by Rita Sawyer
The day had been all sorts of little incidents like that, innocent things that could have gotten out of hand quickly and turned into something else. Jake didn’t know if he could handle another day like this. He figured there were twenty-four hours in the day and they’d be awake for about sixteen of them. Being forced to spend sixteen hours in a ten-by-ten-foot room would drive even the most-chaste people to consider what a pleasant diversion they could find in each other.
He began to think he needed to consider some other options. Maybe he could ship her off to meet Beau? That wouldn’t be fair to his brother, and her sisters probably wouldn’t be cool with it, either. And if Jake was being honest, he was still a little mad that she’d let Beau off the hook for being an overprotective ass but didn’t seem any closer to forgiving Jake. No, he had a plan and they needed to stick to it. He glanced over at where she sat curled up in the corner of the couch.
His plan hadn’t included going back to town until the end of the week, but he needed a break. “Listen, I’m going to sneak into town. I want you to lock the door until I get back.”
She lunged off the couch. “I’m going with you.”
“It would be best if you stayed here.”
“Jake, I’m going with you.”
“You’re really not dressed for it.”
“Well, unless you take me to my place it’s only going to get worse.”
“Huh?”
“I tried to tell you yesterday. I need to go home and get some clothes.”
“What about that duffle you brought?”
“Somehow it got swapped with one my sisters packed. This is the most presentable outfit I could put together from what they chose to pack.”
“I asked them to pack a bag for you.” He let out a groan. “They put that in it on purpose?”
“I’m pretty sure.”
“Why?”
“You really have to ask?”
“No. Be ready to go in twenty minutes. And this is going to be a really quick trip.”
Bobbie was ready and waiting by the door. It was dangerous to travel in the dark, but he knew they would be able to stick to the safety the shadows provided. If they were lucky, the trip would be uneventful and no one would notice them. He really didn’t think it all through though, because with her wrapped around him he almost crashed twice on the way in.
To keep his mind off the feel of her against him, he mentally went over what he intended to do. He was going to drop her off at the house and make sure she got in safely. Once he did that, he’d go into town and check on things at the station. He needed to call his brother, Beau, and make sure they made it to Florida okay and that they would stay there until he called and told him it was okay to come back.
* * * *
Bobbie leaned into Jake’s back and held on. He’d said this visit needed to be brief, so she mentally made a list of everything she wanted to do. He pulled up in the backyard and shut the four-wheeler off. She climbed off and headed for the house.
“Bobbie,” he called and she stopped to look back at him. “I’ll be back in one hour. Do whatever you have to, but be ready to go. Understand?”
“I’ll be ready and waiting.” She ran to the house and let herself in.
She didn’t hear the Quad start up until after the door closed. It didn’t surprise her. Jake would have wanted to make sure she was safely inside before he left. Bobbie actually thought he might be watching from a distance to see if anyone was hiding out there waiting to catch a glimpse of her.
An hour wasn’t very long to do what she wanted, so she flipped the lock on the door and went up stairs. She woke up Georgie, Sam, and Georgie’s soon-to-be sister-in-law, Stephanie, and even Trent and asked them to come to the living room. Bobbie went into her room and found her duffle still packed and lying on her bed. She grabbed it and went downstairs to talk with her family. Bobbie gave them a brief update on what she knew about Jake’s agitator, which wasn’t much more than they already knew, but they were all more interested in how things between her and Jake were going.
“I can’t believe Jake let you come back so soon. We didn’t expect to see you for at least a week, maybe two.” Georgie waggled her eyebrows and Bobbie shook her head.
Bobbie turned her gaze on Sam, and Georgie followed suit. So did Sam’s husband, Trent. Sam’s red cheeks and smile gave her away.
Trent groaned. “What did you do?”
“It was Jessie’s idea.” Trent tilted his head and crossed his arms over his chest and she sighed. “Okay, I willingly went along with it.”
“With what?” Georgie and Stephanie seemed excited that their sisters were up to mischief.
Georgie was probably going to give them hell for not letting her in on it. “They swapped my duffle bag for one they packed.”
“We just wanted to give you a little edge while dealing with him,” Sam confessed with a smile.
“Well, thanks, but it’s hard to be confident you look sexy when you’re dressed in clothes two sizes too small.”
“I’m guessing Jake said he didn’t like it, either,” Georgie teased.
“He was a gentleman as always, but I’m sure he would have preferred it if I wasn’t strutting around like a hoochie.”
“What’s a hoochie?” Stephanie asked.
Bobbie nudged her shoulder. “You need to ask your brother?”
They all laughed, but Trent’s sounded halfhearted. He asked, “Where is Jake now?”
“He went to check in at the station and he felt I’d be safer here.” Trent gave her a look similar to the one he’d given Sam earlier. “Okay, we agreed it would give me an opportunity to get some clothes that fit.”
“I’m sure he’d appreciate that, and let him know my brother and I will have a talk with our wives.”
“He’ll know just how far that’ll get you,” Sam groused.
