SiNN (13 page)

Lea.

She heard Jake’s approach, disappointed but not surprised
that Toby wasn’t with him. Although Lea hadn’t heard the particulars of their
conversation, she recognized the terseness in Toby’s words and appreciated the
smoothness of Jake’s responses.

He wouldn’t leave her tonight. He’d be at her side as long
as she wanted.

Already that was more time than Lea knew Jake could possibly
give. Her craving for him was already bone-deep, contradicting the few hours
they’d been together. A part of her understood how the uncertainty of her
future made her hunger for his solid strength. However, it was also more than
that.

For a big guy, so used to giving orders, he’d been amazingly
tender after they’d made love, as though she really mattered. He’d stroked her
breast, his touch searching, not clumsy with fatigue…loving, not randy. As he
remained inside of her, he’d left a trail of kisses on the back of her neck and
shoulder, then asked if she was okay, his tone sounding genuinely concerned.

Before he left for the kitchen, he’d cupped her face in his
palms, kissed her forehead gently and murmured, “I won’t be gone long. No more
than a few minutes. All right?”

He knew how she worried and seemed to want to put her at
ease.

Her heart beat triple time in expectation and longing as he
came around the sofa.

His hair was mussed, wayward locks hanging over his forehead
and grazing his stubbled cheeks. His tattoo—so virile it weakened every part of
Lea—was still no match for the rest of his lean, muscled body. She wanted to
lick his dark nipples, to squeeze his well-toned pecs, press her mouth to his
pendulous sex and hairy thighs, run her fingers up his sinewy calves.

It took all of her will to remain as she was, glad that she
had.

Jake wore a look of pleasant surprise at how she’d
positioned herself for his return. With her back against the sofa, she had one
arm stretched the length of the cushion, the other draped over her head to
fully expose her breasts. Not wanting to keep the rest of herself hidden from
him, she’d parted her legs, bending the one farthest from him at the knee.

Immediately, his interest dropped to her cunt, damp with his
ejaculate. A stirring reminder of what they’d done. A promise of what they’d
continue. At least for a few days.

Uncertainty and melancholy edged close. Lea pushed both
emotions aside, determined to enjoy her time here. Lowering her arm, she ran
her fingers over her thigh to her cleft, slowly drawing her forefinger up its
length. Her clit was still wonderfully sensitive, her opening still stinging
from his cock’s size.

Jake placed their meal on the end table, then dropped to his
knees beside her, brushing her hand away. “My job,” he murmured.

He did it so freaking well, stroking the soft petals between
her legs, his fingers exploring all that he’d already had, all that he’d claim
again.

She sighed in response, proving she was a woman in serious
lust.

He did her one better, kissing Lea deeply, tenderly, with
what felt like affection, not merely passion.

It was the most loving gift any man had ever given Lea.
Moved beyond words, she rested her hand on Jake’s cheek, running her thumb over
his bristly jawline as their tongues played with each other, both of them
wanting to control the kiss.

Jake wouldn’t allow her to have the upper hand. He filled
her so completely Lea was hard-pressed to produce a moan that either of them
would hear. She surrendered without pause, as she knew she would, giving him all
that she had, precisely what they both desired.

At last, Jake brought his hand from her cleft to her belly,
placing his damp fingers on the gentle curve of flesh. Pulling his mouth free,
he pressed his cheek to hers and whispered, “Hungry?”

She smiled at the innuendo in his question. “I could eat.”
Turning her face into his, she kissed his temple and added, “Just as soon as I
dip your cock in the mustard.”

He laughed. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Why? You chicken?” She ran her fingers down his hot, hard
torso. His muscles jumped beneath her touch. “Scared it might sting?”

“Only for you when I fuck you again. And I will. Hard and
long. ‘Til you can’t take any more.”

A pleasurable shiver crept up Lea’s spine at the scene his
words created. Jake using her until she begged for a bit of rest, with him not
granting it, probing all of her openings with his cock and fingers.

She breathed, “I had no idea you were such a prick.”

His shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. “Believe it.”
Reaching over, he pulled the cocktail table closer. Its legs scraped against
the floor, causing the beer bottles to hit each other with a faint clink.

