Hopeless (10 page)

Jay sensed he’d crossed an unseen line and
he reached out to touch her. “Hey, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean…”

She held her hand up and took a step back.
“No apology necessary. I guess I should go. I wouldn’t want to keep your
brother waiting.”

Victoria was still reeling when she walked
into Jimmy’s an hour later. She stood in the shower longer than necessary,
replaying the day’s events in her mind. How had she allowed herself to let her
guard down with Jay? She’d never done that before, let someone in so quickly.
How had he managed to break through the wall she’d erected without even trying?

Mike waved to her from a booth in the back,
and it struck her how much he and his brother looked alike on the outside, yet
she could already tell in the short time she’d known them, their personalities
couldn’t be more different.

Mike was a safe bet, someone she could
trust to make her laugh and fill the lonely hours between work and volunteering
at the shelter, but Jay was dangerous. She knew he would never hurt her
intentionally. He was a good man. Kind, compassionate, loyal… but she could
fall in love with a man like Jay before she even had time to realize it was
happening.

The few brief moments he’d held her in his
arms were already creeping into her consciousness far more than they should. Their
near kiss left her craving more… it was too risky. She had to send Jay a clear
message, for both of their sakes… Mike was her type, not him.

“Hey there,” she said when she reached
Mike’s table. “Sorry it took me so long to get here.”

He leaned in to kiss her cheek. “You’re
worth waitin’ for, darlin’.”

She had no doubt the same comment had
reduced dozens of women to putty in his hands, but she’d heard all those tired
lines too many times. She reached for the menu. “I’m famished. How about you?”

“We can just grab a drink here and go
somewhere a little more romantic for dinner, if you like.”

She knew her relationship with Mike would
never extend to the bedroom. She couldn’t sleep with him without thinking about
his brother, which wouldn’t be fair to either of them. “I don’t mind eating
here. If you’re okay with it?”

He reached for the plastic menu. “Sounds
good. I got tied up at work, so I skipped lunch. I sure could go for one of
their burgers.” He looked up. “You ever had one?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“You don’t know what you’re missin’.”

She grinned. “I think I’ll stick with a
grilled chicken breast and tossed salad.”

He wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Don’t
tell me you’re a health nut like my brother.”

“I like to take care of my body.”

His eyes drifted to her cleavage before he
smiled. “I can certainly see why.”

No, he had no idea. Her reasons for taking
care of herself had nothing to do with vanity. For her, it was a choice between
life and death. She knew she was already living on borrowed time, but a healthy
diet and exercise might buy her a few more years.

She didn’t want to dwell on her problems
tonight, not when she had a handsome man willing to entertain her. “So, tell me
about yourself, Mike. I know you’re a detective, right?”

“Yes, ma’am, detective sergeant.”

Victoria waited for the waitress to take
their order before she asked, “When did you decide to become a cop?”

“Hell, I was just a kid when I started in
on my old man and his buddies to tell me everything they could about their
calls. I thought it was just about the coolest job in the world.”

“Yeah, Jay mentioned your dad used to be a
cop, and your step-father still is, right?”

Mike laughed. “Yeah, Derek’s my boss, in
fact.”

She smiled before taking a sip from the
water glass the waitress set down in front of her. “How’s that workin’ out for
ya?”

He shrugged. “Derek’s a great guy. We’re
tight now.” He took a long pull from his beer bottle before he said, “I gotta
admit, it was a long road.”

She sensed there was more to the story, but
she didn’t want to pry. “Your father works for Trey Turner, right?”

“Yeah.” Mike frowned. “Jay filled you in?”

She nodded. “Why do you sound so
surprised?”

“To tell you the truth, I am. He usually keeps
stuff like that under wraps. He must trust you.”

She didn’t want to read too much into his
comment, but it pleased her to think Jay deemed her trustworthy. “I hope so,
since we’re gonna be working together.”

“How’s it goin’ so far?” He grabbed a few
peanuts from the bowl in the center of the table. “My brother can be pretty
hard core sometimes.”

“I don’t mind. So can I.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Then you two should
be perfect for each other.”

She didn’t want to acknowledge that loaded
statement, so she took a sip of water, hoping he would let it pass.

“Tell me something, why are you here with
me instead of him?”

Victoria knew she shouldn’t be surprised by
his direct question. She could tell the first time she met Mike he was a
straight shooter when he prefaced the dinner invite by saying he wasn’t interested
in pursuing a serious relationship with her or anyone else. “Your brother
doesn’t think it’s a good idea to date people he works with. I happen to agree
with him.”

“Look, why don’t we just put our cards on
the table here, Victoria? I like you. I think you’re smart, beautiful, sexy…”

She could hear the ‘but’ ringing in her
ears as she waited for him to fill in the blanks.

“But I can tell you’re into Jay, and I know
he’s into you. I don’t want to be the middle man.”

She knew with a guy like Mike, there was no
way around the truth. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to him, but I
meant what I said last night. I’m not interested in a relationship. Your
brother… he’s the kind of guy a girl looks for when she’s ready to settle
down.”

Mike chuckled. “And I’m the guy you hook up
with for a good time?”

Victoria hated that she’d offended him, but
the look in his clear blue eyes told her she had. “I’m sorry.” She reached
across the table to cover his hand with her own. “I didn’t mean it the way it
sounded.”

“Yes, you did. I gotta admit, I appreciate
your honesty.” He slipped his hand free and reached for his beer. “So, be
straight with me. You and me…where do you see it goin’?”

