Breaking His Rules (Feeling the Heat #4) (14 page)

Melissa’s heart pounded so loudly it felt as if a herd of thundering elephants were stampeding in her chest. “What’s he doing now?”

“He’s ordering something from the bartender.” Paige’s nose wrinkled as she scowled. “I have half a mind to go over there and tell him what an asshole he is. No one does the pump and dump to my sister and gets away with it.”

Melissa forgot about her throbbing shin as her mouth gaped open. “Pump and dump? It wasn’t like that.”

“What would you call it? He slept with you and then he dumped you.” Paige leaned forward and kept her voice low. “Which wouldn’t be a problem if you were only in it for the sex. But you weren’t. Unlike me, you don’t do casual. Hell, you’re practically in love with the guy.”

Practically in love?
Before she could process
that
, Paige made a move to stand. Melissa shot her hand out, grabbed Paige’s forearm and held on tight. “Do
not
go over there. I don’t need you fighting my battles for me. Not anymore.”

“Fine.” Paige settled in her chair and shot a stony look in Jake’s direction. “Ass clown,” she muttered under her breath and squinted at him as she took another draw from her bottle.

* * *

Jake picked up the ice-cold bottle of Sam Adams the bartender had just set in front of him and waited for the guy to return to the other end of the bar. “I was surprised to get your text,” he said, in a low voice to the bushy-haired man who sat angled away from him at the corner of the bar.

“Just checking in, bro,” Justin Sawyer replied in an equally hushed tone. “After I got shot, I promised Mom I’d be better about that.”

Although relieved to see his brother alive and well, Jake was smart enough not to ask questions. The only thing he
did
know was that his brother wasn’t undercover anywhere near Land Park. Justin wouldn’t risk talking to him or anyone else in the family if he was.

“I’ll let the family know you’re okay.” Jake tipped the bottle to his mouth and took a long, satisfying drink. After the shit day he’d had, a beer or two was just what the doctor ordered.

“Anything going on I should know about?” Justin asked in the same quiet tone as he pushed his half-empty bottle to the side and rested his forearms on the bar. Despite his relaxed posture, Jake could almost feel the coiled tension emanating from his brother’s body.

“Not much. Mom and Dad are fine. Josh made it through his freshman year at UCD and has a job at a photography studio this summer. J.T. is having a great season. I’m positive he’ll get picked up as a starter somewhere else next year.”

“What about Angie? Has she forgiven me for being such a dick to her?”

“She’s over it. She knows you were only concerned about J.T.”

Justin shot him a sidelong glance that reflected a hint of concern. “What about you? You don’t look so good.”

“I had a long day.” Jake set his bottle on the bar. From what he’d been told, it was the original bar installed when Timbers was built in the early Fifties. Judging by the nicks and scars marring its oak surface, he found it easy to believe.

Justin reached up to smooth the mustache and beard he’d grown since the last time Jake had seen him. “Well, if you’re looking to unwind, there are two smokin’-hot babes sitting at a table in the far corner. If I wasn’t working, I’d try to get in on some of that action. The brunette with the green eyes is exactly my type.”

“I’m not interested,” Jake said, but then, curious to see exactly what Justin’s type looked like, he craned his head to get a better look in the mirror behind the bar. His breath jammed in his throat when he discovered Melissa and Paige were the “babes” Justin was referring to. Unable to stop himself, he let his gaze linger hungrily on Melissa’s beautiful profile. Unbidden, images of their bodies entwined together on that king-size bed in Monterey filled his brain and his dick reacted accordingly. He shifted on his stool to ease the sudden ache in his groin.

“Judging by that reaction, I gather you know them,” Justin said with amusement.

“You’d be right.” With great reluctance, Jake forced his attention back to his brother. “The blonde is one of my clients. The brunette is her sister.”

“Too bad I can’t stay. I wouldn’t mind getting to know the sister.” Justin gave him a shit-eating grin. “And by
know
, I mean in the biblical sense.”

