Read Online Traded by Lorhainne Eckhart - Free Book Online Page A

her worst? “You stay here. I’m a big girl. I can find my own way home.”
    “Look, at least let me give you some money for a cab.” He was patting his pockets, and the shock of him tossing her money made her feel cheap and whorish. Didn’t he get that? Just hearing him say it was enough of an icy reality check for her to step away and lift her hand in the air to wave him off.
    “No, Jake, I don’t think so.”
    She walked straight to the elevator—forget the stairs—and jammed her finger on the button. The wait was the longest few seconds of her life, and she forced herself to stare straight ahead at the elevator doors, knowing that Jake was still there in his doorway, watching her. She wondered too whether he was relieved that she was leaving. Then the elevator dinged, and she stepped in, thankful no one was inside. She pressed the button for the doors to close, and then she sagged against the back of the elevator as it started to move.

Chapter 13
    He wanted to kick himself as he watched Chris hurry into the elevator. He could tell how stiff she was, standing erect, her shoulders back. She was far from okay with this situation. Hell, he wasn’t okay with any of this, and he felt like a world-class jerk. He was torn as he closed the door to his hotel room and then stared at it. What was it about Jill arriving at his hotel room that had him questioning everything? He rested his hand against the door and turned just enough to see Jill simmering with righteous indignation, watching him watching her. It was so much like a standoff. Her arms were crossed over her dark green jacket and matching jeans. Her bag was still looped over her shoulder.
    He took in everything about her, wondering when his illusion of her being the center of his world had begun. She’d meant everything to him, everything he did and planned and decided, he’d always thought of Jill first, but in these few second of staring at each other, he realized something was different for him. He was comparing her to Chris. Jill was taller, slimmer, smaller in the bust, but she still had a great figure.
    Her eyes weren’t the big, bright blue eyes that Chris had. No, Chris had eyes that were bold and gave him a glimpse of the strength a woman like her possessed. And the way she looked at him when she listened to what he had to say told him that she understood everything and more. She gave all of herself to him in those moments. It was never about her. How different these two women were. Jill was more timid, sweet, needy. He took a breath to say something but paused. It had always been her leaning on him. Jill had never once thought about him and his needs.
    “Well, that was awkward,” she said. “Walking in on you with another woman…I guess you really have moved on.”
    He pushed away from the door and stepped around Jill to pull open his drawer, yanking out a t-shirt and pulling it on over his head. He couldn’t look at Jill as his cheeks heated, so he bent down and picked up his shirt and Chris’s lacy white underwear with it. So she’d run out without underwear under that slim-fitting skirt. It was a thought that didn’t make him happy.
    He grabbed his socks, his underwear, and pulled open the bottom drawer he used to stash his dirty clothes, then shoved it closed. He could feel Jill watching him. Maybe she was waiting for him to respond, but what could he say?
    “Why are you here?” He ran his tongue over his teeth and then crossed his arms when she took a step toward him. He felt himself tense when he realized she was going to touch him.
    Maybe she thought better of it, as she pulled her hand away and lowered it to her side. She didn’t come any closer. “I’ve been thinking a lot.”
    He cocked his head, wondering how many weeks she had needed to think about what he was offering. Was it second thoughts she was now having? “About what?”
    “You’re not going to make this easy on me. I should be furious with you, walking in here and