Chapter 26

Standing in front of the door was Jack. Ana looked at him with an annoyed look on her face and turned her head away. He had a smug smile on his face and Ana was tempted to slap it off.

"Good morning–" Jack started but Ana was quick to interrupt him.

"Yeah, yeah what you want?" she asked with a bored look on her face. She didn't mean to be this short with him but she kept on seeing Tasha's hands all over him. And him laughing at whatever stupid joke she had made.

Jack frowned and his expression became serious. "What's wrong?" he asked and Ana rolled her eyes. He had the nerve to ask her what was wrong en plus !

"Nothing. What do you want?" she asked again, a bit impatient. Jack narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything. He stood next to her desk and looked down at her.

Ana was a bit intimidated but she didn't want to show it. Jack's eyes on her, stern and asking were making her shifty. She hadn't really done anything wrong but she felt like apologizing. Just like that.

"What's it? Why are you looking at me like that?" Ana asked finally, succumbing to the pressure of Jack's eyes on her.

"Stand up," Jack said, still staring at her intently.

Ana frowned. Was the man on crack? What the hell?

"Jack, look I'm not joking. Stop playing around. I'm really not in the mood."

"Stand up Ana. Now," Jack repeated in a tone that brooked no arguments. Ana hesitated and looked up at him. She saw that he was really serious. He wanted her to stand and stand she was going to.

"Jack look..." Ana started then trailed out. She didn't even know what she wanted to say anymore. And she was pissed that he had managed to subdue her anger with his stand up. Like damn, could he let her hold on to her anger a little bit more?

"Ana. I said you should stand. Now." Ana didn't have a choice now. She stood reluctantly and looked at the man in front of her. She almost felt like slapping him. Like who was he to boss her around and actually make her obey him?

"Now come this way," Jack said encouragingly, almost like he was talking to a baby that had just started walking. Honestly, it was humiliating and belittling. But she followed his instruction anyways.

Ana walked around the desk and stood in front of Jack with a défiant look on her face. Yes, she had obeyed him. But that didn't mean she was going to make whatever he wanted to say easygoing.

"I've done what you wanted. Now what?" She asked, a hand on her hip.

Jack looked down at her and chuckled a bit. He could see that his blase attitude was annoying her. And he actually didn't care at the moment.

"Now you're going to tell me what exactly made you think you could have that attitude with me and get away with it," Jack said and Ana rolled her eyes.

"And stop rolling your eyes at me," he added. Ana rolled her eyes mentally and Jack could see that it took her a lot not to do the physical action. He fought a smile.

"You want to know what got me so mad? Fine! First, you come here without telling me a mother fucking thing. And we're supposedly seeing each other. Then you leave that girl to put her slimy hands all over you, not even caring that anyone could pass and see. So don't you come here and ask me why I have an attitude!" Ana exclaimed, breathing hard at the end of her speech.

Jack was staring at her with calm eyes. It was almost like he wasn't even affected and Ana itched to slap his face. Give him a fucking reaction.

"Okay," Jack said then turned around.

"Okay? I'll tell you all this and you have nothing else to say than okay?" Ana fumed, widening her eyes. She was not even mad anymore. She was hurt.

"What do you want me to say, Ana? You've apparently already drawn your conclusions. So why should I bother explaining myself to you?" he asked and Ana swallowed visibly.

Maybe she had jumped into conclusions too hastily but damn, who could blame her. She wasn't even sure of them. Like they were just tentative. So what was to say he wouldn't see someone else. And he had a reputation. She knew reputations were not the best to rely on. But almost every magazine that had spoken about him, not only the tabloids, had said he was manwhore, if she could put it like that.

"You can't really blame me, Jack. I'm sorry but I don't even know where we stand. I know we haven't been seeing each other for long and I don't know whether this shit is exclusive or not. I didn't want to look like a fool. I don't want to look like a fool," she explained and Jack's expression softened.

"You should talk to me before jumping into conclusions. And of course we're exclusive, Ana. I don't share my woman. And I don't expect you to share either. This was supposed to be a surprise, damn," he said and Ana frowned.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"I persuaded Adams to give you an off day. Inside info from me and all that. But I guess now it's down the drain..." Jack said then trailing out.

"No! Wait! I'm sorry Jack. I just was really jealous and ugh. When I saw Tasha place her hands all over you and you laughing. I swear I wanted to hit something. That's why I came to my office. To cool down." Ana's expression was earnest and Jack decided to go a little easy on her.

"You don't have to justify yourself. Just never do this again." Jack made to leave, then walked towards her. "You're sexy when you're jealous by the way"