CHAPTER333
We’ve been here hours and it appears everyone, except me, is moderately drunk. Leila is wrapped around Hunter, on his lap, and the pair of them haven’t stopped ogling and kissing one another since they sat down. We gave up trying to keep them in conversation ages ago. They only have eyes for each other tonight. The crazy aggressive nature of their relationship is completely missing, all gentle looks and caresses, and they seem so ridiculously in love. I guess there will be no bloody noses and bruised jaws when they finally get to a bed.
Jake has pulled me against him in a very possessive manner, arm looped casually around my neck, hand hanging loose in front of me. He’s been this way since he got here, constantly close.
A few more of Jake’s friends have joined us at the table, familiar faces from Arrick’s birthday. Sarah’s lost in conversation with two brunettes who keep ogling over Jake and Hunter, despite the men being very obviously attached to Leila and me.
They’re lucky I’m too tired to care. Jake has spent the entire time looking at some guy to his right and Daniel is too wrapped up in Leila to even notice. Luckily, or both those bitches would have very sore faces.
I yawn, snuggling against Jake, bored with drunken chat, aching to go to sleep. Jake is merry and not as sober as he seems which, I’m guessing, is why he’s relaxed enough to let us stay. Jake wasn’t interested in staying after his bro’ and Leila hooked up. I wanted to stay, and with some perfectly placed doe eyes and pouty lips aimed his way I started to realize just how much I can wrap him around my little finger. Outright defiance bristles his domineering side, but sweet soft looks seem to melt all his resistance.
So much for marching me home before ten!
I won this little battle, not that there won’t be
many more in our future, knowing him. I think Jake is enjoying kicking back again, drinking and being in a club is something he’s avoided since the night with that bitch. I sigh up at him, adoringly, no tug of pain from thinking about her at all.
Am I finally ready to just accept what happened? All of it? Baby included?
Jake spots me yawning for the second time and slides his beer on the table, an instant change of expression as full on care giver mode moves in.
“Come on, baby, let’s get you home.” He kisses me gently on the temple and for once I’m not arguing, I’m completely exhausted and happy to be going home to curl up with him. I can’t imagine anything more tempting in the world.
He pulls me up with him and starts looking around for something.
“I didn’t bring a coat if that’s what you’re looking for.” I yawn again, ignoring the look of irritation pass over his brow. He picks up his leather jacket and puts it on me instead. I smile, especially when he tugs me forward to zip me up like a child. I get a tiny vision in my head of Jake doing this for his child. He’s an absolute natural and I can’t help but notice the sheer envy on the two brunettes faces at the way he’s tending to me.
“Danny? I’m taking Emma home.” Daniel lifts his bottle in acknowledgment over Leila’s head then goes back to saying something close to her mouth that makes her smile and she kisses him gently. Completely enamored, all signs of feisty Leila dissipated, this tame snugly version far more her somehow. Hunter has one hand on her ass, the other on his bottle but his eyes are all for her.
Maybe they have a chance this time.
“Sarah, you can come now, or you can let Jefferson come for you when you want to go? Danny has his number.” Jake nods toward her and she grins back at him, shamelessly drunk.
So much for going easy on the booze.
“This here is Delilah; she’s taking me home as we’re both from Queens.” She beams a little too drunkenly and Jake doesn’t smile back. He takes his caretaking role very seriously.
“Then you won’t mind if Jefferson takes both of you, it’s non-negotiable.” He’s obviously in no-nonsense mode, thinking practically, looking after my friend, and dismissing her wishes.
I love him!
“Okay, okay, keep your hair on.” Sarah laughs, good humoredly, and I Jake relaxes. “I don’t know how you put up with him being so bossy.” Sarah smirks at me but I just curl myself around him and snuggle in.
“Because I like it for the most part,” I mumble, as his arm tightens around me appreciatively and he lovingly kisses the top of my head.
Jake leads me out through the milling people, and we head toward the main entrance of the bar. His hand is entangled with mine and his jacket warm around me smells of him, in a very sexy manner that has my tiredness giving way to something naughtier.
Thoughts of Jake in the back of the car are sweeping through my head at a hundred miles an hour and I’m suddenly so eager to get him alone. Drunk Jake is usually a lot of kinky fun and far less cautious of being gentle.
“Jake?” A male voice cuts into my thoughts, the instant aggressive stiffening of Jake’s entire body alerts me to him as we stop in the foyer. He turns and looks over his shoulder at the direction of the voice and scowls with a deathly glare I’ve only seen on him once before. I gulp and turn as I see who invokes that reaction. My stomach hitting the floor and instant apprehension prickling my skin.
Ben Huntsberger. Oh shit.
He’s making his way toward us from across the room and he looks anything but friendly. Jake tugs me behind him in a heartbeat and seems to grow about two feet as he rounds in front of me, putting himself between me and Ben like he’s posturing for a fight and the waves of sheer terror move in.
“What the fuck do you want?” Jake growls and snarls; it’s the most unnerving sound in the world. His body bristling with sheer aggressive tension and I start to feel afraid. Last time Ben appeared, Jake shoved me out of the way, not once but twice.
Am I in danger of being roughly handled again?
The coldness sweeps through me at the thought of what harm an innocent push could do to the child inside of me, my hand instantly comes up to cover my stomach protectively. I start to try to free my hand from his grip in panic, wriggling my fingers to be released and pulling back.
Jake, feeling my attempts to disentangle, seems to sense my unease and looks back at me with a slight softening to the look he’s throwing Ben’s way. His eyes go to the hand on my belly and back to my face with an intense gaze.
“Emma, no! You know … I’d never …” He utters softly to me, a moment of tenderness in his eyes, reassurance during the cyclone rearing its ugly head.
Still. I’m scared.
“I need to talk to you.” Ben finally comes level, seemingly more agitated than aggressive, despite Jake’s posturing and bristling like an alpha male. He has none of the scowling smug behavior of last time we saw him and looks directly into Jake’s eyes confidently. They are matched in height and being stuck in a corridor behind them is not exactly my idea of a good night at all.
“What the fuck would I have to say to you?” Jake’s being charmingly Carrero. No fake politeness or friendliness, just direct and to the point.
“Look I know we have a history but right now I need you to put that aside, because we have one big fucking thing in common and I need to talk to you.” Ben raises defensive palms raking his hand through overly neat hair, weirdly Jake-like. It’s crazy how much more they resemble one another, especially now that Ben’s hair is a little messier. I wonder how the hell that happens with two men who are completely unrelated.
Jake’s grip on me loosens a little and I sigh in relief when his body seems to go back to natural stance, losing that terrifying fighter’s attitude.
“And what would that be?” He still sounds defiant and most definitely aggressive. No love lost and all that.
“We both fucked Marissa in the week she fell pregnant. Me more so than you.” Ben states as a matter of fact, with a raised eyebrow, and a look that says, ‘Yeah exactly’ …
Fuck.
Wait … What?"
