by Неизвестный
Jack looked over at Rex. “I’m in love with her.”
“I know. It’s more than freaking obvious. Right now there is one person who doesn’t know though, and that’s Tamara. The real question is, what are you going to do about it?”
Jack looked like a dog that had been kicked. “I don’t know, man. This isn’t like me. Out of all the women I’ve had casual affairs with over the years, none of them have even come close to being as important to me as Tamara is. Yet, I’ve never said anything so disrespectful to any of them.”
Jack put his elbows on the table and dropped his head down into his hands, wincing when the spot where Tamara smacked him connected with his palm. “Do you think she’ll forgive me? Hell, would any woman forgive something like that?”
“Jesus, you’re not going to find out sitting around here feeling sorry for yourself, so go.” Rex was all but pushing him out of his chair.
Jack got up and headed towards the door. He knew the bouncer, John, at the door and figured he would be able to give him a heads-up on which way Tamara had gone. More than a few of the people at the bar laughed at him on his way out. It wasn’t enough that ladies’ man Jack Peyton had been smacked in front of everyone, but it was done with so much force that he could already tell it would leave a bruise.
As he got outside, Jack asked John if he saw which way Tamara had run to. He told Jack that he saw her get into a cab. Home, she must have gone home. He would have to go there, but not before he stopped and bought a huge bouquet of the most expensive flowers. He had some serious groveling to do.
On the drive to the floral shop, Jack was chiding himself for being so stupid. His stupid machismo had gotten in the way of something wonderful. Tamara hadn’t done one thing to him. She had been fantastic during the past month. She was amazing, and he was in love with her. He had to make things right. He would not end up like Brent, a broken man. Brent might have been stupid enough to lose her, but Jack would make sure that didn’t happen to him. He would tell Tamara he loved her, he would apologize in every way possible and make love to her until she was weak from her climaxes. Only then would he let her rest, and when she awoke he would start all over again.
Chapter 11
Tamara cried the entire way home. The cab driver kept looking at her with pity. He had asked her several times if she was okay, and she nodded her head every time. But she knew it wasn’t true, she wasn’t okay. She felt horrible. She had thought that Jack cared about her. She actually believed that maybe she was becoming as important to him as he had become to her. Obviously she couldn’t have been further off base. He had just been using her for sex.
A month ago, even three weeks ago, it might not have mattered. The sex was fantastic. But sometime in these past few weeks, it became more to her. Her heart was invested now. Tamara had never felt this kind of pain before. Her chest ached and her stomach was knotted into a million different tight little knots. She felt nauseated, she wanted to throw up. She wanted to forget the past month so she wouldn’t miss him, but what she really wanted more than anything was Jack. She had never felt love like this before. It was so intense and consuming. Even though they hadn’t talked about the future, she had hoped hers would include Jack. She was so stupid! How could she think that the illustrious Jack Peyton could truly care for her?
Tamara paid the cabdriver and headed up the stairs to her apartment. Just as she got to the top, Shelby opened her door. Shelby was clearly looking for a fight when she took one look at Tamara and gave her a wicked grin. “Well, well. Did you finally get what was coming to you, princess?” Shelby sneered.
Tamara took a deep breath and tried to calm herself but decided to give up the fight. Why did she always have to be so damn nice? She stepped right up to Shelby’s face and screamed, “What is your problem with me? You got what you wanted. You broke up Brent and me. What I don’t understand, though, is why. You knew I wasn’t happy with him. You could have devised a hundred different ways to get what you wanted. You never even encouraged me to break up with him when I talked about it. You didn’t have to screw him in my apartment. What did I ever do to you?” Tamara’s breathing was rapid.
“You don’t get it, do you? You think you’re such hot stuff, don’t you? You were always the one who would get hit on when we would go out. I was always the one that the cute guy’s ugly friend would pick up on. I didn’t want you to break up with Brent. I wanted you to be the one who was hurt, who was left standing in the shadows. I didn’t want your sloppy seconds. I had called your work that day. I knew you were on your way home. I wanted to see the look on your face when you caught us. Call it divine retribution for always having to play second fiddle to you. I hate you. I have for a very long time!” Shelby’s grin was beaming with satisfaction over what she had just told her.
