Cheydan’s eyes widened in recognition, and he swallowed loudly. He was very aware of who James Henley was — his boss and the owner and CEO of JH Industries. He was also known for being cut-throat and ruthless. All of a sudden, Cheydan felt a little more sympathy for Jake Henley. He was also a little more wary. If Jake was anything like his father, Cheydan didn’t want him anywhere near Charisse.
“Here you go, Jake,” Charisse said, handing him a plate. “Did you want Cool Whip?” She gave a little grin.
“Is it good on this?” Jake asked innocently.
Risse wrinkled her nose and laughed. “It’s probably sweet enough without it.”
Jake took a big bite and rolled his head back in ecstasy. He’d never eaten so much good food in one day. His stomach was protesting, but he couldn’t make himself stop.
“Want to watch a movie?” Charisse suggested when everyone had finished eating.
“Sure… yeah… sounds good.” A chorus of agreement encouraged her to grab a movie from the shelf and pop it in. Jake had taken the far end of the couch, and she settled next to him, patting his knee with her hand.
“What are we watching?” Jake asked, his body tensing at the feel of her hand on his leg.
“You’ll see; you’re gonna love it!” Charisse giggled and nudged him with her shoulder.
Cheydan frowned at the happy interlude and decided to play hall monitor. He plopped down on the other side of Charisse and stretched his arm over the back of the couch, behind her shoulders. He could feel Jake’s gaze burning a hole in him, but he didn’t turn to confirm it.
“Ughh, not again!” The twins and Zeph complained as Charlie Brown’s friend Lucy appeared on screen, holding a football.
“Oh hush, it’s only a half hour, and besides, Jake hasn’t seen it. You guys can pick the next one.” Charisse shushed the boys and turned to see Jake smiling at her tenderly.
“So, what’d you think?” she asked Jake as soon as the show was over. He thought the show was goofy and kind of boring, but he loved the way it made her eyes light up with happy nostalgia.
“I’m glad I got to watch it with you,” was all he could think of to say, but the emotion in his voice made her bite her lip to keep the tears from falling.
Maddock picked the next movie, an action flick that was probably exciting, but Jake couldn’t stop thinking about the feel of Charisse by his side long enough to pay attention. Her tiny, warm body burned against him, and he longed to wrap his arms around her and kiss her.
“Let’s let Eve pick the next one,” Charisse suggested when the credits rolled, anxious for something with less shooting and screaming.
As predicted, Eve picked a rom-com that had the chief and the Engel twins groaning at the gratuitous romance. Zeph spent the whole movie nuzzling his wife’s ear and stroking every part of her that was appropriate to touch in public, and Jake spent the whole movie wishing he could do the same to Charisse.
Would she pull away if he laid his hand on her knee or laced together their fingers? Every time he got up the courage, Cheydan was looking at him. The overprotective twin wasn’t exactly scowling, but Jake was pretty sure he was on the inside.
As the night grew long, Charisse’s body relaxed into Jake’s, and she found herself wishing he would pull her closer and put his arm around her. It was just the romantic movie, she decided. It was enough to make any girl long for someone to hold her.
She’d always had a little crush on Cheydan, though it was never reciprocated, and now here he was, cozied up on the other side of her. So why was it Jake she wanted to cuddle with instead? She couldn’t understand her own emotions.
When the movie ended with a satisfying love scene, Charisse still felt completely unsatisfied. As the others rose from their spots, stretching and yawning and collecting their belongings, Charisse wished she didn’t have to move from her spot next to Jake to tell them goodbye.
What she really wanted was to be alone with him for a few minutes, their warm bodies pressed against each other as they stared into each other’s eyes, trying to decipher this strange new feeling. She had a suspicion that Jake felt the same way, if his hesitancy to move was any indication.
Eventually, her manners got the best of her, and she gave Jake a wistful smile as she sat up. Jake quickly rose and offered her a hand, and she instantly took it, grateful for one last touch. When she was upright, he slowly dropped her hand, but she sensed his reluctance.
