by Layla Frost
In addition to one’s hair always being worn up, my mother had other clear ideas on how a lady should act. Most of the time I tuned her out. Today I was grateful that something actually stuck.
Never let your emotions show.
“Okay then. Have a nice day.” I turned back to finish the cinnamon rolls.
“So, whose are you?” She moved into the room just enough to lean against the counter in the corner.
Because of the size of the room, there was still distance between us. Even so, when I caught the calculating look in her eyes, I had the overwhelming urge to step back.
Way back.
“Excuse me?”
“Well, you’re in here making breakfast for the guys. I assumed you were one of their current pieces.”
“I’m not anyone’s.”
“Who you after then? I’m just sayin’, I don’t think whatever this play is,” she said, flipping her hand out to gesture to me, “will work with any of them. Best bet, though? Focus in on Kase. It’s a long shot, but more likely than getting with Jake. He’d be more than you could handle anyway.”
Try as I might, some reaction must have shown.
“Oh, hon, really?” Her tone was condescending as she slowly shook her head. “Jake doesn’t date. I’ve known him a while and I’ve never seen him with a woman more than once. It’d be a few hours and then she’d be gone just like that.” She threw out her hip and her hand to snap with attitude. “He goes to great lengths to avoid commitment. Nothing happens at his place, no sleepovers, and he only uses condoms brought by him. I’m pretty sure he even got the big snip,” she added, making a scissor motion with her fingers.
Well, that was oddly specific. Guess if I ever wanted a definitive answer, I could ask Jake whether Biker Barbie’s boobs are fake. Pretty sure he’d know from experience.
“Jake’s the big leagues, baby. You gotta learn to handle a bat before you try stepping up to that plate. You wanna make breakfast and play house, you’re playing a whole different ballgame. Jake isn’t about wining and dining. He’s about fucking.”
“Thanks for the heads up.” I feigned boredom and indifference as I frosted the last roll.
“Plus, no offense hon, you’re cute, but that’s not his style. Some guys get off on teaching barely legal but Jake isn’t one of them. He likes a woman with enough experience that she’s gonna be down to get it exactly how he likes to give it.”
I was used to bitchiness. Biker bitches might be good but rich bitches were better. It was just that what she was saying was a little too spot on. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was part of why Jake had originally ended things.
Was he worried about me, or that I wouldn’t be able to do what he wanted?
I worked hard to not show the response she was looking for. As I cleared the clutter, a genuine yawn came over me.
Her eyes narrowed and her face got tight at my lack of reaction. I knew things weren’t over when her face smoothed out and her lips quirked up in a snide smirk.
She looks like something smells nasty.
Makes sense, I get the feeling there’s about to be some bullshit spewed.
“I’d just hate for you to be embarrassed if he came back here and saw you with your little baked goods. Why don’t you just hurry and scamper out with them? I’m sure you’ll have no problem eating them yourself.” She placed her hands on her tiny hips for emphasis.
“What the fuck did you just say, Rachel?” Kase snarled.
He moved towards the corner where Biker Barbie still stood, getting way in her space as he stared down at her. Anger radiated off of him, filling the room and making me tenser.
I’d never seen Kase mad and hoped to never see it again. He looked way scarier than I’d have thought possible.
When I’d asked, Kase had told me that his easygoing personality was courtesy of his Hawaiian heritage but his temper was 100% from his Colombian half. He’d said it was good he was so chill all the time since his pissed was off the charts.
I hadn’t believed him at the time.
I believed him now.
“Hon, I was just trying to warn her. Us girls gotta stick together,” she said with such a fake smile, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. “You know how Jake can be.”
“Yeah, I do. You don’t. You only know how he can be when it comes to you,” Kase spat out.
I opened my mouth to call him off when Jake came through the doorway. If Kase’s reaction was bad, I knew Jake’s would be explosive. I was hoping Biker Barbie was smart enough to haul ass, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Jake as he stalked towards me.
When he reached me, I realized that not just had he not overheard anything, he hadn’t even noticed our audience in the corner of the room.
His hands cupped my ass, his fingertips digging into the cheeks, as he kissed me hard but quick. “Christ, I missed you, sweets. It’s been fuckin’ forever.”
“Baby, it’s been a few hours.”
“Well, it felt like forever.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension leaving my body.
“So,” Jake whispered against my lips, “what’s under that hot outfit? Fuck, please tell me garters. The mental image will get me through the day until I can get home and see for myself.” His voice was husky as his grip on my ass tightened and he pulled me closer.
Before I could answer, Kase loudly cleared his throat and drew our attention. Jake turned slightly, though his hands stayed on my ass.
“A word,” Kase clipped, his face thunderous.
Biker Barbie, proving she had no sense, stood next to him as she avidly watched Jake and me.
“Yeah, gimme a minute,” Jake muttered, his brows lowered as he looked between them and tried to figure out the vibe of the room.
“Jacoby,” I interjected, purposefully using his full name.
So sometimes I stumble off the high road. Sue me.
“Did you get everything figured out?” I asked.
