Not Quite Dating (Not Quite #1)(52)
Author: Catherine Bybee

“Maybe he needed to work but was going in to see if they could do without him. So he could spend time here.”

“Maybe. Another thing, he’s never talked about where he lives.” Jessie had thought about this when he disappeared. She had no idea where to look for him outside of his work.

Monica lifted a shirt and tucked it under her chin to fold. “Now that the two of you are a couple, he’ll give you all the details. I’m sure you’ll be spending some ‘alone time’ at his place. It can’t be terribly relaxing with Danny so close to your room.”

Jessie laughed. “Not to mention my kid sister right outside my door.”

Monica dropped the shirt into a pile and held up both of her hands. “I didn’t hear a thing…all night. Not at two o’clock or at six this morning.”

Jessie burst out laughing and knew her cheeks were turning red. She tossed the folded socks at her sister and hit her in the chest. “You’re bad.”

“I’m not the one who was up all night,” Monica said, laughing.

It felt good to laugh and really mean it.

“Mommy?”

“Yeah, pumpkin.”

“Isn’t that Uncle Jack?” Danny was pointing to the TV. “He looks funny dressed like that.”

Jessie’s eyes traveled to the television. The grin on her face held her cheeks so firmly they started to hurt. She expected to see a sexy man in a cowboy hat who “looked like” Jack. What she found stole her breath clean from her lungs.

“Ohmygod.” Monica recovered quickly and turned up the volume on the TV.

“…Morrison, billionaire tycoon, and his son, Jack Morrison, arrived in the Inland Empire to celebrate not only the groundbreaking venture of Jack Morrison’s chain of ‘family affordable’ hotels, but rumors have it that an announcement is forthcoming of a wedding in Jack Morrison’s future. Sorry, ladies, but it looks like this highly eligible bachelor is about to be taken off the market. Rumors of who the bride is haven’t been confirmed or denied.”

Jessie dropped the laundry from her hands and felt them start to shake.

Jack stood in the center lobby of The Morrison with a slender blonde woman hanging on his arm. Jessie couldn’t see the face of the woman, but whoever she was, Jack was holding on to her arm and smiling down at her with a look that could only be described as loving.

Billionaire?

Jack?

The reporter went on with a list of names, some public, others inconsequential, that the media deemed possible for the future Mrs. Morrison.

Jessie’s name wasn’t on it.

Her jaw trembled and the blood in her head started a rapid descent to her feet.

“Jessie?”

Jack Moore wasn’t even his name. God, how could she have been so blind? How could she have been so bamboozled that she didn’t know who Jack really was?

“Jessie?”

The reported cut to a different story, but the imprint of Jack standing in the lobby of his hotel, holding on to a different woman, and basking in the spotlight with his billionaire father would forever be stamped in her mind.

He lied to me.

“Mommy, are you OK?”

“Jessie, sit down before you pass out.” Monica tugged on her arm, guiding her to sit on the sofa.

“He lied to me,” she whispered. Jessie found Monica’s eyes and saw her own confusion mirrored in her sister’s gaze. “Lied to me, Monica. Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure there’s an explanation—”

“No. You saw the picture. Who was that woman he was hanging on to?” His intended bride? Jack knew she wouldn’t say yes to marriage with a dreamer. Had he planned all along to propose and then remind her that she hadn’t accepted? And for what? Did he want to carry on an affair with her after he married someone in his peer circle? The woman at his side was dressed to kill.

“I’m not sure. We’ve got to be missing something, Jessie.”

Jessie took several quick breaths through her nose. The muscles in her chest started to constrict and her head began to ache.

“I’ve got to go,” Jessie said as she stood and searched the apartment for her purse.

Her only thought was to confront Jack. Surprise him as he’d shocked her.

“Jessie, don’t be rash. Jack cares about you.”

She laughed without humor. “Right!” Jessie found her purse and dug inside for her keys.

“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Danny cried.

Jack wasn’t hurting only her. Danny had fallen for him, too. “Nothing, buddy. Just stay here with Auntie Monica. I’ll be back soon.” How dare Jack do this to them!

“Jessie, stop and think about what you’re doing.”

“Stop and think? Monica, did you just see the same thing I did? Jack lied to us. All of us. From day one.” How could she be so stupid? “Stay here with Danny.”

Jessie fled the apartment with Monica calling after her, “Maybe he had a reason!”

No reason would be good enough.

Anger in the form of heat raged in her veins. Jessie told herself to calm down so she could drive. She forced her foot off the accelerator and kept her speed to the posted limit.

“Jack Morrison.” She wanted to scream and pound her fist into his chest. Morrison. He’d played a waiter in the bar to do what, earn her trust? Trust from a woman while he lied to her on a daily basis?

How could he hold her, make love to her…promise tomorrow when he planned on being with someone else? He hadn’t repeated his proposal last night. Now Jessie knew why. He didn’t plan on her being anything but a diversion. Dipping into the cheap side of town.

“Most eligible bachelor,” she mumbled as she found the entrance to the hotel.

Jessie pulled her car up to the valet and jumped out.

The man standing there held his hand out for her keys.

“I’m not staying,” she told him as she blew past him.

“You can’t park here,” he called after her.

Jessie ignored him and walked into the lobby. The lobby Jack owned. Her jaw tightened and her nails dug into her skin from fisting her hands.

“Ma’am, you can’t leave your car in the turnaround.” The valet was running behind her to keep up.

At the reception desk, Jessie pushed her way around the customer standing there. “Where is Jack Morrison?”

“Excuse me,” the guest at the desk said.

“If you’ll just wait—”