Love Like You've Never Been Hurt (2 page)

As she thought about it, it dawned on her that perhaps she'd never
met Jack before because Pete had engineered it that way. He knew her
so well, and was protective like a big brother, even though they were
the same age.

Jack is probably the kind of man who could really hurt me if I let
him, she thought, and Pete knows that.

By the time she emerged from the elevator she had vowed to herself
that she would endeavor to stay out of Jack Benson's way. Leaving the
building, she stepped into the bright sunshine and set out to do
battle once more with the horrible traffic.

Jack smiled to himself as he remembered Emma wiggling her rear end
at Pete.

“So, what do you say? Jack?”

He looked up to find Pete staring at him expectantly. “Huh?
Sorry?”

Pete burst out laughing.

“You haven't heard a word I've been saying, have you?”

“I errr...” Jack shrugged. He had no idea what to say.
How could he tell his partner that all he could think about were
dancing green eyes and a scent of summer breeze? He could imagine
Pete's face if he spoke those words out loud. But, man! That roll on
the floor with Emma had really shaken him up. Pete was still staring
at him, curious now.

“Tell me this isn't what I think it is?”

“What do you think it is?” Jack played for time. He
and Pete were close, but he knew how protective his friend was
towards Emma. He wasn't sure how he would react.

“She's really gotten to you, hasn't she?”

“Well, um...”

“Why did I never think of this before?”

Jack pulled himself together, glad the reaction wasn't what he'd
feared.

“What do you mean, ‘thought of this before’?”

“You and Em of course. Two of my favorite people who might
just hit it off together.”

“You probably haven't thought of it because I don't do
relationships, remember?”

“Yeah, but only ‘cos you attract man-eaters that you
wouldn't survive a relationship with. You never get the chance to
meet any genuine women and believe me, they don't come more genuine
than Em.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes it is. You know, in many ways you two have similar
stories. You've both worked your butts off to achieve success and
neither of you have achieved any of what really matters.”

“Hey, is that the pot calling the kettle black?” asked
Jack, keen to deflect the focus away from the issue that bothered him
the most.

He had worked hard, damned hard, all his life. His father had
drunk himself into an early grave and Jack had determined that he
would not take after him. He'd worked since he was thirteen, any job
he could find. He'd worked his way through college where he'd met
Pete. The two of them had founded this company that was now a
multi-million dollar enterprise, but somehow it all felt hollow. All
he'd ever wanted was to achieve success. By most people's standards
he'd done that in a huge way. He loved his mom and brother, and he'd
done all this to support them. But Dan didn't need his support any
more, he was doing great himself, and Jack had already set his mom up
so she'd never need for another penny her whole life.

Yet somehow it wasn't enough; there was an emptiness that couldn't
be filled by his work, his success or even his family. Of course,
there had been women, and plenty of them if he was honest. But they
never seemed to add anything to his life. In fact, they ended up
detracting from it. Like Pete said, he attracted man-eaters. They
wanted to take – his time, his attention, in most cases his
money. He realized Pete was watching him.

“Maybe I am the pot and you are the kettle Bro,”
admitted Pete, “but at least I know it. We've done great things
since we started this place. To me, for now, it’s enough. I
know I'll add a special someone into the mix when the time is right,
and that won't be for a few years yet. In the meantime, I'm content
with my lot, I'm engaged in it, I love every minute. I'm not the one
who is burned out and looking for more meaning, am I?”

Jack had to admit, if only to himself since he wouldn't give his
friend the satisfaction, that Pete was right. He had worked himself
into the ground the last few years. His demons had driven him to the
point of exhaustion, mental and physical. He'd been working projects
in Houston, Miami and New York. Pete had probably saved him from a
breakdown when he'd insisted Jack come back to LA last year. He gave
Pete a rueful grin.

“OK, Peter the Great. No need to point out, yet again, that
you've got it all figured out and I'm just a crazy mixed-up kid.”

“Ah, come on. All I'm saying is that if you really want to
find some joy in life you might have to lift your nose from the
grindstone to see what else is around.”

