He gently moved the hair closest to him away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. It looked like she’d been crying for hours. Her mascara was running down her cheeks, and her face was splotchy. She tilted her head toward him, letting him see her tear-filled eyes. He could handle a spitting-mad Anna, but this Anna was a different story. Any woman crying about did him in, especially when that woman was one he cared deeply about.
Jake rubbed her back, making his body respond immediately. What was wrong with him? This was not the time, but he couldn’t seem to help it. Every time he touched her, he wanted to only touch her more. He needed to get it together.
“Can I get you out of here?”
A loud booming voice entered the room. “There any food in here? My party didn’t come with food.” Bradley either didn’t know they were in there, or he cared less—probably both.
“What the fuck! Can’t you see we’re in the middle of something here? Get out.”
“Whoaaaa, what’s wrong, baby?” Bradley went over to Anna, knocking Jake out of the way. He lifted her head off the counter and started speaking softly. Jake could hardly make out the words being spoken, but if he knew his brother, and he did, they were not just words of encouragement, they were come-on lines he used on every woman around town. Any other woman, he could care less—it was better that Bradley take care of them than him—but not Anna. There was no way he was letting his drunken brother anywhere near a drunk and vulnerable Anna.
“Bradley, if you don’t get out of here right now, I’ll pick up from that fight earlier and knock your ass out, got it?”
Bradley never turned his focus off of Anna, and she wasn’t taking her eyes off him. This was going to turn into bloodshed if his brother didn’t leave that instant.
“I’m just being the man you never could be.” At that moment, Bradley knew he’d screwed up. It was evident in the way he suddenly jumped away from Anna, throwing both hands in front of his face. The guy never backed down from any fight, but he actually looked scared. “Sorry, bro, that was out of line. I’m drunk…and well, you know how I get. I didn’t mean it.”
“No, you’re rrr…right,” Anna cried. “Bradley, he never was a man. He knows it. That’s why he’s so threatened right now. He knows he’s a jackass.”
Blood rushed to his face, and he could actually feel the heat radiating from his body. So he was dealing with two drunks—one who didn’t know when to shut up, and the other was turning out to not be the nice drunk he was hoping for. Crap.
“Bradley, I’m going to let you slide on that little remark, but you’d better get out of here. Have Jesse drive you home.”
“No. I don’t want you to go, Bradley. You’re the only one here besides Em who actually cares about my feelings and what I want. Can you take me home? No, wait…do you have a bathtub?”
“Yeah, baby. Why?”
“’Cause I haven’t been able to take a hot bath since I’ve gotten to Patience, and I really want to. My apartment didn’t come with the privilege of having a tub. Why don’t I just sleep at your house?”
No way was Jake letting this happen. He figured she was trying to get a reaction out of him, and it was working. “No. I can’t let you two do that. I’ll drive you home, Anna.”
Bradley was feeling brave again and said, “You heard the woman. She wants me. I do have a tub and all. Didn’t you rip hers out of the house?”
“You took out my tub?” Anna cried.
Jake ignored her altogether, because he had other concerns—his asshole of a brother.
“I’ve let you stand upright long enough, more time than you deserve, so I would advise you to catch a ride with Jesse and get the hell outta here. Now.”
“Fine. Anna, I better go. I’ve had a little too much to drink, and if something was to happen to your pretty little face ‘cause of me, I would never forgive myself.” After tipping his straw hat, he gave her that southern boy wink. But before leaving the room, he turned around one last time, “Oh, and, Anna, you come by any night and use my tub…or anything else you need.”
“Bradley. Out,” Jake bit out. “Finally,” he muttered under his breath, relieved his brother had left before punches were thrown. He didn’t want to fight him, but he would have if needed be.
“You didn’t have to threaten him, you know. He was just being nice, and I wanted him here.”
“He’s had too much to drink. I didn’t want him taking advantage of you.”
“Why, because that’s your job, right? Don’t think I don’t know about your track record. I hear things—all the women are eager to share about their wild nights with ex-ballplayer Jake Lawrence.”
“I’ve never taken advantage of you, Anna. You know that.”
“No, never sexually, but you have taken advantage of me. The woman in the living room is evidence of that. You do remember Cara, don’t you, or have you had so many redheads since then that she doesn’t even rate a memory in your pea-sized brain?”
She stood from the barstool for the first time since he’d arrived. He imagined she was gripping the counter to keep herself from swaying. When he rushed to her side, she stopped him by putting up a shaky hand.
“Don’t touch me.”
What patience he had was just about gone. His head hurt and body ached. She might not have wanted his help, but he had been called here, and she was by damn going to get it. “Anna, I’m going to have to touch you, otherwise you won’t make it to the truck.”
“Truck? You think I’m going anywhere with you?”
“You’ll either walk out this door with me or I’ll carry you over my shoulder. Which way do you want it?”
“What’s up with everyone threatening me tonight? First Alice, and now you. I’m tired of it. Nobody will be carrying me anywhere. So you can just go home.”
