Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jake had been talking to a backer of the college for the last thirty minutes. Turned out, the guy was also a retired fire chief, so they may have gotten a little long-winded talking shop. Even so, Laurel had seemed interested… asking questions and participating in the conversation.
He’d never known a woman who wasn’t on the job who took the time or even wanted to venture past the “hot firemen” stereotypes and “Are you in a calendar?” questions.
He was, by the way. “Mr. October,” but that was beside the point.
The thing was, Laurel cared. She cared about his occupation and wanted to learn more. She cared about the people doing the job and supported first responders. And, hopefully, she cared about him as much as he’d come to care about her.
Hell, who was he kidding? He was in love with her. He just wasn’t sure if that was a good thing… for her. Or him. Being in love with her was going to make it that much harder to lose her if she decided the novelty of being with a “bad boy” wore off. Was he a novelty to her? He didn’t think so. She’d never given him that impression, and the woman’s face was an open book. He’d be able to tell if she was faking. The way she looked at him, the conversations they shared, how she responded when they made love… she couldn’t fake that. He’d bet his life on it.
And if he was wrong? Fuck, that would make her the best actress in the world.
The retired chief said something, so Jake forced his thoughts back to the conversation. At least, he tried. Laurel had excused herself to speak with her dad. Jake wasn’t certain how long ago that’d been. Ten minutes? Fifteen, maybe? But suddenly, all he could think about was being with her.
He looked over to where she was standing with her father and caught her staring. So, she was thinking about him as much as he was thinking about her. The realization warmed him from the inside out, like a shot of whiskey going down. When he gave her a wink, her eyes softened before she lowered her lashes. That little display of shyness made his cock stir.
When had he come to crave her every second of every day?
The physical attraction had been instantaneous, but needing her on a deeper level? That had snuck up on him. Little by little, she’d chipped away at his walls without even trying. She’d succeeded at something no one else had been able to… making him feel. He’d started longing for things he’d never wanted before. Things he’d never thought would be possible to have. But she’d made him believe that, maybe, they might be. God, he hoped they were, because he’d come to realize no other woman would ever matter to him as much as she did.
When a passing couple recognized the chief, Jake seized the opportunity to bow out of the conversation and go to Laurel. He missed her hand in his, like it had been when she’d been by his side.
He turned to find her father alone. Scanning the area, Laurel was nowhere in sight.
“Bert, have you seen Laurel?”
“Slugger? I mean—” Her dad shook his head before scanning the room. “She’s here somewhere. I just talked to her.”
“Slugger.”
Jake was dying to know. “Why do you call her?—”
“There she is.” Bert started to point out her location when his face fell. “Oh. She’s talking to that jackass.”
Jackass? Jake immediately turned to see who he was talking about.
Who the fuck’s with my girl?
“He wasn’t on the guest list,” Bert grumbled. “And if he had been, believe me, Patricia would’ve removed him.”
Jake zeroed in on Laurel in the crowd. She was talking to a lanky guy in a pinstriped suit who was standing too close to her for Jake’s liking.
“He must’ve slid in as someone’s plus one,” Bert surmised. If protective father was an actual facial expression, Bert was wearing it.
“Who is he?” Jake asked, narrowing his eyes. If the guy was bad enough her dad didn’t like him, Jake instantly hated him.
“Ethan.” Bert sneered the name. “The prick who cheated on my baby girl the night before their wedding.”
Jake’s gaze shot to Bert. “What?” He knew some guy had to have screwed Laurel over, but he had no idea it was to that extent. He knew she’d had a relationship that ended badly, but hadn’t known she’d been engaged, or that the jerk had cheated. Then again, she didn’t know everything about his past either, but he needed to tell her.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was that piece of shit had hurt Laurel. Cheating in itself was bad enough, but fucking someone else right before you got married? That was a rank ass thing to do.
“She called off the wedding and dropped him. Literally.” Bert chuckled as he made the same motion an umpire would use to signal a runner safe at home base. “I wish I had it on video. You should’ve seen…”
The rest of Bert’s words faded into the background, eclipsed by white-hot fury when Jake saw the prick grab Laurel’s arm.
“Excuse me.” Eyes never leaving Laurel, Jake didn’t wait for a reply before he started her way.
The asshole let go of her arm, but Jake could tell she wasn’t comfortable by her rigid stance. He picked up his pace until he was close enough to hear their conversation.
“Laur, you have to know I never meant to hurt you,” the prick said.
What a fucking load of crap! You cheated on her! Of course, you meant to hurt her!
