by Rena Koontz
~ ~ ~
Mackenna napped on a lounge chair on his balcony when Jake returned home, a popular gossip magazine opened across her stomach. Seeing her wrapped in his Mobile BayBears baseball sweatshirt made him grin. She’d covered her legs with the afghan from the couch to ward off the crisp spring air. The gentlest of nudges scared her, causing her to cry out and swat the air, wild-eyed and frantic before focusing on him.
“I’m sorry, sugar, I tried to make enough noise to wake you but you were out.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “I feel so comfortable here, so relaxed. I realized I haven’t truly enjoyed time alone for a long time.” She yanked the front of his sweatshirt away from her chest. “I may have overstepped my bounds as a guest, though. I wanted to sit outside and enjoy this sunshine and I didn’t pack anything warm enough. I’m afraid I invaded your privacy and rummaged through your drawers until I found this. Who are the Mobile BayBears?”
“A minor league baseball team back home. They’re the farm team for the Arizona Diamondbacks. My buddy plays for them. He’s a natural ballplayer and I expect to hear any day that he’s moved up to the majors. I’ll take you to a game some time.”
Mackenna’s face immediately brightened, turning on a light in his heart. “In Alabama?”
“Hell ya, honey. Mama will love you even more if you root for the hometown team. Let’s get going. We have an appointment with the management company. I called them on the way home.”
Mackenna loved the available apartment. His heart tugged watching her balance on the sofa as if she’d damage it, caressing the coverlet on the king-size bed, and breaking into a toothy-grin opening the kitchen cabinets to find dishes, glasses, and tableware. When she pulled the cords of the blinds to the outdoor balcony she gasped then threw open the sliding doors and stepped out with her arms wide and her face lifted to the sun, as if she could hug the world. Then she spun around to face him, her smile beaming.
“Jake, I can’t possibly stay here. This is much nicer than where I live now. Even the furniture is an upgrade for me. It must be terribly expensive.”
The building manager stepped up beside Jake and cleared his throat. “It’s a seasonal rate right now, Miss McElroy, and that has been reduced further since Jake here is a friend of the owner. Based on Jake’s assurances, you won’t be responsible for a security deposit and the owner doesn’t plan to start charging you rent until the first of next month.”
Jake relaxed his shoulders. The manager played his part perfectly.
Mackenna’s eyebrows knitted. “Are you certain?”
The manager cleared his throat again and extended a set of keys toward her. “Absolutely. You can assume occupancy right away if you like. We’ll just need a few forms signed back at the office.”
Mackenna nodded. “If you don’t mind, I’ll look around a minute more. Jake and I will be right down.”
When they were alone, she propped her hands on her hips. “How big a role are you playing in this, my friend?”
His stomach jumped. He’d achieved friend status. “I made a phone call, sugar, that’s all.”
“I don’t believe you. Does your buddy know I’m in dire financial straits right now and not only might I be unable to pay the rent but I could be arrested by the FBI?” She didn’t let him respond and advanced toward him. “I’ve never heard of an owner allowing a stranger to live rent-free.” Now she stood toe-to-toe with him. “This has you written all over it. My knight.” Her arms snaked around his neck and she drew him toward her. “I will pay you back every penny, I promise. Right now, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, I’d like to kiss that mouth.”
He wouldn’t have argued even if there was time. But there wasn’t. Before he knew it, his arms wrapped around Kenna, his opened hands splayed across her back and pressed her closer and the sweetest lips God ever created settled on his own. Soft, lush, and giving. General Robert E. Lee couldn’t have surrendered more completely. He was all hers.
Mackenna withdrew the slightest bit and spoke against his mouth. “Thank you, Jake. I’m not sure why you walked into my life when you did or what I did to deserve you but I’m glad you’re here. Thank you.”
