Intoxicated (28 page)

“You know I would. All you’ve got to do is ask.” He held her close, sweeping her into the curve of his shoulder, as if he could somehow protect her from all the hurt and pain she faced. “Are you going to call your brother?” Jack asked. “Seems like somebody should tell him she’s here.”

“I don’t know where he is or how to get hold of him.” Ally slumped against him. “I can’t talk about it anymore or I’m going to completely lose it.”

“It’s okay. We don’t have to talk at all if you don’t want to. Do you want to be alone? Should I leave?”

“I need you, Jack.” She gripped his hand with a fierceness that stirred his emotions. “Make love to me. When I’m with you, I forget everything else and right now, I need to forget.”

The words cut through his soul with heart-wrenching sincerity. He took her hand in his and kissed the palm of it. She needed him. All he wanted was to take away a little of her pain, to ease her guilt and suffering. He knew plenty about those feelings himself and if he could save her the torture of regret and self-loathing, then by God it was his duty to do so.

“Come on.” He stood and tugged her to her feet. “Let’s go take that shower…together.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Jack shuffled through the mess of papers on his desk in search of an invoice and unable to find it, groaned in frustration. He threw down his pen and ruffled his hair with both hands in search of patience. Bookkeeping had never been his forte. He knew how to run a bar, what kind of liquor to stock and how to manage people. Every minute he spent behind this godforsaken desk seemed like wasted energy when he should be filling coolers and repairing equipment.

As he slumped back in his chair, Ally came into the office without knocking and the sight of her took his breath away as it did every time she walked through his door. She looked relaxed and comfortable in a pink hoodie and faded jeans, her long hair tumbling in loose waves down to her waist. The smile on her lips washed over him like a gentle caress and for the thousandth time, he thanked God for bringing her into his life.
 

Although he hated to see her unemployed when a career meant so much to her, it gave them time together and that meant more to him than he’d like to admit. He’d gotten used to having her around, to the sweet citrus and sunshine scent that clung to his clothes after he kissed her, and the feeling of absolute bliss that warmed him from the inside out every time she smiled.

Ally set a large bag on the small table near the door. The scent of burgers and fries wafted into the room and reminded him that he hadn’t eaten yet today.
 

“The only thing I love more than a pretty girl in my office is a pretty girl in my office bearing food.” He rose from the desk to greet her. She came into his arms with a rush and raised her face so that he could kiss her. “How was the interview this morning?”

“Two interviews,” she corrected. “They went really well, but I didn’t get either job. The one guy said I was overqualified and the other one said he needed a person with more experience.” She shrugged and slipped out of his arms to clear a space on his desk for the food. “If I don’t find something by the end of the month, I’m going to be in trouble. I got two months of severance but that only goes so far.”

“Well, that sucks.” He smoothed back the hair from her forehead and ran a finger down the side of her face from temple to jaw. “Don’t worry. It’ll all work out in the end.”

“Yeah, well…” She took a seat in the chair across from his desk, propped her feet up on the edge and took a big bite out of her hamburger. “I did get a call from an accounting firm in Philadelphia…”

“Are you thinking about it? Is it a good opportunity?” Jack sat back down and with his hamburger in one hand, began to sort through the papers with the other, only half-listening to what she said.
 

“I don’t know. Not if something else turns up…” Her voice dropped off. The sudden silence broke his concentration. He looked up to find her brows drawn together in a troubled frown.
 

“What? What is it?” His own brows drew sharply together.
 

“It’s nothing…just…well, I thought about what you said the other day…about my mom. I’m going to go see her Friday.” She attempted a smile, but he saw the trembling of her lips and put his hand over hers.

“I’ll go with you. We can make a day out of it, if you want. Ride the Harley up there, if it doesn’t rain.” He pulled his hand back and resumed digging through the papers on the desk, sending dust motes into the air and paper clips onto the floor.

