Heart Burn by C.J. Archer

Author:C.J. Archer [Archer, C.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YA paranormal romance
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

I refused the next three gentlemen who asked me to dance and headed away from Jack. I wasn't sure where I was going, but I needed cold, fresh air and that meant slipping out of the ballroom altogether. I parted from Samuel who went in search of Myer and found a small parlor blessedly empty of revelers. I opened the door leading out to the balcony and closed it behind me. The breeze rustled my hair and swept the heat from my skin, although not the deeper heat that swelled inside.

After a few minutes, I turned to go back. I spotted Jack through the glass door, scowling at me, although there was relief in his face too. I gave him a reassuring smile, despite my heavy heart. Somehow I had to convince him to spend more time with Charity tonight. It wasn't going to be easy.

I opened the door. "Have you been looking for me?"

"Everywhere." He rubbed his hand through his hair and down the back of his neck. "Don't disappear again, Hannah. You had me worried."

"I wish you wouldn't. I don't like to be smothered."

He flinched. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't usually, but considering your health…" He cleared his throat. "When I couldn't find you, I panicked."

Oh God, I couldn't do this. He didn't deserve to be treated so poorly. There had to be another way to push him into Charity's arms that didn't involve me acting cruelly. I just wasn't capable of it where he was concerned. "I'm sorry, Jack, I didn't mean to speak harshly."

"It's all right." He put his hand on the back of one of the leather armchairs. "Come and sit down. I'll fetch you a drink. I probably should go in search of Samuel too."

"Samuel?"

"I sent him off to look for you."

I sat down and he left, but not before glancing back at me, his eyes hidden by shadows.

The chair was comfortable and deep, my eyes heavy. I closed them and rested my head against the chair wing. Music and chatter combined in a melodic cadence that drifted through the house from the ballroom. It surrounded me, filled my head, and made me drowsy.

"Hannah?" Jack's voice nudged the sleepiness aside. "I've brought you a cup of tea and a glass of punch. I wasn't sure which you'd prefer."

I opened my eyes and accepted the tea. He placed the glass on the table beside my chair. "Thank you," I said. "I must have fallen asleep."

He crouched before me. "Would you like to return to the hotel?"

"No. It's much too early."

"You can rest in here for a while. I'll keep everybody out."

"Jack, I appreciate everything you're doing for me, but you should be in the ballroom enjoying yourself."

"How can I enjoy myself out there when you're in here?"

His words thrilled me and worried me at the same time. "Go and find Miss Charity and ask her to dance."

He sat on the chair opposite. "She won't dance with me. She doesn't want to."

"But you're friends. Good friends."

He looked down at his hands in his lap.

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