Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
JAKE
I look up from my desk and see my brother, Travis, walk into the office and shut the door.
He is wearing our custom-i nked t-shirt and matching black baseball cap. We look so much alike that a lot of people get us confused. At thirty, he’s the oldest and someone I’ve always looked up to. I couldn’t ask for a better business partner. It’s been fun the past few years building up our clientele and success together.
“Give me one minute,” I say, entering the last invoices into the system.
“No problem.” He walks over to the bar in the corner and pours two bourbons before sitting down on the sofa.
“Done.” I file the last receipt and shut my laptop, taking a seat next to him. Visions of Lyla on this couch enter my mind, and I find myself smiling.
“From the goofy-ass grin on your face, I take it things with Lyla are going good?” He laughs and hands me a drink.
“It couldn’t be going better.”
The last few days have been nothing short of amazing. When she’s not baking or doing catering events, we’re eating dinners together and telling each other about our day. Our nights always end with her in my bed and me refusing to let her go. I sleep better with her beside me, knowing she’s safe. If I’m being completely honest, I have no intention of ever sleeping apart from her again.
“Any word from fuckface?”
I shake my head and scowl. I’ve caught all my brothers up to date, keeping the private details that Lyla shared with me out of it. None of us can even stomach his name, so he’s now referred to as fuckface , fucker , or anything else that comes up for us.
“Not a word. Hopefully, he’ll sign the papers and be out of her life for good. She still looks over her shoulder everywhere we go. I just want this to be over for her so she can finally move on.”
Lyla and I met with Maria a couple of days ago and started the divorce papers. I also talked her into filing a restraining order just in case he thinks about reaching out to her.
“Do you think he’s going to let her go that easy? From what you’ve said, he seems pretty obsessed with her.”
“If he knows what’s good for him, he won’t step a foot in our town.” My fingers tighten on the glass tumbler in my hand. Thinking about him makes me want to do things I never thought I would, which scares me. I’m not afraid of him…I’m scared of what I might do if I ever meet him. I’ve never wanted to hurt someone as much as I want to hurt him.
Travis notices my body language and frowns. “Just be smart about it. You can’t protect Lyla if you’re in jail. She needs you to keep a level head. He’ll get what’s coming to him one way or another. Karma has a way of taking care of those that need it.”
“Let’s just hope he stays in Alabama and I never get put to the test.”
“I can’t even argue with you on this because I would feel the exact same way if it was Sophia,” he sighs and rubs a hand over his face. “Just call us, at least, if you hear or see anything. You know we have your back no matter what.”
“I know.” I throw back the rest of my bourbon and feel the burning liquid make its way down my throat. “How’s Max doing?” I ask, wanting to change the subject so it doesn’t sour the good mood I was in.
Travis’s eyes light up at the mention of his son. “He’s good. School is almost out for the summer, so he’s already making plans with Ryder to come to his shop and help him out. He’s been talking nonstop about the car show,” he chuckles.
“Ryder showed me some of the signups. It’s looking to be a pretty big deal.”
Ryder decided to sponsor his first-ever car show here in Blue Haven. People from all over the country have signed up to showcase their babies. From exotics and supercars to decked-out motorcycles and bikes…you name it…it will be there.
“It is. He’s got some big hitters coming, and the local businesses are already excited about the huge crowd for the three-day event. The Blue Haven Cafe and the other restaurants in town are even changing their menu and making it car-themed for the weekend.”
“I heard that. Mom’s been helping come up with some of the catchy names,” I laugh. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Mayor Hayes makes it a regular town event.”
Travis grins into his drink. “If Ryder brings in the money for our small town, which I think he will, I have no doubt Mayor Hayes will announce it at the next town meeting.”
“You’re probably right,” I shake my head, chuckling.
I pour us another drink before we get busy with our monthly meeting. We meet once a month, alternating offices, as we go over both business locations and compare notes with what is working and any changes that need to be made.
By the time we finish, we have a new hire picked out for Travis and have narrowed it down to two artists for a trial run for me. Since Travis left, I haven’t hired anybody to take his place, so I am still taking on the extra workload myself. I didn’t mind the long hours…until now. Now, I have something else in my life that is easily becoming my top priority.
We say our goodbyes as I lock up the place for the night and pull into the driveway a short time later. The smell of brownies hits me when I walk in the front door, and I practically moan from the rich chocolate aroma slamming into me all at once. I’ll be hitting the gym hard tomorrow because I know I’ll be indulging tonight.
A smile touches my lips that she remembered they were my favorite. I glance around but don’t see any sign of her. I check the rest of the house before walking to the apartment out back.
I try not to panic, but I can’t help the dark thoughts running through my head. Frowning, I notice the door is unlocked when I walk inside. Anyone could walk up from the beach to get back here. He could get back here if he found out where she was.
I scan the place quickly before moving to the bedroom. My heart beats painfully in my chest when I realize she’s not here.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull my phone out and dial her number as I pace the living room. I stop when I hear it ringing. Walking over to the kitchen counter, I see her cell sitting there.
Where the fuck is she?
I’m probably overreacting. She could have just gone for a walk on the beach. Nothing seems to be out of place. Her things are still here, and if she had broken her promise to me and run, she would have taken her personal belongings.
Walking outside, I bypass the pool and grasp the railing as I search the beach down below. The wood digs into my palms as I try to spot her long brunette hair. The sun set a few minutes ago, so most people have gone in for the night. All I have is the last few rays of light to make out the people below me, and none of them fit her description.
Fuck this.
I don’t care if I’m overreacting. I can’t just stand here and do nothing. I walk back inside and call Miles. He’s been checking up on her throughout the week, and they’ve developed a close friendship. Maybe he’s heard from her.
