‘Hey,’ he said, looking somewhat panicked. ‘We agreed that never happened. Missy’s upset with me enough as it is.’
Roma’s eyes narrowed. She’d thought Missy had looked a little ragged. ‘What did you do?’
He shrugged uncomfortably. ‘I don’t know.’
Ignorance was no excuse. Jake had just cut her to the quick, and now she found out that this big lummox had hurt her friend? Reaching out, Roma poked him with her index finger. ‘Tell me the truth.’
‘Ow! I don’t know.’ He rubbed the spot on his chest, and all the muscles in his upper body seemed to clench and release. ‘I wish I did.’
The sadness in his voice sounded authentic. Even more, the worry lines on his forehead couldn’t be faked. Pensively, Roma glanced to the door. Maybe this guy was telling the truth. How novel. ‘Was she just in here with you?’
He swallowed hard. ‘Yeah. That’s why I thought you were her. I thought she’d come back.’
‘Did she say anything when she left?’
‘No!’ he said, the word bursting from his lips. He was obviously upset. He lifted both arms and laced his fingers behind his neck. The position made a riot of muscles pop out in his chest and arms. ‘She just looked at me with those big brown eyes and shook her head.’
Roma hesitated. ‘Were you two…you know?’
‘What?’
She rubbed her hands together. Why did she always seem to end up talking sex with this man? ‘Were you getting down to business?’
‘Well, yeah,’ he said, blunt as always. ‘We snuck in here like we always do. Things were getting pretty hot and heavy when she decided to stop. She’s never done that before. I don’t know what I did wrong.’
Roma knew. ‘It’s not what you did. It’s what you didn’t do.’
‘I’m not in the mood for riddles, Blondie.’
She looked at him crossly. He really didn’t have a clue. ‘I hate to tell you this, Hawk, but your strategy is flawed. Relationships aren’t simple and straightforward.’
She was learning that better than anyone.
‘Missy wants more.’
‘More?’ His arms dropped slowly. ‘What do you mean “more”?’
‘I mean more than just sex,’ Roma said. She could be just as blunt as he could. ‘She wants a boyfriend, not just a lover.’
‘She has a boyfriend,’ he said bitterly. ‘That lazy ass…’
She blew out a puff of air. ‘Oh, please. Danny is yesterday’s news.’
Hawk’s look focused on her so hard, it nearly knocked her over. ‘Say that again?’
Roma could have kicked herself. ‘Crap. I wasn’t supposed to say anything.’
He came at her, and she backed up until she was pressed against the wall. The toes of his shoes bumped against hers, and she had to crane her neck back to look up into his face. ‘What do you know?’ he demanded.
‘Nothing.’
He planted a hand on each side of her head and leant closer until his nose was scant inches from hers. ‘What…do…you…know?’
Roma squeaked. She was beginning to remember why she’d been nervous about doing this. He was a big, scary man. ‘She’s leaving him at the end of the month. She’s going out on her own.’
His head snapped back. ‘Her own?’
She pressed her lips together stubbornly. She’d already said too much.
‘Why didn’t she tell me? She can move in with me.’
She couldn’t let that pass without comment. ‘No, she can’t.’
His eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘Why not?’
‘She’s not happy with you either!’
He looked stricken. Absolutely stricken. The tough guy act vaporised, and he stood before her a wounded man.
‘She’s not?’ His hands dropped slowly to his sides, and his gaze went to the door. ‘But things were going so good.’
Boy, that sounded familiar. Roma had thought the same about her and Jake. ‘In the sack, maybe,’ she said bitterly.
Apparently that was all men thought about.
Hawk pulled back from her with his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. ‘Well…What does she want? How do I fix things? Do I even have a chance?’
That was a good question. A great question, in fact.
‘I don’t know,’ Roma said. ‘Are you willing to talk to her?’
‘We talk.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘She doesn’t even know your name. She doesn’t know what you do for a living. How can you expect her to move in with you? Have you asked her? Women aren’t mind readers, you know.’