In the kitchen, a cabinet slammed, followed by another.

Lea glanced that way, then looked at Jake. He was regarding
their food as though the racket hadn’t happened. Speaking quietly, she asked,
“Is Toby all right?”

Another slam. This time, it sounded like a drawer.

Jake shrugged. “Maybe he can’t find the stuff either.”

“What stuff?”

“Plates, utensils.” He opened both Coronas, handing her one,
then dropped a napkin on her thigh and the next on his. “I gave up looking for
them.”

She took a sip and swallowed. “What did Toby say while you
were in there?”

Jake bit into a slice of provolone, chewed, then washed the
food down with a swig of beer. “He was working on his report.”

About her? Probably. Sucking her lower lip, Lea peeked in
the direction of the kitchen, then turned to Jake and kept her tone subdued,
“Will he mention what happened between you and me?”

Surprise flickered across his face. “Toby may be by the
book, but he’s also the most loyal man I know.”

“You care deeply about him.”

Jake’s beer bottle stopped short of his lips. “We’re
partners, Lea.”

His dismissive tone and neutral expression didn’t fool her.
She sensed Jake worried about Toby as much as he did about her, no matter his
casual attitude. She suspected the two men were as close as siblings.

Wanting to ask Jake about his past, figuring he’d dance
around it, she instead concentrated on Toby, eager to know about him too. “What’s
his story?” When Jake didn’t answer immediately, Lea added, “He’s obviously
wealthy, thanks to his mother. I mean, just look at this place.”

“Yeah, it’s really something,” he mumbled. “Too bad that’s
all she gave him.”

His disdain surprised Lea. “They weren’t close as he was
growing up?”

Frowning, he dug his thumbnail into the edge of his bottle’s
label, trying to peel it off.

“None of my business?” she asked.

Jake sighed. “It’s personal shit.”

“You’re right. I should ask Toby.”

“Hold it right there.” Jake clamped his free hand around her
wrist, keeping Lea from continuing to her feet. “Not a good idea.”

Of course, it wasn’t, but Lea figured it might prod Jake
into telling her what he knew about the man. “If he doesn’t want to talk,
that’s cool.” Leaning over, she put her beer bottle on the cocktail table.
“I’ll come right back in here.”

That didn’t get Jake to loosen his grip. With his attention
darting between the kitchen and her, he said, “His mother wasn’t around, all
right?”

Lea sank to the floor. “Why? She clearly had the means to
take care of him.”

Bringing back his hand, Jake selected a thin roll of turkey.
“Means doesn’t translate into willingness, at least for her. Toby lived with
his dad and only saw her when she wasn’t filming, which wasn’t often.”

“Filming?”

“She was a movie star. Maybe they call it a film star now.”
Jake lifted his shoulders as though he didn’t know or care. “Won an Oscar for
To
This I Bring
and
Dead Man’s Cove.
Maybe others, I can’t recall.”

Lea couldn’t hide her surprise. “Rebecca Holmes was Toby’s
mother? I didn’t even know she had any children.”

“Exactly.” Jake opened the Dijon, dipping his roll of turkey
into it. “When he graduated from high school, he asked her to come to the
ceremony. She hadn’t made any of his other stuff, Little League and things like
that, but she promised him she’d be there when he got his diploma.”

Shaking his head, Jake put the jar of mustard on the
cocktail table. “She never showed. Said she’d been in a minor car accident and
had hurt her back and was in too much pain to walk or sit up. Toby later found
out she’d gone under the knife for an overhaul on her looks and the surgery
wasn’t as good as she’d hoped. She didn’t want her fans to see her looking less
than perfect, so she blew off her son instead.”

Oh no. Lea thought of Toby in the kitchen alone, writing his
report, refusing to come into this room and take a chance on what she knew he
wanted. With a mother like that, no wonder he was so cautious with people and
comfortable with rules. When it came to protocol and directives, he knew
exactly what to expect. “How awful for him.”

“He was better off without her. It was her loss. Not his.”
Jake licked a smear of mustard from his finger. “He’s a good man.
Professionally, he’s one of the best deputies I’ve ever known. Even better than
his father.”