“I better say goodnight to everyone,” she half-whispered, and Jake nodded. He stood back while she said her goodbyes, hugging necks and kissing cheeks, and making promises to get together.
She gave Maddock a quick hug, and he ruffled her hair like a big brother, but Cheydan pulled her in for a tight embrace and brushed a kiss across her forehead.
Maddock gave Jake a firm handshake and a “nice to meet ya,” while Cheydan gave him the evil eye over the top of Risse’s head. Jake decided, for once, to be the better man, and he offered Cheydan his hand and a respectful nod. Cheydan grimaced but shook his hand, mumbling something polite.
Zeph was next, grabbing his sister in a giant bear hug that lifted her off the floor a little. He fist-bumped Jake and offered a sincere farewell, and Eve wrapped her long, thin arms around his neck in a sisterly hug, giving him a knowing smile.
Faith and Geoffrey said goodnight last, Faith offering Jake a place at the table any time he wanted. Geoffrey was slightly less hospitable, but he did nod Jake’s way and grunt something that sounded appropriate.
Finally, Jake and Charisse were alone, and Jake reluctantly reached for his jacket. “Thanks for inviting me, Charisse. I had a really nice time today.”
“I’m glad. Me too.” Charisse offered that angel smile that made Jake want to worship her.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” she blurted, surprising herself.
A lazy smile stretched across Jake’s face as he realized she had just made his next move a whole lot easier. “I don’t know, but would you like to do it with me?”
The line was corny, and Jake and Risse both realized it, cringing and laughing immediately. “Sorry, that came out a little differently than I intended. What would you like to do? I’m up for just about anything — except maybe Black Friday shopping.”
Risse smirked and brushed a strand of hair off her face that immediately fell back into it. “Why don’t you come by around two; I’ll be done shopping by then.”
“It’s a date,” Jake grinned and nodded, tucking the offending strand behind her ear then running his finger along her cheek and placing it in front of her lips to silence her.
Risse closed her mouth and smiled back, swallowing her argument. It wouldn’t hurt to go on one date, would it? It didn’t have to mean anything. Except that she knew it did.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jake whispered, backing away towards the door, unwilling to turn away. She followed him to the door, part of her hoping he would try to kiss her again, but he just smiled at her and slipped on his jacket before he turned and strolled confidently down the walkway. Risse stared at him, closing the door once he drove away. Did she actually have feelings for Jake Henley?
Chapter 11
Jake went to bed in an empty house that night, but for the first time in years he didn’t feel lonely. Charisse’s sweet face lulled him to sleep and woke him up in the morning. He was up early, and unlike most days, he actually felt energized and happy to greet the day.
Mrs. Arella had spoiled him with all her good cooking, and despite how full he felt yesterday, his belly was growling. The cereal in the pantry just didn’t appeal, so he decided to make a trip to Starbucks for a latte and pastry.
He slipped on his jacket and smiled when he noticed it still smelled like yesterday — a homey blend of pie and turkey and Risse’s Juicy Couture perfume that made him want to relive every moment. He sniffed one more time, happy that he’d be going back there in just a few hours.
The cafe was crowded with a mix of tired shoppers taking a
mid-morning break and lazy breakfasters just waking up on a holiday weekend. Jake got in line behind half a dozen of them and let his eyes sweep over the population. A mane of bright, blonde hair caught his attention, and he realized Charisse was sitting at a table in the back of the cafe, sipping a coffee and nibbling a muffin.
His face lifted from a look of contentment to a smile of pure joy as he recognized her, but immediately fell into a scowl when he saw who she was sitting with. Cheydan Engel was bent over his coffee cup, inches away from her perfect face, and the look in their eyes was so tender and loving that Jake immediately felt nauseous with envy.
Was that why she’d told him to come over at two, so she’d have time for an early date with Cheydan? Jealousy erupted in his gut like a magic beanstalk, unfurling its invasive branches throughout his body, threatening to choke out all other emotion and reason.