“OK. Point taken. Now back to business, can we? Before
giving me this little life lesson, you were about to run a new
project by me, right?”

“I did run it by you,” laughed Pete, “but you
didn't hear a word ‘cos you were too busy reminiscing about
rolling on the floor with Em!”

Jack had to laugh. “OK, so a pretty lady caught my eye. What
can I say? But that's an end to it; your friend is very attractive,
end of story.”

“If you say so, we'll leave it there, for now. Although it
may come up again since she'll be at the lake this weekend too.”

“The lake?”

“You really weren't listening at all, were you? The new
project I was talking about?”

Jack shook his head and grinned sheepishly. “Didn't catch a
word.”

“I want you to build me a house up there. Since there's
nothing new starting here ‘til the fall, I thought we could
kill two birds with one stone. Get you a summer by the lake to get
you back to full strength and, to keep you out of mischief, you can
build me a house while you're there.”

“Wow, so you're banishing me to the boonies?”

“Yep. Of course, it’s all in my best interests really.
I get you fully recovered, I get the house I've been after and I get
the excuse to spend more time up there myself this summer. I win all
round.”

“I don't know,” mused Jack “there are a few
things I wanted to do here while we're quieter.”

“I know,” said Pete quickly “and joking aside,
I'm not really steam-rolling you into this. I just thought it might
work out. All I'm saying is, come up with me this weekend. There's
the party, but there will still be time to look around, see what you
think. There's something special about that place, I think it might
do you some good.”

“OK, why not. I didn't have any real plans for this weekend
anyway. I'm not promising anything though.” He hesitated a
moment. “And you say Emma will be there?”

“She sure will. So, I take it that seals the deal?”

Jack smiled and nodded.

Emma opened the door to her apartment and greeted her friend
Holly with a hug.

“Do I smell cookies baking?” asked Holly with a look
of mock horror.

“You certainly do,” beamed Emma. She loved to cook, to
bake especially. She always made cookies or muffins or delicious
cupcakes for her friends when they came over.

“I’ve warned you about this,” laughed Holly.
“You must not make me eat gazillions of calories every time I
come over or I will have to stop visiting you.”

“Well, we both know that’s not true. So, come in,”
said Emma pulling her friend into the den, “and sit down.”
She pushed her down on the huge sofa, “And have a cookie!”
She thrust a plate into Holly’s lap.

“Mmm,” Holly munched on her cookie. “So what’s
new with our movie writer lady? Anything interesting on the horizon?”

“Not much. Carla is gearing up to something, not sure what
yet, but she’s arranged a meeting with some producer on
Friday.”

“Ooh, that sounds so cool.” Holly was always curious
about the movie world and thrilled that her friend was a part of it.
More thrilled, it seemed, than Emma herself.

“
To be honest, I’m
more interested in leaving town early on Friday and heading up to the
lake for Scott’s birthday.”

“Oh, I’d forgotten you’re up there this weekend.
It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Too long. And I had to tell Pete that I can’t drive
up with him after all.” Emma smiled as she remembered her visit
to Pete’s office.

“Now that’s the kind of smile I haven’t seen on
your face in a very long time,” said Holly. “Spill the
beans!”

Holly knew her too well, there was no point trying to hide
anything.

“Well,” she began, “I went to see Pete at his
office and I guess you could say I bumped into his partner, Jack
Benson.”

“And?”

Emma told her how she’d knocked the man over and ended up on
the floor with him.

“So, is he good looking?”

“Gorgeous! Tall, dark, bottomless brown eyes, muscular, big
strong arms and he smells.....” she stopped herself short and
looked at Holly. “Remember why I stay away from men? This is
exactly why. I go completely gaga over a good looking one and manage
to blind myself to the fact that the personality isn’t as
appealing as the packaging. I can’t be trusted!”

Holly touched her arm.

“It was only once, Em, and it was years ago.”

“Yes, and I married him! And I thought that meant we would
live happily ever after. Pity he didn’t believe in the
‘forsaking all others’ part.”

