around his neck, pressed against the same body that had moments ago been pressed against her.
It had to be the mysterious girlfriend who’d been jerking Jake around. Chris hated her. What the hell was the matter with Jake that he hadn’t shut the door in her face and told her to go away?
“Chris.” There was a knock on the bathroom door. She couldn’t find her underwear, and she wasn’t about to go back out there to find them, so she pulled on her bra and shirt and slipped on her skirt before pulling the door open. Jake was still there, and so was the girl, wearing a pained look on her face as if she were the injured party. She wouldn’t look at Chris. She appeared embarrassed. Well, she should be. With her arms crossed, she turned her head, her gaze connecting with Chris’s, and there was nothing understanding or friendly there. Women could be vile, spiteful creatures when it came to their men, but this woman had pushed him away. Chris just hoped Jake would set her straight. Please stand up for me.
Jake was rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. Awkward—she hated this. “Chris,” he said, reaching for her arm as she raced back, looking for her shoes. She grabbed her purse, which was also on the floor, and then her glasses from the bedside table. She lifted Jake’s shirt and found a shoe. The other woman bent over and picked up her other shoe by the garbage can.
“You looking for this?” She held it out in her slender hand. Jake actually took it from the woman and gave her a look Chris couldn’t have made sense of for the life of her. Was he angry? He was something.
Jake stepped closer, right in front of her, and put his hands on her shoulders. She couldn’t look at him, so she stared at his shoulders—his wide, magnificent, muscled shoulders. They were so strong, and he could hold her together if he wanted to, but she didn’t know where his head was in any of this. And she was humiliated. What was he thinking?
She looked up, because his hands were still on her, but he didn’t say anything, so she patted his hand. She couldn’t spend one more minute here, because out of all the embarrassing things that had happened to her, this was the first time she had ever felt like the other woman, and it brought back all her past failures, how she just couldn’t seem to pull off a stable, normal relationship. It wasn’t sane, considering everything in this twisted situation, namely the mysterious girlfriend who’d dumped Jake and left. Now here she was, walking around with her arms crossed, taking in the hotel room, appearing stiff and awkward. She was back in Chris’s line of sight, and if there was one thing Chris knew without a doubt, it was that the woman didn’t want her here.
“Wait,” Jake said. She could hear the frustration in his voice and could tell that he was processing all of this. It was in his expression, a moral dilemma.
“I’m going to go.” She stepped away, and this time he let his hands fall. He let her go, and she made it all the way to the door on shaky legs, feeling a slight tremble inside of her. Maybe it was shock, but as she pulled open the door, she was hit by a wave of sadness.
“Chris, wait.” His hand was on the door, but she couldn’t turn around, couldn’t look up at him, because then he’d see the tears swimming in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
“Yes?” she said, forcing her voice to remain calm. She held it together and then pressed her hand to her mouth when she felt a sob bubbling up. She pushed it back and prayed he wouldn’t touch her, because then she wouldn’t be able to hold it together. She just needed a minute to find the stairwell so she could slip away alone where no one could see her.
“Just give me a minute here and then I’ll drive you home,” he said. She heard him rest his hand on the door.
“No.” She cleared her throat roughly. What, did he expect her to wait in the hall, where someone could walk by and see her at
It had to be the mysterious girlfriend who’d been jerking Jake around. Chris hated her. What the hell was the matter with Jake that he hadn’t shut the door in her face and told her to go away?
“Chris.” There was a knock on the bathroom door. She couldn’t find her underwear, and she wasn’t about to go back out there to find them, so she pulled on her bra and shirt and slipped on her skirt before pulling the door open. Jake was still there, and so was the girl, wearing a pained look on her face as if she were the injured party. She wouldn’t look at Chris. She appeared embarrassed. Well, she should be. With her arms crossed, she turned her head, her gaze connecting with Chris’s, and there was nothing understanding or friendly there. Women could be vile, spiteful creatures when it came to their men, but this woman had pushed him away. Chris just hoped Jake would set her straight. Please stand up for me.
Jake was rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. Awkward—she hated this. “Chris,” he said, reaching for her arm as she raced back, looking for her shoes. She grabbed her purse, which was also on the floor, and then her glasses from the bedside table. She lifted Jake’s shirt and found a shoe. The other woman bent over and picked up her other shoe by the garbage can.
“You looking for this?” She held it out in her slender hand. Jake actually took it from the woman and gave her a look Chris couldn’t have made sense of for the life of her. Was he angry? He was something.
Jake stepped closer, right in front of her, and put his hands on her shoulders. She couldn’t look at him, so she stared at his shoulders—his wide, magnificent, muscled shoulders. They were so strong, and he could hold her together if he wanted to, but she didn’t know where his head was in any of this. And she was humiliated. What was he thinking?
She looked up, because his hands were still on her, but he didn’t say anything, so she patted his hand. She couldn’t spend one more minute here, because out of all the embarrassing things that had happened to her, this was the first time she had ever felt like the other woman, and it brought back all her past failures, how she just couldn’t seem to pull off a stable, normal relationship. It wasn’t sane, considering everything in this twisted situation, namely the mysterious girlfriend who’d dumped Jake and left. Now here she was, walking around with her arms crossed, taking in the hotel room, appearing stiff and awkward. She was back in Chris’s line of sight, and if there was one thing Chris knew without a doubt, it was that the woman didn’t want her here.
“Wait,” Jake said. She could hear the frustration in his voice and could tell that he was processing all of this. It was in his expression, a moral dilemma.
“I’m going to go.” She stepped away, and this time he let his hands fall. He let her go, and she made it all the way to the door on shaky legs, feeling a slight tremble inside of her. Maybe it was shock, but as she pulled open the door, she was hit by a wave of sadness.
“Chris, wait.” His hand was on the door, but she couldn’t turn around, couldn’t look up at him, because then he’d see the tears swimming in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
“Yes?” she said, forcing her voice to remain calm. She held it together and then pressed her hand to her mouth when she felt a sob bubbling up. She pushed it back and prayed he wouldn’t touch her, because then she wouldn’t be able to hold it together. She just needed a minute to find the stairwell so she could slip away alone where no one could see her.
“Just give me a minute here and then I’ll drive you home,” he said. She heard him rest his hand on the door.
“No.” She cleared her throat roughly. What, did he expect her to wait in the hall, where someone could walk by and see her at
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