Standby (Open Skies Book 4)

by Becca Jameson

  “That’s great.” She leaned forward, setting her chin on her palm. Her smile melted him every time he saw it. Now was no exception.

  Their food arrived, and they savored the meal slowly, chatting about her job and his until they were stuffed.

  On the drive back to her condo, he was trying to come up with a good reason to stay because he didn’t want their time together to end, when her phone pinged in her purse.

  She stiffened.

  He glanced at her. “You gonna check it?”

  She shook her head and looked out the window.

  He didn’t say anything else until they reached her place. He followed her inside without a word and closed the door. He hauled her into his arms and looked down at her. “May I please see your phone, sweetheart?”

  She winced. “Not a good idea.”

  He disagreed. “I want to understand what you’re up against. Humor me. Instead of trying to explain it, let me read his texts myself.”

  She sighed and pulled her phone out, dropping it onto Jake’s open palm before heading to the couch. At least she didn’t choose to sit alone in the armchair. He wanted to be able to touch her.

  After settling next to her, he opened her phone and held it up to her face so that it would recognize her and let him in.

  He didn’t ask her to help him. He simply tapped the screen, easily finding a thread from Hawke Richman because his message was the last one to come in.

  Jake had to fight his initial reaction and hold his tongue while he read. It wouldn’t help Shayla if he freaked out. But holy fucking mother of God.

  Jake scrolled back a few pages and read the last dozen texts leading up to today. The man was fucking out of his mind. He was hot and cold. Abusive and then loving, if one could call it that. The last several texts were a jumble of fucked-up rambling.

  Shay…baby…please call me. I miss you. We belong together. You know it. Let’s work this out.

  Where are you, bitch? Stop ignoring my texts.

  Hey, Shay. It’s midnight. I’m stuck in a hotel in Vegas all alone. Wish you were here with me. Warming my bed.

  You know how to stop the rumors, Shay. Agree to go back out with me. You know you’re mine.

  Call me when you get this. I’m going to come over when I get into town. You can’t keep ignoring me. Eventually, you’re going to have to face what we both know is true.

  Stop ignoring me. Don’t be such a cunt. I’m starting to think the rumors about you are true. You’re making them true. You are a cock tease.

  Are you fucking some other man? Is that what you’re doing? If I find out you’ve spread those legs for someone else, I’ll make the guy’s life fucking miserable. You understand?

  I saw you across the airport today. You look like shit, Shay. You know you miss me. Stop playing hard to get and admit you’re mine.

  I’ll be in Dallas for the entire weekend. I’ll pick you up Saturday for dinner. Be ready.

  Hey. I’m alone in my hotel room again. Wish you were here. Sorry about the last time we fucked. You shouldn’t have antagonized me like that. You know I get jealous when other men look at you. I can’t help it. It enrages me. I shouldn’t have been so hard on you. Please give me another chance.

  Hey, Shay. I know you’re not working today. I’m picking you up at seven. See you then. Wear that little black dress you have. It’s so sexy and I like having easy access to your cunt.

  Jake’s blood pressure was through the roof by the time he got to that last text. It had come in less than an hour ago. This fucking asshole intended to show up here in a few hours.

  Shayla was chewing on a nail, her legs pulled up against her chest when Jake faced her. He was angrier than he’d ever been in his life, but the last thing he wanted to do was scare her. “Go pack a bag. You’re staying at my place.”

  She shook her head. “No way. I’m not running from my home. If I do that, he wins.”

  “If you stay here, he might kill you, Shayla.” He didn’t think he’d ever call her Shay after realizing that’s what Hawke called her. He could almost hear that asshole’s voice. It was making his skin crawl.

  Shayla sighed. “Did he say he was coming over? He does that. He never shows up.”

  “How often does he threaten to come over?” Jake’s voice rose. Calm, Jake. Don’t make this worse. Don’t be like this asshole. Besides, judging from the few texts he’d read, the answer was pretty often.