Jake let out a short chuckle. “She’s no pushover. I doubt you could get past first base.”

Under his bushy mustache, the corner of Justin’s mouth kicked up. “You know me. I’m always up for a challenge.” He sighed heavily as he reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a well-worn wallet. “But unfortunately, duty calls.” Withdrawing a ten-dollar bill, he set it on the bar, then shoved the wallet back into his pocket. “I’ll be in touch,” he said, then slid off his stool and without a backward glance, left the bar.

* * *

Not two minutes after the scraggly haired man left the bar, another customer entered Timbers, causing Paige’s expression to brighten considerably.

“Nate.” As Paige called out to the new arrival and waved him over, Melissa took the opportunity to take a sidelong glance at Jake, who was still sitting at the bar and hadn’t given any indication he was aware she and Paige were sitting in the dimly lit corner.

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Nate said smoothly to Paige, and with an affable grin, he pulled a chair from a nearby table, dragged it over and sat down between them. As he leaned back in his chair, Nate turned his attention to Melissa and gave her a quick but thorough once-over. A wolfish gleam lit his dark brown eyes. “I almost didn’t recognize you, Melissa,” he said, with more than a passing glance at her breasts. “You’re looking good.
Real good
.”

“Thank you,” Melissa said politely and fought off an eye-roll. Before she’d lost weight, Nate barely acknowledged her, yet at this moment he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. It seemed she now met his lofty standards. Too bad he didn’t meet hers. Nate Simmons was one of those guys who knew how hot he was and always found some way to use it to his advantage. He and Paige had dated a few years ago for about fifteen minutes. That’s how long it had taken her sister to discover that, although Nate was one of the hottest guys in Sacramento, he was about as shallow as a puddle of water.

That fact didn’t prevent Paige from hanging out with Nate at Timbers though. When it came to darts, Paige wasn’t particular who she played with as long as they were as skilled as she was and didn’t think letting her win would get them laid.

“You up for a game?” Paige inclined her head toward the back room, where a sign over the door frame proclaimed it to be the entrance to the “game room.”

“Only if your sister agrees to join us,” Nate said, barely glancing at Paige. Melissa’s skin crawled as he looked her over with lascivious intent.

“I’m not very good,” she said quickly.

“Oh you’re not
that
bad,” Paige said, with a wave of her hand. “We could play killers.”

“Killers? What’s that?”

Nate leaned toward her and flashed a roguish grin Melissa suspected had charmed the panties off more than a few women. “It’s a darts game for three or more players.”

Melissa shot another quick glance at the bar. Jake was still sitting there, staring up at the television, seemingly engrossed in baseball highlights. By sheer luck he hadn’t noticed her yet, and she wanted to keep it that way. She wasn’t ready to face him. Not now, and not in public. Disappearing into the back room seemed like an excellent way to make her escape.

“What do you say?” Nate slipped his arm around the back of her chair and didn’t bother to hide his continued interest in her chest. Suddenly, Melissa needed a shower and not because he was making her hot. “Shall we make it a threesome?”

An hour later, while Nate used the restroom, Melissa stood next to Paige and helped her pull their darts from the round dartboard. “Can we go now?”

“It’s still early,” Paige said, then turned toward her with a puzzled expression. “Aren’t you having fun?”

Melissa rolled her eyes. “If you call having tall, dark and douchey constantly staring at my breasts fun, then yeah, I’m having a blast.”

“I hate to break it to you, but that’s what men do. It’s in their genes, or something,” Paige said, with a dry smile.

“Maybe. But Nate is being obvious about it. It’s making me uncomfortable.” Melissa glanced at the clock hanging on the wall just beyond the pool table where two guys who’d walked in about fifteen minutes earlier were engaged in a game of eight-ball. “It’s almost ten. I have to be up early for work. And so do you.”

