Olivia swore she could actually feel her blood pressure rising. He didnotjust go there.
Refusing to even acknowledge his idiotic implication, she asked, “What then? Huh, Jake? Let’s say Ihadtold Jason what was going on, and he told you. You were on ajob! What could you have done about it?”
Jake took a step closer to her. His voice grew louder, his words seeping through his teeth. “If I thought you were in trouble, I would have been here. I would have figured out something with the job, and I would have been here!”
“Which is exactly why I didn’t call him!” Olivia’s voice echoed throughout the tiny house.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence was deafening.
“What?” Jake asked with little more than a whisper.
His brows drew together and something other than anger flashed in his eyes. Only briefly, but it was enough that Olivia recognized it. She’d hurt him.
The fact that she was scared and hadn’t wanted his help cut him deeply. Jake was, to the core, a man of action. A protector. Especially to those he cared for.
Well, hell.As much as his leaving had hurt her,deep down Olivia never truly wanted to cause Jake pain. She did her best to explain.
“I knew if I told Jason what was going on, he’d tell you, and you’d go all Mr. Protecto on me.” Jake opened his mouth to respond, but she didn’t let him. “And despite the evidence from recent events, I’m not some weak, helpless, damsel in distress. Believe it or not, Iamcapable of taking care of myself.”
The lines on his forehead smoothed quickly, and Olivia saw the muscles in his jaw bulge out. Rather than helping Jake understand, her explanation had clearly pissed him off even more.
Lovely. I just can’t seem to win with him, today.
Jake spoke through his teeth again as he shoved his own pointed finger in her direction. “I haveneverthought of you as weak or helpless. You want to talk about evidence? The only evidence I saw in that fucking jungle was that you are the strongest, most capable woman I have ever known. But even if you weren’t, it wouldn’t matter, Liv. Nothing willeverkeep me from worrying about you or wanting to protect you.”
Olivia shook her head and smiled sadly. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Jake. I don’t need you to protect me. I’ve taken care of it. The police know about everything, and, as you so observantly pointed out,” she motioned to her alarm system, “I’m taking extra precautions.”
“That’s all well and good, but—”
“But, nothing!” Olivia’s voice rose with frustration again.
Trying to rein it in, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.Damn it.She hadn’t wanted to bring it up.
At best, it would be awkward as hell, but Jake obviously needed to hear it, and she needed to let him off the hook so he could leave here with a clear conscience.
Then, they could both forget about it and go on with their lives. He’d go back to saving the world, and she’d be left alone, again. What else was new, right?
“Look, Jake. What happened between us in that hotel room, was...”—she paused as she tried to describe the most unbelievable experience of her life. There really were no words that could do it justice, so she settled for—“amazing. But, I’m mature enough to understand what it really was and what it wasn’t.”
His voice lowered, and he spoke with such calmness, it sent shivers down her spine. “And what exactly was it, Olivia?”
The truth was almost too painful to admit, but she forged on, needing to resolve this thing between them once and for all. Licking her lips again, Olivia began to babble.
“A one-time thing, right?” She shrugged one shoulder. “I mean, that’s what I said that night. Hell, I pretty much begged you to make love to me. But, don’t worry,” she added quickly. “I’m not looking for more, I just...I wanted you to know why I didn’t make that call to Jason about what was going on. I knew if I did, you’d leave your job and come rushing in to save the day, and I didn’t want”—her voice broke and she swallowed hard—“I didn’t want you coming here just because you felt obligated.”
His eyes widened. “Obligated?” He practically spit the word out, as if it somehow left a bad taste in his mouth.
Olivia let out a frustrated breath. “Yes, Jake. Obligated. I know you. Hell, you said yourself, you’re protective of me. I refuse to take advantage of that, and I’m sure as hell not going to be the type of woman to sleep with you, and then expect you to be at my beck after the fact. Especially when you obviously have a life that doesn’t include me.”
Jake flinched as if she’d just slapped him. “And what the hell isthatsupposed to mean?”
He was yelling again, and this time, a vein in his forehead and one in the side of his neck bulged from the pressure.
“It means”—she raised her own voice—“that you can’t just show up here after two months of not even calling or sending a freaking text to see how I’m doing, and get mad at me for not running to you with every little problem that I have!”
“Mad?” He shook his head and his lip curled up in a sneer as he moved in on her. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m not mad. I’m fuckingpissed!”His voice seemed to get louder with each word he spoke. “You damn wellshouldhave come to me with this. And news flash, Liv...having a stalker isn’t alittleproblem!”
“I told you,” Olivia shouted back. “I don’t want you here just because you felt—”
