Standby (Open Skies Book 4) Read online

  Standby

  Open Skies, Book Four

  Becca Jameson

  Copyright © 2021 by Becca Jameson

  Cover Artist: Originalsyn

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. And resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Newsletter

  Acknowledgments

  About the Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Author’s Note

  Also by Becca Jameson

  About the Author

  Join my newsletter to stay up to date on all things Becca Jameson!

  Becca’s Newsletter Sign-up

  Acknowledgments

  I have to thank my amazing editor, Rebecca, for helping me plot this story! She rocks!

  About the Book

  Shayla

  It’s been months since she broke up with abusive ex-boyfriend, Hawke.

  The man won’t leave her alone. He texts, calls, and now he’s stalking her.

  She’s exhausted but too embarrassed to share her problem with anyone.

  When Jake catches wind Shayla is in trouble, he moves her into his home.

  She’s had her eye on him for over a year, but it’s hard to let down her guard.

  So she agrees to a bet that keeps Jake at arm’s length.

  But Hawke’s getting dangerous and she needs Jake’s help.

  Jake

  He should have asked Shayla out months ago, but she was always taken.

  Now it makes his skin crawl that a pilot is stalking her.

  The threatening messages Hawke sends her are very troubling.

  Jake will do whatever it takes to stop the madness.

  The game they play with each other means he can’t touch her.

  But it’s hard to keep his hands to himself. He’s got to convince her she’s his.

  And that hurdle could be harder than saving her life.

  Chapter 1

  “Is something going on with Shayla?”

  Hatch looked up from his computer as Jake wandered into his office and took a seat. “You noticed it too?”

  “Who could miss it? I mean, we were at Kraft and Christa’s house for an engagement party. You can’t get more exciting than that. And yet Shayla looked anything but happy. Granted, I don’t know her as well as most of the rest of you do, but every time I’ve seen her, she’s been laughing and flirty and fun. At the party, she was withdrawn and quiet. Not her usual self.”

  “Believe me, the women are all aware. Bex has been talking to Christa and Raeann about her. They’re planning to confront her and see if they can figure out what’s up.”

  Jake frowned. There was no denying he was sticking his nose into someone else’s business. Nor was it any secret that he had the hots for Shayla. He had for a long time. Everyone knew it. Including Shayla. “Is she still dating that pilot?” He cringed just asking the question.

  Six months ago, he’d had her phone number in his hand, ready to ask her out, when he found out she’d started dating a damn pilot. He’d missed his chance and he’d been biding his time ever since.

  Hatch smirked. “I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure they broke up a while back.”

  If Jake had known that, he would have swooped in and picked up the pieces the moment she was available. The woman was sexy as all get-out. Elegant and mysterious. Her gorgeous looks were a gift from her Thai mother. Long straight dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin. She got her height from her Caucasian father. The combination was fucking perfect. She could have been a model if she’d had the interest with her lithe body. Granted, she was only about five-eight but she was by far the tallest of all the women in her posse.

  Hatch chuckled. “Sorry. If I’d realized you were that interested, I would have given you a heads up the moment she broke up with the pilot. I’m pretty sure she’s single now though. I’d give you her number, but I’m betting you have it memorized already,” he joked.

  Jake shot him a glare and rolled his eyes. “I have her number.”

  “What’s going on?” Kraft asked as he rounded the corner and entered the office. Deacon was right behind them. Great. Now everyone in the office would know Jake was asking about Shayla. Not that it mattered. They didn’t have secrets. Besides, if he called her, everyone in their entire circle would know all about it before he even finished asking her out.

  Hatch waved them in. “Important meeting. Tank here is gearing up to make his move on Shayla finally.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. Good grief.

  Kraft slapped him on the back. “About time.”

  Jake groaned. “Let’s not get carried away. I was simply asking if anyone noticed she seemed out-of-sorts the other night. Quiet. Reserved. Not herself.”

  Kraft’s brows drew together. “Yes. Everyone noticed. Christa, Libby, Bex, and Raeann are going to confront her.”

  Hatch nodded. “That’s what I basically told him. If she won’t talk to her friends, what else can anyone do?”

  Jake grumbled as he rose from his seat. If Shayla didn’t spill the beans to her girlfriends, she was going to find him standing on her doorstep dragging information out of her by the end of the week. That’s what someone could do.

  He wouldn’t ordinarily get up in a woman’s business, but he didn’t like the vibe he got from her. Maybe it was because he’d always paid closer attention to her than anyone else in the room. After all, he’d been eyeing her since he met her at Trent and Destiny’s wedding.

