Amorous (The Lincoln Series Book 1) (7 page)

“Actually, it was Skinner who worked with rats. And I don’t see any girls around here, only beautiful women.” Dr. Jackson caressed her arm with his hand.

A silence drew out between the two men and Jake slid his leer up and down Marie. Her body tensed and Dr. Jackson took a step toward Jake in a protective stance.

“I think it’s time you moved on, Winston. Go find yourself a sandbox to play in.”

Jake glared at Marie. “You’ll be back, baby. Maybe I’ll be waiting.”

He turned to leave and walked straight into a waitress. A collection of empty glasses and bottles crashed to the floor when he knocked the tray out of her hands.

“Outta my way, bitch!” Jake sneered and disappeared into the crowd.

“Well as usual, Dr. Jackson, your timing is impeccable.” Smiling, Janet leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Would you care to join us or would you rather I left you two alone?” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

“Love to,” he said with a smile, leaving her question unanswered. “You look great Janet. How’ve you been?”

Slowly Marie began coming out of the trance his kiss had thrust her into. She was vaguely aware of the conversation between him and Janet. After a few minutes she realized they were talking to each other as if they were close friends.

Reality slapped her and she stepped out of his arms. Dr Jackson was the friend Janet had invited, the one she was playing matchmaker with.

She hadn’t told Janet about yesterday, about his
almost
offer for a date. He really didn’t want her and now Janet was trying to set them up.

He must have seen her arguing with Jake and kissed her so Jake would leave her alone. She had to put a stop to this before Dr. Jackson felt trapped into taking her out. A pity date was the last thing she wanted, especially from him.

She looked at Janet and struggled to find something to say. She was desperate and she could feel her face flaming. She didn’t know if it was from embarrassment or the heat of his kiss. Either way she had to think fast.

How was she supposed to get out of this and save her dignity from total annihilation when she lost her senses so easily around him? And he hadn’t made it any easier by letting her cling to him as if they were lovers, even after he had chased Jake away.

Janet was still sitting at the table when Dr. Jackson pulled out a chair for her and she suddenly found her voice.

“You know Jan, my headache really isn’t any better. I think I’m gonna get going so you two can catch up.” She grabbed her purse from under the table.

When she turned to leave Dr. Jackson wrapped his hand around her upper arm and stopped her. “Marie, wait.”

She looked at his hand. She could feel the warmth of his touch spreading through her body. She hadn’t realized how cold she had gotten after she left his arms until now. She had to get away from him or she was going to jump him in the middle of Parillo’s, whether he wanted her to or not.

“No, really Dr. Jackson, I have to go. I’m not feeling well and I…uh…I just have to go.” She tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let go of her arm. “Please.” She whispered, “I can’t do this again.”

A sick feeling settled in the pit of Warrens’ stomach
.

‘She needs a good reference from me if she resigns, and she knows I will not give her one if she disappoints me.’

He replayed AJ’s words in his mind. Had AJ threatened to fire her if she didn’t stay away from him? Surely he hadn’t sunk that low. And what did she mean by ‘I can’t do this again’? How long has AJ been controlling her personal life?

Warren knew she was attracted to him, he could feel it in the way she had kissed him back. But then she had called him Dr. Jackson, the words hit him like a slap in the face. She had been calling him that at the office but he figured it was a stupid company policy. After all, they wouldn’t even let him pound a nail into the wall just to hang his credentials.

He wanted her to use his name. A sudden rush of heat swept over him at the thought of her screaming his name as she climaxed. Desire took control and he stepped closer to her. He put his other arm around her and gently caressed her back. He wasn’t sure how he was going to do it, but he had to stop her from leaving without him.

“How are you getting home? Do you need a ride?”

Marie opened her mouth but didn’t speak. A soft and sexy sigh escaped when she exhaled and he was sure he’d come in his pants.

He pulled her against his body and Janet stepped up to his side.

“She came on the bus, as usual, and I really don’t think she should take one home alone. Do you? Maybe you should give her a ride. We can get together some other time.”

Janet put a hand on each of their arms and started pushing them through the crowd toward the door.

