Copping Attitude (2 page)

Gordon shot him an annoyed glance.  “What, did she proposition you?  Or did you hit on her, and now she thinks she’ll be able to work out her problems in the sack with a
latin lover
?”

Problems in the sack?  At first, Noah thought he’d misheard.  But Jenna gasped, telling him he hadn’t. 

He lowered his voice and leaned towards the other man.  “Use that phrase again and you will regret it,
carajo estúpido
.  And know this—
whoever
she works out with, it’s not going to be you.”

The guy’s fists clenched, but he wisely took a step back.  Jenna seemed frozen in place, her embarrassment causing her breaths to jerk in and out of her chest. 

“Come on, Jenna.  Give me a chance.”  When she ignored him, Gordon grabbed her arm, squeezing hard enough to make Jenna wince.  “Damn it—”

“Uh-uh,” Noah murmured, just before he grabbed the taller man by the throat.  Noah squeezed his windpipe, cutting off his air supply.  The man’s gasps for air were unmistakable.  Behind him, the bar went silent. 

Despite the fact Kate was a cop and there were a few other familiar faces around, this wasn’t a cop bar.  Given he was IA, hanging in a predominantly cop-anything had never been his first choice.  As a general rule, he respected men in uniform—hell, he
was
a man in uniform--but he knew his presence made many of them uneasy.  Not ideal, but it came with the job.  Still, it didn’t matter.  Cops or not, there were plenty in the bar that liked Noah and would back him up. 

Not that he needed them to. 

“Let go of her and I’ll do the same,” Noah said softly. 

He released the man’s throat a split second after he released Jenna.  Ignoring the stares of those around them, Noah swiftly and not-so-gently escorted him out.  When he was finished, Kate was back at the table, leaning over Jenna, who looked deathly pale.

Noah cursed.  The guy hadn’t grabbed her that hard, yet she appeared close to hyperventilating.  It told him that maybe his initial assumption had been right.  Maybe she guarded herself from men because one had hurt her.  Bad.

Kate rested a hand on Jenna’s shoulder.  “It’s okay, Jenna.  You’re safe.  I’m here and so is Noah.  Right?” Kate said, glancing over at him.

Noah didn’t take his eyes off Jenna.  “Right.”

Within a few seconds, he saw the color return to her face.  She began to breathe more easily.  “Can we leave?”

Kate nodded and Noah escorted them to the door.  As Jenna slipped outside, Noah said to Kate, “What the hell is going on?”

Kate sighed, looking torn.  She stared at him with consideration, then nodded as if she’d made up her mind about something.  “Come with us, Noah.”

Whoa.  All kinds of interesting images popped into his head at Kate’s invitation.  “Does she want that?”

“No.  But she needs you.  And she knows it.  So come with us.”

He stared at Kate as if she was crazy, making her smile.  “You aren’t going to get lucky, Noah.  At least, not with both of us.  But if you play your cards right…”  She looked meaningfully at the door through which Jenna had disappeared.

Okay, so he hadn’t misinterpreted what was happening.  Kate was pimping him out to her friend.  “Why me?”

Kate laughed.  “Why not you?  You’re supposed to be the best of the best.  Plus, you’re a good man.  One who’s not afraid to balance strength with gentleness.”

“And she needs gentleness?”

“And strength,” Kate confirmed.  “Hopefully you can give both to her.”

Slowly, she walked out the door to follow Jenna.  Noah hesitated.  Then he swiped a hand over his face and went after them.

CHAPTER TWO

“He needs to leave,” Jenna said desperately.  Her gaze swept Kate’s small guest bedroom as if searching for an escape route.  Of course there wasn’t one.  If she was going to leave, she’d have to walk past Detective Noah James to do it.  She wasn’t sure she could. 

From the moment Kate had introduced them three weeks ago, Jenna had been overwhelmed by the temptation to get close to Noah.  Even tonight, when he’d asked to join her at her table, she’d had to force herself to say no rather than lean into him and wrap her arms around him the way she’d wanted to.  For some reason, despite his suave good looks and exotic voice, even as he made her body warm with a desire she’d never thought she’d feel again, Noah seemed solid and safe.  But he also seemed scary as hell.  The combination was strangely alluring.  She’d fantasized about asking him over several times, but now that it had finally happened, she still couldn’t believe he was here.  In Kate’s apartment.  And that she was actually considering doing what Kate was suggesting.