“Sure you didn’t,” she told him. “Because there’s no way you could’ve known that sleeping with someone else the night of our rehearsal dinner would hurt me.” Her voice was laced with pain.
The sound cut Jake to the core. Everything in him was screaming to intervene and protect her, but he forced himself to hold back. He didn’t want Laurel to think he didn’t believe she could take care of herself, because he did. So, as much as it went against every fiber of his being, he remained where he was, standing just within earshot.
“You’re so full of it,” Laurel spat.
That’s my girl!
“I’m sorry. I feel terrible.”
The fuck you do.
“So terrible it took you four years to apologize.”
There ya go. Let him have it!
“I wanted to call you,” the prick sniveled. “I meant to. I was going to.”
Jake clenched his hands at his sides.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. Could he be any more of a douche?
“I’m sure you did,” Laurel said.
She sounded more composed, and she looked so fucking beautiful with her chin lifted, staring the asshat down with an unflinching gaze.
“And I’m also certain I don’t care,” she said, leaving no doubt she meant it.
Hell, yeah, Princess!
Jake smiled in admiration. He was so proud of her. She was standing up for herself and not taking any shit. She was fucking fearless.
“Goodbye, Ethan. So not good seeing you.”
God, I love that woman.
He did. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind he’d walk through fire for her. Hell, he’d burn the world down for her.
Laurel turned to leave, but the fuck laid his hands on her again, making Jake see red. Before he could react, however, Laurel spun around, and the lame-ass prick flinched like goddamn Mike Tyson was about to lay into him.
“Don’t worry, Ethan,” Laurel said sweetly. “I’m not going to hit you again.”
Jake’s hands were clenched, nails digging into his palms, but his girl… damn, his girl was a sight to behold. Confident, regal, so fucking sexy it hurt.
“You’re not worth it,” she told the sniveling asshole who had crushed her spirit back when he should’ve been the one person to protect her above all else.
Jake had more respect for dog shit. No real man would ever do that to a woman he loved, or any woman, for that matter.
“I won’t stoop to your level.”
Well, Laurel was a much better person than Jake. She wouldn’t stoop to the prick’s level, but…
“I will,” Jake growled, stepping forward and punching the worthless piece of shit so hard, the guy’s head snapped back.
He careened into the table behind him with a satisfying crash, grabbing for the white linen tablecloth in an effort to keep from falling on his ass. All he managed to do was take the table settings down with him, china breaking and drinks spilling all over his pretentious suit, bloody, broken nose, and shocked expression.
“Jake!” Laurel yelled.
A crowd had gathered. People were staring. Hell, the entire place was staring.
Jake closed his eyes, cursing his lack of self-control. But the truth was, when it came to Laurel, he had none.
He’d wanted to keep it casual.
Fail.
He’d tried not to get too close.
Fail.
He’d never in a million years wanted to fall in love.
Colossal fucking fail!
And now he’d gone and embarrassed the one woman he couldn’t live without. He’d never survive if she turned him away, but he loved her. And he’d be damned if he’d ever stand by and let someone hurt her. Even if it made him lose her.
Not wanting to see the disappointment in her eyes, but physically unable to not look at her, he resigned himself to his fate, squared his shoulders, and faced her.
Laurel threw herself at him. He’d barely caught her before she slammed her mouth against his.
With a groan, he kissed her like a man possessed, devouring her mouth as he pulled her closer. Drugged by the feel and taste of her, all he could think about was pounding into her until she screamed.
He needed her naked in his bed five minutes ago.
The only, absolutely only reason he ended the kiss was to take her home.
“Let’s get outta here,” he told her thickly.
She nodded without hesitation.
“Laurel!” Her ex staggered to his feet.
Jake tensed, ready to take the guy down again, but Laurel placed a hand on his chest, patting it twice before facing the prick.
“You know what, Ethan?” she asked before he could say whatever he’d been planning. “I changed my mind.” With that, she let a right hook fly, slugging the guy smack in his broken nose.
He squealed like the pussy he was, stumbling into the upended table before flailing back onto the floor.
Guests had gathered around, hoping to get an eyeful. Jake noticed Laurel’s parents in the crowd at the same time she did.
“I’m sorry,” Laurel mouthed to her mother.
Patricia shook her head and smiled, while Bert hiked a huge thumbs up.
Laurel gave them the slightest nod, her gold-flecked, hazel eyes glistening with moisture.
Jake laced his fingers through hers. “You ready to leave… Slugger?”
Yeah, he’d figured out where the nickname had come from.
She looked at him with wide eyes. After a beat, they crinkled on the corners when a smile bloomed across her lips. “That’s ‘Princess Slugger’ to you.”