“Em, you were young. That’s the past; you’ve
grown and learned since then. He was a jackass, but some day you’re
going to have to get past the fear that all men are like Rob.”

Holly had helped Emma put herself back together after her short
but disastrous marriage to a movie director.

“Oh, I know they’re not all like him, only the really
good looking ones. Honestly Holly, yesterday, lying on the floor with
that man’s arm around me, feeling him so close, I felt like
that stupid love-struck girl I was all those years ago. And it
frightens the hell out of me! I intend to avoid him at all costs.”

“Well, it sounds like that shouldn’t be too hard to
do. He’s been Pete’s partner for so long and been here in
LA for almost a year already and this is the first time you’ve
ever met him.”

“I’ve been thinking about that too. I think maybe Pete
deliberately made sure we didn’t meet.”

“Why would he do that?” asked Holly, puzzled.

“Because Mr. Benson is no doubt a womanizer. Looking like he
does he could have any woman he wants, and as many as he wants. I’ll
bet Pete is protecting me and keeping his own life simple.”

“You really think that?”

“You said yourself, Jack’s been in LA for a year
already.”

“Well, in that case, do you think I’m maybe a gold
digger or a wild woman?”

Emma stared at her, confused. “What on earth are you talking
about?”

Holly laughed. “It’s just that if I follow your logic
that Pete never introduced you to Jack because he’s a womanizer
and a heart breaker, then perhaps you’ve never introduced me to
Pete because I’m a gold digger or a Jezebel.”

“Holly! You know that’s not true.”

“Yes, I do. I’m simply trying to point out that what
you’re thinking about this Jack may not be true either.”

“
Oh, it doesn’t
matter either way. He’s gorgeous. I’m an idiot when it
comes to gorgeous men. And I have no intention of letting one destroy
me ever again. Therefore I’m going to make sure that I don’t
bump into him again. What does matter though is that you have never
met Pete. I can’t believe that. You two would be
perfect
for each other.”

“Now hold it there. That’s not where I was going at
all. I was using the example to show you that it’s perfectly
normal for people from different areas of your life to never meet.”

“I know, but you accidentally gave me the wonderful idea of
getting you two together.”

“Forget about it, Em. I’m too busy with the store to
make room for a man right now, and by the sounds of it Pete has a
really busy life too. Between his construction empire, spending so
much time at the lake with his folks and your little gang of four I’m
sure he has no time for a relationship either.”

Emma smiled sweetly and nodded her head.

“Just leave it, OK?” said Holly.

“Oh, I’ll be good. Anyways, enough man talk; they’re
more trouble than they’re worth. Tell me what’s going on
at the store.”

The two chatted about Holly’s fashion boutique for a while,
always glad to catch up on each other’s lives. All too soon it
was time for Holly to leave, promising to be in touch soon.

Jack headed to Pete’s on Friday afternoon, wondering what he
was letting himself in for. Did he really want to spend the weekend
in a sleepy little town by a lake, going to some teenager’s
birthday party? Would he even consider spending his summer up there?
If not, what was the point in going? Who was he trying to kid? He
knew what the point was. Ever since Tuesday he’d kept thinking
of Emma. Those eyes filled with concern when she’d thought he
might be hurt. Flashing with amusement as she’d slammed the
doors on Pete. The way he’d felt her heart beat when he held
her as they fell to the floor. The protective surge he’d felt
making sure she’d come to no harm. The other surge, the one in
his pants, as he’d held her soft body against him. The blush
that had spread across her neck and cheeks when he’d talked
about rolling around on the floor together. He shook his head, trying
to clear the images of her that kept crowding in.

If he was honest with himself, he was going to the lake with Pete
because he wanted to see her again, plain and simple. At various
moments in the week he’d convinced himself that it was just to
prove himself wrong. That he’d see her and there would be
nothing there, only an attractive woman. The rest of the time, though
he was hoping, really hoping, that she would make him feel the way
she had on the floor of Pete’s office: amused, aroused,
protective, wanting to know more. He hadn’t felt any of those
things in a long while and had never before felt them all at the same
time about the same woman.