“Actually, I don’t. My shift starts at two tomorrow. I’ve been assigned to the domestic wares department because they’re short staffed.” Paige let out a derisive snort. “Can you see me selling cookware or comforters? I can barely boil water and my idea of a comforter is that old afghan Nana made for me when I was fourteen. I’m the most domestically challenged person I know.” She sighed as they moved toward a round table near the darts area. “I hope I pass the recruit test and get into the academy. I’m tired of working retail.”

As Paige began to sort the darts by color, Melissa put her handful on the table on followed suit. “Don’t worry. You’ll get in and soon, working at the mall will be a distant memory.”

Paige’s hand stilled, but she didn’t look at her. “Do you really mean that? Or do you secretly think this is one more thing I’ll lose interest in?”

Melissa put a comforting arm around her sister. Always the stronger twin, Paige rarely let her insecurities show. But after many different career attempts that had gone nowhere, the question was a valid one. “I’ve never seen you work harder for anything in my life. Sometimes it takes a while to find what you’re passionate about. If I’m surprised at anything, I guess it’s that it took you so long to figure it out.”

Paige leaned her head against Melissa’s shoulder. “I want this so much,” she said, in an unusually vulnerable tone. “If I fail, I’m not sure what I’ll do.”

“You won’t fail,” Melissa said confidently. “And I’ll be sitting in the first row at your graduation. I’m sure of it.”

Paige chuckled and eased away from her. Wiping at the corner of her eyes with one hand she smiled broadly, reached into the pocket of her white jeans and pulled out her key chain. “Just for that, I hereby grant you a reprieve from the next round. You can take my car home.”

Melissa took the keys from her sister’s fingers. “What about you?”

“Nate can give me a ride.” Her vulnerability now gone, Paige’s eyes sparkled with humor. “And if he’s lucky, maybe I’ll give him one.”

“Ewwww.” Melissa scrunched her face at the thought of anyone riding Nate. “Really?”

Paige grinned. “Hey, I broke up with him because he’s dumber than dirt, not because he isn’t good in the sack. Sometimes that’s all a girl needs.”

Melissa laughed and reached for her purse. “I guess I can’t argue with that.”

After she’d endured an annoyingly long hug from Nate, Melissa bade him and Paige good-night and let out a relieved breath as she walked through the bar. Jake had vacated the premises. Talk about dodging a bullet. Yeah, she’d have to face him eventually, but when she did, she wanted it to be on her terms.

There were days she wished she was more like Paige. But that was like wishing for money to grow on trees. Paige was a free spirit and rarely opened her heart to the men she slept with. Which was fine and dandy for Paige, but Melissa wasn’t wired that way. She’d figured that much out when she’d dated Brad. She’d slept with him more out of curiosity than anything, and now, after being with Jake, she knew there was a wealth of difference between making love with someone you had mild feelings for and someone you were in love with.

Wait.
What?
Melissa stopped short just outside Timbers as the wooden door closed behind her. The warm evening air scented with a faint smell of fried food from a nearby fast food restaurant wafted over her. Her heart pounded and for a moment she felt faint.

Love?

“No,” she whispered under her breath and put a hand to her chest to calm her suddenly pounding heart. But even as she tried to deny it, she couldn’t. Not anymore. Somewhere along the way, she’d fallen for Jake.

Shaken by the realization, she turned to her left and rounded the building. The parking lot, usually lit by two nearby streetlights, was dimmer than she remembered. She looked up. One of the lights had burnt out. Although the neighborhood was safe, frissons of apprehension tip-toed up her spine as she crossed the lot. These days, even the safest of neighborhoods experienced random crimes. The soles of her sandals crunched on the loose gravel as she hurried toward Paige’s dark blue Mazda. In her haste, she failed to notice the man leaning against the dark SUV parked next to Paige’s car until she was upon him. Fear twisted in Melissa’s stomach as he wrapped his fingers around her arm and pulled her to a halt. The scream died in her throat as the faint beams from the lone streetlight danced across his face and she recognized him.

“So,” Jake’s voice was taut with anger. “
This
was more important than our training session?”

