again and he finally came to life, turning sharply from the intense man, and pushing me quickly ahead of him.
When he had put plenty of distance between me and the stranger, Jake grabbed my arm tightly and spun me around. “I told you to stay put,” he yelled, his face blazing in fury.
I tried to jerk my arm away, but he was too strong.
“Let go of me,” I demanded, glaring right back at his intense eyes. “I know bad odds when I see them. It was three to one and I could feel the tension from ten feet away.”
He threw down my arm and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I had it under control, Naomi. I didn’t need to be rescued by some girl.” Bitterness spewed from his lips as I tried not to take offense to the “some girl” comment.
“Well, it didn’t look under control . And this girl is perfectly capable of taking care herself. You forget I have four older brothers, one of which is a amateur fighter.” Pride welled up in me as I crossed my arms defensively. Who does he think he is?
Jake shook his head in frustration again, but seemed to be calming. “Fine. Let’s just go. I don’t want to be here anymore.”
I stepped back, amazed at how easily he would just run away. “Go right ahead. I’m staying here. There’s a band I want to watch, and they don’t start their set for another hour.” With that, I turned and strolled away from his shocked expression. Before I even got five feet away from him, I heard him call out.
“Naomi, wait.”
I stopped, turning back to him. Gone was his anger as his face reflected remorse.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you. I didn’t want you around him, that’s all, and I panicked. Sometimes my protective nature can come off as controlling.”
I let out a sigh and then just nodded before turning to begin walking again. Jake matched my stride, but didn’t say another word. Finally after five long, excruciating minutes of silence, I decided he had calmed enough.
“Who was that guy?” I asked casually while we were examining the booth selling all types of scented oils.
“Just a business associate of mine. He’s becoming a little overbearing and honestly I don’t trust him,” Jake admitted, his shoulders beginning to relax a little.
I kept walking through the aisles, smelling the different scents. “Well, I don’t blame you. He creeped me out.” I lifted one more scent to my nose and then backed away in horror. “Oh my goodness, this is awful! You have to smell it.”
Jake laughed at my outstretched hand. “Why would I smell it if it’s awful?”
I smirked as I pushed it in his hand. “Because I have every intention of talking about it, and you will hav e no appreciation for how bad the scent is if you don’t smell it yourself.”
“So you expect me to share in your misery,” he teased, eying the bottle.
“That’s what friends do, Jake. They share in the miseries as well as the joys. Now sniff.”
I watched as he shook his head before taking a whiff of the oil. His gag reflex was immediate as he stared at me in horror. I tried to stop the laughter, but it was no use. The look on his face was priceless, and I had to grip the side of the table to stop from falling over.
“Oh, that was just cruel,” he accused as he set down the offending oil. “Seriously, who would put that in their house?”
I stopped laughing long enough to follow him out of the booth as the lady at the register gave us a dirty look. “I’m sorry. But you see now why you had to smell it to really appre ciate the stench.”
Jake just shivered and shook his head. “I may never get that smell out of my head.”
Still chuckling, I hit his arm, grateful the tension was finally gone from him again. “Sure you will. Let’s go over to the food booths. Lunch is on me.”
“Fighting my battles and now buying me lunch? You’re going to make me question my manhood, Naomi.”
I just shrugged and grabbed Jake’s hand. “Whatever. Let’s go.”
His grip
When he had put plenty of distance between me and the stranger, Jake grabbed my arm tightly and spun me around. “I told you to stay put,” he yelled, his face blazing in fury.
I tried to jerk my arm away, but he was too strong.
“Let go of me,” I demanded, glaring right back at his intense eyes. “I know bad odds when I see them. It was three to one and I could feel the tension from ten feet away.”
He threw down my arm and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I had it under control, Naomi. I didn’t need to be rescued by some girl.” Bitterness spewed from his lips as I tried not to take offense to the “some girl” comment.
“Well, it didn’t look under control . And this girl is perfectly capable of taking care herself. You forget I have four older brothers, one of which is a amateur fighter.” Pride welled up in me as I crossed my arms defensively. Who does he think he is?
Jake shook his head in frustration again, but seemed to be calming. “Fine. Let’s just go. I don’t want to be here anymore.”
I stepped back, amazed at how easily he would just run away. “Go right ahead. I’m staying here. There’s a band I want to watch, and they don’t start their set for another hour.” With that, I turned and strolled away from his shocked expression. Before I even got five feet away from him, I heard him call out.
“Naomi, wait.”
I stopped, turning back to him. Gone was his anger as his face reflected remorse.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you. I didn’t want you around him, that’s all, and I panicked. Sometimes my protective nature can come off as controlling.”
I let out a sigh and then just nodded before turning to begin walking again. Jake matched my stride, but didn’t say another word. Finally after five long, excruciating minutes of silence, I decided he had calmed enough.
“Who was that guy?” I asked casually while we were examining the booth selling all types of scented oils.
“Just a business associate of mine. He’s becoming a little overbearing and honestly I don’t trust him,” Jake admitted, his shoulders beginning to relax a little.
I kept walking through the aisles, smelling the different scents. “Well, I don’t blame you. He creeped me out.” I lifted one more scent to my nose and then backed away in horror. “Oh my goodness, this is awful! You have to smell it.”
Jake laughed at my outstretched hand. “Why would I smell it if it’s awful?”
I smirked as I pushed it in his hand. “Because I have every intention of talking about it, and you will hav e no appreciation for how bad the scent is if you don’t smell it yourself.”
“So you expect me to share in your misery,” he teased, eying the bottle.
“That’s what friends do, Jake. They share in the miseries as well as the joys. Now sniff.”
I watched as he shook his head before taking a whiff of the oil. His gag reflex was immediate as he stared at me in horror. I tried to stop the laughter, but it was no use. The look on his face was priceless, and I had to grip the side of the table to stop from falling over.
“Oh, that was just cruel,” he accused as he set down the offending oil. “Seriously, who would put that in their house?”
I stopped laughing long enough to follow him out of the booth as the lady at the register gave us a dirty look. “I’m sorry. But you see now why you had to smell it to really appre ciate the stench.”
Jake just shivered and shook his head. “I may never get that smell out of my head.”
Still chuckling, I hit his arm, grateful the tension was finally gone from him again. “Sure you will. Let’s go over to the food booths. Lunch is on me.”
“Fighting my battles and now buying me lunch? You’re going to make me question my manhood, Naomi.”
I just shrugged and grabbed Jake’s hand. “Whatever. Let’s go.”
His grip
Similar Books
