by Hannah Ford
“Of course I don’t think they should get away with it,” Raven said. “But I’m worried that you’re going to do something to get yourself in trouble.”
“Don’t you worry about me,” Jake replied. “I’ve done just fine for myself, I got through Afghanistan—I think I can deal with a couple of rich chumps from the business sector trying to intimidate my...” he trailed off.
Raven wondered what he’d been about to say. Had he almost called her his girlfriend and then reconsidered?
“I do worry about you,” she told him. Then she looked at him, refusing to back down from the challenge.
Jake made eye contact too. His brown eyes were unwavering. “Let me take care of everything, Raven. Let me take care of you. That’s the way this whole thing works.”
What whole thing? This completely fake relationship we’ve started for your PR campaign to make everyone realize you’re really a nice guy?
Or is this finally becoming something else?
Raven wanted to ask him that very question, but she hesitated at the moment of truth. Jake’s eyes lingered on her for a moment, and then he went back to looking out the car window again.
She continued watching him, wondering how he could all at once seem as though he was ready to lay down his life for her, and then the very next second he could act as though Raven was some stranger that had intruded on his life simply to cause problems.
Jake was wearing a cream colored suit, and he filled it out perfectly, and he smelled perfect, and he was everything that a woman could want. Just sitting next to him was a turn-on, and then when Raven thought about the way he’d touched her and the way she’d touched him, stroking him, making him come…Jake Novak was actually hotter than he even looked, which was saying something.
Add to all of that, the fact that he also possessed a smoldering bad boy side, the danger that he’d exuded when he’d yelled at her tormentors over the phone—and Raven wanted him more now than ever.
And that was scary, because she was already losing control, losing her ability to keep any sort of distance between herself and Jake Novak.
Jake had repeatedly told her that he wasn’t capable of being a normal boyfriend, had repeatedly made it clear that he was damaged goods (for some mysterious reason he didn’t care to explain).
Why did she insist on wanting more from him, hoping for more from him?
It could be that I’m just a glutton for punishment.
All of these thoughts ran through Raven’s anxious mind as she watched Jake staring out the car window on the way to the restaurant.
Finally, the car pulled up to Koan and one of the attendants stationed out front opened the back door for them.
Jake got out and then extended his hand to Raven to help her out of the car, his grip gentle yet firm.
She nearly lost her breath as she stood up straight and caught sight of his handsome face as if for the first time.
Jake Novak just smiled at me, just touched my hand. And now Jake Novak is taking me out to eat at a fancy restaurant.
Jake Novak touched my pussy, made me scream.
She shook her head, her gaze dropping to the pavement.
“Mister Novak, we have a table ready,” the attendant said softly.
“Thanks,” Jake said, handing the young man a tip.
“Wow, thank you sir!” the young attendant replied excitedly, and then he held open the door to the restaurant for them, where they were met by a beautiful hostess with long red hair and striking blue eyes.
She led them into the strange, post-modern restaurant that seemed to be part minimalist chic, part ancient Buddhist temple. If she hadn’t seen the place with her own eyes, Raven wouldn’t have believed it existed.
The restaurant was crowded, and nearly every table was already taken, but the hostess led Jake and Raven to the back, where she sat them in a booth that gave them greater privacy then the other diners.
“This is perfect,” Jake told the hostess, as she handed them the menus.
Already, even with the privacy of this booth, the other patrons were starting to buzz and whisper, and glances were being furtively thrown in Jake’s direction. He seemed completely unaware or disinterested in the attention, fixing his eyes on Raven alone.
“Do you like sushi?” he asked her.
“I guess,” she said. “I’m not all that hungry, to be honest.”
“You will be when you eat this stuff,” Jake told her. “Best sushi in the country. And all of the wealthiest, most powerful people come here to eat. You can see a lot here if you keep your eyes open.” As he said this, he swept the room with his gaze.
Something about the way he said this last part gave Raven a chill, as if he’d just physically touched her, even though he hadn’t. “What can I see if I keep my eyes open?” she asked him.
He looked at her again and his lips twitched, and then he broke into his world famous grin just for her. “Oh, you’ll see plenty, Raven. And it’s very educational, too.”
“I feel like you’re about to play a prank on me,” she said, her eyebrows rising.
“Not at all,” Jake replied.
“Then what? What are you getting at?”
“It’s simple, Raven. This is the place where everyone who’s anyone comes to eat, schmooze, and look important. A lot of these people have standing reservations, you can practically set your watch by it if you had any interest in running into the right person at the right time.” That famous grin had turned cold, but Raven still wasn’t sure what he was driving at with his cryptic comments.
The waiter came over and Jake ordered for both of them, which was a relief since she hadn’t had time to look over the menu and didn’t particularly care what she ate.
Was Jake really being strange or was it her imagination? She wondered, as he interacted casually with the waiter, then gave Raven a quick wink and flashed yet another grin.
Beneath his glib attitude, she was sensing something darker and more dangerous. He continued to scan the restaurant, as the waiter came back quickly with drinks and fresh green salads with a tangy orange dressing.
