Stealing His Heart (13 page)

“Don’t.” She gave him her back, focusing on his boss. “Who was really on the phone?”

“Gordon. One of my detectives out there,” Cooper admitted, his shoulders tense. “I’m sorry, but we knew you wouldn’t give in. Jake didn’t want to send you to jail, and frankly, neither did I. So we used the one thing we could think of against you.”

Tara spun on her heel, her head held high despite the tremble in her lower lip. She focused on Jake. “You.”

His stomach rolled. “Not
me
, exactly. More so your compassion for others. I’m sorry.”

Tara shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. “There’s nothing you can say to me right now that’ll make this okay.”

“I needed to keep you safe. I did what I had to do,” he said.

She laughed bitterly. “I’m such an idiot.”

“I’m sorry, but I—” Jake tried to grab her arms, but she shoved free. He stepped closer to her, but she backed up. Making himself stand still, he thrust his hands into his pockets to avoid touching her when she so obviously didn’t want him to. “I did the only thing I could, under the circumstances.”

She trembled with rage. “You don’t get to excuse your behavior to me. I’m done here, and I never want to see either of you ever again.”

When she spun on her heel and left, Jake watched her go, clueless about what to do next. What to say. What to feel. He’d won, but he’d really lost. “Shit.”

Cooper, who sat behind his desk looking awkward and out of place, cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, man. I could have tried to make this work in another way, maybe.”

“No. It had to be this way. It’s the only way I could guarantee her safety.”

Cooper stood up, grabbed Jake’s keys and ID, and tossed them over. “You should go after her. Try to make her understand why you did what you did. I can see there’s more between you two than meets the eye.”

Jake took his stuff. “About that…”

“Don’t feel the need to explain. I knew you two had history together, but I sent you into that case anyway. Maybe it was a test of sorts, to make sure you wouldn’t get dragged back into that lifestyle.” Cooper rubbed the back of his neck and avoided Jake’s scrutiny. “I had to be sure. I’m sorry, man.”

A test? This had all been a test? He’d passed it, but he’d lost Tara in the process. “It’s okay. I get it.”

“You should go after her,” Cooper said. “Explain yourself.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll excuse myself for the day. I need to go home.”

Cooper nodded. “Of course. Take the rest of the day off, man.”

Jake didn’t bother to reply, just crossed the office and headed for the stairs. She didn’t want to see him, but he needed to see her, damn it. Needed to make her see why he’d done what he’d done. Then she’d walk away from him.

For the rest of his life, he’d be the same Jake he’d become ever since his injury. A recluse. Constantly alone. Always serious. Never having fun. Damn it, he wished that file with her name on it had never crossed his desk, because if he hadn’t seen her again…

He’d never have wanted more out of life than
this
.

Chapter Fifteen

Tara swiped her hands under her eyes, sniffing hard. She had to get herself together before the elevator doors opened. She was losing it, and that wasn’t her style. No, not at all. She didn’t cry over men, certainly didn’t cry over men who betrayed her.

And she didn’t cry in public
ever
.

She shouldn’t be surprised that they’d used her weakness against her to get their way, or that they’d discovered her disadvantage before she had. But they had, and they were right. She couldn’t stand the thought of Jake taking the fall for her, so she’d caved.

Not only because she didn’t like an innocent person being punished, but because it had been Jake. She cared about him, truly cared about him, and he’d used her with a purpose. Had any of it been real? Had he wanted her, beyond the normal male proclivity for getting laid? Or had it all been an act cooked up between Jake and Cooper so she would give them what they wanted?

The code.

The elevator doors opened, and she straightened her spine. Time to walk out with her head held high and disappear from his life for good. She’d need some time to lick her wounds, because right now they hurt like a bitch.

One step off the elevator, she froze. Son of a… “How did you beat me down here?”

“I ran,” Jake said, leaning against the wall, breathing fast. He didn’t have any weight on his bad leg. “I’m sorry, Tara. You have to believe me. I didn’t mean—”

“Believe you? You know what? Fuck you.” She stalked to him and smacked his shoulder. “I won’t believe another word you say. Ever. You lied to me. Tricked me. Used me. Acted like you
cared
.”

