His smile dropped. "For the movie?"

She suddenly recalled the email he'd sent her last week. About the movie she'd agreed to see with him...before she and Jack had gotten so hot and heavy. c.r.a.p.

She felt obligated to go with Trey, yet she also felt dishonest about the date. But why should she? She and Jack hadn't committed to each other-well, she hadn't anyway. A movie was just a movie.

"Sorry. I s.p.a.ced. I thought it was tomorrow." She upped the wattage on her smile and Trey look relieved.

"So tonight's okay?"

"Yep. Seven-thirty at the Regal. I'll meet you there. I have a few errands to run first."

"Sounds great. See you." He left with a buoyant step, while she felt like a tramp.

She knew she teetered on the edge of falling hard for Jack Bloom all over again, if she hadn't already. Maya had warned her to be wary, but Ann could only fight his bright blue eyes, the warmth in his kiss and the care in his touch for so long. He wanted to date her. To be a couple. It freaked her out as much as it thrilled her to be the center of his attention.

Ann hurried home. She needed privacy for the call she had to make. With Jack now working at the university fulltime, he couldn't just pop over during the day like before. She settled down, rehea.r.s.ed what she wanted to say, then called him.

He answered right away. "Hey, beautiful."

She forced herself to sound calm. "Hi, Jack. How are you?"

"Better now that I'm talking to you. Hold on." His voice drifted. "No, put that in Professor Burrow's room." He came back. "Sorry. What's up?"

"I have to cancel tonight." They'd planned to grab a burger together.

"Anything wrong?"

Do or die time. Be your own woman. He doesn't own you. She took a deep breath then quietly let it out. "No. I'm going to a movie with Trey, one of my coworkers."

"Trey." He paused. "That's a guy."

"Yep."

More silence.

"He asked me last week and I said I'd go. I forgot, but he reminded me today."

"A movie. With Trey. Sounds like a date."

"We're just friends. Co-workers." She felt as if she'd done something wrong, and that annoyed her. "Look, I said I'd go with him. I can't back out now. And it's not as if you and I are dating exclusively."

"So it's a no then?"

"What?"

"I asked you to be mine. As in, we date each other and only each other. You said you'd think about it."

She bit her lip, unsure if she'd done the wrong thing or the right thing by keeping Trey's date. "I'm still thinking."

He didn't sound upset. Just the opposite. Jack sounded too polite, too understanding. When they'd been kids, he'd yelled when angry. This calm, rational approach to conflict unnerved her. She preferred the yelling because it seemed more honest.

"So tonight is off. Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah. I'd like us to go to dinner on Thursday though. Remember? With my family? Will that work?"

Relieved he wasn't angry, she immediately agreed. "Sure, that's fine." d.a.m.n it. Why did his approval matter so much? Why? Because you like him more than you should, you stupid woman, her inner Maya replied.

"Great. I'll tell my parents we'll see them then. Bye." He disconnected before she could sputter more questions.

Dinner with a guy who wanted to deepen a relationship...with his parents? Nothing but trouble. What was her life coming to?

She sighed, then ran the errands she'd mentioned to Trey before meeting him at the movies.

To her relief, they had a great time. Trey didn't pressure her for anything afterward, just some ice cream at the Ben & Jerry's next door, and she'd learned more about a colleague with a great sense of humor. He didn't even try to kiss her, thank G.o.d. Toward the end, they'd agreed the night had been fun, but a relationship at work might be too weird. She left with a smile on her face and returned home...only to find Jack waiting for her on her porch.

Nerves flared. She parked the car and composed herself. She stopped to greet him on the porch. "h.e.l.lo."

"Hey." He kissed her, a nice appreciative peck that eased her nerves. He didn't appear upset. "Good movie?"

"Dramatic, but fun. Trey's a nice guy." She let Jack inside with her since he seemed to be behaving himself and told him all about Trey. In the kitchen, she grabbed herself a bottle of water and turned to him. "Want some-"

"Yeah." Before she could blink he had her up on the counter, his mouth on hers, his hands everywhere.

