“We don’t have to go here,” Ginny said, “but the food’s really pretty good.”
Looking doubtful, he switched off the engine. “If you say so. I trust you’ve eaten here before?”
She nodded.
“All right, I’m willing to give it a try.”
They found a table, then turned in their orders. Following her lead, Carter ordered chicken enchiladas, white beans, and rice.
“So,” he said when they were seated. “How’s life in Norco?”
“It’s all right, I guess. Kind of quiet.”
“Well, it’s not much of a town from what I can see.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, feeling suddenly defensive. “I rather like it.”
He made a disparaging sound in his throat. “What is there to like?”
“I like the mountains all around, and the sense of being in the country even though it’s a city. I like seeing horses everywhere.” She frowned inwardly, thinking how odd it was that she was defending a town that she had been eager to leave only a few days earlier. “And I like the way…”
The words died in her throat when she saw Jake enter the restaurant, the blonde woman from the garage at his side.
“Go on,” Carter said, “what else do you like?”
She blinked at him, her mind suddenly blank. “What?”
“You were telling me what you liked about this one-horse town.”
“Believe me, it has a lot more than one horse,” Ginny said absently. She lowered her head, hoping Jake wouldn’t see her.
Ginny was glad when the waitress brought their food. Keeping her head down, she concentrated on eating while Carter droned on about the excellent contacts he was making in Los Angeles. Of all the rotten luck, she thought bleakly. She had known Jake liked this place but it had never occurred to her that their paths might cross. Or had it? Was that why she had chosen this particular restaurant when there were so many others Carter would have liked better? Because she had hoped she might see Jake? Ginny shoved that ridiculous thought right out of her mind. But it came right back.
She looked up when Carter asked her a question. Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn’t been listening to a word he’d said and had no idea how to respond.
Her heart skipped a beat when she found herself staring at Jake, who was sitting at the table directly across the way. The woman sat beside him. She was young and pretty and petite. And, judging from the way she looked at Jake, she was obviously crazy about him.
“I’m sorry, Carter,” Ginny stammered. “What did you say?”
“Evidently nothing you wanted to hear.”
She dragged her gaze away from Jake’s. “I was just…” Just wishing I was with someone else, she thought, but of course she couldn’t say that. “I’m sorry. I guess my mind wandered.”
“I was saying that Mr. Freeman asked me how I felt about transferring out to Los Angeles.”
That caught her undivided attention. “Oh. How do you feel?”
“I think it might be exciting. What I asked you was, how do you feel about it?”
She licked her lips, aware of Jake’s gaze on her face. “I don’t think I’d want to live in L.A.”
“We wouldn’t have to live in the city. We could live in one of the suburbs. Maybe Orange County.”
“That would probably be all right,” she murmured unenthusiastically. “Are you ready to go?”
“Sure.”
Rising, she hurried out of the restaurant, acutely conscious of the fact that Jake was watching her every move.
* * * *
It was almost eleven when Carter kissed Ginny good night. They had come back to the house after dinner and spent the rest of the evening cuddling on the sofa and watching an old Hitchcock movie. To her chagrin, Ginny had spent the entire evening wishing it was Jake sitting beside her, Jake’s hand lightly stroking her back, Jake’s mouth on hers.
Closing the door, she leaned against it, mentally comparing Carter’s kisses to Jake’s. It was like comparing winter to summer, or a sparkler to a sky rocket. What was worse, she was relieved that Carter was gone, and she was afraid that Jake was responsible for that, too.
Something was definitely wrong here. She was supposed to be in love with Carter, so why was it Jake she was thinking about, Jake she wanted to see? Until a few days ago, she had been perfectly happy with Carter. He was everything a woman could ask for in a man. And if he wasn’t as tall or as dark or as sexy as Jake Running Horse, well, Carter was still a good-looking guy with a great future. He was easy to get along with, a good dancer, her parents loved him, her friends all liked him. But somehow, in the last few days, he had lost his appeal.
Earlier, listening to Carter talk about his future with the company, Ginny had found her mind wandering. Surely not a good sign, she thought. After all, his job concerned her future, too, future, but instead of thinking about how well Carter was doing and being happy about his promotion, she had been thinking about Jake. Always Jake.
Comparing the two of them now, she was shocked to realize that, given a choice, she would rather spend tomorrow night with Jake.
And every day and night after that.
Pushing away from the door, Ginny went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, bothered by the turn of her thoughts. Carter was exactly the kind of man she had hoped to marry. He was ambitious. He came from a good family. His parents and his two brothers liked her, but suddenly none of that seemed to matter.
Sipping her tea, she told herself she was just being silly, that the prospect of getting engaged, while exciting, was a little scary. The fact that she was physically attracted to Jake didn’t mean anything. After all, Jake was a good-looking guy. Every woman over twelve was probably attracted to him. But attraction wasn’t love, and certainly nothing to build a lasting future on. Every relationship had its highs and lows, periods of doubt and indecision, and that’s all this was. It would pass. Still, she was glad Carter was going home the day after tomorrow. It would give her time to regroup and gather her thoughts, time to put Jake Running Horse out of her mind.
Again.
