Rough Edges (11 page)

Immediately, she closed her eyes, realizing she hadn’t told him. Placing the heel of her hand on her head she groaned. She hadn’t told him about the Chat Addiction article and that he had been her research.

* * * * *

Jake sat on the plane and watched the landscape get smaller and smaller beneath him. His fist clenched as they soared into the sky. Why had he invited her to Tulsa? He must be out of his damn mind. Just because he could see the hunger in her face when he told her he was leaving, didn’t mean he had to invite her out. The woman sat there, her hair in disarray, the sheet hiding nothing from view, her big brown eyes telling him she didn’t want him to go even if she didn’t voice the word and he had cracked. At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. But now? It was so totally out of character for him.

He rarely ever saw a woman more than once. It was always a one-time thing, no strings, no phone numbers, no other contact. Just a fuck and nothing more, he didn’t want or need more.

Could he really delude himself and say Becca was just a fuck?

Tension coiled like a snake in the pit of his stomach, answering his question.

* * * * *

Becca hummed as she walked through the cubicles at
Richmond Times
. She knew her coworkers were starting to stare at her, but she didn’t really care. She felt happy, light and it was all because of Jake. Mondays were usually hectic with everyone trying to get back into their groove.

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“Mmm-hmm. If I didn’t know better I would think you got laid, sister!” Matty said as he leaned over the flimsy wall.

She was terrible at hiding stuff and couldn’t stop the blush before it hit her cheeks.

“O-M-G!” His black eyes went round. “You did get laid!” He disappeared only to reappear and perch on her desk. “Okay. Give me the deets! Was it hot?”

“Matty! Shh. Not so loud,” she said, trying to get him to be a little less flamboyant.

Like that was possible. The man was wearing a bright pink kerchief around his neck.

One didn’t get any more flashy than Matty.

“But, girl. I approve. You know I do. It’s about time, is all I can say. So, who was it?”

She laughed as his eyebrows waggled comically. “His name is Jake.”

“Oooo, sounds scrumptious. Did he have a nice, firm—”

“I have a delivery for Rebecca Saylor,” a man called from the front of the office.

Matty pointed at her as she stood up. “Here she is, the lucky girl.”

Becca’s mouth dropped at the size of the bouquet. At least two dozen pale pink roses filled a lavender vase that was tied with a lovely pink bow. The delivery guy brought them to her and smiled as he had her sign the paper. The bouquet barely fit on her desk and the aroma filled the office. A couple of her coworkers let out a whistle.

The white card seemed to glare from in between the blooms.

“Go on. Read it,” Matty said, his wide grin infectious.

She plucked the card and took a deep breath. She couldn’t believe Jake had sent…

Her breathing stopped as she re-read the card and she felt the blood drain from her face.

Surprise. Bet you thought they were from your new lover. You are mine, Rebecca. Your
husband, Nick.

How did he know? How could he know? She didn’t even notice when Matty plucked the card out of her hand and read it.

“That sorry son-of-a-bitch,” he said. “And how could he even dare to say he’s your husband? That man is a lunatic.”

When her business phone rang, she shook her head and answered.

“Hello, this is Rebecca with
Richmond Times
.”

“Hello, Rebecca.” The familiar voice sent a chill down her spine.

“What do you want, Nick? You’re not supposed to talk to me. Restraining order, remember?” Although that didn’t stop him the last time, did it?

“I just wanted to make sure you got my note.”

Her hands shook and she gripped the phone tighter. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

She was about to hang up when he said, “Don’t you want to know how I know about your little affair? Truly you should be more discreet. A coworker of mine saw you 63

Ashlynn Pearce

at the Rockfish Bar and Sea Grill. How could you? Do you have any idea how badly this hurts me?”

“Nick, get out of my life. I don’t care what you think. We’re divorced, remember?”

Bile rose in her throat and she really wondered what she ever saw in the man.

“Just a little misunderstanding. You will see my way of things soon.”

Becca couldn’t listen anymore and she slammed the phone down and looked at Matty who had his arms crossed over his chest, his lips slashed in an angry line.

