Breaking His Rules (Feeling the Heat #4) (11 page)

“I’ll be right back. I need to use the restroom,” he said.

As Melissa nodded, Paige leaned back in her chair and grinned at him. “Don’t take too long. It’s almost time for the toasts. I think I may give an impromptu speech.” She waggled her dark brows. “You won’t want to miss it.”

“She’s kidding,” Melissa said quickly, and cast an uneasy glance toward her sister. “I think the tattoo was enough. I know we can’t stand her, but it’s her wedding day, let’s not ruin it.”

Paige heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes. “And that’s why you’re the good twin. You have a conscience.”

* * *

After taking care of business, Jake walked out of the men’s restroom and stopped cold at the sight of Denise lying in wait for him near the entrance. His jaw tightened.
Shit.
He should have known she would attempt to confront him. She hadn’t been afraid to make a scene in the gym after the charges had been dropped, why would her best friend’s wedding reception be any different?

He remained silent as she approached him. The first time he’d seen her he’d thought her attractive, but after having been the target of her wounded pride he now found her to be the most unattractive and unappealing woman he’d ever set eyes on.

“So I guess all that talk about you not dating your clients is a bunch of lies,” she said as she halted in front of him and put her hands on her hips. When he didn’t answer, she narrowed her eyes. “I still have friends at the gym. They tell me they haven’t seen you spending a lot of time with any one member. I guess you’re keeping your relationship with that heifer under wraps so you won’t be called out for the hypocrite you are.”

“Melissa and I are just friends,” he said, in a measured tone. It wasn’t the truth, they were now more than that, but it was none of Denise’s business. Or anyone else’s. And was it just him, or was the idea of her keeping tabs on him via her friends at the gym a little on the creepy side?

“Not according to Shauna. Melissa told her you two have been dating for six months.” She paused and gave him a decidedly nasty grin. “I’m sure everyone at the gym would love to know your word doesn’t mean squat. It’s interesting in light of the fact that you made such a big deal of how ethical you are at the deposition.”

“You mean the deposition where you falsely accused me of sexual harassment?” he asked and tried to tamp down his anger. “Before you start throwing stones, I’d take a long hard look in the mirror. Filing those charges was your way of getting back at me for not being interested in you, and you know it.” He glared at her with distaste. “You tried to ruin my reputation and put me out of business. And what’s really troubling about the whole thing is that you didn’t care. All that mattered was exacting some sort of revenge because your feelings were hurt. Never mind that my professional reputation
and
my livelihood were on the line.”

The look she gave him was colder than the polar icecap. “You got what you deserved. No one walks away from me. I’m the one who calls the shots. You needed to be taught a lesson.”

Stunned into silence by her admission, it took him a second or two to let out a half-amused sound of disgust. “Are you kidding me with that?” He ran an agitated hand through his hair. “It’s a good thing my rabbit died years ago or you might have tried to boil it.”

A frown marred her smooth forehead. Evidently, the
Fatal Attraction
reference had gone completely over her head. Just then, one of the bridesmaids approached them and, in the blink of an eye, Denise’s dour expression disappeared and was replaced with a wide smile and a sugary sweet hello as the woman passed them by on her way to the restroom.

Once the woman was out of sight, Denise’s fake smile was history. She crossed her arms over her chest and regarded him with calculating eyes. “Don’t be so smug. I can still ruin your reputation.”

“I don’t see how. And why would you want to?” he asked, truly perplexed until the answer to his question hit him like a damn freight train. “This isn’t about me, is it? This is about Melissa.”

“You’re wrong. Melissa Atherton isn’t worth my time.”

“If she’s not worth your time then why have you and Shauna been bullying her for years?”

“Is that what she’s told you?” Denise said, with a short brittle laugh. “Melissa’s prone to exaggeration. Always has been.”

“Melissa is the most honest person I’ve ever met. Unlike you, she wouldn’t manufacture malicious untruths in order to make herself feel better, or to settle some ridiculous score.”

Denise’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “Don’t you
ever
compare me to that cow. And don’t think this is over. Because it’s not.”

Jake let out a bark of laughter. Her threat sounded like cheesy dialogue from a bad movie. And although her expression was one of barely restrained fury, she didn’t utter another word. Instead she turned and stalked away from him. He watched her retreating back until she disappeared. Good riddance.

