Meg's arm throbbed where the man's fingers had dug into her skin, and her heart pounded after the awful way he'd treated her. One minute she'd been sitting alone feeling sorry for herself, and the next everything had changed.
Vicious words, overwhelming panic, then miraculously sweet relief.
She'd only felt his presence for a few seconds--just long enough to experience real fear for the first time in her life--then he'd disappeared as if whisked away by some unseen force.
Now all she could hear were deep male voices blending with the music behind her.
Meg slid off her barstool and tensed as she turned around, hoping to discover bouncers had arrived to take care of the situation. Instead, her body froze, and her traitorous heart filled with joy.
Jack was here.
She had no idea how he'd found her, but he vibrated with tension, and the look in his eyes suggested he wanted to inflict pain. "Are you alright?" he asked her, his hands gripping the blonde guy's shirt.
Meg wrapped her arms around herself and nodded. He turned his attention to the other man and shoved him hard enough to force him back a couple of steps. The idiot couldn't even take a hint from Jack though, because he lunged and threw a punch that clipped Jack's mouth.
Chaos exploded in the room, the altercation drawing the attention of everyone around her. People turned on their stools, others came across from the dance floor. They closed in on both men, crowding them in, and Meg worried it might get even more out of control if it didn't end soon.
Her heart was beating out of control, but Jack didn't appear fazed. He pulled back his fist and unloaded full force, punching the man so hard she flinched.
She'd never seen a fight up close. The air was thick with testosterone and violence, the sickening thud of bone smacking into skin. Once. Twice. Jack looked like he could keep going all night, and if three bouncers hadn't barreled in to take over, she had a feeling he would have.
Two of the security staff restrained him while a third stopped the blonde man from throwing another punch. She heard heavy breaths, a final exchange of harsh words, and then it was over.
Her body trembled as the adrenaline waned and reality set in. Meg released a breath and rubbed her arm, wondering where she would have been now if Jack hadn't jumped to her defense.
She shuddered to think what might have happened to her in the time it took for someone else to notice.
She glanced over at Jack again, who was standing still while the bouncers detained him, his chest heaving as he nodded in agreement to whatever they were saying. His eyes remained on her the entire time, sweeping over her from head to toe as if to assure himself she hadn't been hurt.
His dark hair was a mess, and he had a spot of blood in the corner of his mouth. Even now she could barely resist the urge to run to him. Meg wished she could have rewound to that morning when everything had been so good--but she couldn't, and that was exactly why she needed to leave.
If she wanted to make it back to the hotel without encountering any more trouble along the way, Meg had to get moving while the bouncers were keeping the other man occupied.
Her gaze clashed with Jack's as she backed away from him. He gave just the slightest shake of his head, as if he knew what she'd planned and wanted her to wait for him.
Before he could say or do anything to change her mind, Meg turned and hurried for the exit.
He called out to her.
The emotion in his voice tempted her to go back to him, and it took everything in her to ignore the feeling and keep moving in the opposite direction.
~ * ~
Meg had made it about halfway back to the hotel before she heard footsteps closing in on her from behind. The fast pace echoed in the night, and the person's breaths indicated they'd been running for a while.
She glanced over her shoulder to find Jack passing beneath the glow of a streetlight. Instead of stopping to let him catch up, she took off running in her high heels, switching between keeping an eye on his progress and watching for dips and cracks in the pavement.
The first time she'd felt anything truly real, and she was running away.
The disappointment crushed her, but she kept forging ahead and trying her best to maintain the distance between her and Jack.
It became clear in seconds that it wasn't going to work. He was too fast and there was no avoiding this confrontation. He caught up to her a moment later, breathing hard and cursing even harder, then grabbed her arm and forced her to slow to a walk.
The urge to leap into his arms was so strong she couldn't think straight. She yanked her elbow free and glared at him. "Leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you."
Oh, but she did.
Standing this close, looking at her with all that longing mixed with anger and frustration, he was so appealing, she wanted him now more than ever. She was either the stupidest woman alive or her subconscious was trying to tell her something.
His jaw clenched but he didn't attempt to take hold of her again. "Fine. I won't touch you, I won't talk to you, but I'm walking you back to the hotel."
Irritation radiated off him, but he kept his word. The only sounds either of them made as they finished their journey were their harsh breaths and brisk footsteps.
When they'd passed through the foyer and headed up the stairs to her room, Meg unlocked the door and pushed it inward. In the heavy silence that followed, her stomach churned, and her legs turned to jelly.
This was it, the moment when they said goodbye to each other for the last time. She was going home tomorrow. There'd be no coming back from this, not in the short time they had left.
Meg lingered in the open doorway and turned to him, taking in his tired eyes and the layer of scruff on his jaw.
He stood there letting her look, his shoulders relaxed, his features resigned. Even after everything that had happened, she still didn't want him to leave. Before she could stop it from happening, her lower lip trembled, and a harsh sound came from her that might have been a sob or a cry of pain.
Jack's eyes softened and a tender look came over him, but he didn't make a move toward her.
Tears gathered in her eyes and her throat ached.
Meg couldn't bear the thought of him walking away without at least trying to make her understand. She'd conjured up enough details on her own about what had happened and why. Surely reality couldn't be much worse.
Her mouth opened, but rather than the questions she wanted to ask, Meg heard herself plead, "Choose me."
The words hovered between them, pitiful and soft in the quiet of the hallway. His jaw clenched and any trace of tenderness disappeared. Heat and desire rushed in to take its place, and she stumbled backward, confused. Tense seconds passed by then Jack stepped into her room and kicked the door shut behind him.
"I did choose you," he said, moving in closer until his big, solid body towered over. The intensity in his eyes sent little zings of pleasure through her. "When you left me in the bar on the night we met, another woman hit on me as soon as you walked out... but she couldn't compete with you."
A wave of warmth rushed over her. Meg wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. How could he make her feel this way after what he'd done? He only had to look at her or say a few well-chosen words and she was done for.