He wanted to stomp over there and invade their conversation, demand to know what Cheydan was saying that had the girl he loved smiling and laughing. But a tiny beam of rational thought broke through the massive foliage, and he realized that doing so would only create a scene that would most likely turn Risse against him completely. Instead, he whipped himself around and fled from the cafe, empty-handed and empty-hearted.
The overwhelming hum of people talking, spoons clinking, and coffee brewing instantly silenced as soon as the door swung shut behind him, but his mind was still a jumble of cacophony. Was Cheydan trying to make a play for Charisse now that he realized he had some competition? Did Charisse’s presence here mean she had made her choice already? She hadn’t cancelled their date yet, but she was still in the middle of this one. Would she text him a little later to call off their arrangements?
Jake stewed over these things as he drove to another Starbucks — he was still hungry — but he didn’t have the strength to sit in an identical cafe and sip his coffee while Charisse was doing the same thing with Cheydan a few miles away. Instead, he grabbed his breakfast to go and went back to his car where he could agonize in private.
His computer was on and open to Risse’s blog when he returned to his bedroom, just as he had left it yesterday morning in his rush to leave. He decided to calm himself by watching her videos while he ate his breakfast. The post called “Inside Out Beauty” was still on the screen, racking up views and comments by the minute, so Jake clicked the play button and settled back to see what cosmetic wisdom Risse’s fans were raving about.
“Today I met someone that most people would consider incredibly handsome,” she began, and Jake immediately looked at the date stamp. She’d recorded this his first day at Sunnybrook.
“He had great hair, probably finger-styled with medium-hold gel, the perfect five o’clock shadow, and eyelashes that rivaled the effects of my favorite mascara. His clothes were designer, and they hugged his amazing body in all the right places.”
Jake glanced at himself in the mirror. He’d never noticed his own eyelashes, but the rest of the description definitely fit. His mouth curled into a satisfied smile.
“…but the first thing I noticed when I met him wasn’t how great he looked, it was his attitude. It only took one look for me to see that, as beautiful as he was on the outside, he was downright ugly on the inside…”
Jake’s jaw dropped as the words registered, and her voice turned to static as he digested what she had said. He knew she hadn’t liked him when they first met, but to hear her say it so bluntly, for an audience of millions, was devastating. The words slashed his heart like claws through cotton as they punctuated through him.
`He jumped up, infuriated, and wanted to slam the computer screen, or punch it. He pulled back his arm in anger, but despite his rage, Risse’s gentle voice and face subdued him, and he sat down instead, listening to the rest of her speech as the fog of his fury gradually dissipated.
When the video was over, his anger still simmered under the surface, but he knew in his heart she was right. He was ugly inside — a hideous monster of cruelty and self-centeredness and anger. No wonder she ran away when he tried to kiss her. She was his opposite in every way. He didn’t deserve her, and there was no way he’d ever win her. He didn’t even stand a chance.
His rage reignited as he thought about why he was the way he was, and all the blame landed squarely on his parents’ shoulders. He was self-centered because no one else ever cared about him, so he had to look out for himself, and he was cruel because it protected him from relationships that would inevitably sour. He was angry because everyone thought his life was perfect since he was wealthy, but no one recognized the poverty of affection he suffered from. The world had no sympathy for him, and no one had ever taken the time to find out why he was so horrific.
No one except Charisse, that was. She’d recorded this video the first day she’d met him, but here she was, trying to be friends with him, trying to show kindness and compassion, despite how terrible he seemed to her. Could he ever be the kind of person she would want to be with?
He still had several hours till it was time to meet her, and he desperately wanted to talk to someone about all this. He didn’t think he had the patience for a bunch of senile, old people today, but he wouldn’t mind having a chat with Dominion. He was always good for some advice. Jake looked at his now-empty bag and coffee cup and decided he would get something special to bring to him.
Fifteen minutes later, Jake knocked on Dominion’s door, holding a bag of goodies in front of his face to camouflage the heartache etched there.
