The onlookers started clapping. Erika said, “Phew! That was close, am I right?”
Disgust heavy on his face, Lewis about-faced and walked away. Not that she blamed him. She didn’t know how it looked, but she knew how it felt. It hadn’t been fair on him. She’d way crossed the line.
“The other groups will be here soon,” Josh said as he walked back toward the camp with stiff, angry strides. “You might pick out places for your tents and start setting up.”
“Did you piss yourself?” Erika asked with wide eyes. “Because holy crap, Jenna, that was terrifying.”
“Are you okay?” Ada asked, putting her hand lightly on Jenna’s shoulder.
Jenna moved away. Normally she wasn’t much for random physical contact. Normally being the operative word. “Only I would go straight for the worst place.”
“It blended in, though. Mike had to point it out to me because I didn’t see it.”
“I was a lot closer than you were.” Jenna shook out her arms. The danger she’d been in cut through the emotions that Josh had left disheveled. “I have to talk to Lewis. I was a bit closer to Jo—Chuck than I should’ve been.”
“Jenna,” Erika’s voice took on an incredulous tone. “The guy just saved your ass. Literally. Cut yourself some slack.” After a couple more steps, she asked, “Was his body as hard as it looks?”
“Not now, Erika.” Jenna peeled off from the others before she admitted that yes, it was just as hard as it looked. Mouth-wateringly hard. That was part of the problem.
“Hey, listen,” Jenna said to Lewis as she grabbed a corner of their tent. She pulled to spread it out. “Sorry about that. With Ranger Bob. It was a close call with that snake—that’s the only reason he was so close, you know?”
Lewis shrugged, not looking at her. “Have your fun. I can’t really say ‘boo,’ can I? But after this, we’re even.”
“I didn’t mean— Wait, what do you mean, ‘even’?”
“I didn’t think you’d retaliate—it’s a bit childish—but you’re entitled, I guess. But after this we’re even. Eye for an eye. No more messing around.”
Jenna shook her head in confusion.
Clearly thinking the head shake was for denial, Lewis gave a dramatic sigh and dropped the tent. He stared at her with an unyielding expression. “Yes, Jenna, it’s only fair, and before you say anything, it was only Tory. No one else.”
“Tory Smith? The one that built the model for our building?”
“Yeah…why? Who’d you hear it was?”
Cold prickles of uncertainty cut away some of the confusion. “What are you talking about?”
Realization spread across Lewis’s face. Resignation turned into guilt.
Jenna’s uncertainty cleared away, leaving an uncomfortable pain in its wake. She reached for anger to cover it. “You screwed Tory? When?”
“She came on to me! She was all over me. What was I supposed to do?”
“Say no, you bastard. That’s what boyfriends do. They say no to cheating. When was this?”
“Does it matter? You should take your own advice and not screw the hired help.”
“I haven’t touched him except for that snake incident a second ago. I’ve been with you the whole time.”
“What about yesterday in the dark?”
“I sat and ate and he made sure I wasn’t eaten by a lion. That’s it. Clothes intact. I came back and tried to screw you, remember? When, Lewis?”
“I don’t have to—”
“When?”
“Three months ago, okay? It started three months ago.”
“It started three months ago…when did it end?”
Lewis looked down at the tent.
“Lewis. When did it end?” Jenna’s voice lowered to a murderously quiet level. She inched closer, staring him in the face. He was about the same height as her, but he looked small under her glare.
“I was going to end it as soon as you agreed to move in with me.” He backed up. “If you were around more, I wouldn’t have to find someone else to fill the gaps…”
“Don’t—” Jenna held up her hand, her world reeling. She blinked to try and get her head around this. “You said you wanted to marry me. How many wives were you after?”
