Eddie squared his shoulders, his stance one of the man he might grow into some day. “I already took care of that, dude. I had some money saved up, you know? Gave it to Angie this morning to give to her mom.”
He was starting to like this boy. Jake exchanged a smile with the kid, giving him a manly slap on the shoulder. “Cool, dude.” Had he really just said that? Jesus, he’d been sucked into a time warp.
Maria noted his return with a softening of her eyes as he escorted Eddie back into the room. Stop looking at me like that, Maria. Somehow, he had to put an end to this growing desire to make her his. When she turned those coffee-colored eyes on him in that warm way, he wanted to promise things he couldn’t deliver.
Forever was not in his vocabulary.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jake’s gaze fell on Maria, then flicked away. He’d been quiet and distant all day, speaking only to answer a question. She’d given up trying to get him to talk. If this was how he was going to act for the duration of his time with her, then she hoped the police caught Fortunada soon.
The Davis living room was dark because of the drapes drawn over the windows. Jake stood off to the side, out of the small beam of light from the lamp, his face shadowed. She didn’t need to look into his hazel eyes to recall the heat they’d held the night before when he’d kissed her. He wanted her, she was certain.
If she could choose who her heart wanted, it wouldn’t have been Jake. He was exactly the kind of man she should avoid. But from the time she’d met him, he had fascinated her. Her teenage crush on him had blossomed into something more at her twenty-first birthday party. Logan’s wife was a romance writer, and it had happened just like in one of Dani’s stories.
She’d met Jake’s gaze from across the room, and it was as if time had stopped. He’d taken a step toward her, but then he’d shifted his gaze to her brother and some kind of message had passed between them. From then on, Jake had avoided her as if she carried some kind of plague. She supposed she did, one named Logan.
When Jonathan had asked her out, she’d thought he was exactly the kind of man she should marry. Like her, he was going for a law degree and was goal oriented. Most importantly, he was as different as possible from the men her mother brought home. But she’d erred. It hadn’t taken long for her to see he was too possessive and critical.
She loved colorful clothes, Jonathan didn’t. It wasn’t only her clothing that bugged him but also her eating habits, her cat, her love of horror movies—just about everything that made her Maria, actually. Then there was the sex. It hadn’t lived up to her fantasies.
Looking back on it, she realized she’d hoped he would make her forget about Jake. Unfortunately, Jonathan had failed at that, too. She glanced at Jake and caught him staring at her. His gaze quickly shifted to the detective.
“If you think of anything else, Mrs. Davis, call me,” Detective Nolan said, handing her his card.
Once outside, Maria stood close to Jake while they talked to the detective. Occasionally, she accidently brushed her arm against Jake’s to gauge his reaction. Every time she touched him, he tensed. She suppressed a satisfied smile.
“I think if Maria and I drop in at Missy’s Place, we’d be able to learn more than if you go there in cop mode, full of questions,” Jake said.
Maria’s ears perked up. When Carol had said that’s where Fortunada worked, she’d decided—whether Jake agreed or not—they were going there.
Detective Nolan shook his head. “This is a police investigation, not a game for civilians.”
As Maria opened her mouth to dispute that she thought anything about the situation was a game, Jake put his hand on her arm and gave it a slight squeeze. Message received, she waited to see what he would say.
“Did you call that number I gave you?” he asked the detective.
“Of course. And I was duly impressed, which was your intention. You might know how to kill a man three different ways with your little finger, but you’re not an investigator, nor are you involved in this in any kind of official capacity.”
“Tell that to her,” Jake said, thrusting a thumb Maria’s way. “You might also want to ask her what she’ll do if you don’t agree to let us check out Missy’s Place.”
When he winked at her, something warm and fuzzy fluttered in her stomach. How did he know her so well? That Jake understood she needed to do this maybe wasn’t so surprising. That he knew she’d go no matter what Detective Nolan said was a bit alarming. How was she supposed to get away with anything if he was always two steps ahead of her?
The detective turned his attention to her and narrowed his eyes. “Is he saying you’ll go there even if I order you not to?”
Refusing to be intimidated, Maria returned his stern look with a smile and nodded.
The man threw his hands up. “I give up. Call me if you learn anything.”
Jake held the car door open for Maria. “Follow my lead.” The smile she gave him was too sweetly innocent for his comfort.
“Stop worrying. Nothing’s gonna happen to me as long as you’re with me,” she said.
He didn’t like bringing her to where Fortunada worked—or had worked—but he’d known without asking that she was determined to do this. He doubted they would find the man behind the bar pouring drinks, which was the only reason he’d helped set this visit in motion. Glancing at the building, he was relieved it didn’t appear to be some kind of biker bar or strip joint.
Maria slipped her arm through his, and he wished she would stop touching him. He also wished she’d worn something more conservative instead of the sheer, red silk blouse, the tight black jeans, and those do me shoes with the spiked heels and black straps.
It was impossible to keep his eyes off the red lace of her bra peeking out of the blouse, and her red-painted toenails. And why couldn’t she have wound her hair into some kind of nun type of bun instead of letting it fall loose down her back?
