The breeze kicked up like it understood, sending a chill through her body. She could feel the fear gather inside her, the same crippling helplessness that had plagued her whole life. But this time she felt strangely immune, like the pliable parts inside her had hardened.
Now she was angry.
“You went to see him after you left Vitalie’s, didn’t you. You were going to kill him.” She stared at the fire and let her eyes water. “Why didn’t you, Jake?”
She wasn’t looking for an answer. It was more of a vent of a lifelong angst. With a shake of his head he knelt down in front of her, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. “Sweetheart, I think we need to talk about a few things.”
She swallowed hard. “Like what?”
“Well for starters, I know what you were planning with Geoffrey. I know about eloping to Switzerland.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, and I want you to go.” His voice wavered, his gaze now focused on her hands in his. “If you are with him, you’ll be out of harm’s way.”
His word hit her like a well-marked blow. She pushed herself up and stood in front of him. “You must think I’m the most gullible woman you have ever met. You act like you care about me to a make sure I do things your way!”
“You think I’m faking this!” He jumped to his feet and snatched her hand, pressing it against his hardened cock. “Feel this? This is what you do to me, Summer. You think it’s easy for me to send you off to marry another man.” He shook his head. “Learning to walk again was hard, but it is nothing compared to this.”
“Why is this so complicated?” she yelled. “Vitalie is gone, Geoffrey will be and if my father did it, arrest him and turn him in!
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because the only evidence against him might implicate you too.”
The fire crackled behind her. “What evidence are you talking about?” she croaked, not sure she wanted to know.
He looked at her a long moment, then took a breath. “There’s a tape. An audio tape. It looks like Vitalie recorded conversations with Al about their dealings.”
She nodded, running her hands down her goose pimpled arms. “Have you heard it?”
“Not yet. I wanted to wait until after the match tomorrow. I wasn’t even planning on telling you about it.”
“Well, where is it?” she asked, turning toward the house. “Maybe we should listen to it now.”
“Summer wait!” he grabbed her arm and spun her around. “I can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because if I hear something I shouldn’t, I have to arrest you. And that’s the last thing I want to do.”
She winced, absorbing the glancing blow. Going to jail would be terrible, but the alternative in marrying Geoffrey wasn’t much better. Feeling her knees begin to weaken, she sank into his chest. His strong arms curled around her, his heartbeat sounding in her ear. “What’s going to happen to me?”
“Nothing as long as you leave the country. At least for a little while. The Feds will cut you as a loss as long as they can nail your father.”
Inside his embrace, the plan seemed almost bearable. He seemed so incredibly at ease with the situation. As if saying good-bye was no more than an inconvenience. But for her it seemed the world was ending.
As if hearing her thoughts Jake held her tighter. “Summer, it won’t be that bad. I promise you this is what’s best.”
This whole thing between them may have been just another fling to him, but to her it meant much more. She had given him her body and he’d stolen her heart. Risks she had no regrets taking. When he scooped her up and carried her to the bed, she was reminded she never had a real choice in the first place.
With her back to his chest, they huddled together, for a while just watching the fire. “Jake, have you ever been outside in the winter, and your hand gets really cold and you come inside and it starts to warm up. At first it hurts so badly, you can’t stand it.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s how I feel. I feel like there is this part of me that was frozen before I met you. And now that it started to melt, it hurts.”
“I don’t want you to hurt,” he said, with a quiver in his voice. “I want you to understand that this is what is best for you.”
“You are what’s best for me.” She turned herself towards him. His musky scent lingered with the rain and fire creating a strange and arousing combination. She brushed her hair aside and kissed his neck, slipping her fingers around the collar of his shirt.
His muscles relaxed under her touch and she was impressed that in such a short time she’d learned him. She could read his body language, sense his desire. Nothing could turn her on more.
“Sweetheart,” he whispered with his lips against hers. “The first time we made love I was really rough with you. Had I known it was your first time...”
“I know.”
“I just want you to trust me.”
“Then I want you to trust me.” She slid her hand up his t-shirt, her fingernails teasing the muscled ridges of his chest. “It’s okay to be gentle and tender.”
Feeling bold she found the fly of his jeans and with surprising dexterity released him. He inhaled sharply when she touched him. “Do you like that?” she asked.
He nodded and his satisfaction pleased her. With devious intentions, she removed both their clothes, taking her time like they had some to spare. She studied his naked form against the shadows of the fire. The broad shoulders, tussled dark hair and the smirk that could melt ice. Pure sex in male form and her heart raced in response.
The stars above had returned and the moon was close to full. Despite the grandeur she closed her eyes, completely taken by his tender touch. His dark hair tickled her chin as he suckled one breast, his fingers working leisurely on the other. It amazed her how intuitive he was to know exactly when and how to touch her, even in such a short amount of time. It was freeing and frightening all at once when he finally slid inside her.
The force of her climax paralyzed her. It went on and on, with peaks and valleys under the command of his expert touch. She clawed his back and he groaned in response, holding her tightly against him. He thrust deep and hard, but at a pace that didn’t rush her. She wanted this to last. Wrapping her legs around him, she let him take her where he wanted to go. Anywhere. Anyway. Just as long as he made her his.
