Page 13 of Jack

Chapter4

"You invited her to stay." Zachpolished the glass and eyed his sister as she wiped the counter.

"I told her you would not mind."

"Are you sure it's a good idea?"

She glanced at him sharply. Jazmine hadgone back to the hotel she was staying at to pack her things andcheck out and would be coming by shortly. Zuri wanted to make surethat her brother was on board before her friend arrived.

"Why not?"

He shrugged broad shoulders. Putting awaythe sparkling glass, he reached for another. The lunch crowd had comeand gone and there was a trickling of avid patrons just desultorilyknocking balls around on the pool table.

"It might be too tight."

"We have an extra room," shepointed out. Putting away the cloth, she turned fully to look at him."What's this really about?"

"You have not seen this woman in what?Five years. She has been through a traumatic divorce—"

"That asshole abused her."

His expression went from one of concern tofury in less than a second. She watched the transformation infascination. His jaw tightened and his shoulders flexed. "Andhe's still alive? He hit her?"

"Emotional abuse." She touched ahand to the bunched-up muscles of his arm lightly. "Which Ithink is far worse. She will be staying for a week or two. We'regoing to go and look at houses. She's planning on buying somethingand putting down roots. I want her to stay here so she can havesomeone to talk to. She's a wreck."

"Of course she is." Hisexpression was grim. "That flaming asshole. If he comes sniffingaround—"

"He's still in Italy. But, if he'sfoolish enough to come here, we'll both kick some sense into him."

His face lightened as he grinned at her."That's a promise."

"Thanks." Moving forward, shestood on her toes and kissed him on the lips. "You're the best.I am going up to straighten the room and then I have some bills topay." She turned back when she reached the swinging doors. "Theshipment of vodka finally came in."

"Good. I had to light some fire undersome people to get that moving. Need any help?"

"No. Just point her upstairs."

"Will do. You're a good friend."

"Just doing what I can." With awave, she left.

He watched as she stopped by the pool tableand engaged the two players. A grin split his handsome face when shetook the stick and leaning over, sent balls flying. His grin fadedwhen he noticed the heavy-set man checking her out from behind. Buthe should have known she had it covered. Before Mike could put themove on her, she jammed the stick into his midsection withoutblinking an eye and had the man stumbling back and clutching hismidsection.

"That's my girl," he murmuredwith a chuckle. Whistling softly to the music playing on theold-fashioned juke box, he poured himself a finger of whiskey.

He was coldly putting a drunken patron inhis place and threatening to ban him from the club, an hour laterwhen he saw her walk in.

The jolt to his nervous system had himgoing still, the heated words dying on his lips, the drunk forgotten.His heart did a slow dive and picked up speed as he stared at thewoman carrying the suitcase in both hands, her eyes darting aroundthe room.

A hesitant smile was on her lips and thefragility of her beauty made him want to scale the counter and pickher up, cradling her against him. He had been in a relationship forthe past year which had ended badly and for the past three months hadstayed away from anything resembling one. But seeing her, seeing hissister's friend standing there, he resigned himself to tumblingheadlong into love.

The glass bobbled in his hands, and he hadto put it away. Fixing a fierce eye on a guy wearing cowboy bootssauntering towards her, he dropped the rag. Pushing the swing door,he made his way towards her and had to steel himself to resist theurge to scoop her up and vow to shield her from everything bad.

"You must be Jazmine." His smilewas deliberately careless, and he prayed that he was able to hold hiscomposure long enough for her to climb the stairs.

"And you're Zachary." Her smilewas like the sun shining through the clouds. "We met once whenyou came to visit your sister." She started to extend a hand—adelicate one, with the thumb sporting a silver ring. Shaking the handbriskly, he took the case from her.

"Is this all?"

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