  She shrugged. “It’s happened several times. Sometimes, I sit outside in my car and watch for him, not going back inside until a few hours after he said he’d be here. I figure if he does show, at least I can drive away.”

  Jake spun toward her. “Shayla, this is serious. He’s threatening you.”

  “I wish. If he actually ever threatened me, I’d take it to the police. He knows that. He’s sly. That’s why he keeps it clean.”

  “Clean? Sweetheart, he calls you the C-word. That ain’t cool.” Jake glanced at the time. It was four. They still had a while, but he didn’t intend to leave Shayla here in this condo. Especially not alone. Not tonight. Probably not any night in the near future.

  He needed to tread carefully. If he ordered her around, in her mind, he would be no better than the pilot. “Shayla…” He took a breath. “I think you need to take this more seriously. I don’t like it.”

  She met his gaze. “Jake, this is my life. Every day. I’m getting used to it.”

  He reached for a lock of her soft hair and let it slide through his fingers. “You shouldn’t have to get used to it. It’s not right.”

  She shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do that won’t ruin me, Jake. That’s life. He’ll find someone else to harass soon and then he’ll forget about me.”

  Jake sighed. “Okay, but in the meantime, please come stay at my place. I can’t leave you here. I’ll worry the entire night. I’ll worry every damn day.”

  She hesitated. “I’m a bit gun-shy right now, Jake. I know it’s been a few months since I left him, but I’m still recovering. I’m not good company, and I don’t want to jump into another relationship.”

  He nodded. “I get that, and of course you’re recovering. It doesn’t matter how long ago you broke up with him, he’s still bugging you every day. I get it. I’m not asking you to sleep with me. Just come stay with me. I have a guest room. It’s yours for however long you need it.”

  She groaned. “My friends will ask questions.”

  He frowned. “About why you’re staying with me or about how good I am in bed?” he teased, trying to get her to smile.

  She finally did offer him a small smile. “Both probably. I know they hear the rumors, but I don’t want them to worry about me all the time. I don’t want them to know how bad it is.”

  “Okay, then I’ll take the blame. We’ll say I’m irrationally overprotective and I insisted you sleep in my guest room because I don’t trust that asshole. None of that is a lie. It’s all true.”

  She licked her lips. He knew he was wearing her down. She was running out of excuses. He wished he felt bad about talking her into this, but he couldn’t muster up the ability to feel guilt. He was scared out of his mind for this woman. At the same time, he was incredibly attracted to her. He would sleep much better if she were at least under his roof.

  “Okay,” she murmured.

  He blew out a sigh of relief. “Great. Go pack as if you’re not coming back for a while.”

  She hesitated and then nodded. “All right.”

  He watched as she climbed the stairs as if she’d just lost a huge battle. He hated that for her. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel like he’d steamrolled her, especially since this Hawke guy was totally steamrolling her.

  The only way Jake could make this all okay was if he kept his damn pants on. If he lured her into his bed, he would be an asshole. He needed her to trust him and let him help her out. Fucking her on the side wasn’t an option.

  It didn’t take her very long to return dragging a suitca
se and a carry-on.

  Jake jumped up to help her, taking the luggage from her hands. “Don’t look so forlorn. It’s just a precaution. I’ll sleep better knowing you’re safe. You’ll sleep better without that asshole knowing where you are.”

  She gasped. “Shit. What if he finds out I’m at your place? He could be following me everywhere for all I know. If he comes to your house, you could end up getting involved or worse.” She was shaking.

  Jake snorted. “Shayla, don’t insult me. I have years of special forces training in my arsenal. Some pansy-ass pilot with a limp dick isn’t going to get close to me, sweetheart.”

  She chuckled. “Ego much?”

  “Yes. I earned it.” He leaned in, kissed her forehead, and then headed for the door. “Lock up. When does Raeann return? We should warn her, too.”

