Love and Loss

Jack nodded, smiling as he leaned closer. "Shay, I don't want to freak you out, but I've had a crush on you since I met you."

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. "Are you serious?"

"Completely." He let out a deep breath as he held my hand again. "In fact, I'm in love with you, Shay."

I sat in stunned silence. "I... I... I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Then his lips curled into a sexy smile. "But there's one thing I want to get out of the way first."

"Oh?" I lifted one of my eyebrows, one corner of my lips curling into a smile.

He smiled, moving closer, his eyelids half-mast. "Yeah," he breathed. This lips descended upon mine as passion filled us both. Then he pulled me across his lap, deepening the kiss in the best kiss I'd ever had as he stroked my hair back away from my face. He pulled back a moment later, leaving me breathless and stunned.

"Wow," I breathed, my heart racing.

"Yeah." He smiled as his lips descended upon mine once more, his lips moving with mine as love and passion filled my chest. He pulled back a moment later and I looked up at him in stunned silence. "I've been wanting to do that for a very long time." His finger traced the contours of my cheekbone, and then down to my jaw. "But I think we'd better get to work before your parents come in and catch us."

"May I ask you something?" I asked, still laying in his lap, looking up into his eyes.

He nodded, smiling as he let me sit up. "Sure. Always."

"What about the baby?" I asked. "If we get together—and I know that's a big if—could you ever accept the baby as your own?"

He nodded, smiling. "Yes, of course. But I'd only ask one thing."

"What's that?" I asked, my heart soaring.

"I will raise the baby as mine, but I never want him or her to know," Jack replied. "I always want him to know that I am his father."

My mouth opened, stunned. "Don't you think the baby has a right to know?"

"Not if it will cause him pain or embarrassment," Jack replied. "Also, I want him to know that he's my son. Nothing else matters." Suddenly, his words made me wonder about Renn. Would he be better off not knowing? After all, our father loved him and, as Amelia said, he has a good life. Even though she should have told him years ago, now she may be right. It might be better for him not to know.

I tilted my head to the side, confused. "You could do that? Raise another man's child as your own?"

He nodded. "Yes, of course. I've been wanting to have children and what better person to do that with than the woman I love?" He traced his finger along my jawline as he looked into my eyes. "Shay, anyone can be a sperm doner, but not everyone can be a good father."

I nodded in understanding as tears came to my eyes, threatening to spill over. "I love you, Jack."

His eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Really?"

I nodded, smiling. "Yes. I think I've known it for a long time but didn't really know it until now." Then I remembered my parents. "But Jack, there's something else you should know." I got off his lap and sat in my chair.

Jack chuckled. "I'm not so sure I can handle any more surprises right now."

I nodded. "Okay. I'll tell you later."

"No." He chuckled. "I'm just kidding. Tell me now."

I bit my upper lip, not sure how to tell him. "My mother doesn't approve of you… of us together… and she said she was taking me to the club tonight." I let out a deep breath. "I have a feeling that she wants to introduce me to someone."

His face fell. "You're kidding me, right?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm not."

He nodded, trying to make sense of it all. "And you're going with them to meet this guy?"

"I may go and meet someone, but I won't go out with them," I said, "if that's even what they're up to. They didn't tell me outright, but this is the first time that they wanted to take me to the Club alone without taking Renn, too."

Jack rose to his feet and started stacking his books. "I can't believe this! You're really going along with it? With them setting you up with another guy?"

"No, Jack!" I held his arms to try and stop him. "If we're together, I'm not going out with anyone else but you! I love you!"

"I don't think you really know what love is," he said flatly, and then stormed out.

"Jack!" I yelled after him, running down the hallway, trying to catch up. "Don't leave like this!"

"I'll see you around." Then he stormed out the door and down the steps, headed toward his Mustang.

"Jack, don't go!" I yelled, but Amelia grabbed my arm.

"Let him go," Mom said, giving me a stern look. "He's not for you."

I stood looking at her in stunned disbelief. "How in the world do you know who is and isn't good for me? I love him and there's nothing you can do to change my mind." I stormed off down the hallway, headed toward Shay's room.

"I'll call him and ask him not to come back as your tutor!" Mom yelled after me, bringing me to a stop.

"You wouldn't."

She nodded. "Yes, I will. And I forbid you to ever see him again."

I laughed without humor. "Well, after this, you may not have anything to worry about because I doubt if he'll be back." I took a few steps back toward her. "And for your information, he loves me. And the fact that I'm carrying another man's child doesn't matter to him. In fact, if we get together, he doesn't want the baby to know that it isn't his. Sound familiar?" I started to walk away, but then thought of something else. "And another thing! Money means nothing to me, and I don't care what social class he's in! I love him!" Then I turned around and headed back to Shay's room and slammed the door behind me, wondering how everything had gotten so mixed up so quickly.