“Jenna, don’t get melodramatic on me. Obviously we are going to get married. We’re perfect for each other—same social status, same goals, same likes. This is just one of those things. It’s like you banging the gardener while I screw the secretary.” He laughed, like it was a joke. “Just relax. I’m not even mad. A little disappointed in the type of guy you chose—he’s beneath you. Really, it’s—”
“So help me God, Lewis…” She clenched her teeth, trying to fight the rage. “If you say one more word, I will give you a black eye to match Dale’s.”
She turned in a circle and saw that she was the focal point of three teams of people. Most of the expressions were of pity. She found Erika’s eyes.
“Did you know?” Jenna asked.
Erika slowly shook her head. “But I suspected. He was sneaky about it. I wanted proof before I went to you.”
Jenna nodded. That made sense. She wouldn’t have believed it without proof.
She almost still didn’t believe it. How could she have not known?
Her stomach clenched as she realized that he was probably right. She wasn’t the model girlfriend. She hadn’t given him all of herself, afraid she’d get stepped on and wouldn’t be able to recover from the pain. She’d distanced herself in all the ways that a girlfriend shouldn’t. Could she really blame him for seeking out another?
Deciding, she faced Lewis and looked at him. Really looked at him.
He was handsome, and built nicely with cut, lean muscles. He dressed impeccably and had the poise of a prince, with all the ego and self-entitlement she would expect from someone of his background and social class. But for all that, she had to be really honest about one solid point: he was a douche. And he’d betrayed the wrong woman.
“You should’ve broken up with me first, you pathetic little worm.” Jenna stepped closer, slightly annoyed that he flinched. “I’m going to bury you. You understand me? Bury. You. Think about moving, because there won’t be many firms in New York that will take you on when I am done with you. You’ve messed with the wrrooooooong girl.”
Lewis rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right, Jenna. Just relax.”
“Number one, don’t tell a woman to relax when she’s upset. It’s condescending. Number two, don’t tell this woman to relax, because she’ll add it to the list of grievances and make your life a living hell.” Jenna lowered her voice, only wanting him to hear how vile she could really be. “This time next year you will be unemployed and moving in with your folks. My new favorite hobby will be ruining your life. Think about that the next time you can’t keep your dick behind your zipper!”
Jenna turned on her heel, which screamed in agony as she burst another blister, and stalked away from all the onlookers. All the threats in the world didn’t make her look less like a jilted woman. Lewis had not only betrayed her, he’d humiliated her. It was a huge pill to swallow.
As dusk approached, the shadows lengthened across the wooded ground, covering everything in inky shadows. Jenna sat against the trunk of a large tree a little distance from the main camp, needing time away from staring eyes and whispered words. Since the confrontation, she’d only been in the camp to check in with Erika and make sleeping arrangements. She had her own tent that she hadn’t used thus far, yes, but she didn’t feel like being alone—something Erika knew without Jenna having to admit.
The rest of the time she sat idly, letting her mind drift. But for all that she tried to segregate herself, like some ostracized woman, she had a line of visitors. Mike wandered by with his hands in his pockets, talking about how annoying the Orange group was, and then standing in silence, looking at the trees. After a while, he said, “All right, then. See ya back there.” Ada stopped by to tell her a story about getting cheated o
n, and then trashing the guy’s ’59 Corvette. A couple strangers from the camp wandered closer, one asking if Jenna knitted, because she had extra supplies if Jenna wanted to pass the time. The other woman said, “I was going to offer her the Game Boy…”
It was sweet and completely unexpected. She didn’t care about picking sides, or their opinions on the matter, but people noticing she was gone was a nice thing.
When the day was losing the battle to night, Josh came out with a small bag. He was in threadbare jeans and a worn T-shirt. Both pieces of overused fabric fit him like a glove, and it was impressive watching his large, muscular body move gracefully like a jungle cat.
“You good?” he asked as he sat down beside her.
“Going to protect me from the critters again?”
“From Dale, actually. He’s been hovering around. Although that was a pretty firm knock you gave him this morning. Well done. I don’t think he’ll be getting that close again.”
There was something in his eyes when he looked at her. Sympathy, she decided.
She didn’t need it. What she did need was a distraction.