Loud music fills my ears, and I hear Miles shout just a second . The sound gets quieter, and I hear a door shut.
“Sorry about that. We go on in a few minutes, and the crowd is insane tonight,” he laughs.
“Have you talked to Lyla today?” I cut right to the chase, not even bothering with a hello.
“No, why?” His voice gets alarmed, and I know he’s picked up on the fear in my voice. “Did something happen?”
“I don’t know.” I run my hand through my hair in frustration as I try to breathe through what appears to be a very small opening in my lungs.
“I came home from work, and she’s not here. Her phone is on the counter, and there is no sign of her. The front door to her place was unlocked and…” I struggle to speak as images of everything that could have happened flood my mind.
“Don’t jump to any conclusions just yet. She could have gone for a walk on the beach or around the neighborhood. When’s the last time you heard from her?”
“Right before my meeting with Travis, which was around six. She was working on the last of her orders and then was going to start on dinner.”
I turn when I hear the door open, and Lyla walks in.
“Hi, you got home early. I didn’t expect you for another hour,” she smiles.
“Is that Lyla? Thank God. Tell her not to scare us like that again,” I hear Miles say in my ear .
“I will. Have a good show tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow,” I manage to get out before ending the call and dropping my phone on the counter.
“Are you okay? Did something happen? You look white as a…” I crush her to me and hold her as tight as I can without breaking her.
“You scared the shit out of me.” I bury my face in her neck and breathe her in as I get back the oxygen into my body that it was starving for just minutes ago. “Don’t ever do that to me again. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
“I’m going to get you all sweaty…your t-shirt.” She tries to back away, but I don’t let her go.
“I don’t give a fuck about my shirt.” She finally settles against me, knowing she won’t win this battle. She could be covered in horse shit right now, and I wouldn’t care. I need to feel her. “Where were you?”
“I wanted to get a run in before dinner. The sunset was so pretty tonight, and I’ve missed going on runs. You are squeezing the life out of me,” her voice is muffled by my chest.
“Sorry.” I release my grip a little bit but still keep her there. I’m not ready to let go yet.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Her hands run up my back, and I feel some of the tension leave my body.
“Until we know for sure he’s not a threat to you, I need you to be more careful. You left your phone on the counter. The door was unlocked…anything could have happened to you. I wouldn’t have been able to help you…” I shudder against her at the thought as words too painful and terrifying to even speak enter my mind.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I’ve felt so safe these past few days that I let my guard down. You’re right. It was stupid to leave my phone here and keep the doors unlocked. I’ll be more careful next time. ”
“I’m glad you feel safe with me here,” I sigh into her hair. “I know I probably overreacted, but I can’t help it. If he touches you again or hurts you in any way…” I close my eyes to the anger and fear that want to resurface. “I will do anything to keep you safe,” I whisper.
“I know. That’s what scares me the most,” she says quietly.
She buries her face in my chest, and I run my hand up into her ponytail. I hate that she’s more worried about me in this situation than herself, but I won’t promise her something I can’t keep. If he does show up, there’s no way in hell I’m staying out of it. He will have to get through me to get to her, and there’s no fucking chance of that happening.
“This will all be over soon,” I tell her instead because it will. If he doesn’t sign the papers and let her go, my brothers and I will be making a quick trip to Alabama. One way or another, I’ll make sure she’s free of him for good. “How was your run?” I ask, not wanting to talk about him anymore.
She looks up and grins. I brush back a piece of her hair that has escaped her ponytail. “It felt so good to feel that burn again. I haven’t been on a run since I moved to Florida. I didn’t realize how much I had missed it. The sunset was amazing, and I even saw a dolphin out in the distance.” Her caramel eyes light up, and I can’t help but grin at her excitement.
“Sounds like you had a good time. Next time you go, I’ll join you.”
“You sure you can keep up?” she teases me, her eyes shining with the memory of me chasing her down the beach.
“Oh, I think I can manage to keep up.” I sling her over my shoulder in one quick motion. She shrieks before her body starts to shake with laughter as I walk us to the bathroom. I set her down before lowering myself to my knees. She’s in tight little pink yoga shorts with a matching sports bra, looking like the best damn dessert I’ve ever seen .
I kiss her bare stomach and taste the saltiness of her skin as my tongue swirls around her navel. Her fingers dig into my hair as my hands skim up the back of her thighs and grasp her ass before sliding her shorts down her legs. I remove her socks and shoes and kiss my way up her leg, wanting and needing to taste as much of her as I can.
When I reach her center, I close my eyes and take a deep inhale. Her sweet scent fills my nostrils, and I moan at the intoxicating smell. My mouth waters at the sight of her glistening pussy as I take a slow lick.
She moans my name, and my dick strains at the sound of it on her lips. I’ll make damn sure it’s the only name she’ll ever be moaning again.
Standing up, I lick my lips and watch her eyes flick down to my tongue as I get every last drop of her before meeting mine again. The hunger I see in them matches my own as I lift my shirt over my head and remove my pants and shoes.
I watch her remove her sports bra, and her full breasts bounce as they are freed. My eyes greedily roam over her. I have a hard time focusing on one part of her when every single part of her captivates me.
“You are easily the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen,” I murmur, tracing her skin with my finger down her neck to her breast. I circle her nipple until it tightens into a pink bud. “Nothing in my life before you compares to what is standing before me now.”
“I feel the exact same way,” she whispers, blinking back the tears. “My life started the night I met you.”
I step closer and slide my hands up her neck to capture her face. My thumbs rub against her cheeks as I lean closer to her parted lips and angle her head right where I need her. I feel her breath fan my skin seconds before I dive into pure heaven.