by Lynda Aicher
“I’m leaving when my contract’s up in December,” Jake finally admitted. After a tense bit of silence, he turned to look at Dek, who hadn’t moved from the kitchen.
“Figured that,” Dek grumbled before he shifted to cross his arms over his chest. “So?”
No give whatsoever. “Thought you should know.”
“Thanks.”
“Look, Dek—” Jake started then stopped. What could he say? “It’s nothing personal. I just need to move on.”
Dek thinned his lips and nodded. That was it.
“Nothing else?”
The man lifted a shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “Nothing I say will change your mind. Right?”
Jake gave a reluctant nod.
“Then there’s no need to say more.”
“No hard feelings?”
“Of course there are,” Dek answered honestly, shooting the verbal dagger at Jake.
He cringed as he absorbed the impact of the words. “Anything I can do to change that?”
“Stay.”
Right. “Can’t do that, man.”
“Why not?”
Jake sighed. He took a drink of his warming beer to stall for time. How did he possibly explain it to Dek? To anyone? “I just need to move on. It’s time for something different.”
“Running again?”
“What?” Jake stiffened, getting defensive. “I’m not running.”
Dek tossed his empty bottle into the recycle bin. “Seems that way to me.” He reached into the fridge and pulled out another beer, silently lifting and offering one to Jake. Jake shook his head and Dek closed the fridge. “It’s what you always do.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Annoyance was quickly replacing anger.
Dek open his beer and took a drink before he answered. “Every time things get too settled, going too smooth in your life, you bail.”
“Fuck you.”
“Just telling you what I see.”
Jake held his retort and turned back to face the window. What the hell? He didn’t run. This is exactly why he hated telling people he was moving on. They always tried to analyze him and find a reason for his simple desire to do something new. Christ. Couldn’t anyone ever just accept that?
He felt Dek behind him, not that he’d heard the man move. Dek had the stealth thing down.
“Your parents died when you were ten, Jake. How long are you going to keep running from that?”
What the fuck? Jake straightened, tensing at the harsh accusations. “That’s hitting below belt, asshole.” He clenched his teeth to keep from saying more. It would only prolong the conversation.
Deklan stood silently behind him, obviously waiting for Jake to continue.
Refusing to give in to his anger and Dek’s intimidation tactic, Jake focused on the party outside. A cluster of tables decorated with white linen table cloths and small vases of red roses occupied the far end of the courtyard. There were about thirty people mingling around, eating food from the short buffet table and drinking. He imagined some sort of background music played from the iPod docked to speakers on the far side of the gathering. It seemed so quaint and normal.
“Not invited to the party?” Jake asked Dek, opting to change the subject.
“I was. Didn’t go.”
“Why not?”
“Why?”
Jake huffed out an agreement. It was hard to have a separate personal life, given the business they were in. The questions always came about what he did for a living and if he answered honestly, the inquisitor inevitably paled and found someone else to talk to. Well, the nice ones did. The rest gave some sort of scathing putdown before they huffed off in rigid superiority.
“What’s it for?” Jake asked, his curiosity piqued. And damn, this topic was way safer than the last one.
“Hell if I know.” Dek shot him a look like Jake had grown a second head. Dek stepped up and slid the door open before moving onto the small patio. The sounds of a John Mayer tune mingled over the air with the low chatter of voices.
Jake followed Dek out to lean against a wood support beam for the deck overhead. He took in the intimate gathering and felt just a little bit of longing. The assembled group gave the impression of closeness, laughing and talking about nothing, probably. When was the last time he’d done that? Just hung out with people, friends, and shot the shit on a Sunday afternoon? It was a gorgeous fall day, the sun high with a slight breeze that held just the edge of chill and hinted winter was coming.
“Do you ever want to join them?” Jake asked, not exactly sure where the question came from.
This time, Deklan’s glare guaranteed Jake had definitely sprouted a second head. “Uh, no.”
Of course not. “Maybe you should.”