“His dad’s in the service too?”

“Was. He’s retired now.”

“Thanks.” Taking a wedge of cheddar cheese from Jake, Lea
nibbled on it, unable to stop her gratified moan. Unlike the processed crap she
was used to eating, this was the real deal. Creamy, sharp and expensive. “How
in the world did a marshal end up with Rebecca Holmes?”

“The usual way. She met him while doing research for one of
her films. They divorced shortly after Toby’s second birthday. When she remarried
the following year, she had his dad take full custody. Said her film schedule
made it too difficult to have a kid around.”

“Poor little guy.”

His broad shoulders lifted in another shrug. “It happens.”

“Did his dad remarry?”

“About a year after his mom. Had several kids too. All
boys.”

Lea had a fair idea of what that meant. “Toby got lost in
the shuffle?”

“He managed. He’s good at being on his own.”

No, he wasn’t. Not anymore than Jake. He was as lonely, as
wanting as Toby. Unable to help herself, Lea eased back his hair, then rested
her fingertips on his cheek.

He paused in mid-chew and finished his bite slowly.

Leaning close, she murmured, “What’s your story, Jake?”

Wariness darkened his expression. He regarded the tray of
food, opting for grabbing the jar of pickles rather than answering her.

Lea brought back her hand, figuring she should stop being so
nosy, but couldn’t. She ached to know about him. What had made him the man he
was. What could soothe his damaged heart in the short time they had.

“Did your mom divorce your father?” she asked. “Did she give
up custody of you too?”

He smiled. It looked both amused and sad. “Not even close.”

“She raised you then.”

Putting the top to the side, Jake pulled out one of the
spears. It crunched between his teeth. “She gave me everything she could.” He
chewed and swallowed. “Everything my stepfather would allow. When she returned
to the reservation, she had their marriage to worry about. It wasn’t easy for
her.” He took another bite of the pickle. “It isn’t easy for a lot of people
there.”

Lea could only imagine the poverty, along with the outrage
and hopelessness accompanying it. She’d felt her own growing up in foster care.
At times, she and Danielle hadn’t had enough to eat even though the state
required it. Rarely had they had anything pretty to wear. Always they lacked a
parent’s protection and love.

Touching his tattoo, she asked, “What about your biological
dad? Didn’t he help at all?”

Jake looked at her, but said nothing.

Lea sensed he was trying to gauge her reaction, what she
might think if he told her about himself. Her first thought was to coax him to
do so. Her next was to wait until he was ready.

At last, he sighed loudly. “Yeah, he helped a lot of people,
but not my mother. He was white, one of those do-gooders who’s going to save
the world. That’s how they met. He’d helped my mother get a job in Phoenix. His
foundation was going to send her to college, get her started on the proverbial
American Dream. For my mother, it didn’t include his offer to divorce his wife
and leave his kids so he could marry her when she became pregnant with me. When
I located him years later and told him I was his son, I swear he looked at me
with more derision than my stepfather ever had. Until that moment, I didn’t
think such a thing was possible.”

Although his expression and tone were neutral, as though he
were testifying in court rather than speaking of a painful past, Lea still
heard his lingering hurt. “I’m so sorry.”

Jake shook his head, sending his hair tumbling back over his
forehead. “No need to be. I did all right. An athletic scholarship got me away
from my stepfather and put me through college.”

“Your mom must have been very proud.”

He smiled.

It was so unexpected and innocent, Lea knew she’d never
forget it or him.

“Yeah, she was,” he said, then cleared his throat. “Bragged
about me so much, her friends and relatives started avoiding her.”

“She never left the reservation?”

He capped the jar of pickles, pushing it aside. “When I was
first hired by the service, I offered to buy her a house wherever she wanted,
but she told me not to worry about her. She was okay.”

The haunted look on his face told Lea otherwise. “Did your
stepfather hurt—”

“Oh shit no.” Jake’s fingers tightened into fists. “If he
had, he knew I would have torn him apart with my bare hands. The SOB never
touched her. She got sick…she was already sick when I offered to give her
whatever she wanted.” He paused to swallow. “The oncologist gave her a year.
She lasted four months.”