Page 47 of Size Doesn't Matter

Jack ground his teeth together so hard, he thought they might crack. “Who was it?” he snarled. He was going to track the arsehole down and tear him apart. Piece by fucking piece. And he was going to enjoy every second of it.

Some people didn’t deserve the title ofman.

“No one important,” Sophie said, then sighed heavily. “But that’s when Dad started teaching me to box.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, baby,” he said, shoving down his fury. He kissed her fingers again and then he sighed, too, remembering what Lisa had told him. “But I should probably mention that one of the reasons my ex gave for leaving me was because she thought I was too controlling.”

Sophie ducked her head and glanced away from him again. He didn’t like it. He liked it even less when she asked him, “Did you ever… hit her?”

“No,” he said darkly. He abhorred men who abused their partners. “Not like that.”

“She was submissive? Like me?”

“Not like you,” he said. Lisa was a bitch, not a brat. “She only submitted in the bedroom, and even then it was on her terms. Outside of it she was demanding and entitled. She was an unbelievably selfish woman who thought of no one but herself and whatshewanted.” Jack took a moment to breathe deeply, to calm the anger swelling inside him before he let it loose and destroyed any chance he had with Sophie.

He would keep his cool, remain in control.

“She hurt you,” she stated plainly.

He didn’t deny it. “Yes.”

“Because she cheated on you.”

He snorted, a wry smile twisting his mouth. “Cheating on me was the least of her crimes.”

“Tell me.”

“Not tonight.”

“Jack—” she started, but he cut her off.

“I promise I will tell you all about it, angel, but not tonight. Tonight is about us. Just us and no one else.” He pulled the car into the driveway of the hotel and killed the engine, then turned to face her. “Is that okay?”

Sophie unfastened her seatbelt, then turned towards him, her brow furrowed as she searched his gaze. “Pinkie swear?” she said, holding up one hand, her little finger stuck out towards him.

His eyes widened and his jaw fell slack. “Seriously?”

Her gaze never wavered. “Pinkie swears are always serious.”

Jack searched her face and body for cues, but she gave nothing away. She was deadly serious. He stuck out his pinkie. “I promise to tell you anything you want to know,” he said, “but you have to do the same for me. No lies, no half-truths. No hiding. Complete honesty. Okay?”

“Say the words, please,” she said primly, unrelenting in her mission as she waggled her finger at him. “Say you pinkie swear.”

The smile that spread his mouth wide was pure indulgence.Could she be any cuter?“You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now. Yes, I pinkie swear.”

“Okay,” she said. Hooking her pinkie around his, she tugged him closer, then whispered against his lips, “Thank you.”

He was about to slide his hand into the hair at her nape and get that kiss when the car door opened and a valet appeared. “Good evening, Mr Martin. I trust you had a pleasant evening?”

Sophie’s shoulders bounced, her silent laughter shaking her whole body, and instead of getting his kiss, he watched, stunned, as she spun away from him, opened her own door, and escaped the car without waiting for him.

Jack ran his tongue over his teeth and exited the car, silencing any more comments from the valet with a glare. His evening had been going great until the little twerp had opened his door and distracted him from his purpose.

Rounding the car, he narrowed his gaze and watched Sophie walking ahead of him, a wicked grin twisting his lips. He could have caught up to her easily enough, but he was enjoying the view too much to want to rush, relishing the sway of her full hips and the way her pretty floral dress clung to her torso and then flared out over her plush arse. And when she glanced back over her shoulder and flashed him a grin of her own, he knew she was enjoying the chase too.

Suddenly, he didn’t care that every eye in the hotel foyer was upon them. His woman was there with him, as she always should have been, and he was feeling playful. Catching her gaze and holding it, he uttered one simple word.

“Run.”

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