"You fucking put your hands on her when she asked you not to," Cliff yelled.
Rachel snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the anger in his voice. It was the first time she had seen him upset like that. He still had Jake against the door by the neck.
"She's my wife," Jake barked back. "Why are you here?"
"I came to pick up my date," Cliff said through clenched teeth.
"What?" Jake asked with realization setting in on his face. "She's the one that told you."
"If you ever touch her again, you will be the sorriest man alive. Do you hear me? Not only will you never work again as a lawyer, but you'll be lucky if you can walk when I get done. You never touch a woman without permission, and Rachel is not just any woman. She's my woman. If you ever come anywhere near her again, I will fucking ruin your life. I will protect her with every single thing I have, Jake, and I have way more than you."
Cliff began to loosen his hold when Jake turned his head to face Rachel.
"You fucking bitch. You had to find a way to get me back, didn't you? I got the house and everything we had together, and you got nothing. You just couldn't let it go, could you? You had to find a way to get even, so you started fucking my boss. I'm so glad I never gave you what you really wanted. Now you're too damn old to have that baby you wanted so badly. You must have fucked him better than you did me. I don't know what he sees in you. Just so you know, I was fucking her the entire time I worked there. I fucked her all over our house. I even took her on trips. The ones you always wanted to go on."
Before he could get another word out, Cliff pulled back and punched him in the face. Rachel heard the crack of Jake's nose, as he fell to the ground like the pile of shit he was. Cliff grabbed Rachel and pulled her into his arms, as he dried her tears with his hand.
"I should have gotten here earlier," he whispered into her hair. "I promised to protect you. He will never have that chance again."
Cliff wrapped one arm around her and pulled his phone out of his pocket with the other. He called the police and stood holding her until they got there. She couldn't stop the tears from falling. All she could think about was how stupid she had been for never seeing Jake for who he was. He couldn't have turned into the man he was moments before she found them that night. When she thought about him holding her against the wall, she thought about what could have happened. She looked up to see Cliff looking down at her with sad eyes and felt so bad for dragging him into her crazy world. He deserved better than her. Cliff was the most amazing man. His arms held her so tight. She thought about what he had said about her being his and that he'd protect her with everything he had. There was no way she could let him do that. He had to much going for him to be with her. She thought about all of the horrible things Jake said in front of Cliff. He said she awful in bed. He said she got with Cliff to get back at him.
"I didn't know you were his boss," she said. "I never would have talked to you if I had known. I'm so sorry."
She was interrupted when two police officers came running up the stairs with guns drawn. Jake was just opening his eyes when they approached. One officer stood over him while the other walked into the apartment where Cliff was holding Rachel.
She told the police the entire story. They took pictures of her and the broken picture on the floor. Cliff spoke with them as well. Jake was so drunk he could barely get off of the floor. He told the officer he wanted to press charges. Cliff let him know he should think for a minute before he made that decision. They took Jake with them since he was so intoxicated. His face was going to be pretty bruised up. One of the officers suggested that she get a restraining order started early Monday morning. He didn't think it would take much since Jake came in uninvited and pushed himself on her. Cliff assured the officer that it would be done first thing Monday.
Chapter 11
Rachel quickly cleaned up the glass that was broken on the ground as soon as the officers left with Jake. Through all the commotion and crying, she hadn't noticed Cliff's hand bleeding.
"Oh shit!"
"What?" he asked.
"Your hand is bleeding," she said, as she took off for the kitchen.
She came back into the room with stuff to clean his cut and wrap his hand. Once she had it taken care of, she grabbed a bag of ice.
"It's going to swell," she said. "Maybe you should go to the hospital."
"It's not that bad. I'll take something for it when we get back to my house. Pack a bag. Make sure you get everything you'll need for the weekend."
She looked at him and shook her head.
"Don't shake your head at me, woman," he said roughly. "You're going home with me. If that fucker comes back, I'll be in jail."
"I don't think I should. I'm not sure I'll be good company."
"What if they let him out? You don't think this is the first place he'll come. He's not touching you ever again. I let it go when he sent you the text. You said he was harmless. What he did today was far from harmless. I don't know what I would've done if he had hurt you. The thought of him forcing you to kiss him is enough to send my blood boiling. It's been an emotional evening, and there is no way I'm sleeping tonight without you in my arms. I need you with me. So, will you please go and pack a bag. If not, I will throw you over my shoulder, strap you in my car, and you will wear those clothes or be naked for the remainder of the weekend. It's your choice."
Rachel put up her hand to stop him.
"I'll pack a bag."
She was back within minutes and they were on their way.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to just go back to my place. We can do dinner tomorrow. If you really want to go tonight, we will."
"No," she said. "I just want quiet. I want to feel safe. Thank you so much for believing me and for being there. Thank you for taking care of me."
"I will keep you safe. I will do everything and anything to protect you. I'm taking you to the station Monday to get a restraining order. You could press charges if you wanted."
