Cupid Loves Curves (Curvy Collections #11)

Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

LUKE

I stride into Ghost Security, my heart hammering like I’m headed into battle. The steel and glass of the office don’t do a damn thing to cool my nerves. Jake’s desk is a fortress of monitors and tech. He stands by the window, looking out over Jefferson with that intense focus he gets when solving a problem.

“Jake,” I start without preamble, “we need to talk.”

He turns, his eyes watching me closely. “What’s up, Foster?”

“Can we—somewhere private?” My voice is gruff and even I can hear the strain in it.

I’m not looking forward to this conversation, but I know it’s better to have it now than later. One thing therapy taught me is to work on getting in front of issues, not hiding and waiting until they explode like an IED. Besides, Jessica is worth it.

Without a word, Jake leads me to a small conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s a room meant to impress and intimidate. The sounds of the office disappear as Jake closes the door.

Jake turns to me and crosses his arms over his chest. “Spit it out, Foster.”

“It’s about your sister,” I start, the words sticking in my throat.

“Is she okay?” Jake’s demeanor changes to concern with a coiled intensity. He’s deeply protective of her.

“What? No, no, she’s fine.” She’s fantastic, actually. “It’s…we went on a date.”

Jake lowers his head for a long moment, and I see the muscles in his arms clenching.

“What have I told you? You need to stay the fuck away from my sister. You hurt her again, and you’ll regret it. You’ll end up on that mountain in a ditch where no one will find you for a hundred years.”

I wince. He may be a computer guy, but I know full well he did combat training in the Army. I’m no stranger to combat, but I don’t want to fight my closest friend. It strikes me that my challenge now isn’t only to win over Jessica—I need to convince her brother, too, so he doesn’t try to kill me.

The air between us crackles with tension. Jake’s jaw clenches, and he doesn’t hide his feelings about me wanting to see his sister again.

“Listen, I know how protective you are about her, and I respect that, but—”

“Respect?” Jake cuts me off, his voice low and dangerous. “If you respected it, you wouldn’t be here telling me this.”

“I’m here because I respect you. Her happiness is important to me,” I counter, staring my best friend down.

“Is it? Or is this just another conquest, Luke?” The accusation stings because part of me fears he may be right.

“Conquest?” I shake my head, heat rising in my cheeks. “No, it’s not like that. I don’t sleep around, and you know it. With Jessica, it’s different.”

“Didn’t seem that way when she told me you ghosted her the summer you came back. She’s not a woman you can string along. If you hurt her—”

“I’m not intending to hurt her,” I interrupt, my hands fisted at my sides. “Hell, I didn’t want to hurt her before, but you know the shit I was dealing with. If I had stayed with her, she would have ended up hurt worse. I’m not making the mistake of letting her go again.”

“Jessica doesn’t need a project, Luke. She needs stability, someone who will love and honor her.”

“If she gives me a second chance, that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” I argue, and I mean it with every fiber of my being. “I’ve been working on getting my shit together. I even got a therapist through Warrior Cares.”

Jake stares at me for a long minute, then nods slowly. “The most important question is this: what does Jessica think?”

I rub my hand along my jaw and exhale slowly. “I’m not sure yet. The spark is still there.” I explain about the whole matchmaking affair, which makes Jake roar with laughter.

“Sweet mercy. She didn’t tell me she was doing that.”

I chuckle, grateful the conflict between us is easing. “Well, she probably didn’t want her older brother laughing in her face about it.”

“Man, that’s part of the charter of being an older brother!” he rubs a hand over his face. “Back to the matter at hand. If she wants you and goes into everything with open eyes, I won’t stand in your way. But if you hurt her again… I’ve got a shovel in my trunk.”

“Understood,” I nod. “I’m not going to fuck things up.”

“Good. Now prove it.”

The hammer falls from my hand, landing with a dull thud against the unfinished pine floor of the new safe house. Waylon’s laughter is a deep rumble that fills the space between us and carries an edge of knowing mischief.

“Boy, Jake’s gonna have your hide if he finds out you’re sniffing around his sister,” he teases, reaching over to pick up the fallen tool.

I can’t help but crack a grin, even as I shake my head at him. “Jake doesn’t own her, Waylon. Besides, Jessica’s a grown woman. And I already talked to him.”

Waylon raises an eyebrow and gives me a long look. “Fair enough,” he says, handing me back the hammer. “Doesn’t mean he won’t try to string you up by your toes just for kicks.”

“Let him try,” I retort, though I know well enough to take Jake’s threat as a promise. I take the hammer.

“You sure you’re ready for this?”

“More than ready.” The moment I say the words, I know they’re the absolute truth. It’s no secret that I’ve been messed up since coming home, but if I want something more than ghosts and demons for company when I’m alone, I need to do something about it. Seeing Jessica again reminded me of what was possible, of how good life could be.

Ain’t no way in hell I’m fucking things up again with her. I’m going to make Jessica mine for eternity.

“Good,” Waylon says, watching me closely. “You don’t talk about her much, but you obviously had something special.”

I nod. “I wasn’t in a good place then. You know that.”

“It sounds like you’ve got your head on straight about this.”

“I hope so,” I admit. I know it’s not going to be easy.

“Anyway,” Waylon says, grabbing another plank. “Thanks for helping the other night. I know you were on your date. Harley wasn’t scheduled to bring anyone to the safe house, but…”

“Yeah, I know. You can’t always predict when someone will need protection. If things get serious with Jessica—”

“When,” corrects Waylon.

“When.” I smile. “I know we’ll be able to trust her with all this.”

“Of course. She’s practically family already,” Waylon says. He’s worked closely with Jake and the others at Ghost Security, setting up digital surveillance around the safe houses and the rental properties. “Have you talked to her yet?”

I think about Jessica and how perfect the unexpected date was. The kiss we shared has been on constant replay in my mind, especially at night or when I’m in the shower. Our connection was still there, unable to be ignored. “I will. Soon.”

Not a moment goes by when Jessica doesn’t work her way into my thoughts. I know I’ll have to prove myself to her, and it’s something I’m going the distance on.

I’ll prove to Jessica I’m a better man than I was and that I’m the only man for her now.