The Wager (20 page)

“Now.” Grandma pointed the gun at Travis. “Back in your room. Go to bed. You’ll be married soon, and then you can have all the sex you want.”

“Grandma just said ‘sex’.” Jake commented behind Char. “I think this is my favorite night ever.”

“And you!” Grandma pointed the gun at Kacey. “Stop tempting him! He’s a boy! He can’t help his urges.”

“Just kidding,” Jake said. “ ‘Urges’, ‘urges’ trumps ‘sex’.”

“Now! The both of you, back into your rooms so you can put this fornicating business behind you!”

“There it is,” Char whispered. “The winner of the night.”

“Fornication.” Jake held out his hand from behind Char. She gave him a high five before they slowly closed their door.

Grandma called out their names.

“Quick!” Char yelled. “Get on the floor! This is not a drill!”

Jake dove for the pillow and face planted onto his blankets just as Char sprawled across her bed. The door clicked open.

Grandma sighed. “Such good kids, so well-behaved.”

When the door shut, Char exhaled loudly. “That was close.”

“I’m curious.”

“About?”

“She had a whistle this morning… and now she has a gun. I swear my dad locks the gun cabinet for that very reason. He even hides the ammo.”

“I’ve stopped asking why when it comes to Grandma.”

Jake laughed. The sound of his voice caused a warmth to drape over Char as she moved to her side and looked over the edge of the bed.

Jake glanced up. “What? Looking for more scratches? My offer still stands, you know.” With a wink he moved his hands to the band of his pajama pants and began sliding them off.

Char covered her eyes. “Keep your pants on.”

“Hmm,” Jake said. “I think that’s the first time a girl’s actually asked that while in the same room with me in the dark.”

“How’s it feel?”

“Stings a bit.”

Char’s eyes were still closed when she felt Jake’s hands on her cheeks. She had no choice then but to open them and feel the full force of what his hazel eyes did to her. He smiled, a real, hot, honest-to-goodness, soul bearing, I’m-going-to–sell-my-grandmother-to-North Korea-in-order-to-marry-this-man smile. “It always stings before it gets better.”

“W-what?” Words weren’t really forming well, not with his hands on her, his shirtless torso before her, and his eyes gazing at her face as if she was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever encountered.

“Scratches. They always sting before they heal. So it stings to get rejected, but I think in the end it will be worth it.”

“You should drink more often,” Char joked. “You get all sentimental.”

“It’s not the drink,” Jake murmured, his lips so close to hers she could almost taste him. “Good night, Char.”

“ ’Night.” Her voice was foreign and airy to her as Jake released her face and slid back down onto his makeshift bed. “Sweet dreams.”

He turned on his side and gave her another one of his megawatt smiles. “If you hear your name, you’ll know why.”

And melt.

Well, crap.

Char managed a smile before she lay back in the bed and waged war within herself. What if Jake really was changing? What if he was trying and she missed it because she was too focused on Jace?

Jace was interested.

Jake was a gamble.

Add another sleepless night to her list of growing problems. Not to mention the fact that every single phone call from work had been ignored.

Him. She’d always wanted him, and now that he was right in front of her, actually vulnerable and trying, she owed it to herself to try, too.

She was going to do it.

Possibly lose her job, and her heart, all over again, on the slim chance that the boy from junior high camp really did want to kiss her back.

It was settled.

Karma had come and gone, and in its place it had gifted Jake a heart. One that was so irritatingly tender that he was about five seconds away from losing his mind.

She smiled.

He got giddy, actually giddy, as in his heart did a little flip in his chest. When Char offered to go with him into town, he was actually excited.

Right. Excited that he was spending the afternoon with Char at the courthouse.

What the hell?

Two months ago he would have wanted to kill himself.

And now—now he was looking forward to just spending time with Char, a girl, a woman to be exact. The longest date he’d had in years was taking place at a courthouse. That had to be a bad sign.

Grandma had forgotten to pick up the license after Kacey and Travis stopped by to show that they were in fact who they said they were.

