Seducing Mr. Right

by Rebecca Rose

  “So, who are you working for if it isn’t your brother?”

  Jake’s attention went back to his customer, who practically lived at the Hungry Lion. “I work only for myself, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

  “Actually, he works for me, now.”

  Jake turned to the lyrical sound of Sophie’s voice. She looked really pretty today in her baggy jeans and low-cut orange shirt. Without thinking, he began to admire her chest and she snapped her fingers at him.

  “My face is up here, Jake,” she said with a snicker.

  He felt the heat in his cheeks. “Sorry. You can be very distracting.”

  “Where’s Dave?”

  “Why?” He wanted her to stay out in the open longer. It would give him the opportunity to smell her sweet scent and look at her a little more.

  “I need to talk to him about an advertising thing.”

  “Why can’t you talk to me?” She rolled her eyes at Jake, causing him to tighten his grip on a glass. If he squeezed any harder, he was certain it would break.

  “You’re a silent partner, and Dave asked that I talk with him about all promotion decisions.”

  She licked her lips, an involuntary movement, causing a sexual tension to coil through Jake’s body. One half of him wanted to push her away, while the other became desperate to throw her atop the bar and have his way with her.

  “I can make decisions,” he told her.

  “Okay, how about a Halloween party with giveaways? It would bring traffic in, and I’ve been thinking about a new menu for the kitchen. Something a little more festive like Ghouls Stew and Eyeball Salad?”

  “Well, I don’t know what Ghouls Stew is, but yeah, I think the party sounds cool.” He winked at her then grabbed another glass to dry. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking about her so much. The night they kissed at his house was the first time in years he’d felt a real passionate pull toward a woman. He’d told himself that sooner or later he would develop an attraction to someone. However, he never imagined it would be like this, and with someone like Sophie. All the women he previously dated didn’t have the strength, drive, or compassion she did. They also didn’t propel him to protect them emotionally as well as physically, like Sophie did. Why else would he have gone along for the ride to her summer home?

  It was all kind of scary, and the uneasiness he felt stood rooted in the fact that he let down everyone he ever cared about. First, he sent his military team straight into an ambush and to their deaths. Second, he couldn’t hold on to his fiancée because he hadn’t had the ability to give her the emotional support she needed, and that had pushed her into the arms of another man.

  Then there was his family. Jake had always been the good son. His parents were so proud of him when he joined the Marines and worked his way up the ranks. When he came back broken they offered to sell their retirement home in Florida and move back, but Jake insisted they didn’t. They had always been understanding and loving, and letting them give up what they had worked so hard for would have been just another way he let them down.

  Jake wasn’t a man they could rely on anymore. He wasn’t the guy who could make everything better. The baggage he carried was too heavy and too painful for him to help someone else with theirs, and that was why he couldn’t even think about being intimate with Sophie.

  Jake looked down at the small delicate hand that wrapped only partway around his bicep. Her baby blue eyes and naked pink lips beckoned him to kiss her again.

  “What?” he asked, a little shaken by everything he felt.

  “You okay?”

  The concern in her eyes let an honest smile form on his lips. “Now, how could I not be with a beautiful lady by my side?” For this comment, Jake received whoops and howlers from his regulars.

  “True.” She sauntered off and Jake gave a warning look to the man in front of him who leered at her from his stool.

  “Louie, I wouldn’t think about it,” he told him.

  “I was just looking.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t want you doing that, either.”

  “Doing what?” Dave came around the corner of the bar and gave Jake a nod.

  “I think our Jake has a thing for the new chick. It’s kinda cute, being his first crush and all.” Louie held up his hands in defeat when Jake sneered at him.

  “I won’t hurt you this time,” Jake told the man. “But, if any more crap comes out of your mouth, I’ll be forced to wipe the floor with you… again.”

  “Jake, be nice to our customers or I’ll have your new girlfriend fire you.”