She was so damn hot he didn’t doubt he’d end up in a bar fight before the night was over. The first man to look at her wrong was toast. The tips of her fingers pressed into the skin of his arm. Seriously, she needed to stop touching him.
Jake escorted her into Missy’s Place, his gaze sweeping the interior. It was nicer than he’d expected. An R&B band played on a small stage, and the tables were filled with well-dressed couples drinking wine and fancy drinks. He spotted two empty barstools and guided Maria to them.
“What can I getcha, beautiful?” the bartender asked, his gaze only on Maria.
A smile lit her face. “A chocolate martini, please.”
Jake gritted his teeth and ordered a Glenlivet neat. The bartender might have some answers for them, so it wouldn’t be wise to give him a bloody nose. This jealousy thing was not only uncomfortable, it was also unwelcome. He’d never felt it before and didn’t like it one bit. If a woman he was out with saw a man she liked better, then she was free to go. There was always another waiting to take her place.
He turned a moody gaze on Maria. What was it about her that got under his skin? Putting aside the fact that she was gorgeous, he couldn’t think of anything they had in common. He was a warrior; she the untouchable princess in the castle. She put food in her body that made him want to cringe. She loved the beach; he hated getting sand in his butt crack. She—
“What?”
He blinked. “What, what?”
“You’re staring at me as if I’m some kind of weird puzzle.”
She was a puzzle all right, but he doubted she’d appreciate him agreeing. “You really are beautiful.”
Her eyes warmed. “Thank you.”
It was the first thing he’d thought of to divert her attention, but now she’d gone all soft and doe-eyed on him. His finger seemed to have a mind of its own because it trailed a path down her cheek. Hell. Now he was touching her when he’d sworn it was hands-off where
she was concerned.
“Here’s your martini, gorgeous.”
The bartender slid Jake’s scotch to him, not taking his eyes off Maria. Smothering his urge to smash something, Jake considered how to bring up the subject of Fortunada.
“Is my Uncle Hernando working tonight?” Maria said.
Jake swung his gaze to Maria. He’d been right not to trust that sweet smile when he’d told her to follow his lead, but for openings, it was a good one. The man leaned on the counter, his face too damn close to Maria’s.
“Hernando’s your uncle?”
“Yeah,” she said and leaned her head on Jake’s shoulder. “I was hoping he was here tonight so I could introduce him to my husband. We’re newlyweds and my uncle’s never met Jake.”
The man glanced at her ring finger, and Jake followed his gaze to see a band of diamonds circling her finger. Well hell, apparently he had a wife who planned ahead.
“Lucky man,” the bartender said, giving Jake an envious nod.
“Don’t I know it,” Jake answered and then gave his wife a heated look.
Maria one-upped him when she turned mischievous eyes to him and said, “No, Tiger Toes, I’m the lucky one.”
Tiger Toes? Jake could actually feel the grin slowly forming on his face. This would probably be a good time to take cover from the barrage of new sensations falling down on his head, but he ignored the warning and leaned toward Maria, fully intending to kiss her. Christ, she smelled good—earthy and spicy—the scent exotic like her.
“You two are giving me an overdose of sugar.”
Maria reacted to the interruption by ignoring it, but Jake jerked his head back. What the hell was he thinking? That was the problem: he wasn’t.
“Sorry, but sometimes she scrambles my brain.” Too much information there and way too true. He tore his gaze away and shrugged. “Back to her question. Is her uncle working tonight?”
“No, man. Haven’t seen Hernando for a few days. He was a no-show for his shift and I haven’t heard a word from him since. He’s got a paycheck coming, but I doubt the boss will turn it over since he left without so much as a good-bye.”
“If I give you my cell number, would you call me if he shows up?” Maria asked. “It’s been a few months since I’ve seen him. We stopped by his house a few times but haven’t been able to catch him, and he’s not answering his phone. I’m starting to worry.”
Once again, the man turned a too-interested look on her, and again, Jake gritted his teeth.
The bartender grabbed a napkin and pen. “Sure. I’ll be glad to call you.”
Maria gave him a beautiful smile and rattled off Jake’s number, then ordered jalapeno poppers and loaded potato skins.
Jake ordered a plate of fruit and cheese while wondering if he was a boring man.
They were halfway through their appetizers when Maria grabbed his arm. “I love this song. Come on, let’s dance.”
There were other couples dancing, most of them pressed tightly together. Jake reluctantly followed Maria onto the dance floor and placed his hand on her hip, keeping her an arm’s distance away. But halfway through the song, she’d somehow inched closer and he gave up the fight.
He slipped his hand around her back, pulled her against him, and buried his nose in her hair. As they swayed to the slow beat of the music, something low and hungry settled deep in his groin. He pushed his leg between hers and she, his wife, practically straddled his knee. So much for his good intentions.
But he didn’t care. Not now. Not tonight.
All he wanted was to feel Maria pressed hard against him, to hear her soft sigh when his thigh pushed between her legs. And oh yeah, she did sigh.
“Jake,” she whispered.
“Maria.”
He lowered his mouth to her ear and nibbled on the delicate lobe, felt the skin over her spine shiver under his hand. If he had a white flag, he’d wave it. He’d never surrendered any battle before, but this one he didn’t resent.
