Seducing Mr. Right

by Rebecca Rose

  “Humph.” Schnitzel rubbed against Jake’s leg, so he bent to pet him. “Uncle Dave says I have to work today. You gonna to be okay by yourself?” The cat replied with a squeak then went off to lie in the sun.

  “Jake?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You need to get out more. Oh, and one more thing… apologize.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Oh, he really needed to get out more, and with the woman standing before him. They hadn’t exchanged any words or niceties, yet all he thought about was touching her. He felt itchy, antsy, a little territorial toward the other men looking at her, and desperate to hear her voice. Jake was overloaded with emotions, and he was only on the third hour of his five-hour shift.

  They both were standing behind the bar when he made the most pathetic move to get her attention.

  “Sorry,” Jake said as he pressed his body against the back of hers in an attempt to get by.

  “Right,” she said in an irritated tone.

  Jake looked around at the nearly vacant establishment. Trying to keep it friendly and her out there with him, he announced, “I might be able to close up early tonight.”

  “Whatever.”

  He closed his eyes and reminded himself that he deserved this torture. “So, I hear you’re leavin’.”

  “It’s really none of your business, but I assure you I’m going to fill the position.” Her breasts rested on the bar enticingly when she leaned on it to grab an empty drink a customer left. Jake felt his libido roll over on itself with excitement.

  “There’s no need to get nasty, Sophie.” She went to walk away but stopped when Jake said, “I hear you and your mother have been spending a lot of time together.”

  Sophie spun on her heels. “Really?”

  Jake shrugged. “Have to keep up on all the gossip.”

  “My mother and I have come to an understanding. And it’s none of your concern.”

  “I’m happy for you.” Jake took a long look at the woman in front of him. He yearned for her, he missed her. She looked so beautiful. “Have you been sick?”

  She narrowed her eyes, “No. Why?”

  “You look like you’ve lost some weight. Not that it looks bad,” he added quickly with his hands up. “I just noticed. I mean… umm, you look really good.”

  “So do you,” she murmured. They stared at each other for a few minutes then Sophie turned to look around. “I’m going to miss this place.”

  “We’re going to miss you.”

  She laughed with an edge of venom. “We? Or you?”

  “Take your pick.” The wall she built to keep him out appeared taller and thicker than he imagined. Jake wished he knew how to beat it down with skillful words but all he could do was stare at her and say, “My CDs are a mess.”

  “Really?”

  The sparkle in her eyes encouraged him to continue and break the unbearable tension between them. “Yup. Right now Black Veil Brides is sitting next to Daughtry.”

  To his pleasure a smile crept across her face. “After we broke up I needed something to keep my mind off of things. I started dancing again, and it felt right. I’m going to teach children in low-income areas. A bus will bring them to my studio.”

  The joy in her eyes showed a happiness that had never appeared before when she talked about her dancing. It helped Jake with the guilt over hurting her. It also gave him an opening for a new conversation.

  “That’s awesome, Sophie.” Wow, he wanted to hold her. Just so the nerves in his body could calm down. It wasn’t only the physical attraction that called to him. He missed their conversations, her laughter, and the feel of her in his arms.

  “I really can’t wait. The kids I’ve met are great, and they respond to me really well. I have a few that are truly talented. Its sooo exciting,” she bubbled.

  Jake wondered if she would’ve opened the studio if they had stayed together. Probably not. It reinforced the fact that he’d been right. They both needed time to mend and find their places. But Jake still couldn’t push past the heartbreak, the loneliness, and the urge to throw all logic away and take her in his arms and beg. Somehow, he felt more complete when they were together, than apart.

  “What does your mother think about it?” he asked.

  He saw her close down. An iron gate locking her features with mistrust. She even spoke carefully, “Well… she’s actually helping me.”

  Jake passed a beer to someone then began to mix a drink for another patron. “So… you both are really getting along. Very cool.”

  “We’ve been doing a lot of talking. I guess when she was younger she always wanted to do something like this. I admitted to thinking about it myself and it kinda happened. It’s been really good for us. I hope it lasts,” she confessed.