  “All of you suck!” Jake threw down the dry cloth and walked toward the backroom. He could hear the men taunting him as he went. She wasn’t his girlfriend—not even close. All Sophie could be was a woman of interest. So what if she was feisty and built like a brick shithouse? So what if she made him think of garter belts and lace panties worn with stilettos? She was a woman, that was all.

  He walked into her office where she was found bent over, her sweet ass in the air, picking something up. The thought of his hands on her bottom and his tongue tasting between those long, toned legs made Jake swear aloud and Sophie turn with a puzzled look.

  “What’s up?” she asked, and went back to digging through the box in front of her.

  “You’re not my girlfriend,” he said, more forcefully than needed.

  “Oh, thank God you told me. I was just thinking about picking out dinnerware.” She straightened and worked some kinks out of her back.

  “I don’t want any type of relationship. I’ve been solo for years and I don’t need the complication in my life.”

  One of her eyebrows came up in a question. Jake couldn’t deny the sexiness of the movement or his physical reaction to it. Emotions swamped him in a chaotic jumble. Everything about her beaconed a warning, as a lighthouse would to caution ships headed for the rocky shores. Lord help him. How would he survive?

  “Okay. I hadn’t realized we were headed that way. If it happens again, please let me know.” She smiled and sauntered over to him. “Jake. I’m not going to molest you. Unless that’s what you want.”

  “I don’t want you to do anything.” He took in a ragged breath as his hands stroked up her sides to rest around his neck.

  “Then I’ll let you do it all,” she said, while flipping her hair behind her back.

  “You’re not playing fair.” He nuzzled her neck and tugged on her earlobe with his teeth. “Coming in smelling sweet and looking beautiful. You’re seducing me, Sophie.” One of his hands firmly cupped her butt and brought her tight against his groin.

  “Just remember, I’m not touching you… but I really want to.” Her voice turned thick with passion. He heard it and realized his voice must sound the same.

  Needing more, but not completely sure he would be able to handle her, Jake quietly demanded, “Touch me.” The instant his words were out Sophie’s hand shot between them and began to massage him through his jeans. Emotions filled his body and mind. Sensations, which long lay dormant, awakened with Sophie’s very existence in his world. How could he explain to her that the war inside of him retreated every time she was near? That each day he learned to feel again, to live? Fervor raced through him while the world spun around. Jake gasped for air as his control started to slip.

  Sophie kissed his neck and whispered in his ear, “I’ve never been so forward with a man before. I can’t seem to contain myself around you.”

  “I don’t seem to have control, either.” His body trembled. Restraint… he needed to find it before he exploded from the friction her hand was creating. “Wait, Sophie, I—” She stopped without question, and looking as startled as he felt, took a step away from him. “I’m sorry, Sophie. It must seem like I’m teasing you.” Shame filled him, and he bit his lower lip to keep the vulgar words he wanted to call himself quiet.

  “Jake.” She placed a gentle hand to his cheek. “You’ve been through a hell of a lot. Don’t worry, I’ll be here when you’
re ready.”

  “I really want to say the hell with all of it and—”

  “Hey, what’s going on in here?” Dave stood there, looking from Jake to Sophie.

  “I was just letting Sophie know that I was leaving for the night.”

  “Really?”

  “What’s the matter, Dave?” Sophie went back to her box, but this time she squatted down. “Feeling like you’re missing out on something?” She turned and winked at him.

  “Yeah. He walks in here and doesn’t come out for ten minutes. I have to wonder if he’s passed out on your couch.” Dave gave his brother a good-natured slap on the back.

  “Ha ha. Very funny. Okay, I’m out for the day.”

  Jake left without looking at either of them, or the customers with their questioning eyes. He had made a fool of himself and was positive Sophie was the reason for it. What happened to the smooth-talking guy who had women falling all over him? Or, the man who could, and did, take any woman he wanted to bed?

