Page 69 of Don't Game Me
The teenager behind the counter giggled.
She blushed, apparently forgetting they were in public.
“Becca,” he gritted out in warning. She slapped the bandage into his hand. He would not notice the softness of her skin or the delicate arch of her foot. He wouldn’t dare think about kissing up to…Focus on the blister.He peeled and placed the bandage.“We need another.” He glanced at the teenager who shrugged a “no.”
“I’m not going to go gangrenous and lose a toe. I need to get going. You need to forget you saw me here.” She hopped off the desk.
He caught her arm a few feet from the desk. “You’re not going anywhere.”
She fisted his shirt and pulled him close to facilitate direct eye contact. At a whisper, she said, “This is my chance to get out once and for all. There’s someone here who can help me. Yes, this is about the Stadium and Symphis. They killed my wedding date and forced me to steal the financials. You have to let me disappear. I’m doing this for you, for my parents, and my brothers.”
He didn’t seem surprised. He already knew.
Tori must’ve told them. Becca wasn’t surprised.
“No.” Jake’s nostrils flared, and the squinty eye he gave her warned if she lit the match to detonate the argument he itched to have, then World War III would ensue. There’d be videos taken. Her cover would be blown because the mask would come off, no doubt.
He commanded, “I’m doing this presentation. You’re going to stay until the FBI gets here.”
God, he was handsome in those jeans and button-down shirt with his reading glasses pushed up into his hair, probably forgotten. How she wanted to fall into his strength and the security he offered deep beneath the bluster. But it wasn’t real safety. Nothing was at this point. Reality was, people were dying. “Even Tori hasn’t really escaped. Going public isn’t the answer. I’m sorry. This is for the best.”
“What’re you going to do? Disappear? For how long? The rest of your life?”
“If needed.”
“You’re going to leave behind your parents…your dad when he might not be himself for much longer? I don’t buy it. What the hell happened between us? Did you decide the best way to distract me from the fact you hacked my company’s system was in bed?”
Her heart skipped a few beats in response to the hurt in his tone. She searched his eyes, seeing pleading there and something else. Her heart wanted the something else to be an affirmative on missing her as much as she’d missed him. The past few days had been hell. Aside from fear and living on the edge, she cycled between hating him and fantasizing about him.
“I had to do what needed to be done.” She choked out the words necessary to push him away. “Now’s the time for you to do what you do best when it comes to relationships. Walk away.”
He tightened his grip on her elbow. “It’s not that simple.”
“Yes, it is. It happened. It was a one-night stand. Okay, technically it was two nights. But still sex, no strings. That was our agreement. You’ll forget about me within the next week. Go do your presentation. I’ll do my own thing.”
“I won’t forget in a week.” He pulled her close and said low so all the onlookers couldn’t hear, “You’re going to tell me the truth about what the hell happened between us. Real or fake?”
She couldn’t move, too terrified the slightest motion would cause her to fracture into a million tiny pieces.I love you, Jake. It’s because of that I need you to leave me.Fear tightened her chest, making it impossible to draw a full breath. “Jake, I—”
Crap. That was Emma marching this way.
“I’m out of here.” Becca yanked her wrist out of his grasp. “Thanks for this whole weird bandage thing. Good-bye.”
“Becca, stop.” He caught her arm again. She swayed. Her foot screamed in pain. To top off her humiliation sundae, she almost fell over. He caught her arm and helped her catch her balance.
She yanked her arm out of his grasp. “We’re done. You have a presentation to get to. Aren’t you a headliner at this convention?”
“Yes, it’s a big talk. Becca—”
Emma appeared in front of them. “Thank God. We thought you’d had an accident or something when you didn’t show up. I assumed you were right behind me.” Her gaze met Becca’s, quizzical. “You’re hitting on Leia out here instead of being inside getting ready?”
“It’s Becca,” Jake said, low.
Emma’s eyes widened. “You’re here? After everything…you’re here? Okay, regardless…” She waved a dismissive hand. “You’re late, Jake.”
Becca blew out a disgruntled sigh. “Jake had this bizarre need to play doctor on my blister before his talk, as if my foot was going to fall off or something.”
“Really?” Emma asked as her gaze darted to Jake. “The crowd around us doesn’t need to see Jake have a lover’s spat with a cosplay Leia five minutes before he gives one of the biggest talks of the convention. We can only hope the two of you won’t end up on YouTube. I saw a few people with cell phones out. We have to get going right now.”