“Okay. Thanks.” The troubled green eyes cleared. “I hate to ask, but what the heck are you doing?”

“I can’t find the damn statements.” He growled in frustration and threw his hands up in the air.

“Your desk is a mess,” Ally said. “They have this thing called a filing cabinet. You ought to think about using one.”

“I have one.” He jerked his head toward the upright cabinet at his elbow.

“I know and it’s empty. It doesn’t work unless you put the papers inside it.”

“I have a system,” he said absently. His mind had already returned to the problem of debt-to-income ratio.

“Well, by the look on your face, it’s not a good one. You need an accountant.” As she spoke, she opened a small container of catsup and dipped one of the fries inside.
 

“Accountants cost money and I don’t have any.”
 

“I know a really good accountant who’s out of work right now. I bet she’d be happy to help you out for a while at rock bottom prices.”

That got his attention. “Really?” The idea had crossed his mind before, but he wasn’t sure how Ally felt about working together. “I can’t pay you much. Are you sure? You have no idea what you’re getting into. David left things in a mess.”

She put her hand on his and squeezed. “I can handle it, Jack. It’s what I do.”

Within a few days, Ally organized the chaos on Jack’s desk and transformed his office into a manageable workspace. Although it was hard work, she enjoyed the challenge. And she was able to combine her two favorite things in life: numbers and Jack. When she showed him the progress she had made, the appreciation in his eyes was worth more than any monetary reward.

“This is amazing.” He stood behind her, chin resting on her shoulder as she pulled a report off the printer, and gave her bottom a gentle squeeze with one hand.

“Everything is entered into the computer and I have an accounts payable aging report for you to go over. I have some ideas on how you can reduce the debt and get some of the creditors off your back for a while. I’ve spoken with these vendors and they’re willing to defer payment for another 30 days. That will give you a little short-term relief. But that’s all it is…short-term. You need to come up with a plan to get the cash flowing – maybe think about opening up five nights a week instead of three or having some kind of special event.” She ran a finger across the report to direct his wandering attention. His lips brushed over her neck in the sensitive spot below her ear.
 

“You have no idea how turned on I am right now.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her bottom tight against his hips. The insistent hardness against her bottom suggested that he had a newfound appreciation for bookwork.
 

“Jack! Pay attention. I’m trying to explain something here.”
 

“No one’s stopping you, Popsicle.” He nuzzled his nose along the nape of her neck. “Go on. I’m listening.”

“Well, you need to depreciate your assets and…
Jack!
” She drew in a ragged breath as his hands slipped beneath her sweater and moved upward. With one deft movement, he popped the front clasp of her bra and seized both her breasts, his thumbs sweeping over her nipples.

“Keep talking, baby girl.” His deep voice rumbled in her ear. “You don’t mind if I bend you over this desk and appreciate your assets, do you?”

“Um…no…I’m good with it,” she said and dropped the report to the desktop with a sigh of happy resignation. He unsnapped her jeans and yanked them down to her thighs.

“I’d really like to spank this bottom.” He ran a reverent hand over the swell of her buttocks. “Will you let me do that?”

“Right now?” Despite her best efforts, her voice trembled with excitement at the idea. She never knew what to expect from Jack. He liked to test her boundaries when she least expected it.

A knock on the door brought a groan of disappointment from them both. Randy’s amused voice floated through the door.
 

“Jack. There’s a girl out here that wants to talk to you. Says she knows you. She’s looking for a job.”

“I swear that guy has some kind of radar,” Jack mumbled into her neck. “Well, shit.” He took her earlobe between his teeth, tugged then released it. He slapped her bottom gently and tugged her jeans up again. “Sorry, baby. Duty calls. I need a waitress for this weekend. Or you and I will be slinging drinks. Can you give me the office for a few?”

“Sure. I need a break anyway.” She drew in a deep breath to steady her trembling knees. “I’ll go see if Randy needs any help.”

