Page 31 of Wired Fear

Resolved, Connor stood. He walked over and took Sophie’s cold, limp hands. He rubbed her palms with his thumbs, willing warmth back into her, and held her apprehensive gaze as he did so.

“You don’t have to go through this alone. No matter what happens, I’ll help you. Don’t bother making reservations for Kaua`i. I’ll have Thom fly you over and bring you back when you’re done talking to Alika and making any arrangements you need to. And whatever the medical things cost, don’t worry. The company will pick it up. You and the baby will have the best care available.”

Sophie’s mouth opened. Her eyes filled. She crumpled forward into Connor’s arms. She clung to him like a life raft. Her body shook with silent sobs.

It was disorienting to see her so vulnerable—even when he’d picked her up at the edge of death in the lava wilderness, she’d kept him at arm’s length.

Protectiveness surged up in Connor as he patted her back, smoothed her hair, and let her ruin his immaculate shirt with tears.Being needed was good enough for now.

Chapter Twenty-Two

After a sleepless night in his new studio apartment, Jake finished a hard run in the park with Tank to kick off the day. He dropped off the dog back at the condo and jogged two blocks to a gym he’d joined recently.

Now he bench pressed a barbell loaded with as much weight as he could take, heaving it up with animalistic grunts that expressed his feelings better than any words.

He didn’t know how he was going to get past this.

Jake’s logical brain argued that he and Sophie hadn’t been officially together when she slept with Alika. Sophie had been honest, telling Jake that she still had feelings for the guy. He even knew the exact night it had happened: they’d been shot at, and she’d had to hide in Alika’s hotel room. The whole thing was a natural setup. He shouldn’t feel this way about it.

But that didn’t change the sensation he’d had, a rending as if his heart had been ripped out when she told him that he might not be the baby’s father.

The feelings of betrayal felt primitive and absolute, life-threatening, even. Just the thought of Sophie with Alika, of his rival’s child in her womb, made him want to tear the world apart and set it on fire.

Jake pushed harder and faster on the bar.

Suddenly he reached the end of his reserves. The barbell trembled above him like a black guillotine. Spots danced in the corners of his vision. He simply couldn’t get it back into its cradle. Maybe if he let go, it’d drop on him and end the misery permanently.

“Let me help.” A familiar feminine voice. Felicia appeared in his line of sight. The grad student grabbed the weight beside his hands. Together, they were able to heave the massive thing back into its cradle.

Jake stared up at the receptionist in astonishment, trying to get his breath back as Felicia walked around to face him. She looked cute as sin, her blonde hair in pigtails, and she was wearing sexy little butt shorts and a tiny tank top that made the most of her twenty something assets. She wasn’t moving off quickly, either; instead she stared down at him like she’d like to take a bite.

“Excuse me,” Jake said loudly.

Felicia laughed. “Sorry. I was seeing if you were still alive, old man. Wanted to make sure you were breathing. Good thing you said something, or I’d have had to take a pulse.”

They bantered in the office like that. She called him “old man” and he called her “babe,” and other borderline inappropriate things. The flirtatious joking had been fun, a return to old patterns that he’d been slapped down for trying with Sophie. That Felicia seemed to enjoy it too had been a balm to his ego as he dealt with so many uncomfortable moments in his new relationship.

Which might be ending.

If Sophie was pregnant with Alika’s baby, he honestly didn’t know what he’d do.But if it was his?A whole different picture.

Somehow, he had to act normal and be supportive and he didn’t know how.

Total avoidance seemed best until he could get in the right headspace.

The awful feedback loop of his thoughts played on repeat, as it had since he’d left Sophie’s apartment the night before.

Jake realized he was staring at Felicia blankly.

“What? Have I got something on my face?” Felicia playfully crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out, as if trying to lick something off her nose. She was freakin’ adorable.

“Nope. You’re good. But I’m not.” Jake sat up and swung his legs over to sit on the side of the bench. He braced exhausted, quivering arms on his knees. “You came along just in time. I didn’t even have enough breath left to call for help.”

Felicia’s blue eyes darkened with concern. “You know you should never let it go that far. I happened to notice you from across the room.” She did a forehead smack. “I wasn’t checking you out. I mean, I noticed you were in trouble.”

“Thank God you did.” Jake picked up a gym towel and wiped his face. “Pretty sad when a little girl has to save me.”

“Hey. Who’re you calling a little girl?” Felicia struck a pose, curling her arm. “I’ve worked hard for these guns. Besides, what’ve you got on there? Three fifty?” She peered at the stack of weights. “Anyone could get in trouble with that much weight.”

---