  Jake left his three coworkers in Hatch’s office and made his way back to his own. He was kicking himself for not taking note of the fact that Shayla had possibly been available for quite a while now. Business had been picking up. He’d hired Deacon Matthews when Sweets quit to run his new bakery and prepare for the upcoming birth of his baby. They added another new employee recently too. Neil Conlon. Both men were former Army, their names passed on to Jake’s company, Westside Programmers, through their many connections to Fort Hood.

  Jake opened his phone and scrolled through his contacts to verify that he indeed had Shayla’s number. He wouldn’t call her right now, especially if she was about to get bombarded by her friends. He’d wait and see what they found out. But after that, he was going to swoop in and lay claim to the woman. He’d waited long enough. It was time.

  Chapter 2

  “Why do I get the feeling I’ve walked into an intervention?” Shayla asked as she stepped into her condo after working. She’d had a relatively short day with a quick flight out and back.

  The living room of her condo was filled with all her friends, which was a feat in and of itself con
sidering how often they were all off work at the same time. She was half-kidding when she pointed out they looked like they’d staged an intervention, but considering the lack of response and the looks on their faces, she decided perhaps she’d been right.

  Raeann, her roommate who’d moved in when Bex moved out to live with Bracken, spoke first. “We’re worried about you.”

  Shayla frowned at all of them as she headed for the kitchen and grabbed a wine glass. There was an open bottle of white wine on the coffee table, and she picked it up and filled her glass before dropping onto the sofa between Christa and a very pregnant Bex.

  She should have seen this coming. She’d been out-of-sorts for a while. All of her girlfriends would notice. She just hadn’t felt like sharing. But it was time.

  Christa cleared her throat. “I hate to tell you this, but nasty rumors are spreading about you at work.”

  Shayla cringed and then drained the rest of her wine in one gulp. “Great. Wonderful.” She stared at her empty glass. “Do I want to know what they’re saying?”

  “No.” This response came from at least three of them at once.

  “What happened with Hawke? You said you two broke up a while back, but you never talked about it,” Bex asked.

  Shayla sighed and leaned her head back against the couch. “Turned out he was a dick and I broke up with him, but he apparently doesn’t like to be dumped, so he’s still texting me and calling all the time.”

  “Shit, Shay. That’s awful,” Libby said.

  Shayla nodded. “It is. I guess he’s decided to spread rumors about me now. How childish.”

  “For what it’s worth,” Christa said, “the rumors aren’t believable to anyone who’s ever met you.”

  Shayla took a deep breath, glanced at the bottle of wine, and then decided against getting drunk and set her glass down on the coffee table.

  “Maybe you need to report him,” Libby pointed out.

  Shayla shook her head. “I’d rather wait him out. He’ll get bored eventually and find someone else to harass. I won’t let him get to me. Who would believe me anyway? He’s a senior captain who’s been with the airline for twenty-five years. I’m just some dumb flight attendant who was stupid enough to fall for his charm and sleep with him.”

  “You’re not dumb.” Bex grabbed her hand. “He shouldn’t get away with this.”

  Shayla turned to her. “What do you think would happen if I went to HR? Especially if he’s already spreading rumors about me. I’d be the one to lose my job. Not him. I like my job. I’d much rather ride the wave and ignore the gossip.”

  “I get it.” Raeann nodded as she tucked her black hair behind her ear. The stylish white streak she kept in the front got almost buried when she tucked it back. “I’d probably do the same thing. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a world where people often believe the woman.”

  “I agree,” Christa responded. “It sucks, but you’re probably right. HR would waggle a finger at you and tell you it was bad judgment to have dated him in the first place.”

  “And clearly it was,” Shayla added.

  “You couldn’t have known he would turn out to be a dick,” Bex said as she squeezed Shayla’s hand.

  Libby clapped her hands on her knees. “So, what can we do to help? You’re in a funk lately. Your usually bubbly self is nowhere to be found.”

  “You need a distraction. A new man,” Raeann suggested.

  Shayla groaned. “The last thing I need is another man. I’d rather wallow in my self-pity for a while and ride this out.”

  “I hate that plan,” Christa said. “Let’s at least go out this weekend. Dancing. Drinking. You’ll feel much better if you get out of the condo for a while.”

  “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass for now. I’m not feeling it.” Shayla didn’t even want to guess what rumors were being spread about her, but if her friends could see the texts or listen to the messages, they would be appalled.

  “Okay, but if you change your mind, you know we’d all be here for you in a heartbeat. And you have to know we’re doing all we can to squelch the rumors when we hear them.”