“That last part wasn’t an act.” He held his palms out. “I wasn’t acting about anything between us. And what happened in my bedroom was real, too. So were the things I said about wanting to be with you. It was all real.”

“Do you honestly think I’m going to believe a word you say to me after what you did?” She tried to sidestep him, but he blocked her path. “Let me go, Jake. I don’t want to talk to you ever again.”

He blanched. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I wanted to save you.”

“Well, you did. Congratulations.” She walked away from him. “Now let me go.”

“Tara, wait!”

She quickened her steps, knowing he wouldn’t catch her. Not after he’d run down the stairs to try and get her. She made it outside before she realized she didn’t have a car. Obviously, she could call a cab to come get her. But she still had stuff at Jake’s place, too. Including her house keys. It was painfully clear she needed to get back into Jake’s.

The door opened behind her, and she stiffened. Without turning around, she knew he’d followed her outside. He passed her and opened the passenger door of his car for her. His sunglasses hid his eyes from her, but she didn’t need to see them to know he was upset. He had lines around his mouth from pressing his lips together, and his body was taut. “You’ll need your stuff. Get in.”

She slid into the seat, wishing her racing heart would calm the heck down. She wouldn’t say a word to him. Wouldn’t fight. Vowed to treat him with icy silence. And yet the second he sat beside her and started the ignition, she opened her mouth. “Why did you do it? Why did you do something guaranteed to make me hate you? To make me despise everything about you?”

He backed out of the spot, keeping his attention locked on the road. “I couldn’t send you to jail. I had to keep you safe, no matter the cost. If that makes you hate me, then so be it. At least you’re not locked up behind bars.”

“Is this need to protect me a side effect of the sex?”

His knuckles flexed. “Yes. No. I don’t know.”

“So if we hadn’t slept together, would you have turned me in?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t
know
, damn it.” He curled his lip. “I don’t fucking know, but I wouldn’t have sent you to jail.”

She swallowed hard, staring at the red light instead of him. “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. It’s all over now.”

He glanced away, and she still couldn’t read him. “Yeah.”

She shook her head. “What would have happened if I didn’t give the code? If I let you take the fall for me?”

“You wouldn’t have.”

Obviously. But he didn’t have to act like he knew her so well. He didn’t. “But what if I
did
?”

He pulled into his driveway and ripped off his shades. “I still couldn’t have put you behind bars. I’d have tried to find another way to make it work, but Soltese would have remained an issue. Now he’ll never know who you were, and we don’t have to worry about him getting revenge.”

Knowing she
wouldn’t
go to jail, he’d still tricked her.

That made his betrayal hurt more.

Jake shut off the engine, threw his door open, and got out. She didn’t wait for him. She opened the door and stalked up the driveway. “I’ll see myself home. Let me in so I can get my stuff, and then leave me the hell alone.”

“I’ll give you a ride home.”

“No.”

“
Yes
,” he said, spinning on her. “You’re allowed to be angry. You’re allowed to hate me, even. But I’ll be damned if I leave you to fend for yourself when I have fucking breath left in my lungs. I’m driving you home.”

She didn’t bother to answer. He wasn’t driving her anywhere. He let her inside, gripping the knob so tight it must be under the threat of snapping. “Tara, please. Forgive me.”

Closing her eyes, she bit down on her lower lip and shook her head. “I…I can’t. We’re done.”

She walked the rest of the way up the stairs. Every step she took hurt, because she knew after she left, she’d never see him again. They’d be over forever.

He’d seen to that.

When she got to her room, she made a quick phone call before gathering her stuff. Something crashed downstairs, and she flinched. What had that been? Had he broken something, or had he fallen? She forced herself to remain behind the closed door. To not seek him out. Nothing good would come of it.

Once the cab parked in front of his house, she grabbed her bags and headed down the stairs. He ran his gaze over her and tugged on his vest. Why did he have to be so damn hot in that stupid thing? He pushed off the wall and reached for her stuff.