At any rate, all Jake had to do, as the best man, was pick up the license and then take Char out to lunch. Not too hard. Granted, it seemed ridiculous that he of all people had to do it, but Grandma had thrown such a fit that morning over coffee that he would have said yes to anything including going to Africa to fight for lion rights—if it would just get her to stop talking. Travis and Kacey were busy doing some last-minute scheduling with the wedding band and everyone else was helping set up, so that left him and Char.

Char had been eager to get out of the house, what with Grandma following her around snapping orders.

Jace had asked to come with them.

Jake’s answer? Not a chance in hell, and Grandma, bless her heart, claimed to need Jace at the last minute, which was most likely a falsehood. Not that he cared; the situation had totally worked in his favor.

The courthouse wasn’t too far from their house. They had just opened by the time he and Char walked up to the registrar.

“Can I help you?” The elderly lady asked. She had owl-shaped glasses perched low on her nose, bright red lipstick, and a loud electric blue shirt. It was almost like looking at Grandma’s doppelgänger.

“Yes,” Jake said smoothly. “We need to pick up the license for the Titus wedding.”

“Oh.” The lady’s face fell. “Just one moment, I’ll just…” Shaking, she mumbled something under her breath as she searched through a file on her desk.

Char chewed her lower lip, drumming her nails against the countertop while the lady searched. Jake, being the lunatic he now was, watched Char. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, giving him the perfect picture of her high cheekbones and graceful neck. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to feel her smooth skin under his hand.

“Here’s the thing.” The lady cleared her throat. “I don’t have it.”

“Sorry, what?” Jake snapped his attention away from Char and looked at the lady. “The license? But they’re getting married this weekend.”

“Right.” The lady smiled nervously. Lipstick stained her two front teeth. “I have an idea, but I could get fired…”

“I’m all ears.” Jake tried to stay calm. “Because they need that piece of paper by Sunday evening.”

“We can expedite the process. I’ll fudge the date, but I’ll need to leave the names blank on the license.”

“Why?” Char asked. “Can’t you just type them in and fudge the entire thing?”

“They’ll know,” the lady whispered, motioning behind her to all the other people working in the office. “And like I said, I could get fired.”

Jake groaned and looked at Char. “What do we do?”

“Well, we need a license!” Char exhaled. “Okay, fine, we’ll do it. What do you need from us?”

“Sally.” A woman approached. “Is everything okay over here?”

“Perfect!” Sally exclaimed. “These young people were just picking up their marriage license! They’re getting married this week!” Her eyes pleaded with theirs.

“Right!” Jake nudged Char. “We are so excited. Aren’t we, sweetie pie?”

“Sure, Twinkie pants.” Char’s teeth clenched. “So, so, so very excited for this holy union.”

“In front of God.” Jake nodded. “And our family.”

Char nodded emphatically. “It’s just too bad I got knocked up before the wedding, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say bad.” Jake’s eyes narrowed as his grip around her shoulders tightened. “In fact I would say it was very, very, very good.”

Char shrugged. “It was all right.”

Sally and the lady chuckled.

“If you get my meaning.” Char winked.

“We are so in love!” Jake shouted, trying to cause a distraction so Char wouldn’t continue talking about his level of sexual prowess.

“Oh.” Sally clapped. “I almost forgot. I’ll need your driver’s licenses just to prove you are who you say you are.”

With a kick, Char stepped on Jake’s foot then handed over her license.

Muttering a curse, Jake pulled out his.

“They check out!” Sally beamed.

The lady behind her disappeared.

Everyone exhaled.

“I’m so sorry,” Sally said. “I know I’m being unprofessional. Now remember, you have to fill in the names of the two parties and then the witnesses, all righty?”

“Perfect.” Jake took the piece of paper and winked. “How much do we owe you for the license?”

“Sixty dollars cash.” Sally held out her hand.

Jake almost choked. “Sixty dollars? To get a piece of paper?” Was it printed on gold? Who the hell paid sixty dollars for something that took two seconds to type out?

Char elbowed him in the ribs. Luckily he always carried cash, so he pulled out three twenty dollar bills and handed them over.

“Thank you so much!” Sally winked. “And congratulations.”

Jake stared at her for a minute. Why did she look so familiar?

“Oh, look! Lunch break!” Sally stood. “Now off you go!”

