by Missy Jane
“Jake, what a surprise. I wasn’t expecting you.”
He slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans and leaned back against the door. “Yeah, I decided to drop by and see how you’re doing. You didn’t forget about our date tomorrow, right?”
She could hardly forget about an event he kept reminding her of every few hours. If he wasn’t dropping by he called or texted. She was ready to cancel just for some peace and quiet.
“Of course not. I bought a dress and everything.”
“Yeah? Can I see it?”
His puppy dog eagerness unnerved her even as it amused her. It made her think of him as a lanky twelve year old. They used to have so much fun together. “Yeah sure. Have a seat.”
She gestured to her sofa as she walked through the living room and to the hallway that led into her bedroom. It wasn’t until she came out of her closet with the dress in hand that she realized he’d followed her.
“Jake. What are you doing in my bedroom? I told you to have a seat on the sofa.”
He grinned and stepped forward, taking the dress from her before laying it out on her bed. Her spacious room suddenly seemed a lot smaller with him in it and goose bumps pebbled on her skin. A sense of dread she’d never before felt in his presence filled her.
“Oh come on, Izzy. I’ve been in your bedroom before.”
True, he had been when they were children. But he’d only been in her apartment once before. In fact, he hadn’t shown any real interest in her for a very long time.
“Perhaps, but I asked you to wait out there.”
He moved closer and she backed up, dismayed to find herself against her dresser. He gently gripped her arms and ran his hands down to her wrists. She felt shackled.
“What are you afraid of, sweetheart? We might be married soon anyway. There’s nothing to worry about.”
He leaned in, and she knew he was going to kiss her. She would have put her hands up to stop him but he still held her wrists. Instead she turned her head and his lips landed on the corner of her mouth.
“Jake. Don’t.”
Rather than step away he rubbed his lips across her cheek and down to her jaw. He left a slightly stinging bite that made her gasp, then moved on to her earlobe. A nibble there sent an unexpected thrill through her. No man had ever touched her this way.
“J-Jake.”
“What’s wrong?” he whispered in her ear. “Damn, you taste good.”
“Jake, no. I don’t want to do this.”
“Do what? We’re not really doing anything…yet.”
She shuddered and tried to pull her hands from his grasp. At first he resisted and she considered kneeing him in the balls. But when she tugged again he let her go and stepped back. “I’m not going to say I’m sorry because it would be a lie.”
She glared at him. “Jerk. You’re probably not used to hearing no, but that’s what I’ve been saying.”
He chuckled and looked her over, blatantly ogling her breasts. Her hard nipples were clearly visible through her thin blouse. She quickly crossed her arms over them.
“Your body is telling a whole other story, Izzy. You might not have wanted to enjoy that, but you did.”
“Go to hell.”
He grin froze before slowly fading away. “Hey. Did I seriously upset you?”
She realized he had no clue how angry she was, although her body trembled with it. A sick dread still sat in the pit of her stomach and tears burned the back of her throat. She looked away from him as she huddled into herself.
“Hey, sweetheart, I’m sorry.”
He pulled her into his arms slowly, showing more tenderness than she’d ever seen from him. The urge to cry grew stronger even as her anger began to fade. He ran his hands over her back slowly and placed a kiss on her temple.
“You can be such an asshole sometimes,” she whispered.
Amazingly he laughed. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He sounded so much like the old friend she used to have that her body relaxed into his embrace. A sense of comfort chased away the last of her fear and her tears disappeared. “I’m okay.”
“Yeah? I hope so. I really want to see you in that dress.”
She sighed and pulled away, lightly hitting his chest with one hand. “No way. You can wait until tomorrow.”
“Aww, come on, Izzy.”
“You know, I’m going to think of a really annoying nickname for you and say it really loudly when we’re at the next gala.”
He laughed and ran a hand over her hair. She tensed but he backed away and sat on her bed. She watched warily as he straightened the dress with avid interest.
“You sure you won’t try it on for me?”
“Positive. Is that why you’re here?”
He turned his gaze back to her and the predatory gleam made her wary. “Nah. I just wanted to see you, that’s all.”
“You saw me yesterday.”
“A whole twenty-four hours ago. Why couldn’t you meet me for lunch today?”
“I had to work through lunch. I was busy.”
He scowled and for an instant looked truly evil. Her pulse sped up and fear spiked again. What was up with him? She scooted away from her dresser and closer to the door. This side of Jake wasn’t one she’d ever seen before.
“That damn Maxwell makes you work through lunch?” he asked. “Don’t worry, once we’re married you won’t have to work at all.”
Her heart stuttered. The thought of not working had its appeal, but she didn’t want to be a kept woman if it was Jake keeping her. Somehow, she knew he would be very controlling if she allowed it.
“Yeah right. I like having a reason to leave the house every day.”
He didn’t argue like she expected. Instead he stood and started ambling around her room. He picked up the framed photo of her parents sitting beside her bed and she nearly ran over to snatch it from him. Somehow she held herself back and let him explore.
