Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
He winced. “Sure, I get it. Some women wake up and want coffee. You wake up and scream. New, fun Wren-fact.”
She bolted to the other side of the bed, and she yanked the sheet with her. Her fist clutched the sheet to her chest. Her eyes decided to fall to his chest. His bare chest. Such a muscled chest. Then, her gaze dipped lower.
Hello, abs. Abs that she remembered. Because…
It had been real. Not a steamy dream.
She’d had sex with Jacob Jones. Mind-blowing, body-thrilling sex. Then she’d fallen asleep. And he’d…stayed? Slept in the same bed with her?
He folded his arms behind his head. “Did you sleep well?” His voice was all pleasant and warm. Deep. A little rumbly.
She squeaked. Immediately snapped her mouth closed.
“You looked like an angel while you were asleep. Especially when you snuggled up against me. Though you did snore just a little bit at one point.”
“I did not. ” Horrified.
His lips curled upward. “How would you know? Not like you’ve slept with anyone else who could say otherwise. After all, I’m the first.”
Oh, crap. He’d just walked her right into that trap.
His gaze pinned her. “What a surprise that was.” A brief pause. “Want to explain?”
“Not particularly.” What she wanted to do was flee to the bathroom. But her side of the bed pressed against the wall, and in order to flee, she’d have to jump over him. Or maybe do a shimmy off the foot of the bed. She could do the shimmy. That would probably be the better option. She prepared to shimmy.
He sat up and caught her wrist in a deceptively lazy movement. “I think I need to insist on that explanation.”
She was naked, and Jake was chatty. New, fun Jake-fact. He was chatty in the morning. “Do you always demand explanations from your one-night stands?”
“Oh, my sunshine, you are no one-night stand.”
She wasn’t? Wild hope began to bloom because maybe Jake was about to say?—
“We’re lovers.”
Yes, yes, they were. They were?—
“In deep. We fell hard.”
She could not breathe. Was that joy exploding in her chest?
“That’s exactly the story we’re going to tell the world. Because I’ve got strict orders from Eb to stay close to you. To not let you out of my sight until the danger to you is gone. I talked to him while you slept last night. He says the past is coming back to bite us in the ass, and I’m not about to let you be collateral damage for something my brother and I have done.”
And she was a deflated balloon. Her breath left her in a whoosh, so she even sounded like a balloon deflating. How fantastic. She’d just gotten her first ever real lover, and he wanted to go straight to being pretend the day after they’d had sex. Both sad and typical. “The story we’ll tell the world.” A nod. “That’s just…something.” She wiggled her fingers. “Want to let go of me?”
He looked at her hand. Then back at her face. “No.”
“Okay, let me rephrase…let go.”
Jaw locking, he grudgingly did so. She shimmied her heart out and hopped off the foot of the bed. With her back to him, and the sheet covering all her important parts, she bounded toward the bathroom door.
“Who hurt you?”
She reached for the doorknob.
“Who sliced your shoulder blades with a knife? Who took a knife to you? You tell me his name, and I will put him in the ground for you.”
Her hand froze. Correction, her entire body froze.
She heard the squeak of the mattress. The rustle of the bedding. Her left hand still grasped her sheet to her chest, and she slowly turned toward him, making sure to haul the sheet around, too.
He had on his jeans. The button was undone, though. Sexiness personified. The stubble of his cheeks was darker, deeper than it had been the night before. His eyes gleamed as he closed in on her with a predatory grace that should have scared her.
Instead, it made her ache.
Get a grip.
“Tell me his name,” Jake said. He stopped in front of her. Put his hand up and pressed it to the doorframe near her as he leaned in. His left hand curled under her chin. “Tell me his name, and I can have him dead by dusk for you.”
She wet her lips.
His stare fell to her lips. Did she imagine it, or did that stare heat? She was about ninety percent sure the heat had been real. But then again, she was one hundred percent sure she’d just heard him offer to kill a man for her, and she had to be wrong about that.
Didn’t she?
An auditory hallucination?
“Wren.”
“It was an accident.” Same old story. Same old lie. “I fell on a fence. I was climbing into a tree house when I was a kid. I slipped. Hit right along my shoulder blades.”
My precious angel. Let’s just see if there are wings hidden beneath your skin…
She bit her lower lip because she was afraid it might be trembling.