“I’m with you, baby.” He breathed. “Hold on to me.”
And she did. For dear life, relishing the feel of his release inside of her. This was what ecstasy felt like. This was rapture. This was love.
When the wave finally receded, he collapsed beside her and pulled her against him. “You are definitely a woman with many talents, you know that.” He brushed his lips to her forehead. “No one has ever made me feel like you do.”
She wrapped her arms around him, kissing his shoulder and stroking his chest. She wanted so badly to tell him how she felt. How she’d never even been close to loving a man in her whole life and how it seemed she had saved it all for him. She gulped down a lump in her throat and lifted up to face him. “Jake.”
“Don’t,” he said quickly bringing her back to him. “Please baby, just let me hold you.”
“Okay, but I was just...”
“Tomorrow,” he croaked and the fire reflected in his glazed eyes. “Tomorrow, sweetheart. Then I’ll let you go.”
The ocean waves crashed on the beach beyond and the flames crackled in the fire beside them. With a smile she rested her head on his shoulder, savoring the moment and knowing that she never could again.
***
The sweltering heat had returned to South Florida, and Summer couldn’t be more pleased. Muggy and stagnant, it was the perfect weather to overwhelm her opponents. Not that she needed Mother Nature’s help, but the advantage was always nice.
For once, Jake didn’t seem to mind the heat either. On their way to the court he had filled the space with idle chatter about crowd p
sychology, and how the press would be less aggressive if they were fighting dehydration. He was sure the news of Vitalie had been withheld, but just in case, he had instructed her to avoid the press as much as she could.
The USTF security plowed through the photographers like a tornado and Summer was nestled in the eye. She had stressed all morning about what to wear, but the shower of catcalls confirmed the pale yellow dress was the right decision. Tossing her braid over her shoulder, she posed for a few pictures, letting the sun hit her like a spot light. All eyes were on her, including Jake’s wide ones who watched with a scowl a few feet a way. Every once in a while he would bark at the crowd to stay back, like a principal scolding unruly children.
She turned a corner down the underground corridor then stopped at the center court entrance. A burst of hot air brought with it a wave of nausea, the same one she fought off a few moments earlier. Butterflies had never been an issue for her. Her nerves were usually iron-clad. But then she’d never been held at gunpoint and planned a sham wedding in the span of twenty four hours before. She earned her right at an upset stomach.
“Summer, ten minutes until you take the court.”
“Thanks, Steve.” She took her racquet bag from his shoulder and peered out at the crowd. It was a full house. Twenty thousand at least.
“I hope you don’t mind but I put the word out for Geoffrey to come down here.” He leaned in as if sharing a secret. ”I thought you could use the support since Vitalie’s not here.”
She shook her head. “I’m glad you did. I need to talk with him anyway.”
“What about, darling?” She jumped when she hard his voice, then fought the urge to shrug off his grip from her shoulder. “Is everything okay? I was in the box when they paged me.”
Dressed in tennis whites, he wore sunglasses and the same ridiculous straw hat he’d been sporting since he returned home from Bermuda. Summer cringed, taking a seat on a bench beside her. “I’m great, I just wanted to see you before I went out.”
“Oh well, that surprises me.” Geoffrey stammered. “I know how you like to be by yourself before a match.”
“Well, this is an extenuating circumstance.” Tossing her braid over the shoulder, she spied Jake lingering with the other security men a few feet away. She could tell by the way he held his head that he was straining to listen. “I wanted to talk about last night.”
Geoffrey pushed up his sunglasses. “What about last night? The press hasn’t gotten to you already, have they?”
“I wanted to apologize.” Again she glanced at Jake. He had inched closer, rubbing the lenses of his Oakley’s with the hem of his shirt. “I was pretty out of it last night, and I was upset. If I brushed you off...”
“I understand, darling.
The sudden roar of the crowd outside echoed in the corridor. Steve leaned in the entryway and waved his hand. “Summer they’re announcing you and Nila. She’ll be entering on the other side of the court first. Then they’ll bring you out.”
She nodded, her eyes still fixed on Geoffrey’s. “So our trip is still on?”
“Of course,” he said, the relief unmistakable in his voice. “We’ll leave tonight after the reception.” He kissed her hand before heading out to the stands. “Good luck, my darling. I’ll be rooting for you!”
A warm breeze wafted through the corridor, doing little to relieve the oppressive heat. Quickly she pulled an extra energy drink from the icebox beside her and sat down on the bench.
“Are you ready to go?” Jake nodded toward the building roar of the crowd. “You don’t want to keep the world waiting do you?”
Again her stomach jumped, forcing her to swallow hard. She leaned back on the cool cement wall, and took a deep breath.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, why?” she snapped. “Don’t I look okay?”
“You look great. You just seem like the heat might be getting to you.”
“I’m just tired. Almost being murdered tends to take it out of you.”
“I don’t doubt it. Can I do anything for you?”
She looked around the corridor at the familiar but nameless faces. People were everywhere, but somehow she felt alone. “No.” she sighed. “It’s just strange not having Anston here. We had a routine before matches. Talk strategy.”