He didn’t want the embrace to end. He could stand there for eternity kissing her, holding her, needing her as much as he wanted her. And that was a hell of a lot judging by his body’s reaction. More than just a physical erection, his emotions soared, taking with it his stomach, his heart, and his head. Decency forced him to step back and ease Mackenna out of his arms.
“We better get those papers signed before I carry you into that bedroom and make love to you until we both pass out from exhaustion.”
She didn’t flinch at the suggestion, perhaps because she knew he’d never force her. Or maybe she was warming to the idea of being in his arms.
In the elevator, he reached for her hand. “I have time before I go out tonight. Would you like to move your clothes over here? With two vehicles it should only take one trip. We can grab something to eat on the way back.”
“Won’t that make you late? What time do you have to be at work?”
“I’ll have time.”
~ ~ ~
It all seemed to be working out so effortlessly, which should have been Mackenna’s clue not to relax. Nothing ever was easy for her.
With Jake’s help, she loaded the trunk and back seat with her clothes and toiletries. Thirty-nine shoeboxes stacked up neatly in the backseat of Jake’s Jeep. She was beginning to believe he really did have three sisters. He didn’t blink an eye at the number of shoes or all of the cosmetic bottles, jars, and tubes.
Spending time with him felt so natural, reminiscent of the easy camaraderie she shared with her brother. Except the feelings blossoming for Jake were hardly sisterly. On the contrary, seeing him bend over in skin tight jeans, his butt and thighs stretching the denim like plastic wrap across a salad bowl stimulated her desire for a man again. The urges were more than sexual. She craved his touch and his taste. His laughter and his attention. He felt like a new adventure.
When they stopped at a deli known for its soups, salads, and wraps she teased him about his menu selection. A lesser man would be uncomfortable with such a light meal, she suggested, laughing. Jake simply shrugged and smiled.
“That should tell you something about me, sugar.” He punctuated his words with a wink and she’d giggled like a teenager. It told her he was pretty self-assured. Playfully, she picked chips off his plate. Arthur forbade her from eating from his plate or even sampling from his fork, saying it was unsanitary. As a test, she spooned up her black bean soup and stretched it toward Jake, inviting him to taste. He smiled, accepted the offered spoon, and said it was good but his Mama made better. Someday she’d taste it, he promised. It was starting to feel like she wanted that.
Her heart was lighter than it had been in months and that was when the ax fell. Jake checked a text message and said the manager wanted them to stop at the office when they returned. They’d waved to him on their way out of the building.
The tenant living above Mackenna’s temporary apartment had fallen asleep in the bathtub with the faucets open. Water overflowed through the floor and ceiling and her new temporary bathroom flooded.
“We have repairmen on staff for this building but I’m afraid you won’t be able to stay there tonight. Fans are running but it will take a couple of hours to dry out everything. They can replace the drywall tomorrow and that’s the soonest I can let you in, although we’ll paint the following day so if you think the fumes will bother you, you might want to delay your move.” Her shoulders slumped.
Jake’s arm slid around her waist and he squeezed her side gently. “It won’t hurt you to camp out at my place one more night, Kenna. I’m ready to head to work and I’ll be back late so you’ll have the apartment to y
ourself. I’ll be quiet as a mouse when I come in and I’ll sleep on the sofa. It’s not a big deal.”
So here she sat, her legs tucked under her on Jake’s couch searching the TV channel guide for something to entertain her. But her mind relived the events of the day and questions swirled through her brain. Jake hadn’t been in a hurry to leave. It was after seven when he casually kissed her goodbye and said he’d see her in the morning. Mentally she calculated an eight-hour shift and tried to match it to a law enforcement profession. Eight at night to four in the morning? A security guard might work those hours at a warehouse or some type of overnight operation. But where was his uniform? In a locker at work? That was feasible. But if that was the case, why did he leave wearing dress pants and a dress shirt with his sports jacket hooked on his finger over his shoulder? Did his company require employees to dress to report to work?
