Jake cupped her chin and tipped her face up so she was forced to look at him. Wearing high heels brought her closer to him than she normally was. “I’m fine.” She was proud of the way her voice stayed steady when her insides were quivering.
“Then what the hell were you thinking to go out with a guy like Ivan Gregor?”
It was her turn to frown. “What do you mean? He’s a friend of a friend.”
He released her face and she missed the warmth of his skin against hers. “You need new friends, babe. This guy is bad news. A lot of his business practices are questionable and not all his associates are nice guys.”
The elevator bell dinged and the doors slid open. She stepped out and started down the hallway. Part of her wondered what Jake was alluding to and how he knew it, but the other part of her really didn’t want to know. The last thing she needed in her life was more trouble and turmoil.
“No need to worry. I don’t plan on seeing him again.” She tightened her fingers around her keys and the metal dug into her skin. The quicker she could get inside, the quicker she could get rid of Jake.
All she could think about was their last time together. How he’d left her lying naked and completely sated in bed without a backward glance. Both her heart and her pride were still hurting.
A sense of relief swept over her when she unlocked her door and stepped inside the quiet of her new apartment, grateful she’d left a lamp on in the living room. The dim light provided her with a sense of comfort.
She turned to say goodnight. “I’m tired, Jake. We can talk tomorrow.” Preferably over the phone so she wouldn’t have to see his ruggedly handsome face.
She smiled and tried to close the door, but he literally picked her up, shifted her to one side and shut the door, with him on the inside.
Okay, being subtle wasn’t going to work. “I think you need to go. We have nothing to discuss.” She removed her jacket and tossed it over the back of a chair. She wanted to kick off her shoes and rub her poor, abused feet, but felt the added height gave her more of an advantage. And she needed every advantage she could get when it came to dealing with Jake.
He shook his head and wandered into the living room. His black jeans hugged his butt to perfection and his shoulders looked as wide as a mountain range in his supple black leather jacket. His hair was a bit longer than it had been the last time she saw him. It fell past his shoulders now and was sexy as all get out.
Jake took his time wandering around the room, his fingers trailing over the back of the chocolate-brown sofa she’d purchased when she moved into her new place. Bookshelves filled one wall and held pictures, small mementos and, of course, books. They also housed her stereo, flat-screen television and DVR. She’d made the space as cozy as possible.
“Jake?”
He turned and his laser-blue eyes landed on her, freezing her in place. His gaze skimmed over her blouse, reminding her that it was cut much lower than she was used to wearing. Her breasts swelled and her nipples puckered under his intense perusal. She barely restrained herself from crossing her arms over her chest. No need for him to know just how much his presence was affecting her.
He stalked toward her like a panther hunting a small rabbit. She resisted the urge to back away from him, holding her ground. No way would she allow him to intimidate her, especially not in her own home. He ran a finger down the deep vee of her blouse, his touch searing her skin. “Pretty.”
She barely managed to suppress a shiver of desire. She marshaled her defenses, swallowed hard and managed to speak in a casual manner. “Thanks, it’s new.” She’d liked the way the dark-brown color matched her eyes. She just wished it didn’t dip quite so low.
His fingers flowed between her breasts, over her stomach and hip and finally landed on the top of her thigh. The temperature in the apartment felt as if it had jumped at least twenty degrees in the past ten seconds. Her skin tingled where he touched her and her pussy throbbed with need.
“A lot about you seems new since we last saw one another.” His voice was low and seductive, but she wasn’t allowing herself to fall under his spell again, not after the way he’d hurt her.
His hand caressed the hem of her skirt before dipping beneath it to caress her thigh, and she forced herself to take a step back. “I decided there were a few things I needed to change in my life.”
And that was an understatement. After he’d demolished her confidence, she’d taken a long, hard look at her life and decided she needed to break out of the boring rut she’d allowed her life to become. Moving into her own place, buying new clothes and dating were supposed to change that. Problem was, she was still the same woman inside, and that woman was content to stay home in her comfortable jeans and work on her jewelry designs.
She’d changed the outside packaging, but inside nothing had changed. It had been silly to think a man like Jake would be interested in her for long. He lived life on the edge and she’d always sensed a smoldering darkness simmering within him. The most dangerous thing she’d ever done was move out on her own. Even when she and her sisters had started their business together, they’d had one another to depend on.
And she was acting pathetic, something she most definitely wasn’t. She might not be enough of a woman for Jake, but she’d come to the conclusion tonight over dinner that she was good enough for herself. No more trying to change who she was for any man.
He was staring at her, his eyes hot and smoldering. She had to get him out of here. “You said there was something about the wedding we needed to discuss?” Which didn’t make any sense. Topaz would have called her if there was some major change.
One corner of his mouth kicked up, making him appear impossibly handsome. Her heart skipped a beat before it took off at a full gallop. “I just said that to get rid of your date.”
Her shoulders started to throb at the reminder and she rubbed her hands up and down her arms to comfort herself. No, her dating days were over for the foreseeable future. “Good thing you just happened by.”
Jake didn’t say a word and his silence spoke volumes. Her brows drew together and she frowned. “You weren’t just passing by, were you?”
He shook his head. “I was following you.”
His stark honesty took her aback for a brief moment, but anger quickly ensued. “What do you mean you were following me?” She stepped up to him and drilled her forefinger against his chest for emphasis. She suddenly remembered the feeling of being watched back at the restaurant. “Were you there when we were eating?”
He inclined his head. “Guilty.”
His blunt sincerity left her almost speechless. “Why? I don’t understand.” The guy had dumped her. Why was he following her? Her family had already dealt with one stalker, and she certainly didn’t need one of her own. But it didn’t feel that way. For one thing, she trusted Jake with her life, if not her heart.
Jake wanted to wrap Sapphire in his arms and assure her that he’d never let anything harm her, but he’d given up the right to do so. He clenched his back molars together, wanting to kick himself for how much he’d hurt her. His intentions had been honorable, at least partially so.
He wanted to protect her from the dark side of his personality, but he’d come to realize over the past few lonely weeks that he’d been protecting himself as well, maybe even more so. He hadn’t wanted to expose all of himself to her for fear she would reject him. So he’d rejected her first.
He was a fucking idiot.
From the moment he’d left Sapphire all soft and warm in her bed, all he’d wanted was to be back there with her. He wasn’t sleeping, was barely working. It felt as though a vital part of him was missing.