The waitress chose that moment to set their
food down, which gave Victoria a few minutes to decide how to respond.

“Well?”

“I’d like to keep doing what we’re doing
right now, if it’s okay with you?”

He bit into his burger and took a moment to
chew before he asked, “What are we doin’ right now?”

“Getting to know each other. If we hit it
off, maybe we could get together for drinks or dinner whenever we have a free
evening, share a few laughs…”

He grinned. “Damn, I don’t think a woman
has ever given me the ‘friends’ speech on the first date before.”

She laughed, relieved he was teasing her. “So
we’re on the same page, right?”

“Depends. Does this arrangement have any
fringe benefits?” He stroked the stubble on his chin and leered at her. “’Cause
if it does, you can definitely count me in.”

She burst out laughing at his pathetic
excuse for a come-on, knowing full well he was baiting her. She knew instantly
Mike was someone she could count among her friends. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

He snapped his fingers and did his best to
look disappointed. “Darlin’, when they look like you, ya can’t blame a guy for
tryin’.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I won’t
hold it against you.”

“Why do I get the feelin’ there’s more to
this friendship than you’re tellin’ me?”

Mike was a seasoned detective. Of course it
wouldn’t take him long to figure out she had an ulterior motive for pursuing
his friendship. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to fool him, so she
decided full disclosure was her best option. “Maybe because there is.”

He set his burger down, waiting for her to
continue. “Okay, let’s have it.”

“I like your brother, a lot, but…”

“Trust me; I know Jay feels the same way
about you. The way he acted last night, and again today, it was pretty obvious
he’s developing some pretty strong feelings for you.”

“That’s just it. I don’t want to get
involved with him anymore than he wants to get involved with me.”

Mike smirked. “So you wanna use me as a
buffer? You think if Jay assumes there’s somethin’ goin’ on between us, he’ll
back off?”

When he spelled it out, she felt guilty for
trying to use him to keep his brother at a safe distance.

“Okay, I’m game.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Really? Just like
that?”

He laughed. “You don’t have any siblings do
you, Victoria?”

She shook her head. There was no way she
could confide in him the way she had Jay. “No.”

“I didn’t think so. If you had, you’d know
the score. Any chance I get to one up my brother, you better believe I’m gonna
take it.”

Victoria laughed. “You’re so bad.”

“But if I do this for you, you need to do
something for me.”

She should have known he’d expect something
in return. “What is it?”

“My father and step-mother are havin’ a
birthday party for my little sister on Friday night. Everybody’s been on my
back about findin’ a nice girl. You’d fit the bill perfectly.”

“So you want me to pretend to be your
girlfriend to keep your family off your back?”

“You gotta admit, it would go a long way
toward convincin’ Jay we’re a real couple.”

She didn’t want to deceive Jay, and she
didn’t think she’d have to. If he knew she was spending time with his brother,
he would just assume they were sleeping together. She just wouldn’t bother
setting him straight. She knew a lie by omission was still a lie, but she could
justify it by telling herself it was for the greater good.

Jay was a great guy. He deserved a woman
who could give him a houseful of kids and a long and happy marriage. The only
thing she could offer him was a few good memories and a broken heart. It was
best to let him go now, before she was the one who ended up with a broken heart. 

Jay had been riding around for the past
hour, trying to ease the rage eating at him. But the more he thought about some
pushy bastard putting his hands on Victoria against her will, the angrier he
got.

He finally pulled his bike into the parking
lot and spotted a vanity plate that told him the owner of the studio was still
there. He wanted to bust in and take him down without benefit of an
explanation, but he had too much respect for the students and instructors to
act on impulse and disrupt their classes.

The pretty blonde seated at the reception
desk looked up when he walked in. Her mouth dropped open. “Oh wow, you’re Jay
Cooper, aren’t you? I saw the article about you in Triple M magazine this
month. It was awesome.”

He smiled. “Thanks.” He glanced into the
studio. “Is your boss around?”

“He’s in his office. You want me to call
him out here?”

“No, I’ll just go back there and see him.
Thanks.”

Jay bowed before entering the open space
where the class was being held. He was careful to walk around the perimeter of
the room and not across the floor as he made his way to the narrow hallway
leading to the restrooms and what he assumed was the main office. There was a
closed door at the end of the hall with a black and gold sign that read ‘Office.’

He lifted his hand and tapped his knuckles
on the door. It took everything in him not to raise his motorcycle boot and
kick it in. He didn’t wait for a response before he threw the door open.

The middle aged man on the other side of
the door jumped up from his desk. “What the—”

The words died on his lips and Jay knew he
must look like a dark and dangerous storm cloud intent on turning his orderly
world upside down. “You messed with a friend of mine.” He braced his hands on
the desk and leaned forward. “Big mistake.”

Rob swallowed and held his hands up in
self-defense. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Jay. I didn’t do
anything, I swear to you.”

Jay wasn’t surprised the guy knew who he
was. The martial arts community was tight knit, especially in Tennessee. “Like
hell you didn’t. You drew first blood, and you know what that means, don’t
you?”

He kept backing up, his hands still out in
front of him until he butted against a bookcase and couldn’t go any further.
“I’m not a violent man. I would never hurt anyone. I don’t know what you’re
talkin’ about.”

“I’m talkin’ about what you did to
Victoria.”

The color drained from his face at the
mention of her name and he swiped his palm over his damp forehead. “I, uh,
didn’t know she was a friend of yours. If I had, I never would’ve…” He started
swallowing convulsively. “Shit, she’s not your girlfriend, is she?”