Read Online Mistletoe & Hollywood by Natasha Boyd, Kate Roth - Free Book Online
Authors: Natasha Boyd, Kate Roth
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his face, illuminating his glassy green eyes and dark stubbled jaw. His soft brown hair glinted, and I itched to slide my fingers through it.
“You scared me.” I breathed out a small laugh. “I brought you some water.”
He blinked slowly, and his hand squeezed mine gently. “I often wonder,” he whispered so softly I leaned closer to hear, “what would have happened if Audrey’s story had come out before you decided we were worth a shot.”
I swallowed, heavily. “What do you mean?” Audrey’s story of Jack cheating on her with me, as well as countless other women, had hurt. Despite it all being lies, she’d won the sympathy of celebrity gossips everywhere when she claimed the stress of it had made her lose their baby.
“I mean… I don’t think we’d be together.”
“Jack,” I said, my voice catching. “What are you saying?” I sank to my knees on the floor by his bed, close to his head.
“Not on my part, baby, don’t worry.”
“So on my part then?” I asked.
He didn’t respond, just watched me in the darkened room, his gaze heavy on my heart.
I shifted toward him more and pressed my hand against his back, the warmth of his body seeping through his shirt, trying to understand where this was coming from. Then I gave in to the need to slide my fingers through his silky hair. “Jack?” My voice was confused and thready.
He closed his eyes in a long blink. “I often thank my lucky stars you are so good at doing things you set out to do,” he said quietly, opening his eyes again. They were deep and shining and settled on me. “Determined to stick by your decisions. I’m always grateful you picked us before the shit hit the fan. I’m not sure you would have if the shit had hit first.”
A huge lump materialized in my esophagus. I drew my hand from his hair, confused by what he was saying or why. Thinking back on that time was hard. We’d gone through so much. But I knew in my heart, I would have always picked Jack. He knew it too. Surely.
“You’re drunk, Jack.” I shook my head.
“Would you have?” he pressed, his eyes suddenly revealing his vulnerability.
My heart heaved. How long had he been feeling this? Had I just not seen it?
“Would you have fought for me?” he asked.
I thought back to the moments when I’d let doubt creep in, even before the scandal had thrown our lives upside down. I knew my indecisiveness about giving Jack another shot hadn’t made for the most convincing case, but what did he expect? Of course I’d needed time to get my head and my heart aligned. Life wasn’t a movie script where someone said the one magic word or phrase that erased all doubt and misconception and suddenly everyone understood and all was forgiven. We’d gone through this. I thought we’d moved past it.
“Do you even want to be with me? Or will it cause too much publicity to break it off?”
I inhaled sharply. Knowing he was coming from a vulnerable and scared place took the edge off, but it still stung.
“Never mind. Don’t answer that.” Jack breathed out and rolled onto his back. He brought his hands up and tucked them under his head, his soft T-shirt stretching over his chest and rising up to reveal a strip of taut abdomen.
“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to answer,” I tried, keeping my voice steady. “I think you’re asking me whether I truly love you and want to be with you or if I’m just sticking with you to prove to the world I wasn’t one of your bimbos. And frankly I’m not sure what that says about how you think of me.” I folded my arms, protecting my heart. “Of us.”
Shit, did he bring me all the way to England to break up with me? Okay, head case Keri Ann. Seriously ? I tried to take a deep breath, but it caught as my chest seized. My eyes and nose prickled to hold in the agonizing possibility. Damn it. I blew out a breath. And tried to get on an even keel with him. “You know the answer to that, Jack. You know I picked you and would
“You scared me.” I breathed out a small laugh. “I brought you some water.”
He blinked slowly, and his hand squeezed mine gently. “I often wonder,” he whispered so softly I leaned closer to hear, “what would have happened if Audrey’s story had come out before you decided we were worth a shot.”
I swallowed, heavily. “What do you mean?” Audrey’s story of Jack cheating on her with me, as well as countless other women, had hurt. Despite it all being lies, she’d won the sympathy of celebrity gossips everywhere when she claimed the stress of it had made her lose their baby.
“I mean… I don’t think we’d be together.”
“Jack,” I said, my voice catching. “What are you saying?” I sank to my knees on the floor by his bed, close to his head.
“Not on my part, baby, don’t worry.”
“So on my part then?” I asked.
He didn’t respond, just watched me in the darkened room, his gaze heavy on my heart.
I shifted toward him more and pressed my hand against his back, the warmth of his body seeping through his shirt, trying to understand where this was coming from. Then I gave in to the need to slide my fingers through his silky hair. “Jack?” My voice was confused and thready.
He closed his eyes in a long blink. “I often thank my lucky stars you are so good at doing things you set out to do,” he said quietly, opening his eyes again. They were deep and shining and settled on me. “Determined to stick by your decisions. I’m always grateful you picked us before the shit hit the fan. I’m not sure you would have if the shit had hit first.”
A huge lump materialized in my esophagus. I drew my hand from his hair, confused by what he was saying or why. Thinking back on that time was hard. We’d gone through so much. But I knew in my heart, I would have always picked Jack. He knew it too. Surely.
“You’re drunk, Jack.” I shook my head.
“Would you have?” he pressed, his eyes suddenly revealing his vulnerability.
My heart heaved. How long had he been feeling this? Had I just not seen it?
“Would you have fought for me?” he asked.
I thought back to the moments when I’d let doubt creep in, even before the scandal had thrown our lives upside down. I knew my indecisiveness about giving Jack another shot hadn’t made for the most convincing case, but what did he expect? Of course I’d needed time to get my head and my heart aligned. Life wasn’t a movie script where someone said the one magic word or phrase that erased all doubt and misconception and suddenly everyone understood and all was forgiven. We’d gone through this. I thought we’d moved past it.
“Do you even want to be with me? Or will it cause too much publicity to break it off?”
I inhaled sharply. Knowing he was coming from a vulnerable and scared place took the edge off, but it still stung.
“Never mind. Don’t answer that.” Jack breathed out and rolled onto his back. He brought his hands up and tucked them under his head, his soft T-shirt stretching over his chest and rising up to reveal a strip of taut abdomen.
“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to answer,” I tried, keeping my voice steady. “I think you’re asking me whether I truly love you and want to be with you or if I’m just sticking with you to prove to the world I wasn’t one of your bimbos. And frankly I’m not sure what that says about how you think of me.” I folded my arms, protecting my heart. “Of us.”
Shit, did he bring me all the way to England to break up with me? Okay, head case Keri Ann. Seriously ? I tried to take a deep breath, but it caught as my chest seized. My eyes and nose prickled to hold in the agonizing possibility. Damn it. I blew out a breath. And tried to get on an even keel with him. “You know the answer to that, Jack. You know I picked you and would
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