Under the Sun: A Companion Novella to Beneath Her Skin

by Mikell, Beth

  Mike was not swayed. “What the hell are you doing, man?” He jabbed a finger into Damon’s shoulder.

  In a second, Damon released Brooke, throwing a punch against Mike’s face. He sent the guy crashing into a nearby table. But he wasn’t finished. Damon yanked Mike up to his feet, dragged him closer to the bar, and shoved him into the waiting arms of two bouncers. The blaring music died, leaving the bar in a state of sizzled shock.

  “Get him out of here!” Damon hissed.

  Clive Davis, the owner of Looney’s, arrived flushed faced and distressed.

  “Davis! If you want to remain open, screen your clientele before I shut this place down! Be happy all I’m doing is kicking out the trash!” He swung away.

  Jennifer slid up next to Brooke, draping an arm around her shoulders. “Oh my God, are you all right, sweetie?” Her friend stood silently. “Please, Brooke, look at me.” Nothing. No response. “I’m so sorry about this.” Still, Brooke didn’t speak. “It’s all my fault, I—”

  Damon moved back to Brooke and took her hand. “Ready to go?” he asked her.

  He weaved through the crowd, taking Brooke away. More fear pounded through Jennifer. She pushed her way out into the fresh night air, gaining on him. His Hummer stood ready. He helped Brooke climb in, but Jennifer rushed up.

  Damon blocked her.

  “Please? Where are you taking her?” she asked.

  “Home.” Without another word, he slammed the door.

  Jennifer watched with a heavy heart as the Hummer drove away. A rush of emotion filled her with dread. What had she done?

  Donavan was in her face again, and she tried to turn away.

  He blocked her, gripping her hand. “Don’t run the fuck away again, Red. Listen to me,” he began.

  “I don’t know you!” she snapped, yanking at her hand, trying to free herself from him.

  His jaw flexed, as if his patience neared the end. “I work for him. I’ll keep her safe,” he said. “You have my word.”

  As his words sank in, she backed away. There was no denying the strange web surrounding her. She wanted to run far away.

  Her emotions cracked, the kind that hurt. She felt like a fool. She’d imposed her free nature on Brooke, hoping to give her a night to remember. All she succeeded in doing was making a mess—with Donavan as a witness.

  She made it all the way to her apartment and collapsed into tears—something she had never done before.

  ‘Adulting’ was hard, and it was time to act her age instead of a carefree woman. She had to let go of the horn bee lifestyle and be mature. It was time to begin her life in a new way.

  ****

  Donavan hated men who didn’t respect the boundaries of other women. That asshole, in the bar tonight.

  Donavan would never forget the look on Jennifer’s face after she confronted the dickbag. She had slapped his face.

  Kudos to his little, red spitfire.

  She had spunk. He loved that about her.

  But when the jerk shoved her. It took all Donavan’s willpower and instinctive need to protect her, to remain calm. He wasn’t trained to sit on the sidelines and allow such shitty behavior to go down without a fight. He was ever the soldier, even equipped to kill with his bare hands. Yet he had swallowed down his anger and focused, instead of going after the jackass in need of a day of reckoning.

  Yet now, he was off duty and all bets were off.

  He followed the dude home. Killing him would be too good for him.

  He planned to teach him the word no—that way the sound would be familiar to him the next time a woman threw it his way. He wouldn’t maim the jackass for life, but he would scare the shit out of him. Some lessons could be learned with a little intimidation.

  Grabbing his knife from his boot, he caught the bastard around the neck. He ignored the other man’s surprised gasp.

  “Do you know what the word no means, little Mike?”

  “Who are you, man?” Mike asked, struggling.

  Donavan ignored him, squeezing his windpipe, and then released. “I’ll ask the questions, dickhead. So, let’s try this again. Do you know what the word no means?”

  “Yes,” Mike hissed. “Please don’t kill me.”

  He dismissed that too. “If you ever ignore a woman’s blow off, her words, her refusal for your piss-ass company, or your dirty hands on her body, I’ll find you.” He increased the pressure around his neck, and then released. “If you ever shove a woman out of anger, I’ll kill you. Do I make myself crystal-fucking clear?”

