Standby (Open Skies Book 4)

by Becca Jameson

  She was struggling not to cry when he lifted his face and met her gaze. “Where else, sweetheart?”

  She flinched.

  “Shayla. Where. Else.”

  She drew in a slow breath and shoved at his chest so he would move to one side of her. Then she rolled over onto her belly, closing her eyes.

  “Jesus,” he muttered, finally losing his calm façade.

  One hand came to the small of her back. The other landed on the back of her knees. He was framing the entire area where she was most badly bruised, from the top of her butt to about halfway down her thighs.

  His fingers trailed up her skin, touching her everywhere as if he needed the contact to understand or take away some of the pain or erase the memories. “He did this through your jeans?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did he have a belt or something?”

  “No. He used his hand.”

  She listened to him breathing heavily as he slowly calmed down, and then he dropped to her side, rolled her to face him, and pulled her gently into his embrace. He resumed kissing her, his hand on the small of her back. He didn’t stop until she was panting, and then he continued with kisses to her neck and shoulders and around to her ear. “I’m sorry he hurt you, sweetheart.”

  “I know.”

  “How bad does it hurt?”

  “Not too bad. The worst is my scalp from pulling my hair.”

  He drew in a sharp breath.

  She’d given all these details to the police in a separate room from him that first night. A female officer had taken pictures of the bruising too, though those pictures wouldn’t come close to telling the story since her skin hadn’t turned purple and black yet.

  As if he needed to soothe her scalp too, he eased his hand up into her hair and stroked it so gently that she almost cried again.

  She swallowed back the emotion. “Jake, I need to go back to my condo today. Go through my mail. Spend some time with my girlfriends. Drink a bottle of wine while I tell them what happened. They’ve called a dozen times.”

  He pulled back and met her gaze. “Okay. I assume you mean you’re going to spend the night there.”

  “Yes. I’m going to drink. And it is my condo. I haven’t been there for a while.”

  He looked concerned.

  She held his gaze. “I just need a little time to process the last two weeks. It feels like I got sucked up into a tornado and tossed out in Kansas covered in literal bruises.”

  “I get that, but why do I feel like you’re pulling away from me?”

  “I’m not. Not really. I just want some time alone to think and clear my head. Can you understand that?”

  “Yes.” His brow was furrowed with concern. “Take all the time you want.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll help you get your stuff together.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I don’t need to take everything. Just the essentials. I assume I’m still eligible for a proverbial drawer in your bedroom.” She smiled at him.

  “Of course. Always. I’ll clear out two if you need more space.”

  “I might.”

  He slid off the side of the bed and reached out a hand to help her up, pulling her once again into his embrace and kissing her.

  She was beyond aware that she was naked and he was clothed. This seemed to be a theme with them.

  When he cupped her face and met her gaze, his expression was serious. She thought he was going to say something else, perhaps ask her not to go. Instead, he kissed her forehead and left the room.

  Chapter 25

  Shayla was curled up in the corner of the couch in her living room later that afternoon, surrounded by her posse. They had enough bottles of wine on hand to see them through the evening.

  The coffee table was littered with snacks—a cheese tray, a fruit tray, a veggie tray. An actual meal was not in the plans. Talking on top of each other and catching up was the theme. It was rare when they were all off work at the same time.

  Shayla looked at Libby first. “How is Jason?”

  Libby waved a hand through the air. “He’s fine. I promise. Three stitches. He hasn’t even slowed down other than to skip weightlifting with that arm for one week.” She chuckled but she was shaking.

  “You had to be scared out of your mind, Libby.” Destiny pointed out what they all knew.

  Libby looked down at her lap and then took a deep breath. “Yeah. I was. It all happened so fast. One minute we were watching a movie, and the next minute he was out the door. If there’s one thing I know about this group of alpha men, they do not leave a brother to fight any battle alone.” She smiled. “The man keeps a freaking locked weapons box filled with God only knows what ready to jump on a plane.”