But while getting ready for bed, all she could think about was Jake and how painful it had been to see him with another woman. And then her anger surfaced. What a jerk he was, to take her out to dinner, hold her and kiss her, when he had a pregnant wife at home!
She crawled under the covers, only to lay there wide awake and staring at the ceiling. Getting up again, she pulled on her robe and went downstairs in search of chocolate, only then remembering that she had eaten the last of her stash the night before.
She wandered through the house, feeling restless and out of sorts. And then, before she could change her mind, she took off her robe, pulled a sweater and a pair of jeans on over her nightgown, stepped into her sandals, and drove to Stater Bros.
* * * *
Ginny was lingering in front of the candy section, trying to decide between a Midnight Milky Way and a Peppermint Patty when she realized someone was standing behind her.
“Sorry,” she murmured, and moved aside so whoever was behind her could pass.
“I’m a Snickers man myself.”
The sound of Jake’s voice sizzled through her like a sliver of sunlight.
“I like Butterfingers, too,” he said in that same, whiskey smooth tone.
Ginny turned slowly to face him, hoping that the woman wasn’t with him. She didn’t think she could stand to see the two of them together again.
“Kind of late to be shopping, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Is it?” Her relief at seeing him alone was almost tangible.
Jake chuckled softly. “I guess it isn’t all that late, since we’re both here.” He glanced around. “So, where’s that boyfriend of yours?”
“He went back to his hotel. Where’s your…girlfriend?”
He looked at her blankly a moment, then said, “Oh, Lori Beth. She’s at my place. She wanted some 7-Up, and some mint and chip ice cream. And some hot f
udge and peanut butter. Midnight cravings, she said, so here I am.”
Ginny nodded, not at all interested in discussing Lori Beth or her cravings. “Well, it’s not getting any earlier,” she said, grabbing a Milky Way and two Peppermint Patties. “I’ve got to go.”
Jake frowned, puzzled by her curt tone.
“Good bye, Jake.”
“Hey, wait a minute.”
“You’d better go. I’m sure Lori Beth is anxiously waiting for your return.”
Sweeping past him, Ginny hurried to the express checkout line. She could feel Jake’s gaze burning into her back as she left the store.
At home again, she peeled off her jeans, removed her sweater, kicked off her sandals, then plopped down on the sofa in the living room. She had eaten the Milky Way and one of the Peppermint Patties when she heard a knock on the front door.
Frowning, Ginny glanced at the clock over the fireplace. It was a quarter after twelve. Who on earth would be coming to call this late?
Rising, she went to the door and peeked out the window.
“Jake!” She opened the door a crack. “Is something wrong? What are you doing here at this time of the night?”
“We need to talk.”
“I’m in my nightgown.”
Shrugging, he pushed the door open and moved past her into the living room. There was nothing for Ginny to do but follow.
“Make yourself at home,” she said, noting that he had already done so. “I'll be right back.”
Hurrying into the bedroom, she slipped her robe on over her nightgown and tied the sash. Grabbing her hairbrush, she ran it through her hair, then tossed it on the dresser. Why was she primping for him?
Returning to the living room, she sat down in the chair across from the sofa. “So, what brings you here? Shouldn’t you be home taking care of Lori Beth and her cravings?”
“Listen,” Jake said, leaning forward. “I don’t know what you think is going on, but Lori Beth is just a friend of mine, nothing more. She’s going through a bit of a rough patch right now and she needed a place to stay, that’s all.”
“And the baby?”
Jake shook his head. “Hey, it’s not mine. And what right do you have to be jealous, anyway? You’re practically engaged to Mr. Three Piece Suit.”
“So, what’s it to you?”
“You’re sure not making this easy.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, Ginny, you can’t deny that there’s something electric between us. Whether we’re kissing or fighting, you can almost see the sparks fly.”
His words seeped into her heart, melting the concrete wall she had erected to protect it.
She was trying to think of something to say when he pulled her out of the chair into his lap and kissed her.
She didn’t see any sparks, but the fire he ignited inside her warmed her from head to heel.
“Jake,” she murmured when he at last broke the kiss. “This is impossible.”
“Why’s that?”
“Why? We just met a few days ago!”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“It takes time to build a relationship…time we don’t have.”
“Then give it to us.” Jake shook his head as if to clear it. What was he saying? He had sworn off women only a few months ago, sworn he would never put his heart at risk again, yet here he was, practically on his knees, begging Ginny to stay. What was worse, she was probably right. He was just asking for trouble. His parents had met on a Monday and been married the following Saturday. The marriage had lasted barely a year. His old man had split when Jake was two days old.
He gazed into Ginny’s eyes. With her in his arms, he didn’t want to think, didn’t want to be reasonable or rational. With a low growl, he claimed her lips once again, unleashing his desire and his turmoil and his frustration in a long, searing kiss.
Ginny felt a sharp twinge of guilt as she surrendered to Jake’s kiss. Not long ago, she had been in Carter’s arms, now she was kissing Jake. Maybe Jake was right. Maybe she needed to find out if what she was feeling for him was real or just sexual attraction born out of boredom and fueled by the fact that Jake Running Horse was easily the sexiest man she had ever seen.
