by Violet Paige
“Dead serious.” His voice was deep and husky.
I closed the door, shutting the wind outside. He looked relieved. I couldn’t believe I was actually considering this.
“Why?”
“Because Elliot made me swear. And I did. I don’t give my word lightly.”
I felt my knees go weak just a little. Jake towered over me and I was having trouble thinking. His T-shirt stretched over his wide shoulders. It was hard not to reach out and touch the muscles in his arms to see if they were real. He was like a sculpted god. Tall, dark, and athletically built. More like a man than any I had ever seen.
“I’m sure you have better things to do than help me fix this disaster.”
He shook his head. “Nope. I’m on leave until I hear otherwise. My mission is on hold. So, I can stay and help. I’ll stay as long as I can.”
Oh God. Did he just say he would stay?
“Stay here?”
He nodded. “There’s an extra room over the barn, right?”
I tried to take a normal breath. “Yes. It was supposed to be an apartment, but it never really worked out that way. There is a bed though.”
“Good. I’ll stay out there and I’ll put the place back together for you. And whatever else you need.”
It was the way he said the last sentence that made me question my sense of reality. Things like this didn’t happen. Hot guys didn’t show up on my doorstep begging to be my handyman.
He stepped around me, opening the door. “I’ll get my tools and you can tell me where you want me to start.”
“You brought tools?”
His hand was on the doorknob. “I keep them in my Jeep. I should have everything we need.”
“Right now? You’re going to start working on the house now?” I thought everything I said probably sounded absurd. I couldn’t stop repeating myself.
“Yeah. Now.” Jake was authoritative and firm. “I’ll be back in a second.”
He walked out of the door, not taking no for an answer. It didn’t take long to be around the man to realize he was used to giving orders. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t debate things. The decision was made and he was going to do exactly what he said.
I watched him from the window. I had a feeling Jake was going to do what he wanted, whether I protested or put up a fight.
5
Jake
There was no way I was leaving. He’d sleep in the yard if he had to. I was used to sleeping out in the desert. A night under the Oregon sky would be fine. I’d be close to Olivia, and suddenly that was the only thing that mattered to me.
I shook my head while I rummaged through the back of the Wrangler. Elliot was a son of a bitch for sending me out here. He had begged me for his help, when the whole time he was just playing matchmaker.
“Well played, brother,” I mumbled.
Although, I didn’t know what my friend would think if he knew the filthy thoughts I couldn’t push away and how I wasn’t leaving Oregon until Olivia was mine.
I grabbed the toolbox and slammed the door. Projects would be good. Working with my hands would keep my mind off putting them all over her. I needed to give her time.
I knocked on the door, holding my tool box in one hand.
“You don’t have to knock,” she said, opening the door wide enough for me to walk in the house.
“Where do you want me?”
“Uh..I-I…” Her cheeks flushed.
“What’s first on your list? The leak? The railing?” I could spend weeks here fixing all the things that were wrong with the house. I hadn’t even ventured into the barn yet.
“How about the railing? I know better than to lean on it, but you’re right. If someone leans on it they could fall right off the edge of the cliff.”
“All right. I’ll start there.” I turned for the porch. “Do you have any supplies in the barn? I’m going to need some two by fours.”
She shrugged. “I have no idea. I never go in there.”
I placed his toolbox on the porch. “I’ll go check it out.”
I walked across the yard and driveway. The barn was set back from the house. The doors were jammed shut. I pried until they finally gave under pressure.
It was dark, but my eyes adjusted quickly. I pulled the string hanging from the ceiling, lighting a small area of the barn. There were more tools here than I could have imagined. Elliot had a small workshop. I smiled, glancing over the collection of table saws.
There wasn’t anything here that would help me with the porch railing though. I needed to make a supply run. I walked back over to the house.
“It looks like I need to buy a few things if I’m going to put the railing back together.”
“There’s a supply store about thirty minutes from here,” Olivia offered.
“Ok. Why don’t you give me the address and I’ll find it?”
Olivia reached for the hook next to the door, grabbing a jacket. “Why don’t I ride with you? It will be easier.”
I grinned. “Even better. Come on.”
I held the door and watched her ass as she climbed in my Jeep.
“Which way?” I asked.
Olivia pointed once they rolled past the mailbox. “Turn here and then in another mile make a right.”
I nodded. “Got it.”
I reached for the radio, turning the volume up slightly.
“So, you’re a Ranger and a handyman?”
I tried to remember the last time I had fixed something that wasn’t related to a mission. I had been in Kiawai for two years. Two weeks back on US soil wasn’t enough to make me feel like a normal guy. Just driving the Jeep felt foreign.
“Natural knack with my hands.” I smiled at her.
“Hmm.” She crossed her arms and stared out of the window.
The rain had let up to a drizzle.
“Why do you live all the way out here by yourself?” I asked. I knew I hadn’t seen another house since we pulled out of the driveway.
