,” Layla joked as she reached them.
Jack nodded absently, his gaze glued to Sara.
Brent cleared his throat, his wary eyes darting between the two of them. “Maybe we should go, Lay.”
Layla either didnʼt hear him or ignored his cue, because she walked up to the Harley and patted its seat. “I canʼt believe youʼre still riding this thing after all these years, Jack. If I close my eyes, I can still see you whizzing around night and day, driving old Mrs. Nickelby crazy.”
“Shall we head to the fair?” suggested Sara, on the verge of exploding.
The four of them started quietly toward the square―but after a few steps, Jack grabbed her elbow and held her back slightly. “We need to talk,” he whispered in her ear.
She nodded halfheartedly. She felt so unsure about everything. What was he so eager to talk about, anyway? She didnʼt know, and maybe she didnʼt want to. Heck, all she could think about was having sex with the man, and he wanted to talk. Ugh. Her humiliation reached incalculable proportions. No heroine in her books would ever behave so stupidly.
Jack slid an arm around her shoulders, sending shivers through her body. On the other hand, Sara thought, leaning against him with a helpless sigh, no heroine in her books ever had to deal with Jack Turner!
***
The fair was in full swing when they reached the main square. Jack immediately stopped in his tracks, stiffening at the sight of the hundreds of people crowded around the various tables and stands placed here and there. A few couples were dancing in the starred-and-striped gazebo in the middle of the square, and the music was so loud that his head was already starting to throb. It was awful…even worse than he’d thought itʼd be. He was seriously considering turning around and bolting when he noticed Nicky walking toward them, her hand wrapped around a tall, brown-haired manʼs arm.
Sara smiled at them. “Hi, guys. Good seeing you again, David. Jack, this is David Meyer, our new veterinarian.”
He nodded and stretched his hand. The other man eyed him with curious interest as he shook it. “Nice meeting you.”
Nicky turned uncomfortably to Brent and Layla. “I, um, donʼt think you guys have met David.”
Brent didnʼt respond but studied the man from head to toe. Layla jabbed him with her elbow and took a step forward to shake Davidʼs hand. “Itʼs always nice to see new faces in Starville. Where are you from, sugar?”
“Houston―but Iʼll be here for about a year. Iʼm replacing Angie OʼDonnell at the clinic.”
Her eyes glittered with interest. “So, youʼre a doctor?”
“A veterinarian, actually.”
“Just as charming.” She licked her crimson lips, then turned toward Jack and wrapped a hand around his arm. “Wanna dance, hon?”
Sara decided right then and there that sheʼd gladly pull every single red lock out of her head. “I think Iʼll go grab myself a soda,” she mumbled, trying to spot the drink stand. Heck, if Jack started dancing with Layla, sheʼd need a margarita instead. Or two. Maybe three.
Jack glanced down at Laylaʼs hand and swallowed so hard his Adamʼs apple bobbed. “I think Iʼll pass, thanks. My leg and all.”
“Iʼll dance with you, Lay,” Brent interjected, grabbing her elbow and dragging her toward the dance floor under the gazebo.
An awkward silence followed after they left. Jack was the first to break it, clearing his throat as he turned to Sara. “Iʼll get you that soda, sweetheart.”
She blinked at him, incredulous that heʼd actually rejected Laylaʼs invitation. “Thank you.”
“What about you, Nicky?”
“Iʼd love one, thanks.”
“Iʼll go with you.” David fell into step with him. Nicky watched them as they walked to the drink stand, then she flicked her amused gaze to Sara and clicked her tongue. “Is there something you want to tell me, sweetheart?”
“Huh? Oh, that.” Sara swept the matter away with a wave of her hand. “It means nothing. Jack has always called me that.”
“Yeah, well, that might not mean anything, but the way he looks at you does.”
Her silly heart instantly went on a rampage. “How does he look at me?”
“Letʼs see―a cross between a predator and a lovesick puppy? Pretty much the same way you look at him.”
She didnʼt comment. Heaven knew she did feel pretty lovesick-puppyish right now. She shook her head. “Youʼre one to talk, you know.”
“Me?” Nicky gave her a most bewildered look. “What did I do?”
“Iʼll tell you exactly what youʼre doing, youʼre using David to get Brent jealous.”
“I am not!”
“Really? Is that why he still believes you guys are dating?”
Nicky dropped her gaze and started toying with a button of her shirt. “Itʼs…complicated.”
“Of course it is.”
Nicky huffed a breath. “Why, yes, I have a little crush on my partner. There, I finally admitted it. Happy? So what? Itʼll fade soon.”
Actually, her little crush hadnʼt faded a bit in all those years―but Sara decided it was probably better not to mention that as her friendʼs eyes shifted to the dance floor. “Besides, look who he’s with tonight. She is his kind of girl.”
“Laylaʼs beautiful,” Sara admitted.
“Are you kidding me? Sheʼs freakinʼ Wonder Woman! Have you seen her perfect makeup? How the heck can she keep it in this damn heat?” Nicky wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. “I swear she must be an alien or something.”
