Standby (Open Skies Book 4) Read online

  She took another sip of coffee. “I don’t really want to talk about it, Jake. I went out with a man I should have steered clear of, learned a lesson, and broke up with him. That’s all that matters. It’s over. If he wants to be a baby about it, let him. I’m strong. I’ll ignore the gossip.”

  Jake leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. He watched her closely as she fiddled with her mug and kept her gaze lowered. Anywhere but on him. She wasn’t being fully honest. “You want to try that again, sweetheart?”

  She flinched and glanced at him.

  He decided to be blunt. “Look, I don’t know you as well as everyone else in our friend circle, but I’m sure you’re aware I’ve paid attention to you. If you hadn’t been dating someone else, I would have asked you out a long time ago. However, even though we’ve had only limited interaction, I noticed you aren’t yourself. The bubbly woman I’ve met several times was not at Kraft and Christa’s party the other night. You’re more reserved. You looked nervous and sad and pissed.”

  She swallowed and looked away. He was hitting close to home.

  “Maybe your posse bought your story last night, but I still don’t like it, and I suspect you weren’t completely forthcoming with them either.”

  “It’s amazing how much you already know about what happened here last night.” She sighed.

  “Don’t be mad at your friends. They’re just worried about you. Everyone is. Now talk to me.”

  She tipped her head to the side. “Why on earth would I share incredibly personal information with a man I’ve been drooling over for more than a year? If I wasn’t interested in sharing with my closest friends, why would I talk to you?”

  He couldn’t keep from smiling. “You’ve been drooling over me?”

  She groaned.

  He cleared his throat, forcing himself to stick to the issue at hand here, her safety. Maybe he was exaggerating the extent of her problem, but he didn’t like the vibe he got at all, and years in the Army had taught him to trust his gut. “Sometimes it’s harder to talk to the people we’re closest to. You don’t know me as well. Might be easier to dump on me. Plus, I’m sure you don’t want to worry your girlfriends.”

  Shayla said nothing as she finished her coffee. She kept the mug in her hands, idly playing with the rim. Her gaze was locked on the mug, but he doubted she was seeing it. “Why are you being so pushy?” she finally asked. “Why on earth do you care? It’s not like there’s anything you or anyone else can do about it.”

  He leaned forward, dropping his foot to the floor and setting his elbows on his knees. “I care because it’s in my nature. I care because I don’t like to see any woman being pushed around. I would care even if I didn’t know you. Also, I’ve drooled over you a bit too.”

  She gave him a wan smile at that last part.

  “You’re sexy and mysterious and fun and if I hadn’t been so busy with work for the last few months and had paid attention to the fact that you were no longer dating the pilot, I would have swooped in and asked you out. I’m sorry I haven’t done so yet. I’m here now.”

  “As much as I’d love to go out with you, now’s not a great time. My energy is zapped from dealing with Hawke. I can’t possibly enter into a new relationship right now.”

  “How long ago did you break up with him?”

  “Three months ago.”

  Jake cringed. “And he’s still bothering you?”

  “Yep.”

  “Does he call? Text? Email?”

  “All of the above.”

  “How often?”

  She drew in a breath and looked at him, seeming to try and decide how much she really wanted to share. “Every day, Jake.”

  He nodded, forcing himself to remain calm so she would keep talking. “Why did you break up?”

  “He was an asshole.”

  “How? What kinds of things did he do?”

  She sighed. “Look, I know you’re just trying to help, but I don’t want any help. I want to handle this my own way. It’s embarrassing and I’m not going to like the advice anyone has to give me.”

  “Why? What’s wrong with advice?”

  “Hawke Richman is a senior captain for Open Skies. He’s been with the airline twenty-five years. He’s a beloved employee who can do no wrong. There isn’t a single person within the company who would take my word over his. You’re a smart guy. You’ve seen how things are going in this country lately. When women speak up, they lose. They lose everything sometimes. They lose their jobs and often their self-esteem. They get chastised and treated like shit. I won’t let that happen to me. I love my job, and I don’t want to lose it over this. I’m going to wait him out. Eventually, he’ll give up and move on.”