  “Not until tomorrow. I’ll text her and let her know I’m staying at your place. She’ll probably call when she lands with two-hundred-thousand questions,” she added on a murmur.

  “We’ll come up with good answers before she calls.”

  When they stepped outside, Jake took in every inch of his surroundings. He hadn’t been this vigilant since he left the Army and never on US soil. No way was he taking any chances though. When he decided no one was watching her condo, he faced her. “Follow me in your car.”

  “Okay.” She was shaking as she headed for her silver Accord.

  Jake tossed her things in the back of his SUV and then climbed into the driver’s seat. He watched in his rearview mirror to make sure she pulled out behind him.

  He didn’t live far, and he was relieved when they arrived at his house. He pulled into the garage and then jumped out and motioned for her to take the other spot next to him. He wanted to be able to shut her car off from view. Maybe he was overreacting, but he wasn’t about to take any chances.

  He would do this same thing for any woman. Shayla wasn’t special in that regard. If any friend of his had received the texts Shayla had, he would insist they let him help out.

  The only difference was there was no denying Jake was into Shayla. Totally wrapped around her finger after only one date. He loved that she’d relaxed and let her problems disappear for several hours at lunch. He’d gotten to see the side of her he’d remembered meeting. Not the withdrawn, quiet, scared version she’d become recently.

  After closing the garage door, he led her into the kitchen and set her carry-on on the island. “Welcome. Let me show you around.”

  She followed him, her fingers tucked in the front pockets of her jeans as he gave her a small tour.

  “Kitchen of course.” He passed through his modern, gray-themed, stainless steel kitchen to the attached great room that was arranged in such a way that he could see his flat-screen TV from almost everywhere in the kitchen. That was his favorite feature.

  The entire house, except for the tiled kitchen and bathrooms, had hardwood throughout. His living room featured an enormous black leather sectional angled in front of a fireplace and entertainment center. His giant flat-screen was mounted over the fireplace.

  On the far side of the living room, he headed down the hallway, pointing right and left. “Guest room. Guest bath. My home office. Master bedroom. Junk room.”

  She seemed nervous, and he hated that. He wanted her to feel at home here. It might be a little weird starting a new relationship with a woman who was staying with him, but hell, Kraft had done it, and it worked out for him and Christa. Granted, her situation was a little different. Her apartment had fallen through and she’d needed a place to stay.

  He returned to the kitchen and grabbed her stuff, rolling her suitcase to the guest room and setting her carry-on on the bed. “I’ve never slept in here, but my sister has visited. She said the mattress was fine. If you get too cold, there are more blankets in the closet. If you need more pillows or different ones, just let me know.” He pointed across the hallway. “There are towels and stuff in the linen closet in the bathroom. Let me know if you’re missing something.”

  She smiled and grabbed his biceps. “It’s all good. Don’t worry. I’m not shy. I’ll tell you if I need something. And Jake…”

  He licked his lips.

  “Thanks. You didn’t have to do this. I appreciate it a lot.”

  “Any time. Like I said, I wouldn’t feel right leaving you at your condo.”

  “Still, it’s kind of you.”

  It was getting late. He needed to feed her again. “How about we order takeout and chill in front of a movie or something?”

  “I like that plan.”

  Chapter 6

  Shayla found herself incredibly comfortable with Jake when he wasn’t grilling her about Hawke. That entire situation was depressing and did nothing but make her want to kick herself. So, taking an evening to pretend her life wasn’t a hot mess was relaxing.

  They ordered Chinese and shared everything. She quickly found out they agreed on what the best Chinese dishes were, so they ended up with all their favorites.

  They watched a cheesy rom-com they’d both seen, laughing at the same lines. By the time the credits rolled, she realized she’d been smiling or laughing for several hours.

  When she turned her gaze toward Jake, he was also grinning and watching her. “I like seeing you smile,” he said.

