Debra Webb - In His Touch Box Set (Here To Stay, Up Close, Tempting Trace, Basic Instincts) (64 page)

Dan pointed to the couch as they passed through the great room. “Sit,” he ordered. “I’ll get the brewskies.”

Jake plopped down on the comfortable, familiar sofa, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was too tired to think straight. Between Dan’s party, little Danielle’s arrival, the bump on his head, and then the hours of making love with Merri, he was pretty much out of it. Things would surely be clearer after a few hours of sleep. He could catch a few z’s right here on Dan’s couch, then hustle back over to Merri’s place and have a talk with her. He had to know if she felt anything resembling what he felt. He had to know if she wanted their affair to keep on going. He sure as hell did.

What would he do if she didn’t?

He wasn’t at all sure if he could simply walk away from Merri. And if she did the walking, he wasn’t sure he could handle it. Jake opened his eyes and erased that thought from his mind. No way was he going there. He had to talk to Merri first, get things straight.

“Heads up.” Dan pitched a cold beer in Jake’s direction.

Snagging the bottle in one hand, Jake quickly twisted off the top and took a deep, thirst-quenching pull. He licked his lips and plowed a hand through his hair. “I’m in bad shape here, buddy.”

Dan sat his beer aside and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his wide-apart knees. “I can see that.”

Jake matched his stance, his bottle dangling from the fingers of his right hand. “This is too intense. I didn’t know it could be like this.”

Dan puffed out a big breath. “Hey, like the song says, love hurts.” He grinned then. “Only sometimes, though. Trust me.”

Jake scowled. Confusion reigned supreme in his thoughts. “I don’t understand. I mean, Merri’s the most beautiful... the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met, but I don’t understand what happened.” He shrugged. “Or how it happened so fast. She’s all I think about. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I just want to be with her.” He fixed his gaze on his best bud’s. “Is that normal?”

While Dan considered the question, Jake took another sip of his beer. The cool liquid felt good in his throat.

Dan nodded suddenly. “I know what you need.” He jumped to his feet and rushed to a bookcase across the room. “Suzy bought it a couple of weeks ago. It’s great.”

“What is it?”

Dan pulled a book from a shelf. “Here it is.”

Jake scowled. A book. He didn’t have time to read a damned book. Besides, it was probably written by some impotent old man who’d never been in real love in his life. He just needed someone to tell him how to handle all these alien feelings.

Dan tossed the book at him and reclaimed his seat. “Read it,” he commanded. “It’ll tell you everything you ever needed to know about what draws men and women together.”

Jake studied the hot pink lettering on the cover.
Basic Instincts.
“Well, it certainly has a catchy title.”

“Suzy and I both enjoyed it. The author definitely knows what she’s talking about. And you don’t need a degree in psychology to read it.”

Jake flipped through the pages. Maybe he did need to get an educated perspective on this thing called love. Something on the inside of the jacket cover caught his eye. He quickly shuffled to it. A brief author bio and picture. He skimmed the bio, but his gaze went instinctively back to the picture. There was something about the woman... something familiar. Her blond hair was pulled back into a conservative bun. Large glasses camouflaged her face. Sky blue eyes stared back at him through the oversized glasses. Eyes as blue as the heavens.

Merri.
He scanned the author’s name again. Dr. Meredith Langston.
Merri Lang.
The air left Jake’s lungs.

“It’s been on the bestseller list since the day it was released. David Letterman called it the sex bible. And I’d tend to agree with him,” Dan went on. “The whole country’s talking about it. In fact, I think I saw somewhere that the author is doing a follow-up book. Letterman invited her to do the research for it on the air.” Dan chuckled. “I imagine she’ll have a hell of a time doing any kind of research since everybody and their brother recognizes her now.”

Research
.

Jake stared at the painfully conservative picture of Merri on the book’s jacket, then he considered the beautiful seductress he’d met that first night. Merri—Meredith, he corrected himself, grimly—was in disguise. She hadn’t been out doing the club circuit like hundreds of other young, single females. She’d been doing research. The disguise was to keep anyone from recognizing her. Apparently she didn’t want to theorize about anything she hadn’t personally experienced.