Marie tried to say something but he spoke over her. He could sense she was trying to get away from him and he couldn’t let that happen, not tonight. Somehow he felt an urgency to get her alone.

“It’d be my pleasure.” He smiled. “You do look tired, Marie. Let me take you home.”

“She is tired. She’s had a bad week so far, something about difficulties at the office.” Janet winked at him and continued to push them through the crowd.

Marie gasped and said, “Uh…no, it’s not the office, Jan. I’m having trouble with my landlord, remember?”

The look of desperation on her face would have made him weep if he hadn’t realized she was simply embarrassed.

Janet waved her hand negligently. “Oh, yeah. That’s right. How could I forget about that asshole?” She pushed them through the door into the night air. “Let him give you a ride and maybe he can straighten out that
landlord
for ya. Or better yet, he can take you to his place where you’ll be nice and safe tonight.”

Janet winked again at Warren and turned to head back into the bar. She yelled over her shoulder and waved goodbye. “Have a nice night you guys!”

He suppressed his excitement at his revelation. Janet loved to play matchmaker, always had. She was doing it now, which meant Marie had been talking to her about him. Now all he had to do was help Marie relax and set her passion free.

A gust of cold air from the late summer evening hit their faces. A single tear ran down her cheek and she shivered. He reached up and lightly brushed it away.

“Let me take you home, Marie.”

He knew the moment she had given in. She gently pressed her face into his hand and he pulled her into a warm embrace. Now all he had to do was get her home to his soft, warm bed before he lost control of his desires.

Dr. Jackson opened the passenger side door of his obsidian Lexus and kissed the back of Marie’s hand. The heat from his hand moved through her, and was accelerated when his lips touched her skin. A chill raced up her spine and she instinctively stepped closer to the warmth of his body.

He pulled her against his chest and wrapped her in his arms. He buried his face in her hair and moaned softly. The slightest of shudders ran through him and he held her tighter. He inhaled deeply then kissed the shell of her ear.

He whispered, “God you smell good, but we need to get going. I got my point across.”

When he took a step back and raised his head she followed his gaze. She saw Jake on the other side of the parking lot staring at them as he leaned against the driver’s door of his Porsche. His arms were crossed over his chest and the look on his face sent fear running through her. If she had been alone she would have gone back inside to the safety of the crowd.

She looked back at Dr. Jackson as he gently pushed her toward the open door. His features were tight with murderous intent despite the gentleness of his hands as he helped her into the car.

It was obvious the two hated each other. Now she knew why Janet insisted he take her home. She must have expected Jake to be waiting for her. They were just trying to protect her.

She fought the disappointment creeping into her mind. His affection was nothing more than a show for Jake. The touch of his hands, his kiss, and the way he held her in his arms, still made her feel sexy and desirable, but she would have preferred to have his attention because he wanted her, not because he thought Jake did.

Dr. Jackson slid behind the wheel and closed the door. When he started the car she exhaled. Despite her disappointment, she at least felt safe in the confines of his world. It would only take about ten minutes to get to her place, but it was enough time to soothe her pain by pretending for that long that she belonged here with him.

Marie let the smell of the soft leather seat, mixed with subtle traces of his cologne, wrap around her like a comforter. The interior of his car was done in soft shades of brown that made it feel warm and the music playing added to the heat she could feel moving through her.

She could feel her body reacting to his presence and she didn’t have the strength to fight it. Marie knew he really didn’t want her, but her heart was determined to take whatever it could get, and right now it was convinced it could get him. She wanted so much to believe it, but the scar Jake had left when he stripped away her dignity was still very real and she wasn’t about to go through that again. So she held tight to the knowledge that this was only a ride home.

She saw him look at her out of the corner of her eye when the chorus of
Sexy Eyes
by
Dr. Hook
began to play. She licked her lips and gave him her address, then concentrated on the carpet fibers under her feet. She couldn’t trust herself to look up. The fantasies being conjured up by the lyrics were getting harder to fight.

Her attraction to him was stronger than anything she’d ever felt before. Even Jake hadn’t made her feel this edgy, and if he could make her throw her common sense out the window, then Dr. Jackson had the power to control her like a marionette.