By the time he returned to the table, Denise was once again ensconced with the bridal party. He observed her as she downed an entire glass of champagne in one long gulp and then reached for the bottle for a refill. Although their unpleasant encounter had left a bad taste in his mouth, he refused to let her ruin his and Melissa’s evening. Forgetting Denise and her empty threats, he slipped his arm around Melissa’s shoulders and leaned in close. Her soft sexy fragrance invaded his senses and drove everything else from his mind. He couldn’t wait to get her alone again. “Is there going to be dancing?” he asked.

Melissa’s lips tilted upward in a warm smile. “After the toasts, I think.” She pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. “Don’t worry. I don’t expect you to strut your stuff on the dance floor.”

“I could be persuaded into a slow dance.” He brushed his fingers over the soft skin of her arm. “Or two.” He lowered his gaze to her lips, then to her magnificent cleavage, which thanks to her incredible dress, was temptingly on display.

“How can I persuade you?” she whispered as she placed her hand on his upper thigh. His breath rushed out of him as the warmth of her fingers burned through the fabric of his pants. The laughing chatter of the crowd dimmed and his heartbeat echoed in his ears as she inched her hand toward his groin. “There must be something you want in exchange for a dance.”

“I can think of a few things.” He kept his voice low, grateful that Paige and Rob were involved in their own discussion and weren’t paying them any attention.

“Like what?” She smiled innocently as she placed her hand on his bulge and gently squeezed. His sucked in a breath as his dick hardened instantly.

“Melissa.” His voice sounded strange. Like he was being strangled or something. For one insane moment he wished he’d forgone his briefs and that she would unzip his pants and wrap her warm fingers around his pulsing cock. Before he could take that particular fantasy any further, sanity prevailed and he slipped his hand under the table and took hold of her wrist.

“Is that one of the things you had in mind?” she asked softly as he removed her hand from his groin and placed it back on his thigh. She leaned toward him until her breath was warm on his ear. “Or maybe you’d prefer I use my mouth instead of my hand. Like I did this morning in the shower. Would you like that, Jake?” Yes.
Hell yes
. He’d like that. His eyes closed on a low moan as she caught the lobe of his ear between her teeth.

He couldn’t breathe as she gently squeezed his thigh and nibbled on his ear. She wasn’t even touching his dick and it was harder than a damn rock. He prayed the dancing wouldn’t start soon. He couldn’t very well get up from the table in his current state of arousal. And that brought up another concern. A slow dance meant he’d be holding her in his arms. There was no way he could dance with her pressed up against him without being affected. If his body reacted like it was reacting now, they’d never get off the dance floor.

Just as Jake contemplated moving Melissa’s hand back to his erection, the crackle of the microphone jerked him from the sensual haze swamping his body. His eyes opened.
Jesus.
What was he thinking? They were in a public venue, for crying out loud.

“Now that we’ve all enjoyed a wonderful meal, I think it’s high time we toast the bride and groom.”

Jake focused on the best man, who had risen from his place at the bridal party table and had a glass of champagne in one hand and a microphone in the other. Jake exchanged a quick glance with Melissa who, thankfully, had put some distance between them. Under the table, she twined her fingers with his, then turned her attention to the best man, who gave a heartfelt speech about Kurt and finished by wishing the newly married couple a long and happy marriage.

After everyone had raised a glass and sipped their champagne, the best man handed the microphone to Denise.

“Thank you, Clay.” Denise attempted to stand, but either her high heels gave way or she’d had a bit too much of the bubbly. She lurched sideways and was saved from an embarrassing fall to the floor by Clay, who caught her in his arms and steadied her. Clearly annoyed, Denise pulled herself from his grasp. “I’m fine,” she said loudly as she brushed her hair over her shoulders, raised the mic and looked toward Shauna. “I had a speech all prepared, but then I realized that all I really need to do is speak from my heart.”

Denise reached for her champagne glass. “Shauna, it’s not often we find our soul mate, let alone marry them. I’m so happy that you and Kurt found each other, and my wish for the both of you is that you’ll...” Denise trailed off, set her glass on the table, then turned to the crowd and stared directly at Jake. The undiluted hatred in her eyes caused his skin to prickle and the hairs on his arms to stand up. Suddenly her threat outside the restroom didn’t seem like melodramatic posturing.