  Jake reached his hand across the counter and covered hers. “Me too, Sophie.”

  She snatched her hand away with a hiss. “Don’t touch me.”

  “My God, you’re more beautiful than ever.” The words came out and he wasn’t going to take them back. “All I want to do is hold you, run a hand through your hair, touch your face.” The anguish inside him became a sharpened blade twisting in his heart. “Jeez, Sophie, all I think about is how soft your skin is. That lusty laugh that always reaches your eyes. How your body surrenders to my slightest touch. How could I have let you go? What was I thinking?”

  “That’s what you miss? You’re an ass.” She took the glass of water in front of her and threw it in his face.

  “Shit!” He looked down at his wet shirt. There were snickers from the other end of the bar. “I was right and you know it,” he yelled while sprinting after her to the back office.

  “This isn’t the time or place, Sanders.”

  Fighting with her brought him a wicked thrill that awakened his whole body. It felt so good that he pushed harder. “We both needed to discover who we were again. It hurt like hell, but it hasn’t been a mistake. Look at all we’ve accomplished.”

  “Go to hell.” She tried slamming the office door in his face, but he was too quick and slapped a hand on it.

  “Truthfully. Would you have opened your own dance studio?” The processing in Sophie’s mind showed on her face. “Well?”

  “Is this your way of trying to get back with me? Get me to say you were right so we can move on and fuck like old times?”

  Stunned and a little insulted, Jake yelled, “No!”

  “Then what’s this about?”

  Sophie glared at him with a malice he knew he deserved. What a mess he was in. There were no words to describe the emptiness that had encased his life since her absence. “Isn’t there a happy medium we can come to?” he asked, hoping she would say yes but knowing better.

  “Jake, get out of my office,” she announced curtly. “And stay out.”

  The hurt in her voice wrapped around Jake as he walked back out front.

  Just then the bell over the door rang, letting him know a customer had entered. Jake glanced up to see a tall, dark brunette with subtle curves. Her sharp features were hawklike, but her lips were almost in a pout.

  “Can I help you?” Jake called out to the stranger.

  She walked to him with nervous steps and her eyes darted around as if looking for someone. “Jake, right?”

  “That’d be me. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m here to meet Dave. I’m Kathy,” she said, extending a hand. “Is Sophie here?”

  “So you’re the mysterious Kathy. Nice to finally meet you. Sophie’s in the back. I just really ticked her off, so be careful.”

  “Just ticked her off?” She gave a sarcastic laugh but refused to look at him. “What do you call what you did to her before?”

  The mild look he gave her matched his tone. “You can find her in the back, second door on the left. Would you like something to drink?”

  “I’d love something strong to calm my nerves, but I’ll take a Coke instead.”

  “Here you go. On the house.” Jake watched he
r walk to the back. Her steps weren’t as graceful as Sophie’s. Actually, everything about Kathy seemed to be the opposite. Jake picked up a glass and started drying it while wondering what the two women were talking about. He itched to know if Sophie truly hated his guts or if there might be a chance they could someday be together again.

  The bell chimed again, and Dave entered the bar. “Your new love is here!” Jake announced.

  “Thank God! I’ve waited long enough.” Dave shook the snow from his jacket. “Started snowing out there like we’re havin’ a damn blizzard.”

  “Really?” Jake looked out the window. “It wasn’t a minute ago.”

  “Nope. But this is New England. We just have to wait. It’ll be sunny and warm in a minute.”

  “Wishful thinking, bro. We’re in the dead of winter.”

  “A man can dream and—”

  Jake turned to see what stopped his brother from continuing his thought. “Told you she’s your type. Has a smart mouth, too.”

  Dave gave his brother a brief look before walking to Kathy and Sophie. “Kathy, how ya doing?”

  “Good.”

  It looked almost painful watching his brother and Kathy shake hands. She blushed and averted her eyes.