Jake’s organization system sucked and another part had gone missing. He’d been working late the past couple nights to try and get things in better order. They’d been finding parts that had rolled under things or been set down and forgotten about.
He left work well into the night, came to my place to crash, and then would wake up at dawn to start again.
“Not yet. I had to secure a replacement to get the car done. Now I’m dealin’ with tryin’ to sort shit.”
“I hope you figure it out.” I went up on my toes to kiss him. “I gotta go. I’m gonna be late.”
“Okay, babe,” he murmured. “Come back here when you’re done. Yeah?” He looked down, his face soft as I nodded up at him.
I didn’t want to be in the same county, let alone the same room, when Kase inevitably told Jake what he’d overheard. An angry Kase was bad enough. I’d been on the receiving end of Jake’s temper and, according to him, he hadn’t even been mad at me.
Even still, I forced myself to walk away calmly when all I wanted to do was run.
*******
I felt deflated when my meeting ended. It’d been like talking to a robot that was programmed to give predetermined, generic answers. I left with the promise that I’d hear soon regarding any other available options.
I wasn’t holding my breath.
Rehashing the meeting as I walked back to my car, my frustration grew the more I thought about it.
“You are a valued bank customer,” I said to myself in a robotic voice.
“That’s good, but what about my loan?”
“You are a valued bank customer,” I repeated in the robot voice.
“Cool, cool. But my loan?”
“Loan reviews are a lengthy process and can be denied for any number of reasons.”
“The reason for my denial was…”
“Any number of reasons.”
“But my specific reason was…”
“You are a valued bank customer. Bee boo bee bop bop.”
W
hen my phone beeped in my purse, I laughed at the timing.
“Dude, I think that hot chick thinks she’s a robot and her phone just told her a joke,” a teenager in front of me said, drawing my attention to the fact I was talking out loud.
“Yeah, man, the hot ones are always fuckin’ nuts,” his friend put in.
I pulled out my phone to find a message from Jake.
Jake: What’re you doing?
Me: Definitely not talking to myself. Why?
Jake: You coming back? We gotta talk.
That’s never good.
Me: Yeah. Guys want anything for lunch?
Jake: No.
Yeah, this was not good.
Me: Okay. See you soon.
When I got to Hyde, I parked in the back and walked through the garage. My apprehension was cemented when the boys expressed their appreciation for the cinnamon rolls in a polite way, and not one filled with proclamations of everlasting love.
There wasn’t even any bickering about someone taking more than they were supposed to.
Wild stab in the dark says that Kase shared about the drama-rific morning.
Shit.
I’d spent the drive to the bank going over what had happened. As I thought about it, I just couldn’t believe the level of stupidity on Rachel’s part. She invited the wrath that was Kase, and most likely Jake, for no reason.
I’d bet dollars to my best homemade donuts that Rachel was just hoping I’d flip out on Jake. Even if I was going to, I would’ve refrained just to throw a wrench in her catty plans.
I had no intention of bugging out at him, though. It wasn’t like he could go back in time and undo anything… or anyone. I wasn’t a big fan of his past coming in and insulting me. Other than a lack of judgment on his part regarding the quality he hooked up with, though, that wasn’t really his fault either.
When I walked into the waiting room, I saw Jake in a conversation with an older man. Both of their frames were tight and Jake’s jaw was clenched.
As I moved to sit and wait, I wondered if it was regarding the missing car parts.
I didn’t even make it to Jake before he reached out and gently grabbed the back of my neck to pull me close.
The older man’s words trailed off as he watched the intimate gesture with undisguised shock.
“Wasn’t expectin’ you gone so long. You okay?” Jake asked, his voice soft as he searched my face.
“Yeah, great. The meeting at the bank went longer than I’d expected.”
I hadn’t told him about the initial loan denial, only that I was still in the process of meetings and interviews. I wasn’t holding out hope that I’d be able to share better news anytime soon.
“Kase told me what Rachel said to you. Care to elaborate on that conversation?”
Looking off to the side, I shook my head. “Not particularly, no.”
“Babe, I talked to Rachel and let her know, straight up, she isn’t welcome here anymore.”
“Oh, Jake, this is your business—”
“Damn straight it is. That’s my name outside and that means I say who can and can’t be here. Even if I hadn’t, Kase filled the men in about what he overheard. I walked into the back and each of them said they wouldn’t touch her bike.”
“Jacoby Hyde, this is a business. How’re you supposed to run it if you’re banning customers? Huh, Mr. Bossy Pants?”
“She had no right to say any of what she said to you. Rachel and I—”
I held up my hand to stop him. “Trust me, I don’t need to know. Not just don’t need to, I don’t want to. You owe me no explanations. I’m not your keeper. Honestly.” I looked up at him, hoping he believed me and didn’t drag this out.
I might be cool with everything but there was a limit to that. Hearing any details about him and Bitchy Biker Barbie was well beyond that limit.
Jake opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a low chuckle. I looked over at the other man who still looked serious, though there was some amusement in his eyes.
His sharp and intense green eyes.
I knew who he was even before Jake introduced us.
“Piper, this is my father, Gregory Hyde. Dad, this is Piper Skye.”
