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He moved reluctantly, his eyes urgently scanning hers, wanting a reason for what he saw as incomprehensible behaviour. He lifted his hands, gesturing his willingness to appease whatever was troubling her. “What if—?”
“No!” She shook her head vehemently. “It’s too much, too soon. Good night, Jack. Thank you for bringing us home, but I really do need you to go now.”
“All right,” he said gently, seeing she was too stressed to discuss the matter further. “Good night, Nina. Say good night to the kid for me.”
The kid.
He left.
Nina closed the door after him and promptly burst into tears.
CHAPTER SEVEN
WHAT had he done wrong?
The question plagued Jack as he roamed disconsolately around the collection of antiques that had been delivered this afternoon. Normally he would be excited by the challenge of restoring the damaged pieces, keenly studying how it could best be done. He couldn’t find any enthusiasm for it tonight. Nothing was working for him. Except for his dog, who was trailing him around, offering his loyal companionship.
“She shut me out again, Spike,” he said, heaving a woebegone sigh.
Man’s best friend cocked his head, giving him a doleful look of sympathy, then sprang up to rest his front paws on Jack’s chest, his tongue out, ready to lick everything better if Jack obliged by bending his head close enough. The weight of the huge, black and white shaggy beast would have knocked most people down, but Spike knew how to balance nicely when it was a matter of love and respect.
Jack looked fondly on him. “You’re a great dog, Spike, but I’ve got to tell you, your breath isn’t as sweet as Nina’s.”
A whistling whine, begging favour.
Jack gave him a rueful smile and ruffled the fur behind his ears, earning a look of adoration that let Jack know Spike was absolutely steadfast in his love and devotion, no confusing or obscure responses and reactions coming from him. Jack was the central focus of his world, and there was no shifting him from that outlook. Spike knew what was good for him.
It was a pity people weren’t more like dogs, Jack thought, brooding over all he’d done today to get things right between him and Nina. He was good for her. He knew he was. Why didn’t she recognise it? Why wasn’t she welcoming it? What more could he have done to show her he meant what he said?
“Maybe dogs are smarter than people,” he confided to Spike. “People should think less and trust their instincts more.”
Spike panted agreement.
Jack reflected, with perfect justification, that there had been no confusion at all in Nina’s response when he’d kissed her. He’d felt the electric current of desire charging through both of them, highly mutual, fantastically mutual. No possible mistake about it. Nina still wanted him. Whatever was muddling her mind was a frustrating mystery, but her body was definitely in harmony with his.
Jack felt himself stir just thinking about it. He’d been celibate for so long, all his hormones were zinging with excitement at the promise of knowing satisfaction again. Real satisfaction. Special satisfaction. It had always been special with Nina. She was his woman, pure and simple. Somehow he had to work out how to convince her he was her man. There was no point in even looking at any of this furniture until he’d figured out what to do about his problem with Nina.
With more than one appetite reawakened, Jack realised the empty feeling inside him could be attributed to a more pedantic hunger. “Let’s go and find something to eat, Spike.”
With a bright yelp of encouragement, the part kelpie, part collie, part Doberman, part several other breeds including, Jack suspected, great Dane, leapt down and bounded over to the door that led into the house. Why couldn’t people be as simple and direct? Jack wondered with another niggle of frustration. He and Spike had no problem understanding each other.
They headed for the kitchen together. It was handily situated to what had once been the triple garage. Jack didn’t mind his two apprentices ducking in to make coffee or get a snack. He’d always figured work flowed more easily if people felt at home. Sharing meals had seemed a good way of getting Nina to feel at home with him.
Too much, too soon, she had said, but he couldn’t see why. The path to getting back together again was going to be very difficult if she kept shutting him out.
Jack opened the refrigerator and took out one of the meaty bones he’d got from the butcher that morning. “Here you are, Spike. It’s your favourite. Ham.”
Spike clutched it eagerly in his jaws, growling approval and appreciation, wagging his bushy tail in delight as he retired to his corner of the kitchen. He settled down, his position protected from attack from behind and on the flank by the two walls, his fiercely watchful eyes defying any approach from the front. Spike jealously guarded his bones, instinctively suspicious of any movement towards him. Protection was top priority. Even Jack was persona non grata if he moved too close.
Too close. The thought caught and held. Was that what Nina was guarding against, letting him get too close? Protecting herself and the baby in case he hadn’t really changed his attitude about children? She kept harping back to that argument. Understandable enough, since she’d been feeding it through her brain for the past eight months.
Jack pondered this possibility as he collected some cheese and pickles, took some crackers from the pantry and settled down at the bar counter to chew over the situation. It could be the kid confusing Nina, distorting what was perfectly plain and straightforward to him.
Basically the kid was a side product of what they felt for each other. Naturally he accepted it, now that he knew about it. What kind of man would he be if he didn’t? He would have accepted it eight months ago, too. Nina had got herself all cock-eyed about that.
Maybe she didn’t want to share it with him. Like Spike with his bone. He reconsidered Nina’s behaviour in the same light as his dog’s current attitude—wary and watchful and ready to pounce on anything questionable and fight like the devil. Possessive and protective. It could explain a lot.
Though there was one difference. Jack knew he could still get to Nina on a one-to-one level. Maybe that was what she was afraid of, knowing he could slip past her defences despite being hellbent on protecting the kid. Yet what was she expecting him to do? Take the kid away from her? Be jealous of her natural mother love? It was ridiculous.