  “Did you find a parking space okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s snowing something awful out there. Was it snowing when you came in?” Dave asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you say anything other than ‘yes’?” Dave gave her a crooked smile.

  “Yes,” she said, turning a darker shade of crimson. “I’m sorry. I just…” She wrung her hands together and shrugged her shoulders.

  Sophie stepped up. “I promise, Dave, once you get her talking, she never stops.”

  “That’s so not true,” Kathy protested.

  “Why don’t you take the booth back there?” Dave nodded with his head. “Did Jake get you something to drink?”

  “Yes… I mean… he did when I first came in.”

  Jake watched her walk away. “Hey, Dave. You want me to order some fries or something from the kitchen for you and Kathy to enjoy together?” When he saw Dave’s don’t tease me right now look, he rephrased his question. “Do you want me to order something so it won’t seem so much like an interview and more like two friends talking?”

  “Yeah. Do the sampler so she can choose. She’s not allergic to anything, is she, Sophie?”

  “No. Just really bashful, so be kind.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  * * *

  “He’s a goner,” Sophie told Jake, as they watched Dave walk over to Kathy.

  “Yes, I believe he is. Who’d’ve thought a man could turn to putty in the mere presence of a woman?” He looked at Sophie as he said it, and she shifted on her feet.

  “A man can do the same thing to a woman.” She held his glaze but raised her chin. “Especially one who has no idea of how wonderful he is and refuses to apologize for being a jerk.”

  It was cute to see the heat rise in Jake’s cheeks. She missed him more every day. When Kathy came back into her office nerved up, Sophie had tried to tell her not to worry about the interview. But then her friend saw the tension in Sophie’s eyes. That short pep talk got Sophie back on the right path. It stopped her from thinking that this part of her life was a dead end and happiness was a detour sign she missed. Jake was trying his best to talk to her. Pretty much came out and said how much he missed her. Except all he talked about was her body and that was why she’d been nasty toward him. The wanting in his eyes told Sophie that Kathy was right. He was hurting, too, and he needed to decide what he wanted. It was the most painful thing she’d ever done, waiting for him to come to her. However, it seemed to be the only approach she could take.

  “Why does everyone keep saying I need to ask for your forgiveness? I did nothing wrong,” he told her.

  “Jake?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Shut up.” She saw his hesitation. “You’re not going to be able to hide much longer from your feelings for me. They’re written on your face.”

  Jake straightened his body with denial, “Who says I’m hiding? I know what it is I want.”

  “Really?” She leaned an elbow on the bar, rested her chin in her hand and decided a little push in the right direction wouldn’t be a bad thing. “So… what do you want? Me?”

  He licked his lips. “Yes. But—”

  “But not enough to commit? Do you love me?”

  When Jake didn’t answer Sophie shook her head, turned, and walked away. She couldn’t figure out if standing there facing him was worse than not seeing him at all. There appeared to be a tug-of-war tearing her heart apart.

  Chapter Twenty

  “That girl knows what she’s doing.” Dave lifted the barbell up as Jake spotted him.

  “Really?”

  “Kathy’s got so many degrees it’s frightening. We’re totally underpaying her.”

  Jake thought of how Sophie lived. To her, a paycheck was more for verifying her independence than for providing financial security. He loved that self-sufficient streak about her. “At least the market is bad and it’s hard to find a job. Hopefully Kathy will be stuck with us for a while.”

  “Hope so. I’d hate for another accountant to walk out that door.”

  Like he let Sophie walk out of his? Jake missed the stolen glances at work and the silent understanding that went between them without his ever having to explain why he needed alone time. “I bet you would,” he commented with a grumble.

  “Jake, she’s an employee, and you know our policy.”

  “Yup.”

  “I’m absolutely breaking that rule and dating her. I don’t care. I swear from the moment I met her…” Dave put the barbell down and sat up. “She’s the one,” he told Jake with conviction.

  “Damn, that didn’t take long.”

  “I’m telling you. Sitting in that booth with her was like sitting with someone I’d known all my life. And she felt it, too.”