  “Y-yes.”

  “Get on the floor,” Donavan ordered. “Lay flat.

  Mike blubbered like a baby. “P-please...don’t kill me.”

  “Do it.” The other man slid to the floor with jerky movements.

  Then, Donavan left, feeling justified. He doubted Mike would forget how a treat a lady. If he did, well, Donavan would be happy to remind him.

  ****

  The next morning, a disturbing call from Brooke made Jennifer nervous. Her friend outlined the event—how her apartment had been ransacked.

  Jennifer’s emotions unloaded. “What the hell? Where are you now? Do the police have any leads?”

  In her patient way, Brooke explained, “I’m at Damon’s home in Washington, D.C.”

  She whistled through her teeth. “So gallant, isn’t he? Why didn’t you ask him to bring you here?” She tried to keep the hurt from her voice, but she didn’t succeed. She was sure Brooke heard her plea, and she grimaced, thinking of herself as weak.

  “It was late. I’ll be home later...and if it’s okay, I’ll need to crash with you.”

  Jennifer snorted. “Like you even have to ask, baby doll. I’ve got plenty of room and you’re more than welcome. I want to know who did that to your apartment. I’ll ask my mother and father to look into it.” She made a mental note to call Dad and see if he could do anything. She knew he had contacts all over the city.

  “That’s not necessary,” Brooke protested.

  “Humph, not necessary? Some jerk laid waste to your whole apartment, and the way I see it, it’s more than necessary.”

  “Okay. Let me know what happens.”

  After she hung up with Brooke, Jennifer placed a call to her father. Dean West. While she doubted he could do anything, hearing his voice would settle her.

  “Hey, Pumpkin. How’s my girl?”

  His gentle voice almost had her in tears.

  She unloaded her worries about Brooke, grateful for his calm, logical approach to life.

  ****

  One week later.

  Brooke laid her head back against Jennifer’s sofa and closed her eyes. Her friend’s stress over the last six months was finally catching up with her. She felt as though Brooke was losing faith. Losing her strength to continue. Undergoing such threatening situations on top of her money woes was too much.

  “What can I do to make this easier, baby doll? I’m a little disappointed McDreamy Sinclair was only head hunting you for a job and not your body. Especially after, he acted so protective of you. He wasn’t the man I hoped he’d be.” Humor would be the key.

  Brooke cut her a level look. “Really? That’s all you got out of this whole discussion? You’re sad he’s not a date candidate?”

  Jennifer grunted, grabbing a throw pillow, and stuffed it in her lap. “Of course not! I only hoped you’d found—” She shrugged, “—I don’t know. Someone. The kind of someone I wish to find.” Like she hoped to find. Someone lasting. Someone like Donavan. A shudder tingled down her spine at the thought. She missed him. She thought about him constantly, hating herself for that too.

  Brooke laughed. “What…? You mean Skydiver Mike wasn’t your dream guy?”

  Jennifer threw the pillow at her, giggling. She was over Mike. “Now, you’re being mean,” she said, laughing. “You know I won’t ever speak to him again—not after the way he treated you. What a loser.”

  “But what about Carlos? You said he was interested.”


  She’d totally forgotten about the hot bartender down at Looney’s. Heck, she couldn’t recall what she saw in him. No one held a candle to Donavan.

  Jennifer sighed. “Not feeling it anymore, doll face. I’m ready to give up on guys. Seriously, they only lead me down a path of sex and nothing more. I think it’s time to hold out for Mr. Right.” Before Brooke could say anything, she rushed and said, “Hey, you mentioned needing clothes. You know I have three closets full of stuff I’ll never wear again. It’s good, premium stuff too. Why don’t we pack you a suitcase?”

  “Okay.”

  Jennifer leaped up, grabbing Brooke’s hand. “C’mon, baby doll. Let’s find you some hot clothes to wear around the office.”

  She tugged her hand away, frowning. “Let’s keep it classy. It’s business. I’m not interested in—”

  Her friend waved her off. “Yeah, yeah. Just because McDreamy isn’t crunching you, doesn’t mean we can’t sexify you.”