Chapter Fourteen

Melissa jerked her arm from Jake’s grasp and met his angry gaze with a mutinous one of her own. “What I do is none of your business. And as I recall, we agreed I could cancel a session without having to pay if I gave you at least twelve hours’ notice. Which I did. Each time.”

“I don’t give a shit about the money,” Jake replied irritably. “What I do care about is you making a damn fool of yourself with that asshole Nate Simmons.”

Melissa widened her eyes. “You know Nate?” Before Jake could answer, the latter part of his comment sunk in and the implication irritated the hell out of her. “Wait. What do you mean making a fool of myself?”

“Everyone in this part of town knows Nate. I went to high school with him, and even then he bragged about having to buy condoms in bulk because of all the pussy he was getting.”

“What does that have to do with me? I barely know the guy.”

“It looked like more than that to me.”

“Were you spying on me?” She propped her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Did you follow me here?”

“No. Justin texted me and asked me to meet him here so he could check in. I had no idea you were here until I sat down at the bar and saw that drinking and playing darts with Nate was the something—” he paused to make air quotes with his fingers, “—more important than your training session.” A scowl darkened his expression as he lowered his hands. “I’m disappointed in you, Melissa. I thought your training was more important to you than that.”

“Are you serious?” she exclaimed hotly. How dare he question her commitment to her health. “You know how dedicated I’ve been since I started training with you. Even though I haven’t been at the gym, I’ve run three or more miles almost every evening since we got back from Monterey, so don’t think for a second I’m slacking off. I—” She broke off and took a steadying breath. “I needed a break from...from you. I’m not like you, Jake. I can’t turn my feelings off as easily as you can.”

“Who said I turned off my feelings?” Jake’s brows pinched together in a frown. “I didn’t say that.”

“
I
said it. And it’s true. You want everything to be like it was before Monterey. I thought I could be friends with you, but as it turns out I can’t. I know you’re a guy and sex is just,” she made a helpless gesture with her hands, “sex. But I want more than that. I
deserve
more than that.”

“I know you do.” He ran an agitated hand through his short hair. “But
I
can’t give it to you.”

“Right. Because of your rule. Your
stupid
messed-up rule.”

“Messed up? After what I told you about Denise, and after what she did at the reception. How can you believe it’s not valid?”

“I’m not saying it isn’t valid. I understand why you’d be leery of getting involved with one of your clients. But it’s not against the law, and it’s not like we’d flaunt our relationship while we’re at the gym.” She pointed a finger at him. “And you know I’m not like Denise. I’d never stalk you, or file some phony charge against you if it didn’t work out.” As Jake remained silent, Melissa gasped and put her hand on her chest in horror. Her heart beat like a drum against her palm. “Oh my God. Please tell me you
know
I’m not like Denise.”

“Of course you’re not like her.”

“But it doesn’t matter, does it?” she asked, as her relief gave way to resignation.

“My reputation is what matters to me. I don’t want to be perceived as either a hypocrite or a liar.”

Melissa gave a futile shrug of her shoulders. “Then I guess there’s nothing left to say,” she said, knowing anything more on her part would reek of desperation. Not an attractive quality in anyone.

“No. There isn’t.” Jake shook his head. “But I hope you’ll come back to the gym, and that you’ll consider resuming our training schedule. Your friendship is important to me.”

Melissa closed her eyes and imagined
that
scenario. Considering she’d fallen in love with Jake and being so close to him when he didn’t feel the same way would be the worst form of torture, there was only one thing she could do. It would be as painful as cutting off a limb, but it had to be done or she would never stop hoping for him to change his mind. She refused to be the pathetic woman secretly in love with the guy friend she could never have.

She opened her eyes and met Jake’s intense stare. For a moment she thought there was a glimpse of tenderness in his eyes, but then it was gone. If it was there at all. Not likely. Odds were it was nothing more than wishful thinking on her part. She’d done a lot of that in her life and recognized the signs. “I won’t be coming back to the gym.” Melissa straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. It was time to be the strong, confident woman she’d set out to be almost a year ago. “Or more specifically,
your
gym.”

