Chapter 4

If there was one thing Isabella hated more than schoolwork, it was the business side of the coffee shop. She was the owner and it was her responsibility to handle all the paperwork and money matters, but it was her least favorite thing.

She took her reading glasses off and rubbed her eyes. Sunday afternoons were always a pain because of her paperwork. Staring at a computer screen for so long often gave her a headache that later blossomed into a migraine.

Isabella shook her blonde hair out of her face before she took a sip of the soothing tea she had made a little bit ago and grimaced as the cold brew slid down her throat. At this rate it was going to be a long day. The coffee shop was closed but she still had mountains of accounts to go through.

A loud knock sounded at the front door but Isabella ignored it. Whoever it was would realize The Bean was closed and go away. But they didn’t. The persistent knocking continued to the point that Isabella couldn’t ignore it. Standing up, she marched to the front door without turning any lights on, intent on giving a stern lecture to whoever was bothering her.

Jack stood there smiling as he waved at her. Isabella sighed and shook her head. It appeared that he wasn’t going to leave her alone. His constant presence made her plan to protect herself very difficult.

She unlocked the door and let him inside. There was no point in telling him to go away since she didn’t think he would listen anyway.

“Jack, hello,” she said as he stepped inside. “You do know The Bean is closed, right?”

“I know. But I wanted to come see you anyways. Marc says that you work too much and sometimes don’t know when to take a break,” he said as he looked down at her. She suddenly realized how short she was next to him. His tall six foot four frame practically dwarfed her petite five foot five stature.

He took note of her pinched lips and thought it might be from annoyance at first, but the tightness around her eyes spoke of pain.

“What’s wrong?” Jack demanded as he moved closer and put his hand under her chin to tilt her face up to his.

She winced at the movement and grabbed his wrist to stop him from moving her head again. “Headache,” she mumbled.

“Too much caffeine?” he asked as he continued to study her.

“Too much paperwork,” she shot back. “I get headaches when I look at a computer screen for too long.”

She could see the struggle in his eyes as he accepted her explanation and released her chin. The soft caress of his thumb brushing along her jaw would have been soothing had she not remembered the kiss after her sister’s wedding. She wasn’t sure she should trust any seemingly innocent touch from Jack.

“Maybe you should take a break,” he murmured as he finally released her.

“I will. Once my work is done,” she said as she took a step back, away from his magnetic presence.

“Now would be better.”

Isabella let out a sigh and rubbed her forehead. “Jack, did you need something? Or did you just come here to annoy me?”

“I wanted to see you,” he said confidently.

“As lovely as that is, I need to get back to work,” she said before she turned away to head back to her office.

Being the persistent man he was, he followed her down the hallway past the cozy chairs and rustic tables of the main part of the shop and into the tiny office that served as the base of operations for The Bean.

“You’re still here,” she said as she put her glasses back on and opened another file on her computer.

“Technically, you never told me to leave,” he pointed out.

“You’re such a lawyer,” she said with a small smile. “Fine. Stay. Do what you want. But I need to work.”

Jack let her work a few minutes in silence, as he sat in the chair across from her desk and watched her work. She was focused so intently she didn’t feel his eyes on her. He smiled when Isabella mumbled to herself about profits, margins, and scheduling issues. But he was also worried about her. Headaches could easily turn into migraines if left untreated. And she was ignoring her own pain for the sake of paperwork.

That made Jack frown. He had done the same thing so many times when he lived in New York City, and it had nearly killed him. It had certainly ruined his health for a while and knocked him off his feet when he was finally hit with pneumonia after working so long without taking breaks during the cold season. He had learned his lesson, one he didn’t want Isabella to learn the same way.

He stood up and walked out of the office, leaving Isabella to her numbers and charts. He had no idea how to use the fancy coffee machines Isabella had installed in her shop but he saw the tea kettle and filled it up with water before he set it to boil. Once he found the mugs, he searched for tea bags. Every coffee shop has tea bags. He just needed to find them.

He heard the whistle of the kettle and filled the mug with water before he set the tea bag in and let it brew. He glared at the water as he watched it change color with the tea. If she wasn’t going to take care of herself, then he would damn well do it for her. Marc had insinuated that Isabella needed to be taken care of, that she needed someone to look out for her. Jack would do that. The need to protect rise up inside of him and he pushed back against that. It went against his nature to sit back and do nothing, but if he scared her away, he knew he would risk losing any chance with her forever.

 

Isabella was startled out of her concentration when a cup of tea was placed before her and her computer screen suddenly went black.

“Hey! Jack, you can’t just-“

“I can and I will,” he said.

Her head tilted forward as he set his hands against her neck, beginning to rub little circles at the base of her skull and moving down her delicate neck.