She gripped it tighter and held it behind her back. “I’ve got it.”

For a second, she thought he would fight with her. Rip it off her shoulder. But then his jaw softened and he cupped her behind the neck and towed her close. “If you’re leaving me, then I’m going to add one more regret to the pile.”

She dropped her luggage to the floor in her panicked rush to push him away, knowing if he kissed her then she might lose her strength to resist him, but she moved too slowly. His mouth covered hers, and he kissed her with so much passion she was surprised the sheer force didn’t knock her to the floor. Despite all the hatred, anger, and hurt stewing in her blood, her body responded.

Boy, did it respond.

He backed her into the wall, covering her entire body with his. Her hands, which previously pushed him away, pulled him closer. And she kissed him back, knowing this was the last time she would get to do so. And as his tongue moved over hers, she realized with picture-perfect clarity why she’d been so easily had. And why she’d been so desperate to save him.

She’d been falling in love with him.

Gasping for air and blinking back tears, she broke off the kiss. “Stop.”

“Don’t go.” He dropped his forehead on hers, his own breathing harsh. “I didn’t lie about wanting you to be mine. I still want that. Please don’t leave me, sweetheart.”

Part of her wanted to stay. But she couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

He’d used her. Lied to her. Played her.

Her heart seemed to be trying to claw its way out of her chest, one painful inch at a time. “I don’t want that. I don’t want you. I no longer belong to you. We’re over.”

His grip tightened on her. “You’re pissed. Take some time to—”

“I hate you now,” she choked out, recognizing it for the lie it was the second she said the words. “Did you expect anything else?”

He lingered on her for a second, but then he stepped back. The trembling of his hand as he let go of her almost did her in, but she refused to let herself waver. “No. Not really,” he said, his voice hollow. “Seems to be a common emotion with the women in my life.”

It was time to go, before she made a mistake.

Before she gave him a second chance.

“I-I think I forgot my purse in your room.” Tara crossed her arms. “I don’t want to go back in there and see where you…can you please get it for me?”

His forehead scrunched. “Okay.”

She watched him climb the stairs, waiting until he reached the top. As she bent and picked up her bag, he turned around. She could tell the exact moment he knew she was leaving him. The exact second he knew he’d been had. He stumbled down a step, obviously trying to rush back to her, and failing because of his leg. For a terrifying flash, she thought he might fall, but he caught himself on the banister.

“Tara, wait—”

She shook her head, swallowing past the huge aching lump in her throat. Without another word, she opened the door and bolted out, heading directly for the cab that she’d called. As she threw herself and her bag in the backseat, she shouted, “Go.
Go
!”

The driver blinked at her over his shoulder, but stepped on the gas. As the cab sped away from Jake’s house, she caught a brief glimpse of him toppling outside as she passed. He caught the doorframe, barely keeping himself from hitting the ground.

And she turned away.

The cab driver cleared his throat. “Where to, miss?”

She stared down at her bag, still blinking back tears. She didn’t want to go home. Didn’t want to stay there, knowing he might come find her. She didn’t trust herself around him. Not anymore. “Airport,” she croaked out. “Take me to the closest airport.”

As he drove, she took out her iPhone and opened an airline website. Within seconds, she had a flight booked to Florida. She had a vacation home there, and it would give her the chance she needed to heal. To forget.

When they got to the airport, she tipped the driver and got through security in record time. It wasn’t until she was in the air and she flopped her head back on her seat in first class that she let herself cry. And once she started, she couldn’t stop.

Because it was over.

It was
so
over.

Chapter Sixteen

Three days later, Jake sat behind his desk and tossed a stress ball back and forth. His sleep-deprived eyes stung, and he blinked them in an attempt to clear his vision. He was fucking exhausted, and yet he couldn’t sleep.

Every night, he went to Tara’s home and knocked. Every night, she didn’t answer. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out that she’d gone to one of those houses she’d spoken about a few days ago over dinner. He didn’t have a fucking clue what to do without her.