  She shrugged. “You made it easy. Thanks…for everything. Really. I can’t tell you how badly I needed an evening like this. I almost forgot my stupid problems for a while.”

  “Good.” He was sitting on the opposite end of the sectional, and the distance felt strange after the fact that he’d kissed her until her toes curled earlier in the day. She’d dropped into one corner of the sectional first, and then, after grabbing the remote, he’d chosen the other end. It had probably been for the best. Things would get complicated if she slept with him, and she wasn’t interested in more than sex right now.

  Silence stretched between them while they stared at each other. Finally, he lifted a hand toward her. “Come here.”

  She rose from her end and closed the distance until she was next to him.

  He grabbed her fingers and tugged her down beside him. Still holding her hand, he looked down at their connection, rubbed her knuckles with his thumb, and spoke. “It took a lot of strength to stay this far away from you during that movie.”

  She sucked in a breath. Thank God she wasn’t the only one. “Why did you?”

  He lifted his gaze. “I really like you. I mean, I already knew that before I showed up this morning. I think I put off asking you out for all this time because I knew I needed to wait until the timing was right for both of us.”

  She frowned, not quite understanding.

  He drew in a breath. “What I’m trying to say is that once I took you out, I didn’t figure I’d be able to let you go. So, I didn’t pursue you. At first, after Trent and Destiny’s wedding, I wasn’t in the right state of mind to commit to someone, so I ignored the attraction and shoved it to the back of my mind. Then you were dating that asshole, so I stayed clear of you. I didn’t even ask anyone if you were still dating him. Probably for the best. I wouldn’t have wanted to be a rebound guy. Plus, work has been so busy lately that I was afraid I couldn’t devote the time you deserve to any sort of relationship between us.”

  She stared at him, a little stunned and nervous by his confession. “And now?” she whispered.

  He sighed. “Now I realize I should have asked you out a long time ago and saved you the aggravation of ever having spoken to that asshole. But I didn’t. I’m worried about your headspace too. You’ve been through a lot and it’s not over. I don’t want to move in too fast and make things worse. The last thing you need is another guy pressuring you.”

  “I don’t feel pressured by you, Jake.”

  He gave her hand a tug, causing her to fall into him.

  She set her palm on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her and held her close. “You would if I followed my carnal instinct and kissed you senseless until y
ou wouldn’t want to say no to me.”

  Her heart rate picked up, and she was breathing heavily. “And this would be a bad thing?” Every inch of her body came alive in his arms and she tried to tell herself it was just physical. She didn’t know him well enough to be emotionally invested. But damn, it would be nice to roll around between the sheets with someone like him.

  It made her nervous that he seemed to be interested in her for more than sex though. How could he be into her like that this fast? Sure, they’d known each other peripherally for over a year, but not well enough to say they had any kind of relationship.

  She shook that concern from her head. It wasn’t reasonable. They were attracted to each other. Nothing else.

  He groaned and tipped his head back for a moment. “Yes. Dragging you into my bed would be a bad thing. This is important. You’re not a booty call. My head tells me to keep my pants on and help you get through this shitty situation you’re in without adding to your stress.”

  She licked her lips, trying to decide what to say without sounding as forward as she felt. What she wanted to say was fuck it. Who cares about tomorrow? Show me your bedroom. And what kind of guy turned down a sure thing? She was pretty outgoing, but asking him to have sex with her was even more forward than she was capable of. Plus, he was kind of right. She wasn’t her normal self. Her brain was filled with too much shit right now. She leaned her head against his chest and sighed. “Well, shit.”

  He chuckled, his chest shaking under her cheek. “I’m just trying to be a gentleman. I don’t want to fuck up a good thing by rushing it. We have time. We’re in no hurry.”

  She groaned. He felt so good against her. Warm and chiseled and comfortable. It would be so easy to slide her hand down and palm his dick, making him change his mind. Part of her would love nothing more than to forget every damn thing by filling the next hour with amazing sex.