Page 30 of Together We Burn
Pulling out yoga pants and one of Alex’s baggy hoodies I’d stolen, I quickly got dressed, shoving my feet into sneakers, then dropped my contaminated heels, followed by Jake’s bloodied shirt into my bag, then zipped it up.
This night was a mess, one I knew Will would hand me my ass for. At least Martinez was dead, but I would now owe Will for using his clean-up crew to make any evidence of Jake and I disappear…
The post-orgasmic high I would usually be riding right about now was nowhere to be found.
If the asshole had just stayed away.
Looping the strap to my bag over my head, I paused at the door, praying that Jake wasn’t on the other side. My nails dug into my palms, and my teeth ached from clenching them together. I closed my eyes and quickly counted to three, trying to regain some composure before heading back into the corridor to slip out the emergency exit.
Once outside, I felt like I could breathe again. Clean air filled my lungs, replacing the drugging essence of Jake’s aftershave and body wash. The scent that had once started to become my favourite was like laughing gas, making me delirious and letting my vagina take charge. And she just proved she couldn’t be trusted.
I was just as bad as a man.
A shadow pushed off the wall, and I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Jake. Quickening my pace, I reached Alex’s truck and opened the door. But Jake’s hand pushed on the frame, preventing me from making my escape.
“I know you can take care of yourself, Stefany,” he said, picking up ourfinishedconversation from before. “But I can’t help it; you’re mine.”
Strengthening the walls I kept around me, I elbowed Jake in the stomach, making him get out of my space just enough to allow me to face him. I stuck my hand out and wrapped my fingers around his neck. Since he was partial to a hand necklace, two could play that game.
Looking into his eyes, which were the clearest blue I’d ever seen, I snarled, “If the past is any indication of how you treat what isyours,thank fuck I don’t, and won’t, belong to you.”
For the first time since those nights at the warehouse, regret filled his eyes. And it appeared genuine, but I wasn’t the weak-ass bitch who fell for that puppy dog stare anymore. I dropped my grip on his throat.
“If you knew what was good for you, you’d stay away from me,” I said, my tone steely and not at all sounding like it was mine.
Jake swallowed, dropping his head, and when he looked back up, the regret was long gone, replaced by the hint of a challenge. Scratching at his short beard, he stepped back, a wry grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
“See you around, Stefany.”
I threw open the truck door, tossed my bag inside, and climbed in after it. Leaning over to the glove compartment, I smiled when my fingers skimmed the smooth outline of an object that made my heart soar. I could be a real bitch when I wanted to be.
Drawing it into my palm, I started the engine, pulled the truck into gear, and slowly sidled up to Jake’s SUV, rolling down the window.
“Can’t keep away, huh?” he taunted, holding on to his door and casually hooking one ankle over the other.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.Forgive me, Father, for I’m about to sin again.Twisting in my seat, I brought my hand to my shoulder and released the shuriken, watching as everything slowed down as the star-shaped weapon sailed through the air and pierced the front tire.
Oh, the car gods will hate me for what I’d done today.
Nothing happened. I thought I’d missed the rubber for a split second, but then a high-pitched hiss blew as the tire began to deflate. Jake’s eyes widened, and he lurched around the door to see a matte black star sticking out of his wheel.
“You little bitch,” he mused, sounding almost impressed.
“Last warning, asshole.”
And then I drove away.
No shower could ever be hot enough to boil away the mixture of self-loathing and the wonderful cocktail of hormones still flowing around my body, following the best hate sex I’d had in my entire life.
Not only that, but the Lion’s Den felt like it had left an oily film over my body that refused to wash away.
Pouring more shower gel into my hand, I scratched at the skin along my throat, arms, and chest, then clawed at my waist. A knot had made itself present deep inside my stomach and was growing bigger and bigger since the night in Jake’s apartment. Tonight, its tightening had become unbearable. This wasn’t supposed to happen. After a few dirty words and seductive smiles, I wasn’t meant to fall back into old habits with him.
My body was red by the time I’d finished punishing myself. Burning and scrubbing every inch of me, trying to rid myself of his phantom touches, and his scent that lingered, no matter how much coconut-scented body wash I used.
I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my chest, leaning over the sink to wipe away the condensation from the mirror. Faint marks lined my neck from where Jake had squeezed me, and a rush of heat surged between my legs.
I groaned, dropping my chin to my chest in defeat as I chastised my reflection. “No, Stevie, we need to have an intervention. This response is not okay. You need to get a grip of—”