“I see.” Jake compressed his lips into a tight line. Silence reigned between them for several seconds. “Will you be looking for another personal trainer?” he finally asked.

“Nate suggested a few that work out of the gym he goes to, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”

“Nate’s bad news, Melissa.” A muscle ticked in his lean jaw. “Stay away from him.”

Jake wasn’t telling her something she didn’t already know. Nate
was
bad news and although she had no plans to see him again, she didn’t appreciate being spoken to like an obstinate child.

“At least he isn’t embarrassed to be seen with me,” she said, unable to keep the petulance out of her voice. Frustrated with herself
and
with Jake, she tried to step around him while pressing the unlock button on Paige’s key remote. As the whoosh of the locks opening filled the silence, Melissa let out a surprised gasp as he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.

“Embarrassed?” He leaned in close. So close she could feel the warmth of his breath against her cheeks; so close she was swimming in his clean male scent. Her pulse raced as his gaze lowered to linger on her lips, then lifted. “Hardly,” he said, in a low husky tone that sent a vibration of tingles through her body. “Do you think this is easy for me? All I’ve thought about for months is what it would be like to touch you, to kiss you, to hear you say my name when I made you come.” He released his grip on her arm and slid his palm up to her shoulder, then her neck. Her heart skipped a beat and pleasurable goose bumps prickled her skin as he pushed her hair back and gently feathered his fingers over the sensitive skin of her neck.

“Jake,” she whispered, shivering in response to his light but teasing touch.

“Yeah. Just like that,” he said, then slid his hand to her nape and pulled her forward. At first, he was content to brush his lips against hers. Teasing her; tempting her. Only two weeks had passed but it seemed like a lifetime since they’d made love. It didn’t take long for her traitorous body to overrule her common sense. With an almost inaudible moan, she parted her lips and welcomed his devouring mouth.

The deep, wet kiss was unlike anything Melissa had ever experienced before. Hot and unbelievablyly sexy, it sent waves of scorching desire through her body, pooling between her legs. Paige’s keys slipped from her fingers and fell to the gravel as she slid her arms around Jake’s waist and pulled him against her. She felt his rock-hard quads pressing into her thighs and a thrill raced up her spine.

Without breaking their kiss, he slowly backed her up until she was pressed against his Land Rover. Placing his palms on the windows, he pinned her against the frame with his body and wedged his knee between her thighs. The seam of her jeans only added to the pleasurable friction as she gyrated shamelessly against his thigh. With a low growl, he dragged his mouth from hers and trailed his lips to her neck. Melissa gasped as he rubbed his open mouth on her throat, then used one hand to pull her top and bra strap to the side so he could press warm, wet kisses along her collarbone.

The faint sound of a car horn reminded her she was in a parking lot and that anyone could come upon them at any moment. But she didn’t care. She was so completely immersed in Jake and his slow, lush kiss that whatever reason she initially possessed had vacated her brain. As Jake nibbled his way up to her ear lobe, Melissa slipped her hands under the hem of his polo shirt and let her fingers glide up the warm, supple skin of his back. “I want you,” she whispered, just before he claimed her mouth with his.

* * *

With Melissa’s husky words echoing in his ears, Jake obeyed the basic urges inside of him and sank deeper into the kiss. Their lips and tongues tangled in a slow, sensuous exchange that sent a double shot of undiluted lust to his groin. His pulse pounded; all he could think about was how badly he ached to bury his cock into her warm, wet pussy and not come out until he made her scream his name.

And then he wanted to do it again. And again.

Feeling like he was about to explode, he tore his mouth from hers and trailed a path to her neck where he kissed the pulsing hollow at the base of her throat. She let out a whisper of a gasp and trembled.
Good.
She was just as turned on as he was. Burying his face in her neck, Jake caught her soft citruslike fragrance and inhaled deeply. He’d never forget her intoxicating scent.
Never.
His cock strained against his jeans; he wanted her so fucking much the thought of taking her up against his SUV in a public parking lot didn’t seem inappropriate at all.