“Why?” The incredulous tone in Dek’s voice indicated his complete incomprehension of Jake’s conversation. After all, ex special ops men and Doms did not mix well in condo courtyard parties.
Yeah, why? “Because it’s good to have outside social activities,” he said lamely.
“That’s what The Den is for.” Dek shot Jake another glare that would have a wise man dropping the conversation.
Jake was seriously starting to doubt his intelligence, because he pushed on. “And what about outside of the club? Would it really hurt to be nice to your neighbors?”
“I’m nice to my neighbors,” Dek objected. “Why the lecture? You’re the one bailing on the friends you do have.”
And he scores. Jake cringed and straightened to set his empty bottle on the patio table. He glanced back at the little party, taking another scan of the happy group. Living above the club was convenient, but it didn’t allow for neighbors. The more industrial neighborhood setting lacked social amenities, such as courtyard parties and backyard barbeques.
“You can have my loft over the club when I leave,” Jake offered. “It’ll get you away from this social hell.”
Dek gave a noncommittal shrug. “Kind of like it here.”
“Minus the people.”
Dek grunted and emptied his beer in one long swallow. “They’re not so bad if you don’t talk with them.”
Jake chuckled, having to agree with his friend on some level. He shifted to move back inside when a flash of blond at the edge of the gathering caught his eye. He stopped and stared, narrowing his eyes in concentration. Could it be her? What were the odds?
The woman in question was sitting dressed in a sleeveless, green dress that hugged her curves and rode high on her thighs, showing off her shapely legs. She tossed her head back, laughing at something another person said, her hair bobbing in waves against her shoulders.
She looked different. Refined and sophisticated, like the image she projected in her profile picture. Not at all like the soft and sexy woman he’d fucked two nights ago.
His breath stuck in his chest as he took her in. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen members outside of the club. Hell, he saw them all the time. But this was the first time he’d ever reacted this way. The graceful movement of her arms as she talked with others, the light smile lifting her lips, the genuine laugh he could pick out over the crowd of noise all worked together to spike his interest and set his dick throbbing.
Jake stepped back into the shadows and reached blindly for his empty beer bottle, intending to retreat into Dek’s condo. His hand knocked the bottle and sent it tumbling off the table instead. He made a hasty grab for it, missed, then swore as the bottle shattered onto the cement. The crash of the glass echoed across the courtyard and rang like a car accident to his ears.
He cringed and glanced up, afraid he’d see her staring at him.
“Deklan Winters,” a voice called out. “Is that you hiding over there?” An older lady flamboyantly dressed in a bright floral sundress better suited for a Florida retirement community was waving and strolling toward Dek’s patio.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Jennings,” Deklan said politely and added a smile that surprised the shit out of Jake. “A lo
vely day, isn’t it? Just like you.”
The rotund lady blushed and waved a dismissive hand at him. “You’re so kind to flirt with an old fart like me. And it’s Edith,” she said as she stopped at the edge of the patio. “How many times do I have to tell you that?” She patted his beefy arm in a grandmotherly gesture. “Now, what are doing over here all by yourself? There’s a party going on and I insist you join us.” With more courage than most men, the lady grabbed hold of Dek’s hand and began to pull the much larger man into the courtyard.
Dek’s deep, genuine laugh shocked Jake even more. It was a sound even he didn’t hear very often, but this five-foot two-inch whirlwind of energy had managed to provoke the reaction in less than a minute. Amazing. Jake had to make a physical effort to close his gapping mouth as he watched the exchange.
“But Edith,” Dek said kindly as he slowed to a stop. He gave her hand a gentle pat where it gripped his. “I have company.” He tilted his head in Jake’s direction.
“Oh.” Edith perked up and leaned around Deklan to observe Jake. Her lips rose in an almost devious smile before she turned back to Dek. “And who is this handsome man?”