“He is vile.”

“Yeah.” She couldn’t agree more. Grabbing the vase of flowers, she stalked to the back room where there was a large wastebasket and dropped them in. The vase shattered, but what she really wanted to do was run each rose through the shredder.

Shaking, she walked back to her cubicle and slid into her chair. A steaming cup of coffee sat on her desk.

“Drink it. Then call the cops,” Matty said from behind the wall.

“Thanks.” The aroma tickled her nose and when she took a sip it had a bitter bite.

She stared at her PC screen, took a deep breath and called the cops. She was to report any contact he made with her, and even if they wouldn’t necessarily do anything about it, at least they would have a report of it.

And because of Nick’s stunt, she decided to go to Tulsa this weekend. To hell with waiting. She wanted to see Jake. As Summer had said, she wanted to recognize what it was supposed to feel like with a guy. She’d had one taste…and it wasn’t enough.

Over the next several days, her plan was only reinforced. Notes stuck in her door, on her car, phone calls with eerie messages—all from Nick. It seemed he was following her. Knowing every move she made, everything she did. Summer had even given her a metal baseball bat to keep in her apartment, because Becca wouldn’t take the gun she offered. It kept her on edge and the only time she felt relaxed was when she talked to Jake, which had only been twice this week. She didn’t tell him about Nick or what he was doing. She just wanted to forget about it. Jake was good at that, making her forget everything but the sound of his voice.

So when she stepped off the plane in Tulsa, Oklahoma she was a bundle of nerves.

He was supposed to meet her at baggage claim. Seeing her bag coming up the conveyer belt, she reached to grab it when someone reached over and snagged it. She looked up into the smiling face of Tony.

“So glad to see you, Becca.” She returned his smile and searched behind him for Jake. “He’s not here,” Tony said. “And he wanted me to tell you he was sorry.

Something came up and he couldn’t make it here on time. So I’m in charge of taking you to him.”

Disappointment and doubt settled in her chest.

“Hey, it’s cool.” Tony’s reassurance didn’t do anything for her.

“It’s fine,” she replied not meaning it.

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He laughed and shook his head. “Come on. I’ll tell you about it on the way to his place.”

She followed him and when they stepped outside heat hit her in the face. She inhaled only to realize the air was so thick it stuck in her throat. She was only too happy to get into his bright blue, four-door truck. “Nice,” she said and glanced at the gray cloth interior.

“Thanks,” he said as he put it in drive. “But I’m sure you don’t want to talk about my truck. Jake,” he spun the wheel to make a left turn and glanced at her, “didn’t want me to tell you, but I don’t care what he wants. You need to know. He had a run-in with the people who birthed him.”

Becca stared at Tony’s face. His lips were compressed into thin lines and his pale blue eyes flashed angrily.

“The people who birthed him? You mean his parents?” she asked.

“The term parent would mean they gave a shit. His don’t. Never have.” When they reached a stoplight, he looked at her. “I don’t know how much he’s told you, but those people don’t deserve the term parent.”

“Yeah. He told me a little bit about them.”

“Good. Then you understand.”

Yes and no. She knew they were messed up and his dad was really mean. But it was hard for her to imagine parents being so cruel to their own child. And Jake only talked about them in detail when he was drunk. Even on chat, you could tell that about someone. “I know his dad just got out of prison, right?”

“Yeah. And today was the first run-in. Things didn’t go well.”

Judging by the hard look on Tony’s face, it had to be an understatement. She shifted uncomfortably in the seat and held the seatbelt down so it wouldn’t rub against her neck, one of the many disadvantages of being so short.

“Don’t worry though. I know he was looking forward to you visiting.” Tony grinned, all traces of his anger gone. “I was damn shocked when Jake said you were coming out. But I like ya. And he needs someone like you.”

Heat invaded her face. “I don’t—I mean, there is nothing really going on. We’re not a couple or anything,” she said, trying to blow it off. She felt like a stuttering fool.

His blue eyes twinkled. “Right. Between Jake’s ‘whatever’ and your response, I don’t think either one of you know what you’re doing.”

