CHAPTER THIRTEEN
JAKE
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When I walk into the gym the next morning, I’m surprised to find Cole already there. Neither of us are early birds.
I stayed with Caylee until five—no phone call from home, thank fuck—then shot home to get changed. Caylee was all warm, sleeping and sexy when I woke. I swear, I nearly slipped inside her and tempted fate.
I didn’t, but it was close.
I might have had enough control last night not to come inside her, but with morning wood...yeah, that would have been much harder.
Pun intended.
I bought a mega pack of condoms, and they are in my car. Ready.
Now, watching her brother lifting weights, I know we need to talk and clear the air.
“What’s up?” I say, dropping my bag and walking over.
“Hi.” Cole sits up.
“The baby wake you up?”
He grabs his towel and wipes his forehead. “Listen man, I’m sleep deprived, grumpy as shit, and you aren’t my favorite person.”
“I was doing my job, Cole.”
“Your job isn’t to hurt my sister.”
“Which is none of your business.” Fuck, that wasn’t what I meant to say.
I can’t explain it. When it comes to Caylee, I feel like she belongs to me. All these people telling me to stay away and not sleep with her are just pushing my goddamn buttons.
The moment I laid eyes on her, I haven’t looked away. Don’t ask me how hard it was to let her walk away. I just didn’t know how to get her back. Hell, I still don’t know how I managed it last night.
My cock can still feel her wrapped around it, so having this guy tell me she isn’t mine—it’s just a bit too far. He’s her brother, not her husband. Not her father. He has no right to stop us from being together.
That choice is Caylee’s, and I’m going to do all I can to be with her for as long as I can.
Until she realizes I’m not the man she wants.
I realize it will happen one day.
Until then, I’m keeping her.
I’m going to kiss those beautiful lips, taste her moist pussy and sink keep inside her. Morning and fucking night, until she is done with me.
Because she will.
I can’t change my family or my obligations. But I can tell Cole he needs to back the fuck off.
Cole stands.
“What did you say?”
I have an inch or two on him, but he’s right; he’s sleep deprived and looking a little wild, while I’m fresh off four orgasms—from his sister—and feeling pretty fucking happy to have her back in my life.
So, I decide to go a little easier on him.
“Come on man, she’s an adult.” I hold up my hands, trying to get him to see sense. “We’re seeing one another again, so maybe you should think twice—”
He doesn’t.
Cole punches me clean in the jaw.
Then comes at me.
“The fuck is going on?” Aidan comes storming in and rips Cole off me.
“I’m fucking his sister.” I spit the copper-tasting blood out of my mouth. “Apparently, that’s upset him.”
I’m riling him up now on purpose.
The fucker punched me.
Cole comes flying at me again, and I’m certain his feet leave the floor. Aidan—the big fucking Marine—catches him mid-flight.
Holy shit!
“Keep your hands off my sister, you motherfucker!”
“No,” I same calmly. Again, to irritate him.
“Go. Get in the showers.” Aidan pushes Cole out of the room. “Then go home and get some fucking sleep.”
Cole glares at me and starts shaking his fist, which much hurt like a motherfucker. Or will in about thirty minutes.
“Stay away from Caylee.”
“No.” I drag my mouth along my forearm, wiping off more blood.
“Jesus Christ.” Aidan curses as Cole tries to take a step closer again. “Get out of here. I’ll deal with Jake.”
After a bit more alpha glaring, he grabs his bag and stalks out.
That went well.
I should probably tell Caylee.
I will, after I use some of those nice new condoms—after I’ve fucked her sweet pussy.
“Might not look like it, but I was trying to build a bridge,” I tell Aidan.
“Well, thank fuck you don’t work as a goddamn US diplomat.”
I laugh, lifting my shirt to soak up the last of the blood.
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LIAM ARRIVES AN hour later. I’ve done a workout, showered and am sitting at my desk checking emails.
Cole has gone home and is hopefully enjoying some shut-eye. It didn’t take long before everyone heard what happened in the gym.
“I warned you.” Liam slumps down in his chair and frowns at the bruise forming on my face.
“I’ll live.” I snort, sipping my coffee.
Having a fight with one of my new colleagues is not the best way to integrate into an office full of male warriors, but they probably respect me for it.
Or not.
Either way, I’m not walking away from Caylee. Nor was I wrong in how I dealt with the crime scene where his pregnant fiancée, Scarlett, was held captive by Chen.
I was the head US Marshal in charge.
End of fucking story.
Cole’s been defensive since the moment he laid eyes on me. Learning I was Caylee’s ex hasn’t helped, but he’s going to have to accept me. I’m sticking around as long as she’ll accept me.
Which may not be long.
“Look, Jake, BHS is the top private security group in the United States,” Liam says, leaning forward. “You might want to rethink this. Caylee’s a great girl, don’t get me wrong, but—”
“Woman.” I correct.
He blinks, then shakes his head like I’m a fucking idiot.
I might be.
“All I’m saying is you might want to decide what’s truly important. Josh and Aidan don’t put up with in-house bullshit. If you don’t fit into the team, you’ll be out the door.”
I sigh, lean back in my chair and purse my lips.
Goddamn it, Liam is right.
I left the US Marshal service to progress my career.
To take a different path where I thought I could make a difference.
A real difference that might actually help more kids.
I can't fuck this up. Plus, Josh is highly respected in this field, and if I get booted out, that’s going to severely hinder any future job opportunities.
Anywhere.
For a woman who will eventually boot me out of her life.
We both know it.
Even if we’re pretending otherwise.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t respect her or have feelings for Caylee. I do. I’m just trying not to.
My family situation is complicated.
Really fucking complicated.
If it weren’t for that, I would make that beautiful woman mine before she—or her damn brother—knew what was happening.
I’d put a baby inside her and write her goddamn name along my fucking cock if that’s what it took.
But I can’t do those things.
I have no rights.
“She’s not just some girl,” I say out loud, mostly to myself.
I can never take her home.
I can never introduce her to my family.
A relationship can only go so far when you put boundaries like that in place. Still, I’m going to take as much of her as I can until we reach that place.
For once, I want something for myself. Caylee is that thing.
That makes me a fucking jerk.
But I’m doing it, anyway.