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“Maybe, but have you given a single thought to how this affects your contract?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Can’t say I have. That’s typically how mindless rage works.”
“This isn’t funny, Jack.”
“I agree. Someone calls you names, disrespects you, and I’m supposed to just stand by and take it?”
“You’re supposed to use your common sense and think about what’s best for your career. Your reputation. I don’t care what people say about me,” she said, stunned at its truth. The insults might pierce for a moment but she could learn to tune it out. Not so sure that Jack could, however.
He snorted and muttered something she couldn’t make out.
“So, the next time something like this happens, off come the gloves again?”
She could see his mind whirring, computing the implications before dismissing it to the other side of the street. “Well, I’ve been informed by my lawyer that the First Amendment prohibits me from getting cease and desist orders for social media accounts, so I’ll just have to take care of it the old fashioned way.”
“Cease and desist orders? You mean you tried to get stuff taken down?” She struggled to get the words past her rapidly-constricting throat. “Jack, you can’t stop the Internet from existing!” She had completely underestimated his need to protect. It was Jules and the paparazzi, a disparaging remark in a bar, a nasty comment in 140 characters or less.
Guilt and love collided in a fiery pile-up in her chest. He had stood up for her and put everything on the line, behavior that was crazy and stupid and struck every emotional chord in her body. How could she not love a man who was willing to risk everything to protect her? And how could she love him and let him do that?
“Jack, this can’t go on.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll all blow over.”
“That’s what you said after the video and it didn’t. The Internet exploded like a confetti bomb. My father practically had a coronary.”
“And your father will know now that I can protect you. Anyone who tries to hurt you will have me to deal with.”
It would never end. Jack would wage a full-scale war on anyone who crossed her. Living with that responsibility, and the dread fear that he would begin to realize what a liability she was, would crush her. She wasn’t worth this depth of fervor. She never could be.
“I’m not a damsel in distress. I don’t need you to fight my battles.”
“Really, Lili? Because the way I see it, you spend so much time taking care of everyone else that your battles—your needs—get pretty short shrift. You can’t stand up to your father. How are you going to stand up for yourself?”
Shock rolled over her at the way he pieced that together. “This has nothing to do with my father,” she spluttered.
“Yes, it does. You let him tell you what to do, with the restaurant, with your life. Even now, you’re only concerned with what he thinks.”
There was truth there but hell if she was going to let it muddy the waters. “So I should just substitute one tyrant for another? Because that’s what you are, Jack. You expect everyone to fall in line with your worldview and to hell with the art of compromise. That’s what families, friends, lovers do. They compromise.”
That muscle near his mouth was in full throb. “You’d know all about compromises. You’ve compromised so much you’ve forgotten what you want. Who you want to be.”
She swallowed back the hurt of yet another pointedly accurate blow. “I’m trying to make sure your career doesn’t explode in your face.”
He made a sound of scorn. “No, you’re not. You’re looking for the easy way out. You’re afraid of what you feel. You’re afraid of trying and failing. Hell, you’re afraid of trying and succeeding. You’d rather let your own dreams die instead of rocking the boat. With your father, your art, with us. I know exactly what you’re thinking, Lili. I always have.”
A tremor rattled her thigh and she fisted her hands in her lap to force it to calm. No go.
Where did he get off being so intuitive and handsome?
“Let me tell you what I think. You weren’t protecting me back there, you were just marking your territory.”
“I prefer to think of it as branding you as my own, but you can phrase it in those terms if you like.”
He talked like she was an acquisition for his empire, and she was glad because it gave her the fuel she needed.
“From the minute I met you, you’ve done nothing but bully and make demands. If it’s not me you’re trying to bend to your will, it’s Jules and probably a million other people you expect to kowtow to the great Jack Kilroy. Veiling it in charm and that stupid accent doesn’t make it any less manipulative. I told you I wanted to take it slow but all you do is push and push.”
His face stormed over. “Better that than standing still.”