“Okay.  If that’s what you really want.”  Kate watched her carefully.  “Is it?  Because I thought what you really wanted was to bring Judge Stavish down, and to do that, you’re going to have to get pretty close to Stavish.”

What Kate meant, and what Jenna already knew, was that she was probably going to have to sleep with Stavish.  That was her choice, because she didn’t know how else to get the information she needed except to rely on the face and body that men seemed to be so fascinated with.  She was no whore—hell, she didn’t see the point of sex during the best of circumstances, and she hated it under the worst of them—but to get justice?  To make sure what happened to her didn’t happen to another woman?  She’d do whatever she had to.  “I know that.  But…him?” 

Instinctively, she sensed how sex with Noah might actually interfere with her plans.  How he might make her forget Stavish and make her simply want to be a woman again, lost in the arms of a man who’d be gentle but still wouldn’t let her shy away from the pleasure he could bring her.  Given that, he should be the last person to ask this favor of.

“Better him than that slimeball Gordon.  I still can’t believe there’s such a thing as therapeutic sex surrogates.”

Jenna sighed.  “I told you, the legality is on the shaky side, but most juries make a distinction between sex for money and sexual gratification, and sex for money and therapy.  It’s apparently a legit business.  At least Gordon would have made things halfway clinical.  At least he—he—”

“At least he doesn’t threaten you.  Not the way Noah does”

Instinctively, she raised her chin.  “Detective James doesn’t scare me.”

Kate just looked at her, and Jenna rubbed her hands up and down her arms, her bravado quickly deflating.  “Okay, so he does scare me, a little.”

“The fear Noah inspires in you is the good kind, Jenna.  He turns you on.  That’s what scares you.”

“But I—I don’t want to be turned on,” she said swiftly.  “I just want to be able to let one specific man touch me without freaking out.  Even if that man is going to end up being Judge Stavish.”

“To do that, you’re going to have to actually let yourself be touched.  To disguise your fear of sex.  Given the way you reacted to Gordon grabbing you earlier, you’re a long way from that, Jenna.  Maybe Noah can help.  He’s a good guy.  He won’t hurt you.  And I’ve seen how you look at him.  You want him.”

Jenna hesitated, looking towards the doorway.  At the other end of the house, Noah was nursing a drink in the living room.  Despite his patience and watchfulness, he’d obviously been confused by Kate’s invitation to join them.  Who wouldn’t be, especially given how Jenna had previously brushed him off.  “But what will he think of me?  I should have just hit on him.  I still can.  I don’t have to explain why I—”

“And let him go in blind?”  Kate shook her head.  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.  He has to know your hang-ups.  That’s why you looked into a sex surrogate in the first place, remember?  It would be counterproductive otherwise and it wouldn’t be fair to lead him on, have him touch you, and then have to deal with you wigging out on him.”

“No,” Jenna said ruefully.  “That wouldn’t be fair.  Or pretty.”  Gordon Forks, on the other hand, had been plenty pretty.  Technically, he was even better looking than Noah, with a classically chiseled face and light green eyes.  But the instant she’d met him, she’d known she couldn’t do it.  Despite his credentials—and yes, the testimonials on his website—the idea of the man’s hands on hers had made her sick.  The idea of
any
man’s hands on her nowadays made her sick. 

Not so with Noah.  At least, not quite so much.

Kate was right.  Somehow, the idea of Noah touching her was scary, but it wasn’t scary enough to make her desire go away.  In fact, the fear only seemed to amplify her lust.  At least she knew she was still capable of being sexually attracted to a man, even if she didn’t have the guts to act on it.

“You were assaulted, Jenna.  It’s normal for you to fear sexual intimacy again.  Let Noah help you and then we can discuss what you want to do.”

She shook her head.  “No.  If I do this, it’s only so I can go after Stavish, which I’m going to do whether you help me or not, Kate.”

Kate sighed.  “I know. That’s why I
am
trying to help you, Jenna.  Plus, when you’re done with Stavish, I’m hoping you can go on with your life.  Finally reach out for the happiness that you deserve.  Happiness that can involve a man.  Maybe it’ll even involve Noah.”

Jenna laughed.  “Noah James, the police department’s lothario?  Didn’t you tell me he’s a sexual powerhouse, screwing a different woman every week?”