“I do wonder if sheʼs human, sometimes.” Sara breathed a heavy sigh. “She likes Jack.”
“Duh. She seems to like every breathing man on earth.”
“I know. But I mean, she really likes Jack. I see the way she looks at him, the way sheʼs always trying to touch him.”
“Well, if itʼs any consolation, she has a soft spot for Brent, too. Then again, she also hit on David!” The two of them exchanged a conspiratorial look and burst out laughing.
Jack frowned as he and David came back from the drink stand. “Whatʼs so funny?”
“Just a little joke.” Sara bit her bottom lip and took the bottle he handed her. “Thank you. Would you like to walk around a bit?”
He shrugged. “Why not?”
***
A couple of hours later, Jack still looked around suspiciously. He should never have agreed to come to this stupid fair.
The colorful tables everywhere, the dozens of coup
les dancing, the hordes of kids playing around, laughing and screaming in their high-pitched voices… Everything was driving him nuts. Hell, his head was about to explode. Not to mention that heʼd been there for hours and hadnʼt accomplished anything. Charlene had done nothing but avoid him since heʼd arrived, and the only people heʼd managed to talk to all night were Sara, Brent, Nicky, Layla, and that new veterinarian. If he had hoped that coming to the fair and seeing the people heʼd known since he was a kid would help him remember something, he couldnʼt have been more wrong. He only felt more confused and disoriented than ever.
Sara heard Jackʼs sigh and cast a disheartened glance at him. He was clearly uncomfortable and out of place there―not that she could blame him. The whole town had done nothing but slant hostile looks at him all night. In fact, she felt responsible for his distress, being the one whoʼd pushed him into going to the fair. And while she had known all along that Starville wouldnʼt be enthusiastic about his presence, part of her kept hoping that Jack would relax and enjoy himself like everybody else around him. All sheʼd wanted was to buy some cotton candy, steal a kiss from him while watching the fireworks, maybe even dance to a romantic song or two with him. Instead, nothing was going right. Heʼd been on the defensive since they had arrived and clearly couldnʼt wait to leave. And maybe they should. What was the point of staying, anyway?
She opened her mouth to ask him if he wanted to leave, but her breath caught as her gaze fixed on a spot behind him. Her eyes widened. A big smile spread across her face.
Jack turned around to see what had caught her attention, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of the tall, burly cowboy striding toward them. Half a second later, he watched incredulously as Sara ran toward the man and jumped into his arms with joyful laughter.
What the hell?
Something wild and dangerously close to fury stirred within him and burned in the pit of his stomach when the manʼs damn arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the ground.
“Iʼm so happy you made it, Cars!”
“Told ya I would, didnʼt I?” Carson put her back down with a wink, and she playfully tipped the black Stetson on his head.
“Yes, but with you I never know for sure.”
“Well, ta-da! Here I am. And, by the way, youʼre beautiful as always, kid,” he said, taking her hand and making her twirl under his arm in an improvised dance. She laughed.
“Youʼre not looking too bad yourself, Mr. Cooke.” In fact, she wasnʼt the only woman studying him from head to toe. As usual, his sapphire-blue eyes and muscular frame were already turning a few heads. “Whenʼd you get here?”
“About ten minutes ago. Iʼm not staying, though, I wanna hit the horse auction. I just came to say hi to you.”
She patted his arm. “Good boy. Is Jamie here?” His son lived with his mother in Philadelphia but usually spent the summer at the ranch.
“Nah, Grace is keeping him until September this year.”
“Iʼm sorry.”
“At least heʼll be with me for Thanksgiving―maybe even Christmas. I suppose this is a half victory after all, huh?” he tried to joke, but his smile was stiff and didnʼt reach his eyes. Sara didnʼt miss the flicker of pain that flashed in them. Knowing how much he loved his son and suffered from the painful situation with his ex-wife, she decided to change the subject.
“Come with me, I want to introduce you to Jack,” she said, taking his hand.
Carson peeked behind her shoulders and raised a brow. “Um, kid? If heʼs a tall, glaring man looking eager to rip me apart, I believe Iʼll be meeting him pretty soon.”
She turned around just in time to see Jack stride toward them, his long steps eating up the distance despite the injured knee. And Carson hadnʼt exaggerated—he looked furious. When he stopped in front of them, his fists were clenched to his sides.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he all but growled, his eyes blazing into hers. “Sara, I need to talk to you for a sec.”
She arched a brow, confused by the angry tension radiating off him. “Sure. Just let me introduce you to my friend Carson first. I told you about him, remember? Cars, this is Jack. Heʼs―” She fumbled, trying to find an appropriate word to describe what Jack was to her. The person sheʼd rescued after a terrible accident? A friend? Her roommate? The only man sheʼd ever desired with all her being? The love of her life? “A dear friend of mine,” she decided, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two men.
Carson smiled and offered his hand. “How you doinʼ? Iʼm Carson Cooke.”