Bobbie knew what she was about to do was unfair, but on some level it was probably expected. “Trent, I need you to pass on a message.”
“To who?”
She didn’t name names. Instead she just smiled. “I’m calling in all my favors. I want to know everything, and I mean every little detail.”
“Are you sure?” Bobbie could hear the hesitance in his voice.
She liked that he didn’t pretend not to know what she was asking for. “I need to know.”
“Shit!” He blew out a breath as he got to his feet and headed for the door.
“Everything about what?” Sam asked. “Where are you going?”
“To do the devil’s bidding.” He didn’t even look back as he walked out of the room.
Bobbie laughed, because what she was about to ask was going to be hell on all her brothers-in-law, and she included Hal and Tyler in there, too. Once Trent was out of the room and far enough away that he couldn’t hear, she moved on to part two of her plan.
“Now that I got rid of him I need to ask you guys for a favor, too.”
“What do you want us to do?” Georgie sounded a little excited while Sam grimaced.
“Well, I’ve been thinking about this from a woman’s point of view. No matter how sensitive a man is, he wouldn’t be able to comprehend certain things.”
“We’ve been talking about it, too.”
“Good. As a woman, don’t you agree the best way to learn your enemy’s habits is to get close to them?”
Stephanie nodded and said, “My dad always told me you need to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”
“Exactly. So how would someone find out enough about Jake to hurt him? They’d have to get their information somewhere.”
“Bobbie, this is a small town. It wouldn’t be hard for someone to find out what they want to know,” Sam said.
“I know, but this chick probably figures Jake would recognize her. So if she’s trying to keep under the radar she’d be getting her info second or third hand.”
“So you think Jake could be wrong about her coming for you?” Stephanie’s questio
n had been buzzing around her mind.
“Probably not. Jake wouldn’t have made a move like this unless he was sure. Most likely her target would have been his brother or niece, but with them gone, anyone who knows how I feel about him would put me next in line.”
“So we need to follow Jake’s lead on this.” Georgie shook her head, disagreeing as she agreed.
“To a point. We need to find out who has had a chance to get close to him.”
“You don’t think Kerri is involved?” Sam’s laughter hit its mark.
“Okay…so maybe Kerri came to mind for purely bitchy reasons on my part, but you have to admit I’m on to something.”
“You might be.” Georgie got up and grabbed a notepad and pen from beside the phone.
“I am. The easiest way to get a guy talking is to flirt with him. So along with Kerri, who has been trying to cozy up to Jake lately?”
“Half the women in town saw your absence as a chance to try and catch Jake’s eye. Kerri was just the only one who managed to get anywhere.” Georgie stopped scribbling on the pad and looked at Bobbie.
“Not that she did,” Sam rushed to assure her.
“I know, but she’s still at the top of my list.”
“Right, um, so other than her, these are the only women I can think of who really, really went out of their way to toss themselves in Jake’s path.” Georgie handed the paper to Sam, who passed it to Stephanie, who gave to Bobbie.
“Any chance you guys could randomly bump into them and strike up a conversation?”
“I’m sure we can work it out.” Sam nodded, taking back the pad Bobbie held out to her.
She knew her sisters weren’t as good at ferreting out information as she was, but they’d do what they could. “I’ll find a way to check in and see what you guys come up with.”
Trent came back in the room and they all looked up at him. “We’ll get together in the morning and get started.”
“Great. You should all get back to bed.”
“I’ll wait up with you,” Trent volunteered.
“That’s okay, Jake will be here soon.” She shooed them all off and walked into the kitchen.
She opened the fridge and rummaged around for something to munch on. Bobbie hit the jackpot when she found some of Sam’s leftover meatloaf. She made herself a sandwich and poured herself a glass of soda. Jake loved Sam’s meatloaf, and she smiled, thinking it kind of served him right to not get any. When she was finished eating, she took pity on him and made him a sandwich to take back to the shack.
Bobbie didn’t care how many times he corrected her. She refused to encourage his delusions that things between him and Kerri meant nothing. She added a few other goodies, including some of the homemade cookies Sam always had on hand, to the bag she packed for Jake. It might be the case for him, but he couldn’t know what went on in Kerri’s mind. Hopefully, her sisters would find something quickly and Jake could use the information to wipe out the threats this woman was making.
Jake needed to get to the bottom of things so she could get back to her life. She knew he was doing everything in his power, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t help. Her hour reprieve was almost over. He’ll be there soon, she thought, peeking out the window into the backyard.
Chapter Nine
Jake could tell she was getting cabin fever. He was, too, though he was better at hiding it. For the past three days, they’d done what they could to pass the time. Reading, watching movies, and playing cards—anything but doing what they both really wanted to do. Though, she offered to wipe out his sixty-dollar debt he owed for losing at gin for a massage. Jake would love to rub down every inch of her, but he knew where it would lead.
The desire they felt for each other was only getting stronger. It burned them both at night and he found it impossible to keep from holding her in his arms. She would snuggle back against him, her scent made him tighten his hold. She had to know she was driving him crazy. Hell, every time she shifted she rubbed his cock, which kept him in a constant state of arousal. Not reacting was a test of his determination and endurance.
