The Heart - Kate Stewart Page 0,31

like the whole dynamic had changed, and I hated it. I didn’t want that, not from Jack.

“It’s nothing. I have a long day tomorrow. Would you mind taking me home now? I’m just going to use the restroom.”

Jack gave me a careful nod with unanswered questions in his eyes. I quickly made my way past the bar and to the bathroom. Washing my hands, I refused to face my reflection. I had let myself down in a way and refused to admit it, even to myself. With a sigh, I exited the restroom, intent on ending the night on a decent note with Jack when I heard my name called as I passed the bar.

“Rose.”

I froze, the voice alone causing dread to race through my veins. Turning to the source, I let my eyes roam over his disheveled appearance. It took me years to get over him, years I would never get back.

“David,” I said as I attempted to make my way past him. Somehow, I knew he wouldn’t make it easy. He stopped me with a gentle hand on my arm. I pulled my lip in with my teeth in annoyance.

“Rose, come on, give me a minute. It’s been a long time.” My patience drained as I stood and took in his expensive suit I assumed a successful attorney would wear. His dark brown hair was styled back neatly, but the circles beneath his hazel eyes and his posture gave him away. David had always been one for keeping up his appearance, and though at one time I’d thought him the sexiest man in the world, I couldn’t for the life of me remember why.

“You had plenty of minutes with me, David. I’m with company. I don’t want to be rude.”

“Oh, yeah,” he said, uninterested, “well, they can give me one more.”

“It’s late, David. Don’t you have a family to get home to?”

“Yeah,” he said as he gripped his tumbler, his wedding ring absent.

Pig.

He looked me over with appreciation I was all too familiar with. It disgusted me.

“We’re not together anymore.”

“That’s a shame. It was a beautiful wedding,” I said, surprising myself with the lack of contempt in my voice. I’d watched him marry someone only months after ending our five-year relationship. Though I remembered it as painful, the truth was, he was wasted time. I’d stopped caring about his rejection long ago and hadn’t looked back.

“Are you…attached?”

“You can’t be serious,” I said with a laugh. “Let me buy you another drink, David. Seriously, drunk is the only time you were ever funny.”

“Rose,” he said low as his fingers stroked my arm.

“Get your fucking hand off me now,” I said without an ounce of femininity.

“There hasn’t been a day I haven’t thought about you,” he said as his mouth spewed pure bullshit.

“Oh lord, David, take care. You’ve got a lot further to fall.”

“You don’t have to be a bitch,” he hissed. “I wanted to apologize.”

“Then apologize to the lady and make it fast before I make it painful,” Jack hissed behind me. I felt the heat radiate from him as I took a step back in surprise.

David chuckled with disdain, his eyes cutting to Jack as he sipped his bourbon. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your boyfriend, Rose?”

“No need,” Jack said, stepping in front of me as his face turned dark and his voice deadly. “Allow me to introduce myself. Jack Sawyer, bred Lousian’. That makes me your neighbor.”

“Nice to meet you, Jack,” David spit out with absolutely no civility.

Without missing a beat, Jack continued, “Pleasures all mine, asshole. Now about that apology, I want her to have it, and then I want to part ways.”

David laughed and I could feel the tension in Jack as he did everything he could to keep from touching him.

“David, you’re out of your league here,” I pleaded as I saw Jack make up his mind.

“Am I now? Well, at least you still fear for me, darlin’,” he drawled out in attempt to mock Jack. “I apologize.”

“I’m so glad you left me. Hindsight is blinding me right now. Seriously, David, you are scum.”

“Awww now, Rose, we had some good times. Remember when—”

In a flash, Jack had David’s tie pulled taught around his neck, choking him as he pinned him to the bar. “Don’t finish that. I’m asking you nicely. We’re neighbors and we need to behave as such. I was raised to drag the trash to the curb before I get rid of it. If that’s that case here—” he eyed