Vaguely, he remembered seeing a man-like woman drinking a beer when he came in the door. That had to be Alice. He could see why Anna listened to the woman. If only he had the same effect on her. If she wasn’t willing to leave with him of her own free will, then he had no other choice but to carry her out.
He swept her up, threw her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold, and headed toward the front door.
“Hey,” she protested, putting up a good fight, kicking and screaming.
“Stop it, Anna. You’re only making it harder on yourself.”
Tommy ran in front of him, threw him his truck keys, and quickly opened the front door.
“Thanks, man. I’ll bring it back to you tomorrow.”
“Just don’t let her hurl in it.”
He tossed her in the front seat, cursing Tommy for putting the lift kit on his truck. He shut her door, making sure there weren’t any limbs hanging out, and ran to the other side before she tried to bolt.
Anna was only staying a few minutes away from Em and Tommy’s place, but he didn’t want to take her there. He wanted her with him. And considering the state she was in right then, he knew she would have only protested if he asked, so he turned in the opposite direction from Garrett’s rental and headed out of town to Anna’s…his home at the moment.
“Jake, you take me home now.”
“That’s what I’m doing.”
“No, you take me to Garrett’s. I will not be staying with you.”
“Well, you see, honey, I’m the one driving, so I get to choose where you go now, don’t I?”
“Uhhhh, you’re impossible,” she cried, throwing her hands in the air out of frustration.
She stared out the passenger window the rest of the drive. That was fine with him. It wasn’t like she would remember their conversation anyway. He drove slower than usual, not ready to face her just yet. She was pissed at him, and when she got pissed, there was no telling what was going to come out. Add being drunk on top of that, and he was in a hell of a lot of trouble.
When Jake put the truck in park, he could tell out of the corner of his eye that she was about to run. “Stay right where you are. I’ll come around.�
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“I’m about to puke.” She took her arm and covered her mouth.
Hurrying as fast as he could, he jumped out of the truck, barely slamming the door shut behind him. Opening hers, he could tell she was trying desperately not to hurl. She didn’t succeed. As soon as Jake turned her toward him, she puked all over his button-down shirt.
“Fuck.”
She looked at him with tear-filled eyes.
“Hey, hey, don’t cry. It’s going be all right.”
“No, it’s not. I’ve made a mess out of everything tonight. I’ll be surprised if Em ever talks to me again.”
Jake took his shirt off, throwing it on the ground, and picked her up in his arms. After wrapping both arms around his neck, she started sobbing on his chest. Was it possible that she could hear his heart beating wildly? He didn’t want her mad at him, but he could handle that better than this. He didn’t trust himself with her when she was vulnerable and touching him. His body was instantly reacting to the simple touch. He put her halfway down long enough to open the door and turn the light switch on before he brought her back up to his chest, holding her so close it hurt. After laying her on the couch, he placed a pillow under her golden hair and covered her with the blanket he kept on the back of the couch. A flashback entered his mind—remembering the last time he had her laid back on that same couch. If he wasn’t hard already, that simple thought would’ve made him.
“Stay right here. I’ll be right back.”
“I’ve been told it isn’t good to break the seal,” she informed him.
What in the hell was a seal and why shouldn’t he break it? “A what?” he asked.
“To pee. At Em’s party, someone told me not to break the seal to go pee.”
“Uh…okay.” That still didn’t tell him anything. Maybe it was a chick thing, and he was best off not knowing what in the hell she was talking about. Hell, she probably didn’t know what she was talking about.
When she fisted the blanket and didn’t try to move, he figured it was safe to leave her for the few minutes it would take to clean up and put on a pot of coffee. This was going to be another long night, and he was going to need as much caffeine as his maker could pour out. He only turned on the lights required for him to see, not wanting to bother her in case she was falling asleep. After starting the coffee, he stopped by the bathroom to wipe off his chest before going to the small bedroom to pull on a fresh, clean T-shirt. The aroma from the coffee maker told him it was about done, so he headed back up the hall to check on Anna. When he didn’t see her on the couch, he stopped in his tracks. The blanket was tossed on the floor. He ran to the window, looking out to the drive. Thank God the truck was still there, so she hadn’t gone far.
“I’m in here.” He heard her fragile voice say.
He turned to the kitchen, and there she sat at the small table, bringing a cup to her pale lips. Another woman had never looked so beautiful to him.
“I would’ve brought you a cup to the couch.”
“It’s fine. Sorry I threw up on you.”
“No harm done. I probably deserved it.”
“Yeah, probably,” she said honestly. Her hurt was evident in her trembling voice, her slight movement, the dullness in her usually sparkling, green eyes.
Jake took a cup from the cabinet above the coffee maker and poured himself a cup. This was going to be the first of many for the night. He took a seat across the table, forcing her to look him in the eyes. Whatever she had been through that night—the good and bad, he wanted to see it in her eyes. “What happened tonight, Anna?”
“I just wanted to be different for once. I’m boring and could never throw a penis party. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”
“Do I even want to know what that means?”
“Just an Em thing.”
“Then I don’t want to know.” He took another sip of coffee before saying, “You’re way off, you know. Nobody expects you to be different. They want the real Anna.”