In his empty bed, he kept staring at the ceiling. Replaying their last conversation in his head. Something had happened to him during that short time he’d been in her company again, and it hadn’t been fixed when she walked out of his life. If anything, it had gotten worse. She had broken something inside him. Something irreparable that missed her, needed her, and wanted her back.

He snorted.
Yeah. As if that was going to happen.

Reclining in his chair, he kicked his feet on his desk. He had her file open, and had been staring at her photo like a lovesick teenager for the better part of the morning. He missed her so damn much. She hated him, and he deserved her hatred. He’d lied and that was the end of that. She’d never liked liars, and that hadn’t changed about her.

Thief or not, she valued honesty.

The door opened, and his boss poked his head through. He’d been expecting it to be Gordon with an update about his princess assignment, but it wasn’t. “Hey. You’re still here?”

“Yeah,” Jake said, confusion taking hold. Had he zoned out all day long? Shit if he knew. He checked the time. It was only eleven in the morning. Raising a brow, he asked, “Where else would I be? Did I forget about an appointment?”

“No. How you feeling?”

Jake flinched. Last night, he and Cooper had gotten piss-assed drunk, and Jake had spent all night talking about how much he missed Tara. He’d never drink tequila around the other man again. Hell, he’d even called Christine and spilled his guts to her, too. Told her how much he missed Tara, and how he needed to fix it.

He owed her an apology call now, too.

He sighed. “I’m good. Sorry about last night, by the way.”

“No worries, man. It happens to the best of us.” Cooper rubbed his jaw. “Did you sleep at all last night? Or the night before that?”

“No, not really,” he admitted. He rubbed his eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“Because you look like hell. Gordon does, too .”

Jake chuckled. “Yeah. I know. I heard he went out with the IT guy after we talked to him.”

“That dude can drink. But back on topic—maybe you need a change of scenery.” Cooper tossed an envelope on his desk. “I have a new assignment for you in Florida.”

Great.

An assignment would take his mind off Tara.

He opened the envelope before looking back at Jake. “There’s no intel in here. Only tickets and an address.”

“I know.” Cooper leaned against the door. “This is all my fault. I shoved you and Tara together, and you lost her. I feel like shit about it—Kayla’s pissed, too. I have to fix it.”

“Dude. Don’t worry about it. I never really had her in the first place.” He tossed the tickets on the desk. “We were fucking around. It’s not like she loved me or anything so insane as that.”

Cooper cocked his head. “Do you love her?”

“What?” He scoffed. “No. Fuck no. No.”

“If you say no one more time, we both might believe it.”

Jake stood. “Look. I appreciate you being my friend, and I appreciate the drinks last night, too. But I don’t need you in here asking me—”

“You weren’t around when I met Kayla…and almost lost her. You didn’t see how much of a fucking mess I was when I realized I’d ruined my chances at being happy. I couldn’t concentrate. Couldn’t stop thinking about her and how I had to find a way to get her back.”

“Is there a point to this?” Jake asked drily. “I mean, I like you and all, but I don’t really do the whole love-story crap. Not without a bottle of tequila in me, anyway.”

“You might not
do
it, but you’re
in
it right now.” Cooper grinned. “You’re me, a few short months ago. Go get her. Show her how miserable you are, make a grand gesture of some sort, and win her back. I have it on great authority that grand gestures always work.”

Jake frowned at the envelope, his cheeks heating up. Was he so fucking obvious about his feelings that even his boss noticed? Son of a bitch. His fingers twitched in his lap. He wanted to go. Wanted to chase after her. But what would he say?
Sorry for fucking you over, but can you maybe forget about that and love me instead of hate me
?

He cleared his throat and pushed the tickets away. “I’m sorry if my work ethics have been lacking lately, but I can improve on those. I don’t need to fly to Florida to do that.”

“Yeah, you do.” Cooper crossed the room and slid the envelope back at him with two fingers. “When you find someone who makes you feel like Tara does, you don’t let her go without fighting for her. Know what my biggest fear, besides losing Kayla, is?”

“No, but I have a feeling you’re about to tell me.”