Jake turned back to the very first page of the book. He read the first line.
It’s about sex.
A steel band tightened around his chest, making breathing next to impossible. He swore softly.

“I’m telling you, Jake, you need to read that book. It contains all the answers to any questions about sex and relationships you have.”

Jake thrust the book back at his friend. “It’s Merri.” His voice was strained and barely audible.

“What?” Dan looked bewildered.

Jake dropped the book in Dan’s outstretched hand. “Look at the photo inside the jacket cover. That’s Merri.”

Disbelief clear in his expression, Dan opened the book and glanced at the small picture of the author. “That’s not Merri. It’s Dr. Meredith Langston,” he said, sounding none too sure.

Jake shot to his feet. “Research.” He strode to the far side of the room, his anger and hurt building with each step he took. “So being with me was just research.” He turned and glared at his friend. “I feel like a frigging lab rat.”

Dan was still staring at the picture. “But that can’t be. Dr. Langston lives in New York. Merri’s here, in Atlanta.”

“You said yourself that she would have a hard time doing research without someone recognizing her. Think about it,” Jake said furiously. “It’s the perfect solution. She comes down here on a manhunt and finds me. The biggest fool in the world.” Jake swore at his own gullibility. “That Nigel dude is from New York.” What a fool he’d been.

Dan shook his head. “But Merri isn’t like that.” He stood, ready to argue his case. “She wouldn’t lead you on like that. There has to be another explanation.” He waved his arms in emphasis. “Maybe I dreamed up that part about a new book and the research.”

Jake glared at him. “You know I’m right. That’s Merri and she lied to me.”

Dan dropped his head. “It sure looks that way.”

Jake stormed up to his friend and took back the book. “And I’m damn well going to find out why.”

“Jake.”

He paused halfway across the room. Too angry to care about anything else his friend might have to say in Merri’s defense. Jake turned back to him just the same.

“Take it easy on her, man.” Dan gave him a beseeching look. “She cares. I know she does.”

Jake walked away, the damning book clutched in his right hand. He had a few things to say to Dr. Meredith Langston, none of which she was going to like.

~*~

“You have to tell him, Meredith,” Shelley urged. “You can’t just assume that he won’t understand.”

“Get real, Shelley! What if you’d professed your love to some guy and then found out that even though he cared about you, your whole relationship had started out as research for his next book.”

Shelley looked away. “I see your point.”

Meredith sat down and dropped her face into her hands. “What am I going to do? I’ve really made a total mess of things.”

Shelley sat down beside her and looped her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “Do you love him?”

Meredith let out a mighty sigh. “Yes.” Relief washed over her with the admission. She did love Jake. She just hadn’t realized what all her feelings meant until now—when she faced the prospect of losing him.

“Jake is a good guy; he’ll understand. You just have to give him a chance. If he really loves you, he’ll listen to what you have to say.”

Meredith swiped at the tears sliding down her face. “God, I hope you’re right.”

Shelley gave her a hug. “Of course I’m right. I’m a pretty good judge of character and Jake is, like, awesome, my dear.”

A smile tugged at Meredith’s trembling lips. “He’s amazing.” She turned to her friend. “Did I tell you he made Dan a full partner as a gift? I mean—” Fresh tears welled in her eyes. “How many guys do you know who would do something as selfless as that?”

“You should call him,” Shelley said with a nod. “Just call him up and say you need to talk.” She fixed Meredith with an urgent look. “Don’t let him find out some other way. You have to tell him now!”

Meredith stood and tightened the sash of her robe. “You’re right. I’ll give him a call and make a date for lunch.” She nodded once. “And then I’ll tell him.”

Shelley’s usual bright smile returned. “All right then. I have this feeling that everything’s going to be fine.” She winked conspiratorially. “I think I hear wedding bells already,” she teased.

Meredith had to laugh at that. “I don’t think we’ve reached that point just yet.”

Shelley raised a speculative eyebrow. “You did say you’d had unprotected sex at least twice, didn’t you?”

Meredith’s skin heated with the memory. She offered a halfhearted shrug. “Things kind of got out of control and we...”

“Yes or no?” Shelley asked pointedly.

“Yes. It was stupid, I know.” Meredith threw her hands up in frustration. “I, of all people, know how important practicing safe sex is.”

