William. What did you expect?’
‘Now, don’t be like that, chipmunk. I’m thrilled to have you back safely.’ He gave her another, stiffer hug. ‘I’ve reserved a suite at ONE Bal hotel so you can get cleaned up. And you might want to tell that newspaper of yours that you are safe, they keep pestering us.’
She nodded, already planning what she would say to her editor.
Abbie stole a last glance at Jack, who was surrounded by reporters and photographers. Even with several days’ growth of beard and a sweat-stained shirt, he was breathtaking. But like the jaguar in the jungle – rare, exotic – he was far too dangerous to keep. It was time to put Honduras behind her and move on.
There was a sudden burst of laughter from the crowd surrounding Jack and she turned. Their eyes met and he gave her one of those stares. A Jack stare that made her insides quiver. She linked her arm through William’s and turned her back on him.
Jack stared after Abbie’s retreating back. It was ridiculous to be jealous of a wuss like that. Presumably he was the fiancé that Abbie had constantly waved in his face while they were in the jungle. Just one look was enough to tell Jack that the blond drink of water would never be enough for a passionate woman like Abbie. But it infuriated him that the other man was the one who could kiss her and take her home with him.
Jack wanted to kill him.
Then the blond bastard kissed Abbie, stepped back quickly and said something that made her mad. Jack wastoo far away to hear but by now he knew her body language. The other man had really pissed her off.
Jack grinned. Looked like he wasn’t going to get lucky later. Just to make sure, he broke away from the gang of reporters who were popping camera flashes in his face and walked over to the pair. He tapped Abbie on the shoulder. ‘Hey, haven’t you forgotten something?’
‘I’d love to forget everything.’ Her expression was as stiff as her back.
‘Even this?’ He handed her the rucksack with her laptop inside it, and watched her face light up. For one moment, he hoped she would throw her arms around him and kiss him. Then dweeb wrinkled his nose and said, ‘I don’t believe we’ve met.’
Jack stuck out his hand. ‘I’m Jack Winter. I’ve been sleeping with Abbie for the last four nights. Who are you?’
He watched the other man battle his reluctance to shake hands, but manners won out. He barely touched his fingers to Jack’s. ‘I’m William Dillard, Abbie’s fiancé. And that joke was in very poor taste.’
‘Will Dullard. Got it.’ Jack stepped back before the other man could react. He didn’t want to watch Abbie walking away again. Jack turned back to the press mob and flashes exploded in his face.
‘Jack! Jack! How are you feeling?’ Microphones were stuck in front of his face. God, he really hated this part of his job. The acting he loved, but he despised the whole publicity machine. But he knew how it worked, so he forced a smile on to his face and a twinkle into his eye and gave them the Bad Boy Jack Winter that they expected.
‘I’m feeling just great now that I’m back in America, butI’ve got to say, I can’t wait to get home and have a cool glass of Guinness.’ He winked at a female reporter and she blushed. ‘Fancy keeping me company while I drink it?’
None of them had ever seen him drinking Guinness, but they were all convinced he got drunk on it every night.
There were a couple of questions about how they had survived in the jungle. Jack praised the survival training he had received when he was making
Jungle Heat
. Then a reporter asked, ‘Is it true that you nailed Abbie Marshall when you were in the jungle?’
The question took him by surprise, and he responded with the stock Hollywood answer. ‘No comment.’
The buzz increased and more camera bulbs went off in his face: as far as they were concerned, ‘no comment’ meant yes.
Abbie would never forgive him.
Abbie winced when she
‘Now, don’t be like that, chipmunk. I’m thrilled to have you back safely.’ He gave her another, stiffer hug. ‘I’ve reserved a suite at ONE Bal hotel so you can get cleaned up. And you might want to tell that newspaper of yours that you are safe, they keep pestering us.’
She nodded, already planning what she would say to her editor.
Abbie stole a last glance at Jack, who was surrounded by reporters and photographers. Even with several days’ growth of beard and a sweat-stained shirt, he was breathtaking. But like the jaguar in the jungle – rare, exotic – he was far too dangerous to keep. It was time to put Honduras behind her and move on.
There was a sudden burst of laughter from the crowd surrounding Jack and she turned. Their eyes met and he gave her one of those stares. A Jack stare that made her insides quiver. She linked her arm through William’s and turned her back on him.
Jack stared after Abbie’s retreating back. It was ridiculous to be jealous of a wuss like that. Presumably he was the fiancé that Abbie had constantly waved in his face while they were in the jungle. Just one look was enough to tell Jack that the blond drink of water would never be enough for a passionate woman like Abbie. But it infuriated him that the other man was the one who could kiss her and take her home with him.
Jack wanted to kill him.
Then the blond bastard kissed Abbie, stepped back quickly and said something that made her mad. Jack wastoo far away to hear but by now he knew her body language. The other man had really pissed her off.
Jack grinned. Looked like he wasn’t going to get lucky later. Just to make sure, he broke away from the gang of reporters who were popping camera flashes in his face and walked over to the pair. He tapped Abbie on the shoulder. ‘Hey, haven’t you forgotten something?’
‘I’d love to forget everything.’ Her expression was as stiff as her back.
‘Even this?’ He handed her the rucksack with her laptop inside it, and watched her face light up. For one moment, he hoped she would throw her arms around him and kiss him. Then dweeb wrinkled his nose and said, ‘I don’t believe we’ve met.’
Jack stuck out his hand. ‘I’m Jack Winter. I’ve been sleeping with Abbie for the last four nights. Who are you?’
He watched the other man battle his reluctance to shake hands, but manners won out. He barely touched his fingers to Jack’s. ‘I’m William Dillard, Abbie’s fiancé. And that joke was in very poor taste.’
‘Will Dullard. Got it.’ Jack stepped back before the other man could react. He didn’t want to watch Abbie walking away again. Jack turned back to the press mob and flashes exploded in his face.
‘Jack! Jack! How are you feeling?’ Microphones were stuck in front of his face. God, he really hated this part of his job. The acting he loved, but he despised the whole publicity machine. But he knew how it worked, so he forced a smile on to his face and a twinkle into his eye and gave them the Bad Boy Jack Winter that they expected.
‘I’m feeling just great now that I’m back in America, butI’ve got to say, I can’t wait to get home and have a cool glass of Guinness.’ He winked at a female reporter and she blushed. ‘Fancy keeping me company while I drink it?’
None of them had ever seen him drinking Guinness, but they were all convinced he got drunk on it every night.
There were a couple of questions about how they had survived in the jungle. Jack praised the survival training he had received when he was making
Jungle Heat
. Then a reporter asked, ‘Is it true that you nailed Abbie Marshall when you were in the jungle?’
The question took him by surprise, and he responded with the stock Hollywood answer. ‘No comment.’
The buzz increased and more camera bulbs went off in his face: as far as they were concerned, ‘no comment’ meant yes.
Abbie would never forgive him.
Abbie winced when she
Similar Books
