Chances Are(10)

Jake silently blasted curses at himself. How had he allowed the situation to get so out of control? Angela was panting, close to dropping from exhaustion. That last blow she’d made to his face had been well deserved.

“It’s my fault, not hers,” he admitted gruffly.

“I don’t care who’s to blame. Don’t let it happen again.”

Jake gave a short, grim nod of acknowledgment. Being reamed out by Dylan was no big deal. He was a big boy, he could take the heat. However, Angela was taking some of the blame and he couldn’t allow that to happen. This was all on him.

“I’m sorry, Angela.” He hoped his eyes conveyed that his apology was for more than the too intense fighting session. She had offered her beautiful body and he had rejected her callously.

Her mouth trembled and then stretched into a grimace of a smile. “We were both wrong.” Turning to Dylan, she said, “It won’t happen again.”

Dylan nodded. “Get cleaned up. We’ll go to the shooting range this afternoon.”

Jake watched as Angela grabbed a towel from the stack on the shelf and then left the room without another word.

The instant she was gone, Dylan turned to him. “What were you thinking?”

He hadn’t been thinking, at least not with his brain. So turned on he could barely see straight, all of his sexual energy had been focused on fighting. He was damn glad Dylan interrupted them.

“I lost my head.”

“You’re sure you’re going to be able to handle this?”

“Yes.”

“I know how it feels to train someone you’re attracted to. It can get damn uncomfortable. No one will think less of you for pulling out now. Once you’re on the job, it’ll be too late.”

He shook his head. Nothing and no one would keep him from this mission.

Seeing the lingering doubt in the man’s eyes, Jake said, “I might be a mixed-up son of a bitch but believe me, there’s nothing more important to me than keeping Angela safe.”

“I’ve been there,” Dylan said. “Just make sure those feelings you’re suppressing don’t come out at the wrong time.”

Suppressed feelings? Hell, if that were the only thing going on, he’d have no problem. But that was too mild a term for the volcano threatening to erupt inside him.

Jake grabbed a towel and swiped it down his face. “I’ll see you on the shooting range this afternoon.”

“Want to grab some lunch?”

Shaking his head, Jake backed away. “Thanks, but I’ve got some things to take care of.”

He left the gym before Dylan could question him further. He needed a quiet place to detonate and then put himself back together. How had he let their training session get so out of hand? And Angela had been right there with him. If Dylan hadn’t arrived when he did, who knows what might have happened?

He closed his eyes, swallowing a groan. He knew exactly what would have happened. They had been within seconds of ripping their clothes off and having each other on the floor. And he wanted that…more than anything he would have loved to lay her down, taste every inch of her taut, glistening skin and slide inside that beautiful body. But then what? Walk away and break her heart? Stay and break her heart? Either way, Angela got hurt. He’d been a jerk in a lot of areas of his life but risking Angela’s heart went too far. Best thing he could do was get this job done to the best of his ability. He had told Dylan that protecting Angela was his number one priority. But that protection was not only from this freak that was killing women. It also included shielding her from *s like himself.



LCR Headquarters

“He’s driving me crazy.”

Samara McCall sat across from Angela, amusement and affection gleaming in her eyes. “Men have a tendency to do that from time to time. I think it’s part of their DNA.”

Popping up from the chair she’d been sitting in, Angela paced around Samara’s office. She couldn’t seem to sit still. Maybe it was the anxiety and anticipation of working her first op. She had a feeling it had something to do with a certain hardheaded, too-sexy man.

They were supposed to be talking about whether she was mentally ready for her first op. Instead, all she had been able to focus on was Jake and that smoldering moment the day before.

“And it’s not like I’m asking for a relationship with him or anything.” The instant she saw Samara’s eyebrows rise, she amended her statement. “Okay, yes. I want a relationship with him, but how does he know it wouldn’t work out? He won’t even give us a chance.”

“Did he say why?”

Angela snorted softly. “Of course not. That would involve actually talking about himself.”

“So I guess he doesn’t know that you’re aware of his background.”

She dropped back into her chair with a sigh. “I’ve known the background of almost every operative since Noah hired me. Never once have I felt guilty about it.”

“But you feel guilty now?”

“Yes.” She glanced over at her non-judgmental friend. “I should have told him from the beginning. Shouldn’t I?”

“What do you think?”

She jumped back up and resumed her pacing. “Of course I should have told him. But how do you tell a man who’s intent on never telling you his past that you already know all of his secrets?”

A furrow appeared on Samara’s forehead. “You didn’t delve into his past because you were nosey. You did it because it’s your job. That’s definitely not the same thing.”

“I know, it’s just that it’s obvious he doesn’t want me to know.”

“Then yes, at some point, you should tell him so you can get it behind you.”

“But not yet?”

“If you think that would inhibit this mission, then no. If not…” Samara shrugged.

“Do you think Noah put us together to…you know, put us together?”

Samara gave a startled laugh. “I have no idea. He rarely discusses those kinds of things with me. I asked him once if he pairs his operatives with that purpose in mind.”

“What did he say?”

“Just that when he sees two people who have a chemistry together, it makes for a good team. What they choose to do with that chemistry once the op is over is up to them.”

She had a feeling she knew what Jake would want to do with their chemistry, especially since he refused to even acknowledge they had any. He would ruthlessly suppress it until it smothered.

“So, now that we’ve talked about Jake and his hard-headedness, talk to me about how you’re doing in other areas. Sleeping better?”

“Much better.” After her family’s death, she had slept in fits and spurts. Now, though not always sleeping the entire night, she was finally getting some solid shuteye.

“What did you decide to do with your parents’ house?”

That had been hanging over her head for the past six months. Her parents had moved there when she was ten, when her family had first moved to Paris. She loved the house, but it was the people who had lived there that she adored. They might be gone but the wonderful memories remained. She had been unable to make a decision on selling it. “I’m still debating.”

“It’s hard to let go,” Samara said softly.

She doubted if she could ever truly let go. A few days ago, she’d ventured into her sister’s bedroom. In seconds, she was lying on Chloe’s bed and sobbing into her pillow like a baby. The scent of her sister’s shampoo had been there but was fading. How she had loved Chloe’s infectious laugh and optimistic attitude. And Max, who had always been awkward and shy around everyone but his family, had been coming out of his shell.

“You okay?”

Angela jerked her head up and blinked back tears. Convincing Samara she was mentally sound enough to endure the rigors of a mission by breaking down was probably a very bad move. It didn’t matter that she and Noah’s wife had been the closest of friends for over three years. If she didn’t think Angela could handle the op, she’d have no problem advising Noah to pull her off the case.

“I’m fine. Really I am.”

“Tell me what you were just thinking.”

“Chloe and Max. They barely had a chance to live.”

“They adored their big sister.”

Her smile feeling somewhat fractured, she nodded. “The feeling was mutual. I went to the house the other day. Broke down in Chloe’s room.”

“Tears can wash away a ton of grief.”

“If that’s the case, I should be sparkling clean.”

“Bottom line. Can you do this job? No one would think less of you if you chose to wait.”

Doubts were part of being human and Angela wasn’t immune to them. However, when it came to her belief in her abilities, she had no doubts. She had been training for this job all her adult life.