Her mind called up that hardness that had been pressing against her earlier. The feel of him. His delicious and intoxicating smell.
“Let me see your feet,” he said, reaching for her shoe.
“I’ll show you my feet if you show me your cock,” she said boldly.
Josh froze. He slowly pulled his hand back and looked at her. His eyes were raging, two large ocher bonfires in the dead of a moonless night. They pulled her in and carried her away.
She reached for him, for his face. She slid her other hand up his thigh and cupped his rock-hard bulge. He was ready for her.
Chapter Fifteen
Jenna leaned closer, closing her eyes for a moment as his heat soaked into her. One of his hands closed around her wrist, lifting her touch away. The other captured the hand lightly braced on his cheek.
“This is not going to happen.” He pushed her hands away.
“Yes, it is. You want this as much as I do. Your body says so.” She tried to wiggle out of his iron grip. “Let me go, Josh.”
“Not unless you stop this.”
“This is happening. Let it.”
Fire ignited in his eyes; desire and longing raged. And something else. Something dangerous and off kilter. That wild thing he kept on a tight leash was struggling to get free.
Adrenaline pumped into her, her flight reflex becoming active even as her sex swelled. She wanted to see what happened when he lost control equally as much as she didn’t.
In a rush of movement, he yanked her closer. Gripping the back of her neck, he held her firmly, his lips soft, his kiss insistent.
Just as a moment ago she couldn’t get any closer, now she couldn’t get away even if she tried. He trapped her body to his, surrounding her in his incredibly strong arms. She opened her mouth and he filled it in a rush. His taste, sweet and wild, overcame her senses. Dragged her under to a place she didn’t understand. His tongue found hers and teased it expertly, sucked it, stroked it. Her body was still caught, his grip getting harder, almost painful.
He was losing control—she had none to begin with. Crazy and reckless, this was the hottest thing she could remember. It was also the most terrifying. He could throw her down and have her in an instant. There would be nothing she could do about it. She was a tall girl, and fairly powerful, but next to him she felt tiny. He would have her naked and spread before she could even think about fighting back.
Fear encroached on lust. The train wobbled harder. It would derail, and she didn’t know if she could survive the crash. His wildness was dangerous. Unhinged.
This man was not a distraction; he was his own sold-out show. He wasn’t someone to engage with lightly, but she was already in over her head!
She struggled for a moment before he yanked away again, breathing heavily. The air rushed in and flash-froze the sweat on her face. He stared into her eyes with an intensity that set her teeth to chattering and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. His eyes were dark, the pupils dilated as the darkness enveloped them.
He pushed her shoulders away further, holding her at arm’s length. “This is not happening.” There was a savageness in his husky voice that gave her shivers. “Not now, not ever. I have a job to do. To keep you safe. Everyone safe. I can’t do that with this distraction. You will never cross that line again. Clear?”
“For now,” she said with a courage she didn’t feel. But she was damned if she was going to let him push her around. This wasn’t the wilderness. They didn’t need that much protection out here. And her life was not a possession for a man to manipulate…even though this one time it happened to be relieving.
“Show me your feet.” His voice was a soft hum. He was clearly bringing himself back under control.
She wished it was that easy for her. Her swollen lips tingled with memory. She didn’t want to push too hard, though. He would push back.
She gingerly removed her boot and dusted off some dirt. Gently, she pulled the sock off her foot. Then sighed. It was as bad as she’d feared. Each toe had at least one blister, often more, a few ruptured and oozing blood or pus. Her heel had another giant blister, and the balls of her feet a couple more. Even the sides of her feet had been rubbed raw.
“Are those boots really worth this?” he asked without the slightest trace of hesitation or disgust.
“Yup. They’ll hurt tomorrow, and then they’ll toughen up and I’ll be left with super-cute shoes. You watch.”
He shook his head as he dug in his blue bag. “Turn so your feet are near me. Keep them out of the dirt. Losing a foot to infection would be a steep price to pay for fashion.”