  Jake listened to every word carefully, knowing it was huge that she was revealing as much as she just did. He could read between the lines. Hawke Richman was a piece of shit. No doubt about it. Jake knew the stakes though. He’d seen it firsthand, unfortunately.

  Yes. Jake understood exactly what Shayla was saying, and now wasn’t the time to point out to her that if she did nothing, Hawke would just do this again to some other woman. Shayla wasn’t in the mindset to absorb that or care. Not yet.

  Jake made the split-second decision to share a personal story in hopes it would deepen Shayla’s trust in him. “Did you know I have a sister?”

  Shayla shook her head, frowning.

  “Shelly. She lives in Florida where my parents live. She was in an abusive relationship that lasted several years. It was incredibly hard for her to get out. Her ex gaslighted her every damn day. She couldn’t do anything right and he convinced her it was always her fault.

  “If she’d started cooking earlier, his dinner would have been ready on time. If she hadn’t worn such a short skirt, other men wouldn’t have looked at her. If she’d done the laundry yesterday, his favorite shirt would be clean. On and on. Eventually, he beat her almost to death. The police called my parents from the hospital. Finally, she left him, but it took a lot of therapy for her to see the light.”

  Shayla wiped a tear from her eye. “I’m so sorry, Jake.”

  He held her gaze, his chest tightening. “I’m trying to point out that I understand abuse and gaslighting. It’s horrible. I suspect that’s what you’re going through and you’re too embarrassed to talk about it.”

  Another tear fell and she looked away. He was hitting close to home, which had been his intention, but it also infuriated him to know some asshole was harassing Shayla.

  “Did he hit you?” Jake forced himself to ask. He sat stiffly, torn between the desire to punch something or pull her into his arms. He would do neither.

  Shayla swiped at tears from both eyes now. “Only once, and please, for the love of God, keep this between us. I don’t want my friends to know.”

  “Okay. I promise. I won’t say a word. But let me help. Please.” Her situation was serious. No way would he accept no for an answer. A lump formed in his throat at the thought of what she’d been going through alone.

  Chapter 4

  Shayla was shaking. She hated that she was revealing so much to Jake. She had no idea if she could really trust him, but the man had a way of dragging information out of her that she was unable to resist.

  She was exhausted from carrying the burden on her own, and now that she knew Hawke was spreading lies about her, the stakes were getting higher. She was no longer sure he would let her go at all. He might badger her until he destroyed her. She was losing her grip.

  “I never should have fallen for his stupid charm and gone out with him in the first place. Dating people you work with is a horrible idea. I’m paying the price for my bad decisions.”

  “Shayla… Sweetheart, you can’t take responsibility for the fact that this guy is a fucking asshole. You’re being gaslighted. You’re not even with him anymore and you’ve convinced yourself his bad behavior is your fault.”

  She sighed. He was right. Intellectually she knew it, but it was still hard to
remind herself. All she could do right now was beat herself up for ever going out with the asshole in the first place. She should have said no. He’d asked her half a dozen times before she fell for his charm.

  Until recently she’d frequently been on one of Hawke’s flights, and she suspected he’d had a hand in that. He’d often flirted with her. Eventually, when they’d been in the same hotel on an overnight, she’d fallen for his charm. Dinner with the crew had led to drinks alone in the bar. Drinks had led to flirting. Flirting had led to his hotel room where she’d let him fuck her.

  Maybe the first night had been okay, but after that, it had gone downhill. Hawke was a selfish lover. He liked to take without giving. He was often pushy about it too. He fancied himself some kind of Dom, but he had no concept of the term. He was just a bossy dick who thought women should worship the ground he walked on because he was some bigwig pilot. As if he were a god. He most certainly was not.