“My wish is that you’ll never know the same pain and heartache inflicted on me by that lying son of a bitch sitting right there!” She pointed toward him and as every single person in the room turned to look at him, Jake felt the blood drain from his face. Unable to calm the frantic pounding in his chest, he shifted uneasily in his chair and instinctively knew the next few minutes of his life were going to be pure, unadulterated hell.

Chapter Eleven

As a tension-filled silence descended over the ballroom like a heavy blanket of dark smog, something similar to a vise tightened around Jake’s lungs; he could barely breathe as Denise allowed her dramatic proclamation to sink in before continuing her tirade.

“That’s right. That man—Jake Sawyer—pursued me relentlessly while I was a member of his gym, and when I wouldn’t go out with him, he started harassing me. I told him over and over again I wasn’t interested, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and I filed a sexual harassment charge against him. But then, after he got his friends at the gym to lie for him, I had to drop the charges because I knew no one would believe me over him and his buddies.”

Denise’s gaze skated over the transfixed audience and then finally rested on him. The glitter of satisfaction in her eyes didn’t surprise him. He’d bet everything he owned that she’d been dreaming of a moment exactly like this—a moment to get even with him—ever since she’d been forced to drop the lawsuit.

Now, as if she imagined herself to be an actress performing before a packed house of theatergoers, she placed a hand to her chest and affected a deeply wounded expression. And as much as it killed him to admit it...she was good. “But I’m not the one who lied. For two years, Jake Sawyer has claimed that he’d never get involved with one of his clients. But guess who he brought to the wedding? Melissa Atherton, that’s who. A woman who has been his client for almost a year.” She pointed an accusing finger directly at him. “
You’re
the liar, Jake. You thought you could get away with what you did to me, but sooner or later the truth always comes out.”

The blood began to pound in Jake’s temples. In less than a minute he had been transported back in time. Back to those horrible days when all eyes were on him as his fellow classmates taunted him with their cruel and hateful fat jokes. Then, like now, he wished the ground would split in two and swallow him whole. It had been just over twenty years since he’d been the target of public humiliation, and while he was in no way guilty of what Denise claimed, he’d remained as silent and as still as a marble statue while she raked him over the coals with her lies. Just as he had done all those years ago on the school playground.

At that moment Shauna, who had been watching her best friend with a look of incomprehension, let out a smothered cry, pushed up from the table and bolted out of the room. Kurt, equally agitated, jumped up from his seat and took off after his bride, but not before shooting an angry glance toward Denise, who with a slow smile picked up her glass and gave Jake a triumphant nod before delicately sipping her champagne. She set the mic on the table and with glass in hand, she strolled out of the ballroom like she hadn’t just dropped a bomb of massive proportions and blown the reception to smithereens.

“Holy shit,” Paige murmured under her breath. “That was unexpected.”

An equal mixture of anger and embarrassment flooded Jake as Melissa turned to him. Her dazed expression no doubt mirrored his own. “Jake, I’m so sorry,” she said in a low voice as, around them, their fellow guests cast furtive glances in his direction. He caught the condemnation in their eyes and couldn’t stop the raw fury knotting his gut. Before he could speak, Melissa pulled her hand from his iron grip as the sympathy in her eyes turned to anger. “Excuse me for a few minutes,” she said as she slid out of her chair and stood up.

Mutely, Jake watched Melissa’s retreating back until she disappeared from sight. A few weeks ago, escorting her to the wedding had seemed like a harmless way to put Shauna in her place, but now, not only had he crossed the professional line between them, he’d been the catalyst in ruining the entire event.
And
, he’d been humiliated in the process.

For several seconds he sat there unsure of what to do next. He had to hand it to Denise. She’d sucker punched the wind right out of him. Part of him wanted to stay, to not let the false accusations she’d hurled at him force him to leave. But the other part of him, the part that should have known what deception—even a harmless one—could result in, told him the best thing for everyone involved was for him to leave. Now. That way, when the reception resumed, he wouldn’t be there to make everyone uncomfortable. Especially Melissa.