They were both breathless when Jake lifted his head. Ginny stared up at him, her fingertips pressed to her mouth. Right or wrong, she would give him the time he had asked for.
Chapter 5
Jake called her at nine o’clock the next morning. Just the sound of his voice made Ginny’s toes curl with pleasure and anticipation.
“Hey, pretty lady, what are you doing today?”
“I’m not sure.” She sat up, thinking that hearing Jake’s voice was the perfect way to start a new day. “I guess you’re at work.”
“Well, I should be, but there was nothing pressing at the shop, so I’m thinking about taking the day off, if you’ll spend it with me.”
Happiness bubbled up inside her at the thought of spending a whole day with Jake. “I might be able to do that.”
“You might, huh?” She could hear the smile in his voice.
“All right, I’m not doing anything today. Would you like to come here?”
“I thought you’d never ask. What time?”
“Whenever you want. We can spend the day out by the pool, if you like.”
“Sounds good to me. See you soon.”
Five minutes later, he was at her front door, a faded navy blue beach towel over one shoulder.
“Well,” Ginny said, laughing, “that was quick.”
“I’ve been up since six,” he said, giving her a hug. “Do you know how lucky you are I didn’t call you then?”
She looked up at him, her heart racing. “Do you know how lucky you are that you didn’t?” she shot back and then said, more softly, “You should have called.”
Jake’s breath caught in his throat. “You’d better stop looking at me like that,” he warned, “or I won’t be responsible for the consequences.”
For a timeless moment, they stood there, not moving, hardly breathing. Things like this didn’t happen in real life, Ginny thought, her gaze trapped by his. At least not to her. She had never believed in love at first sight, never known it to happen to anyone she knew. It only happened that way in movies and love songs. Real love was supposed to happen gradually. You met someone, you got to know each other a little more day by day, you discovered things in common and if you were lucky, you fell in love and lived happily ever after.
No, this couldn’t be love, she thought. But it sure felt like it.
Jake cleared his throat. “Is that pool cold?”
Ginny frowned. “You want to go swimming now?”
“I need something to cool me off,” he said with a wry grin.
Ginny laughed, certain she had never been happier in her life than at that moment. “I see you brought a towel. Did you bring a pair of trunks?”
He waggled his eyebrows at her, like the villain in a stage play. “Don’t you want to go skinny dipping?”
She looked at him askance, not sure if he was kidding or not.
“Don’t worry,” he said with a wink. “I’m wearing trunks under my jeans.”
She was both relieved and disappointed. “Were you serious about swimming now?”
“Sure.”
“All right, let me go get my suit.”
Ginny went into the master bedroom and closed the door. She hadn’t brought a bathing suit with her but she could borrow one of Deb’s, she thought, and then frowned, wondering if her sister had taken them all to Hawaii with her. Rummaging in the dresser, she found one of Deb’s old bathing suits. It would do nicely, she thought, until she pulled it out of the drawer.
Deb had always been more of an exhibitionist than Ginny. Even growing up, Ginny had preferred one-piece suits while Deb had always opted for a two-piece, the skimpier the better, just to annoy their mother. Ginny had hoped marriage and
motherhood would have changed Deb’s taste in swimwear, but to no avail. The only bathing suit she could find was a two-piece, and hot pink. Ginny shook her head as she pulled it on, thinking that her bra and panties covered more skin!
She blushed when she looked at herself in the mirror. With a shake of her head, she put on a tee shirt and went outside.
Jake was already in the pool.
She stood at the edge, watching him swim laps. He moved effortlessly through the water, his strokes long and strong. Sunlight glinted blue-black in his hair and gilded his copper-hued skin.
He swam thirty laps before he headed toward where she stood, one hand shading her eyes. Ginny shook her head in amazement. He wasn’t even breathing hard!
He crossed his arms over the edge of the pool and gazed up at her, his head canted to one side. “What’s with the tee shirt?”
“I forgot to bring a suit. This one’s my sister’s. She’s a lot more…how shall I say it? Hmm, daring than I am.”
He grunted softly. “Well, come on in. The water’s fine.”
“Okay,” she said, and dove in over his head, tee shirt and all.
“Hey, no fair!” Jake called when she surfaced. “I’m not wearing a shirt.”
Feeling suddenly bold, she tugged the tee shirt off and tossed it onto the deck, then swam toward the other end of the pool.
When she turned to swim back toward the deep end of the pool, she came face to face with Jake. The water was wonderful, the sun was warm on her shoulders, but it was Jake’s gaze that sent a rush of heat spiraling through her. The attraction that was ever between them sizzled through the air. Her heart skipped a beat when he reached for her and then she was in his arms with nothing between them but a few scraps of wet cloth. There was something wildly erotic about the touch of wet skin sliding against wet skin. His lips were cool and damp when he kissed her, but there was nothing cool about her reaction. She felt such a sudden rush of heat engulf her, she was surprised it didn’t set the water to boiling.
“Damn, pretty lady, do you know what you do to me?”
Ginny nodded. She knew, all right. Oh, yes, she knew. There was no mistaking his arousal for anything else!
Loving Jake Page 4