When she lost the battle to break the images forming in her mind, she told herself her heart was safe there and she could still have the man of her dreams. Silence stretched between them as her mind wandered off into another fantasy.

Dr. Jackson kissed her neck and ran his hands up her back as they danced. He bit her neck then stepped back and ripped her blouse open. He yanked it off her arms to remove the last of her clothing.

She arched her back and he wrapped an arm around her waist to support her while he roughly massaged her breast. He pinched her nipple and smiled when she moaned.

He pushed her back and she landed on the soft, cool comforter on her bed. She watched as he crawled over her and positioned himself for his invasion. Her stomach tightened in anticipation when he slid the head of his cock to her entrance.—

“Does Jake know where you live?”

“What?” She flinched and looked down at her lap. Her hands were wrapped around her inner thighs and pressed tightly against her crotch. She smoothed her hands down the top of her jeans pretending to straighten the material. She looked up to see the grin on his face and realized he knew what she’d been doing.

His smile broadened. “Does Jake know where you live?”

“No.” She paused. “Why?”

“He’s been following us since we left Parillo’s.”

She let out a frustrated sigh. Could this night get any worse? Janet had helped her move a year and a half ago after Jake started showing up at her apartment. He was stopping by at all hours of the day and night. Then after the night he woke her up by banging on her door at 3am, drunk as hell, she decided it was time to move.

Janet had tried to convince her to file a restraining order against him but he had never hurt her. He was always intoxicated and never did more than tell her what she was missing, in graphic detail, by not letting him in. Plus she didn’t want her personal life dragged through the courts.

Despite how angry Jake seemed tonight, Marie never felt physically threatened by him. But she had no desire to relive his unwanted visits. If he followed them to her apartment, she’d probably have to move again.

Dr. Jackson looked in the rearview mirror. “Maybe we should head to my place. I’d feel a lot better if he didn’t find out where you live.”

“Me too.”

She exhaled and let her body sink into the soft leather. For now she didn’t have to explain her history with Jake. If Dr. Jackson knew about her brief encounter with Jake, on top of the fact that he just caught her masturbating, he’d probably climb on top of her while parked in his driveway for a quick piece of ass before he took her home. The fact that she knew she wouldn’t stop him, scared her.

She figured it wouldn’t take long and she wondered if he’d at least kiss her again while they waited. Probably not, he had kissed her to give Jake the impression she wasn’t available. And if she kissed him, it would all be over. She might as well flush what was left of her dignity down the toilet.

Her mind replayed the embrace they shared and the conversation that followed. The exchange between the two men in Parillo’s was cold but familiar. She was sure there was a history between them. The dislike they had for each other was apparent.

She spoke without looking up. “You seem to know Jake better than I do. Is he someone I should be worried about? I mean, I wasn’t exactly nice to him tonight.”

She looked up and he gave her a quick smile before he turned his eyes back to the road.

“No. You don’t need to worry about him. He’s just got a nasty habit of being overly persistent. Once he decides he wants something he doesn’t stop until he gets it. And he’s usually not nice about it either.”

“I know. He’s been treating me like…well, bothering me for years. I can’t seem to convince him to leave me alone.”

“He was hitting on you, Marie.” He wrung his hands around the steering wheel. “He wants you and he won’t take no for an answer. But, if I can make him think you’re with me he’ll leave you alone.” He reached across and squeezed her knee gently.

The muscles in her leg twitched at the contact and excitement raced through her. Her temperature rose another degree and the need for his touch was reaching desperate levels. She wanted him to slide his hand higher and squeeze the ache that was growing more intense, but fear of being hurt again froze every muscle in her body and she fought to hide her reaction to him.

When their eyes met he pulled his hand back, a worried expression flashed across his face. Shit! He could see how much she wanted him. She knew it was written all over her face and he was only trying to comfort her, not turn her on. He was only protecting her from Jake.

She closed her eyes and suppressed a groan of frustration. But if it was just an act and he didn’t want her, why was he doing this? Why did he care if Jake was hitting on her?

“Do you think he’d hurt me?”