“I remember them, you know. You’re dad taught me how to fish one weekend when mine went on a business trip. I thought he was the coolest guy in the world. I wanted to take him away from you.”
She began to calm and smiled at the wistful sound of his voice and the happy memory he’d never shared with her before. “Was that the summer after second grade?”
He looked thoughtful as he replaced the frame. “Yeah. I think so.”
“I was supposed to stay with Bill and Alice for a month but my parents surprised me and showed up early. That must have been the weekend he taught you.”
“Probably. Do the Goodmans still own the property on Lake Conroe?”
She shook her head as she released a sad sigh. She had loved that property. “No. They sold it right after my parents died and we moved into Houston. That’s why I stopped going up there in the summer.”
“Ah, I had wondered. I missed you that next year.”
Somehow she doubted that. They had just started high school when her parents died in a horrible car crash. Jake was already garnering female attention, and she’d thought he’d forgotten she existed.
She turned away from him and those memories. “So, what are you really doing here? I can’t believe you couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing me for another day.”
“Why does that seem so unbelievable?”
She frowned at him and leaned in her doorway, as far from him as she could get and still be in the room. “Oh I don’t know. Maybe because over the past five years we’ve seen each other a handful of times. You never seemed so distraught over my absence before. Not even back when we were friends.”
He tugged at his collar. “We’re still friends. Though I’d like to be more.”
“Why?”
He laughed incredulously. “Why?”
“Yeah. Why? You’ve never seemed to have any unrequited love for me before. Even when we were kids, we weren’t exactly best friends.”
He dramatically placed a hand over his heart. “Izzy. Yo
u’re killing me.”
She rolled her eyes and turned away to walk down the hallway. “You’re still a terrible actor.”
His laughter followed her into the living room. It was a familiar sound that eased the last of her tension from his earlier advances. She plopped down on her sofa and faced the other end so her legs would be a barrier if he sat beside her. He soon arrived and sat as close as her position allowed.
“You’ve got to know I always liked you,” he said.
“Like isn’t exactly a good basis for marriage. I know you don’t love me.”
“Yet. That doesn’t mean I won’t.”
“And if you don’t? Then what?”
He groaned and leaned back on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling as if it held the answer. “I don’t know. We divorce? You’ll get half of all I own. Doesn’t that sound good?”
That startled a laugh out of her. She hadn’t actually expected this candor. “You don’t sound very worried about it.”
“That’s ’cause I’m not.” He turned his head to face her. “Izzy, I know I’m going to fall in love with you. What’s not to love?”
Her face heated and she had to look away from his probing gaze. That was probably the best compliment she’d ever gotten from a man. Maybe it wasn’t a promise of happily ever after, but it was a start. Right?
He sat up and took her hands between his. “Look. All I’m asking for is a chance, all right? I know marriage seems like a scary, permanent thing. But it doesn’t have to be. I just don’t want to take the chance of losing you to someone else. I’m sorry I’ve been away more than here the past few years. I’ll make it up to you, okay?”
“How can I possibly refuse such a romantic proposal?” she asked with a roll of her eyes.
He grinned. “You want romantic? I can do romantic.”
“You can also find a dozen or more other women to play this part for your PR firm, Jake. It doesn’t have to be me.”
“Now see, that’s where you’re wrong. I really do have feelings for you, Izzy. It’s no secret I’ve dated more than my fair share of women the past few years. None of them hold a candle to you. If my mom were still alive, you’d be the one I would want to take home to her.”
Another unexpected compliment. She eyed him warily and voiced one more concern. “So why did you make me a term in signing the contract with Bill? And why ask him anyway? You really should have run it by me first.”
For a second his mask of calm indifference seemed to slip, but he grinned again so quickly she couldn’t be sure. “I don’t know. May as well, huh? I mean, if they can’t talk you into marrying me no one can. I know you trust their judgment and they seem to approve. I thought the old-fashioned gesture would be kind of romantic. I told you I can do romantic.”
Of course her godparents approved. He was in their circle and from a family they trusted. But she didn’t say that aloud. She just smiled and slowly slipped her hands from his. “Yeah. Sure.”
“Hey, let’s forget about contracts and marriage and stuff for now. What do you say to ordering a pizza and watching a movie?”
The hopeful look in his eyes was so endearing she couldn’t bring herself to say no. His wanting to spend time with her had to be a good thing. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give him the benefit of the doubt. For one thing, she could always ask for a prenuptial agreement that specified he had to be faithful. If he was willing to sign such a document most of her fears would be allayed. Getting to know the man he had become in the past few years wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Okay, sounds good. But if we’re eating pizza then no movies with blood and gore.”
He pulled his cell phone from his jeans pocket. “You got it, gorgeous.”
Her face heated again as she watched him place the pizza order. Maybe Jake was supposed to be her future. So why did Zerach still play into her thoughts whenever her guard was down?