  Shayla smiled back. “Can’t say what all is in that box, but it did include a smoke bomb which came in super handy.”

  “Seriously?” Bex asked, rubbing her rounded stomach.

  Shayla nodded. “Yeah, and dammit, I had just gotten the upper hand when Jason threw that damn thing through the window. My knee had made a pretty forceful impact with Hawke’s balls seconds before that. I was on my way toward the door.”

  They were all grinning, only because everyone knew the outcome was favorable.

  Shayla continued. “I managed to get outside before being blinded by smoke. Hawke was still doubled over in pain from the blow to his gonads. Jason had the upper hand when he entered the cabin.”

  “Do you think you could have gotten away without Jake and Jason showing up?” Christa asked.

  Shayla shook her head. “Not a chance. I might have escaped Hawke. It was very dark outside. I was at the tree line when Jake’s arms snaked around me and pulled me into his embrace. I don’t think Hawke could have found me. He wouldn’t have known which direction I ran. All I would have needed to do was get as far away as possible and then remain silent.”

  Raeann frowned. “Sounds like you had it then.”

  “Not even close. It was below freezing and I was ten miles from the nearest anything, and I didn’t even know which direction that might be. I would have died of hypothermia.” She shuddered at the thought.

  “Shit,” Libby muttered.

  “I never slept a single moment that night,” Heather added, running her fingers through her thick curls. “I’m pretty sure I lost about ten years off my life when I realized you were missing.”

  Shayla reached out a hand and grabbed Heather’s. She was sitting closest. Shayla was glad she’d joined this growing group of friends. It turned out the two of them had a lot in common—besides both being duped by Hawke.

  Heather’s hand was trembling and she fought back tears as she clearly relived the event. “I kept pacing your hotel room, praying even hours later that you’d simply gone to the ice machine and forgotten your key or something.” A choked half-laugh, half-sob escaped her lips. “I had this weird pretend scenario in my mind that you’d gone to another floor to the vending machines, fallen, hit your head, and had been transported to the hospital as a Jane Doe.”

  Shayla squeezed her hand tighter.

  “I kept thinking we should have paid closer attention to our surroundings. It gave me chills imagining that fucking asshole following us to dinner and watching us eat and then following us back to the hotel and grabbing you.”

  “I’m okay now though. And he’s never going to hurt anyone again.”

  Heather pulled in a ragged breath and nodded. “I know that logically, but it’s not helping me sleep. I’ve lost more sleep over this nightmare than the months that asshole was harassing me. Somehow it was different. When he was texting and calling, I didn’t consider him an actual threat to my life.”

  “Have you spoken to his wife again?” Christa asked. They all knew the gist of the saga, but they hadn’t spoken enough in the last few days to paint the full picture for anyone.

  Shayla nodded. “Briefly yesterday. It was awkward. Her husband is in custody in Seattle. She didn’t even fully know he was c
heating on her until a few days before. She’s still processing and trying to play catch-up. I feel bad for her, and she feels awful for me too. It’s weird.”

  “At least she doesn’t have to fight him in court or worry about him taking her kids or worse,” Destiny pointed out.

  Bex sat up and reached for a bottle of wine. “What the heck are we doing sitting around empty-handed? We need wine.” She popped the cork and started pouring everyone but herself a glass, glancing at Shayla to continue the conversation. “What about the other two women? Renee and Katy?”

  Shayla nodded. “I’ve spoken to both of them also. They’re equally shook up. Everyone feels like they dodged a bullet. The man was a ticking time bomb. We’re all lucky he didn’t lose his shit at any point and kill one of us.”

  “Sounds like the tipping point was his wife finding out,” Raeann said.

  “Yes. I think so. The crazy part is that he blamed me,” Shayla pointed out. “He kept rambling about how it was my fault that I’d spoken to his wife. He was the one who made her suspicious enough to check his phone when he got in the shower. Marilyn called me. Not the other way around. I suspect it’s going to take her a while to stop feeling somewhat guilty too. If she hadn’t read those texts, met with me, and then left him, he wouldn’t have kidnapped me. As much as we all know he’s a world-class dick, he’s her husband and the father of her kids, and though she suspected he was cheating, she didn’t know how bad it was or what a double life he led, so she’s going to be processing that for a long time.”

