Chapter 26 #2
Jack looked up, and his gaze held Rachel’s before looking back at Melissa.
“Excuse me,” he said, then jogged to where she sat.
Reaching his hand out, he begged Rachel to take it with his eyes.
She could see embarrassment and fear in his eyes, and in that second, Rachel understood that Jack didn’t want there to be any question about who he was with.
She offered a quick nod, placed her hand in his, and allowed him to gently pull her to him.
With his arm wrapped around her, he whispered, “I’m so sorry. ”
She twisted her neck to keep her eyes on him. “There’s no reason to be sorry. I’m fine.” She believed the words, but it was hard to keep the jealousy from slithering through her.
Gratitude filled his eyes, and for a few seconds, they shared a private smile that, in hindsight, she knew everyone around had witnessed. She was aware that many of the JV boys had stayed where they were, probably wondering if they would witness a catfight.
She started forward, glad for Jack’s arms still anchored around her shoulders. As they approached Melissa, she watched as understanding flooded the other woman’s eyes.
“Melissa, this is my girlfriend. Rachel, I’d like you to meet Melissa, a fellow Academy graduate.”
“It’s lovely to meet you,” Rachel said as she reached her hand out.
Without hesitation, Melissa accepted the gesture. “You, too. I’m so sorry to have come without checking first. That was incredibly rude of me.”
“Not at all.”
Melissa smiled at her, tilting her head again as she peered at Rachel.
“Now I can see why Jack was so keen to leave the Navy.” She looked at Jack and said, “It was great to see you again, but I think I’ll take the amazing Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel back to Norfolk.
In truth, I have some work to do before my flight leaves. ”
“Please don’t rush off on my account,” Rachel said, realizing the other woman’s presence didn’t threaten her. Granted, it wasn’t exactly comfortable, but she trusted Jack.
Melissa smiled and shook her head. “Thank you, but honestly, I just wanted to see an old Academy friend. And now, I can tell that he has successfully transitioned out of the Navy and is once more entrenched in the life he always wanted. And with the right person.” She looked up at Jack and chuckled.
“Congratulations, Jack. You deserve the best, and it looks like you have it.”
Rachel stepped to the side, giving Jack the room to say goodbye. He then wrapped his arm around Rachel as they watched Melissa walk to the parking lot.
Jack looked down, immediately apologizing. “Christ, Rach. I’m so sorry. That was… shit… I’m so sorry.”
She smiled up at him and, with her arms around his waist, chuckled. “Honestly, Jack, with the way my day has gone, I’m not surprised an old girlfriend of yours showed up out of the blue.”
“She was never a girlfriend—”
“Well, whatever she was, I trust you. If you had wanted to have dinner with her, that would have been fine—”
“Nope. No way.” He interrupted, his face firm. “If she had contacted me and wanted to talk, then I might have been comfortable having a cup of coffee with her, but I have no desire to have dinner with anyone other than you. Plus, it would have felt disrespectful to you.”
Rachel stared up at him. His hair was damp with sweat, his face flushed from exertion, and when he smiled at her, she felt her heart turn over in her chest.
“You mentioned having a bad day?” he said, his arms giving a little squeeze around her.
“I needed to see you,” Rachel admitted.
Jack's expression shifted immediately, concern flooding his features. “What happened?”
Rachel told him about David's visit, about the confrontation, about the way he'd gotten defensive and angry. Jack listened without interrupting, his jaw getting tighter with every word.
“He threatened you,” Jack said when she finished. His voice was low and dangerous.
“No, he didn’t. He was angry about not getting his way,” Rachel said, but even as she said it, she knew it was more than that. “I’ve never seen him that way. He’s always been laid back.”
Jack was quiet for a long moment, staring out at the field where the kids had now packed up their gear and headed up to the locker rooms. “I didn’t tell you, but when I searched the locker room the other day, I found two pills under a locker near where Robbie was hiding. They’ve been sent to the state lab.”
“Oh shit.” Rachel leaned her head against his shoulder. “What a mess.”
Jack's arm came around her shoulders, pulling her close. Rachel closed her eyes and breathed in his smell. Sweat and grass and something that was just Jack. “When he was in my classroom… for a second…I felt like I was back there with Isaiah. Trapped and powerless,” she admitted quietly.
Jack's arm tightened around her. “You're not powerless, Rach. And you're not alone.”
“I know.” Rachel lifted her head to look at him. “That's the difference this time. I know I'm not alone. And I have much more confidence.”
They stood there for a while longer, and eventually, the field cleared out completely. “Come on,” he said. “Let's go home.”
Home. The word settled warm in Rachel's chest. She took his hand and linked fingers with him.
They drove separately back to her apartment, and when they got inside, Rachel dropped her bag by the door and turned to Jack. He was watching her with an intensity that made her breath catch.
“I need you,” she said simply.
Jack closed the distance between them in two strides and kissed her. Not gentle, not careful, but with a hunger that matched her own. Rachel's hands went to his shirt, tugging it up and over his head, and Jack's fingers found the buttons of her blouse.
They made it as far as the couch before they couldn't wait any longer. Jack pulled Rachel onto his lap, and she straddled him, her skirt riding up around her hips. His hands moved everywhere… her back, her ass, then tangled in her hair. Rachel lost herself in the feeling of him.
They were two adults who knew exactly what they wanted, who'd been apart too long, who needed this connection like they needed air.
Jack's mouth moved from her lips to her neck, and Rachel gasped, her fingers digging into his shoulders. “Bedroom,” she managed.
“Too far,” Jack growled against her skin. They stayed on the couch, moving together with an urgency that bordered on desperate.
He moved his hand from her hips to grasp the material of her shirt. Sliding her blouse off slowly, she fought the urge to hurry, knowing she wanted to take her time to savor every moment.