Tamara was shocked by what she was hearing. “You stupid, ignorant bitch! Brent didn’t even want you. He regrets it ever happened. Do you know that? How is that divine retribution? What’s it like to feel like the worst mistake of someone’s life?” Take that! Tamara thought, feeling smug.
Shelby swung her arm around to hit Tamara. She ducked and shoved Shelby so hard she fell backwards into her apartment. Brent came up the stairs then. He looked at Tamara and then Shelby.
“She’s right, you know. You were the worst mistake of my life.” He turned back to Tamara. “I saw what happened at the bar. You might not want me here, but I couldn’t stand to see you hurting. Please, let’s go inside. Let me take care of you.” Brent was all but begging her to let him help.
He looked so concerned, and Tamara felt so horrible. Her heart wasn’t just broken. Her whole heart was gone, smashed into smithereens. Was this how Brent had felt? Too emotionally exhausted to do anything else, Tamara nodded and allowed Brent to walk her into her apartment.
“There, there. Tamara, sit down on the couch. Let me go get you some water. I’ll be right back.”
Brent walked to the kitchen as he had so many times before. He brought her a bottle of water and a cool, wet washcloth for her face. He also had two aspirin he handed her. She hadn’t even realized he had gone down the hall to the bathroom. Taking the aspirin and water, she looked up at Brent.
“Thank you.”
“Tamara, don’t you know by now I would do anything for you? I still love you.” He held up his hand to stop her before she said anything. “I know you’re probably not ready to hear that, but I just want you to know that I will do whatever it takes to help you through this pain. I know what it feels like. It hurts like hell, and if you’ll let me, I will be here to pick up the pieces. Whether or not we are ever a couple again is entirely up to you, but what will never change is my love for you. You must know that, you must know that I would wait forever for you.”
He looked so sincere. “I’m tired, Brent. I don’t want to think about anything right now. I don’t want to talk. I just want to cry.”
Brent nodded and got up to get her a blanket. “Here, I don’t want you to catch a chill. Curl up with this blanket, and I’ll make you some hot tea. Chamomile, okay?”
Tamara was too tired to say anything, so she just nodded and laid her head down on the couch.
By the time Brent came back to the living room, she was asleep. He set the teacup down and stared at her. He pulled her hair out of her eyes, gently tucking it behind her ear. She was so beautiful. He knew he was lucky to have this second chance with her. He would make it work. He had to. There was no life without Tamara. He would die without her. And she would die, too, before he let anyone else have her.
A little over an hour later, the doorbell chimed. Brent ran to the door, hoping it didn’t ring again. He didn’t want Tamara getting woken up. He looked out the peephole and saw Jack Peyton. Brent’s insides churned. That asshole had the audacity to come here after the pain he had caused her? He could see the tips of flowers through the hole, as if bringing them to her was enough to apologize for the pain he had caused her. At least Brent understood Tamara. He knew how
precious she was. He was not going to take her for granted.
Brent had always been good about thinking quickly in a situation. It was one of the things that made him an excellent trial attorney. Taking a moment to gather his senses, Brent haphazardly ripped off his shirt and threw it on one of the kitchen chairs. He ran his hands all over his head to mess up his hair. He was just about ready to open the door. What was he missing? Oh, yeah, he ran down the hall and grabbed one of Tamara’s lipsticks from the bathroom counter. He quickly applied just a dot of lipstick to his neck and his mouth. Then he smeared them both with his hands. Looking in the mirror at himself, he silently praised his ingenuity. No one would get in the way of him winning Tamara back. Not even Jack Peyton. As he was running to the door, he undid the top button of his jeans for added effect and prayed it didn’t ring again before he got there. If Tamara woke up, this wouldn’t work at all.
