AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I scoffed. “Obviously.”
He groaned again. “Clara, come on. Do you honestly think that was my wife or girlfriend? You think she would have been laughing if she’d walked in on her man with another woman?”
Of course I didn’t think that, even though it had been my knee-jerk reaction at the time. Still, there had been a woman with a key to his house and his child. A woman he’d felt comfortable enough to share how easily I’d spread my legs for him.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. That night shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Now we can both move on like we should have done in the first place.”
He twisted sideways on the bench we shared, his arm draping over the top. “Does moving on involve you flirting with that guy barely out of law school?”
I sniffed, slightly embarrassed at being called out so blatantly. Since I hadn’t the first clue how to flirt, it hadn’t been conscious, but I might’ve played it up just a little once I saw Jake’s grumpy reaction.
Not to make him jealous, though.
I didn’t like the implication I was some scorned woman, trying to get back at him.
“It’s funny you’re calling another man young.” There. That’ll show him.
He leaned toward me. “Age isn’t all about the number, Clara. I’m talking about who he is as a man. I got the impression that suit would let you lead him around by the ear like a little boy. Poor guy’s probably going to have blue balls for a week from you touching his arm.”
I rolled my eyes. This was ridiculous. “I highly doubt any of that is true.”
“You didn’t see his tongue wagging any time you looked away.”
I was never going to flirt again. I had to work with Trevor, and if what Jake was saying held even a fraction of truth, I was going to feel incredibly awkward the next time we had a briefing.
“Jake…” I sighed. “Let’s stop this. Say what you need to in order to clear your conscience and we’ll both move on.”
He exhaled, long and rough. “Look, I’m sorry about the way that morning went down. I’m not a big talker, and sometimes I say shit I don’t mean when I’m put on the spot. The way I handled myself isn’t a reflection of my respect for you. That was me trying to close the subject as quickly as I could.”
“Okay. Thank you for apologizing.”
“Clara,” he bit out, “don’t give me that haughty little attitude. I know you better than that by now. That’s not you.”
Incensed, I pinned him with a hard look. “I think it’s been proven we hardly know each other. You have a child, Jake. At no point did you think you should have mentioned that? Like, possibly when you sat down to dinner with my child?”
In hindsight, it made sense. The truth was there in the details. He’d been so damn good with Nellie, comfortable lifting her, speaking to her in an age-appropriate way, putting together her kids’ meal toy like a professional. I hadn’t had the correct information to unscramble all those details into a picture, but looking back, it was so clear. Jake was good with Nellie because he’d done all that with his own daughter.
“Didn’t think I’d see you again.” He reached across the inches of space between us to put his hand on my knee. “I get you’re protective over Nellie. I’m the same way with Sage. I don’t bring women around her.”
I pointed to the ground like he’d done that day and imitated his gruff voice. “Stay here please. That’s my daughter, and I’d rather her not see you.” I tipped my head, switching back to myself. “Do you think you could have said something like that?”
He squeezed my knee. “Like I said, I was on the spot, and it came out wrong. She wasn’t supposed to be home until Sunday. And if you would’ve stayed like I told you—”
My jaw went tight. “I don’t follow orders.”
Letting go of my leg, he cupped the side of my jaw and turned my face so we were almost nose to nose. “And I’m sorry for that too. Can you put yourself in my place? Imagine it was Nellie coming through the front door? My daughter needs protecting more than you or me. Just like Nellie.”
I hated myself for it, but hearing him talking about his girl softened me toward him. Part of me wanted to see him in girl-dad action, but a bigger part still found it difficult to believe he was a father. Big, rough biker Jake Hayes didn’t strike me as the paternal type. Yet he was.
I sighed and wrapped my fingers around his hand, lowering it to my lap.
“I understand your instincts. I don’t think it’s an excuse for saying what you did about me, but I respect your fierce protectiveness.”
I cut myself off from asking about his daughter…and the woman. It wasn’t my business.
He chuckled. “That’s it?”
I tried to pull my hand away, but he held on. “Yes. That’s it. You apologized, I accepted, we’re good.”
