what my assailant was capable of, and remembering the way he’d felt me up, I wasn’t about to let my guard down.
As I finished drying my hair, someone rang the doorbell. I stepped cautiously to my front door and peeked out the side window.
It was Jake.
I opened the door. “Hi.”
“Morning,” he said, staring down at my clothing, a loose tank top and jeans.
I cringed , suddenly remembering the morning jog he’d talked me into.
“You might want to change if you plan on joining me. Sweating in jeans isn’t the most pleasant thing in the world. ” He was dressed in grey sweats and a dark blue T-shirt, looking ready to tackle the world.
I opened my mouth to respond, bu t nothing came out. It was an absolute struggle not to blurt out everything that had happened during the night, especially at that particular moment. He looked so confident and powerful, like he could handle anything thrown at him. But my children’s lives were involved and I couldn’t take any risks.
His eyes narrowed . “Lindsey, are you okay?”
I cleared my throat and produced a weak smile. “Yes, I’m fine.”
He studied my face. “Did he show up last night?”
My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”
“ Did Scott give you trouble last night?”
I exhaled. “No, I haven’t spoken to him since the other night, actually.”
He frowned and rubbed his chin. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I told you I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“I don’ t know, you just seem… tense.”
I shrugged. “I’m okay, just had a hard time sleeping last night.”
He nodded. “So, I take it you’re probably not energized enough for a run?”
“ No, I’m sorry. I have a lot of errands to run today, ones that can’t wait. What about tomorrow?”
“Okay. I guess I’ll just have to suffer my own company this morning,” he pouted.
Watching a hunk like him pout over me was almost enough to make me change my mind, but I wanted to switch my locks. I wouldn’t feel even remotely safe until I did.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I promise I’ll get more sleep tonight and join you in the morning. Same time?”
“Same time.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you,” I said, stepping backwards. As I was about to shut the door, he stuck his foot inside, blocking me from doing it. I opened it back up and gave him a puzzled look.
“You would tell me if anything was bothering you, right?”
His smile was disarming, and almost made me falter. “Sure,” I answered, softly.
From the look in his eyes, I knew he wasn’t really convinced. That wasn’t good.
I stepped forward and touched his arm. “Jake, I just have so much going on in my life, with my husband and trying to find a job. It’s exhausting, to say the least.”
He stared at my hand and then our eyes locked. “Okay,” he said. “Just remember, I’m here for you if you need someone to talk or a shoulder to lean on.”
I nodded .
“Fuck it,” he muttered , pulling me into his arms and holding me against his firm chest.
I released a sigh and closed my eyes. It felt good to be held by someone solid and so totally masculine. It even gave me a sense of security for the first time in days. Unfortunately, I also knew it was a false sense of security.
“Sorry, ” he murmured into my hair. “You just looked like you could use one of these.”
“Actually, you were right ,” I whispered against his chest. “Thank you.”
He tightened his arms around me . “You smell good,” he said.
“So do you ,” I answered, catching a whiff of Irish Spring and toothpaste; he smelled like he’d just gotten out of the shower. An image of Jake with a towel around his waist and water dripping down his washboard stomach flashed through my head, and something in my own stomach went ‘swoosh.’
“I suppose I should let you go. We don’t want the neighbors gossiping,” he teased.
I giggled nervously and stepped away from him. “Well, thanks.”
“It’s the l east I can
As I finished drying my hair, someone rang the doorbell. I stepped cautiously to my front door and peeked out the side window.
It was Jake.
I opened the door. “Hi.”
“Morning,” he said, staring down at my clothing, a loose tank top and jeans.
I cringed , suddenly remembering the morning jog he’d talked me into.
“You might want to change if you plan on joining me. Sweating in jeans isn’t the most pleasant thing in the world. ” He was dressed in grey sweats and a dark blue T-shirt, looking ready to tackle the world.
I opened my mouth to respond, bu t nothing came out. It was an absolute struggle not to blurt out everything that had happened during the night, especially at that particular moment. He looked so confident and powerful, like he could handle anything thrown at him. But my children’s lives were involved and I couldn’t take any risks.
His eyes narrowed . “Lindsey, are you okay?”
I cleared my throat and produced a weak smile. “Yes, I’m fine.”
He studied my face. “Did he show up last night?”
My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”
“ Did Scott give you trouble last night?”
I exhaled. “No, I haven’t spoken to him since the other night, actually.”
He frowned and rubbed his chin. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I told you I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“I don’ t know, you just seem… tense.”
I shrugged. “I’m okay, just had a hard time sleeping last night.”
He nodded. “So, I take it you’re probably not energized enough for a run?”
“ No, I’m sorry. I have a lot of errands to run today, ones that can’t wait. What about tomorrow?”
“Okay. I guess I’ll just have to suffer my own company this morning,” he pouted.
Watching a hunk like him pout over me was almost enough to make me change my mind, but I wanted to switch my locks. I wouldn’t feel even remotely safe until I did.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I promise I’ll get more sleep tonight and join you in the morning. Same time?”
“Same time.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you,” I said, stepping backwards. As I was about to shut the door, he stuck his foot inside, blocking me from doing it. I opened it back up and gave him a puzzled look.
“You would tell me if anything was bothering you, right?”
His smile was disarming, and almost made me falter. “Sure,” I answered, softly.
From the look in his eyes, I knew he wasn’t really convinced. That wasn’t good.
I stepped forward and touched his arm. “Jake, I just have so much going on in my life, with my husband and trying to find a job. It’s exhausting, to say the least.”
He stared at my hand and then our eyes locked. “Okay,” he said. “Just remember, I’m here for you if you need someone to talk or a shoulder to lean on.”
I nodded .
“Fuck it,” he muttered , pulling me into his arms and holding me against his firm chest.
I released a sigh and closed my eyes. It felt good to be held by someone solid and so totally masculine. It even gave me a sense of security for the first time in days. Unfortunately, I also knew it was a false sense of security.
“Sorry, ” he murmured into my hair. “You just looked like you could use one of these.”
“Actually, you were right ,” I whispered against his chest. “Thank you.”
He tightened his arms around me . “You smell good,” he said.
“So do you ,” I answered, catching a whiff of Irish Spring and toothpaste; he smelled like he’d just gotten out of the shower. An image of Jake with a towel around his waist and water dripping down his washboard stomach flashed through my head, and something in my own stomach went ‘swoosh.’
“I suppose I should let you go. We don’t want the neighbors gossiping,” he teased.
I giggled nervously and stepped away from him. “Well, thanks.”
“It’s the l east I can
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