Breaking His Rules (Feeling the Heat #4) (5 page)

“Are you off today?” Melissa asked as they walked down the hallway and past the grooming area. When he’d been inside earlier, the unmistakable smell of wet dog and shampoo had invaded his nostrils. Melissa hadn’t commented on it. Like the continuous barking of the dogs, more than likely she’d grown used to it.

“I’m working the night shift.” Jake glanced at his watch. “My assistant manager gets off at six-thirty.”

“So did you see any dogs you think may be a good fit for Max?” She paused by a closed office door near the reception desk and opened it. “I’m just going to grab my purse. My shift ended thirty minutes ago.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you stay late,” he said, and waited by the door. He checked out the office. The walls were painted pale green and there were photos of dogs and cats tacked up on every available space.

“It’s not a problem.” She cast him a smile over her shoulder, then bent down to open a desk drawer and provided him with a spectacular view of her round, voluptuous ass. Earlier he’d been distracted by her silky smooth legs. They weren’t in the gym, but she was still his client. He shouldn’t be thinking about her legs, or her ass, unless it involved exercises that focused on those areas of her body.

He managed to feign interest in the myriad of photos on her wall rather than her enticing curves as she straightened and turned around with her purse in hand. “About that friend for Max. Did you see any possibilities?”

Jake thought about it for a few seconds, then nodded. “Mikey.”

She stopped mid-stride and stared at him. “Mikey?” she asked, and then her eyes grew moist. “You want to adopt Mikey?”

Jake nodded and moved toward her. “Is there some reason I shouldn’t?”

She shook her head and wiped at the corner of her eyes. “No.” She blinked. “He’s my favorite. But he’s nine years old and he’s been here awhile. I didn’t think anyone would ever adopt him.” Without warning, she launched herself into his arms and hugged him. Instinctively, he put his hands on her waist and immediately became aware of the soft contours of her body pressed tightly to his. Although she’d been at the shelter all morning, her hair smelled fresh and clean, with a hint of citrus. He closed his eyes as her fragrance wreaked havoc with his hormones. When she let him go and stepped back, it was all he could do to not pull her back against him.

“When we went by his kennel earlier I wanted so badly to tell you how wonderful he is. How gentle his disposition is. But I didn’t want to sway you.” Her radiant smile took his breath away.

“I think Mikey’s age and temperament will be a good fit for Max,” he said, trying to control the heat that curled tightly inside of him. “But I’d like to come back one day next week and spend some time with him. Maybe I could bring Max with me and introduce them to each other.” He paused, wondering if that was allowed. “Is that okay?”

“It’s no problem at all. It makes perfect sense that you’d want to make sure they’ll get along before you adopt him. We have an enclosed grassy area behind the building where you, Max and Mikey can spend some time together. And you can fill out an interest card before we leave. It will alert the staff that you’ll be back to spend time with him.” Melissa clasped her hands together and beamed at him. “I just know Max and Mikey are going to be the best of friends. I have a really good feeling about this.”

Jake had a good feeling about it too. He hoped they were both right. After seeing the excitement shining in her eyes he’d hate like hell for her to be disappointed.

Ten minutes later they were in the parking lot standing next to his Land Rover. “Where are you off to now?” he asked. For some reason—one he didn’t care to analyze at the moment—he wanted to spend more time with her.

“The nursery to pick up a few new plants. I want to add some color to the garden. And then I’m attempting to set up a trellis. I need to anchor it to the back of the house.” A flash of humor crossed her face. “We’ll see how
that
turns out.”

“I could put it up for you,” he said, casually.

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t. I volunteered.”

“Don’t you have to go to work?”

“Not for a few hours. It won’t take that long.” He grinned. “If it does, my father will disown me. His motto is a man should always know how to take care of his home. Of course, he usually made that proclamation as he supervised me and my brothers from his lawn chair.”

Melissa let out a delighted laugh. “Okay. I’ll take you up on your offer, but you have to let me feed you dinner before you go to work. I was going to make that ground turkey taco salad recipe you gave me a few months ago.” She tilted her head and smiled. “How does that sound?”

It sounded pretty damn good. “Sounds great.”

