“Seriously, Jake? I don’t even know why you’re so damn mad at me anymore. You’re a stubborn jackass. If you’d stop talking in code all of the time, we could work this shit out.” I push my forearm harder into him just to be a dick, but quickly realize that it brings our faces barely a few inches apart.
Something heats in Jake’s eyes before they dart down to my lips and back up to mine before repeating the process. My heart kicks up a few notches as I drag my eyes down to his perfect bow shaped lips just in time to see his tongue dart out to his lower lip for just a fraction of a second. What the fuck are we doing? And more importantly, why do I not care? He pushes against me, bringing his lips closer to mine and a shiver slides down my spine. My eyes close on instinct and I can feel his breath on my lips.
I’m leaning to erase the remaining space when the moment is broken by Dieter and Kieran’s voices cutting through the tense fog surrounding us. I fly back from him just as they turn the corner. We don’t break eye contact. I’m refusing to look away for fear that they’ll see the primal lust in my eyes,and I’d assume that’s his reasoning too.
“I’m serious, Declan. Never talk to me again.” He once again shoulders past me, but this time I let him. Because this is exactly who Jakob ‘fight this until the very end’ Fischer is. And not for the first time, I’m left wondering what the fuck is going on with me.
* * *
I’ve paraded Natasha around this engagement party for hours until finally people are beginning to leave and my social tank is empty, just like she demanded of me.
“You wanna get out of here?” She asks me while dragging the tips of her fingers down my chest.
She’s trying to be seductive, but it just makes my stomach churn with bile. She knows I don’t want to get out of here with her. Usually I can throw up my mask and it’s fine, but tonight the hands are back grabbing at me. I’m so thrown by my earlier standoff with Jakob that I needherto get out of here so I can go get my head on straight.
“Nah, I’m good. I’ll have one of the guards take you home.” Stepping out of her reach, I stoically dismiss her.
“Seriously? What’s your deal? You’ve been distant towards me all evening. I’d watch how you treat me if I were you, Dec.”
Here’s the problem: Natasha knows way more than she should, and in the lives we’ve both lived, knowledge is power. Because of the information she wields like a deadly weapon and her threats to my ex best friend, she gets away with more than I’d ever let anyone else. I’d never let someone jerk me around on a chain, but to keep him safe? Shit, call me Sparky and watch me bark.
I can’t give her a single hint that Jakob twisted me up earlier. She’ll hold it over my head like the other shit she knows, the other threats she hits me with. I’ve tried to ghost her plenty of times in the past; the problem is that my brothers are right. She’s conniving and knows exactly how to get what she wants.
“Nothing, I have work stuff to handle as soon as Rowan ends his conversation with the Fischer’s.” I tilt my head over at Rowan.
“Oh, well, call me later?” She practically purrs at me.
“I’ll see what time I get done.”
Before I have to endure any more of Natasha’s shit, I wave over Kieran’s best friend, Ryan. He also happens to be one of our guards.
“Hey, I need you to make sure Ms. Pavlov gets home safely. She’s ready to leave now.”
He looks at me like I’m insane. “Sure thing, Boss. First, I need to make sure I’m okay to leave Mrs. Byrne here while I do that.”
Ryan is Phoenix’s personal guard. He follows her like a shadow constantly, but there’s no need for him to be here when she’s currently wrapped in her husband’s arms. She looks so exhausted that I’m surprised Kieran hasn’t hauled her home or up to the room they have here already. I’d be shocked if they had any more kids after this one with how rough this is on her. She’s still getting sick multiple times a day, for Christ’s sake.
Pulling out my phone I call Kieran and watch as he pulls it out of his pocket and answers. “Yeah?”
“Ryan is going to run Natasha home. He’ll be back in less than two hours. You good with that?”
We all watch him across the yard as he nods while answering, “That’s fine. She’s not looking too well, so we’re going to go inside in just a minute.”
“She is right here and I’m okay, Mystery Man. I’m just a little tired.”
He cuts his eyes over to me, which causes me to laugh.
“Okay, good. Get her horizontal. She looks like she’s about to fall asleep standing there.”
“I’m on it.”
I hang up and pocket my phone just as Kie picks her up bridal style and gently carries her into the house.
“You’re good, Ry.” I give him a firm nod, and he puts his hand out, gesturing to her to walk in front of him to the vehicle.
Before she follows him, she turns to me and presses up on her toes to kiss me. I turn my head at the last second so she catches my cheek. She looks put out but just nods and follows Ryan. I try to calm my breathing so the hands will loosen around my throat, but it seems like nothing is working.
I wait until they’re out of sight before I pull my tie loose and turn to scan the crowd one more time as my hand comes up and discreetly grabs my neck. I just have to be certain that there is no physical barrier causing me to have such a hard time right now. My eyes wheel around the backyard looking for anything to ground me when they clash with none other than Jake’s ice blue eyes.