Twisting her purse in her hands, she turned to look out the window and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His laughter made her more nervous. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

Tony turned the conversation to more mundane subjects and she relaxed a little bit.

The last thing she wanted to do was voice how confused she felt when it came to Jake.

Her feelings were about as clear as mud.

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Ashlynn Pearce

They exited the highway onto a street called Memorial and she was amazed at how busy the intersections were. She had always thought Tulsa a small town. She was wrong. Businesses lined the streets and cars darted in and out. When they passed a row of car dealerships of every make, Tony pointed out the Ford one. “Jake works there.”

Soon they made a left into a neighborhood with larger lots. The homes were older, some more run-down than others but most were well-kept, with clipped, bright green grass.

When Tony stopped in front of a red brick house, nerves made her stomach drop and she thought she might throw up. A large black Ford truck sat in the drive and the yard was neat but flowers were noticeably absent. A stark contrast, since so many of the houses they passed were full of colorful gardens.

Tony got out and she just sat there, nerves stretched to the breaking point. She stared as Jake’s door swung open and he came striding out. He wore a pair of cargo shorts in black and gray camo, a black tee and no shoes. Simple clothing, but the way he wore them had her sweating from more than the heat. The tee stretched taut across his broad shoulders and hung loose at his waist. He arrived at Tony’s truck and reached into the bed for her bag. He looked through the window and arched one dark brow.

Licking her lips, she forced herself to open the door and walk up beside him. The sun glared down on them and did nothing to calm the butterflies in her stomach.

“Hi,” he said.

She wiped her hands on her shorts and smiled faintly. “Hi.”

“Well, I gotta get out of here, man,” Tony said with a grin plastered to his face.

“All right. Thanks man,” Jake responded and shook his hand. “I appreciate it.”

“No problem. See ya’ll soon.”

“Thanks, Tony,” she said, wincing at how strained her voice sounded.

“Anytime, doll.” With that, Tony hopped in his truck and took off.

“Come on, let’s go inside. And sorry about not being there. Something unexpected came up,” Jake said and led the way into his house.

“It’s fine,” she said as she stepped through the door.

His place was cleaner than she had expected a bachelor place to be, but it was obviously lived in. A black leather sofa and love seat took up most of the space. A Budweiser bottle and an XBOX remote were on a sturdy black coffee table. The man obviously liked black.

The windows had no curtains, just mini-blinds and the walls were white with no decoration except for two pictures. Both of motorcycles.

“Nice place,” she said and turned to look at him as he set her bag down.

“Thanks.” His expression was unreadable, his shuttered eyes boring into her. He shoved his hands into his pockets.

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His presence seemed to fill up the space as he stood there saying nothing. Nerves choked her and the silent tension mounted. A muscle ticked in his jaw and he finally looked away from her, making her feel that much more uncomfortable. The longer they stood there the angrier and more remote he seemed. It was as though he was pulling away from her until nothing but coldness masked his face. Her heart hammered in her chest as she took a step back, bumping into the wall. What had she been thinking to come here?

A flicker passed over his eyes as he stepped back, his chin lifting and lips slashing into a frown.

In that moment she saw it. Saw what he tried so hard to hide. Fear. He was terrified and the implication almost staggered her. This man with all his strength and size, was scared of little Becca. She was on his turf now and she knew all the things he didn’t tell anyone. Knew all the scars that no one ever saw.

She somehow managed a faint smile and he almost jerked, his gaze searching her face. She knew what he searched for—acceptance.

Stepping toward him, she looked up into his face. To his credit he didn’t back up, but she could see the wariness. He reminded her of a tiger ready to bolt if she made one wrong move. Slowly, she raised her hand and slid it along his smooth jaw. His eyes closed briefly, his throat convulsing as he swallowed. Braver than she felt, she leaned toward him and he expelled a huge breath as though he had been holding it.

His arms came around her and the feel of him was incredible when he pulled her snugly against him.

“Bec.” His large frame shuddered as he breathed her name against her neck.