If they were, she would have known what was going on between Jake and Liz a long time ago.
‘Neither are men,’ he barked. ‘How am I supposed to know all this?’
‘Ooof,’ Roma growled in frustration. ‘No wonder she walked out on you. Aren’t you even the least bit curious about her? Do you know what she’s studying in school? What she wants to do once she gets her degree? Come on! What does she like on her hot chocolate?’
He paled. ‘Something in the medical field, I think. I’ve seen her schoolbooks. And she likes the little marshmallows!’
So he had been paying attention. ‘Do you want to know more?’ Roma asked, honing in on the heart of the matter.
‘Of course, I do. I want to know everything.’ He ran a hand across the top of his head. ‘I just…I just don’t know how to get her to tell me.’
The confession hit a little too close to home.
‘You open up. You let her get close, and you’ll get closer to her. It’s called intimacy,’ Roma said with a sigh. She wished she was as good at taking her advice as she was at giving it. ‘Get used to the concept or get used to standing in this closet alone.’
Alone. The one word hit them both hard.
Hawk looked particularly unsteady on his feet, and Roma instinctively reached out to catch him. She didn’t know what she planned to do. If he went down, she was going to tumble right along with him. The guy had to be pushing two hundred and thirty pounds.
She patted him on the arm. It was like patting a rock. ‘I don’t know why, but I’m actually rooting for you, you big brute. So get off your butt and straighten things out with her. I like to see my friends happy, too.’
It would be nice if someone around here could make a go of it. She’d just thought it would be her and Jake. Feeling depressed again, Roma turned for the door.
‘Wait!’
Hawk surprised her when he reached out and caught her. Scowling, she peered over her shoulder. He had her by the loop at the back of her jeans. She had to stutter-step backwards as he pulled her towards him. ‘Hey!’
‘Give me specifics.’ His fingers tightened, refusing to let her go.
‘Specifics?’
‘I need to know what to do. Step by step. You tell me, and I’ll do it.’
The sincerity in his voice stopped Roma in her tracks. She looked into his dark menacing face and saw something that nearly set her on her tush. Vulnerability. He looked almost scared. ‘Are you serious?’
He merely glared. It was enough to make her shake in her boots.
‘OK,’ she said soothingly. He really was an intimidating man – but she was hardly the expert at this. She tapped her toe nervously, trying to figure out where to start. ‘Just don’t jump her first thing you see her. Try something novel like asking how her day went.’
‘I can do that.’ He nodded as if making a mental note. ‘What else?’
She shook her head in amazement. ‘Romance her, Hawk. Buy her flowers. Take her on a date.’
He turned an even whiter shade of pale. ‘You’re going to have to help me with that. Coach me or something.’
‘For a date?’
He pinned her with a look. ‘Blondie, I’ve never been with someone like Missy before. She’s a classy, educated lady. The kind of women I’ve been with in the past were satisfied with a six pack of beer and a romp in the back of my truck.’
Roma blinked.
With him, that actually sounded like fun. She wondered just what moves he was capable of making in the bed of that pickup. She shook her head to clear the image. ‘I can help you do better than that.’
He nodded hurriedly. ‘I’ll do whatever you tell me.’
That was an intriguing concept. ‘Anything?’
‘Anything. I want her.’
She scowled. ‘You want her in your bed.’
‘I want her every way I can get her.’
At least he was honest – and she couldn’t help but feel a kinship with him. He had Danny to deal with. She, unfortunately, had Liz.
‘All right. It’s a deal,’ she said, sticking out her hand. ‘I’ll help you get the girl.’
He caught her hand in a nearly bone-crushing grip. His eyes narrowed. ‘What do you want in return?’
Such an uncivilised man! She looked up at him as haughtily as a woman nearly a foot shorter could. ‘I want you to treat her right. If you hurt her, so help me, I’ll hunt you down.’
A smile suddenly appeared on his face. It made such a difference, Roma felt her heart rate pump up a pace. Whew, if the guy grew some hair and smiled every now and then, he’d be a heartbreaker.