Raven picked at her salad, appreciating that it was actually quite good, while at the same time she couldn’t get past the sense that Jake was up to something.
He put a forkful of lettuce in his mouth and chewed, once again looking around, checking the room.
People were looking back at him. Some had started using their camera phones, even though they tried to be cute and hide it. Raven supposed the rich were just as in awe of Jake as anyone else, since these diners were all supposedly the richest of the rich.
And then she noticed Jake stiffening, as if, like a panther, he’d suddenly spotted his prey.
One moment he’d been smiling, seeming to be relaxed and at ease, the next he was still as a statue, and his eyes were locked in on what he was seeing.
Raven followed his gaze to where the hostess was leading a man and woman over to one of the last unoccupied tables in the restaurant.
At first, she was too surprised to realize who the man was and why Jake seemed to care so much, but then she caught a better look at his face and everything changed.
It was Scott, the CEO of Club Alpha—the same man who not long ago had threatened to beat her and have her kidnapped and made to disappear in some foreign country.
He was with a tall, leggy blond wearing a short pink dress that featured her abundant cleavage to the point of absurdity. Her giggle could be heard across the room as they sat down and made goo-goo eyes at one another.
Just seeing Scott in the restaurant made Raven want to throw up. Her blood had turned to ice and her skin was cold, her mouth dry as sandpaper. “Jake, he’s here,” she whispered. “Did you know he’d be here?”
“I had an inkling,” Jake murmured, his eyes still focused on the prey.
Of course he knew Scott was going to be here.
This explained everything they’d been doing since Jake had gotten off the phone. Jake appar
ently hadn’t been joking about coming after the man who’d threatened her, seeing as he’d found a way to run into him within mere hours of their last conversation.
“Jake, you can’t do this,” she whispered. “Jake, look at me.”
He finally was able to drag himself away from staring at his enemy and look her in the eye. “I can do this, Raven, and I will.” He picked up a napkin and dabbed at the corners of his mouth.
“There are dozens of people here, and some of them are already filming us this very second,” Raven explained, trying to keep her voice even. “If you do anything to him and they catch it on video, can you imagine how it’ll look?”
Jake smiled at her. “I can imagine,” he said, and his brown eyes were devilish and intense, and she felt a wave of emotion for him.
“I know you want to hurt him for what he did to me, but you can’t afford to get in a fight right now. The public is already turning against you. That’s why I’m doing this in the first place, remember?” she said, leaning forward, trying to talk sense to him.
“Is that why you’re doing this?” Jake asked, leaning forward as well.
“Of course it is. I’m trying to help you.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you only want to help,” he said, chuckling.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to say, Jake, but go ahead and say it. Tell me the real reason you think I’m here.”
“I think we both know that this has gone way past being some publicity stunt,” Jake told her. “For both of us, Raven.”
She couldn’t even respond—she was so blown away by his admission. Of course she’d hoped that he felt more for her—that he wanted more—but she’d never in a million years expected him to say it or even feel it.
It was too much to believe that Jake Novak actually cared for her.
Raven swallowed, not knowing how to respond. Before she could, she saw that Scott was getting up from his seat and walking towards a hallway that led to the bathrooms.
His blond trophy girlfriend (or perhaps wife) was busily digging through her purse.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have to step away for a moment and visit the restroom,” Jake announced nonchalantly, standing up and unbuttoning his suit coat.
“Jake, don’t,” she said, as loud as she dared without drawing more attention to their table.
“Come on, follow me,” he said, and then he was on the move, like a graceful cat, and she saw his power and confidence and was awestruck, knowing that it was wrong what he was doing—yet the fact that he was doing it for her made it beyond sexy and exhilarating.
She followed him anxiously as he moved past the rows of tables and into the narrow hallway. The hallway came to a dead end, and to the right was the ladies room, to the left was the men’s room.
“Jake, please be careful,” she whispered, grabbing his arm.
And then he suddenly pulled her in, hand at the small of her back, and he was kissing her deeply, his lips like scorching fire. He broke away and smiled. “When it comes to you, I can’t afford to be careful.”
He turned and walked into the men’s room and Raven clutched her blazer, her heart pounding in her chest. She was horrified at what Jake might do in there, but she had to admit—it was also probably the most chivalrous thing a man had ever done on her behalf.
Jake was going to confront the man who’d tried to hurt her.
She stood outside the bathroom, listening, trying not to panic. More than anything, she just wanted it to be over quickly and for them to get away safely.
There was some noise in the bathroom, she could hear muffled voices and then the sounds of some kind of struggle.
What if Scott hurts Jake?
She was horrified at the prospect. The very idea of it seemed a little ridiculous. After all, Jake was ex-military, strong and powerful, whereas Scott was slender, not very athletic looking, and probably no match for Jake’s physical strength.
But Raven was nervous just the same. And she didn’t want Jake to get into trouble.
Suddenly, the door was thrown open, and Jake was standing there, holding Scott’s tie and dragging the smaller man towards the door by that long piece of cloth. Scott’s face was red, and his lip was bloody.