  Shayla wasn’t too pleased with herself after the first night they’d slept together, but he hadn’t shown his true colors yet, so she’d done it again. And again. By the fourth time, she’d felt used. And then he’d started getting mean.

  “Hey…” Jake’s soft voice wafted across the room, yanking her out of her musing.

  She realized she was silently crying.

  “Come here, sweetheart.”

  She shook her head and took a deep breath. If she let him touch her, she would really end up crying. The last thing she wanted was his pity.

  “Shayla, come here.” His voice was still soft, but firmer.

  She had no idea why but she untangled her legs, set her mug on the coffee table, and went to him. She dropped onto the sofa next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder.

  Jake wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Shh,” he soothed. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

  More tears fell. She couldn’t stop them. It felt good to have told someone at least part of what she was going through. She’d spent months keeping it to herself, not wanting anyone to know what a fool she was.

  She felt stupid. There was no other way to put it.

  “It’s not your fault, Shayla.”

  She slouched. “Of course it is. I never should have gone out with him. It was unprofessional. I’m paying the price for my bad judgment.”

  He lifted her chin and met her gaze. “That’s bullshit. You’re not responsible for anything that asshole did or said or continues to do or say. He’s a pencil dick.”

  She giggled, wiping the tears away. “You’re not wrong.” The man was pretty reasonably sized on the outside, but he hadn’t had the biggest cock she’d ever seen. Not that it mattered. Normally she wouldn’t care or point such a thing out. But since he was a fucking asshole…

  “Okay, now, how about if you go take a shower and get dressed, and then I’ll take you out to lunch.”

  She smiled at him. “Do I smell?” she teased, shaking off the sadness.

  He laughed. “Not at all. But if you don’t get out of here and put on real clothes with a bra, I’m going to end up flattening you against the couch with my hands all over your body, and I bet that’s not how you prefer our first date to go down.” He glanced down at her thin T-shirt and raised his brows to prove his point.

  Her nipples stiffened. Half of her suddenly wished he would make good on his threat instead of her dashing upstairs. At least he might erase some of the crappy memories with his amazing body and a cock that was surely bigger than Hawke’s. She might not be in any state of mind to date, but a booty call with Jake would do wonders for her self-esteem.

  “Shayla,” he warned. He pointed at the stairs.

  She scrambled out of his embrace and took the stairs two at a time.

  What the hell was she doing? She turned on the shower and stripped out of her clothes while it heated. Jake Robinson was downstairs. In her condo. Finally.

  She hadn’t known he was coming, so she’d spent the last hour with him looking far less than her best. Messy bun. Not enough clothes. Crying. Spilling her sob story.

  She groaned as she stepped under the spray of water and reached for the soap. Her entire body had reacted to Jake’s touch. The feel of his hands on her after more than a year of wondering was beyond amazing.

  He was confident and very alpha. Perhaps that should unnerve her after what happened with Hawke, but it didn’t. The two had nothing in common. Less than nothing.

  She didn’t doubt Jake was dominant, but not in a bad way. He was caring and concerned about her. He never once mentioned what he wanted. He’d only asked her about her issues and how he could solve them. He couldn’t, but the fact that someone cared to try meant the world.

  After a quick shower, Shayla exited the shower and stood naked in her bathroom while she blow-dried her hair and put on minimal makeup. She didn’t need much. She had nice skin and dark lashes. Mascara was usually overkill. Blush was not necessary. Lip gloss was about all she really needed, especially for a daytime date.

  Was this a date?

  She padded across her room and opened her closet, pondering what she should wear. Jake was wearing jeans and a casual black button-down shirt. She chose to take a similar approach. Jeans. Short-sleeved, soft, pink sweater. Flats. She grabbed a pink lacey bra and panty set and dressed quickly.

  When she descended the steps, she found Jake standing next to the bookshelves holding a picture of her with her friends from Destiny’s wedding. He lifted it. “This is the Shayla I remember. Let’s see if we can get her back.”

