Chapter 44

Ana woke up with a languorous stretch. After the previous night, she felt deliciously refreshed and active. She knew instinctively that Jack wasn't in bed. And when she looked over to his side, she confirmed it.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes, wondering where he was. But she didn't have to wait long. About ten seconds after the thought crossed her mind, he walked in with a tray of food.

A pleased smile came over Ana's face. She watched as he walked towards her, a lazy smile on his face. But he didn't say anything. Just placed the tray on a bedside table, then walked towards her.

He leaned over her and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. As he wanted to kiss her on the lips, she recoiled and put her hand on his chest.

"No, no Jack wait," she said and Jack frowned, wondering why she was pushing him away. He raised an asking brow and she blushed.

"Morning breath," she whispered, and pushed him away again.

Jack's expression turned amused. "You think that's going to stop me?" he asked, raising a perfectly plucked brow.

"Well no, but Jack–" Ana started and Jack interrupted her.

"Then shut up and let me kiss you," he said in a gentle whisper.

Ana closed her mouth, knowing it was of no use trying to argue with Jack. As he approached her, she decided to use underhanded methods.

She smiled a mischievous smile and as she prepared to duck, Jack imprisoned her by placing his hands on her waist.

"Did you think I would make it that easy?" he laughed, placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"Jacknn," Ana whined, but both of them knew she enjoyed the attention. Nevertheless, he let her go.

Ana stood up and Jack watched unabashedly as she progressed to the bathroom. She turned and caught him in the act. But the look on his face was not at all guilty. Instead, he grinned unrepentantly.

Ana shook her head with a smile and got into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth then washed her face. She found one of Jack's bathrobes and she draped it around her body.

Yes. Draped. Because it was that fucking long. And big. Like its owner.

"Took you long enough," Jack said as she emerged from the bathroom. He gave her an appreciative stare. There was something about seeing her in his clothes that just appealed to him. Even if it was just a bathrobe.

"Sorry not everyone can be as efficient as you," Ana mocked and Jack rolled his eyes.

She advanced to the bed and laughed in surprise when he pulled her down.

"Can I kiss you now?" he asked teasingly and Ana nodded with a breathing laugh.

He placed his lips on hers and deepened the kiss progressively.

Ana pulled away with a gasp. "Breakfast is getting cold," she said and Jack laughed. He placed a last kiss on her lips then they untangled themselves from each other.

"I love you," Ana said suddenly.

"I love you too," Jack said in surprise then kissed her again.

***

Ana and Jack had spent basically the whole morning in bed. But both of them had responsibilities. Jack was supposed to go out of town for a while and in as much as it hurt him, he was going to leave Ana and the baby alone.

She assured him she would be alright. But he couldn't help but worry. It didn't matter that she said she would be okay. It was his default setting. He was protective over her so it was obvious he was going to worry.

He was on the jet heading to Texas when he received a phone call from his mother. That was strange, he mused. His mother only called in cases of extreme emergencies. Most of the time, she came to see him in person. Or she sent her assistant to tell him whatever she wanted to say.

"Mother? Is everything alright?" he asked as soon as he picked up the call.

"Why wouldn't everything be alright?" she asked and Jack perceived a small, almost imperceptible note of smugness in her voice.

"Uh, no reason I guess," he said, still wondering what the hell could have prompted the call.

"How are you Jack?" she asked and the question was so random that it caught Jack off guard.

"I am good mother," he said, confused. Dorothy made a tutting sound.

"Why do you sound so confused?" Dorothy asked. It was almost like she got maudlin pleasure in catching him off guard.

"I– trivialities aren't usually your thing, mother," Jack replied tactfully.

"Things change," she said flippantly but Jack sensed some kind of double meaning behind her words. "Good bye son. Enjoy your flight."

Jack muttered a bye and hung up with a confused frown on his face. Why was his mother being so cryptic? Why did she sound like she was hiding something?

He went back to his laptop but he found out that his concentration had gone. He could not stay focused enough to do whatever task was on his hand.

Just as he was about to close the laptop, an email came in. It was marked urgent so Jack opened it with a cautious frown.

He was ready for anything, he was prepared to see anything except what was on the screen in front of him.

There it was. Ana and her so called best friend, on the screen of his laptop, kissing. Jack was not ready for the gut-wrenching hurt that spread through him.

There were several pictures. And like a glutton, he clicked on all of them, looking at them as if through a haze.

This was yesterday, he realized with unnerving clarity. It was the previous day. This was why Ana had looked so shaken up. Because she was scared he was going to catch her kissing her best friend. Because she was leaving the man she probably loved to be with the father of her baby.

The thoughts left a bitter taste in Jack's mouth. He quickly closed the laptop and stared unseeing in front of him. Maybe his mother had been right all along. Maybe Ana was just an opportunist who had looked for the first chance to ensnare a rich man dumb enough to fall for her whims.

No. No. He was going to talk to her. He was going to listen to whatever lies she had to say. And he was going to draw a conclusion then. No matter how much this fucking hurt, he was going to keep a straight head.

***

"So you're avoiding me now," Landon mused, as he got into Ana's office. Ana looked up and flushed guiltily.

She sighed and saved the file she was working on before closing the window on the screen of the computer.

"I just– I'm sorry Landon. I just... needed time to think," she explained with an apologetic look on his face.

"I understand that. I haven't come to talk about that Mel. I want to talk about what happened last night," he said and Ana blanched.

She had not yet come to terms with the kiss on her own. She didn't know how him talking to her about it was going to help.

"I–" she started but Landon interrupted her.

"I'm not talking about the kiss Ana," he said and he sounded almost amused. "I'm talking about the report"

His expression became serious. He sat opposite Ana and she blushed because she had forgotten to offer him a seat. He noticed that and grinned in her direction, as if to say no harm done.

"You filed a report against Dorothy?" Ana asked, aghast. Last night she had been affected by everything that happened. But in the light of the morning, it seemed dumb to file a report against her for something it wasn't sure she had done.

"I thought that was what you wanted?" Landon asked, confused. Ana had been so adamant. And today she was being all hesitant.

"I wasn't thinking straight!" she exclaimed, then she pressed her lips together, realizing that she was being very unjust. She was screaming at Landon whose only offense was trying to help her.

"I'm sorry. I just– I was– is there any way I can take it back?" she asked anxiously.

Landon looked at her for a moment then leaned back in his seat. He realized something in that moment. In as much as Ana had seemed to respond to his kiss last night, she wasn't into it

She didn't love him. She never would. Not in the way he wanted anyways. And he was going to have to move on, even if he had to take a break from her in general.

"You could. But we already sent the summons to Dorothy Knight," he said.

Ana swallowed. Then met his eyes with a determined tilt to her head. "Cancel it. I'll take care of her," she said and Landon stared at her then nodded.

All of a sudden, he stood up, placed a kiss on Ana's forehead then went out of the office. He closed the door behind him like some kind of symbolic action; closing the door on anything that could've ever happened with Ana.