‘You don’t scare me.’ He gave a tug on their enjoined hands, and she found herself plastered against his front.
She was stunned when he kissed her again. This time, it was under a hundred watts of artificial light, and he didn’t rush it. His arms circled around her, and her breasts plumped up against his massive chest. His lips were curious this time, more exploring. He nibbled on her lower lip, and she gasped when he began to suck on it.
He took the advantage to go in deeper. Her knees betrayed her first. She relaxed against him and felt bold enough to reach up and cup the back of his bald head. He ground his erection against her, and she shuddered. Oh yeah, bald could be sexy.
Slowly, he pulled away. He shook his head as if their chemistry surprised him, too. ‘That’s not like kissing my sister at all.’
Stupefied, Roma wiped her thumb across her lower lip. She was pressing her legs together so tightly, she was standing nearly knock-kneed. ‘If we were related that would be illegal.’
‘But a lot of fun,’ he said, patting her on the bottom. ‘Thanks for the heads-up and the offer to help. I need it.’
She stepped back gingerly. She wasn’t so sure of that. He seemed to do fine on his own. ‘We’ll come up with a plan to win her. Don’t worry.’
‘I won’t.’ He nodded, this time more confidently. The lines of stress were gone from his forehead. ‘You’re a keeper, Roma Hanson. If that trainer of yours ever does you wrong, you come to me.’
He cupped her chin and looked her dead in the eye. ‘I’ll set him straight.’
The idea was tempting. ‘I just might take you up on that offer.’
Hawk’s eyes narrowed. ‘What’s the problem?’
‘Pink ink.’
Chapter Ten
Jake was working on the schedule with Tito when he saw Roma coming down the hallway. As one, all his senses went on the alert. He still couldn’t quite figure out what had happened back in his office. They’d been getting along fine until, all of a sudden, she’d seemed to snap. When she’d stormed out on him, she’d been practically breathing fire.
For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what he’d done. Or what he’d said. Hell, maybe it hadn’t even been him. Maybe this thing with Hawk was more serious than he’d thought.
She’d certainly been gone longer than he’d expected. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. At least she seemed to still be in one piece. The expression on her face, though, was somewhat dazed.
Oh, boy. He could just see those two going at it. Talk about a mismatched pair. Hawk was big and tough as steel. Roma didn’t have size on her side, but she was stubborn and feisty. Once that woman got something into her head, there was no holding her back.
He’d hate to even hazard a guess what had gone on between the two.
So help him, though. If Hawk had hurt her feelings, they were going to have words.
‘I think Hawk won,’ Tito whispered.
Jake hated to admit it, but the kid was probably right. ‘At the very least, it was a tie.’
He watched Roma as she slipped back into his office. Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
His gut clenched. Anxiously, he pushed himself away from the counter. ‘I’ve got to find out what’s going on.’
‘Yeah,’ Tito said. ‘It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.’
‘Get your own good-lookin’ blonde, little man,’ Jake said as he walked away.
‘You could help,’ the kid called. ‘Why don’t you try sending some of the cardio babes my way?’
Jake waved. That actually wasn’t a bad idea. The girls were somewhat lost now that he was ‘taken’.
And he was definitely taken with the little dynamo who’d crash-landed in his gym. He couldn’t quite remember what life had been like before Roma Hanson. Probably less funny, more boring, and a whole lot safer. She certainly kept him on his toes.
Not to mention the other parts of his body that were on constant alert whenever she was around.
This mercurial mood, though…This was different. It wasn’t normal, and it wasn’t her. Something had set her off. He needed to find out what was wrong so he could fix it. He didn’t like seeing her this upset.
His steps quickened towards his office, but he noticed that the shades were shut. It made him hesitate. Maybe her confrontation with Hawk had gone worse than he’d thought. Damn that man. If he’d made her cry, he was going to pay. She’d just been trying to help.
Jake tamped down his anger. He’d deal with that bully later. Right now, his Roma needed him. He tapped on the door lightly and opened it. ‘Hey, Goldie,’ he called softly.