“Come on baby. What’s taking you so long to get to the door?” Jack muttered to himself.
“It’s okay, honey. I’ll get the pizza. You pour the wine,” Brent said with a huge smile on his face as he opened the door and turned to look at Jack.
Brent was doing his best to hide the amusement he was feeling at the sight of Jack, whose eyes were wide with shock. Although Brent had expected to see anger, instead he saw defeat. Brent was absolutely loving this. How did it feel to lose her, big guy? He didn’t say it aloud, but he wanted to. Quietly, Brent stepped outside of the apartment and closed the door.
Jack was about to ring the bell again and start pleading with her through the door to open up when he heard the locks being undone.
“It’s okay, honey. I’ll get the pizza. You pour the wine,” Brent said with a huge smile on his face as he opened the door and turned to look at Jack.
Jack froze. Standing in Tamara’s doorway was her ex-boy…no, her crazy ex-boyfriend, Brent. His hair was disheveled, his shirt was off, his pants were undone, and he had Tamara’s favorite red lipstick—the lipstick Jack had bought her when she saw it one day and fell in love with it—smeared on his neck and face. Oh, my God! What was she doing? While he was thinking of any and every way to make his irreprehensible behavior up to her she was screwing around with her ex-boyfriend? Only an hour after she claimed to be falling in love with him. Did he not know her at all?
“Mr. Peyton, obviously this isn’t a good time. I have just asked Tamara to marry me. Of course, she has accepted. We are in love. It was only a matter of time before we found a way into each other’s arms again.”
Jack said nothing, just continued to stare in disbelief. How could Tamara agree to marry this man? She had opened up to Jack about so many things about her relationship with Brent. Not only did she claim to never have loved him, she also claimed that the sex was mediocre at best. Jack knew the kind of woman she was, how passionate she was. There was no way someone like Tamara could ever be satisfied with mediocrity. Not only that, he had believed her when she told him she was falling in love with him. He knew he mattered to her. He could see it in her eyes every time they were together, every time they made love. No, it just wasn’t possible. This couldn’t be happening.
“Look, Mr. Peyton. I know this is probably a shock, but did you really think it was going to last? You were her rebound relationship while she was trying to get over me. She’s a remarkable woman, perhaps you are hurt, and maybe your ego is bruised a bit. But, it’s really better this way. Tamara is special, and she deserves to be cherished. I can do that for her. All you have proven to her is that if she ever upsets you, you will throw her out like yesterday’s trash.”
Brent sighed before adding, “Please leave well enough alone, and leave us alone. Let us be happy. Good-bye, Mr. Peyton.” With that, Brent went back into the apartment and closed the door.
Jack stood motionless. He couldn’t breathe. How had this happened? He loved her. He never allowed any woman to get as close to him as Tamara had. He was gripping onto the flowers with such intensity that the stems were starting to snap under the pressure. This couldn’t be real. Jack felt his heart drop, and tightness started to constrict his chest. There was an ache where his heart used to be that was unbearable.
Jack dropped the flowers and hung his head. She was going to marry the asshole, and he had lost her. “I love you, Tamara,” he whispered as he turned to head down the stairs.
Chapter 12
Tamara woke up the next morning feeling groggy. There was a pain behind her eyes that was shooting tiny little spears all over in her head. She was lying in her bed, fully dressed, with the covers pulled up over her. She had hoped that she would wake up and find Jack in bed with her. She’d hoped it had all been a horrible dream, that he hadn’t said those things to her, and that they hadn’t left things so unfinished.
Brent. She remembered Brent being here. He had come to help her. He had held her while she cried. Tamara felt guilty about that. Brent apparently really did love her. It wasn’t right for her to allow one man who loved her to comfort her while her heart was breaking over another man. She would have to sit Brent down today and tell him that she appreciated his concern, but there could never be a way they would be able to make a relationship work. She wasn’t sure how, but in the gentlest possible way, she’d have to tell him that she didn’t love him and she never had. If she told him that, told him the truth, maybe he would finally be able to let go.