“I don’t. I’m just getting it ready to sell.” She paused. “It was a family summer home. Elliot and I inherited it. But now that he’s gone, I know it’s too much for me to keep on my own. You’ve seen the place.”
“But do you want to sell it?” I turned when Olivia pointed to the next street.
“No. I love it. But it’s too much house. And the barn. And I’m…” She trailed off.
“You’re what?”
“Single.” She huffed. “At least with Elliot he could help, but he’s been wherever you’ve been for two years. And now he’s not coming back.” She fidgeted with the seatbelt. “I kept thinking he’d come back and fix everything.”
There were a hundred things running through my head. I wanted to tell her I could put the house back together for her. She could keep it with my help. She wouldn’t have to worry anymore. But I realized how fucking absurd it sounded.
“It’s right over there.” She directed me to a hardware store on the side of the road.
“This place?” It looked like a warehouse.
“Yep. Lumber. Pipes. And I think they have vegetables in the back.” She laughed, jumping from the Jeep. “Come on.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I never noticed a woman fitting into a pair of jeans like that before. Her hips were round and her thighs were poured into that denim like nothing I’d ever seen. I bit my lip, and followed her into the hardware store.
6
Olivia
I could feel his eyes on my ass, just as they had been when I was climbing into his Jeep. I knew he was watching me, stealing glimpses when I turned, observing my movements like one of his targets. The problem was it made my pulse race. My core tighten in quick snaps. And my skin heat with an invisible fever. God, I hoped it was invisible.
I knew what he was. He was just like Elliot. A risk taker. A loner. He was a Military Man, a Ranger no less. He was the kind of man I needed to stay far away from.
He scowled at the stacks of lumber.
&nb
sp; “They don’t have the length I need. I’ll just get a bigger piece and cut it down.” He lifted one of the boards as if it weighed less than a Popsicle stick and threw it on his shoulder.
I had to keep from dropping my jaw.
“What else is on your list?” he asked.
I tried to think about all the projects, but I couldn’t stop staring at the way his muscles tightened where his arm met his shoulder. Good lord the man was ripped.
“The gate latch,” I suggested.
“Oh right.” He walked over to the hardware section.
The board balanced on the ridge of his shoulder while he stooped to select a latch for the gate.
“I think this will work.” He held one up for me to inspect.
I nodded, realizing I would probably agree to anything he suggested. I thought it was because I had been cooped up too long in the house by myself. Maybe it was because his voice got under my skin. It was low and firm. Rough and seductive.
“Let’s get these and then I can come back tomorrow for the rest of the things you need.”
“Tomorrow?” I looked at him. I didn’t know how long he was going to stay. And when he mentioned staying in the barn apartment I just went with it.
“I told you. I’m going to get the house fixed for you.” He looked at me over his shoulder. “And anything else you need.”
Jake took the items to the register and reached for his wallet.
“Oh no. You can’t pay for that.” I tried to stop him. I had an account set up for the house repairs. There was less than a thousand dollars in it, but I could afford a latch and some lumber.
“I insist. It’s part of the service.”
“No. I can take care of it.” I fished in my bag for my debit card. It was in there somewhere.
He shoved a credit card in the clerk’s hand before I could stop him again.
I huffed. “Really? You won’t let me pay for it?”
The kid at the register handed Jake a receipt as he threw the wood over his shoulder, turning for the door.
“I told you I’m here to take care of things. A promise is a promise.”
“But it feels like charity. I don’t want to be your charity case.”
I raced after him as he loaded the purchases into the back of his Jeep.
“I can respect that.” He was actually considering my dilemma. I was surprised. “How about this? You could make dinner tonight.”
“Do you know about the fire? The restaurant? Is that why you’re asking?” The mist was turning to rain.
He ushered me into the passenger side, before sliding behind the wheel. “No. I don’t know what you’re talking about. But if you don’t cook…”
“No. No, it’s not that.” His eyes were on me and I had this sudden urge to tell him everything that happened to me in the past month, but that was crazy. He didn’t need to hear about the restaurant. “I’d love to make dinner for you. I can do that.”
“Then we have a deal?”
I nodded, but I had this sneaking suspicion I had just been lured into agreeing with him.
Jake had been working on the railing for the past few hours. It was starting to get dark and the storm had kicked up off the ocean. That was the best and worst part of the house. It sat on the edge of the cliff, giving you the feeling that you were floating right over the sea.
I peaked out of the door.
“Any chance you’re ready for dinner?”
He stood back to look at the rail. “Yeah. I need some of these pieces to set. I can take a break.”
He followed me in the house, and I was aware of his eyes on me again.
“Is there somewhere I could wash up?” He held up his hands.
I pointed the long hallway that ran the length of the house. “There’s a bathroom on the right.”
“Be right back.”
It felt strange waiting for him in the kitchen as if I was getting ready to start a blind date. But Jake wasn’t my date. He was a friend of Elliot’s. He was here to repay my brother for something. Something he wouldn’t share with me.