Not saying a word to Paige or Rob, he pushed up from his chair and without a backward glance he left the ballroom and moved quickly down the hallway that led to the front of the hotel. As he strode briskly through the lobby, he froze in his tracks as Denise rose from one of the plush chairs near the massive stone fireplace. Triumph was evident on her face as she walked toward him.

The raw fury pulsing through his veins wasn’t something Jake had a lot of experience with. But he recognized it for what it was and clenched his fists tightly to control it as she halted in front of him.

“You shouldn’t have underestimated me, Jake,” she with a smug edge to her voice.

“Was it worth it?” he asked harshly. “Did you see the devastated look on Shauna’s face while you were exacting your petty revenge on me? Or don’t you give a shit about her?”

Something that may or may not have been regret flashed briefly in her eyes before she cast him a smile that had nothing to do with humor. “Shauna will forgive me. She hates you as much as I do. She couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel after the rehearsal dinner to tell me you were Melissa’s date.”

“Even if she does believe the lies you told her about me, I doubt she intended for you to ruin her wedding day.” Jake inhaled and forced himself to control his temper. He’d never laid a hand on a woman in his life and as much as he wished he could throttle Denise until her teeth rattled like dice in a cup, he didn’t intend to start now. “I also doubt your toast was aimed solely at me.” He shook his head in disgust. “You wanted to hurt Melissa. Just like you always have.”

She regarded him with an air of unflappability that made him even angrier. “What I said in there had nothing to do with Melissa.”

“Didn’t it?” He blew out an irate breath. “I’ll bet it infuriates you that the woman you believe is inferior to you in every way is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met and, who—unlike you—is someone I care very deeply for.”

Her eyes flickered with disdain. “I couldn’t care less about Melissa. What bothers me is despite your claim at the deposition to keep your personal and professional life separate you couldn’t manage to do it. You’re a hypocrite, Jake. Just admit it.”

“I wouldn’t have had to make that claim if you hadn’t lied in the first place. You really need to learn how to take rejection with more grace. And if you don’t want to lose the only friend you have in the world, I suggest you apologize to Shauna for your behavior before you go back to the reception. If you’re lucky, maybe she’ll forgive you for making a mockery of her wedding day.”

Her chin jutted with defiance. “Don’t tell me what to do, you hypocrite. Shauna and I will be just fine. We always are.”

Astonished that she actually seemed to believe that, he cocked his head and fixed her with a dubious stare. “You think so? I guess from your vantage point you couldn’t see how much your diatribe affected her. Or maybe you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

“Shut up,” she said through clenched teeth. “You don’t know me.”

“Oh yes, I do. I had you figured out from the beginning. And if I had even one doubt about your character, this evening and that spiteful display of yours in the ballroom would have completely erased it.”

Several tense seconds passed before she let out a sound of frustration. “Oh, go to hell,” she said, in a terse voice before brushing past him.

“Lead the way,” he muttered to himself, not bothering to turn and watch her stalk away. Instead, he ignored the curious glances of the desk clerks as he dug in his front pocket for his keys and left the hotel.

* * *

Melissa found Kurt pacing the hallway outside the woman’s restroom. “Where’s Denise?” she asked, halting in front of him.

“How the hell should I know?” Kurt’s expression darkened. “She’d better not come anywhere near me or Shauna or she’ll damn well regret it.” His fierce scowl yielded to concern as he placed his hands on his hips. “
Damn it.
I can’t find Shauna anywhere.”

Melissa glanced at the restroom door. “Did you look in the ladies’ room?”

“Yes. She’s not in there.”

“Maybe you should check her room,” she suggested. “She may have gone there to calm down. She was pretty upset.”

“Good idea.” Kurt nodded, then turned and jogged in the opposite direction.

Almost ten minutes later, Melissa had searched the other restroom near the ballroom, the bar, and the lobby but there was no sign of Denise. After lying about Jake and ruining the wedding reception, Denise had obviously skulked off somewhere to avoid facing the consequences of her actions. Melissa’s anger returned with a vengeance as she remembered Jake’s grip on her hand tightening during Denise’s venomous toast. To be targeted in front of a room full of people he barely knew and then forced to listen to those horrible lies had to have been one of the most demeaning episodes in his entire life.