“Jake? No. Really, Marie I don’t. I’d tell you if I did. He’s just a little too persistent for my peace of mind. If he decided dropping by your apartment would get him what he wanted he’d do it until you gave in.” When she didn’t respond he looked at her. “You think I’d lie to you?”

“No. But for a minute you looked kind of worried.”

He laughed out loud. “Jake doesn’t worry me. He
annoys
me. I’ve been dealing with his spoiled ass since we were kids.”

Warren held his breath. He was telling the truth, Jake didn’t worry him. But what did was if he moved too fast she might run. All week she had been so uncomfortable around him and had even tried to avoid him despite the obvious physical attraction between them. He wanted to take this slow. Something was holding her back and he needed to know what it was. Once he knew what he was up against he could help her through the obstacle.

He had touched her when he suggested they lead Jake to believe they were dating. Her reaction to his touch was slight but he felt her twitch. He knew it was excitement rushing through her at the contact, because he felt it too. It was all he could do not to slam the car into park and jump her right there on the side of the road.

She hadn’t pulled away but when he looked into her eyes she looked terrified, so he had pulled his hand back. If she suspected he wanted more she might run. He couldn’t let that happen.

“How do you know he won’t come after me?” she asked. “He was waiting in the parking lot, now he’s following us.”

“He was hoping you would have come out alone.” He looked at her and smiled. “Now he wants to see where I take you. He’s looking for a chance to get you alone.”

“I’ve never seen him angry like that.”

“He was angry because you rejected him.”

“There was nothing to reject. He was just being a creep.”

“Marie…He wants you.”

“No. If he wanted me he wouldn’t be so crude. He just enjoys taunting me.”

He laughed. “No. He wants you in his bed…as in naked.”

Marie looked down at the floor and whispered, “He definitely doesn’t want that.”

“What?”

“He’s never flirted with me and he insults me every time I see him.”

“If he does to you what he did tonight, he’s hitting on you, Marie.” He took a quick glance at her to see if she was listening. “He’s not very good at it so you think he’s a bully but he’s really trying to get you to pay attention to him.”

“Why would anyone try to get attention from someone by being rude?”

“Because it’s the only way they know how to get it.”

“But Jake has a whole group of friends that hang out with him all the time. Why would he need to be rude to get attention?”

“Because that’s not the kind of attention he’s looking for. Those friends of his probably care more about his money than him.”

“Then why would he hang out with them?”

“Okay, maybe you need to understand where he’s coming from.” He readjusted his grip on the steering wheel. “We all grew up together, me, AJ, and Jake. Jake’s parents are wealthy and in lieu of love they gave him everything else in the damned world. He was spoiled, arrogant, and cruel. He was…is a carbon copy of his father. He treats people as if they are beneath him.”

“So why did you hang out with him?”

“We tried not to, but when you’re twelve years old and the kid who owns the football
and
the field wants to play, you let him. At least until he pushes you too far and you give him a black eye.” He sighed. “Back then AJ and I couldn’t understand why he tried to follow us around, but now we know he was trying to fit in. He wanted someone to like him. His parents sure as hell didn’t.”

Marie glanced at him quick and looked back at her hands.

“Anyway, Jake and I were like oil and water. Or maybe a better analogy would be, he was an ass and I was an ass kicker.” He smiled sheepishly.

“Did you fight a lot?”

“Only every time we were within reach of each other.” He shook his head. “Jake knew how to get under my skin and no matter how many times I knocked him on his ass he just kept coming back for more.”

“What about Dr. Carr—I mean AJ? Did he get along with Jake?”

“That depends on your definition of ‘get along’. Jake treated everyone the same. AJ was just smarter than the rest of us so he always topped anything Jake had to say. And his delivery was perfect. He always said it kind of matter-of-factly and made it impossible to argue with.”

“He hasn’t changed.” She smiled. “I have to be at my best if I want to disagree with him. He likes to have the last word on everything, too.”

He laughed. “That’s AJ. Anyway, Jake was afraid of him because he could hurt him where it mattered, his pride. I was the one who threw punches. Physical pain heals faster.” He smiled. “Now that I think about it maybe AJ just waited for me to deck him first. He was constantly pulling me off Jake to keep me from beating him to death.”

“Jake has made me pretty angry a couple times.”