“I’m scared of public speaking. Like, the freezing and pissing my pants while simultaneously vomiting, type of scared. I kid you not,” Cooper said, sitting in the chair in front of Jake’s desk. Despite himself, Jake leaned in. “Know what I did when I thought I couldn’t get Kayla back? I hopped on a stage, grabbed a mic, and spit my heart out in front of her whole family.”

Jake’s lips twitched. “It worked, I take it?”

“It did. Grand fucking gesture, baby.” Cooper grinned. “You need to do that.”

“Get on a microphone and make an ass out of myself?”

Cooper waved dismissively. “Not necessarily. Do something to show her you want her back. Show her you’re serious. Show her how much she means to you. Chicks dig that shit.”

He picked up the airline tickets. He hated flying. It was too high up in the sky for his comfort. If men were supposed to fly, they would have been born with wings, not feet. “Like flying to Florida?”

“Exactly,” Cooper said, standing. “I won’t expect you back until the return flight next week, and it better be with her. There’s a ticket for her, too.”

“I’ll try my best.” When a thought occurred to him, he stood abruptly. “Wait.”

Cooper turned at the door. “Yeah?”

“If I can pull off a miracle and get her to agree, would you hire her as a background technician? Or a recovery specialist?”

Cooper laughed. “Sure. But good luck with that one. She probably hates me more than she hates you.”

The door closed behind him, and Jake took a deep breath. This wouldn’t be easy, but Cooper was right. He was miserable without Tara, and there was only one way to fix that.

He had to find a way to get her back.

…

A few measly hours later, Jake pulled his baseball hat over his head and slid his shades higher on his nose. Clouds were rolling in, and so was a storm. He could smell it in the air. Sense it in the wind. Hell, he could feel it in his fucking bones.

He stood there, on her walkway, trying to think of the best thing to say to her. At first, she would be surprised to see him. She’d probably thought she’d never have to see him again. But she hadn’t counted on him falling for her, and neither had he.

The whole flight down to Florida, he’d tried to come up with some big gesture to show her he wanted her back. To show her he cared about her. That she’d shown him that he wanted more out of life than loner-ville.

He hadn’t come up with a damn thing.

The big house she’d holed up in rose three stories, and it was a modern cookie-cutter mansion with white shutters and big windows. The structure was easily five times the size of his home, but it still managed to look inviting with pretty flowers all lined up the stone pathway. The red door was shut, as were all the windows. Locked up tight.

Just like she’d be to him once she knew he was back.

He walked around the back of the house, taking off his sandals once he hit the sand. It had been a hell of a long time since he felt the hot stuff between his toes. Afghanistan didn’t count. That had been hell. He had thought it ruined him for sand. Thought it had ruined everything, in a way that his parents’ deaths hadn’t.

But then Tara had proved him wrong. She’d saved him.

She was the exception to his brokenness. As he rounded the corner, he found her. She was lying on a lounge chair, eyes shut. A gold bikini barely covered her essential parts, and his mouth dried out. He scanned the area, looking for any men watching his Tara, but no one was nearby. Not a single person in sight.

Thank fucking God.

He dropped his bag and crept closer, his attention on the flat part of her stomach, right above her bikini. It begged to be nibbled on. Hell, every inch of her needed to be tasted by
him
. One way or the other, he’d find a way to convince her she should forgive him. He wouldn’t give up on her. On them.

They were meant to be.

He swiped his palms on his pants. “Hello, sweetheart.”

She sat upright immediately, her lids flying open. Her cheeks flushed pink, and her perfect mouth dropped into an O shape. “Jake? What… Why… What the hell?”

“Did you miss me?”

She shook her head slightly. “Why are you here?”

“I missed you like hell. I can’t sleep. Can’t think. Can’t live without you making my life exciting. Putting stickers on my car and feng shui-ing my house. All that shit—I miss it. I miss you.” He wasn’t going to pussyfoot around. When he wanted something, he went after it. And he wanted Tara, in his arms, preferably naked. Forever. “Did you miss me at all? Never mind. I can tell you did.”