  Shayla flushed as she approached him, and he drew in a slow breath as he watched her grow closer.

  “You clean up nicely,” he teased.

  She swatted playfully at his arm, and he pretended to cringe out of the way, but a moment later, he had her in his arms, his hands on her back.

  She stopped breathing as she looked up at him.

  He stared into her eyes for several seconds and then asked, “May I kiss you?”

  She smiled. “Yes.”

  When he lowered his lips to hers, she melted into him. Literally leaned toward him, her hands flattening on his chest as she tipped her head to one side and let him slide his tongue into her mouth.

  Nothing like Hawke. Not even close. In one kiss, Jake reminded her how a real man kissed.

  She was moaning as she drew back. Her face felt hot. Her nipples were hard points against her bra. He could probably see them through the thin lace and the tight sweater. Who cared? He’d seen them earlier too.

  Jake lifted a hand up to stroke her cheek. “This is officially a date.”

  She smiled. “Okay.” She didn’t know how he’d done it, but he’d chased the stupid pilot out the door to make room for something much better. She wasn’t stupid enough to think her problems would disappear. They wouldn’t. But at least she could forget for a while.

  “Is there anything you don’t like?” Jake asked.

  I don’t like being smacked around or screamed at. She cleared her throat, knowing he was talking about lunch. “Nope.”

  “Okay then. Leave it up to me.” He released her and nodded toward the door.

  Shayla grabbed her purse and followed him, feeling lighter than she had in months.

  Chapter 5

  Jake was both elated and concerned. He would stop giving Shayla the third degree for the afternoon because she needed to have some fun. She needed to smile and laugh and relax. He suspected she hadn’t done that at all lately. So, if he could chase her problems away even for a few hours, she would feel better. And so would he.

  Damn, she was sexy. When she returned from upstairs wearing tight jeans and a fitted sweater, he nearly swallowed his tongue. He covered up his reaction by making a silly comment about wanting her to be happy like she was in that picture at Destiny and Trent’s wedding.

  He couldn’t stop himself from kissing her, even though it had probably been too soon and inappropriate. But she hadn’t balked, so he refused to regret his move.

>   He took her to a quaint Mexican place he knew nearby. Privately owned. Authentic. Quiet. Small. A perfect date venue even for lunch. The owner recognized him and seated them in a back corner.

  “You’ve been here before,” Shayla commented.

  “Yes. They have excellent fajitas, and their homemade salsa is the best in the area.”

  She smiled and ignored her menu. “I’ll let you order then.”

  When the waiter returned, he ordered two glasses of water and fajitas for two. After that, he returned his attention to Shayla. “Tell me about yourself.” He had a pretty good idea from his friends, but he’d rather have her tell him.

  “Well, my mom is from Thailand and my dad is from San Diego. He met my mom when he was there on business. They fell in love, married, and she moved here with him and got her green card. She owns a small Thai restaurant in San Diego. My dad is retired, so he helps her run the restaurant now. No brothers or sisters. I think my birth freaked my dad out because my mom is so small, so he wasn’t willing to watch her go through that again.”

  Jake loved listening to Shayla talk. Her voice was lyrical. He wondered if she ever sang.

  “What about you?” she asked.

  “My parents live in Miami. My dad retired from the Army. My mom is a retired school teacher. My sister is still pulling her life back together. She lives nearby.”

  “Why did you leave the Army?” Shayla asked.

  Jake shrugged. “I spent too many years doing very intense undercover work in the Middle East. When it came time to re-up this last time, I bailed. I was tired. I wanted to get a real job and settle down, not having to keep one eye open every night for fear I might be killed.”

  She cringed.

  He winced. “Sorry. TMI.”

  “No. That’s okay. It’s who you are. Makes sense.”

  He drew in a breath. “I opened my own computer programming business, Westside Programmers, and proceeded to hire other Army buddies as they got out. The business has been growing, and since Sweets quit, I’ve hired two new people full time, Deacon and Neil.”