…
Zerach finished his beer and watched as Bill Goodman left the restaurant. It had taken all day to set up a meeting with the older man, but now Zerach knew he wasn’t the one dealing with demons. Bill had the faint echo of demon taint much as Dora, however, it wasn’t strong enough to condemn him. After an hour of polite conversation Bill had confessed to meeting with Jake that morning. Zerach needed to face Jake himself, to be absolutely certain Jake was the guilty party, before alerting his brothers to the problem. All he needed to figure out was how to set up that meeting.
Bill hadn’t been too difficult. Zerach had dangled a half million dollar donation in front of him, and he’d quickly agreed to the meeting. One good thing about the man was his dedication to his charitable works. Jake, however, would be a whole other story. They moved in different circles and didn’t share any business interests. The only thing they had in common was Dora.
Her name brought to mind her face, her eyes, and her luscious mouth. Zerach shook his head and considered ordering a stronger drink, but the night was fading fast. He still had things to accomplish before sunrise. He paid the check and left the restaurant without a concrete plan to meet with Jake. Perhaps he could talk Dora into inviting Jake to lunch and insist he pick her up at the office. The only problem with that was Dora herself. The woman was smart and not easily put off once she wanted to know something. How would Zerach talk her into inviting Jake to the office?
By the next morning he still didn’t have a plan. He greeted Dora when he arrived at work and immediately noticed the demon taint had grown stronger. She had seen Jake again, he was sure of it.
“So, how was your evening?” he asked.
Surprise lit her face from the question. They usually exchanged the most common pleasantries but didn’t talk much beyond them.
“Um…good. Yours?”
He fought the urge to delve into her thoughts. ”Not bad. I had an early dinner with your godfather. We discussed his latest charitable efforts.”
Her face lit with a different light this time, and she came closer. His hands almost lifted to touch her, but he tightened his fists to fight the urge.
“Really?” she asked. “I’m so very glad you’ve decided to become involved.”
Her enthusiasm for the young victims of severe burns had been obvious from the first time she’d mentioned it. He didn’t know why she was so passionate about that one specific charity. Perhaps it was time to find out.
“No problem at all. It seems to be one close to your heart.”
A shadow passed over her expression, and she turned away. He followed her to her desk and remained nearby as she took her seat.
“Yes, well…the scars left behind from severe burns can be some of the most devastating.”
She avoided his gaze, but he felt confident she was speaking from experience. He couldn’t remember ever hearing of her being involved in a fire though. Something from her childhood maybe?
“Those scars are often more than skin deep,” he said quietly.
She nodded before turning to her computer. The dismissal couldn’t have been more obvious if she had voiced it. “You have a meeting at ten, Mr. Maxwell. Do you need anything printed?”
He fought a grin and decided to allow her retreat. There were other ways to learn what he wanted to know. “Not this time.” He walked into his office without a backward glance.
…
Zerach had been about to head out for a bite to eat when he noticed her scowling at the phone. “Everything okay?”
Her head popped up in surprise. “Oh. Uh…yes.”
She threw her phone into her purse and turned off her computer. He decided to take the opportunity presented. “Have you switched the phones to the answering service for lunch?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Why don’t you join me? I’m heading to the deli across the street.”
Her obvious surprise was a minor annoyance. True it was the first time he’d ever invited her to lunch, but he often ordered in for both of them.
The smiled that bloomed on her pretty face soon distr
acted him as he watched her leave the desk. “Yes, thank you, Mr. Maxwell. That would be great.”
“You’re supposed to call me Zerach.”
She laughed. “Yeah, yeah.”
They headed to the deli without another word. It was a pleasant lunch. Truth be told, it was a hell of a lot more than pleasant. Though she avoided all of his attempts to talk about Jake or burn scars she was still the best company he’d had in a very long time. His gaze kept dropping to her plump pink lips. His superior hearing couldn’t help picking up the racing of her pulse whenever he leaned near. The scent of her arousal wafted toward him and with a shock he realized she wanted him.
Her creamy skin called to him. Various scenarios of taking Dora across his desk or on the sofa in his office played through his mind. She smiled, and he imagined that same look beaming down on him as she rode them both to completion in his wide office chair.
“Mr. Maxwell? Zerach?”
With a start he realized she’d been waiting for a response to some part of the conversation he hadn’t followed the past few minutes. He may have been undressing her in his mind, but she was obviously not on the same wavelength…yet.
“Hmm? I’m sorry. What was that?”
“I said thank you again for lunch. You saved me from having to see Jake this afternoon.”
That grabbed his attention. “Oh? Were you supposed to have lunch with him?”
“No. We actually have a date tonight, but he’s been hounding me the past couple of days. It’s like he suddenly can’t get enough of me, which is very odd.”
He chuckled. “You’re a very beautiful woman, Dora. I’m sure he’s just trying to make sure no one else has your interest.”
She blushed and looked away quickly, a sure sign he had indeed caught her eye. Part of him was elated at the sign of her interest. She was beautiful inside and out and more than worthy of his attention, although another part of him worried he wasn’t worthy of her after so much time in this human form. Catching Isadora would be more than a one night event. She was the type of woman to last a lifetime. Innocence bled from her aura, empathy and kindness were evident in everything she did. Her physical beauty was far outmatched by the inner beauty he spied daily.