  They all nodded.

  “Some days I feel so lucky,” Destiny whispered in the silence.

  “So…” Raeann started, drawing out the single syllable. “Enough sadness.” She turned to face Shayla. “Tell us what’s up with Jake. You’ve been with him for like two weeks. Are you an item? And more importantly, if that’s the case, why are you here with us?”

  Shayla snickered and then sighed. “It’s complicated.”

  “How the hell is anything with that hot hunk of man complicated?” Bex asked.

  Shayla rubbed her eyes.

  “Don’t tell me all is not well in paradise,” Libby added. “When Jason got home, he said he’d never seen a man more frantic to get to his woman before. Unless, of course, you consider himself, Mack, and Bracken,” she teased. “Spill.”

  Shayla shrugged. “I’m just nervous, I guess. I’ve never been in an actual relationship. Guys don’t tend to stick around.”

  “Jake doesn’t seem like a man who would run,” Christa pointed out.

  “I know. I know. I’m just concerned.”

  “How do you feel about him?” Libby asked.

  Shayla leaned her head back and looked at the ceiling. “God. He’s fucking perfect. It’s maddening. What kind of man moves a woman into his house—a woman he barely knows—and devotes every moment of his time trying to help her get out of a previous relationship?”

  “The kind I’m in love with,” Christa teased.

  Gah. Of course. Mack moved Christa into his house after one date when her apartment fell through. It worked out for them. “Good point.”

  “Granted I wasn’t trying to get out of a previous relationship, but he kinda was,” Christa pointed out. “With his crazy neighbor.”

  Everyone groaned. That had been a mess.

  “So, what you’re saying,” Raeann redirected, “is that you’re scared.”

  “Basically. He’s too…perfect. There’s no other word. I’m half in love with him. If it turns out he changes his mind, I’ll be devastated, and I can’t handle any more devastation right now.”

  Heather narrowed her gaze. “So, you’re hiding here at the condo so you don’t have to deal with the remote possibility he might not actually ask you to marry him in like six months?”

  Shayla groaned. “Yes. It sounds ridiculous when you put it that way.”

  Libby cleared her throat. “Okay, now I’m curious. If he’s that amazing and devoted and you’re here with us instead of with him, I’m concerned because, hands down, I don’t spend many nights away from Jason because he rocks my world between the sheets. Don’t tell me Jake isn’t equally attentive.”

  Shayla cringed. “Well… See…”

  “Don’t tell me you haven’t had sex with that hunk of man,” Destiny blurted.

  Shayla pulled in a slow breath. “I have not.”

  “Why?” She wasn’t sure who yelled that one word the loudest. It was collective.

  Shayla chuckled. “On our first date, I was totally all in, thinking I was going to score big time. But then he wanted me to move in with him to keep me safe and he made this random decision that we shouldn’t have sex for one week. He figured that would essentially be seven dates since we would be together every day.”

  Everyone had a goofy starry-eyed grin on their face. They were mumbling about how romantic and sweet and cute and adorable he was.

  Shayla rolled her eyes. “The deal was that if he could keep his hands off me for one week, he would get to dominate me in a way that basically ensured I ended up screaming loud enough to alert the neighbors.” She couldn’t help but giggle at her exaggeration.

  “That sounds like quite the challenge. I’m sure you pulled out all the stops?” Raeann asked.

  Shayla grinned. “You have no idea, but that man stuck to his guns.”

  Destiny laughed. “I bet that hunk is a total dominant in the bedroom.” She swooned. “I bet he has amazing toys. And rope. I bet he has rope,” she exclaimed.

  Laughter filled the room again.

  Shayla groaned and flattened her palm on her forehead. “I’m sure of it. He mentioned it more than once.”

  “What if you won and he touched you?” Christa asked.

