Nobody But You(42)

When was the last time that had happened? Never, that’s when.

Too bad she wasn’t planning to forgive him.

Ever.

Once a jerk, always a jerk, and she knew that firsthand, thank you very much. Been there, bought the T-shirt, been raked over the coals.

Jacob lifted a hand to shield his eyes, presumably to get a better look at her. His other hand came up in a wave.

She sucked in a breath and didn’t wave back. No way, no how. Lucas had been charismatic and charming too. She wasn’t going to let her guard down, or relax.

You were pretty relaxed after having him buried deep inside you…

She sighed. It didn’t matter what kind of a man he was beneath the sexy skin.

It didn’t.

Not from the moment he’d let her think he was something he wasn’t.





Chapter 14



Jacob had been chopping wood for about two hours, using some of the wood rounds he’d found lying in a huge pile on the side of the cabin.

He’d chopped more than they’d need at the resort, stocking the extra against the back of the cabin for winter—even though he’d only rented the place short-term and it was currently summer.

He stopped when he could no longer lift his arms. He’d set the ax aside and stood there catching his breath when he felt it. Her. But the dock was still empty, no Little Lucas and no wild tumbleweed Sophie Marren.

And then he realized she was sitting above, on the edge of the embankment, her bare feet hanging over, swinging slightly. She wore her sunglasses so he couldn’t see exactly where she was focused, but he knew.

He lifted a hand in greeting, his body tightening. In hunger, he told himself. But he knew that it wasn’t food he was hungry for.

She stood and made her way down to the beach. He met her just as a truck pulled up to the cabin. Hud’s truck. Deciding Hud could wait a second, Jacob smiled at Sophie.

She didn’t smile back.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” she said. “Or…you’re not lake patrol.”

He smiled at the idea of being lake patrol. Yeah, he’d been military for nine years and still was, but if there was one thing he’d learned about himself, he wasn’t exactly a rule follower. Taking a job where he had to impose rules upon others wasn’t going to work for him. Ever. “Not lake patrol,” he agreed with a laugh.

She took a step back, and he realized his mistake. Never laugh at a pissed-off woman. He reached for her, but she evaded, jabbing a finger in his direction.

“You think this is funny?” she asked.

“Funny that you thought I was lake patrol? Absolutely,” he said. “Funny that you’re somehow all riled up at me? No. I don’t find that funny at all. Unless you’re looking to expel some of that energy in a constructive but down-and-dirty way. Because then I’m game.”

She stared at him. “Are you talking about sex? Because you should know, I’m so not going there with you, not ever again. The thought makes me sick.”

Her nipples were hard even though it was still eighty degrees out. Her face was flushed, but he’d bet the last beer in his fridge that it wasn’t from heat. “That’s a big fib,” he said.

“No, see, that’s my point,” she grated out. “You’re the fibber.” She shoved her hair from her face, where it’d fallen into her eyes. “You let me think that I was going to get in trouble by parking here. More than once. You acted all…authoritative, and I believed you. You sucked me into your force field and I nearly lost—” She bit back the rest of that sentence.

“Lost what?” he asked.

“My job!”

He’d have laid another bet down that she’d nearly said herself. Which cut him like a knife.

“You know what?” she said. “Forget it. Forget all of it—including that morning last week, where for one teeny-tiny second I thought maybe your entire gender didn’t totally suck!”

“It was more than a teeny-tiny second,” he said.

She glared at him.

Okay, so she couldn’t be charmed out of this. But he had absolutely zero idea what exactly was happening. “I’m going to need a hint here, Soph. I don’t remember ever telling you that I was lake patrol.”

“I assumed.”

He knew better than to tell her what assuming made her. “How? I told you I was on leave.”

“Yes, but you always seemed to be there when I was…illegally parking, pointing it out. And you have that whole authority presence down. I just—” She bit her lower lip. “Assumed,” she whispered.

“I promise you,” he said, “I had no idea you thought I was lake patrol.”

“But…” She tossed up her hands, looking genuinely upset and miserable, and he felt bad about that. Really bad. He stepped toward her, but she pointed at him to stay. Clearly going for a dramatic escape, she stormed the beach, heading to the next property over, which was North Beach and the campgrounds. She stomped her way down the dock, with him right behind her. Ignoring him, she boarded the boat and slammed the door behind her as she headed belowdecks.

And caught the hem of her dress between the jamb and the door.

“Dammit,” he heard her mutter from the other side of the door before whipping it open. She yanked her dress in and slammed the door for the second time, clearly making a statement that she was still mad.