She rolled out of bed and glanced at the bedside clock. The sun was out, and the clock claimed that it was 10:23 a.m. How could that be? She had gotten back from the bar last night after her fight with Jack a little after eight o’clock. She had fallen asleep shortly thereafter. How had she slept over twelve hours? Did the stress of the argument with Jack exhaust her that much? Or was the pain and heartache she had felt hearing his words too much for her to bear so her body subconsciously tried to sleep until the pain subsided? If that was her body’s plan, it hadn’t worked. She could still feel the sting of his words. She could still feel the burn she felt on her hand when she had slapped him with such force she thought her hand was broken.
Oh, Jack. Why? I love you. How could you ever think that Brent was more important to me than you? I wasn’t trying to deceive you. I just didn’t want you angry or upset. Good plan, huh?
That’s exactly what had happened anyway. She left her bedroom to head towards the kitchen and saw a note from Brent.
Tamara,
I hope you are feeling better. I gave you a couple of sleeping pills last night to help you rest. I had to take a deposition today, so I couldn’t miss work. Otherwise I would be there to take care of you. Pamper yourself today. I called your office and told them you wouldn’t be in today. Take a hot bath and relax. There are some bagels in the fridge, and I made some fresh-squeezed orange juice. I will be there as soon as I can. Don’t say I shouldn’t come. I know you’re thinking it. I love you. Let me take care of you until your pain goes away. I promise it will!
All of my love,
Brent
When Tamara was finished reading the note, she changed her plans and decided to head for the bathroom. This was typical Brent behavior. She had thought he was giving her aspirin, but instead he’d given her two sleeping pills without her knowledge. Then he decided to call her office. She wasn’t a child who was sick and needed her mom to call the school.
She turned to look into the bathroom mirror and almost screamed at the horror that stood in front of her. She looked like hell. Her hair was matted and sticking up on one side. There were black streaks running down her cheeks and spread all around her eyes. Did she really wear that much mascara? She never used to think so. Her eyes were puffy and swollen. They reminded her of a boxer who just got his ass kicked in the ring. Her lips were dry and chapped. And she looked so pale it looked like she hadn’t seen sunlight in weeks, maybe even months.
Her paleness reminded her of the first night she had spent with Jack. He had shown her such pleasure that she had been glowing for the first time in her life. Jack had told her
many times since that night that every time after they made love and after he made her come, she always looked like a sun-kissed nymph. He told her he loved that look on her face. He told her he loved how her cheeks would get all rosy and flushed. Now that she had thought about it she was remembering quite vividly all of the things he had said to her. He almost always used the word “love” when describing her.
Damn it! She had been sure that he was falling just as hard as she was. Wasn’t he? How could she have been so wrong? But that was just it, she wasn’t wrong. She felt it in her gut. Jack loved her. Maybe he didn’t know it yet, maybe he didn’t even want to admit it to himself, but the Jack she had spent almost all of her free time with for the past month could not have meant the things he said to her last night. There was no way. He loved her. She just had to prove it to him before it was too late and she lost him for good.
“I will make things right between us, Jack. I won’t keep anything from you ever again, and I will show you how much I love you!” She vowed this to herself, staring in the mirror.
With a smile of determination, she turned on the shower. She would shower and make every effort possible to look human again, and then she would go see Jack. She could call, but she wanted to do this in person. She stripped off her clothes and jumped in.
“Johnny, get your ass in my office, now!” Jack barked the order as he walked past the front desk. His head was beating, and his tongue felt like fuzz was growing on it. When he left Tamara’s apartment last night, he had been so angry he got a bottle of Jack Daniels and decided to drink his pain away. It hadn’t worked. Not only did he lose the only woman he ever loved to a worthless piece of crap, but also he couldn’t get rid of this ache in his chest, and now he had a hangover from hell.
Johnny stared at Jack then turned to Anna. “What did I do?”