Jake pointed to Raven. “You remember this lady, Scott?”
Scott snarled at her. “You fucking stupid bitch—“
Jake punched him in the belly and Scott doubled over.
“That wasn’t a very nice greeting,” Jake scolded him, sounding like a disappointed father. “That was just rude, Scott. Can you speak nicely to her, buddy? Otherwise I might just break every tooth in your ignorant head.”
Scott slowly regained his breath. He looked up at Raven. “Pleasant surprise to see you here, Miss Hartley,” he gasped.
“That’s a start,” Jake said, shaking him by his tie.
Raven glanced over to the hallway, making sure nobody was coming. So far the coast was clear. She looked back at Scott. His hair was messy, his bangs drooping over his baby face that appeared somehow young and middle aged all at once.
His eyes stared at her with nothing but pure hatred, and his eyes were still threatening her silently, as if promising to pay her back for this moment of humiliation he was experiencing.
“I don’t like the way he’s looking at me, Jake,” she said, her anger getting the better of her as she remembered how Scott had frightened her half to death just hours before.
Jake turned to Scott again. “Are you giving my girl nasty looks?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Scott muttered sarcastically.
“Fuck you,” Jake said, and this time he grabbed the CEO’s tie with both hands and pulled on it, cutting off the circulation around Scott’s neck. “I should fucking end you for what you did to her,” Jake said. “You entitled, arrogant piece of shit.” He pulled tighter still. “And maybe I will end you. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”
“Pl…ple…please,” Scott gasped, and then dropped to his knees, his face turning nearly scarlet. Jake watched the man coldly, his biceps bulging as he pulled tighter still.
“Don’t kill him,” Raven said, as the ladies room door opened and an older woman stood there, mouth gaping in what could have been mock horror at what she was seeing in front of her.
“I’m not going to kill him, not unless he really pisses me off,” Jake said, kneeling down next to Scott, as the CEO clutched at his neck.
“Help! Police!” The old woman shouted.
Raven gave her a stiff shove backwards and shut the restroom door, holding it tightly closed to ensure the old woman couldn’t get out again.
Jake put his face almost against Scott’s face, finally letting go of the man’s necktie as Scott fell back, gasping for breath, coughing and sputtering.
“Scott, you’re a spoiled, spineless bully who sends attack dogs to do your dirty work,” Jake said, and now he was calm again. “Without your money, you’d be nothing and no one would listen to a word you say. But I don’t give a shit about your money, and I’m not afraid of you.”
Scott stared at Jake with frightened, wide eyes. “I know you’re not afraid of me,” he rasped.
“You think because I put on fancy clothes and sing goofy songs that I forgot how to do my old job, the one where I killed bad guys for a living?”
“No,” Scott whispered, coughing, spittle dribbling from his mouth. “No, I don’t think that,” he said.
“Good,” Jake smiled. “Because I’m only going to warn you like this one last time, Scott. Stay away from the people I care about.”
The old woman was still yelling and pounding on the inside of the door as Raven continued holding it shut from the outside.
Jake stood up straight and buttoned his suit coat, and Raven noted that he essentially was unmarked and unruffled by the incident, not even a hair was out of place. He shook out his arms and then cleared his throat, as if putting an end to a slightly annoying situation.
Raven looked down at Scott, w
ho had by this time regained his breath, but looked completely worn out, like a beaten dog. The CEO of Club Alpha didn’t meet her gaze this time. Rather, he seemed to studiously avoid making eye contact.
“Is he okay—“ Raven asked, but Jake grabbed her free hand and dragged her away from the door.
“Come on,” he said. “I’m not in the mood for sushi anymore.” Quickly he led her out of the hallway, stopping only to drop a couple one hundred dollar bills on their old table, before continuing on his way out of the restaurant.
Once they got outside, he started walking down the street. Four or five blocks down, he pointed at a local pizza place. “Want to grab a slice instead?” he asked her.
Are you serious? She thought. You just practically killed a man and now you want pizza?
But then she realized that maybe this was just the way Jake was. After being through war, what he’d done at Koan wasn’t such a big deal to him.
“Sure, I’ll get a slice,” she shrugged, still buzzing from what she’d just witnessed him do. Her thoughts were still scattered and racing, questions bubbling and then popping, leaving her more confused than she’d been before all of this.
Once inside the pizza shop, there was only a few customers—a couple of old Italian men sitting in a booth and one young guy in a track suit who couldn’t stop staring at Jake and Raven. He looked like he’d just seen a ghost, as the two of them walked up to the counter.
“Can I get a couple of slices of cheese?” Jake asked.
If the man behind the counter knew who Jake was, he didn’t show it. Jake paid for the pizza and a couple of sodas, dropped a few bills in the tip jar.
The man behind the counter placed a couple of gigantic pizza slices onto two large paper plates, the grease already soaking through, and then Jake and Raven took the plates and sat down away from the window and started to eat.
“I can’t believe you did that,” she said, after taking a small bit of the abnormally large piece of pizza. It was actually pretty good, although too greasy for her tastes.