“I know what happens when you work too hard and don’t take care of yourself. It’s not healthy. And if you won’t take care of yourself, then I will,” he said.

“Jack, I’m fine. I just need …” Isabella trailed off as his fingers worked their magic against the knots and tension in her neck and shoulders.

She let out a little moan and he froze at that sound. She lifted her head up and looked over her shoulder at him, only to see him staring down at her with desire in his eyes.

“Are we ever going to talk about what happened after the wedding?” he asked, his voice deep and husky.

She looked everywhere but at him and said nothing. No, she didn’t want to talk about that. Ever. But she doubted he would let it go. He spun her chair around and placed his hands on the arms of the chair before he leaned down to look at her.

“There was something between us on that dance floor,” he growled down at her. “Don’t deny it.”

“It was just a moment. A moment created by the mood of the evening. I mean, it was a wedding, for God’s sake. Emotions were all over the place,” she argued as she searched for anything to look at but him and her hands fluttered around the air in front of her.

“Oh, there was a mood all right. A mood we created as we danced. And a mood that didn’t dissipate after you drove away,” he murmured.

“No. The only thing between us was a common goal; seeing Lucy and Marc get married. That’s it.”

“The only things between us on that dance floor were clothes. And right now, I want yours gone. I want nothing between us but skin,” he said.

She felt his fingers trail down her arm and stop against the pulse point in her wrist. Her heart raced beneath his fingers as she sat there under his scrutiny.

Isabella’s resolve slipped away, bit by bit, as his husky voice washed over her and the heat of his fingers on her skin melted her resistance.

“I can’t,” she whispered in an attempt to control herself and the situation.

“Why?” he breathed against her lips, so close, but not close enough.

“I’m not looking for a relationship right now.” Her eyes were closed tightly, as if to ward off his own probing gaze.

“Isn’t that what they say, that it’ll happen when you least expect it to?” he asked as he backed away slightly and sat on his haunches before her, both his hands on her wrists now.

“Maybe for most people. Not for me,” she said in a quiet voice as she pulled her wrists from his hands.

“How do you know for sure if you don’t try?” His hands were on her knees now, and she let him have that much.

“I know, Jack. I just do.”

“I’ll still be here when you’re ready. But just know that I’m not giving up. And I’m not going away,” he said in a gentle yet firm voice.

Her smile was a bit sardonic as she shook her head slightly “You just don’t give up, do you?”

“Not when it’s something I really want,” he said, his smile matching hers, but he added a conspiratorial wink to lighten the mood a little before he moved back around the desk to sit down and drink the tea he had made for himself. “Drink your tea, Isabella.”

She looked at him and tried to figure him out. Why does he change his behavior so much? One minute he’s a he-man who’s going to take what he wants and then he’s kind and gentle. His eyes didn’t give his secrets away and so she did as he suggested and drank the tea he had made her. It was much better than the cold cup she had tried to drink before he arrived and she smiled gratefully at him.

She Jack watched him drink his tea and tightened her hand around her mug. That had been close. He had almost kissed her again. And she wanted him to, more than anything. At the very least, Isabella knew his intentions now. He had made them very clear. He wanted her and he would wait until she gave a sign that she was ready for him.

She heard another knock at the door and tilted her head to listen, as did Jack. But it didn’t sound quite right. It was more like someone was trying to get in, as they jiggled the door handle and pushed against the doorframe. Isabella froze in her seat. her eyes going wide as her heart raced. She had never had anyone try to break in, so she didn’t react right away and go investigate. Jack saw her reaction and stood up to lean out of the office to try and see who it was, but all he saw was a dark clothed figure slip something through the mail slot and dash off down the street.

“Isabella, did you expect someone?” he whispered as he looked around the quiet shop for anyone else that might be lurking in the shadows.

He could feel Isabella pressed up against his back as she leaned around him to look. Her whole body went rigid when she saw the plain white envelope on the wood floor.

“No. No one,” she whispered back in a shaky voice as she clutched at his shirt.

“Do you want me to get it for you?” he asked, his voice gentle as he looked down into her frightened hazel eyes.

But she shook her head and walked over to the letter. She felt him move around her to check the door. It was solid enough she knew. Isabella bent down and picked up the letter with a shaky hand before she straightened and simply stared at the plain white envelope. “Isabella? What’s wrong?” he asked when she opened the letter and froze. But she didn’t respond. She only stared down at the letter, and so he moved closer to her and put a hand on her back while he read the letter over her shoulder.

Miss me, Isabella? I’m back. And remember, you belong to ME, was written in nondescript bold, black letters against the white paper.

Isabella could hear Jack’s voice faintly, as if he was yelling at her from very far away. But her world had tilted and was beginning to roll off its axis.

He was back.