Page 7 of Wanting it All

“Okay, I’ll move you over here out of the way for a few minutes.”

“Thanks.” She smiled, trying to keep her panic from showing. That only lasted until she spun to approach Jake and found him missing. In the space of a few seconds the asshole had ducked inside.

She was being played. She knew it. She was the mouse to his cat. The bait to his bite.

Time to bite back.

She stepped into the grand lobby, glancing around until she found Jake waiting for her near the bank of elevators. He’d kept his mirrored sunglasses on, his hands shoved into his tailored slacks, his tanned arms showing muscles and an expensive watch. She’d been down this path before.

Grabbing her phone, she shot off a quick text.

You got me here. We’ll talk in the bar. I’m not leaving the public space.

Bri didn’t wait to see if he’d follow. She turned to her right and weaved through the mostly empty tables to sit in a booth on the edge of the space.

It was an odd game of chicken. The texts started almost immediately. More threats to forward the photos to Markus.

She held her ground. She wasn’t going to get behind a closed door with Jake Davenport. Not again.

She almost broke her own resolve when, after five minutes, Jake texted his contact record for Markus, proving that he had her husband’s work and cell numbers. It proved he could ruin her life in the span of a few seconds.

But she stayed put, nervously glancing at the bank of windows out to the carport. As the minutes ticked by, her heart rate inched up until she saw the valet moving her SUV away, probably parking it in the hotel garage.

There goes my quick escape.

Bri suspected Jake had been waiting for her car to be removed because he started weaving his way through the lobby bar before she even lost sight of her vehicle.

“Playing hard to get, eh?” he gloated as he sat next to her on the same side of the booth.

What an idiot. I should have sat closer to the edge.

“Do not sit on this side,” she ground out, trying not to draw any attention from the few other occupants at nearby tables.

Jake took his glasses off, setting them on the table before leaning close. “I thought you’d appreciate me sitting close so no one can hear what we’re talking about.”

Shoving him with no effect, Bri grumbled. “We don’t have anything to talk about. Just give me the pictures and videos and I’m out of here.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” He had the gall to wave down a passing waitress. “Hey there, babe. We’d like two Cosmos. Make ‘em strong.”

“No!” Brianna shouted, too loudly. Trying to temper her voice, she added, “I’ll be driving soon. I don’t want to drink.” The server glanced back and forth between the two of them, standing awkwardly until Bri said, “Just bring me a water.”

“Boy, living with Lambert sure has turned you into a bore,” he goaded, grabbing a few nuts from the snack mix bowl and popping them into his mouth as soon as the waitress left them alone.

“Don’t even say his name,” she protested, pushing on him again to try and get him to move to the other side of the table. Instead of working, it only made Jake snake his arm behind her shoulders and yank her tight against his body.

His words against the shell of her left ear sent shivers through her body. “Don’t you just love this game we’re playing? It’s so cute that you still try to play hard to get with me when we both know I’m gonna win every single time.”

He was so damn smug, and it scared her. She hated how he’d boxed her into a corner, but even more than that, she hated that her body was starting to betray her already. It recognized what her brain was fighting.

“Knock it off, Jake. It isn’t gonna work this time.” Even she heard the waver in her voice, but she tried to be brave. “I don’t even know why you’re wasting your time on me. Surely, you can manage to get a date or two without having to harass me.”

He was close enough she felt his breath on her cheek as he answered. “Believe me, it sort of pisses me off too, but let’s face it. There’s just something special… explosive… between us. I know you miss it as much as I do.”

Brianna refused to let her mind go there. She had to be strong.

“Very funny. I don’t miss your verbal and physical abuse.”

“Potato, potàto. You say abuse. I call it discipline.” He paused and added, “A punishment fuck,” in a low growl.

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