It was her fault. If she hadn’t wanted to get back at Shauna and Denise for their callous remarks she never would have come up with the asinine idea to hire an escort, which had prompted Jake’s offer to be her date. Because of her, Jake, one of the most honest and decent men she’d ever known, had been embarrassed in front of a room full of people. She wouldn’t blame him if he’d already left the hotel and was high-tailing it back to Sacramento this very moment.

There was still one place she hadn’t checked. The First Fairway Patio where the wedding ceremony had taken place. After making her way from the lobby to the patio, she found the double doors open and the hotel’s staff efficiently stacking the folding chairs used during the ceremony onto rolling racks. There was no sign of Denise.

“Excuse me.” Melissa turned to meet the kind brown eyes of a young woman dressed in black pants and starched white shirt. She recognized the woman as one of the waitstaff. “Are you looking for the bride?”

No. But Kurt was. “Have you seen her?” Melissa asked the woman.

“Yes,” she said, and pointed toward the fairway. “She ran to the path that leads to the dunes.”

Melissa nodded and gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

By the time she’d navigated the mostly wooden plank pathway and reached the grassy dunes, the sun hung low on the horizon and she’d taken off her heels. It was easier to walk without them on. Despite the brisk walk, her skin prickled with goose bumps as the chilly sea air wafted over her bare arms. Standing atop one of the low dunes, she couldn’t help but admire the grandeur before her. The restless ocean pounded relentlessly against the rocks and sprayed foamy sea water high into the air. Suddenly, her stomach clenched and the captivating view turned ominous. She prayed Shauna hadn’t done something rash. Like throw herself into the ocean.

“Don’t worry. I’m not gonna kill myself.” Melissa turned to her right and Shauna came into view through the tall blades of grass billowing gracefully in the wind. Holding her dress up to her knees with one hand and clutching her white satin pumps in the other, she trudged up the dune and came to a stop next to Melissa. “Not that you’d care.”

Searching her cousin’s tear-stained face, she said something that surprised the hell out of her. “Of course, I’d care.”

Shauna snorted as she let go of her dress to brush back her veil as the strong breeze whipped it in front of her. “It’s just you and me, Melissa. You can be honest. Isn’t there at least a small part of you secretly cheering what happened back there?”

“No. I’m not happy with any of it. No matter what’s happened between me and you, I wouldn’t wish that kind of humiliation on you.”

Shauna tilted her head and looked at her with astonishment. “I find that hard to believe. You’ve never liked me.”

“That’s not true. I liked you fine until we started sixth grade. That’s when you met Denise and the both of you started making fun of me.” She paused. “I never knew until then how much you hated me.”

Shauna studied her with solemn eyes. “I didn’t hate you.”

“You could have fooled me. If you didn’t hate me, why did you constantly bully me? Why did you torment me nearly every single day at school and encourage the other kids to join in? What did I ever do to you to deserve that?”

Shauna let out a hollow laugh. “You didn’t do anything. The truth is I was jealous of you.”

“Jealous?” Melissa raised her brows. “Of what?”

“Of what you had. You had Paige, and Uncle Daniel and Aunt Claire.” Shauna lowered her head and studied the ground. “And I had two parents who fought all the time. Who
still
fight all the time.” She looked up and for the first time in a long while, Melissa saw vulnerability in her cousin’s eyes instead of condescension. “You and Paige have always been so close and I...I wanted that. I wanted a sister to share things with, to laugh with. You’ve been to my parents’ house. It’s big, cold and lonely. It felt like a prison I couldn’t escape from. I’ve never been able to make friends easily, so when I met Denise and she asked me to be her best friend, I finally felt like I had a sister I could share things with. When she started making fun of your weight, I knew it was wrong, and I knew it hurt you, but I didn’t want to lose Denise. I didn’t want to be alone again.”

“So you joined in.”

“Yes,” Shauna admitted as her cheeks flushed pink. “I joined in.”

Melissa didn’t want to feel sorry for Shauna, but somehow she couldn’t help it. She’d always had the unconditional love of Paige and her parents. Maybe if she hadn’t she would have been susceptible to someone like Denise. “You do know a real friend wouldn’t have done what Denise did to you today, right?”

Shauna’s eyes moistened as she nodded. “Yes. I do know that. Honestly, if anyone had asked me who I thought might try to ruin my wedding, my answer would have been Paige.” She wiped the corners of her eyes with the end of her veil. “I’m surprised at her restraint.”