Paperwork shuffled, and she sprang up from behind the desk. When she saw it was him, she slammed her briefcase shut with a bang. She was as protective of that thing as he was of his filing cabinet.
‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to surprise you. Is everything all right?’
She skittered away from him and shoved her hand behind her back. ‘Fffnnn.’
Was that supposed to be ‘fine’? Because she didn’t look fine. He paused briefly in the doorway, trying to figure out what to do. She looked ready to cry, and that made him nervous as hell. He’d never seen her cry, not even close.
‘What did Hawk say?’ he asked, coming into the room and shutting the door behind him.
‘Nuffing.’ She swallowed hard and waved him away with her one free hand. ‘Leave me alone.’
‘Like hell.’ He stomped towards the desk. ‘What did he do?’
‘Nothing,’ she said more clearly. ‘Hawk did nothing.’
‘OK. Then what did I do?’
Her eyes threw sparks. ‘Don’t play stupid, Jake. It doesn’t work on you.’
He planted his hands on his hips. He’d never claimed to be able to figure out what was going on inside that head of hers, but this time she had him totally baffled. On the one hand, she seemed to want a fight. On the other, though, she was backing away from him and acting like she wanted to hide.
‘You’re going to have to give me a clue.’
‘A clue? You want a clue?’ With her free hand, she grabbed the corner of a piece of paper that was tucked under the phone book. It let out a squeak as she yanked it free.
‘How’s this for a clue?’ she snapped. ‘You went to Chicago with Liz!’
He stopped dead in his tracks. Oh, shit.
‘Don’t try to lie,’ Roma fumed. ‘Her ink on this thing is more incriminating than lipstick on your collar.’
He glanced at the hotel receipt that she waved in front of his face. A bright pink scribble shone up in the corner.
Hell.
He was caught. Then again, he never should have kept the truth from her in the first place.
‘You’re right,’ he admitted. He held up hi
s hands to placate her when she let out a screech. ‘Liz called me on Saturday morning saying she wanted to go with me. I thought it was a good idea. It’s her competition. She’s the one who needs to be comfortable with things there.’
‘Well, I’m not comfortable with things here!’
‘I knew you wouldn’t like it.’
‘So you lied to me?’ Roma roared.
She shook the receipt so hard, the paper snapped. ‘You’ve been lying all along, haven’t you? You two-timing snake. There’s only one hotel room charge on this thing.’
Jake was starting to get a little hot, too. She had no reason to be jumping to conclusions like that. She should know him better by now. ‘That’s right. There’s one charge – for her room.’
Roma tilted her head. ‘And where did you stay, pray tell? On the sofa? Give me a break.’
‘Yeah, I stayed on the sofa – the sofa at my sister’s house.’
She went silent, but she met his gaze head on. ‘I don’t believe you. If you’d planned on doing that, you wouldn’t have reserved a hotel room in the first place.’
‘This is getting old real fast,’ he growled. ‘You don’t believe me? Maybe you’ll believe “the other woman”.’
Stomping towards the phone, he hit the speaker button and got a dial tone. Before she could say another word, he punched in a phone number. He watched her steadily, and she was the first to look away.
The call had made her wary.
‘Hi.’
Jake’s head snapped back to the phone. That wasn’t quite the other woman he’d expected. ‘Marly?’
‘Who is this?’
‘It’s Uncle Jake.’
‘Uncle Jake!’
‘What are you doing answering the phone, peanut? Where’s your mom?’
‘She’s out back. Tommy turned on the hose and her flowers got all wet. Do you want to talk to her?’
‘No,’ he said quickly. One disaster in the family at a time was plenty. Besides, nobody got to the heart of the truth like a four-year-old. ‘You’ll do just fine. I want you to talk to my friend, Roma.’
‘Roma?’
‘You remember. I told you about her.’
‘Oh!’ Marly said dramatically. ‘The lady who got her hair stuck.’
High School Reunion Page 17
