“It bothers me because it’s a sign that you’re anxious, that you’re nervous or upset … I don’t like it,” he
snapped back, sick of feeling like this all the goddamn time, sick of feeling like he should walk on
fucking eggshells around her.
“Oh, so you want me to unleash vulnerable Emma, but only if she doesn’t act nervous or anxious …
Makes so much sense.” She seethed. He glared at her, his jaw tensing, fire meeting fire. The sizzle of
electric between them causing the air to crackle. He looked away and focused on the road, gripping the
wheel hard in an effort to not slam something with his fist. She brought out so much rage in him with so
little effort.
He got them back to the port in record time and didn’t bother to get out when they pulled up, waiting for
her to open her own goddamn door and go first so he could take a minute to hang back. He took a
moment to calm down and was glad to see the speedboat was still moored to the jetty, he wouldn’t
have to wait around for the ship’s crew coming for them; guessing the captain was still in town after
bringing them over here, and he would send the boat back for him later, he had Jake’s number.
Going back across the water to the boat was silent, and she kept herself standing away from him,
gripping the rail and looking out to sea. He wasn’t going to try anymore, he had made up his mind that
enough was enough, and he was ruining everything by being fucking hung up on her. He had to remind
himself that she wasn’t anything more special than a million other girls out there. He just needed to get
her out of his head, and he could only do that with some real time apart. Maybe that was the issue, too
much time spent together every goddamn day had made it impossible to ever really move on.
When they moored to the back of the yacht, Emma didn’t wait for him, just hopped up and off the boat
and headed up to the top deck. Jake handed off the rope to the crewman who appeared to greet them.
“Someone will need to go back for Max later, call him and tell him I brought the boat back,” Jake said
abruptly and left the young man to secure the boat before following Emma upstairs.
When he got up on deck, Emma was already at the buffet making a food plate, her back to him and he
seriously felt like yanking her around and just choking her. She had him so wound up and pissed that
he couldn’t think straight. No woman, except maybe Marissa, had ever caused this amount of a
reaction in him and he needed to be far away right now.
“Oh, the love birds have returned,” Leila squealed and threw herself around Emma for a hug, she
grinned Jake’s way, but he only glared back.
“We went for a drive.” Jake glared at anyone who dared to look his way then turned on his heel and
headed back to his room. He wasn’t staying here for this crap feeling like this. He needed head space
and time out. Heading back down to the lower floor he pulled out his phone to text Daniel.
You may be right about putting my Plan B into action. J
He got to his room just as Hunter replied, he had his phone sent over to him with belongings first thing
this morning before heading out with Emma to make his stay in hospital more comfortable.
Sorry to hear it, man, but onwards and upwards … Fuck her out of your system.
Jake stared at the screen for a moment before sighing in resignation.
I intend to. See you in a few days. J
Jake stormed to his room and kicked the door shut with a professional kick-boxing maneuver, every
nerve ending tingling with the need to release some pent-up tension. Jake was a simple creature, he
expelled his excess energy in four ways. Either through fighting, sports, other extreme physical pursuits
or sex. And lately, sex had been completely off the table for him; he was about to remedy that and
hoped to God some of this crazy aggressive anger that had been building up for weeks would subside.
He couldn’t do this shit anymore with her, his life had become one mass of up and down emotional
bullshit. His head was all over the place to the point he acted like he had PMS like a fucking woman on
a daily basis. She drove him nuts, yet he couldn’t stay away from her. He loved her, yet he wished he
could walk away and never see her again. He didn’t know which way was up or down, but he knew one
thing—he couldn’t bear the thought of firing her and starting over with a new PA, so he had to sort this
another way.
Hunter had been right about one thing, the lack of sex was screwing with his head, lack of dates and
women in general. This wasn’t who he was, wasn’t who he wanted to be anymore. He would get his
ass off this infernal boat and away from her for a few days. Hunter had already agreed he would look
after her should Jake take off, and he was going to screw himself back to sanity with as many women
as it took. Hell, he might even go back to the days of more than one at a time if it eased his pain.
Emma had only seen that version of him, so what difference would it make if he went back to it? She
had no idea of how much he had changed his lifestyle for her, she didn’t see the lack of parties and
booze, the lack of women. She only saw what he wanted her to see and lately, it had been a moody
fucker who was useless at his job and all over the place. No more. Jake was taking his heart and his
goddamn life back.
He picked up his phone from the docking station and skimmed the names until he came to one in
particular, hit call and stuck it to his ear. Every part of his gut
was trying to stop this insanity, but he had made his mind up and pushed down all the guilt he was
feeling to the back of his mind.
“Hello.” The female voice that answered sounded surprised to hear from him after so long, but he didn’t
care, he had chosen her because he knew she would be up for it and available.
“Hey, Brianne, long time no see. Thought I would call and see if you were still up for partying,” Jake
said smoothly, old Casanova coming out to play effortlessly. He may have been a complete mess
around Emma, but with other women, he had no problem at all. He knew how to play them, and he had
always done it well. He had zero nervousness about booty calls.
“Of course, for you, Jake, I would literally drop everything.” She purred, unable to contain her
excitement, and the lust-fueled husk to her tone now. Jake knew he had her right where he wanted.
Brianne, from the first time he had met her in a downtown bar, had been hot for him. Obviously so.
“I’m heading home in a few minutes, flight back from a little trip so you could meet me at my apartment
tonight, take it from there.” He moved his phone from his ear as he hauled off his shirt to get changed,
mind already making plans to get the hell out of here.
“Definitely, baby, I’ll be naked and waiting for you, sexy. Do you want me to bring some booze?” She
giggled girlishly, doing nothing at all for his libido but he played along.
“Sure, whatever you want, I don’t plan on much sleep,” he growled sexily and hauled on a new shirt
with one hand awkwardly, trying not to picture Emma with every word out of his goddamn mouth. He
also couldn’t shift the feeling that right now he was a disgusting human being who had never deserved
Emma in the first place and this right here proved it. He shoved the sickening lump aside and focused
on Brianne.
“Sounds like my kind of party, I can’t wait to see you again, it’s been far too long, Jakey baby.” She
once again purred down the line, and he could almost picture her getting wet for him. Girls were too
damn easy, maybe that’s why he had fallen hard for Emma. She had been the first real challenge to
come along in a very long time, the first woman to not drop her panties at the first smile. The first girl
that had made him feel something for her that wasn’t just lust.
“Cool, so … laters then. I’ll be home around five I guess.” He flipped the phone to his other shoulder as
he buttoned up his shirt. Not really feeling the same thrill he used too at hooking up with someone as
hot and wild as Brianne, but he figured once he got home and had her naked it would all fall into place.
Brianne was one of the more adventurous ex-playmates. She was up for any kind of sex and liked to
be dominated roughly. Right about now Jake needed to expel a little aggression and doing it sexually
was his idea of the perfect solution. He wasn’t against a little bit of rough and ready, she liked bondage
too and he sure as hell had no problem with being dominant in bed.
“Laters, baby … a lot of laters.” She giggled sexily and then he hung up, he wasn’t much for
unnecessary small talk and threw his cell on the bed as he continued to get ready.
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