I fastened a corkscrew to the top of a bottle of Chardonnay, Elliot’s favorite. I debated whether to open it, but decided one glass wouldn’t hurt either one of us.
“Here let me get that.” Jake’s hands wrapped around mine, taking the bottle from me. My breath seized when his skin drifted over mine. The edges of his hands were rough and warm.
“Thanks.” I watched as he eased the cork from the bottle. “I hope you like salmon and sautéed veggies.”
His eyes lit up. “You don’t know how good that sounds.”
He sat at the table, and I placed a plate in front of him.
“No salmon where you were?” I sat across from him, depositing the wine on the table.
He reached for the bottle and poured a glass for each of us. The slow glug sound of the wine echoed in the glasses.
“No. I’m used to eating a lot of MREs. Not the best tasting meal. That’s for sure. I stopped thinking about food.”
“Oh, are those things that Elliot used to take camping?”
“Probably so.” He stuffed the salmon into his mouth, grinning as he chewed. “This is the best meal I’ve had in years.”
I blushed. “No need to exaggerate.”
He shook his head. “I’m not. I’m serious. I forgot how much I missed food. Real food. This is delicious.”
I blushed. “It’s nice to cook again.”
“You don’t cook much by yourself?” He stopped eating and focused his incredible eyes on me.
“No. I used to, but ever since I’ve been here I’ve lived on canned soup and sandwiches.” I swore I wasn’t going to get into it, but I could feel how I was lowering the wall.
“You sound like a bachelor.” He held up his wine glass.
I laughed. “I guess so.” I swallowed a bite of the salmon. “How long have you been back in the US?”
“Only two weeks.” He took a big gulp of wine and I watched as he swallowed. The muscles in his neck were smooth and firm.
“Did you go see your family?”
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
I stared at him. “What have you been doing for two weeks?”
He loaded his fork with vegetables. “I had to do some in-processing. Debriefing. I can’t really share the details. Once that was complete I came straight here.”
“Oh.” I saw the look in his eye. The blue hues darkened and the gold flecks disappeared.
“How long is your leave?”
“I’m waiting on my next set of orders.” His eyes lifted to mine, and I felt my knees tremble. It was as if he could look right into my thoughts. “But I’ll make sure you have everything you need before I go. I can work quickly.”
“If you need to go see your family, you should do that. I’ll be fine. The porch is enough. More than enough. Now I don’t have to worry about anyone toppling over. I’m sure Elliot would agree your free of your promise now.”
“No. I need to be here.”
It was the way he said it, that made my heart stop. His words were powerful and confident.
“Thank you for dinner.” He stood to clear the table. “Let me help you clean up.”
I sat while he shuttled the plates from the table to the sink.
“Are you real?” I blurted the question.
He turned toward me. “What do you mean?” He refilled her glass.
“You fix things and clean the kitchen?” I giggled, inhaling half of the second glass of wine faster than I intended. I had to admit it was starting to feel like a blind date after all.
“It’s a nice reminder.” He wedged the plates in the dishwasher.
“Reminder of what?”
“Of what I’m fighting for.” He threw a kitchen towel over his shoulder.
“And what’s that?” I knew his tone had changed. I knew the atmosphere was thick. I knew I was drawing emotion from him, but I couldn’t stop.
“Normal.” He leaned
against the counter. His arms crossed, forcing his sleeves to widen against the strain of his biceps.
“Normal,” I whispered.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “This. Late dinners with wine on rainy nights by the ocean. It’s something worth fighting for.”
I swallowed another sip, knowing it wasn’t the wine setting my blood on fire. It was him.
7
Jake
I stared across the kitchen. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and take her upstairs. Take her to bed. Take her to my kind of heaven. She was everything I fought for. Everything I needed. All I could think about was claiming her. But I crossed my arms, forbidding that to happen.
God, she was my best friend’s sister. I couldn’t tell her how I was feeling. Hell, I didn’t quite understand what was happening. I had to fucking figure it out before I did something I regretted.
“Thanks again for dinner.” I tossed the towel by the sink. “I think I’ll call it a night so I can get an early start in the morning.”
“Oh right.” She jumped from the table. “I haven’t been in the apartment in ages. Let me get some things together for you.” She raced past me.
“I don’t need anything,” I protested, but she returned with an armful of blankets and towels.
“Here. I think this should be enough,” Olivia offered.
I wasn’t about to tell her I could sleep just as comfortably with my head on a rock. “Thank you.”
I pulled the blankets against my chest, brushing her hand in the process. It felt soft and delicate. I almost groaned at the contact.
“Oh, wait.” She rushed after me before I reached the front door.
I turned, suppressing the growl that was rising in my chest. Her auburn hair fell over her shoulders in waves and her breasts bobbed just in front of me. I wanted to reach out and touch her. Run my hands over her skin. Run my tongue over her mouth and throat.
“What is it?”
“There’s no plumbing out there.” She grimaced. “Sorry. It’s the part that never got finished. Elliot always thought he would get to it.” Her eyes filled with sadness and my chest tightened.