he’d wanted—
The knocking grew louder.
“Mace?” the voice called again. “I thought you might need some company.”
Jake studied the woman before him. “If you’re lying to me…”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not. It’s Tom, my ex -husband.”
He stared into her baby blues and, just like that, he believed her. Believed the man behind the door was her ex-husband, believed that she hadn’t helped her brother escape prison, believed her boots weren’t the ones that had left the prints at the breakout scene. The doorknob rattled again, only this time it came with the clink of a key and the click of a lock. Jake tucked his gun behind his shirt right before Macy’s ex-husband stepped inside.
An ex-husband with a key. What did that say about their relationship?
Then he saw Macy staring at the keys in the man’s hand. The ex was busy staring at him.
“Why do you still have—?” She reached for the keys just as her ex reached for her. Macy skidded back so fast that she banged up against Jake.
“Who are you ?” the ex asked him.
Jake just smiled and watched Macy.
Emotion flashed in her gaze, and not a good kind. Pain, really. Maybe he was reading more into it than he should. Maybe his own issues were affecting him. Or maybe not. Either way, his protect-and-serve instincts took over. He wrapped an arm around Macy’s waist.
She felt good against him. This time, his touch was meant to be personal, or at least to appear personal. Or maybe it wasn’t just for show.
Macy flinched and took a quick few steps away. Then her gaze shot to her ex, as if she realized the movement had brought her closer to him, and she frowned. She divided the distance, moving to stand equally between the two men. As crazy as it seemed to him, Jake hoped she’d scoot back closer to him.
One step. Come on, Pizza Girl.
“What are you doing here?” she asked her ex.
“I heard about Billy.” The man scowled at Jake. “But you’ve got company.”
She did it. She took a step toward Jake, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“You should try calling first,” she said. “How did you hear—?”
“Don’t be rude, Mace,” the ex insisted. “Introduce us.”
Macy looked back at Jake as if debating what to say.
Without thinking, Jake took the decision from her. He brushed a lock of her hair off her shoulder. “No need for introductions. I know who you are. You’re Tom.”
“Now, if I only knew who you were…” Tom glared at him.
“I’m Jake Baldwin.” He winked at Macy. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but not a word escaped.
“And what are you doing here with my wife?”
“I think that’s ex -wife,” Jake responded.
“Okay, let me rephrase. What are you doing with my ex-wife?”
Jake smiled again. “Macy invited me in.”
The woman’s eyes widened.
Her ex looked at her. “Can I have a minute with you, Mace? Alone? ”
Jake shrugged. “Don’t mind me,” he said. “You two go ahead. Just pretend I’m not here.”
The ex’s posture tightened, but he seemed to resolve himself. “You’re already bringing guys home?”
Macy appeared shocked by his question, but she recovered quickly. “Well, I guess I didn’t think you’d mind, considering you brought girls home while we were still married.”
Jake laughed, and they both stared at him as if he were crazy. He spoke his mind. “She sure has a way with words, doesn’t she?” Then he raised his hand. “Oh, carry on. Sorry.”
Macy faced him. “Can you give us a minute?”
Jake saw the ex smirk, but if Macy’s expression was any indication, he shouldn’t exactly have been planning any victory parties. He winked at Macy. “Anything for you. I’ll just wait in the bedroom. With Elvis.”
Macy watched Sergeant Baldwin walk toward the rear of her house, but something told her he didn’t go as far as the bedroom.
Bedroom? How suggestively he’d said it. Had he purposely, shamelessly, tried to give Tom the wrong idea? Was he so
The knocking grew louder.
“Mace?” the voice called again. “I thought you might need some company.”
Jake studied the woman before him. “If you’re lying to me…”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not. It’s Tom, my ex -husband.”
He stared into her baby blues and, just like that, he believed her. Believed the man behind the door was her ex-husband, believed that she hadn’t helped her brother escape prison, believed her boots weren’t the ones that had left the prints at the breakout scene. The doorknob rattled again, only this time it came with the clink of a key and the click of a lock. Jake tucked his gun behind his shirt right before Macy’s ex-husband stepped inside.
An ex-husband with a key. What did that say about their relationship?
Then he saw Macy staring at the keys in the man’s hand. The ex was busy staring at him.
“Why do you still have—?” She reached for the keys just as her ex reached for her. Macy skidded back so fast that she banged up against Jake.
“Who are you ?” the ex asked him.
Jake just smiled and watched Macy.
Emotion flashed in her gaze, and not a good kind. Pain, really. Maybe he was reading more into it than he should. Maybe his own issues were affecting him. Or maybe not. Either way, his protect-and-serve instincts took over. He wrapped an arm around Macy’s waist.
She felt good against him. This time, his touch was meant to be personal, or at least to appear personal. Or maybe it wasn’t just for show.
Macy flinched and took a quick few steps away. Then her gaze shot to her ex, as if she realized the movement had brought her closer to him, and she frowned. She divided the distance, moving to stand equally between the two men. As crazy as it seemed to him, Jake hoped she’d scoot back closer to him.
One step. Come on, Pizza Girl.
“What are you doing here?” she asked her ex.
“I heard about Billy.” The man scowled at Jake. “But you’ve got company.”
She did it. She took a step toward Jake, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“You should try calling first,” she said. “How did you hear—?”
“Don’t be rude, Mace,” the ex insisted. “Introduce us.”
Macy looked back at Jake as if debating what to say.
Without thinking, Jake took the decision from her. He brushed a lock of her hair off her shoulder. “No need for introductions. I know who you are. You’re Tom.”
“Now, if I only knew who you were…” Tom glared at him.
“I’m Jake Baldwin.” He winked at Macy. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but not a word escaped.
“And what are you doing here with my wife?”
“I think that’s ex -wife,” Jake responded.
“Okay, let me rephrase. What are you doing with my ex-wife?”
Jake smiled again. “Macy invited me in.”
The woman’s eyes widened.
Her ex looked at her. “Can I have a minute with you, Mace? Alone? ”
Jake shrugged. “Don’t mind me,” he said. “You two go ahead. Just pretend I’m not here.”
The ex’s posture tightened, but he seemed to resolve himself. “You’re already bringing guys home?”
Macy appeared shocked by his question, but she recovered quickly. “Well, I guess I didn’t think you’d mind, considering you brought girls home while we were still married.”
Jake laughed, and they both stared at him as if he were crazy. He spoke his mind. “She sure has a way with words, doesn’t she?” Then he raised his hand. “Oh, carry on. Sorry.”
Macy faced him. “Can you give us a minute?”
Jake saw the ex smirk, but if Macy’s expression was any indication, he shouldn’t exactly have been planning any victory parties. He winked at Macy. “Anything for you. I’ll just wait in the bedroom. With Elvis.”
Macy watched Sergeant Baldwin walk toward the rear of her house, but something told her he didn’t go as far as the bedroom.
Bedroom? How suggestively he’d said it. Had he purposely, shamelessly, tried to give Tom the wrong idea? Was he so
Similar Books