* * *

As Jake had expected, securing the trellis to the house wasn’t a time-consuming project. Melissa owned the required drill and had already purchased the hardware, so while she puttered in her garden, planting the flowers she’d purchased at the nursery, he worked on the trellis.

Although her backyard wasn’t as large as his, she’d filled the small space with a variety of different plants and shrubs, and in various spots on the awning-covered patio, she’d placed a variety of freestanding and different-colored pots filled with vibrant flowers of different hues. Beneath the wide wooden trellis he’d just finished working on, she planned to plant bougainvillea. A good choice as it bloomed from summer through the first frost.

“Would you like some lemonade?”

Jake turned from the trellis and found her standing behind him. Wisps of her hair had escaped her ponytail and clung to her sun-kissed cheeks. With her mussed hair and streaks of dirt on her arms and legs, she looked adorably disheveled.

“Are you done planting?” he asked, and pushed himself up from his knees.

“Yes.” She put her hands on her hips and turned to survey her flower beds. “What do you think?”

“It looks like you hired a professional landscaper,” he said, honestly. “Maybe you could come over and work your magic on my backyard.”

“Sure. I’ll supervise from the lawn chair.”

Jake threw back his head and laughed. “Dad would love to see that.”

“So. Lemonade?” she asked with a smile.

“Yes. Please.”

“I’ll bring it out here.” She gestured to the table and chair set under the awning. “Have a seat, I’ll be right back.”

While Melissa was in the kitchen, Jake packed the drill into its case and set it next to the plastic container that held screws, molly toggle bolts and other assorted hardware. As they’d worked together in the yard, the conversation had turned to home improvement and he’d been impressed when she told him that she and Paige had done all the painting inside the townhouse, and that she’d stained the credenza in the living room herself. During the entire time he’d known her, she’d never once mentioned her knack for do-it-yourself projects. Today, not only had he discovered how much she cared for animals, he also learned she could easily host her own home and garden show.

A few seconds after he’d parked his ass in one of the cushioned chairs at the table under the awning, Melissa returned holding a tray with a large pitcher of lemonade and two glasses. Sliced lemons skimmed the top of the liquid just atop the crushed ice cubes. Jake’s throat constricted. He was thirstier than he thought.

After Melissa poured the lemonade and handed him a glass, she took a seat across from him and sat back in her chair. “It’s nice in the shade,” she said. “I love sitting out here in the summer.”

“I can see why.” Jake lifted his glass and took a long drink. The cold, tart liquid was refreshing after being out in the hot sun. “How long have you lived here?”

“About three years.” She lifted her glass. “Before that Paige and I rented an apartment. But we got tired of having people living above us. We scraped together a down payment and bought the townhouse. We’ve never regretted it.”

“You’ve done a great job with the inside. If you hadn’t told me, I would have assumed you hired someone to paint.”

“Thanks.” She smiled, then sipped her lemonade.

A comfortable silence fell between them and Jake felt himself relax, lulled by the late afternoon heat, the perfumed fragrance of the flowers wafting in the air, and the sound of birds chirping enthusiastically in nearby trees.
This
was the life. He took another drink of lemonade, then set the glass on the table, extended his legs and got comfortable.

When was the last time he’d felt this peaceful?

It had to be the yard. There was something about the lush garden oasis Melissa had created that made him feel like he didn’t have a care in the world. So what if one of the dryers at the gym needed a new drum? Or that his fruit supplier had just raised her prices? At this moment none of that mattered. Not as long as he was right here.

With Melissa.

His thoughts drifted to that moment earlier today when she’d impulsively hugged him. She fit against him perfectly. And not for the first time, he’d had this odd feeling that it wasn’t just happenstance that she’d come into his life. In his profession he met women all the time, but he’d never met any woman he liked as much as he liked Melissa. Nor one he looked forward to seeing as much as he did her. Melissa wasn’t just any woman, she was special. He’d known it from the second he’d—

Jake jerked out of his tranquil state, startled by the direction of his thoughts and found Melissa gazing contentedly at the flowers she’d planted. If she was having similar thoughts, it wasn’t evident by her demeanor.

It was just as well. There was a line between them he could never cross. No matter how much he wanted to.