She couldn't think as he drew her into his wicked web of l.u.s.t, need and d.a.m.n it, love. The urgency of the kiss and the pleasure he evoked by taking charge had her mindless, on the edge.

He cupped her between her legs and ground his palm against her c.l.i.t. His roughness excited her, and she came, her cry of relief swallowed by his kiss. He calmed her with more kisses, stroking her legs, her waist, her shoulders.

His eyes were bright with pa.s.sion and more than a hint of anger. But he only smiled and backed away. "See you tomorrow."

The b.a.s.t.a.r.d left her sitting on her kitchen counter, dumbfounded and wondering what the h.e.l.l had just happened. And why she wanted it to happen again.

Jack couldn't see straight as he took a frustrated walk around the block before heading back to Dan's. He swore with every step, unable to believe the obtuse woman didn't seem to have a problem going out to the movies with some f.u.c.khead teacher. From all she'd described, the guy seemed harmless. h.e.l.l, she'd come right home from the post-movie ice cream and even wore a drop of vanilla bean on her jacket. He had no reason to disbelieve her. But knowing she'd been out with someone else when he'd staked his claim bothered the s.h.i.t out of him.

Hopefully his performance in the kitchen had reminded her where she belonged. He hadn't missed how she'd succ.u.mbed to his kiss. h.e.l.l, she hadn't made a single argument about finding him waiting for her.

That helped ease his fury, but not by much. Because getting her off excited him, and now he had to deal with being s.e.xually frustrated in addition to the idea that his girlfriend had yet to commit.

Tomorrow night would be interesting, to say the least. He was rather proud of luring her to dinner with his family. If that didn't spark a commitment, with his mother in fine form, he didn't know what would. Laura Bloom might badger him, but she could be one smooth piece of work. She'd always liked Ann, Ann had loved her, and everyone liked Dan and Julie. Time to rally the team for a full court press on one stubborn school teacher.

That in mind, he headed home-to Dan's home. Time to take care of his own living situation.

The next day, he continued to familiarize himself with the campus and adjust to his schedule. Arriving in the middle of the semester had worked in his favor, allowing him time to discuss the course structure with the department head, observe his fellow academics, and rewrite the proposed syllabus for his advanced cla.s.ses. In January he'd start teaching, but for now he had time during the day for research and to get things done.

Like sign rental papers.

After returning to the house, he made a mental timeline. He still had a few days to gather his things, then he planned to move into his new place. But tonight he intended to concentrate on his complicated relationship with Ann.

"Yo, little bro." Dan peeked his head into the kitchen, on a work break, apparently. The couple's home office gave them enough s.p.a.ce to work together when necessary, though Julie normally went in to St. Charles to teach at the hospital's computer lab while Dan telecommuted.

"Big bro." Over the years, the pair had fought as only brothers could, but he loved Dan and would do anything for him. Knowing his brother still looked out for him came as no surprise. The Blooms had raised fine sons, as his mother liked to remind him.

"How's it going with Ann?"

"Okay I guess." He threaded his fingers through his hair. "No, not really. She went out with some douchebag last night. But it wasn't a date, according to her, just a movie."

Dan winced. "Ouch."

"Not a date my a.s.s. She's testing me. She hasn't said yes or no to being exclusive, so I'm not supposed to be mad about her movie night. Yeah, right."

"So what happened last night? You went to her place, didn't you?"

"Yes. I was nice. Polite. Asked about the movie. Then, well, I left her happy as h.e.l.l while I walked off a bad case of blueb.a.l.l.s."

Dan gave him a high five. "Good man. There you go. Then what?"

"Then I came home before I forgot myself and stayed the night. Which probably would have sent her on a date with someone else to prove some f.u.c.ked up point." And why was that? He'd sensed her attraction, even her affection. He hadn't imagined the tenderness in her eyes when she looked at him, had he?

"You sure you know what you're doing with Ann? Last time you guys dated, she broke your heart."