“Did you see the party Em threw?”
“Penises. Hard to miss, but I said I don’t want to know any more.”
“Well, she didn’t even trust me to throw that kind of party. She was right, but still I want to be the kind of woman who could.”
“First of all, there are few people who have the balls to throw that kind of party. Em is in a league all her own. Nobody needs two of her. You’re amazing, Anna. Don’t you realize that?”
Tears had started to streak down both sides of her face again. He wasn’t helping the situation. It had been selfish of him to bring her there. After moving to her side, he kneeled in front of her, grabbed both hands, and brought them to his lips. He placed a gentle kiss to them while looking up into her big green eyes.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said in between sobs.
“I know I don’t, but I want to. Let me take care of you tonight.”
“Like the other night?”
“In a way, yeah.”
“Okay.”
Jake brought her to her feet, wrapping two arms around her waist, burying his face in her hair. It smelled of the same fruity fragrance he was becoming familiar with. It was intoxicating. She placed a gentle kiss on his neck, bringing him back to life, and making him think about things no man has a right thinking with a drunken woman in his arms. He’d done a lot of things with a woman, but that was not one of them. His dad would be cursing him from above for just the thought of it. He sent a silent prayer up above, “Sorry, dad.”
“Can I use your shower?”
“Yeah, go ahead. I don’t have a tub, you know.”
“Don’t remind me. I’m still going to kill you for that.”
Chapter Eleven
Anna walked back into the living room fifteen minutes later. His head was hung low, over his third cup of coffee. He snapped his head up as soon as he heard her patter her way into the room.
“Hey…what the hell?”
She stood there in front of him butt-naked with her damp hair brushed back. Her face was rid of tears and mascara, allowing him to see her beautiful features. Her breasts were erect, making him become the same. Taking a ragged breath, he let his gaze go lower. She was curvier than he remembered, but it made her look like a normal woman—just like he liked them.
Anna wrapped her arms around her mid-section and dipped her chin toward the floor. Jake instinctively grabbed the blanket still lying on floor and hurried to his feet, wrapping the fabric around her.
“I’m-m n-not,” she stammered, “what you’re used to?”
“No, you’re not.” And that was the God’s honest truth. She was in every way not what he was used to. Her body was magnificent.
“How dare you?” She wiped a few tears from her cheek. “How humiliating. You sure know how to let a girl down easy.” Then she quickly turned away from him.
He caught her by the shoulder, yanking her around. It was important to him that he looked her in the eye when he said this, “Anna, I didn’t mean that in a bad way. You were right when you said you’re not what I’m used to. You are more—you’re beautiful.”
“Why aren’t you excited to see me, then? I thought this is what you wanted?”
“Honey, I am more than excited to see you—just look down.” Her face flushed. “That’s what you do to me every time I see you, touch you…and even think about you. This,” he pointed between him and her, “is not what I wanted for us. At least not tonight. I want to take care of you. Not take you to bed.”
“Oh. I just thought—” He cut her off by giving her a soft kiss on the lips. It was over before it started, but had the same effect as if he’d thrown her down on the floor and explored every part of her mouth.
“That is the most I had planned for us tonight. When we do more, it won’t be because you are drunk, feeling brave, and trying to be someone you’re not. It will be because you want me as much as I want you. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Why don’t you go grab som
e jogging pants and a T-shirt out of my second drawer and come watch old Roseanne episodes with me? I’m staying in your old bedroom.”
* * * *
Her old bedroom…he was sleeping in her old room? She didn’t know if she should feel turned on at the thought of him sleeping between the walls she’d once stayed in, or disgusted at the thought of him being exposed to such filth. Of course, he didn’t know what had gone on behind that door, but in some strange way, it seemed like a betrayal on his part that he could stay in that room and not be able to feel what had gone on in there.
Anna walked into the bedroom, feeling a swarm of emotions she’d been trying to bury for most of her life.
So much for not being affected by this house.
It was understandable that she wouldn’t feel comfortable in her old room. Her stomach did a free fall, causing her to feel sick—and it wasn’t because of the alcohol this time. She needed to get a grip. That little girl no longer existed, and Anna had more control over her life now.
The room was closing in on her. The bed was in the same place, in the center of the room, with a small nightstand to the right. A dresser was on the opposite wall by the door with a tube-style television sitting on top of it. The walls were painted the same light shade of purple she and her mother had picked out together, only now it was faded and stained from age. It was amusing to picture Jake sleeping in such a girly room. Her room would have looked exactly the same if it wasn’t for the ball caps hanging on the bedposts and the navy blue comforter covering the bed. It didn’t look like a room a ballplayer would stay in.
She needed to get out of there. After pulling open the second drawer, she jerked out the first shirt and jogging pants she saw, and slipped them on. The pants were way too big, so she tied them as tightly as she could and hoped they wouldn’t fall to her ankles. She had already shown him way too much for the night, he didn’t need a repeat—not that she was sure he would do anything about it, because he’d turned her down flat the first time.
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