Chapter Five

Sitting in the passenger seat of Jake’s Land Rover, Melissa slipped her sunglasses on and marveled at all the new housing developments that had sprung up along I-80 between Vacaville and Fairfield. A lot of the open space she remembered from her last trip to San Francisco, several years ago, had disappeared and given way to not only new homes, but malls and outlet stores.

“You mentioned you’ve worked for the fire department for several years, but what is it you actually do there?” Jake asked, and cast a glance in her direction after he smoothly eased the SUV into the middle lane to pass a slower vehicle.

“I work in the administration building. Mostly my job consists of handling payroll and other personnel issues.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “It’s challenging dealing with the firefighters sometimes, but I love my boss and my co-workers. We’re a pretty tightknit group.”

“I seem to recall you have a cat, right? I didn’t notice him when I was at your house.”

“Yes. His name is Chester. I adopted him from the shelter two years ago. He’s skittish around strangers. That’s why you didn’t meet him yesterday. He even hides when Rob comes over.”

“Who’s Rob?” Jake asked, after a long pause.

“A guy Paige is sort of dating. He’s been over several times, but Chester hasn’t made up his mind about him yet.” Melissa smiled, thinking of her mercurial feline friend. “He’s quite a character. Chester, not Rob,” she qualified with a laugh. “It took him a while to warm up to me, but now we understand each other. Or maybe I should say I understand him. He calls the shots when it comes to being held or petted. If he’s not in the mood I leave him alone.”

“Sounds like a cat I brought home in fourth grade. My mom wasn’t too happy with me because I was always rescuing stray cats or dogs. Once I even brought home a rabbit some kid at school was giving away. I hid it in my room for a week before she found it.”

“What happened?”

“My dad built a small hutch for it in the backyard. Morris lived for about three years after that. Mom was all torn up when he died. Which was odd because she didn’t want to let me keep him. I guess she got attached.”

Melissa’s lips twitched with amusement. “You named your rabbit Morris?”

“Yeah.” He glanced at her again. “Why?”

“It seems like an odd name for a rabbit. It’s more of a cat name.”

“I’ll have to remember that if I get another rabbit,” Jake said with a grin and turned his attention to the road.

Melissa chuckled. “What are the odds of that?”

“Slim to none. And I’m not sure how Max would do with a rabbit. He’d probably try to play with it and scare it to death.”

“That’s entirely possible. Bigger dogs don’t know their own strength.” She paused. “So we’ve covered where we went to school, family members and our favorite books. After yesterday, you know I like to garden and fix up my house. What else do you think we may get asked about?”

“I don’t know. When we started dating or maybe where our first date was.”

“We can say we started dating a couple of months after I joined the gym. That supports the six-month relationship Shauna believes we’ve had. What about our first date?”

“Dinner? Movie?”

“What movie?”

Jake laughed. “Do you think anyone will care?”

“Probably not, but humor me.”

“They show old movies at the theater near my house every Wednesday night. Let’s say we went to see
Casablanca
. It was playing several months ago and I went to see it.”

Melissa let out a blissful sigh. “Bogart and Bergman in their prime. They don’t make movies like that anymore. I’m so sick of superheroes.”

“Come on, you know you’ll want to see
Iron Man 14
in thirty years.” Jake pressed a button on the console; the low strains of a classic Eagles tune washed over them.

“You say that like it won’t happen.” Melissa met his amused glance. “Just wait. Robert Downey, Jr. will be 90 years old and still be playing Tony Stark. They can call it
Iron Man—The Geriatric Years
. He takes random naps
and
saves the world from evildoers.”

“I’d
so
go see that.” Jake grinned at her. “After my afternoon nap, of course.”

Melissa laughed, her nervousness at the thought of today’s outing all but gone after spending a good portion of yesterday with Jake. Working beside him in the garden felt so comfortable it seemed like they’d been doing it for years. And today, they’d talked non-stop from the moment he’d picked her up. If she didn’t know better,
she
might actually believe they’d been dating for six months. “I can’t wait to see Blaze Field,” she said. “It looks so beautiful on TV. Building it right next to the bay was a brilliant idea. It’s so picturesque.”

