Page 16 of The Alpha's Assistant & The Dom Next Door
Unusually patiently,Jack sat and drank, justlistening.
“She acted like I’d promised her … I don’t know … marriage, or something,” Brock exclaimed, waving at the bartender for another round. “What thefuck!”
Jack continued to sit quietly and Brock finally exploded. “What? Saysomething!”
“You won’t likeit.”
Brock’s eyebrows hit the ceiling. “When have you ever told me what I want to hear? That’s not how this relationshipworks.”
“Oh, so you’re committed to at least one relationship, then?” Jack saiddryly.
“What isthat—”
“It means that you’re a good guy, Brock, and you’re my best friend, but you’re one hell of a selfish son of a bitch.” Jack shook his head and took a slow sip of something or other that wasn’t a shot. What the hell had he been drinking while Brock had been downing drink afterdrink?
“Meaning?” Brocksnapped.
“Meaning that her father could be dead as we speak and you’re making this entirely about you. You walked into that hospital room and some of the first words out of your mouth weren’t ‘I’m so sorry, baby. What can I do?’ No, you had to make sure she was crystal clear on your commitment issuesfirst.”
Brock stopped in mid-shot, his anger slowly fading. “I didn’t even tell you what Isaid.”
Jack snorted. “You didn’t need to. I know you, man. I’ve known you. I’ll continue to know you. And selfish is all well and good. I’m fuckin’ selfish myself. But even I know better than to do what you undoubtedly did. And you did. Didn’tyou.”
Brock looked down at his shot glass, thinking of his words toher.
You’re not alone, sweetheart. I know I told you I’m not into commitment, and I’m not. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be here foryou.
“I did,” he admitted gruffly, having a hard time believing it in hindsight. “I was just so panicked. Meagan called me and I dropped everything and ran to be with Erica. And then I got there and she looked so small and broken, Jack. Damn it.” He slammed a fist on the bar and waved the bartender’s questioning glare away. “All I wanted to do was hold her tight and promise her to fix things. I’ve never felt that way before.Ever.”
“And it scared the shit out of you.” Jack nodded, clapping a hand on Brock’s shoulder and getting to his feet. “I don’t want to leave you to drink alone, but I have adate.”
It feltlike the entire world as Brock had known it was imploding from the edges. “You? A date?” He stared at his best friend, who’d never said the single-syllable word before without making it sound like a substantialcurse.
“With Angie,” Jack said sympathetically, shoving a few bills in front of Brock to take care of histab.
“Angie?”
“You broke her heart too. Who knows. I might do the same. But I’m going to go try not to tonight, anyway. Night,man.”
Jack walked away, leaving Brock gaping after him through the bar’s thick, smokyhaze.
He wasn’t sure how long he sat there before a long-legged beauty with eyes like hot, hungry coals, and breasts so full it was a miracle her shirt didn’t pop, sidled onto the stool besidehis.
“Hey,handsome.”
Brock barely gave her a glance. “Hi.”
“You look like you could use a dance,” she offered, waving at a corner of the room where some people had created an impromptu dancefloor.
He shook his head. “No. Sorry. Really notinterested.”
Apparently as unused to be turned down as Brock himself was, the woman persisted. “I’m Naomi. Love troubles, I’mguessing?”
Brock rolled his eyes. “Not even close. That would involve love, and I have no love in mylife.”
As he spoke the words and saw the sympathy cross Naomi’s face, he realized what he’d said. And it was true. He had no love in his life. No family. No friends besides Jack, who most days was hit or miss. Not even any real acquaintances outside of work. What he had was an endless list of women he could contact at a moment’s notice for a one-night stand. He had women, yeah. And work. Plenty of that. And money. Tons of it. So much he didn’t know what to do withit.
Except … he didit.
