Hyde and Seek (13 page)

I shrugged and smiled, taking his outstretched hand as he led me to the dance floor. We danced and talked as much as we could over the music.

When he turned me so my back was to his front, his hardness was impossible to miss.

So, owning a kickass bar is
far
from the only thing Rhys had going for him.

His mouth pressed close to my ear to be heard over the music. “Do you know how old I am, Piper?”

“Uh, Jake said you were around forty,” I confessed, feeling like I was caught gossiping.

“Of course he would. I’m thirty-seven.”

“Cool.” I wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Does that bother you?”

I shook my head. “Does it bother you I’m twenty?”

“No. You don’t act it. You don’t even really look your age.”

Tilting my head, I fake glared up at him. “Are you saying I look old?”

He grinned. “No. I’m saying you look confident. You know who you are, and you own that. You aren’t desperate or needy, all things I see nightly. So, you don’t look your age, unless you look closer.” He stood up straighter as we danced.

I reached back to put my hand on his neck and pulled him down so he could hear me. “And then what happens?”

“Then you see how soft you are. Totally unhardened by life. You’re not an act. You’re not a mask you put on to manipulate people. You don’t want anything, you aren’t scheming, and you aren’t cynical.”

I smiled, liking that someone saw me that way. I was glad he couldn’t see my face because I knew my smile wavered when he continued.

“You’re almost, I dunno, innocent. Makes a man want to protect you even more.”

Innocent. I wonder how he’d feel if he knew just how innocent I really am? Would he drop out of my life, too?

I gave a nervous laugh. “I really don’t know what to say to all that.”

“Say nothing. Just know it’s true.”

I nodded, deciding to focus on the positive things he’d said.

We danced a minute more before he leaned down. “I gotta get back to Rye.” He kept his arm wrapped around me as we headed to the bar.

“It was cool seeing you.”

“Yeah, you too, darlin’. Call me?” He phrased it like a question, but didn’t wait for my answer. Leaning down, he brushed his lips slowly across my cheek. “Ladies,” he said with a chuckle, giving a glimpse of dimples before he walked away.

I turned to my girls and saw what he found so amusing.

Sitting at the bar, they were attempting to look casual. Since this involved looking anywhere but where Rhys and I were, all while whistling jaunty tunes, they were also failing.

All pretenses dropped once he got far enough away and they let out a collective girly screech and squeal.

Lily grabbed my arm and pulled me closer. “What was all that?”

“And what was with that kiss? How does he make a cheek kiss look obscene?” Marcy asked.

“We were just continuing a conversation from before,” I said, not sure how much detail I wanted to go into.

“About?”

“What do you think about? He obviously wants more of her
desserts
,” Ray said, using finger quotes as she wiggled her eyebrows.

“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Lily asked, giggling.

“From the looks of it, he wants some more of Piper’s glorious cookies.” Ray grabbed her own chest for emphasis. “So, what’s the story?”

“He wants to go out but I don’t want to jump into anything,” I admitted.

All three made various noises of disbelief.

Ray shook her head. “No, no, that’s understandable.” Lowering her voice, she leaned in closer. “From what I hear, jumping in with Rhys is like diving into the deep end of sex. It’s intense for one night and then that’s all she wrote. Or, I guess in this case, that’s all he humped!”

We all burst out laughing, which reminded me how badly I had to go.

“Alright, I’ve had to go to the bathroom for the past three songs. I’ll dish when I get back!” Their girly talk and giggles faded as I walked away but still left me smiling.

When I finished in the bathroom, I turned in the hall towards the bar. I let out a startled yelp as I found myself suddenly pressed up against the wall.

I pulled my fist back and was ready to swing when I looked up into a pair of intense, green eyes.

“What the hell?” I put my hand to my chest. “Are you trying to give me a freakin’ heart attack?”

“I said your name. I thought you were ignoring me.”

“No, I just wasn’t paying attention. Lesson learned for both of us.”

Jake tilted his head. “Both?”

“Mine is to not zone out. Yours is to stop sneaking up on me or I’ll open a can of whoop-ass on you. Maybe even a case of it.”

“I’ll try to remember that.”

“Good, be sure you do,” I said, distracted at the way his eyes lightened with humor before going dark again.

“Havin’ fun?”

“Yes I am. You?” I was proud of how even my voice sounded since I was feeling anything but with the way he was pressed close.

So close.

You should touch his hair!

“Don’t be cute.”

“Sorry, I don’t know how to do that.”

Jake chuckled though this time his eyes didn’t lighten. “No, I guess you don’t. Where’d your dance partner go?”

“Work.”

“Little old for you, isn’t he?”

“No.”

He wasn’t. All of my close friends were older. The only guys I’d seen my age had been horrible. Some were so dull that the only desire I felt was to take a nap. Others were slightly less boring but skeeved me out, like I needed a scalding hot shower
with
my clothes on.

“You’re supposed to be with someone your own age. Closer to it, at least. Some nice kid.”

“Why? I’m an adult. I can pick who I want. If I wanted someone my age, I’d be with them. Now excuse me.” I shifted to get past him.

I barely moved when his mouth was on mine, hard and insistent. My hands went to his chest as I began to lose myself in the kiss. Before my brain could go to total mush, the pain of his rejection resurfaced.

At the reminder of what he’d said and how he’d acted, I pushed his shoulders hard. Though he only went back an inch, he did bring his head up enough to look at me.

“This is fucked up, Jake. I don’t play games.”

His eyes narrowed. “That’s not my name.”

“Everyone calls you Jake.”

“Yeah, everyone
but
you. You called me Jacoby when you found out it was my full name. I like hearin’ my name from your mouth.”