“We should check out the cove before we go into the stadium. The kayakers will be out in droves, fighting over any homerun that makes it into the water.”

“Is J.T. starting today?”

“No, but Morgan penciled him in for tomorrow. He wants to meet us after the game for dinner. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure.” Melissa nodded and wondered if Jake had filled J.T. in on the favor he was doing for her. “Will Angie be at the game? I haven’t seen her at the gym in a while.”

“Probably. When the Blaze are at home, she and the baby stay at a condo in the city with J.T.”

“I’m sure Jordan is keeping her busy. She texted me a picture the other day. Your niece is adorable.”

“She’s is, isn’t she? The whole family is in love with her.” Jake tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the music. “I hope when I have a kid, he or she is as laid back as Jordan.”

So he wanted kids. Somehow that didn’t surprise her. “How many kids do you want?”

“Two sounds like a good number. As much as my brothers and I bickered when we were younger, I can’t imagine growing up without them.”

“I know what you mean. Paige and I have been inseparable since birth.” Melissa shifted in her seat to look at him. Today he’d dressed casually in jeans and a pale green button-down shirt and had drawn the attention of several female patrons at the gas station when he’d filled up the SUV. Not that she blamed them for staring—Jake and his All-American good looks were worth a double take. “In fact, I think being an only child is part of Shauna’s problem. That and my aunt and uncle care more about appearances than anything else.”

“Sorry. That doesn’t get her a pass from me,” Jake said grimly. “From what you’ve told me, she’s bullied you for years. I’m not cool with that, no matter the circumstances.”

Melissa studied his stern profile and again suspected that Jake had dealt with bullying before. The issue was more prevalent now than ever; perhaps his youngest brother, Josh, had been bullied in school. It would be just like Jake to defend his brother.

“So what about you?” The glance he shot her revealed a more relaxed expression. “Do you want kids?”

“Yes. Paige is the one who isn’t sure.”

“A lot more people are choosing to not have kids. Raising children is a big responsibility.”

“Actually, Paige used to babysit when we were in high school, and she’s wonderful with children, but she’s decided to pursue a career in law enforcement and that’s her total focus right now. She’s studying like a madwoman for the recruit exam in July.”

“I hear that exam is pretty tough. And the academy can be brutal from what Justin told me. He said it was similar to an armed forces boot camp. Then, add in all the laws, ordinances, the tactical stuff the recruits have to learn. Graduating is no easy feat.”

“Paige is a lot tougher than me. I’m sure she’ll do great on the test and in the academy.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve handled everything I’ve dished out and survived. I’m no hard-ass Marine, but I’ve put you through your paces. I’m proud of you.”

Melissa flushed. Jake’s praise meant the world to her. Actually, it was more than Jake’s words that meant the world to her. It was Jake himself. Now all she had to do was make sure he didn’t discover how attracted to him she was. The last thing she wanted to do was to compromise his professional ethics or make him uncomfortable. She cared about him too much to do that.

* * *

The weather in San Francisco could be unpredictable, but the late spring day was warmer than usual and featured a deep blue and completely cloudless sky. It was a perfect day for baseball, and sitting beside Melissa in the primo field level seats near third base that J.T. had given him, Jake couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be.

Despite the fact the game was a nail-biter with the score tied at two all in the top of the eighth inning, Jake was more aware of Melissa’s denim-clad knee pressed against his and the pressure of her upper arm on his than he was of the three-two count Trey Gentry, the Blaze’s young gun pitching prodigy, was facing against one of Atlanta’s best hitters.

As starting catcher Matt Scanlon trotted to the mound for a pitcher-catcher conversation with Gentry, Melissa turned to him. “Gentry should go low and inside to this guy. That’s one of his weaknesses.”

Jake knew that Melissa loved baseball but today she’d surprised him with her in-depth knowledge, not only of the Blaze, but of the game and all its intricacies. It wasn’t often he met a woman who harbored a real love of the game.

“I’d go with the breaking ball. It fools him every time.”

“But Gentry’s already struck him out two times with the breaker. He’ll probably be looking for it. Low and inside will catch him off-guard,” Melissa replied.