  He got fucked. That was what happened. The woman he was going to marry ran away with someone else. The sting might still be there, but somehow it wasn’t as sharp as it once was. Maybe time did heal all things. Maybe he would get laid again. Jake laughed at himself. Only a desperate man would be comparing love wounds to having sex. Yet he found himself wanting more than that quick physical release. No, he didn’t want only a body to plunder. He craved laughing, quiet smiles, private jokes shared between two people who’ve been intimate. He thought about what it would be like to have Sophie in bed. Those glorious breasts, muscular body, and fiery personality would be lethal. But at least he’d die a happy man.

  * * *

  Sophie giggled when Jake was out of earshot, high on her newfound sexual power and the fact she had never affected a man like this before. She found it quite fun that he had the same influence on her as she did over him. Being around Jake sent her into a physical and mental need. She wanted to joke with him and talk about everything and nothing at the same time. It was an exciting comfort she’d never experienced with a man before. “That man is a mess, Dave.”

  “Sophie.”

  When she looked at Dave, she knew what he would say next. “I’m not playing with him. Actually, I’m not quite sure what’s going on.”

  “It’s been a long time since my baby brother was involved with anyone. I keep a close eye on him.”

  “I know, Dave. Jake is an amazing man. He told me about his ex and that he hasn’t been with a woman in a long time. It seems like he’s interested, but he keeps giving me mixed signals. First he kisses me, then tells me he doesn’t want a relationship, but finishes the conversation with… well… you get the point. I don’t really know where I stand with him, but I’m willing to give him the time to figure out what he wants.” She sat behind her desk.

  “Sophie, there’re some things you need to know.”

  “Dave, I don’t think Jake will appreciate us gossiping about him.”

  “I’m only watching out for the both of you. Sophie, look at me.”

  She studied Dave’s stark expression, no longer feeling humorous. “What is it, Dave?”

  “Jake came back a mess.”

  “I know that.”

  “No, you don’t. You’ve heard about the girl and the bullets, plus the fire at his apartment. You didn’t hear about the downward spiral he had eight months after being home. It was so gradual that at first no one noticed. Then he found out one of our childhood friends died, and he hit bottom hard. Jake and Chuck were real close growing up. Heck, they even joined the military together. After a few years they lost track of each other but met up again while stationed in Afghanistan.” Dave went silent for a moment inner pain displayed prominently on his face. “Chuck was still active when Jake came home. I thought if I contacted him it would cheer Jake up. He took his girlfriend marrying another man really hard.”

  “I think I would, too.”

  Dave sat down on the couch. His hands dangled between his legs while he gave his shoulders a helpless shrug. “Chuck had killed himself only days before, and his family hadn’t contacted Jake yet.”

  Sophie’s breath clogged her lungs. Never would she be able to imagine the anguish Jake lived through the past few years. It wasn’t fair. A man who fought for his country, put his life on the line to protect the rights of others, and this is how he’s repaid? The very idea of it left Sophie dumbfounded. “Why? How?”

  “Chuck dressed in full military uniform, shined his shoes, oiled his gun, and blew his head off. A seemingly normal man who looked as if he had it all together did the unthinkable. He’d been suffering from PTSD. It’s what Jake has now.”

  “Oh, God.” A feeling of helplessness for Jake and Chuck overwhelmed her. What could she do to help Jake? Did she really want to be involved with someone who had those types of problems? She didn’t even know where to start or what to do.

  Dave’s face went grim. “Post-traumatic stress disorder is a serious thing.”

  She tried waving his concern away in hopes that it wasn’t as bad as he was making it out to be. “Dave, I’ve been around Jake. He’s working, talking, living on his own—”

  Dave shook his head. “You don’t get it. That’s how it is, until something triggers it. For Jake it was the death of his friend and comrades. If you want to be with him and be a part of his life, you need to understand that the man went to hell and came back not whole. He doesn’t feel like we do. He can’t watch horror movies. Loud bangs or backfires from cars cause him to drop to the ground. When he came home and all the bullshit was sorted through, he lived hour to hour, because there was no other way for him. Nightmares, loss of time, mood swings. I’ve seen him have a flashback just from smelling something. Sophie, tread carefully. You can’t imagine the things he’s been through.”