For as long as it lasted, he’d go along for the ride. He might not know how to do forever, but he could love her like no other man until she wised up and sent him packing or he decided it was time to go.
His pulse kept to the beat of the music as her soft body coiled around his. He circled his arms around her, sliding his fingers into the back pockets of her jeans. She sighed again and rubbed against his hip. If she didn’t stop doing that, he was going to throw her over his shoulder like some kind of barbarian and carry her back to his cave.
She looked up at him with those bedroom eyes—now almost black and shimmering with desire—and he lowered his mouth to hers. The couples around them faded, the music faded, and he was aware of nothing but Maria. With his hands still in her pockets, he caressed her ass with his fingers. His cock throbbed with the need to be buried inside her.
Another couple bumped them and Jake lifted his head, his surroundings coming back into focus. Damn, this was a first. He’d never before come this close to making love on a dance floor.
“Let’s go home,” she said.
Jake slipped his fingers around hers, led her back to the bar, and paid their tab. As words were beyond him, when they reached his car, he braced his palms on the door, caging her in. He lowered his mouth to hers and learned the answer to a question that had plagued him all day. Overnight, he’d convinced himself he’d exaggerated the memory of kissing her. He hadn’t.
Her taste was different, though. Before, she’d tasted spicy and exotic, but now her mouth was chocolaty and sweet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her breasts against his chest.
“Get a room!”
Jake glanced behind him to see two men walking by and laughing. He turned back to Maria and leaned his forehead on hers. “It is good advice. Let’s go.”
“Okay.” She put her palm on his cheek and gave him a quick kiss. “And don’t start talking yourself out of what’s going to happen when we get there.”
She shouldn’t have said that. It was as effective as jumping naked into the North Atlantic. There were a hundred good reasons for not sleeping together that he could spout off the top of his head without even trying.
“Maria—”
“Shut up, Jake. I mean it.” She turned and yanked on the door handle. “Unlock the stupid door.”
He reached into his pocket and clicked the remote. At the sound of the locks popping up, she slapped his hand away and opened the door herself, shutting it in his face once she was seated.
As he stared through the window at her, he debated his options. One: he could take her home and do what they both wanted. Two: he could take her home and then lock himself in his room, which neither of them wanted him to do. Three: he could call the boss and ask him to send Turner to guard her. Four: he could just shoot himself right now because he was going with number one.
Jake circled the car, slid into the driver’s seat, and swiveled his body toward her. When she opened her mouth to speak, he crushed his mouth over hers. Whatever she wanted to say he didn’t want to hear. No more cold-water words.
“Be quiet.”
She grinned. “Okay.”
Jake kissed her again, gently this time. “Let’s go home.”
Her warm smile banished his doubts about the direction they were headed. He wasn’t sure he could let her go once he’d claimed her, and that should’ve concerned him. The thought of another man coming along and touching her when this thing between them cooled didn’t settle well. Another first.
She would graduate in a week and be back in Pensacola. They could date—strangely enough, something he’d not done a lot of—and see how things went. Most of his hookups had been initiated at local watering holes, and he rarely saw the same woman more than three or four times. More than that and they started getting ideas.
Other than meeting for drinks and then falling into bed
, he’d not put much effort into entertaining them. He wanted more with Maria than just falling into the sack a few times. There were movies he’d like to take her to, concerts, weekends away—maybe New Orleans. If he took her to Apalachicola, could he convince her to try oysters on the half shell? There was nothing on this earth better than chilled oysters with an ice-cold beer.
It would be an interesting challenge to work on her eating habits, get her turned on to eating healthy, or at least healthier. He didn’t foresee her giving up all her junk food. Maybe he would try eating the things she liked once in a while. Not often, but . . .
Christ. He was already planning their life and they hadn’t even spent their first night together. Where were all these thoughts coming from, anyway? It was entirely possible they’d spend one night together and that would be it. His lust for her would be sated and her fascination with him would fade.
He glanced at her to see she was watching him, and he slipped his hand into hers, bringing her fingers to his mouth and kissing them. “What are you thinking?” he asked.
Maria thought it best not to tell him she was nervous. Were they really going to do this? What if she didn’t please him? He was used to women with experience, and other than the few times she’d slept with her ex-boyfriend, she had none. With Jonathan, it hadn’t been particularly enjoyable. Once, she’d straddled him in an attempt to seduce him and he’d gotten angry, wanting to know where she’d learned her tricks.
It had been entirely the wrong thing to say. Lovey Dovey hadn’t always been private with the men she brought home, and Maria knew all kinds of tricks, but from observation only. She’d never told Jonathan about her mother, instinctively knowing he would look at her differently. When he’d asked about her parents, she had told him they died too young for her to remember them.
So, she’d had no explanation for her knowledge of sexual acts and only answered that she had read about it somewhere, which caused him to question her taste in books. Since that would include her sister-in-law’s hot romance novels—and there was no one on earth who could make her stop reading Dani’s books—it had been the end of Jonathan.
Someone Like Her (A K2 Team Novel) Page 7