“Let’s just hope that there isn’t already another aspect to your dilemma. The Pill has been known to fail.”

Shelley was right. What if? The idea of carrying Jake’s child warmed her to the very core of her being. But... there was a lot to be done in order to straighten out the mess she had made. And if Jake didn’t want to understand—well, she would just have to live with the consequences of his decision and their unprotected act.

“I should make that call now.”

The doorbell sounded, startling them both. Shelley laughed at their wired nerves. “You make the call, I’ll get the door.”

Meredith nodded and went in search of her cell. Telling Jake the truth was the right thing to do. She loved him and if he loved her enough, maybe, just maybe, they could work this out.

“Jake! What a surprise!”

Meredith turned to see him standing in the doorway, his expression as unyielding as stone.

He knew
.

She didn’t have to ask. She could feel his emotional withdrawal all the way across the room. Meredith was aware of moving toward him, but she had no clue how her body had been set in motion.

“Well, I’ll just leave you two alone.” Shelley shot a worried look at her.

“It’s okay,” Meredith assured her.

Shelley squeezed her friend’s arm as she passed. “Let me know if you need me.”

“Hello, Jake.” Meredith wrapped her arms around her middle in an effort to hide her trembling.

He held out a copy of her book. She took the damned thing in her hands. The unforgiving look on the face that had become so dear to her shattered her heart. There would be no resolution. His mind was already made up. She could see it in his eyes, read it in his posture. Jake would never forgive her deception. Selfishly, she took a moment to look at the man who would never want her love now. The handsome face, the eyes that made her melt inside with just a glance, and the body that made her ache to be held.

“I just want to know one thing,” he said, his voice low, harsh, filled with the pain she had caused. “Why me?”

Meredith squared her shoulders and made a pathetic attempt to smile. “Please come in, so I can explain.” Her voice was shaky and faint, but it was the best she could do under the circumstances.

He shook his head, the movement barely perceptible. “I don’t think so.” Renewed fury blazed in his eyes. “You—” He closed his eyes briefly, visibly shaken.

“Jake, please give me a chance to explain.” She reached out to him, but he backed away.

“There’s nothing to talk about. You got what you came here for, you can go back to wherever it is you came from.” His mouth worked as if he wanted to say something else but couldn’t form the words.

“Goodbye, Merri.”

He turned and walked away.

Chapter Ten

“You’re overreacting and you know it,” Dan argued vehemently. “Merri loves you, Jake; Suzy said so. And she’s not wrong.”

Jake nailed him with a drop-dead glare. “Her name is Meredith. Dr. Meredith Langston. And she was using me for research.”

Dan shook his head. “You’re wrong.” He followed Jake around the plywood floor of the newly constructed house. “I mean, maybe it started out that way, but—”

“Go home to Suzy and Danielle. You’re not supposed to be back here for another two weeks.”

“Suzy made me leave; she said I was hovering. She needed some space.”

Jake almost smiled at that, but with his own life in shambles, he couldn’t think about anyone else’s ups and downs at the moment. Besides, nothing Dan could say would alleviate the crushing misery Jake felt. For the first time since he was ten years old, he wanted to cry. Damn. A grown man wasn’t supposed to feel that way, but he did. He wanted to cuss and rip something apart, then he just wanted to drop his head and howl with the hurt twisting inside him. The only way he could figure he would get over the whole humiliating mess was to stay busy and not think about
her.
He couldn’t call her Meredith, because to him she would always be Merri. The woman who wrecked any semblance of control he’d ever possessed over his own destiny.

Now he just wanted to be left alone.

Dan blew out a breath of frustration. “She’s leaving today. Her flight’s in two hours.”

Jake wanted to say he was glad she was going, but that would be a lie. So, instead, he set to work the old-fashioned way, with a hammer and nails. Using a nail gun wouldn’t help him get rid of the emotions screaming inside him. He needed hard, manual labor.

“You have to hear me out,” Dan insisted.

Losing his patience very quickly, Jake stopped. He just barely restrained his temper before turning to face his nagging buddy once more. “I didn’t want to hear it from her when she offered to explain yesterday. Why would I want to hear from you today?”