firm. Where the hell is he thinking of going? The thoughts flashed through her head before she focused on the words. His last case. Oh great! It was probably the least sexy, least romantic prospect she could think of. She wouldn’t keep him by her side with strings attached. But maybe that’s all she’d ever been to him, just a job. On that painful thought, she surged to her feet. “No thanks. I’m going to take care of myself from now on,” she said and then turned on wobbly legs and collided with Jake’s hard chest.
His arms came out to hold her fast. “No way, sunshine. This little lettuce is not getting out of my sight.”
She snuggled against him for one blissful moment weakening before telling herself to suck it up. “No thanks,” she said troubled by Jake’s worried look. However, even in her state of fury, she couldn’t help responding to Jake’s nearness. Inhaling his natural, masculine scent, she was transported back to the nights he’d touched her and she’d tasted him. Would she ever get the chance again? If she had the chance to go back into his bed, would she? He liked her, he lusted for her, but he didn’t love her.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw Carol and Tad standing in the hall. Tad had a militant expression on his face and Carol looked concerned. She hated the distress she was causing them by rejecting Jake’s protection. She turned her head to glance at her father. Worry lines bracketed his mouth. He seemed to have aged overnight. Oh hell, Jake had her trapped in his web and he knew it. She glanced up at his victorious expression. She really had no choice but to become his last case.
* * * *
Samantha slid into the driver’s seat of her car frowning as Jake slid into the passenger seat beside her. What the hell was she supposed to do now? With a sigh, she turned the key in the ignition. She was just going to have to make the best of an awkward situation. She gazed back at him, confused and off balance. She wasn’t at all sure she’d be able to resist him day and night but she was damned determined to. This time he’d have to make all the moves if he wanted her. She was through throwing herself at him.
“You can turn left,” he said.
She frowned at him and cut her wheels to the right. Oh no, she was not going to his place. If she had to deal with him, it would be on her own turf. “No way. I’m not going to your place,” she stated flatly.
His jaw tightened momentarily before he let out a sigh. “Fine, we’ll play it your way for now. You might as well keep on going to your place.”
She frowned. He seemed so determined to remain cool and businesslike. “So you know where I live. I wouldn’t have thought that would be any of your business.” She was unable to resist the temptation to keep on baiting him.
“I keep tabs on you,” Jake responded evenly. “ It’s part of my job as head goon,” Jake said and smiled at her gasp. “I know about your business Samantha’s Special Affairs, and that you’ve gone into debt to get it going. I know that you rarely date. That was until you moved back home and met your ex. I know when I kiss you, your toes curl,” he added with a half-smile.
She gazed at him in shock at how accurate his info was. He’d obviously been wasting his time working at LI, he should have been a world-class spy or something. So why had he buried himself in this job? Even as she thought it, it rankled that he’d had her investigated. “Snoop.”
He grinned as she pulled into a parking spot next to her apartment. “Guilty as charged, brat. We need to talk about why I left.”
She heard his less than apologetic tone and frowned. Didn’t he know how torn up she felt? Or didn’t he care? The last thing she wanted from him was a half-hearted excuse. “No we don’t.”
Jake nodded. “Maybe you’re right. We can hash this over better inside.”
She got out of the car, walking up to her front door as she pulled her key from her bag. If this
His arms came out to hold her fast. “No way, sunshine. This little lettuce is not getting out of my sight.”
She snuggled against him for one blissful moment weakening before telling herself to suck it up. “No thanks,” she said troubled by Jake’s worried look. However, even in her state of fury, she couldn’t help responding to Jake’s nearness. Inhaling his natural, masculine scent, she was transported back to the nights he’d touched her and she’d tasted him. Would she ever get the chance again? If she had the chance to go back into his bed, would she? He liked her, he lusted for her, but he didn’t love her.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw Carol and Tad standing in the hall. Tad had a militant expression on his face and Carol looked concerned. She hated the distress she was causing them by rejecting Jake’s protection. She turned her head to glance at her father. Worry lines bracketed his mouth. He seemed to have aged overnight. Oh hell, Jake had her trapped in his web and he knew it. She glanced up at his victorious expression. She really had no choice but to become his last case.
* * * *
Samantha slid into the driver’s seat of her car frowning as Jake slid into the passenger seat beside her. What the hell was she supposed to do now? With a sigh, she turned the key in the ignition. She was just going to have to make the best of an awkward situation. She gazed back at him, confused and off balance. She wasn’t at all sure she’d be able to resist him day and night but she was damned determined to. This time he’d have to make all the moves if he wanted her. She was through throwing herself at him.
“You can turn left,” he said.
She frowned at him and cut her wheels to the right. Oh no, she was not going to his place. If she had to deal with him, it would be on her own turf. “No way. I’m not going to your place,” she stated flatly.
His jaw tightened momentarily before he let out a sigh. “Fine, we’ll play it your way for now. You might as well keep on going to your place.”
She frowned. He seemed so determined to remain cool and businesslike. “So you know where I live. I wouldn’t have thought that would be any of your business.” She was unable to resist the temptation to keep on baiting him.
“I keep tabs on you,” Jake responded evenly. “ It’s part of my job as head goon,” Jake said and smiled at her gasp. “I know about your business Samantha’s Special Affairs, and that you’ve gone into debt to get it going. I know that you rarely date. That was until you moved back home and met your ex. I know when I kiss you, your toes curl,” he added with a half-smile.
She gazed at him in shock at how accurate his info was. He’d obviously been wasting his time working at LI, he should have been a world-class spy or something. So why had he buried himself in this job? Even as she thought it, it rankled that he’d had her investigated. “Snoop.”
He grinned as she pulled into a parking spot next to her apartment. “Guilty as charged, brat. We need to talk about why I left.”
She heard his less than apologetic tone and frowned. Didn’t he know how torn up she felt? Or didn’t he care? The last thing she wanted from him was a half-hearted excuse. “No we don’t.”
Jake nodded. “Maybe you’re right. We can hash this over better inside.”
She got out of the car, walking up to her front door as she pulled her key from her bag. If this
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