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As his silvery gaze traveled down her body, Roni’s pussy responded with liquid heat. She bit her lower lip and watched as a muscle in Jake’s jaw jumped, his gaze zeroing in on her mouth. He still looked angry, but she couldn’t miss the bulge in his jeans. He wanted her. It went a long way to salvaging her self-esteem.
Without saying a word, he pushed the storm door toward her and moved back to let her enter.
Her heart leapt as she stepped over the threshold. She glanced around and noticed one glaring difference between her apartment and his house. His was neat. From the floor-to-ceiling cherrywood bookshelf to the polished coffee table, everything seemed to have a place. The big blue couch and matching chair looked soft and inviting, but she wasn’t there to admire his furnishings.
Roni turned on her heel and found Jake watching her from across the room. He hadn’t moved away from the door, an obvious sign that she wasn’t welcome to stay. With his arms crossed over his bare chest and his feet braced apart, it seemed as if he were ready to do battle.
She put her black bag on the coffee table and placed her hand on her hip. “We need to talk.”
“I thought when I didn’t return your calls all week you’d get the hint.”
“Fine, you don’t want to talk; you can at least listen.”
Jake dropped his arms and moved closer. “So, talk. I have things to do.”
The ice in his voice cut her to the bone, but she’d come this far and she wasn’t going to back down now. “I’m sorry for what I said,” she muttered, unable to contain the quiver in her voice. “It’s true that Lydia, Jeannette and I made a bet. We wanted to try and make our…fantasies come true.”
“And your fantasy was to be with a real guy. A blue-collar man,” he ground out. “Yeah, I got that part, princess.”
She stiffened her spine and barreled on. “When you asked me out, I didn’t agree because of the bet. I admit, it crossed my mind, but that’s not why I slept with you, Jake.”
“Then why, Roni?” He moved closer. Only a few inches of tan carpet separated them. “Help me understand your reasoning here, because I’m clueless. I know we just met. I never expected declarations of love from you, for Christ’s sake, but I deserved better than to be treated like nothing more than a good fuck.”
“I know.” Roni placed her palm on his cheek. He flinched, but didn’t move away. Hope bloomed. “I got scared when they started asking me about you. I didn’t want to explore my feelings, at least not then. It was too soon. I only wanted to get them to drop it.”
Jake cupped her face in both hands and stepped closer. His hard body brushed her curves. Roni’s libido leaped to life. “Your friends aren’t here now, baby,” he growled. “Give me something. Either you care and you want to see where this thing between us will lead, or you don’t. The truth now; no more bullshit.”
“I care,” she cried out. “It scares the crap out of me, but I care about you, Jake.”
He smoothed his thumb over her bottom lip and Roni closed her eyes for a few seconds, relishing the bare stroke. God, she’d missed him. It’d been a hellish week.
“Why the fear, princess? Talk to me.”
It hadn’t been the way she’d envisioned. She’d expected him to slam the door in her face. Instead, he was giving her a second chance. One she didn’t think she deserved but would take anyway.
Pointing to the couch, Roni asked, “Mind if I sit down?”
Jake dropped his hands and shrugged. Roni walked around the coffee table and sat on one end of the couch. It didn’t escape her notice when he chose to stay standing.
“I grew up in a very loving home. My parents have always been head over heels in love with each other and they spoiled Braden and me. Most families have at least one skeleton in their closet, but not ours. We were the average American family. Still are. My parents still go on romantic vacations together and they still hold hands and cuddle while they watch the nightly news.”
“They sound pretty great. What’s the catch?”
Roni shook her head. “That’s just it, there is no catch. Seeing how in love they are can be inspirational, but it can also cause you to set some pretty lofty goals for yourself. I wanted nothing less than what they had. Dad is totally devoted to Mom. He still looks at her as if she’s the most beautiful woman that ever lived. I guess I decided that if I couldn’t have that same kind of affection from a man, then I didn’t want any. Sex is nice, but beyond that I’ve never met a guy who fit all my qualifications.”
“And you didn’t want to settle for second best,” Jake quietly surmised.
“Right,” she whispered as their gazes locked. “Then you came along and rocked my world.”
Jake stepped around the coffee table and sat on the polished cherrywood surface, directly in front of her. His legs caged her in. “This week has really sucked. I’ve missed you, baby.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I thought you hated me.”
He stroked a finger down her cheek. “I was pissed at you, and a little scared if I’m being honest.”
Roni swiped a tear away and frowned. “Scared?”
“After my wife died I decided love hurt too damn much. It wasn’t worth the pain. I vowed never to go through it again.”