  ****

  Jennifer kept to herself the rest of the week. Work and home. No deviation. No clubbing. No chatting online. No men. No to anything that might throw her in the path of a man. By Saturday, she missed Brooke.

  She needed to see her.

  This need sparked an idea. She already knew that her advertising company handled S-Comm., Damon’s telecommunication account. And she did have access to her company’s online files. Without hesitation, she searched for his mobile, which was unethical, but she called anyway.

  “Sinclair.”

  The gruff sound of his voice gave her pause, but this was no time to be a ninny. “Um, this is Jennifer West.”

  “Yes, I know who you are,” he said, his voice changing from rough to smooth. “I’d like to apologize for our first meeting, Ms. West. Things were...stressful to say the least. Is there something I may help you with?”

  “Yes, but please, call me Jennifer.” She drew a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I’d like to surprise Brooke, but I wasn’t sure about security or…” she trailed off, feeling insecure.

  “Of course. I’m sure she’d love that. I’ll text you the address, and I’ll have you cleared through security. Just tell the front gate who you are and you’ll be taken directly to her. Sound good?”

  Relief hit Jennifer like a hard wave. “Yes,” she said a bit breathlessly. “That will be awesome. Thank you.”

  Damon chuckled. “You’re welcome.”

  As she hung up, she had things to do. Pack, get pizza, and her list grew.

  Jennifer arrived at S-Tec. She pulled up to the front gate, and gave her name. Handed a visitor pass, she was told to go directly to the front desk through the sleek front entrance. After parking, a security man, Rodney, helped her carry in two small suitcases. She balanced her pizza box and shopping bags.

  “Let me announce you, Ms. West.” As he was about to report her arrival, the unexpected happened.

  “Hold that call, Rodney.”

  She knew that voice without having to turn around. A delicious, carnal sensation spun through her veins—the kind she only received from Donavan.

  Damn. He is here? Of course he is. He works for Damon.

  Glancing his way, Jennifer found him filling the doorway of a side room. Wearing his military styled clothing like a badge of honor. Her mouth watered. She had serious doubts she could contain herself from jumping his bones right here. She berated herself for her thoughts. She’d had such a man-free week too. No need to jinx herself now.

  He pinned her with his gaze. “Ms. West, I’d like a word.”

  Without a verbal tug of war, she relented. She inclined her head. “Make it quick.” A mantra of, Please don’t let us be alone, filled her mind.

  Squaring her shoulders, she headed his way. She wouldn’t make eye contact. She wouldn’t devour him with her eyes. She had to keep her wits about her.

  He sidestepped her, allowing her entrance to the room. A secure room.

  Big surprise there.

  Monitors and high tech gadgets filled the space, things she had no clue about.

  And they were alone.

  Folding her arms across her chest, she turned to face him, keeping her expression neutral. Yet she felt snared under his gaze. The man was beautiful. Not in a GQ way, but stunning. Like being under the sun without shade. His simple look scorched her and made her burn, even from across the room. She didn’t want to be trapped in his rays—melting and out of control. No, not again.

  “What do you want?” she snapped too forcefully. She’d hoped to sound bored, but her tone took on an irritated vibe.

  He took a few steps closer.

  She backed up.

  The corners of his mouth turned up. “I’d like to apologize.”

  Well, this is...unexpected.

  She shook her head. She had to keep this simple or fall under his spell again. “For what?”

  He loomed closer. “There are few people in this world that I respect, even fewer that deserve an apology from me. That might be arrogance, but when I’m wrong, I say so.”

  She couldn’t think with him so close. “Let me guess. You’re sorry we met? Or you’re sorry you hooked up with me? Complicates things doesn’t it?” She flipped her hair, trying to appear nonchalant. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not the type to hold grudges. I can move on and pretend we never met.”

  His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. “That’s not it, Red. Don’t put words in my mouth. I can do that all by myself.”

  Jennifer sighed. “Then what exactly?”

