yours?” She pulled back and poked him in the chest. “I haven't seen or heard from you in ... well, I can't remember, but, ahh...” Abby stumbled to a halt, completely losing her train of thought.
Jack rolled his eyes and laughed, his rigid body relaxing as the anger seemed to flow out of him. “You make a pretty cute drunk, honey, but I think you've had enough. Come on. I'm taking you home."
"Nope.” She shook her head emphatically. “Cain't go. I brought Leigh Ann."
"Leigh Ann Carter?” Abby nodded. “When the hell did you meet...” He paused. “Never mind. Let's find her.” Jack stopped dancing and pulled Abby with him through the swaying couples. After searching the crowd, he finally located Leigh Ann wrapped up with Wade in a dark corner. As Abby stood there balancing precariously, Jack explained that he was taking Abby home. Wade grinned and promised to see that Leigh Ann got back all right.
When they reached the parking lot, the fresh air helped sober Abby up some, and she began to struggle against Jack's steely grip, but he just scooped her up into his arms and carried her wiggling form to his Jeep. He deposited her in the passenger's seat and then went around and got inside. They sat there for several long minutes not speaking.
* * * *
Jack stared through the windshield, wrestling with the way he had felt when walked into the bar and saw Abby with another man. He was uncomfortably aware that his first reaction had been a possessive jealousy far beyond what the situation called for. “Fuck.” He paused, searching for the right words. He knew he was in over his head but he didn't know how to stop himself. “Look, Abby, I didn't like seeing you in Mac's arms."
The silence stretched between them as he waited for her to say something—to tell him it was none of his damn business, to jump his bones, slap his face. Anything. When she didn't, he turned to look at her. She was sound asleep, her cheek resting against the window. Jack just shook his head and, smiling ruefully, cranked the Jeep. As he drove down the highway listening to Abby's soft, feminine snores, he contemplated their relationship and where it might be heading. His reaction tonight had been way over the top. If it were just lust, it would be simple and clear-cut, but there was more to it than that.
Her sense of humor, her ability to laugh at herself, her passion for her work—all of it together caused such a welling of tenderness and need in Jack that he was afraid that he had crossed a line with Abby that he hadn't even known was there. She was his. That's how he felt. She might not know it yet, but he did. He was through fighting his craving for her.
Half an hour later, he pulled his Jeep to a stop in front of Abby's cabin. He crossed around to her door and opened it. Bending over, he slid his arms underneath her to lift her out. With a soft murmur, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his shoulder. When he reached the steps, she stirred in his arms and lifted her head to look around.
"Jack, put me down. I can walk."
He obeyed, dropping her legs until they reached the ground. “Are you okay?"
Abby swayed slightly and clutched at his arm. “I'm just a little dizzy. Let me sit down a moment.” He eased her down onto the step and stood looking at her pale face. After a few moments, Abby raised her head. “What's going on, Jack? Why did you bring me home?"
"Why do you think, Abby?"
She shook her head. “I have no idea. I'm just so mixed up with you. You keep changing on me, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do or how I'm supposed to act."
"I know, baby. I'm sorry about that. All I can tell you is that I want you so much I can't sleep; I can't concentrate on anything else.” He reached down and took her hand to draw her to her feet. He pulled just a bit too hard, and the momentum tumbled her straight into his arms, which folded tightly around her. His response to her was immediate.
"Shit,”
Jack rolled his eyes and laughed, his rigid body relaxing as the anger seemed to flow out of him. “You make a pretty cute drunk, honey, but I think you've had enough. Come on. I'm taking you home."
"Nope.” She shook her head emphatically. “Cain't go. I brought Leigh Ann."
"Leigh Ann Carter?” Abby nodded. “When the hell did you meet...” He paused. “Never mind. Let's find her.” Jack stopped dancing and pulled Abby with him through the swaying couples. After searching the crowd, he finally located Leigh Ann wrapped up with Wade in a dark corner. As Abby stood there balancing precariously, Jack explained that he was taking Abby home. Wade grinned and promised to see that Leigh Ann got back all right.
When they reached the parking lot, the fresh air helped sober Abby up some, and she began to struggle against Jack's steely grip, but he just scooped her up into his arms and carried her wiggling form to his Jeep. He deposited her in the passenger's seat and then went around and got inside. They sat there for several long minutes not speaking.
* * * *
Jack stared through the windshield, wrestling with the way he had felt when walked into the bar and saw Abby with another man. He was uncomfortably aware that his first reaction had been a possessive jealousy far beyond what the situation called for. “Fuck.” He paused, searching for the right words. He knew he was in over his head but he didn't know how to stop himself. “Look, Abby, I didn't like seeing you in Mac's arms."
The silence stretched between them as he waited for her to say something—to tell him it was none of his damn business, to jump his bones, slap his face. Anything. When she didn't, he turned to look at her. She was sound asleep, her cheek resting against the window. Jack just shook his head and, smiling ruefully, cranked the Jeep. As he drove down the highway listening to Abby's soft, feminine snores, he contemplated their relationship and where it might be heading. His reaction tonight had been way over the top. If it were just lust, it would be simple and clear-cut, but there was more to it than that.
Her sense of humor, her ability to laugh at herself, her passion for her work—all of it together caused such a welling of tenderness and need in Jack that he was afraid that he had crossed a line with Abby that he hadn't even known was there. She was his. That's how he felt. She might not know it yet, but he did. He was through fighting his craving for her.
Half an hour later, he pulled his Jeep to a stop in front of Abby's cabin. He crossed around to her door and opened it. Bending over, he slid his arms underneath her to lift her out. With a soft murmur, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his shoulder. When he reached the steps, she stirred in his arms and lifted her head to look around.
"Jack, put me down. I can walk."
He obeyed, dropping her legs until they reached the ground. “Are you okay?"
Abby swayed slightly and clutched at his arm. “I'm just a little dizzy. Let me sit down a moment.” He eased her down onto the step and stood looking at her pale face. After a few moments, Abby raised her head. “What's going on, Jack? Why did you bring me home?"
"Why do you think, Abby?"
She shook her head. “I have no idea. I'm just so mixed up with you. You keep changing on me, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do or how I'm supposed to act."
"I know, baby. I'm sorry about that. All I can tell you is that I want you so much I can't sleep; I can't concentrate on anything else.” He reached down and took her hand to draw her to her feet. He pulled just a bit too hard, and the momentum tumbled her straight into his arms, which folded tightly around her. His response to her was immediate.
"Shit,”
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