“It’s ten,” Jake pointed out.

“I like to eat.” Sally walked off.

Jake stared after her.

“Let’s go.” Char grabbed the manila envelope with the license in it. “Mission accomplished, and you Grandma swore you’d make it worth my while and buy me lunch.”

Actually, his goal was to take her on a date, but she didn’t have to know that. It would freak her out; hell, it was freaking him out. He was actually going to do this. Was he ready? Would he ever be ready to take that plunge?

His manhood was on holiday, his brain was fuzzy from last night, and Char’s short white shorts weren’t helping matters.

“Hello?” She picked up her ringing cell phone. “Right. Okay, yeah, not a problem. Uh.” She flushed and looked away from Jake. “I don’t think that—” She cringed. “Fine, okay, yeah.”

“You all right?”

“Sure.” Char waved him off. “It was nothing, just work.”

“They do know you’re on vacation, right?”

“Vacation and Grandma don’t exactly fit in the same sentence.”

“Tell me about it,” he grumbled as he turned the car toward his favorite coffee shop. “I can talk to your boss, you know, if you want.”

The car fell silent.

“My boss?” Char laughed. “What are you going to do? Waltz in there, throw your name around, and make my problems go away?”

“So he is giving you problems.”

“Drop it, Jake. You’re not my big brother protecting me from the bullies on the playground.”

“Hell no, not a brother. I was thinking more of a superhero, like Superman, sweeping in to fix everything.”

Char rolled her eyes and laughed; there went more giddiness. “So you’d pick Superman.”

“Yes.” Jake exhaled and pulled into the coffee shop. “If for no other reason than wearing super tight Speedo-like pants so everyone on God’s green earth could see that I don’t wear extra small condoms.”

He should have remembered the window was open.

A woman getting into her car gasped.

Her small child asked, “Mama, what’s a condom?”

Jake didn’t think it would be appropriate to say a toy, so he just smiled and mouthed
sorry
to the mother, all the while thinking God hated him.

“I think you should have explained that.” Char laughed, unbuckling her seatbelt when they’d parked.

Jake got out of the car and slammed the door. “Right, and end up getting arrested for saying the wrong anatomical word to a small child. I can only imagine how that could be taken. Jake Titus flashes small child in parking lot.”

“Oh, come on!” Char threw her hands in the air. “You’re exaggerating. The media isn’t that bad.”

“Um, yes they are.” Jake opened the door for her, and the smell of organic coffee floated around them in the shop. “And how can you defend the media? You know as well as I do that a story about me helping a small child would only get twisted into me somehow stealing their ice cream or something.”

Char reached for his hand and squeezed it. “The media isn’t against you.”

“I’m sorry. Do you watch the news?” Jake clenched her hand within his and refused to let it go. In fact, he was holding it hostage, forever. Wow, mature.

They walked up to a small bistro that served coffee and sandwiches and made their way inside.

“What will it be?” The barista asked, eying Jake up and down and completely ignoring Char and everyone else within her vicinity. Why did it suddenly bother him so much that women checked him out and openly ignored Char?

Irritated, Jake lied. “My fiancée and I—well, we just got back from getting our marriage license.” He sighed longingly and gazed into Char’s eyes. “And the thing is, I want to celebrate with my sweetum’s favorite drink. I want it to be extra sweet, just like her.” Oh, gag him.

With a giggle, Char turned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck, playing right along. Though she seemed a bit stiff in his arms. Jake whispered go with it, in her ear and before he knew what was happening she said. “But, baby, all I really need is you.”

She kissed him.

And suddenly… Hell, forget about holding her hand. He was taking her mouth hostage. With a groan he kissed her back, sliding his tongue into her mouth. Tasting her would never get old. He craved everything about her, the way her hands played with the longer hair at the nape of his neck, the graze of her teeth against his lips.

“Excuse me?” The barista said loudly. “There are people behind you and children present. Geez, get a room.”

With strength he nearly didn’t possess, Jake pulled back and glared at the barista. “Already got one, but thanks for the suggestion. Two iced coffees with cream.” Without releasing Char, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty. “Keep the change.”