She didn’t have wings beneath her skin. She wasn’t an angel. The daughter of the devil could never be an angel.
But Jake didn’t know that. Just as Jake didn’t really know her. No one knew her.
His eyes narrowed. “Are you lying to me?”
Yes. She let go of her lower lip. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you don’t want me to kill for you. But it’s not a big deal. Promise.”
“Murder is always a big deal.”
“No one hurts you and walks away.”
The man with the knife last night had walked away. Correction, he’d run. “You don’t have to kill someone for me. Totally unnecessary.” Especially if Uncle Milo had been correct. The monster who’d hurt her so long ago was dead.
“The offer will stand.” His thumb swiped softly over her lower lip. “Don’t bite. No sense ruining perfection.”
He thought her lips were perfect? Since when?
“Why did you wait for me?” he asked.
“Excuse me?”
“I was your first. Me. Not Eb.”
“Hate to point this out, but you have an obsession with your brother.”
“No, I have an obsession with you.”
She blinked.
Another slow swipe of his thumb over her lip. “Eb wasn’t your first. Neither were any of those dumbasses I’ve seen you with over the years.”
Her college dates. Then the perfectly behaved gentleman she’d met post-college. The ones who knew nothing about darkness or death. They smiled easily. Laughed. Joked.
She had nothing in common with them.
“Why me?” Jake wanted to know.
Wren had her own questions. The first… “Why does it matter? It was one night. I’m not asking for anything else.” She was trying to play by his rules. The man should be thanking her.
He glared. “Why the hell aren’t you asking for more? I know you enjoyed yourself.” He leaned in even more. “You screamed for me.”
Yes, she had. No reminder necessary. “Just because I hadn’t done the actual deed before doesn’t mean I didn’t have experience. I’m not exactly a complete amateur. Let’s move forward, shall we?”
“Why me?”
Because you’re the one I always wanted. Because the monster is gone. I don’t have to worry about him coming back and ever taking me away. I could finally live. Take what I wanted. Take someone who might understand me. She didn’t say any of that, though. Instead, Wren went with, “You’re asking a lot of questions for a man who seemed to have himself one hell of a good time.”
He stared at her and—smiled. A wide, satisfied, dimple-winking grin. It was a rare smile for him. Eb would flash his dimple all the time because he knew that dimple could get him anything he wanted.
But Jake…
Jake…
He didn’t usually smile at her. His smiles were reserved for Eb. For his sister Marley.
He usually just stared at Wren… “As if you hate me,” she whispered.
His brow furrowed. “What?”
A quick recovery was necessary because she’d just slipped up. “You seemed to have one hell of a good time last night, for a guy who claims to hate me.”
“I’ve never claimed to hate you.” Then, growling, “That’s the second time someone mentioned that shit to me.”
He was caging her in, and she needed to get away. “Well, you sure don’t act like you’re thrilled whenever we’re together. But we exploded last night in that bed, and I have no regrets. Zero.” Her shoulders straightened. “You were a great first lover, Jake. Thank you.”
He blinked.
“You don’t need to feel guilty or weird about being the first.” She did not want guilt. “I have no regrets.” I hope you don’t, either.
“Guilt?” He backed up a step. His hands fell to his sides.
“Yes, guilt. I don’t feel it.”
“Trust me, sunshine, I don’t feel guilty. Not even a little bit.”
Sunshine? He’d called her that before. She wasn’t anyone’s sunshine.
“I am territorial as fucking hell. I want to take you again and again and have you scream my name because I loved hearing you and feeling you when you came around my dick.”
Was it hot in there? It felt hot. She was hot.
“I don’t feel weird. I don’t feel guilty. But I do feel like I want to fuck you again.”
But…fucking her again… “Doesn’t that go against your one-night-stand rule?”
A muscle jerked along his jaw. “You think once was enough for me?”
How was she supposed to respond to that question?
“Was once enough for you?” Before she could answer, he tapped his chin. “Oh, wait. You didn’t just come once for me, did you? Was it twice?”
Jerk. “It was three times, thank you very much.” She lunged for the bathroom and slammed the door shut on him. Breath heaving, she flipped the lock into place.
There was a soft knock at the door. Glaring, she did not open the bathroom door.
“Wren?” He cleared his throat. “You’re welcome.”
Then she was pretty sure she heard whistling as he walked away.