He'd never told his family about Ann stepping out with Terry, just that they'd broken up. But d.a.m.n, that still enraged him. She should have talked to him if he hadn't been the man she'd needed him to be.

"Jack?"

"What?"

"Relationships aren't easy."

"No s.h.i.t, Sherlock."

Dan smacked him upside the head. "Idiot. Listen to me. I know it seems like Julie and I have no problems, but we started off rocky. She was dating some jock with b.a.l.l.s bigger than his brains, so I had to show her that geeks are hot too."

Jack snorted. "You? A geek? You were captain of your college soccer team."

"And a computer science major, don't forget. Her ex was the starting quarterback and a bigger p.r.i.c.k I've yet to meet." Dan huffed. "Took a while, but I wore her down. She didn't know what hit her when I pulled out the big guns. That's right. The Bloom charm."

"G.o.d. Stop helping." Like their father had with their mother, Dan had worn Julie down with persistence. She'd called him her sweet stalker and had said yes to put him-and her-out of their misery.

Dan locked a meaty arm around Jack's neck. "Don't worry. I'm here for you. Want to have some fun and go thump the movie guy?"

"I would, but I get the sense he was just an excuse to see if I'd go all caveman on her. Ann acts like she wants to be with me, but I think the past is always there hanging between us. It shouldn't be, but sometimes I feel it too."

"So deal with it and get it done. You know women like to talk."

"Talking isn't my bag."

"Make it your bag. We're Blooms, son. Smarter than the average schmoe."

"True." Jack frowned. "It's just...I hate to go back there. It wasn't a good scene during senior year. h.e.l.l, we were both just kids."

"She's a smart girl. She'll understand that, right? She made mistakes. You made mistakes. Get some closure and get over it already. Then step up and nab the woman. Jesus, act like you have a pair."

"Pair of what?" Julie asked, startling them both.

"Oh, ah, hey baby. Didn't hear you come in."

"Probably because you were too busy beating your chest," she said drily. "Jack, you want my opinion-"

"He doesn't," Dan said.

"I do," Jack said, ignoring his brother's scowl.

"Then be honest with her. And yes, talk. You can't let go of the past until you let go of the past. Get it?"

"She's so smart." Dan gushed, a little too condescendingly because Julie narrowed her eyes and shot him an obscene gesture. He grinned. "Maybe later, baby."

She huffed and went back to her office.

Dan chuckled. "She's gonna make me pay later. Whoo-ee."

"Gross. Stop using me to spark your pathetic love life."

"At least I have one I can count on. Take Julie's advice and try not to blow it at dinner."

Try not to blow it. Stellar advice. Now how to make sure he didn't do anything stupid to scare her off. Like go back over there and demand she go through her date that wasn't a date, minute by minute.

Chapter Fourteen.

Ann arrived at Dan and Julie's, burying her b.u.t.terflies under a bright smile. She refused to be intimidated by Jack's family. She'd once had a terrific relationship with them after all, and Julie seemed genuinely nice.

Jack kept it cool but friendly, and she was thankful he didn't act as if they were any closer than they were. His possessiveness last night had left her breathless and more than satisfied. Had she been Maya, she would have crowed her success in getting the man to lose his cool. Tonight would be the perfect opportunity to dismiss him in front of his family, but in such a nice way she'd come across as a kind young woman while crushing him in the process.

Alas, she wasn't Maya. She secretly adored the fact he'd been jealous about Trey but in control of himself enough not to let it all show. And making her come like that, being so forceful and demanding, still gave her shivers when she thought about it.

She'd come to the conclusion that she no longer needed revenge to get closure-she needed to know why it had all happened the way it had. Then maybe they could move on, become the couple he seemed to want. Having dinner with his family seemed the right way to go about it.

"Josh is thrilled to have his teacher over for dinner," Julie confided as she and Dan moved around the kitchen. Jack had set the table and talked with his mother in the dining room while his father kept an eye on said second-grader.

"I'm excited to be here. I hate cooking, and the company seems ideal. A win-win."