“No, Jake. I danced for Bella, and for myself. What did you want me to do? Blow the whole undercover operation because you have a stick up your ass? Just because you are playing the angry possessive boyfriend, you don’t have to act like one! What are you going to do? Track him down and beat him to death for messing with your woman?”
She saw Brady cock an eyebrow, then wink at Clint. Clint looked down, but not before she saw his lips curl.
She jumped to her feet. She pinned Brady with a scathing glare.
“I’m glad you think this is funny, Brady. It’s not. And this conversation was unnecessary. So much for treating me like a partner. I thought I could trust you. But, oh no, you have to run and tattle to daddy.” She turned to leave the room when Jake’s voice cut across the room. There was no mistaking the dark threat in his command.
“Come back here.” She whirled around, staring at him in surprise. He nodded. “Sit down, Lexie.”
When she stood in the doorway and raised her chin defiantly, he jerked his head toward the table. “Now.”
She hesitated. She was as angry as he was. Maybe more. This was unfair. But seeing his seething anger, she tossed her head and pressed her lips together in a hard line. She strode back to the table. Sinking noisily into her chair, she stared at the table, refusing to meet his eyes.
“You can trust all of us, Lexie, including Brady. In this instance, it was you who was unwilling to trust. To tell me what happened so that Brady didn’t have to. There are no secrets on this team. We are loyal to one another.”
“Really? So loyal that Mr. Smart Ass can’t keep his mouth shut? Don’t you mean, you are loyal to each other? And that, no matter what happens, no matter what I do, they’ll come running to you?” She snagged both Brady and Clint with her angry stare.
Jake’s voice was quiet, controlled. “I’m the commander, Lexie. I expect absolute loyalty from every member of my team.”
She turned on him, willing herself not to shriek. As angry she was, she forced herself to speak in a reasonably calm voice. “Then it’s a damn good thing I’m not on your team, Jake. I told you before. I’m not a team player. I run solo. I always have and I always will. What happened tonight confirms it.”
The crease between Jake’s eyes deepened.
“Those days are over, Lexie.”
When she started to mouth an angry protest, he held up his hand. His face looked lean, dangerous. “You are correct. What happened tonight does confirm it.” He drew a circle with his hand around the four of them. “You are sitting square in the middle of this team and that’s where you are going to stay.
“This is no small matter, Lexie. And yes, if I could, I would kill that man. I’m hoping I will have the opportunity to do so. In the event it hasn’t occurred to you, his description and MO are remarkably similar to the man who broke into your motel room.”
Dread ratcheted up her spine. Oh, God, he was right. Fear and anger warred inside of her. She felt the familiar caldron of anxiety churning in her gut. Unwilling to sit a minute longer, she jumped to her feet.
Jake must have seen something in her face, because he also stood. His expression was strained.
“We’ll finish this discussion in the morning.”
She narrowed her eyes and held his gaze. “No, actually we won’t. I’m done discussing anything with you.” She whirled on Brady and Clint, who also leapt to their feet. “Or with you! Or you!”
She marched to the door and jerked her head at the cluster of beer bottles and remnants of snacks on the table.
“Pick up your mess before you leave.”
She practically ran down the hallway to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
Jake started after her when Clint put a hand on his arm.
“Why don’t you give her some time, Jake? To get over her anger? I think she’s feeling a little outnumbered.”
Brady nodded. “Since there’s nothing I like more that an ass kicking fight, I regret that I must agree with Clint. She looked pretty damned devastated when she came out of that room, Jake. It couldn’t have been easy for her.”
~~~
Lexie took a long shower, determined to wash every remnant of the hideous scene at the club off her body and out of her mind. She refused to let herself think that Jake might be right, that the awful man was the same one who was in her motel room playing with her underwear. She stood in the shower so long that that the skin on her hands and feet were wrinkled. Exhausted, she couldn’t do more than towel dry her hair. She didn’t bother putting on a nightgown, just crawled in bed, desperate to go to sleep.
She didn’t know how long she’d laid there staring at the ceiling when her cell phone rang.
She saw it was Jake and debated whether to answer it. On the sixth ring, she flicked it on.
“Lexie?”
The deep timbre of his voice sent a flurry of unwanted sensations raging through her body. She struggled to keep her voice flat, unrevealing.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry, Lexie.”
“For…for what?”
“For the way I acted tonight. Hell, sugar, you had a hideous experience and all I could think about was how I was going to kill the fucker. Insensitive bastard that I am, I didn’t even acknowledge what you went through. I’m sorry, darlin’.”
“Umm…okay. But…I’m still angry at you.”
“You have a right to be.”
In the silence that followed, Lexie allowed herself to revel in his voice, to acknowledge how glad she was that he called.
“Lexie, right now I have six men guarding your house round the clock. No one can get to you.” An undercurrent of steel laced through his quiet voice. “And, darlin’, just so you know, I
He hesitated and his voice dropped. “But I can’t lie. I gotta tell you, just the thought of you dancing for a repulsive prick like that makes me crazy.”
“Jake?”
“Yes, Lexie.”
“I’ve never danced for
When he answered her, his voice was soft, husky.
“Thank you for telling me that, Lexie.”
There was a long pause.
“Lexie?”
“Hmm?”
“That’s not the last time you’re gonna dance for me.”
A massive shiver shuddered over her at the image his dark sexy voice invoked.
He murmured, “You know that, don’t you, baby?”
“Mmm. I…I. Yes. I know that, Jake.”
“Soon, Lexie. Very soon.”
His soft chuckle vibrated over the phone, causing a startling wave of heat to run through her. His voice was soft, deep.
“Good night, darlin’.”
“Good night, Jake.”
Lexie held the phone in her hand for several minutes. Not wanting to let go of the connection, she tucked it under her pillow and snuggled under the silky duvet. She wondered with a sigh as she drifted off to sleep which side of this bed Jake had slept on.