"I just want him out of my life," she said. "A restraining order will be fine. I agree that I need one. I never thought he would do something like what he did tonight. I was so afraid he was going to hurt me."
"That will never happen. He's out of your life. I promise you that."
Cliff pulled into a long drive. It was just beginning to get dark. The lawn was perfectly manicured. It was beautiful. His house came into view, and Rachel gasped.
"Your house is gorgeous. I love the wrap around porch. The flowers are so pretty. Did you plant them?" she asked.
"No," he said. "I work so much. I have the landscaping done for me."
"I miss gardening," she said. "I used to do so much. It was like therapy. I don't have anywhere to plant at the apartment. The feel of the dirt in my hands was always soothing to me. Watching what I planted grow into a beautiful garden always made me feel so good."
Cliff walked around to open her door for her. She stopped him from taking her bags.
"You need to rest your hand," she said. "I can carry them."
"I hope you're not disappointed," he said, as he opened the door to his house. "It's just me here. I can't see having ten bedrooms for one person. Then I'd have to have more staff to take care of it. This way I only have one housekeeper. She cooks too."
"You said she lives here," Rachel said.
"She does," he answered. "On the other side of the house is a small apartment. She lives there. Her name is Rose. She's only in the main house from nine until six. If I need something after that, I call her and she comes over."
Cliff gave Rachel a tour of the house. It was large compared to what she was used to. She was kind of relieved that it wasn't ridiculously huge. They stopped in his room to put her bags away. She was impressed with his king size bed. It looked so comfortable.
"Do you mind if we order dinner? I told Rose I was going out for the night. She didn't cook anything and went out with some friends. I really don't want either of us cooking tonight."
&
nbsp; "That sounds perfect."
He pulled her into his master bathroom, turned on the water in his jacuzzi tub, and poured in something that smelled fresh and summery.
"Why don't you take a bath while I order food. I think you'll feel better after you wash the evening away. Are you in the mood for anything in particular?" he asked.
Rachel couldn't help the smile that crossed her face as she thought about what she was in the mood for. Cliff closed his eyes and laughed.
"Believe me," he began. "You are so getting that, but not until after you've eaten and I've taken something for this hand. I'm not as young as I used to be."
"I'm so sorry about that."
Her smile left just as quickly as it came.
"Don't be," he said. "I'd do again in a second. Take your bath. Food won't be here for a bit. I'll see you downstairs."
Cliff walked out of the room. Rachel looked at herself in the mirror and fought back the tears that threatened to fall. Her hair was a mess and she looked exhausted. She quickly removed her clothes and slid down into the warm, relaxing water. With her head back against the tub, she closed her eyes and soaked up her surroundings, as she thought about the amazing man that saved the day. Rachel couldn't understand how someone that supposedly loved her at one point could be so mean. She had never seen Jake act anything like he had earlier. If Cliff wouldn't have shown up, she wasn't sure what would have happened.
Rachel opened her eyes to cliff standing above her with a smile on his face. He had lost the suit and was wearing sweats and no shirt. Damn was he hot, she thought.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I must have fallen asleep."
"Don't apologize for relaxing and enjoying the water. I could get used to seeing you like this. I came to tell you dinner was here. I'll get our plates ready while you get dressed."
"No," she said. "Let me do it. Quit using your hand. I'll be out in two minutes."
Cliff closed the door behind him to give her privacy. Rachel quickly dried off and walked into his bedroom. She didn't feel like unpacking her bag while the food he ordered got cold. He needed to eat hot food after everything he had just went through for her. She opened his dresser and found one of his t-shirts. Quickly, she slipped it over her head and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
The plates and silverware were out on the counter. She opened the bag and scooped food out onto the dishes. When she turned around to grab some napkins, she jumped when she saw him standing behind her.
"I'm sorry," he laughed. "I was just admiring the view. You look much better than I ever could in my t-shirt, especially with no panties. I'm thinking I should have thrown you over my shoulder without you packing a bag. I'd be able to see you like this all weekend."
Cliff walked up and put his arms around her. Her hands instantly went to his bare chest, as she traced his muscles with her fingers.
"You're not so bad yourself in those sweats with your naked chest. Is it bad that I've hoped those pants would fall from your hips more than once? How do you have time to look like this? I don't think staying like this all weekend sounds bad at all."
He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. She could feel strong emotions in the air between them.
"You okay?" she asked.
He nodded but didn't speak.
"We should eat," he whispered.
He pulled away slowly and moved to pick up the plates. She grabbed quickly in front of him to get them first. He got them drinks and followed her into his dining room.
"I'd rather eat in the living room," he said. "What do you think?"
"That sounds good. I didn't want to make a mess in there. Everything looks so nice."
"I'd rather we're comfortable. That stuff doesn't matter to me. I'm never home to make a mess. That's the only reason it looks like that. Come on."