“Jake.” Her husky voice penetrated the sexual fog blanketing him. Lifting his head, he met her sultry gaze. Without warning, his heart clenched and his breath lodged in his throat.
God
,
she’s beautiful.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” she whispered after what seemed like fucking forever.

Driven by an overwhelming need greater than anything he’d ever imagined, he took a step back and reached for the waistband of her jeans. He popped open the metal button, quickly lowered the zipper and then, forgetting everything else, he dropped down on his knees in front of her and separated the fly of her jeans. His heart pounded a primal beat at the sight of the sheer black lace that covered her. Leaning forward, he inhaled her womanly scent. She was wet. For him. He knew it as surely as he knew his own name; the thought of tasting her sent desire pulsing through his swollen, rigid flesh.

He hooked his fingers into the waistband of her jeans and just as he was about to slide them over her shapely hips, the sound of tires crunching on gravel stopped him cold.

Shit
.

The sound of Melissa’s soft gasp of alarm and the sudden tensing of her body galvanized him into action. He quickly got to his feet and stepped in front of her as a white pick-up truck pulled into an open space several cars over from where his Land Rover was parked. He watched as the driver got out of the truck, locked it, and without glancing in their direction trudged across the loose gravel. Once the man turned the corner and disappeared from sight, Jake turned to find Melissa had zipped her jeans and was leaning against the Land Rover with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Talk about rotten timing.” Jake bent over and picked up the keys Melissa had dropped while they were kissing.

“More like excellent timing,” she said, snatching the keys from his outstretched hand. “What almost happened just now can never happen again.”

Jake scrubbed a hand over his jaw. If the abrupt arrival of the truck hadn’t shriveled his dick, the frigid glare in Melissa’s eyes would have had the same effect. “You didn’t want me to stop,” he said, even though she was right. What kind of an asshole would tell a woman he couldn’t have a relationship with her and then turn around and try to have sex with her? An asshole like Nate Simmons. The last guy he
ever
wanted to emulate.

“You’re right. I told you not to stop.” She breathed out a long sigh. “Obviously, I wasn’t thinking about what would happen afterward.” Melissa angled her head and gave him a long, searching look. “You’ve made your position clear, so let me tell you what I think.”

Jake shoved his hands into his pockets as desolation washed over him. His gut told him this was the last time he would see her. He tried to ignore the ache that settled in his chest, but he couldn’t. “I’m listening,” he said, and wished like hell things could be different.

“I think you care more about how you’re perceived by people you don’t even know than you care about being happy.”

He couldn’t help but scowl at that. “Really? Why don’t you talk to me when you’ve sunk your entire life savings into your own business? Talk to me after you’ve been charged with something you didn’t do and you’re afraid that because of someone else’s fucked-up agenda you might lose the one thing that matters most to you.” He pulled his hand out of his pocket and pointed at her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about and I resent the hell out of you trying to psychoanalyze me.”

Her brows rose. “Why are you so angry? Did I hit a nerve? From day one you told me not to care what other people thought about me
or
my weight. Did you mean that or does that advice only apply to other people?”

“It’s not the same thing.” He lowered his hand. “This is my life. My livelihood.”

“And what kind of life will it be if you’re always worried about other people’s opinions? What will you miss out on?” She snapped her fingers and gave him a scornful smirk. “Oh wait, I forgot. Your business is what matters most to you so I guess you’ll be perfectly fine.”

“My business isn’t the only thing I care about,” he countered angrily.

“That’s not how it looks to me.” She glanced at Paige’s car. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to go home.” Jake stepped aside as she pulled open the car door. Before getting inside, she turned to look at him. “The one thing I’ve learned over the past nine months is to not live my life in fear. What’s ironic is the person who helped me come to that realization turned out to be the biggest coward of all.”

After Melissa pulled out of the parking lot, Jake sat in his SUV for several minutes without starting the engine. Despite his wholehearted belief that Melissa was dead wrong in her assessment of him, her words continued to echo in his head.