Dek’s back straightened before he sputtered, “He’s a friend, Edith. That’s all.” The big man turned to Jake, an actual spark of amusement in his eyes. “Jake, this is Edith Jennings, the unofficial social director of our condo complex.”
Jake smiled and stepped forward, unable to escape without seeming like a complete ass. He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Edith. You must be a something of a social magician if you can get this man to join a party.”
She grabbed Jake’s hand and gave it a pat. “Oh, I haven’t managed that yet. But there’s always today.” She smiled at the two men, her fluff of white hair bouncing around her head in a careless sprig of curls. “Come on, what will it hurt?”
Jake wasn’t sure about Deklan, but he had an inkling it could hurt him a whole hell of a lot. Before he could extend his apologies, Dek nailed him with a smile that left his gut at his feet.
“You know, Edith,” Dek said with a deceptively friendly tone, “I think we’d love to join the party.” Dek gave Jake’s back a harder-than-necessary slap. “Jake here was just saying how fun it looked.”
Jake choked on his retort, the joyous spark in the conniving Mrs. Jennings’ eyes making him bite back what he really wanted to say. Instead, he plastered on his practiced smile and gave a laugh. Two could play at this game. “So right, Dek.” Jake leaned in to Edith and spoke in a conspiratorial fake whisper. “Dek was just confiding how he was feeling lonely here and was too shy to approach his neighbors.”
The look of horror that flashed over Dek’s face before he schooled his features was worth any future repercussions.
Edith’s eyes widened at the juicy piece of gossip. “Well, we’ll just take care of that.” She promptly situated herself between the two men, looping an arm around each of theirs and started to move toward the party. She seemed completely undeterred by the fact that the top of her head was over a foot below theirs. Instead, she lifted her chin and preened like a debutant leading the catch of the season into the ball. Or catches, as the situation warranted.
“Come along, gentlemen. We have a party to attend,” Edith said in a voice that didn’t allow for protest, the strength in her small form an additional surprise.
Over her head, Deklan shot him a glare that guaranteed hideous retribution later. Jake laughed and did his best to shake off the tingle of warning sliding down his spine. There was nothing he could do now.
Against his better judgment, he was going to meet the lovely Ms. Cali Reynolds once again. And this time, she wasn’t slipping away.
Chapter Nine
“A toast,” Evan boomed as he stood and raised his glass. “To Lacey and Paul.”
Everyone immediately followed suit, the couple in the spotlight sporting the open smiles of untarnished love and endless hope.
“May your life be filled with love and your dreams filled with happiness,” Evan said. “Congratulations on your engagement.”
Soft rounds of agreement followed as the small gathering of friends gave heartfelt words of support and encouragement to the couple. Lacey glowed, the rosy blush of dreams coloring her cheeks, the shiny new diamond glittering in the sunlight. Paul, her fiancé, held her close to his side, his strong arm tucked possessively around her shoulders. Pride and devotion stamped on the hard lines of his face.
Cali smiled politely and unclenched her fist, careful to ensure nobody noticed the act. She didn’t want her cynicism to spoil the festivities. Light notes of music drifted over the breeze, filtering through the courtyard. A burst of laughter, deep and robust, snapped over the low murmur of conversation.
“Aren’t they lovely?” The low voice close to her ear jerked Cali from her observations. She sucked in a breath but held her smile as she peered over her shoulder at her neighbor, Allie.
“New love is always lovely,” Cali agreed, fluttering another quick look at the happy couple.
Allie gave a soft snort. “Spoken by the woman who so recently told me love is an illusion easily shattered by reality.” She plopped down in an empty chair and gave a sardonic lift of her sculpted brow. Her wide mouth wrinkled in amusement that matched the spark of her coffee-colored eyes.
“I did.” Cali nodded, pausing to take a sip of her water. “And I believe that. But new love is nice to watch.” She looked over at Lacey and Paul, who still touched each other with that freshness of needed contact. Cali was truly happy for them. “And who knows, maybe their love will meet with a gentle reality.”