I extended my hand to meet Gregory’s outstretched one. He took mine in his big, soft hand.
You could tell a lot about someone by their hands. Jake’s were large and calloused. They were strong, hard worked hands. I didn’t need to see his dad’s expensive, tailored suit to know he didn’t work with his hands like his son.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hyde. Why don’t I go see the guys and leave you two to talk.” As I inched away, Jake’s hand released my neck in favor of this idea.
His father, however, held my hand tightly. “Please call me Gregory.” Not Greg. Gregory.
Don’t roll your eyes at Jake’s father!
“I just stopped by to take my son to lunch. I’d be honored if you’d join us.”
“Oh, Mr… Gregory, that is very kind of you. I couldn’t possibly—”
“Nonsense.” He guided me to the door. “Are you joining us, Jake?”
Jake grunted an unintelligible response, though he did follow.
*******
Lunch went well for the most part. Jake stayed quiet but it wasn’t his usual intimidating silence.
Key’s brooding could make a girl want to hold him and heal his wounded soul.
Jake’s brooding would make anyone run and hide.
Gregory was polite as we made small talk, but he watched me with a critical eye and it was hard not to fidget. He grilled me about my business, asking loads of unexpected and thoughtful questions. I wasn’t surprised when he told me he was an ADA.
As the lunch wore on he seemed to warm up and drop the interrogation. Unfortunately, he moved on to something worse.
For the second time that day, I was grateful for my mother’s lesson on not showing a reaction.
When Gregory began telling me about Jake’s time in law school before he’d dropped out, I easily hid my surprise. As he continued talking, though, I had to work hard to hide my anger. I’d heard the tone often enough to know that, much like mother, Gregory was disappointed in his son’s choice of career.
“I’m sure your parents are very proud of you.” Gregory smiled at me. “It sounds as though you’re doing quite well in such a lovely business.”
I didn’t get it at first. Hyde was a huge success. Jake had accomplished much more than I could ever realistically dream of.
It finally clicked that his dad was disappointed in the type of work he did.
“Actually my mom is dreadfully disappointed in me. My stepfather is Thomas Scalding, of Scalding, Inc.,” I revealed to the surprise of both Jake and Gregory. “My mom wants me to work a cushy job at Scalding until I find a husband and have children. She wants me to be happy, and, in her eyes, that means doing what she thinks would be best. If I did what she wanted, though, I’d be miserable.”
Gregory quietly looked at me for a minute, though it felt like much longer. His eyes, much like his son’s, seemed to be all-knowing.
Oh hell, he can see into my soul. He knows all the things I think about his son. He knows that in eighth grade I let David Ramber touch my boob to prove I didn’t stuff. He knows about that night when I told my mom I had the flu but I was really drunk and had held the thermometer near the light bulb.
Okay, he knows I’m lying and it was multiple nights.
He knows everything!
Abort lunch! Abort lunch!
“Hmm,” he interrupted my panic. “Well, Miss Skye, that’s an interesting point.”
Thankfully, we moved on and finished lunch on a lighter note. Gregory told endearing stories that gave me a glimpse into what Jake was like as a child. He told me about how he would try to fix anything and everything, even if that meant he had to break it first.
“I can’t really picture Jake as a kid. I just see this mini-badass trying to boss everyone around and cavem
an grunting.”
Gregory chuckled and nodded. “Yes, that is actually about right. Sarah, his mom, is going to be very relieved to hear about you. She’s been a bit worried about his ability to hold a conversation since he was little. From the time he was about seven and all the neighborhood girls would come flocking around, he’d ignore them or growl at them to leave.”
Well, nothing has changed there.
When we got back to Hyde, Gregory surprised me by pulling me into a hug as we said goodbye.
“Make sure Jake brings you to dinner soon.”
“It was nice to meet you,” I said noncommittally.
“Jake, can I have a moment?” he asked as they moved towards the door. They stood close and began talking again. Though, thankfully, this time Jake didn’t look like he was going to throw something.
Okay, he looked less like it.
Walking to the break room, I thought about how much Jake looked like his father. Jake’s build was bulkier with muscle and he was, in general, rougher, but their frame and body language was the exact same.
I’d anticipated Jake feeling the same sense of freedom that I felt when I left my mom’s. But when he walked into the room a few minutes later, he looked pissed.
“Hey, what’s up?”
Ignoring my question, he grabbed my hand and pulled me from the room into his office.
I opened my mouth to ask again, but the words and my brain flew out the window as he prowled towards me.
Pushing me against his desk, his hand went into my hair and fisted as he kissed me. His hips ground into me, the long, hard length of his cock pushing against me and making me ache for him.
Almost every kiss we shared was intense but something was different about this one.
I was breathlessly disoriented when he suddenly pulled back. I quickly got my head together when I saw the look on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
“This shit is what I was wantin’ to protect you from. You have your own stuff goin’ on and you come here and get shit. Here? Fuck that. I know you don’t wanna talk about it, but fuck what Rachel said. That was fucked up bullshit. But you just smiled up at me, so fuckin’ sweet. You didn’t even give me shit and I would’ve deserved it for dippin’ my dick in that.”