A pang of guilt pierced her thoughts. She’d done more than search for a sweatshirt earlier today. She poked around in his drawers, studied the contents of his closet, and deliberately moved the mouse to awaken his computer. The screen asked for a password and she didn’t dare attempt to figure one out. Jake remained a mystery. Nothing in his home revealed anything more about him than she already knew, which was minimal at best.
That compounded her confusion about the man. She wanted more.
~ ~ ~
His words were soft, whispered. “Hey, sugar. Wake up, honey.” That’s what they were in her sleep-addled brain, sweet as honey. She inhaled a slow, calming breath. Jake was so sweet. “Kenna. Wake up.”
Consciousness rolled over her in slow waves. She opened her eyes and blinked at the light from the television. Jake bent and nudged her shoulder. “Wake up, sugar. What are you doing sleeping here? You’re supposed to be in bed.”
Slow awareness of her surroundings surfaced, the afghan sliding from her legs to the floor as she sat up on the couch and offered Jake a lazy smile.
“What time is it?”
Jake bent to retrieve the blanket and folded it as he answered. “Not quite four in the morning. C’mon, let’s get you in bed.”
She slipped her hand in his proffered one and stood, her nose crinkling at his odor. “You reek of cigarette smoke.”
Jake led her toward the bedroom. “I know. It’s one of the hazards of the job. I usually have to scrub down before I turn in. I’ll be quick.” He stopped at the side of the bed and she closed the distance between them, grimacing again.
“You also smell like cheap perfume. I thought you were working tonight?” Ouch. That sounded like something a jealous girlfriend might say.
“Also one of the perils of the job. Sometimes I want to rub mentholated cream underneath my nostrils, you know, like the detectives do in the movies when they find a decomposing body. But I’d look kind of funny with shiny blotches on my upper lip.” He drew back the covers. “In you go.”
Dutifully, she perched on the edge of the bed then slipped her feet beneath the covers and drew them to her stomach as she curled onto her side. Jake bent, lifted his right pants leg, and unsnapped a strap around his ankle. Without glancing at her, he tucked a gun in the top nightstand drawer and eased it closed. Then he gifted her with a charming smile and a wink.
“Don’t fret about that. Sometimes, the job is unsavory.”
She’d never been around guns and having one so close made her nervous. Was he qualified to own one? “What is your job again?”
Jake switched off the light on the nightstand as if he hadn’t heard her question. “I’ll jump in the shower and then hit the sofa. See you in the morning.”
He disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. She stared at the drawer, halting her hand in mid-air. There was no need to yank it open and verify what she’d just seen. Did a warehouse security guard need to wear a concealed gun? It didn’t make sense.
The hot water faucet squealed, indicating he turned it on, and her thoughts took a different path. She pictured him shedding his clothes and stepping naked into the downpour. Immediately, her pulse quickened. Maybe all the mystery surrounding Jake was part of her attraction to him. She barely knew anything about him, yet here she was in his bed and less than six feet away from her, with a simple sliding door separating them, he stood naked, water cascading down his perfectly sculpted body. Would he balk if she stepped into the shower with him? After all, he’d invited her to do just that. And the more time she spent with Jake, the more tempting the thought. Another squeal from the faucet and the water ceased. Too late.
Mackenna switched on the light, propped herself against the wall, and positioned the blanket across her lap. She didn’t want to sleep alone. Not tonight. Not after what’d happened.
Before opening the bathroom door, Jake switched off the light, likely expecting the bedroom to be dark. His eyebrows arched when he saw her sitting up waiting and he stopped in the doorway, a bath towel draped around his waist.
“That doesn’t look like a comfortable sleeping position.”
She had nothing to lose if he rejected her offer. “It’s late, Jake, and we’re both tired. You’ll sleep better here in bed rather than on the couch. We’re both adults, I think we can share this bed without issue.”
He extended both hands to the top of the doorway and caught his fingers on the woodwork, causing the towel to dip lower around his abdomen. Tendons and muscles stretched tight. Sweet Jesus.