“Okay, whatever. I’ve gotta get back.” I tried to move away again but he put his forearms flat on the wall and pinned me with his body. If he were anyone else I’d feel panicked and caged.

He wasn’t just anyone, though.

“You don’t get it.”

“No. I do get it ‘cause you made that message
very
clear.” Inhaling deeply, I tried to calm my temper. “It’s fine.”

“I’m trying to do the right thing. It isn’t you.”

And there goes my Zenful calm.

“Oh, God, Jake, don’t give me the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ bullshit.”

I heard Ray calling my name from down the hall, but Jake’s body blocked my view.

“Dammit, Piper, just listen. Hear where I’m comin’ from and give me a chance to explain,” he murmured in my ear, his gravelly voice coaxing.

I wonder what else that voice could get me to do. Oh wait! Been there, done that, got the emotional burn. Where was my chance to talk last week?

That thought pissed me off to Hulk-like strength.

Or so I imagined.

I pushed away from the wall, giving Jake no choice but to move. Getting free, I turned and got toe-to-toe with him, once again wishing I was taller.

“Don’t pull that shit with me. I’m not a toy you can throw away and then get cranky about when someone else picks me up to play.”

“Fuck.” Jake lifted his hand to spear into his hair. His movement stuttered when his fingers tangled in the pulled back strands. Instead, he ran his palm down his face, exasperated. ”I swear that isn’t it. I was here to talk to you already. You told Kase you were comin’ here, he told me. I just want to explain what happened. That’s all. You wanna walk away after that, I can’t force you to stay.”

“Jake, seriously, there’s nothing to explain. It’s fine.”

“It’s
not
fuckin’ fine.” I sensed his control was close to snapping before he stepped back and took a deep breath. “Look, I’ll leave and you go have your fun with your girls. Just… call me tomorrow, yeah?”

I nodded, but I wasn’t sure if I’d call. My mind was in no place to make a decision right now.

He brought his head down and pressed a light kiss to my lips, though I stayed still. He raised his head to look down at me, searching my face. Lowering his mouth to mine again, he kissed me harder.

Fisting my hands so hard my nails dug into my palms, I resisted the overwhelming desire to return his kiss. I refused to open myself up again. Instead, I stepped back and pulled away from him.

His grip on me tightened briefly before he dropped his hands.

I started walking down the hall with a thoughtfully silent Ray. I needed a second to get my head together, and I knew she got that. When the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, I tilted my head to look behind me.

All I saw was Jake, his back against the wall and his head turned away. Even from a distance, I could see the rigidness of his body as he bit out a curse.

I knew my reprieve was over when we returned to the bar and Ray ordered a round of stronger booze.

“So, what the fuck was that?” she started as soon as we got our drinks.

“What was what?” Marcy asked, looking to Lily who shrugged.

“Piper has been holding out on us. Big time.”

“It’s no big deal, really.” I took a couple large gulps of my drink.

“Oh, yeah, totally. I go to see if you fell into the fuckin’ toilet, and instead find you with Jake Hyde.”

“Dude, were you hooking up with Jake?” Lily asked, her face an almost laughable mix of interest and envy.

“No, not our Piper. She had him flippin’ in a way that was tortured hero hot. And she’s getting all feisty instead of her usual sweet.”

Marcy’s eyes went wide. “What? Why? I need details. Like what was he wearing? Was he shirtless? Can we pretend he was?”

Because my drama was more interesting than dancing, we went to a quieter VIP area so they could hear the goods while we drank.

“So, Jake was your mystery man?” Ray asked.

I nodded. “Yup.”

“Well, that explains why you were the only woman in the place that wasn’t looking at him when he walked in.”

“When were you together?” Marcy asked.

“We weren’t. We were, I dunno.” I moved my hand around, spilling some of my drink as I tried to find the right words. “Friends who made out a few times?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You kissed Jake Hyde?” Lily screamed.

“Jeez, Lily, hop on the MC mic and announce it to the bar.”

“Hell, if I kissed
the
Jake Hyde, I would totally be on the mic announcing it. I’d tweet it, status it, Instagram it, whatever I could. I’d probably even take out a full page newspaper ad or get a billboard,” she declared, to the nodded agreement of the other two.

“Okay, so were you friends with benefits with him?” Ray asked.

“We weren’t even that. We hung out a couple times.” I looked around to see them all wearing the same shocked expression. “What?”

“Honey, Jake doesn’t do long term.”

“I never asked him to. Sure, I’ve been bummed, but I know he did the right thing.”

Ray shook her head slowly. “No, you aren’t getting it. Hanging out a couple times with Jake is the same as spending a couple months in a relationship with a regular man. To him, that
is
long term. Only thing crazier would be him spending the night.”

My face must have given something away because all three screeched.

That seems to be happening with them a lot. I wonder if they get together to practice synchronized screeching?

“No fuckin’ way. Having Jake fuckin’ Hyde spend the night is like hitting jackpot. Honestly, if the hype is true, it’s way better. It’d be like hitting the jackpot every time, all night long,” Marcy said.

“Nothing really happened. We kissed a little and then went to sleep. He only spent the night because he’d been drinking.”

Ray held up her cell. “I texted Edge to ask if he’s ever heard of Jake spending the night. Of course, he asked why I wanted to know. He said if I get sucked into the whole sexy, smart, and successful thing Jake has going that means no more free drinks for us. But, according to Edge, Jake rarely has sex with the same girl more than once. He hasn’t heard of him staying the night since his last serious girlfriend and she was eight years ago. I think he must be into you.”