“Oh, trust me, I was already waiting to leave to have sex with you in your car. Now I don’t think I’ll make it to the car.”
A sexy smirk grew across his face. “I can do you one better. I bet we can find a closet.”
Rounding the corner, I made my way out of the ladies’ room, and I was headed back to the reception when someone stepped in front of me. I froze.
“Jarod?”
He looked upset.
“Don’t do this, Morgan.”
I swallowed hard. “Don’t do what? What are you doing here? How did you know I would be here?”
“It’s my job.”
My eyes widened in shock. “Your job? Are you doing security at the building?”
He let out a gruff laugh. “Damn, you always were so naïve, Morgan. My job is to look out for you. To take care of you. I knew the first moment I laid my eyes on you that was what I needed to do.”
I stood up tall and lifted my chin. “I don’t need anyone taking care of me, and if I do need someone, I have Blake.”
He shook his head and laughed, but it sounded more like an evil laugh. “Blake? You can’t be serious. I’ve been waiting all this time to make you mine, and all you had to do was be a little patient. You couldn’t wait for me.”
Taking a step back, I looked past Jarod. Surely Blake would notice it was taking me longer than normal to come back.
“I was never going to be yours, Jarod. We’re friends.”
“No, Morgan. Don’t you see what I did for you? Mike was using you. He didn’t love you like I did.”
My heart started to race. Blake had been right. Oh, dear God. Blake had been right.
“Jarod, you don’t love me.”
“I do. The only thing that kept me going all those years were your letters.”
“And in those letters did I ever once lead you to believe I was in love with you?”
He paused.
“No, I never did. Jarod, I know how hard it is to adjust to life outside of the army, and I’m someone who you can connect with. Someone who was in your life when you served and someone is a part of your life now that you’re out. That doesn’t mean we’re meant to be together.”
He pulled his brows in tight. “I pushed Mike to Lynn though. I started to make a way for us. Then you started dating that Rich guy, but I knew what you were doing. You were trying to forget. Now I’m here. You can learn to love me like I love you, Morgan. Don’t you feel it? My love for you?”
Jarod took a step forward, causing me to take a few away. My chest rose and fell as my breathing rate increased. I needed to get Jarod to go back to the reception with me.
“Come away with me now, before you make the biggest mistake of your life.”
My eyes met his.
“Jarod, if you truly, deeply cared about me within your heart and soul, you wouldn’t ask me to do that.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
I tried to keep my voice void of any hint I was scared. “Because you would see that Blake is the man I am in love with. You would be happy that I’ve finally found someone who makes me feel whole.”
It was then I saw Blake. He was standing a few feet behind Jarod.
“Why can’t you love me like that?” Jarod asked, his voice cracking.