“We didn’t need to come here.” Jake surveyed the driveway. The empty road. The quiet beach house as it waited on stilts. Milo’s place. Sunlight spilled around the looming structure, and waves pounded into the nearby shore.
“We absolutely needed to come here.” Wren put her hands on her hips. Hips that were covered by her short, blue dress. The same tempting dress she’d worn the previous night. “In case you missed it, I’m in full walk-of-shame glory over here.”
Behind the lenses of his sunglasses, Jake’s eyes narrowed on her. “There is no shame.” Was that how she felt? Ashamed because of what they’d done? Because, if so, that shit needed to stop.
He didn’t want her regretting their night together or the fact that he’d been her first.
First. Yeah, he still couldn’t quite wrap his head around that bit of knowledge. Everything that he thought he knew about Wren had just blown up in his face.
Plus…
She’s lying to me. The scars on her back hadn’t been made by a fence. No way. There was more going on, and he would find out the truth.
“When you’re still wearing the dress you had on the previous night at nearly ten a.m. the next day, and when you come home with no shoes on your feet, your hair in total disarray, and zero makeup on your face, people tend to assume you’re doing the big walk of shame because you spent the night in a stranger’s bed.”
He marched beside the Jeep and stopped right in front of her. He could hear the muted roar of the waves, and the smell of the ocean teased his nose. “I’m no stranger.” But she absolutely had been in his bed. Or, well, the guest room bed. With him. “From now on, I’m going to be very close to you.”
“Because you think I’m in danger and you’re my protector.”
Damn straight, he was. “You were attacked last night, sunshine. That counts as danger.”
A shiver worked its way over her body. “Don’t call me that, please. I’m hardly your sunshine. I get that you’re big into pretending that we have some passionate affair happening, but you don’t need to use fake endearments with me.”
So was this not the time to tell her that he did think of her as damn sunshine? Especially when she smiled at him? Probably not the moment. As for some passionate affair happening…“If we weren’t passionate last night, then how would you describe things? Please, take your time. I’d love to hear your summary.”
Her lips parted.
The breeze caught her hair and tossed it against her cheek.
And frantic honks from a car horn filled the air.
His body tensed right before he lunged in front of her. His hand went for the gun he’d tucked beneath the back waistband of his jeans when he exited the Jeep. He didn’t think Wren had even noticed that he was armed. His head whipped toward the loud honks.
“Oh, no.” Dismay filled Wren’s voice. “I will never, ever live this down.”
A white convertible honked more before screeching to a stop at the end of the driveway. A woman with billowing, blonde hair popped her head out of the driver’s side. “Wren!”
“Jennifer,” Wren whispered.
Yes, he knew the other woman’s identity. Jennifer Kent. She’d been at the bar the previous night.
As for the woman hopping out of the passenger side…
She’s not wearing a veil this time. But he still recognized Makayla Lane.
“You weren’t at the farewell bridal brunch!” Jennifer called loudly. Then, she, too, hopped out of the convertible and hurried toward Jake and Wren. “You were supposed to arrive at eight a.m. sharp, and you weren’t there.”
Wren’s fingers pressed to Jake’s back.
Reluctantly, he stepped to the side just as Makayla barreled toward Wren. Jake made sure his gun remained concealed.
Makayla wrapped Wren in a tight hug. “I was worried about you.”
He heard those words clearly.
“We tried to call, but you didn’t answer.” This chiding charge came from Jennifer as she closed in. “But luckily, Deputy Blake was at the beachside breakfast buffet. He told us what happened to you last night.”
Makayla released Wren. “You were attacked?” Her eyes swept over Wren. Lingered on her throat and the faint wound that remained.
“Attacked and, um…you’re still wearing that dress?” A bit sharper from Jennifer. Then Jennifer’s gaze darted to Jake. Then to Wren. And back again to Jake. “Oh.” A nod. “Did… someone spend the night with Mr. Scary Hot?”
What?
“Walk of shame,” Wren sighed. “I told you, Jake.” She squared her shoulders. Lifted her chin. “Yes, Jake and I spent the night together.” Then she surprised the hell out of him by reaching for his hand. Her fingers threaded with his. “He saved me on the beach. Then insisted that I stay with him for my own safety.”
“Uh, huh.” Jennifer’s green eyes were very, very wide. “Safety.” She fanned herself a little.