“She’s right.” The guy to Melissa’s left inserted himself into the conversation. “I’d go low and inside.”

Jake fought off a scowl. The guy, who’d been conversing on and off with Melissa for the entire game, was getting on his nerves. Melissa, friendly to everyone and still of the mindset that men looked past her because of her weight, seemed oblivious that the guy was flirting with her. Jake craned his head and took off his sunglasses. The dude, who in the first inning, had introduced himself as Mark, encountered Jake’s steely glare and his grin faded. Yeah, so maybe Melissa wasn’t his girlfriend, but Mark didn’t know that, and flirting with a woman when she was with another guy went totally against the bro-code. Obviously, he needed to be reminded of that fact. Mark’s neck flushed red and he turned to the guy sitting to his left as Jake slipped his sunglasses back on and turned his attention to the field.

Two minutes later, Melissa nudged him with her elbow. “I told you so.”

Jake grinned as the batter stalked toward the Atlanta dugout and the Blaze players trotted off the field. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that gloating isn’t attractive?”

Melissa laughed as she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. “And
you
wouldn’t be gloating if Gentry had thrown a breaking ball and struck him out?”

“No.” Jake rolled his eyes at her light snort of disbelief. “Maybe.” Melissa nudged him again. “Probably,” he admitted.

She gave him a triumphant smile. “So where are we meeting J.T. and Angie for dinner?”

“Kamu’s. It’s across the street from the ballpark.”

“Kamu’s?” Her eyes widened. “I’ve read about that place. All the players hang out there. Have you been there before?”

“A couple of times. The food is great and the owner has a ton of Blaze memorabilia on display.”

“I can’t wait.”

Jake’s breath hitched at the sparkling excitement in Melissa’s eyes. In less than two weeks he’d be sharing a hotel room with her. He’d told her it was no big deal, but suddenly the thought of being in such close proximity to her sent a spike of heat straight to his gut. And for the first time in two years, he was doing something he’d sworn he’d never do—seriously rethinking his no-fraternization rule.

* * *

Two hours later at Kamu’s, Jake sat across from his brother and sister-in-law at a leather booth not far from the bar. The atmosphere in the place was upbeat. Matt Scanlon’s walk-off home run in ninth had won the game for the Blaze and left the Braves stunned. At the bar, Trey Gentry and the Blaze’s Cy Young award-winning pitcher, Dave Rizzo, were celebrating the victory along with Rizzo’s wife, Chantal. Gentry was currently without a girlfriend but, according to J.T., the young pitcher usually managed to score with a cleat-chaser after almost every game.

“Where’s Jordan tonight?”

“With my mom.” Angie reached for her beer and took a sip. “We’re going to pick her up after dinner.”

Surprised, Jake looked from Angie to J.T. then back to Angie. After what Angie’s mother had done on Christmas Eve last year, reconciliation was the last thing he’d expected to hear. “I thought you and your mom were on the outs.”

Angie set her mug on the table and brushed back her thick wavy hair. “We were. But I couldn’t let things stay the way they were. Despite her faults, I love my mom and I want her to be a part of Jordan’s life. We’ve made a lot of progress in the past few months. At first, I called her every week and then she started calling me. Now we talk twice a week, and when J.T. was on his last road trip she and my sister drove to Sacramento and stayed the weekend with me.”

“She’s still leery of me though.” J.T. grinned. “I’m sure she thought I was hooking up with cleat-chasers in every city.”

Angie laughed. “She didn’t say a word. She knows better now.”

J.T. reached for Angie’s hand and they shared a lingering glance. J.T. was crazy in love with his wife; it showed on his face every time he looked at her. Envy wasn’t an emotion Jake felt too often, but every time he was around J.T. and Angie, he wished he could find what they had. Like his father and his brother, he wanted to find the woman who would be his partner in life. The one whom he would make memories with
and
grow old with.

“So what’s the deal with Melissa?” J.T. looked back at him with a puzzled expression. “I thought you didn’t date your clients.”

“I don’t.” Jake frowned as J.T. and Angie exchanged sly grins. They’d both been surprised to see Melissa with him but hadn’t questioned him about it until now—after Melissa had excused herself to use the restroom. “Melissa and I are just friends.”