“Is this some kind of test, Kenna?”
Her head jerked higher at his comment. “Not at all, Jake. I’m not sure why you’d ask that. I simply think we’ll both sleep better in a bed. I don’t mean to offend you. I don’t feel right displacing you like this.”
He stood silently, a lone muscle in his jaw twitching, and studied her. What was he thinking? She held her breath, deciding against pleading her case further. Her chin inched up and she waited.
Finally, he ran his hands through his damp hair and shrugged. “You’re right, I’m bushed. Let me turn out the kitchen light.”
Her heart raced waiting for him to return. When he entered the room, he stopped in front of his bureau and opened the top drawer. The towel dropped to the floor, and she glimpsed his bare butt before he stepped into a pair of wine-colored boxer briefs. His cheeks were smooth and round, just as she’d imagined. He folded the towel and disappeared into the bathroom. And then he stood beside the bed.
Wordlessly, she sunk below the covers and waited. Jake switched off the lamp and eased in beside her, stretching out on his back and drawing the blanket to his chest. They lay there in silence, listening to each other breathe, until his words cut the darkness.
“Did something happen tonight that you want to tell me about?”
How could he possibly know? No man had ever been so in harmony with her. The phone call frightened her so badly, she’d called Sandy for reassurance.
She spoke to the ceiling. “He called tonight.”
Jake’s head turned on his pillow. “Who?”
“Mr. Gleaner.”
“What’d he say?”
“I-I don’t know. I didn’t answer.”
“Did he leave a message?”
“No.”
“You did good not answering.”
He should know the whole story since he was being sucked slowly into her quicksand of troubles. “I called Sandy right away and talked to her for an hour. Seeing his name on my phone frightened me.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
She’d thought about it. Debated the consequences of calling him at work, wherever work was. She turned her head toward his. “I wanted to. But I don’t know where you work or what you do, not really. I wasn’t sure I could interrupt you or if you can take calls.”
In the dim light, Jake’s white teeth flashed. “You can call me anytime, sugar. Did you tell Sandy
where you’re staying?”
“No. I figure the less she knows, the safer she is. I just needed to talk to someone about . . . everything.”
Now, Jake rolled on his side and propped his head on his hand. “What’s everything? Do you mean about your boss harassing you or the robberies or both?”
The darkness provided a sense of security, as if secrets exchanged between them would never see the light of day. Talking to him like this was safe. “Not so much about the robberies because, as I said, the police advised me not to compromise her. I told her about Mr. Gleaner, about what happened in his office and about him getting me drunk. She was stunned. He presents such a respectable persona at work, quite detached from his employees. Some of us questioned whether he had feelings because he’s always so aloof.
“And we discussed Arthur and how he screwed me. Sandy never liked him but she tried to console me anyway.”
In the shadows, he stared at her. “Did you talk about me?”
“No. How can I explain that you keep coming to my rescue when I don’t understand myself? She doesn’t know much about you beyond the day you showed up at the bank asking about me and she thought you were cute. What do you think she’d say if she knew I was in your apartment, in your bed? She’d be dumbfounded.
“No, I steered clear of talking about you. When she asked where I was, I said my neighbor’s. I was just so scared when I saw Mr. Gleaner’s name. I think if I’d been at The Hole I would’ve thrown my phone against the wall and run. Just run away from everything. That’s the real reason I needed to talk to Sandy. I needed to hash out my feelings.”
Another silent pause before Jake asked softly, “What are your feelings?”
The question caused her to laugh. “You name it, I’m good with it. Scared. What if the FBI doesn’t believe me? Betrayed. By Arthur and Mr. Gleaner, both people I thought I knew and could trust. Angry. At them for what they did to me and myself for being so vulnerable. Worried to death about my finances. I’ve worked so hard to keep good credit. How am I going to bounce back from this?”