“Right.” The sarcasm wasn’t lost as Allie reached across the table for the open bottle of Merlot and refilled her glass. The thirty-seven-year-old lawyer had her own opinions on love and marriage that weren’t that far from Cali’s. She stared at Cali’s water. “You’re not drinking today?”
“No. I have work to do later.”
“On a Sunday?”
“Yeah.” Cali glanced away from her friend’s penetrating stare. “The owner of the book store is going out of town and wants to review some numbers before she leaves.” Cali took care of the bookkeeping for a few of the local stores. What had started off as a favor to a friend ten years ago had grown into a profitable business. She was always mildly surprised at the number of people who could open and run a business but had no idea how to manage their accounts.
Allie shook her head, her curly hair bouncing around her shoulders. “Life of the self-employed is not as glamorous as everyone makes it out to be.”
Cali nodded in agreement, even though she really loved the control self-employment gave her.
“Of course,” Allie continued, the sarcasm still heavy in her voice, “life as a wannabe law partner isn’t all that great, either.”
“They’re still giving you the run around?” Cali asked, referring to the law firm where Allie worked.
Allie gave a dismissive shrug and took a drink of her wine. “Whatever. There’s not much I can do short of leaving and starting my career over. But hey, this is a party and we’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves on this gorgeous day.”
Cali studied the clear blue sky and smiled wistfully. Having a seventy-degree weekend in October was a bonus Minnesotans didn’t take for granted. She smoothed a hand over the tiny wrinkle in the skirt of her fitted dress and wished she’d taken the time to re-iron it before the party started. But she’d been running late and had promised Evan and Edith she’d help set up the courtyard. Evan, of course, took care of most of the planning arrangements, but Cali was the execution person.
And every detail was perfect.
It was relaxed, nice and exactly what she needed to keep her thoughts off her own problems.
Moving into the condo complex was one of the best decisions Cali made after her divorce. Ending her marriage had been difficult. And getting out of the house and the neighborhood filled with families and memories a necessity. No one understood why she�
��d divorced her husband. But then, no one understood just how lonely and empty she’d been behind the facade of suburban soccer mom extraordinaire.
Being sexually ignored by your husband wasn’t something you shared with your neighbors. As if they’d even believe that her perfect husband hadn’t touched her intimately in over seven years.
It was way less shameful to let them think she was having a mid-life crisis. And maybe she was. However, she preferred to think of it as a mid-life correction.
Cali shifted in her chair then stood. She rubbed a hand over her churning stomach at the thought of the “correction” course she’d taken two nights ago. She hid the telling action by moving around the table to pick up empty plates and cups.
“Do you need some help?” Allie asked without moving from her relaxed slump against the plastic patio chair.
“No, you’re fine.”
“Good. Because I’m almost drunk enough to make another pass at the hunky Mr. Montgomery over there.” Allie tilted her head and stared at the man in discussion.
Cali laughed and followed her friend’s gaze. Yes, Carter Montgomery was a handsome man. Tall, dark and sexy pretty much summed him up. His midnight hair and contrasting crystal blue eyes, paired with a body toned and hardened by diligent gym time, made him a prime piece of eye candy at the pool.
He definitely came across as a man who knew his way around a bedroom. But then, looks didn’t guarantee performance. And a guaranteed performance was what Cali had sought and obtained. She felt her cheeks heat at just the thought of her night at The Den. With Jake.
She glanced at Allie to see if she’d noticed the blush, but the woman appeared to be lost in her own musings. A glaze of pure lust had fallen over the sharp angles of Allie’s features and Cali wondered if she’d looked at Jake like that. Until two nights ago, she’d buried lust beneath responsibility, motherhood, expectations and denial.
“Good luck,” Cali said with a chuckle as Allie got up and made her way over to her target. Cali glided between the tables with her pile of trash, keeping her smile in place. She dropped her items into the garbage then went over to the buffet table to start on the cleanup there.