Ally hummed under her breath as she stacked clean glasses on the shelf next to the cash register under Randy’s explicit direction. The guy seemed to enjoy giving her detailed instruction as if she’d never washed a glass before.
As if!
She had to admit that a few months ago, she would’ve turned up her nose at the thought of doing such menial work, but her priorities had changed drastically since then. For the first time, she contemplated the merits of a different life, one outside the stuffy confines of a corporate structure. She didn’t miss the constant pressure of deadlines or the bitter office gossip that always seemed to find her. She liked wearing jeans instead of suits and letting her hair float about her shoulders.

Most of all, she liked working with Jack. They had been together nonstop since she lost her job taking breaks apart only when necessary. It surprised her how easily she adapted to his way of life. Despite his casual attitude and lazy demeanor, he worked hard at the business of running two drinking establishments. He slept little, worked a lot, and drank too much, but still found time to volunteer at a local children’s center and to spend time with her.

Someone cleared their throat and put an abrupt end to her musings. She glanced up from her work expecting to meet Randy’s shrewd gray eyes but instead found a tall, slim girl with black hair and a heart-shaped face. The girl caught Ally’s glance and raised an eyebrow as if amused by some inside joke. Ally set down the glass she’d been holding and turned to face the girl. Slanted blue eyes as sharp and fierce as a cat’s raked over her. The girl slid onto one of the barstools, and Ally realized that she was pregnant.

“Is Jack around? Tell him to get his ass out here. I need to talk to him.”
 

“He’ll be out in a few minutes. He’s in an interview,” Ally said.

The girl snorted. “Is that what he calls it these days? An interview?” Her wry amusement made the hair prickle on the back of Ally’s neck. “Who the fuck are you, anyway?”

“I’m Ally, Jack’s girlfriend.” For good measure, she put extra emphasis on the word
girlfriend
. Better to set the scene right away than to let the poor girl embarrass herself needlessly. She wiped her hands on her apron and drew in a deep breath. No matter how many times she encountered Jack’s exes, his promiscuous past still irked her. “Who are
you
?”

“I’m Chelsea. Jack’s
wife
.” The deliberate emphasis on the word
wife
held a cruel undertone.

Ally’s stomach clenched as if she’d been punched in the gut. This beautiful exotic creature was Chelsea? Somehow it had been easy to forget about her during the last month. The annoying phone calls had stopped and Jack never mentioned her again. Ally assumed that the relationship had ended without event. The sickening smirk on Chelsea’s face made it apparent that it hadn’t.

“You mean
ex
-wife, don’t you?’

“No, we’re still married and expecting, too.” A slender hand came to rest on her round belly.

Ally’s heart hit the floor with a sickening thud.
Pregnant?
Unable to breathe, she clutched her throat with one hand and fought to remain calm. The bastard was still married
and
his wife was pregnant? The room tilted as she struggled for breath and fought the urge to bolt out the door.
 

“By the look on your face, I’m guessing he didn’t tell you.” Chelsea rubbed her belly with the satisfaction of a cat that had just enjoyed a very sweet bowl of cream. “Come on, Ally. Jack said you were really smart. You didn’t really think he’d ever be faithful, did you? To someone like you? We’re talking about Jack here. The man is walking sex…”

“What’s going on?” Jack emerged from the hallway with a tall, slender blond in tow. When his gaze fell on Chelsea, he stopped in his tracks and the new waitress plowed into his back. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in rehab?”

“Early release for good behavior. I just came from the doctor. I thought you might want to see the sonogram pictures.” She smiled and raised an eyebrow in Ally’s direction. “I’m sorry if I let the cat out of the bag to your flavor-of-the-day.”

Ally fumbled at the apron strings, gave up, and yanked it off with the rending sound of fabric. The apron puddled on the floor at her feet. She needed to get out of there before she lost control and either burst into tears or punched Jack. Jack was behind the counter in two strides, blocking her path with a look of sheer panic on his face.