She scooched around before laying her feet right next to his bulge. She flashed him a sly grin.
With gentleness befitting a nurse, he moved her feet to a safer area on his thigh before applying ointment on the trouble areas. She sighed as the cool gel eased the burn.
Her name rang through the trees. She gave an answering holler.
Erika tromped up, took in the scene, and froze. “What’s going on?”
“First aid. Nurse Hatchet doesn’t approve of battle wounds going untreated.” Jenna watched a Band-Aid being wrapped around her big toe.
“Nurse Ratched, dummy.” Erika leaned over Josh’s workstation. “Yeah, she’s an idiot, isn’t she, Ranger Bob? But she’s had worse.” Erika paused. If she were expecting a reaction from Josh, she hadn’t been paying attention for the last couple of days. “So…we want to start the debate again.”
Jenna smiled up at the trees. “Let me guess, you talked Mike around.”
“You guess right, Grasshopper. We are ready to close in for the kill.”
“I am right, you are wrong, and I have all night to prove it.”
“Your argument doesn’t make sense mathematically.”
“Yes it does. I have tools in my bag and I will show you, Obi-Wan. And the first person I win over will be Ada.”
“An Ivy League school doesn’t make you right.”
“No, but a brain does.”
Erika scoffed. “Ranger Bob, squeeze one of her blisters, will you?” She turned and stomped away.
Josh remained impassive as he continued his doctoring. Jenna closed her eyes and listened to the night. His hands felt good on her feet.
“Doctor a lot of feet in your line of work?” she asked.
“Yes. It is very important to keep your feet healthy and dry. They are your lifesavers when everything else fails.”
“You sound like the Lord of the Rings narration.”
He gave a huff, which might have been a laugh. He finished bandaging her, and then his fingers played lightly across her ankle. Pleasant shivers rolled over her skin as she reveled in his soft touch. It was amazing that someone so big and strong could be so gentle.
With a sigh she let her head fall back, feeling those light fingers trailing across the top of her foot. A
thumb moved softly over her ankle, coaxing a moan from deep in her throat. She wanted to try that kiss again, see if she could hang on a little longer and ride the storm.
Without warning, his touch disappeared, leaving only coldness in its wake.
Probably for the best.
Her smile was languid as she brought her head back up and met his eyes. Lost to the darkness, she could only guess at what was in them, if it was wariness, or passion.
She didn’t dare say anything. He looked on edge.
Josh was still fighting for the control that, until two days ago, had come so naturally. He wanted her so badly that it hurt. There wasn’t enough room in his pants for the constant hard-on. Keeping a dam intact against rushing floods and loose bricks wasn’t as easy as he wanted to believe.
The smile that played across her face teased him, flirted with the tide of raging desire. He needed to break away from this, but he was only so strong, and he’d used up almost all his resources to refuse her earlier.
“Time to get back,” he said gruffly.
Jenna reached for her socks.
“No.” Josh got up. “You need to leave those boots off. Your feet will heal faster.”
“But I thought I wasn’t supposed to get them dirty…”
He gathered up her shoes and socks so she couldn’t ignore him. She was still holding her feet in the air. “I’ll carry you back in so you can get your flip-flops on. Just mind the dirt.”
“You are not carrying me. I’m too heavy.” He could hear the fear riding her words. As if he would drop the waif that she was. Her problem with her weight was more serious than he’d thought.
“Are you worried about what your boyfriend will say?” he deflected.
“To hell with that horse’s ass. No. But I am a big girl.”
“You are a tall girl. Nowhere near big. I’ve already told you I’ve carried men bigger than you. I’ve also mentioned I don’t like repeating myself. Would you prefer a fireman’s hold, a wedding-night threshold hold, a piggyback…?”
“Absolutely not.”
“You might save the power plays for times when you have power. Pick a hold or I’ll pick for you.”
Unexpected Hero (Skyline Trilogy Book 1) Page 12