Read Online Hard Charger: Jake & Sophia: A Hot Contemporary Romance by Tracy Fobes - Free Book Online
Authors: Tracy Fobes
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lips twisted. She glanced over at the hostess.
“Sophia, please,” he said urgently. “I need to talk to you.”
She narrowed her eyes and walked over to his table. He could smell her scent: something clean, with an undertone of roses.
“Thank you,” he said.
“Just you tonight?” she asked. “Or will your blonde hooker be joining you?”
He grimaced. “Sophia...”
“Save your explanations, Jake,” she said coolly. “What you do with your time--and your dick--is your business. But we run a respectable business here. No blow jobs in the back hallways.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“My brother expects me to believe that you two didn’t even know they were hookers. Like I’m going to believe that. ”
“We really didn’t know,” he admitted, feeling like a fool.
“I understand,” she said with false sweetness. “You just didn’t want to have to pay for it.”
“Alex and I were hustled. I mean...things got out of hand way too quickly. We were dumb.”
Shrugging, she plunked a glass of water down on his table. “As I said, I don’t care.”
But he suspected she did care. He saw the way color had come up in her cheeks, leaving them pink, and he noticed how her breasts were heaving, as if she were having trouble breathing. “We have a lot to talk about.”
“No, we don’t.” She pulled a pen and notepad out of her pocket. “What can I get you?”
He threw her a pleading look, and then glanced down at the menu. He saw a section labeled “Pub Fare” and order a burger and a Guinness.
“I’ll have that right out for you,” she told him, and started to walk away.
But he wasn’t ready to let her go. “Do you have a break coming up?”
She paused. “If I did, why do you think I’d want to spend it with you?”
“Please, Sophia. I just need a few minutes.”
“A few minutes for what?”
“I want to clear the air between us.” He swallowed. “I know I didn’t do right by you. It’s bothered me ever since I left.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Does my brother know you’re here, trying to make amends?”
He swallowed. “No.”
The first genuine smile crossed her lips. “That’s good,” she said. “Because if he knew, he’d kick your ass.”
He smiled, too. “We don’t have to tell him.”
“You’re very naughty, Jake Gallent.” She tapped her pen against her notebook in a thoughtful manner. “My break isn’t for another two hours.”
“No problem,” he told her, with a little sigh. “I’ll wait.”
“Fine,” she replied. “I’ll put your order in now.”
Two hours and four beers later, Jake had moved from his table to the pub to wait for Sophia to go on break. He loved the original stained glass and leaded windows. The long, dark wood, marble topped bar with hand carved mermaids at either end was over 150 years old. Rather than sit at the bar, he relaxed in one of the over-stuffed leather chairs that surrounded the fireplace. During the colder months, Kat always had a roaring fire to welcome her guests, and on Thursday through Sunday nights, music played from the grand piano in the parlor.
From his cushy leather seat, he’d been observing all sorts of people coming and going: some he knew, and others were clearly out-of-towners. There were a number of French Canadians who, for unknown reasons, drove down from Quebec to vacation in sleepy Rockport Grove. He’d also had plenty of opportunity to watch Sophia wait on tables and admire her grace as she juggled plates of food, her friendliness as she took orders, and the way other men in the room seemed to follow her with their gazes.
All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend a few hours. When Sophia finally stopped by to say she was on break, he stretched, finished his beer and stood.
“Sorry about making you wait so long,” she murmured, though her sly little grin told him she
“Sophia, please,” he said urgently. “I need to talk to you.”
She narrowed her eyes and walked over to his table. He could smell her scent: something clean, with an undertone of roses.
“Thank you,” he said.
“Just you tonight?” she asked. “Or will your blonde hooker be joining you?”
He grimaced. “Sophia...”
“Save your explanations, Jake,” she said coolly. “What you do with your time--and your dick--is your business. But we run a respectable business here. No blow jobs in the back hallways.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“My brother expects me to believe that you two didn’t even know they were hookers. Like I’m going to believe that. ”
“We really didn’t know,” he admitted, feeling like a fool.
“I understand,” she said with false sweetness. “You just didn’t want to have to pay for it.”
“Alex and I were hustled. I mean...things got out of hand way too quickly. We were dumb.”
Shrugging, she plunked a glass of water down on his table. “As I said, I don’t care.”
But he suspected she did care. He saw the way color had come up in her cheeks, leaving them pink, and he noticed how her breasts were heaving, as if she were having trouble breathing. “We have a lot to talk about.”
“No, we don’t.” She pulled a pen and notepad out of her pocket. “What can I get you?”
He threw her a pleading look, and then glanced down at the menu. He saw a section labeled “Pub Fare” and order a burger and a Guinness.
“I’ll have that right out for you,” she told him, and started to walk away.
But he wasn’t ready to let her go. “Do you have a break coming up?”
She paused. “If I did, why do you think I’d want to spend it with you?”
“Please, Sophia. I just need a few minutes.”
“A few minutes for what?”
“I want to clear the air between us.” He swallowed. “I know I didn’t do right by you. It’s bothered me ever since I left.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Does my brother know you’re here, trying to make amends?”
He swallowed. “No.”
The first genuine smile crossed her lips. “That’s good,” she said. “Because if he knew, he’d kick your ass.”
He smiled, too. “We don’t have to tell him.”
“You’re very naughty, Jake Gallent.” She tapped her pen against her notebook in a thoughtful manner. “My break isn’t for another two hours.”
“No problem,” he told her, with a little sigh. “I’ll wait.”
“Fine,” she replied. “I’ll put your order in now.”
Two hours and four beers later, Jake had moved from his table to the pub to wait for Sophia to go on break. He loved the original stained glass and leaded windows. The long, dark wood, marble topped bar with hand carved mermaids at either end was over 150 years old. Rather than sit at the bar, he relaxed in one of the over-stuffed leather chairs that surrounded the fireplace. During the colder months, Kat always had a roaring fire to welcome her guests, and on Thursday through Sunday nights, music played from the grand piano in the parlor.
From his cushy leather seat, he’d been observing all sorts of people coming and going: some he knew, and others were clearly out-of-towners. There were a number of French Canadians who, for unknown reasons, drove down from Quebec to vacation in sleepy Rockport Grove. He’d also had plenty of opportunity to watch Sophia wait on tables and admire her grace as she juggled plates of food, her friendliness as she took orders, and the way other men in the room seemed to follow her with their gazes.
All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend a few hours. When Sophia finally stopped by to say she was on break, he stretched, finished his beer and stood.
“Sorry about making you wait so long,” she murmured, though her sly little grin told him she
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