“Doesn’t mean he can’t commit.  He had a long-time girlfriend about a year back.  And even though they broke up, they’re still friendly.  That says a lot for a man’s character, don’t you think?”

“Depends.  Are they friendly with benefits?  Because maybe he’s just friendly because he wants to keep getting laid.”

“And that is exactly why you need to do this,” Kate responded quietly.  “Frankly, your opinion of men sucks.  Granted, it’s understandable given your experience, but…”

“As much as I want him, I doubt a night in the sack with Noah James is going to change my opinion of men—”

She heard a male throat being cleared behind her and froze.  Several seconds passed before she forced herself to turn around.  The bedroom door had been slightly ajar and Noah had pushed it open.  He stood in the open doorway, his dark eyes lasering into her.  Humiliation punched through her, taking her breath away.

“Maybe not,” Noah drawled.  “But why don’t we give it a try?  I’m game if you are.”

CHAPTER THREE

Noah saw Jenna’s surprise in the way her body tensed and in the horrified expression on her face.  For a second, regret filled him but it was soon washed away with anger.  He’d walked in to check on them and had caught them discussing the merits of screwing him.  Their conversation confirmed Jenna was attracted to him and while he should have been jumping for joy, he’d found himself getting pissed.  She thought he was a “lothario.”  And the women’s discussion hadn’t been about want—it had been about calculated manipulation. 

He didn’t like being manipulated. 

Neither woman said anything so he turned to Kate.  “Now that I’m here and know the score, you willing to leave us alone so we can talk?”

“Is that okay with you, Jenna?”

He tensed, waiting while Jenna bit her lip, her particular “tell” when she was nervous.  Her answer was key, because if she didn’t trust him enough to be alone with him, she certainly wasn’t going to be able to get down and dirty with him.  And that was, after all, what she wanted from him. 

Gordon’s mention of sexual hang-ups replayed through his head.

Fine.  If she wanted him for sex therapy, he was more than willing.  But damn if he was going to do anything without having all the facts.

Jenna nodded and Noah released a breath of relief. 

“Be good, Noah,” Kate said, a spark of amusement in her expression, her double entendre not lost on Noah.  Then, once more turning serious, she said to Jenna, “Call me if you need me.  Until then, I’ll stay with a friend.”  She shut the bedroom door behind her, an audible click resonating.  Faintly, he heard the sound of the front door closing.

Noah crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, shooting for a casual demeanor even though every muscle in his body was twitching with the alternating need to pepper her for answers and to kiss, lick and suck her from head to toe.  “Why don’t you tell me exactly what’s going on, Jenna.”

And to his great surprise, she did.

“Last year, a man assaulted me.”

He’d suspected as much, and sympathy and rage washed through him.  Sympathy for what she’d gone through, rage that he hadn’t been there to protect her and kill the man who’d hurt her.  “Who was he?”

“A—a burglar,” she whispered.  Once again, her skin had paled to an alarming degree.  She closed her eyes, obviously reliving the horror, which was the last thing she needed or wanted.  But he had to know. 

“He broke into your house?”

“Yes.  I’d move, but the house belonged to my parents.  I don’t want to be forced out of my home and he’s already taken so much.”

“Did he—”  She hadn’t said the word, so he didn’t either.  But her nod made him feel sick inside.  She hadn’t just been assaulted, she’d been raped.  No wonder she thought she needed sexual therapy.

“Did they catch him?”

She nodded again.  “He’s in prison.”

And likely getting raped himself, if there was any justice in the world.  “Good.” 

He wanted to go to her.  To take her in his arms and tell her everything would be okay.  But he wasn’t sure it was true.  He couldn’t help picturing the rape victims he’d encountered over the years.  Young and old.  Sexually experienced and not.  Some rapists took care not to inflict serious damage to their victims, while others got off on every moment of pain.  He forced himself to ask, “How badly did he hurt you?”

“Physically, I was fine.  He hit me a couple of times and held me down, but…”  She shrugged, the dismissive gesture making his heart ache.

“Are you in therapy?  I mean, real therapy?”

“I was.  Sometimes, I can go days not thinking about it anymore.  Except—”

“Except when a guy grabs you in a bar,” he gritted out.

She nodded.  “Or when I try to let someone get close to me.  Only I can’t.”