  He blew out a hard breath. “You don’t make this easy, do you?” He didn’t give her time to reply before he extended his hand to her. “When we met, we didn’t exactly get around to proper introductions. I’d like to remedy that. Start over. Be real with me, Red. I know I’ve screwed up.”

  She eyed his hand, wanting to feel his skin against hers. The ache was so strong. The quaking gained with intensity as another tremor rolled across her shoulders. Then her eyes met his, seeing his sincere expression and the near-worried look he gave her. His honesty was evident.

  She took his hand.

  He felt wonderful. So warm. So hard. She wanted more. “Jennifer West,” she said, inwardly wincing at the roughness of her voice. She cleared her throat. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  A slow grin curved his lips. “Jake. Jake Donavan. And the pleasure is all mine.”

  She frowned. “Jake? I never would have guessed.”

  “It’s Jacob, actually.”

  His hand was larger, engulfing hers with sweet, amazing heat up her arm. Her heart skipped a beat, sending her pulse into a rapid rhythm. Jake Donavan knew how to work a moment, sending her cautious attitude out of reach.

  He tugged her closer and she didn’t resist. The massive strength of his body towered over her, making her feel delicate. “I should go. My pizza is getting cold,” she whispered, not trusting her voice or her conviction to be stronger.

  Donavan leaned down, his lips a breath away. “Red, I’m here all night.”

  His suggestive words were too much. The temptation to fuel her desire was there—to slip down here and see him again. God, how she wanted to.

  Jennifer ached to loop her arms around his neck and go for a hot lip-lock. Yet somehow, she managed the hardest feat of her life.

  She pulled away. “Goodbye, Jake.”

  He inclined his head. “Enjoy your evening.” His voice was low and seductive.

  She flushed hot as she strode out of the security room, aware that his eyes were on her ass. Man, she needed a cold shower. Her body thrummed hard with a wash of lust, wanting him after his apology and his sexy presence.

  What did that say for her resistance level? Zip-o-la.

  Rodney waited for her.

  “I’ve notified Ms. Stone of your arrival. She’s waiting, Ms. West.”

  Chancing a glance behind her, the security door remained closed, but she felt Donavan’s eyes on her. He watched her, sh
e knew. If she felt more confident with him, she’d have blown him a flirty air kiss, but she didn’t. She followed Rodney to the elevator.

  Brooke waited for her at her apartment door. Her presence was much-needed, especially after her near kiss encounter with Donavan.

  “Hey, I’m surprised to see you here,” Brooke said. “I thought you’d be out on the town.”

  Out on the town was not a place Jennifer loved anymore. She needed a break from that. Hugging her friend, she stepped inside Brooke’s new digs, while helpful Rodney set the suitcases inside the foyer and left.

  “Are you moving in?” Brooke asked.

  “Not quite, baby doll.” Jennifer rolled her eyes, knowing she brought too much with her. “I’ll tell you all about it, but first, let’s get busy with some food. I’m starving.” She hoped the pizza wasn’t cold after her near suck-face with Donavan.

  Mental shake, she had to focus on something else. Jennifer whistled through her teeth. “Dang, this place puts mine to shame. It’s gorgeous!”

  “Yeah, it’s something.” Brooke moved around the kitchen, locating some plates, napkins, and some wine.

  Jennifer placed the pizza box on the breakfast bar, sliding up on a stool.

  “How did you find me or get through security?” Brooke asked.

  She giggled, curling her hair behind her ear. “After you told me about where you’d be staying, I did some digging in our advertising records online. I found Damon’s cell phone. I called him and asked if I could drive down to surprise you. He said he’d make sure I could get through the front gate.”

  Her friend leveled a surprised glance. “Isn’t that risky for you?”

  Jennifer shrugged, not worried. “I doubt McDreamy will snitch on me,” she said, opening the pizza box. “Smells divine.” She grabbed a slice, taking a bite.

  As her friend dove into her pie, Jennifer poured the wine. “So, tell me why you are apprehensive.”

  Brooke shook her head. “Isn’t this weird? A new apartment, job, and Damon at the tail end of my business sinking. Then my ransacked apartment.” She also announced vandalism to her business location—Harry was hurt.