Peru. It’s only about a hundred and fifty miles from you.”
Marley scribbled the name on the napkin. Jake twisted his neck so he could read her writing and mumbled, “Goddammit. That’s in the middle of the rainforest.”
Marley glared at him and refocused on her conversation. “How will I find you when I get there?”
“It’s a small town, Marlene. I’m the only American in the area. Trust me, you’ll find me.”
“Okay, right. That makes sense.”
“I need you to hurry, Freckles. I don’t know how much longer I can stand this.”
There was a note of urgency to his voice she hadn’t heard in his previous call. And it pushed her to her feet. Whatever had happened to him was bad if he wasn’t willing to call her father. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Hold tight, Gray.”
He said goodbye, and she clicked End. Turning for the lobby, she muttered, “I have to get my things.”
She made it all the way to the stairs in the lobby before Jake grasped her forearm. “Hold on a minute.”
She’d reached the end of her patience where Jake was concerned, and she’d played nice long enough. Now it was time to act. “I don’t have time to hold on. I need to call Tony.”
“You’re not taking my plane into the jungle.”
Marley tugged back on his arm. “Then I’ll find a car.”
“No, we’ll find a car.”
The determined look in his dark eyes told her loud and clear that he wasn’t going to give up. And that meant she was stuck with him whether she liked it or not.
Frustrated beyond belief, she tugged her arm from his grip and muttered, “Fine. Whatever. I still need to get my stuff.”
She twisted to move up the steps, but her foot slipped on the carpet. She gasped and reached out for the handrail. But before she could close her fingers around the solid wood, her center of gravity went out from under her.
“Dammit.” Jake wrapped his thick arm around her waist. His chest brushed her spine, his thighs skimmed the backs of her legs, then his hips cradled her butt as he pulled her back and into him to keep her from hitting the ground.
Heat encircled her. A heat she didn’t expect. Her head grew light, and for a fleeting moment, she thought she was still drunk, but she couldn’t be sure because, suddenly, she couldn’t seem to think. All she could focus on was the warm, hard body at her back and the soft, sweet breath near her ear whispering, “Easy.”
Oh man, that felt good. To be held close. To be protected. But as soon as the thought hit, she remembered who was holding her. She found her footing, let go of his arm, and tried to push herself upright. Then realized something else was hard against her ass. Something that hadn’t been hard ten seconds ago.
She pulled quickly away. As if he’d just realized the same thing, Jake let go of her and stumbled back.
Marley turned quickly to make sure he hadn’t just landed on his ass. Luckily, he hadn’t, but he looked flustered.
Jake cleared his throat and nodded up the stairs, not meeting her eyes. “You should go get your stuff.”
“Yeah,” she said, eyeing him cautiously. “That’s just what I was about to do.”
He glanced past her toward the door, clearly not wanting to make eye contact. “I’ll find us a ride.”
He was rattled. She never saw the man rattled. A tingle lit off in her belly. The same one she’d felt over the last three months whenever he looked right at her at work.
She wasn’t interested in Jake Ryder. He was domineering, aggravating, and he had more baggage than she wanted to deal with. And yet, no matter what she did, she couldn’t stop that stupid tingle from spreading up her chest toward her heart.
He moved for the door, then turned back. “Don’t think about disappearing.”
Her heart made a weird little skip. It’s alcohol. It’s stress. It is not attraction , she told herself.
Bracing one hand on the handrail, Marley reminded herself this was Jake—her bullheaded, obnoxious boss—and
Marley scribbled the name on the napkin. Jake twisted his neck so he could read her writing and mumbled, “Goddammit. That’s in the middle of the rainforest.”
Marley glared at him and refocused on her conversation. “How will I find you when I get there?”
“It’s a small town, Marlene. I’m the only American in the area. Trust me, you’ll find me.”
“Okay, right. That makes sense.”
“I need you to hurry, Freckles. I don’t know how much longer I can stand this.”
There was a note of urgency to his voice she hadn’t heard in his previous call. And it pushed her to her feet. Whatever had happened to him was bad if he wasn’t willing to call her father. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Hold tight, Gray.”
He said goodbye, and she clicked End. Turning for the lobby, she muttered, “I have to get my things.”
She made it all the way to the stairs in the lobby before Jake grasped her forearm. “Hold on a minute.”
She’d reached the end of her patience where Jake was concerned, and she’d played nice long enough. Now it was time to act. “I don’t have time to hold on. I need to call Tony.”
“You’re not taking my plane into the jungle.”
Marley tugged back on his arm. “Then I’ll find a car.”
“No, we’ll find a car.”
The determined look in his dark eyes told her loud and clear that he wasn’t going to give up. And that meant she was stuck with him whether she liked it or not.
Frustrated beyond belief, she tugged her arm from his grip and muttered, “Fine. Whatever. I still need to get my stuff.”
She twisted to move up the steps, but her foot slipped on the carpet. She gasped and reached out for the handrail. But before she could close her fingers around the solid wood, her center of gravity went out from under her.
“Dammit.” Jake wrapped his thick arm around her waist. His chest brushed her spine, his thighs skimmed the backs of her legs, then his hips cradled her butt as he pulled her back and into him to keep her from hitting the ground.
Heat encircled her. A heat she didn’t expect. Her head grew light, and for a fleeting moment, she thought she was still drunk, but she couldn’t be sure because, suddenly, she couldn’t seem to think. All she could focus on was the warm, hard body at her back and the soft, sweet breath near her ear whispering, “Easy.”
Oh man, that felt good. To be held close. To be protected. But as soon as the thought hit, she remembered who was holding her. She found her footing, let go of his arm, and tried to push herself upright. Then realized something else was hard against her ass. Something that hadn’t been hard ten seconds ago.
She pulled quickly away. As if he’d just realized the same thing, Jake let go of her and stumbled back.
Marley turned quickly to make sure he hadn’t just landed on his ass. Luckily, he hadn’t, but he looked flustered.
Jake cleared his throat and nodded up the stairs, not meeting her eyes. “You should go get your stuff.”
“Yeah,” she said, eyeing him cautiously. “That’s just what I was about to do.”
He glanced past her toward the door, clearly not wanting to make eye contact. “I’ll find us a ride.”
He was rattled. She never saw the man rattled. A tingle lit off in her belly. The same one she’d felt over the last three months whenever he looked right at her at work.
She wasn’t interested in Jake Ryder. He was domineering, aggravating, and he had more baggage than she wanted to deal with. And yet, no matter what she did, she couldn’t stop that stupid tingle from spreading up her chest toward her heart.
He moved for the door, then turned back. “Don’t think about disappearing.”
Her heart made a weird little skip. It’s alcohol. It’s stress. It is not attraction , she told herself.
Bracing one hand on the handrail, Marley reminded herself this was Jake—her bullheaded, obnoxious boss—and
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