  Shayla smiled at Christa and nodded. “Thank you. You’re the best friends a gal could have.”

  Chapter 3

  Jake had no idea if his decision to show up unannounced at Shayla’s condo was a good one or not, but here he was anyway. When all the women got home last night and shared what little they knew with their men, Jake’s phone had started ringing. The men were rightfully concerned, and so was Jake.

  Granted, he didn’t know Shayla very well, and it was definitely not his place to interfere, and there was a good chance this would backfire on him, but he couldn’t sit back and let Shayla deal with some asshole harassing her.

  It wasn’t simply because Jake had been eyeing Shayla for a long time. It was partly because he wouldn’t sit back and let any woman suffer abuse of any kind. His hackles were up. His alpha male was front and center. He hoped he wouldn’t start growling at her the moment she opened the door. That wouldn’t help matters.

  It was ten o’clock, an hour he deemed socially acceptable to show up at someone’s home. He knew from the grapevine that Shayla was off today and Raeann was not.

  He gave the door a firm knock and stepped back, waiting, hands on his hips, legs planted, brow furrowed, though he was trying hard to smooth out his forehead.

  It didn’t take long for the door to open. In fact, it was far too quick.

  Shayla stood before him, eyes wide, clearly not yet dressed for the day. Her hair was in a messy bun, her T-shirt was white and hid nothing, her shorts were loose and meant for sleeping. “Jake. What are you doing here?”

  He narrowed his gaze without thinking. “Did you even look through the peephole before you opened the door?”

  Shayla’s eyes widened again. She glanced at the door and back at him. “Well, no.”

  “That’s so unsafe. What if I were a madman?”

  She cocked out a hip and narrowed her gaze right back at him. “I’m starting to think you are. I assume my friends told their men about my stupid problems and you were elected to come save the day.”

  Jake sucked in a breath. He hadn’t expected her to be so blunt. “No one elected me. They don’t even know I’m here.”

  She tipped her head to one side. “But I’m not wrong? You think you can fix things, don’t you?” She stepped closer. “Look, you’re a big guy. Huge I’d say. I’m sure that’s how you ended up with the nickname Tank. Your arms are bigger around than my waist. I’m betting every inch of you is rock solid. It’s almost comical that you work with computers all day instead of as someone’s personal bodyguard. The problem is that muscle isn’t going to get me out of this problem. Only time will work.”

  He liked that she was standing tall, trying to look tough. She was barely over a hundred pounds though and lacked four inches on him, especially in her bare feet. Still, she had his card, and he’d played it poorly.

  He forced himself to relax his stance. “Can I come in?”

  She sighed and considered his question for a moment before stepping back and letting him enter.

  Progress.

  He was torn. On the one hand, he wanted to demand that she tell him every detail of what the hell was happening with the fucking pilot she’d been dating. On the other hand, he wanted to pull her into his arms and feel her lithe body against his. That was unreasonable of course.

  On top of that, it was incredibly distracting seeing her in so few clothes. Did she not realize he could see the outline of her breasts and the points of her nipples? Jesus. His dick was hard.

  “You want coffee?” she asked over her shoulder as she headed across the living room toward the attached kitchen.

  “No. I’m good.” He watched her fantastic ass as she walked away. The shorts were loose but still showed off her body. Not much was left to the imagination. He followed her like a magnet into the kitchen and leaned a hip against the counter as she fiddled wi
th the Keurig.

  “You’ve probably been up for hours, run ten miles, eaten some sort of green smoothie, and solved the world’s computer problems,” she joked. “But some of us are just now coming up for air.”

  He chuckled. This was more like the Shayla he knew. Witty. “I only ran six miles this morning, and the computer problem I solved was my own, but the rest is pretty accurate.”

  She rolled her eyes as she grabbed some kind of flavored creamer from the fridge and added it to her coffee. Salted caramel, he noted. After taking a long sip, she sighed. “I’ll be more human in about ten minutes, but…” She shot him a glare. “If you’ve come here to lecture me, I’m not interested.”

  Jake drew in a breath and followed her as she wandered back to the living room. When she plopped down into an armchair, tucking her feet up under her, he lowered himself onto the sofa. “I’m worried about you,” he began.

  “Don’t be. It will all blow ever eventually. I’m tough. I’ll live.”

  Would she though? He wasn’t sure how bad the situation was, but he didn’t like a single word he’d heard from her friends about the fucking rumors being spread about her. Shit ranged from her being verbally abusive to a cock tease. He wasn’t buying either, and neither were her friends.

  “Tell me what happened, Shayla.” He tried to keep his voice soft and calm instead of accusatory.