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“A mere technicality.” She warmed to his good humor. “Did you leave me any hot water today?”
“It’ll be ready in about twenty minutes.”
She glanced at his leg and gasped. His knee was marred by a yellowing bruise and crossed by a spiderweb of faded white scars. “Did I do that?”
Jake looked at the injury and shrugged. “Not a pretty sight? Don’t worry, you’re only responsible for the black and blue marks. The scars are from a previous battle.”
“That’s terrible. Oh, good grief, it must have hurt.” She was surprised by his matter-of-fact tone. “What happened?”
“When I was fourteen, my old man killed himself in a drunk driving accident and damned near took me with him. It reminds me daily how important it is to keep a tight rein on your weaknesses.”
She gazed at the resolute planes of his face with new insight. He’d been through more torment than she could even fathom, yet he’d come out of it healthy and strong. It spoke volumes about the kind of man he was. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry you had to feel that kind of pain.”
He gave a negligent shrug. “My father was an alcoholic. After he died, I quit school and got a job to help my mother make ends meet. Once my brothers and sisters finished high school, I joined the Army and completed my education.”
His tense posture told her opening himself up like this wasn’t easy. He guarded his privacy the way some men might protect a priceless jewel. She was honored he trusted her enough to share his painful history with her.
“After my stint in Special Forces, I joined the Logan Industries security team. Over the years, I worked my way up to head goon while pursuing my once secret love of writing.” He chuckled at her embarrassed flush. “Not many people know my life history, but I feel I can trust you.”
“Thank you for believing me capable of keeping your secrets.”
He smiled at her. “I believe you can do many things, including holding my future in your hands. In the meantime, we can have a little strategy session after we wake Tad up. We’ve got a lot of planning to do.”
He pulled fresh clothes from the dresser, then turned to head down the ladder.
Did she hold their future in her hands? It was an intriguing thought.
“Time’s wasting, sweetheart. So, get a wiggle on.”
She chucked a pillow at him. “Get out of here, and I will.”
He laughed and carried the pillow back to the bed. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he put the pillow back behind her head.
His gaze darkened as he leaned down to brush a quick kiss across her lips. “You’re certainly in a playful mood this morning. Care to tell me why?”
“Must be the stimulating company I’m keeping.” She smiled and put her arms around his neck. Amazed by her boldness, she stated, “Why don’t you give me a proper good morning kiss?”
“My pleasure.” He pressed her back into the pillows. She sighed as his mouth slanted over hers, the kiss warm, sure, and oh-so-perfect. She melted into his embrace, her breath quickening as he trailed a river of scorching kisses down her throat and into the hollow between her breasts.
The sound of the shower turning on downstairs broke the spell, reminding her they weren’t alone. She tensed in his arms.
Jake went still, and then pulled away. “What’s wrong?”
“Tad’s up.” She bit her lip and looked away, feeling self-conscious. She did want to nestle, but not with an audience downstairs. She started to wriggle out from under him.
“Easy, baby,” he said, holding her still.
“I’m not equipped to handle this. Maybe I need to take some lessons.” She tried to lighten the embarrassing situation.
“I’m not pushing,” he hastened to assure her. “We’ll take things slow.” His eyes twinkled. “One love lesson at a time.” He carefully pulled his body away from hers. He sat up with a groan, running a shaking hand through his tousled hair.
Shea gazed into his passion-darkened eyes, and knew he was feeling frustrated, yet he could reign in his desire. It only reinforced her good opinion of him.
He reached out to brush a wisp of hair off her flushed face. “Later.”
She watched him go, hugging the promise to her like a prize. He’d started a fire in her that only he could put out.
Jake poured a cup of coffee and set it in front of Samantha. Her smile reassured him. After she’d pulled back from him this morning, he’d feared she might turn away from him altogether.
