Eve realizes that she needs more than four or five days to gather up her resolve to refuse Jack. She's going to have to hide somewhere for awhile. She can't afford the airfare to visit Jane, and she can't afford a hotel room in the city. So she calls Tony. Tony says that having Eve underfoot would cramp his style and such. She'd better have good reasons for wanting to stay with him, but he's working so she can tell him that night.
Eve explains and Tony is perplexed. She loves Jack and it's obvious that he loves her, so why doesn't she want to marry him? He's showed her that he loves her. Some guys don't say it. Also, the wording makes it seem like Tony's straight. Huh. All right then.
Eve says that of course she's holding out. Tony told her much earlier not to settle for crumbs, after all. Tony replies that marriage is not a cumb. Tony advises her to marry Jack on whatever terms he wants, but if she won't then to just say no. Eve says that Jack will make her agree and Tony asks how. Eve blushes and says Tony's a man of the world, he should figure it out. 'Sexual persuasion?' he asks. Eve agrees and looks away. “But, Eve dear, that's what love's all about...” Wait. What? Tony clarifies by saying that Jack is willing to do whatever it takes to marry her and Eve loves Jack so much that she can't resist. Eve says it's not love, it's just Jack wanting to get his way again and it's not fair. Tony asks if it's fair for her to run away. He refuses to harbor her and recommends that she face the music. Eve replies that she has no other alternative. Maybe if you had more than two friends...
That night, as she goes to sleep, Eve reflects that men are “a cruel and heartless lot” and that Jack's going to force her into “a cold-blooded business proposition of a marriage”. Eve thinks about how her life would be just terrible with Jack controlling her all the time with kisses and such. She eventually falls asleep and wakes up to the door buzzer. Blearily, she stumbles out of bed and answers the door. It's Jack and he looks like hell. Eve realizes that she totes is in love with him. She's pretty sure that this is love, but she hesitates at the brink. She offers Jack some coffee and he accepts, so they both wander into the kitchen.
Jack gives Eve a barrage of how she's forced him to change, fighting him every step of the way. Then he talks about how Eve's different. He tried to initiate an affair between them, but it didn't work. She didn't jump at the chance and when she did start something it was really the champagne. Jack admits that she made him want to lose all control and throw his emotions in, and that scared him. I win. Anyway, Jack kept wanting her until he realized that he did love her when Tony called to say she'd been attacked. By Thanksgiving, Jack knew he must have her. When trying to force her to stay in Stonegate didn't work, and neither did paying for her college, he tried to merge them in the only way he knew: like a business. Somewhere over the ocean, Jack realized what an idiot he'd been and he came back to New York. Then he asks if they can sit down.
They go to the living room and sit on the couch. Jack grabs Eve's shoulders and looks deeply into her eyes. He tells her that it was because she refused him that he realized he'd been dumb. He started missing her so much that it hurt. After not seeing her for a few hours. Wow. Eve asks if he's had a change of heart. Jack replies that before Eve, he's not sure he had a heart. Really? Then why was Lucie so important to you? Whatever. Eve gets happy, they've got their happily ever after! Then Jack moves away. Eve asks why. He's gonna go turn off that kettle. He wants to focus all of his attention on Eve. When he comes back to the living room, he asks if they're going to be married. Eve replies, “I-that is-if that's what you want.” Whatever. I'm sure she'll grow a spine later. Probably. Eve teases him about having a big wedding and waiting until spring to marry. Jack asks her to have pity on him. His staff all think he's crazy...'cause he totally is. He's crazy for her.
They kiss and it's like never before, because all of the barriers are down between them now. Neither of them is holding back...especially after Jack says he loves Eve and always will. They make out or something and the book ends.
Geeze, that took them long enough. Also, this title is a lie. She had love in return, even before the last chapter, he was just too stupid to realize it. Well, there you go. That's No Love in Return by Elizabeth Barnes. I hope you enjoyed the snarkiness. It is likely there will be another book on this blog, but that won't happen until summer.
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