“Like a crew chief.”
She wrinkled her forehead. “That’s a car thing, right?”
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “That’s a car thing.” He looked around, before sitting beside her, smoothing a hair behind her ear. “Everything okay with Geoffrey?”
“All patched up.” she replied. “We’re leaving tonight.”
He nodded his gaze falling to the cement. “I’m going to miss you like crazy. You know that, right?”
“Me too.” Her stomach was swimming again. Unwilling to give in to it, she stood up, tossing her bag over her shoulder. The sudden roar of the crowd pulled her to the entrance and she refused to turn back around. She headed down the tunnel and out in to the sweltering sun, the blue sky looming like heaven above her. Twenty thousand people cheered as if heralding a hero. This was the moment she’d dreamed about for months. This was her home. The Queen had reclaimed her crown.
It was all she could do to keep from crying.
Chapter Seventeen
Jake sat in the stadium parking lot watching the asphalt melt around him. The air conditioning was on full blast, an indulgence he rarely allowed, but the heat of the day combined with the ache of his heart made him allow the exception. He looked at his tape deck, the digital red numbers reading play on the display. He’d only played half of it, and really didn’t have the stomach to hear anymore.
She couldn’t leave soon enough.
He turned the volume down and opened the window when he heard the crowd’s eruption. The announcer was presenting Summer with the Citrus silver bowl, a prize Geoffrey must have come up with for media sake. She was laughing, thanking the crowd for their support. He closed his eyes picturing her smile. Her pink, luscious lips; her rosy, dimpled cheeks. He shook his head chasing away the mental picture. It killed him that his imagination was the only place he would ever see her again.
“Jake?”
He jumped at the muffled voice on the other side of the passenger window. “Leslie? Geez, you startled me.” He pressed the stop button on the stereo then rolled down the window. ”What the hell are you doing out here?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“Is it Summer? Is she okay?”
“Summer’s fine. It’s you I’m worried about.” She opened the car door and got in, tossing a file on his lap. “The tattoo guy at the party last night.”
“Malcolm Rodriquez.”
“He was found dead in back of Sea Side Bait Shop this morning. Bullet in the head, execution style. Sound familiar?”
Jake looked at her, then opened the file. A stack of crime scene photos were clipped together, each as bloody as the next. Obviously the work of the Riley Gang. He slammed the folder shut then tossed it back at Leslie. “He must have told Al about the tape,” she said. “I think we should assume he knows you have it. As long as it’s out on the streets, no one is safe.”
“As long as I have it, Summer is. Al will come after me not her.”
Leslie leaned against the door to face him. “You know that Nila girl has a loose mouth.”
Jake looked at her. ”What do you mean?”
“Summer is leaving town with Geoffrey? Isn’t she?”
He looked at her then back out the windshield. If he didn’t answer, she’d take his silence as an affirmative.
“What’s on here anyway?” she asked nodding to the cover in his lap. “Is it stuff you can really use?”
“Yup,” Jake replied with no enthusiasm. “He’s responsible for crimes I would have never tied him to in a million years. The baseball player who was found dead in Baltimore last year, the bookie in Chicago?”
Leslie cocked a brow. “Al?”
&n
bsp; Jake nodded. “Bastard's a busy man. Those gardens outside Giovanni’s? Dumping ground.”
“You're lucky you got this tape then.” She smiled and rubbed his arm. “Congratulations. You found the needle in the haystack.”
He was sorry he ever looked in the first place. He rubbed his fingers against his throbbing temples and pressed his eyes shut. “It’s not as great as you think, Leslie. Summer is on there. Not her voice, but they acknowledge she was a willing participant in the scam.” He frowned. “It also states she had already received down payment for her participation.”
“She took money?”
He held his left hand up. “The engagement ring. Her father gave it to Geoffrey the day before the attack.” Hearing the words out loud somehow made it more real. For years he had waited for this moment, a chance to avenge his misery. Now that it had come, he was more tortured than he’d ever been. To ruin Al, would ruin Summer.
“You love her, don’t you Jake.”
God, did he. With every bit of his soul. He looked over at Leslie, the words choking his throat. “All I know is the minute I met her, I felt her. Like she got under my skin and shoved everything around inside of me.”
“Yeah, that’s love all right.” Leslie patted him on the shoulder. “I’m truly sorry it’s ending like this.”
He didn’t reply, but her stare told him she wanted one.
“It is ending, isn’t it?”
“Leslie, don’t lecture me.”
She exhaled loudly. “Well, love her or not, you have to turn this tape in. Destroying evidence is a federal crime. You are duty bound to complete this mission.”
“That is the problem, Leslie. This whole revenge mission of mine, it’s always been personal. It was stupid for me to think I could treat this as a job.” He swallowed hard. “I can’t let Summer pay for my shortcomings. Please try to understand where I’m coming from.”
When he heard her reach for the door handle he was relieved. They may not always agree, but Leslie always respected Jake’s decisions, even one as questionable as this.
“I’m going to head back to the match and cover for you. But I want you to remember one thing, as a person who cares about you.”
Break Point Page 17