Everything in him screamed for him to take her. Jake knew she wanted him to, but if he did there would be no letting her go. His pride and the love he felt for her would demand he put a ring on her finger and keep her forever, but whether it was rational or not, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He knew it was going to be really hard to let her go when they returned to the real world.
Bobbie was too damn young to settle down. She deserved to be free to live her life and go out and experience the world. All he had to do was look at his brother to see what a mistake marrying her would be. It was a history lesson he didn’t want to repeat.
Beau and Heather had been madly in love, a perfect fit from the start. Not long after graduating high school, they defied their parents and snuck off to get married. They came back home and everything seemed wonderful at first. Heather had immediately started pushing for them to have a baby. Beau willingly gave in against everyone’s advice for them to wait a little while. Charlie came along not too long after. What Beau hadn’t known was somewhere along the line Heather had changed her mind.
She no longer wanted to be tied down by a husband and a baby. Jake remembered her saying she wasn’t sure she ever wanted them. It had been in the heat of the moment, but hurtful things like that just can’t be taken back. She had been too young and wanted the freedom she gave away. Beau had been devastated, but he let her go, hoping she’d come back. Three days after she left to go stay with her cousin in Chicago, they got the word she’d died in a car accident.
Beau never got the closure he needed, and Charlie had been left without a mother. Jake wasn’t sure he would have been as strong as Beau. He’d put Charlie first and raised his daughter alone.
Jake knew Bobbie was nothing like Heather. She would never abandon her child. And once she got married she’d stick it out no matter what happened. There would be no admitting she’d changed her mind, and he wouldn’t be able to stand seeing her suffer. So it was best all around if they didn’t cross that line.
Bobbie tossed the book she was reading on the old, scratched-up coffee table and got to her feet.
“What’s wrong?” He didn’t want to ask but he had to.
“I don’t know what you mean.” She shrugged her shoulders as she walked toward him. “I was just sitting there reading and listening to you sigh every five seconds.”
He didn’t know what to say to that. Maybe he wasn’t hiding things as good as he thought.
* * * *
Bobbie was done with this charade. When Jake wasn’t fiddling with his phone, which somehow had a connection, he was avoiding even looking at her. It would have made her think he wanted to be anywhere but there if she hadn’t caught him staring at her with unmasked desire in his eyes. She’d given him enough time to work through whatever issues he thought were more important than them being together. Obviously, she needed to take a more direct approach.
“When are you going to just admit you want me? We both know that you want to be so deep inside me that neither of us will know where we begin and end.” Bobbie slid her hands across his abs down to the button on his jeans.
She could barely see the rise and fall of his chest. Jake was so still he made a great imitation of a wax statue, but she could feel his heat on her fingers. She inched closer, and a muscle or nerve just under his eye twitched.
“That’s it. You go ahead and keep trying to fight wanting me.” She slid her hand down and cupped the bulge behind his fly. “But your cock is begging to get inside me.”
His hand covered hers, but he didn’t pull it away. “I bet your sisters would be shocked to hear you talk like this.”
She tipped her head to the side. “Like what? A woman? One who wants to get you naked and enjoy the pleasure you can give me?”
He raised an eyebrow and she pressed her hand tighter over him. “What’s wrong, Jake? Does it turn you on when I talk about your
cock and what I’d like you to do with it?”
“What’s gotten into you tonight?” He took a step forward and she had to step back, but the wall was right behind her.
“Let’s just say I figured since you prefer to deal with facts I’d just point out a few of them for you.” She saw the flash in his eyes and knew she’d struck something.
“Such as?”
She smiled. “You want me just as badly as I want you.”
“And?”
“If you don’t do this you’ll regret it for years, maybe the rest of your life.”
“I-We both might regret it if we do.”
“Oh, honey, I’ll make sure you don’t.”
“Didn’t mean it like that.”
“Good, because I’d hate to think that you’ve been holding back all these years because you don’t think I can satisfy you.”
“Furthest thing from what I was thinking.”
“Then are you afraid that I’ll be so good you’ll never find another woman to fill your needs?”
He groaned and her smile got bigger. “So tell me, when was the last time you saw any action?”
“Bobbie, I’m not some toy you can play with and walk away.”
“I don’t plan on walking away.”
“You say that now, but you can’t know what the future holds.”
“Neither can you. My feelings for you haven’t changed in the past six years, so I trust them. Why can’t you?”
“You better be damn sure this is what you want, because once we cross this line there will be no going back.”
“I’ve been sure for years. You’re the one that comes on strong then backpedals over and over. There’s a word for that, you know.”
“Are you calling me a tease?”
“Yes. I am. Would you like to prove me wrong? No one needs to know but us. Besides, I’m sure there are people who think we are or have been lovers. Now that we’ve disappeared together I don’t think anyone, other than my sisters and your brother, will believe we aren’t having sex.”