Jack scowled at his rival. Being used to towering over people, he hated that this guy topped him by at least a couple of inches. And the bastard was bigger, too. He looked down at his extended hand for a few long moments before reluctantly accepting it. “Jack Turner,” he grumbled, turning back to Sara. “So, can I talk to you?”
“Of course. Cars, will you excuse us?”
“No worries, kid. I gotta go, anyway.” Carson bent his head and planted a quick kiss on her lips—mostly to tick off the glowering man beside her, who promptly sent him another dark, pulverizing look. “Nice meeting you, Jack,” he said with a smug smile, tipping his Stetson.
Jack grunted something unintelligible and snatched Saraʼs hand. She gasped as he dragged her away, struggling to keep up with his long strides, but he kept working his way through clusters of laughing people and screaming kids until they reached a quiet area behind the square. She jerked her hand free, glaring at him.
“What the heck is wrong with you?”
He glanced at her hand and rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry, I didnʼt mean to interrupt you and your friend. I just wanted to let you know that Iʼm leaving.”
Sara flinched. “W-what?” Leaving? Starville?
“Iʼm tired, and itʼs obvious that I wonʼt find what Iʼm looking for here.”
“But I… You…” She inhaled sharply and tried again. “Jack, you canʼt leave like this.”
“Iʼm sure your friend wonʼt mind driving you back home,” he said sarcastically―but his tone didnʼt register in Saraʼs mind. All she felt was the relief that came after his words. He just meant leaving the fair and going home, not leaving town! Her relief, however, died an instant death as she realized he was trying to dump her off on Carson!
Her scowl deepened. “Donʼt be ridiculous! Carson just got here and has better things to do than drive me around. Sorry, but I came with you, and I will be leaving with you.”
“I donʼt know, you guys seemed pretty pleased with each otherʼs company,” Jack replied with a casual shrug, but his caustic tone didnʼt fool her.
“All right, whatʼs going on? And I want the truth.”
A muscle pulsed in his clenched jaw. The muscles in his arms flexed as he folded them over his chest. “Fine. If you really must know, I donʼt particularly appreciate seeing my—whatever the hell it is you are to me—rubbing herself all over another man. Thatʼs whatʼs going on.”
Her mouth fell open in outrage. “I was not—” She stopped as his eyes kept shooting sparks of rage at her. Darn him, but he was sexy as hell…and so confusing! One minute he seemed to want to dump her off to another man, the next he acted like a jealous boyfriend. “I told you this already. Carson is one of my best friends. Yes, I was happy to see him tonight. And no, I donʼt owe you any explanation for it.”
“Of course not. Weʼre nothing to each other, right? So what the hell should I care if you wanna rub yourself all over him?”
“Stop saying that!” Sara fisted her hands and punched them to her hips to keep from strangling him. “Look, be honest with yourself for once in your life: You know this is not about Carson. This is about you and me.”
“What…”
“Youʼre driving me insane!”
“Wait a—”
“One moment you say you want to be friends, the next you kiss me senseless! Would you make up your mind already? Do you enjoy driving me crazy or something? Because, honestly, Iʼm sick and tired of your contradicti
ng behavior.”
Jack gave her a disconcerted stare. His mouth worked, but no sound came out of it. Then he plowed both hands through his hair. “Dammit, itʼs not that simple!”
“Yes, it is. Do you want me or do you not? If you donʼt, just say so right now, loud and clear, and stop playing with me. But if you do want me―” Her voice broke. “If you want me, then take me already.”
Something wild flickered in his eyes. Suddenly, he erased the distance between them and pulled her in his arms. Her heart thundered. “Jack.”
“Shhh.” He kissed her temple and slowly started swaying against her to the rhythm of the distant music coming from the fair. “Dance with me, sweetheart,” he breathed in her ear.
All Sara could do was nod. Closing her eyes, she slid her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his chest with a sigh. Wasnʼt this what sheʼd been longing for all night? A chance to dance with him and feel his strong, hot body against hers…inside hers? Sara swallowed thickly. She had no doubts about it anymore. No more hesitation. She was going to make love with Jack tonight, and she wouldnʼt take no for an answer. With new resolve, she raised her head to let him know her intentions―but the intensity of his gaze burned through her, and she forgot all about what she was supposed to say.
“Are you, uh, going to kiss me again, or do you just intend to torture me?” she asked instead, breathlessly. The slow smile he gave her made her insides go to mush.
“Iʼm thinking about it, yes.”
“Kissing me or torturing me?”
He softly brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. “Kissing you.”
“In that case, would you please stop thinking about it, and just do it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
A thousand butterflies fluttered wildly in her stomach the instant their lips met again, making her sigh in his mouth. Why did he have to feel so good? Smell so good? Taste even better? Sara had no idea how long theyʼd been kissing, but she knew she would have kept going for hours had Jack not pulled back.
“Do you want to leave?”
Bound to the Past (Starville Series Book 1) Page 16