  “I would get to dominate him.”

  Destiny laughed. “I doubt that would go over well.”

  “Exactly, so I spent that week determined to win. I tried everything. I’d be too embarrassed to list the things I did to get his attention.”

  “I can imagine,” Libby said, pretending to cover her ears.

  “And he won?” Heather asked.

  “Apparently. He did manage to keep his hands to himself until Saturday.”

  “That’s so hot,” Bex said. “It was also five days ago.”

  Shayla nodded. “That was the day Marilyn called and all hell broke loose. We were too distracted to seal the deal, so to speak, for that entire weekend. Then Monday, that asshole Hawke put a wrench in my life. We got back this morning. And, well…”

  “You got scared and called a girl’s night,” Libby completed.

  “Basically. But also, I didn’t want him to see the bruises all over my body, so I’ve been dodging him for the last two days, keeping myself covered, locking the bathroom door, etc.”

  “Is it bad?” Heather asked softly.

  “Yes. It’s just bruising. It doesn’t hurt too badly, but it’s ugly and distracting and it will take time to heal. I didn’t want our first time together to be consumed with Jake wincing in anger every time he looked at me. He was onto me though, so finally today, I showed him. He kissed every spot on my body that was bruised, and I was so emotional that I had to get away for a while. And here we are.”

  Everyone was quiet for a bit. Bex poured more wine into everyone else’s glasses.

  After a few minutes, Destiny spoke. “You can’t spend your life worrying about the future. You’re in love with the man. Tell him. Take a chance. Don’t run just because you’re scared it might not last forever. Better to have loved and lost and all that shit.”

  “Also,” Libby added, “it’s time to get that man naked. Do it in the dark if you don’t want him to be reminded of the bruising. Sex in the dark is amazing. Especially blindfolded.” She wiggled both brows.

  “Yeah. You’re right. You’re all right. I’m being a wuss.”

  She knew she had no good reason to be concerned. Jake was beyond devoted and caring. She just hoped her heart could survive if for some
reason it didn’t work out. Love wasn’t something she had any experience with, and the truth was she’d been half in love with him since their first date.

  Chapter 26

  Jake took a swig of his beer and set it on the table a bit more forcefully than necessary.

  Hatch chuckled. “Punchy much, Tank?”

  Jake sighed. “A bit.” He glanced at all the guys around Hatch’s kitchen table.

  Zip was shuffling the cards.

  Kraft was passing out the poker chips. Sweets was opening a bakery box filled with whatever delicious concoctions he and Bex had created that afternoon.

  Besides Hatch, Zip, Kraft, and Sweets—the usual group—they had two new members at the poker table—Shooter and Hornet, the two new hires to join his team at Westside Programmers. Deacon and Neil were their real names, but none of the guys went by their real names when they were together.

  “Let me guess,” Shooter said, “trouble in paradise.”

  Jake shrugged. “Not sure. She’s giving me mixed signals. She’s cute and fun and flirty and sexy, and most of the time I know she’s into me. But every once in a while, she pulls back. It’s maddening.”

  “I assume girls’ night at her condo was her idea tonight?” Hornet asked.

  “Yeah. And I get it. She’s been through a lot in the last two weeks. She needs her posse. Those women are tight. They lean on each other in a way none of us can ever understand. I love that they have that bond.”

  “But you’d rather be at home on top of her than here playing poker with us,” Hatch joked.

  “Absolutely.” He wasn’t going to lie. “Plus, she’s self-conscious about the bruising all over her body and doesn’t want me focusing on that, so she’s kept herself covered from head to toe for two days.”

  “Why do women think we would give a shit about some blemish while we’re in the middle of worshipping their bodies?” Kraft joked. “It makes no sense. Who cares about a few bruises?”

  Jake winced. “I totally agree, but I did make her show me today, and I can’t lie, it took a herculean effort to keep a straight face. If that fucking asshole Richman were in a jail cell in Dallas instead of Seattle, I might have stomped out the door and killed him with my bare hands.”