“Am I dying?!” the old man asked with a perky crackle as he hauled himself up in the bed. “Is this my last supper?”
“Might be, but I didn’t get the memo. I’m just trying to bribe you.” Jake winked as he entered, dropping the bag of donuts on Dominion’s lap and setting the coffee on the bedside table.
“Oh yeah? Well, this is definitely a good start… mmm, chocolate eclair, my favorite!” Dominion shoved half the donut in his mouth and chewed happily, cream squirting out the corner of his lips, his tongue occasionally lapping at it. Jake settled on the chair next to him and watched his hedonistic gluttony with amusement.
“So, what can a decrepit, old man like me do for a fine fellow like you, Jacob?” Dominion finally asked after swallowing the last bite of donut and wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
“I guess I just want some advice, or a pep talk, or something.” Jake stared at his jeans while he spoke, picking at a stray thread in the seam.
“Is this about my girl, Charisse?”
Jake sighed and propped his hands on his knees. “Yeah. I’m totally into her, but I know I don’t deserve her. She’s like… an angel or something!”
Dominion’s eyes grew wide and he choked a little. Jake didn’t seem to notice; he was too caught up in his emotions.
“I tried to kiss her; that blew up in my face. But later I asked her out and she said yes. Well, sort of. But there’s this other guy that I think she might be into… Cheydan.” The name came out in a sneer.
Dominion chuckled and nodded.
“You know him?”
“Known him all his life — him and his brother. He’s a fine young man. They’d be great together.”
Jake’s jaw dropped open, and he gaped at Dominion. “Gee, thanks for nothing, Dominion. Guess I’ll go wallow somewhere else now, since you don’t have any encouragement for me!”
“Now, hold on just a minute, Jacob. Just because I think highly of Cheydan doesn’t mean he’s the one for Charisse.”
“But you just said they’d be great together.”
“I’m sure they would. Doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen. Risse has known Cheydan all her life, too, and I see more sparks between you two than I ever have between her and Cheydan.”
“I think those sparks might be friction, not attraction.”
“Still sparks, that’s all that matters.” Dominion shrugged and took a sip of coffee. He slurped and smacked his lips and acted proud of himself for doing it.
“When you’
re old like me, you can get away with saying what you want and having no manners,” he said with a cheesy grin, and Jake chuckled.
“So you think I should go after her? You think I have a chance?”
“If we all got what we deserve, we’d be in for a beating. But the good Lord gives grace and mercy. Follow your passion, Jacob, as long as it doesn’t lead to trouble.”
“I’m not sure I know how to predict that.”
Dominion sighed. “A lot of people have the same problem.”
“Jake?” a female voice interrupted them, and Jake whipped his head around at the sound of it.
“Charisse, hi… what… um, what are you doing here?” Jake hoped desperately that she hadn’t heard any of their conversation.
“Um, uh… I just came by to check on Dominion.” Charisse fluttered her hands and bit her lip, and Jake could tell she was nervous about something.
“Yeah, me too.” Jake offered her a weak smile, but her face stayed anxious.
She had come to ask Dominion for advice about Jake, but she couldn’t very well do that with him in the room. Seeing him here, though, she knew the answer to the question she had come to ask. It didn’t matter how she felt about Jake, she had to do the right thing, and that meant confronting him.
“Jake, since you’re here, can I talk to you? In private?” The angst in her voice made it obvious it wouldn’t be an easy conversation.
Jake turned to Dominion with questions in his eyes, but Dominion just shrugged. He had no idea what was bothering her.
“Uh, sure, I guess,” Jake said, and Charisse gave a terse nod before turning and leading him down the hallway. They found a quiet spot in the library, and Risse perched herself nervously at one of the tables.
“Jake, there’s no easy way to ask this, so I’m just going to say it. What kind of scheme are you and your father playing here?”
Jake blinked slowly as she made direct eye contact. Her face was solemn, and she squeezed her hands together till her fingers were red and swollen.
Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 21