“And he just brought me home because, clearly, I need to change my clothes.”
Both Makayla and Jennifer were staring at Jake in shock.
He almost said, “ Boo!” just to see their reaction.
“What is Eb going to say?” Makayla whispered.
Jake narrowed his eyes on her even as his brother’s words played through his head. Keep her close. You know I love that woman. Jake’s hold tightened on Wren’s hand. “He’s going to say…thanks for taking care of her, bro. Appreciate it.”
Jennifer coughed. “You have one…uh, weird relationship with your brother.”
He locked his stare completely on her.
She backed up. Two steps. A third.
“Wren and my brother were not involved. Wren and I are.” He rolled one shoulder in a shrug. “From here on out, it will very much be a Wren-and-me situation. She belongs to me, not my brother.”
Wren sucked in a breath. “I-I need to get changed.”
A brisk nod. He’d be going with her because that was part of the whole not-out-of-his-sight deal.
“You missed the brunch!” A whining tone had entered Jennifer’s voice. “I’m the maid of honor. The least you could have done was call and tell me what was happening. We waited like, ten minutes for you before we began the breakfast toasts. Not that I drank because I was the designated driver. But, seriously, why not just pick up your phone?”
“I’m sorry.” Wren let go of Jake’s hand.
His fingers flexed.
The thin strap of her purse hung off her left shoulder. Wren fumbled and yanked her phone from the purse. She frowned at the screen. “It was off. I-I don’t even remember turning it off.” She hurriedly turned the device back on. “Last night was, um, a lot. I spoke with my Uncle Milo and things got—” Her gaze rose to collide with Jake. “Complicated.” A slow release of her breath. Then her gaze was flying back to Makayla. “I’m very sorry I missed the brunch.” She shoved the phone back into her bag. She reached for her friend. Hugged her again. “I am so happy for you, Makayla. I want you to only know joy.” Another squeeze before she released the bride-to-be. “I won’t disappoint you again.”
But Makayla just laughed. A sweet sound. “Forget disappointing me. I’m pretty much just thrilled that you’re still alive.” She sent a wink at Wren even as she fluttered her fingers toward Jake. “And, apparently, living the dream.”
“A scary, hot dream,” Jennifer muttered.
Was that supposed to be praise or an insult?
“After Deputy Blake told us about what happened, I asked Jennifer to swing us by your uncle’s place because I wanted to check on you.” A nod from Makayla.
“I’m okay. Promise.”
Someone was trying to kill Wren. That was not “okay” in his book.
But Makayla seemed to buy the story. Her big smile came and went again. “I’ll call soon, and we’ll talk more, okay?”
“That would be great.” Wren looked down at her dress. She hauled her keys from the bag. “I’m going to get changed. Bye, Makayla. Jen.” She darted away.
He immediately moved to follow her.
Only to have Makayla step into his path.
“Oh, no,” Makayla told him. She didn’t sound quite so sweet any longer. “Maybe you missed the tears in her eyes, but I didn’t.”
“I didn’t miss them, either.” Jennifer took up a position at Makayla’s side, effectively blocking his path. “She never cries, but I saw them, too.” A glare slid over her face. “Just what did you do to Wren?” A long sigh. “Scary hot guys are always the worst trouble.”
Her feet pounded up the wooden steps that led to her uncle’s elevated beach house. Her breath came too fast, and she had to blink away those frustrating tears. Jake wanted to be all-in on a pretend relationship, acting like they were finally a couple. A dream she’d had for far too long. One that had come true because of a nightmare.
He doesn’t know about my past. Makayla doesn’t know. Jen doesn’t know. Because she’d kept it all so secret. If they knew, the women wouldn’t want to be her friends. Jake wouldn’t want to touch her.
No one would want her.
How could they?
She shoved the key into the lock. Threw open the door and rushed inside. The door clicked shut behind her. She’d taken a few steps in when?—
No alarm is beeping.
Uncle Milo had a great security system. She’d set it when she left the previous day. It should have been beeping until she typed in the code to disengage the system. Only it wasn’t beeping.
Before she could run back for the door, powerful arms grabbed her. And something sharp—sure felt like the tip of a knife—pressed into her side.
“How about we try this again?” A male voice. Angry. Rumbling. “My orders are to kill you. Right here and right now.”