Her mouth opened and closed, but she didn’t respond. She seemed to be in too much shock to form a reply. Not once in his life had he ever seen her at a loss for words. That was a promising start to his mission…maybe. Or maybe she was just trying to think of the best way to tell him to go fuck himself.

Either way, he wasn’t giving up.

“
Miss
you? No. I haven’t thought of you at all.”

Ouch. That hurt, but it would have hurt a lot more if she were telling the truth. She’d averted her eyes as she spoke. She was lying through her pretty little teeth. He stepped closer to her, letting his shadow fall over her. “The hell you haven’t.”

She lifted her chin and stared him down. “I don’t want you here. Go away.”

“That I believe.” He dropped to his knees at the side of her chair. “I fucked up, and I know it. I hurt you. Can you give me a chance to kiss it and make it better?”

She crossed her arms, hugging tight. “No. Not a chance in hell.”

“Please.” He reached out and cupped her cheeks. To his surprise, she didn’t shove him off right away. “I’m sorry I lied to you. Sorry I made you feel as if I didn’t care. I did. I do. So much, sweetheart.”

She tilted her chin up. “You lied to me. Used me.”

“I know.” He hesitated, feeling compelled to explain himself. To make her see why he’d done what he had. But he couldn’t think of how to say it. The words wouldn’t come. He was choking up and ruining everything. “I—”

She pressed her lips together. “You blackmailed me. And lied to me. That’s all I know, and all I need to know.”

“I won’t lie to you anymore.” He caught her gaze, hoping she could see that he was telling the truth. “Ever again.”

She laughed bitterly. “Bullshit. Everyone lies.”

He ran his thumb over her lower lip. “Why are you always so sure you know everything?”

“Because I do.” She slapped his touch away. “Please stop doing that.”

His blood pounded. She’d gone soft under his fingers before she rejected him. She might want to be over him, but she so clearly wasn’t. “Tell me you haven’t thought about me since you left.”

“Jake.” She pushed him off. “What game are you playing? Why are you really here? Is something wrong with the code I gave you? Are you here to arrest me again?”

“There’s no game. No blackmail. Not this time.”

“Then what do you want from me?”

He stood and pulled her to her feet, not dropping his hold. “I’ll tell you what I want. I want a second chance.”

“Someone once told me second chances were a waste of time.”

He cringed. “He sounds like an asshole.”

“He is,” she agreed.

“I fucked up. In order to protect the one thing I care about the most, I screwed everything up.” He ran his fingers down her cheek, and she trembled. She might be protesting her desire, but she still wanted him as much as she had before he’d betrayed her. She didn’t want to admit it. “Give me a chance to do things right.”

She watched him suspiciously, her brows low. “Not if you were the last man on earth, and we were the only ones left to carry on the human race. Not if God himself came down from the clouds and asked me nicely. Not if—”

“—there was a zombie apocalypse?”

“I’d sooner eat your rotting flesh,” she said in a rush.

His lips twitched, and he let out a laugh. She looked at him in surprise. “See? That’s one of the reasons I need you. You make me laugh when I’d thought I forgot how.”

“So do funny movies.” She stood up. “I suggest you watch one of them and leave me out of it. I’m not yours anymore.”

Yes, she
was
.

He stalked toward her. She backed against the brick wall. She’d retreated, but she still stared at him defiantly. As if she wasn’t scared of anything he might do to her. As if he held no power over her anymore. If it she didn’t give a shit about him anymore?

He was fucked.

Burying his face in her neck, he inhaled her sweet scent. She shivered and gripped his shoulders, a small sound escaping her lips. He waited for her to push him away. To reject him. But she didn’t. He nibbled on her shoulder, right next to her bikini strap. “You said you wanted to save me. I figured out how you can do that. Don’t send me away.” He pulled back. “Don’t shut me out now.
Save
me.”

She wiggled free. “It’s too late. You’re too late.”

She shut the door, and he covered his face with his hands, taking a steadying breath. Okay. That hadn’t gone as well as he’d planned, but that was all right. He’d do better next time. She needed to a few hours to come to terms with his presence, and then he’d come back. But first? He’d plan his next attack.