  “How can you be so sure about that?”

  “Because I told her, and she said she felt the same.”

  Taken back, Jake gave a low whistle. “Guess you have Sophie to thank for this.”

  “I called her this morning and did just that. You know, Jake, she’s the best thing to ever happen to you.”

  “I just think we need some time.”

  “Well, I’m gonna give you some brotherly advice whether you want it or not. I think you’re scared.”

  Jake gave Dave a bland look. “That wasn’t advice, Dave.”

  “You’re terrified and don’t know what to do.”

  “First of all, I’ve never been terrified of a woman—”

  “You are of this one,” Dave interrupted.

  “Am not. And second…” Jake faltered, trying to remember the reasons they weren’t and couldn’t be together.

  “That’s what I thought! You have no idea what you’re doing. Let me tell you Jake, you’re gonna lose her if you don’t do something.”

  “I can’t,” Jake whispered. “It’s humiliating to admit I’m chickenshit. But I just can’t bring myself to go to her. What if she rejects me? I’ll die. I can’t stop thinking about her, though. How she feels in my arms. How when we’re together it’s… wow.”

  “No, I was wrong, Jake. You’re an asshole. Is sex all that you think about when you think of her? What are you, sixteen years old?”

  “That’s not fair, bro.” Jake pointed at his brother. “There are plenty of things I miss about her.”

  “Really? Like what?”

  “How we laugh watching TV together. How her perfume is still in the air even though she’s gone. Ummm… how she feels next to me.”

  “Great. Totally great, Jake. You can have that with other women. What is it about Sophie that makes you want her? Or are you just being pigheaded about this and don’t want to admit you’re in love with her?”

  Jake hesitated, “She’s not gonn
a take me back anyway.”

  “For argument’s sake, let’s say ‘I’m sorry’ comes out of your mouth.”

  Jake slugged down some water to give himself time to think before answering. “I don’t want to screw up her life like I’ve done to my own, Dave. Okay? I got people hurt and killed.”

  “Jake, you’re not going to wreck her life when you never messed up your own. It was a war and you did your job. Get over yourself.” Jake twisted with shame when he saw his brother look helpless for a fraction of a moment. “You need to stop thinking like that and try to move on.”

  “I know,” Jake agreed.

  “Are you in love with her?”

  “Dave, Sophie deserves more than me.”

  The disgust in Dave’s voice was potent. “Yeah, because war heroes are such scum. Yes or no, Jake? Are you in love with her?”

  “I’m no hero,” Jake insisted while carefully dodging the question.

  “Really? Because that’s what all those metals stand for.”

  “I was doing my job.”

  “Damn it, Jake! Are you in love with her!”

  “Yes! I miss the way her eyes light up when she sees me. I miss the way she answers the phone when she knows I’m on the line. The way she makes me feel alive when I think the whole world is collapsing around me. I’m not missing a part of myself when I’m with her. Do you understand what it’s like to feel as if you’re only half a man? That’s what I am without her. But I’m no hero, and being with me requires her to put her life on hold—like you did! So I’ve screwed you, too!” Jake couldn’t stand to have this argument any longer and walked away. How could he explain to Dave that as a military man he looked at things much differently? He saw the men who died while under his command. He saw the innocent victims who just happened to get caught in the crossfire. No, he was no one’s hero. Not even his own.

  “Jake!” Dave caught up with his brother. “Wait! Let me put it this way. When a man does his everyday job right, he gets a promotion and sometimes a raise for the mundane tasks that make up his day-to-day work. When you guys do something right, it means you saved more lives than you lost. That you fought for the greater good and won. And while at the end of the day you may think you didn’t do your job the best that you could… it’s still a job that ninety percent of us couldn’t do. Because we don’t have the grit and courage that you men have. So don’t stand there and tell me that you’re not a hero because it’s insulting to those of us who look up to you! If you can’t admit to it, at least acknowledge it! She loves you because of who you are, not who you were.”