  “No, I can’t. Has he talked to you about it?” She felt a little sick and placed a hand on her stomach in hopes of calming it down.

  “No, he says it’s too much for me to hear about and understand. Truthfully, I don’t think I want to know what Jake saw. I’m not a strong enough person for that.” Clearly agitated, he stood and paced the room. “Most people aren’t. All I know is he came home with pictures of dead bodies in his head and time missing. I woke him up out of a nightmare once and thought he was gonna kill me. Not because I woke him, but because he was still there battling the war.” Dave went quiet. His concern so evident it made Sophie’s heart ache. “Jake always wanted to be a Marine. He was born for it. It was something he had to do. It takes a special person to be married to the military, and someone even more exceptional to have a relationship with that person. Sophie, you need to think about this.”

  She remained silent for a moment. Alone in her thoughts about a man she, for some reason, couldn’t stop thinking about or wanting to be near. The connection they had only seemed to be getting stronger, and now Dave was really giving her something to think about if she planned on pursuing him. “I’m sorry, Dave. I had no idea.”

  “I know. That’s why I wanted to tell you. If there’s anything you need to ask, don’t hesitate. Jake isn’t open with many people.” Dave smiled, “He seems to have taken to you, though.”

  “I’ve taken to him, and I promise to do everything I can not to hurt him.” Sophie picked at a loose thread on her shirt. “You’re a really good brother for looking out for Jake. I wish I had someone to do that for me.”

  “No one watched out for you, Sophie?”

  “Only a few good friends. I was an only child, unfortunately.” She picked up a stack of papers on her desk and tapped them even. She really needed to process everything Dave had told her. The problem was she’d already started to care for Jake. But did she see herself loving him? She wanted him in the worst way, yet somehow she knew sex wouldn’t be enough. For either of them. “Okay, fun time’s over. I have some advertising ideas I want to go over with you. I spoke to Jake about it earlier, but the only thing I got was him staring at my breasts.”
/>   Dave smirked, “Always was a breast man.”

  She pressed her lips together in an attempt to stifle her laughter. “Okay, how about a Halloween party? I think we can put it together in three weeks.” The chair squeaked as Sophie turned to the computer.

  “Let’s do it.”

  “Oh, and I need a new office chair.”

  “I think we can budget that.”

  When the soft knock on the door sounded, both yelled, “Come in!” A dark-haired woman stuck her head inside.

  “Hi,” she said with a soft-as-a-feather voice. Sophie noticed the instant blush when her friend looked at Dave.

  “Kathy, come in. This is Dave. Dave, my friend Kathy.”

  Dave stood mesmerized by the woman who walked in the door.

  “Dave? You okay?”

  “What? Oh… yeah. Hi.” He extended a hand to Kathy, who fidgeted before she shook it.

  “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

  “Don’t be silly. Dave and I were talking about holding a Halloween party here. What do you think?”

  “Umm. Well, with the right advertising and door prizes, you could really bring in a killing.” Kathy’s eyes went from Sophie’s to Dave’s then to the floor.

  “Kathy’s an accountant,” Sophie said to Dave.

  “Was,” Kathy added weakly. “They laid me off last year.”

  Dave took a step forward and cocked his head. “That sucks. The economy has really affected too many people. Are you lookin’?”

  “Yes.”

  “No luck?”

  “No.” Kathy snuck a peek at Dave from under her lashes. “Hopefully soon though,” she said, smiling.

  Sophie saw Dave let out a long breath he must have been holding. Feeling the need to help the two of them out she asked, “Well, Dave, would you mind if Kathy and I have a break together?”

  “No, not at all,” he said while watching Kathy. “Why don’t you order some food and sit out in a booth?”