They ate their takeout while they watched a movie. When they were finished, Rachel took the dishes back to the kitchen. Cliff leaned back against the couch and held his arms out for her to sit in front of him. She leaned back against his chest and his arms wrapped around her. He still hadn't said a word. Rachel leaned her head back and looked up at him. His eyes were aimed at the television with a serious look on his face. She turned in his arms.
"What's going on?" she asked nervously. "What are you thinking about?"
He shrugged his shoulders without a reply.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
He nodded not taking his eyes off the screen. Rachel felt her nerves tense. Was he changing his mind about being with her? Had she done something wrong? Was he realizing she wasn't worth everything he had to go through? Thoughts began running wild through her mind. She should go, she thought.
Rachel stood up and turned to walk out of the room when his hand reached out to stop her. He turned her to face him. She looked down and wondered what he was thinking. The day had taken its toll on her. All she needed was to know that he still wanted her. Ever mean thing Jake said started coming back to her.
"I think I should go home," she whispered, as she nervously moved from foot to foot.
"No," he whispered. "I need you here."
Cliff moved forward on the couch and wrapped his arms around her waist with his forehead against her belly.
"What are you doing to me?" she heard him whisper from below.
Her hands went to his hair. She ran her fingers slowly through it as she massaged his scalp. His arms tightened their hold on her, and they both remained silent for a moment. Cliff moved to look up at her. His eyes were filled with so much emotion. Rachel needed to know what was going on. Her insecurities were tearing her up. She went down on her knees so she could look into his eyes.
"When the door opened and he was standing there with lipstick on his mouth, I felt my heart ripping in two. I couldn't believe you were actually there with him. A million thoughts ran through my mind. I thought you were different. In that moment, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He was confirming my thoughts with his words. I was devastated. I was ready to walk away and never look back, but then you spoke. I couldn't see you at first. When you said something, I heard the fear in your voice. You were afraid of him. I was about to walk away. If you hadn't spoke, I would've been gone. He could have hurt you. He would have hurt you. Then I saw you with your hair out of sorts and the tears running down your face. Every bit of me needed to protect you. When he ran his mouth like he did, I couldn't take it. I couldn't listen to him say those things about you. When I punched him, it took all I had not to kill him. I've never felt like that before in my life."
Cliff took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair.
"Of course I've gotten mad and argued here or there, but I have never felt like I did in that moment. Every single thing you told me about him or I had seen for myself came back to me. I couldn't stand the way he spoke of you. When I thought about him putting his hands on you and trying to make you do something you didn't want to, I couldn't control myself. When I punched him, I put all of my feeling behind my hand. I wanted to keep hitting him, but I looked over and saw the fear in your eyes. I needed to hold you more than I needed to pummel him. I needed to feel you in my arms and know that you were okay. That fucker could have hurt you, Rachel. He could've taken you away from me. If I hadn't knocked at that moment, he could've. Fuck! Just thinking about it makes my chest hurt. I can't fucking breathe."
Rachel put her hands on each side of his face and looked into his eyes.
"You did knock at that moment. You have no idea how scared I was. He had never put his hands on me before. I had dealt with my fair share of his verbal spew, but I honestly never thought he would hurt me or try to get me to do something I didn't want to do. I tried to get away from him and couldn't. I was so damn scared. I've never felt so helpless in all my life. When I heard your voice, I instantly felt safe. I knew that he couldn't hurt me. I knew you wouldn't let him. I am so sorry that I've pulled you into my shitty situation. You don't deserve that."
Rachel felt tears s
lipping from the corners of her eyes.
"You deserve better, Cliff. You are the perfect man. That scares me so bad. I'm so afraid of giving you my heart. If you hurt me, I don't know how I'd get through it. My mind is telling me to run. It's telling me that you deserve so much better than what I have to offer. You shouldn't have been put in that position earlier. I feel so bad that your hand is hurting because of me. I know that I need to leave you alone. I really do. I've told myself that so many times already. I just haven't been able to make myself stay away from you. I try not to call or text you, but I miss you so damn bad when you're not there. When I think of something I want to do or get an idea about something for my class, you're the one I want to tell. I'm trying to distance myself from you, Cliff. I swear I am. When I think about you, it scares the shit out of me. I know I need to walk away from you, but the thought of never seeing you again hurts so damn bad."
"When he was on the ground and you were crying in my arms, my life changed. I've promised myself a million times I would never love a woman again. I would never give someone a chance to hurt me or take advantage of me. When I saw you in that pool in Vegas, I knew I wanted to have a nice evening with you. Not for a second did I plan on sleeping with you. When the night was over, I didn't want it to end. I wanted to see you again. That's not me. I've done nothing but think about you since that night. You're so special. There is no other woman like you in the world. Everything is different with you. All I need is you with me. It doesn't matter if we're playing mini golf, watching a movie, or out for a fancy dinner. You make me happy. Even people at work have noticed a difference in me. That difference is you, Rachel. I can't explain it."
What Happened After Vegas? (Unexpected Love #2) Page 7