Page 19 of Bitter Truth
“It’s not your job to keep me safe.”
“And it’s not yours to get me to talk about my feelings.”
“What else is there to do?” I joke, wiping at my eyes and sniffing.
“I can think of a few things.”
The look in his eyes is hungry, but the kiss that follows is downright ravenous. I wrap my legs around his waist as he unties the belt on my bathrobe. Shiver as he guides the sleeves down my shoulders, his fingertips leaving goosebumps in their wake.
I tell my mind to be quiet. Try to focus on how his touch feels rather than the worries that plague me. Do my best to enjoy the moment as he lifts me from the table and carries me to the bedroom.
Given everything we’ve been through lately, it’s understandable that we’re both on edge. Frustrated. Worried. That our tempers are short and our nerves are frayed.
It’s quite possible that my desire to make him open up to me stems from a desperate need to gain control over as much as possible in my life right now. I should respect that while all the stress makes me yearn to be closer to Jake, it might have him wanting more space, instead. Maybe the disconnect I’m experiencing stems more from my own insecurities rather than a problem between us that actually exists.
But I just can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something. And if I’m right, considering the lengths he’ll go to in order to hide it, I’m afraid to find out what.
CHAPTER 11
I should have known better. Until now, it’s been such a quiet, peaceful day, but as a shadow falls over my shoulder, blocking out the sun, it’s clear that’s going to change. My skin draws tight. My heart thumps hard against the ground beneath me, like it’s trying to punch a hole in the earth for me to hide in. All I can think is, I should have known better than to be in such a vulnerable position.
I continue staring at the page I was reading, though I no longer see the words on my Kindle screen. I have to remain calm. I have to keep it together. I have to conceal my fear.
Slowly, I turn my head until I can see the figure looming over me. Like an eclipse, the body has been cast in darkness, the face nothing but a dark outline against the bright sky, but what I can tell is, it’s a man. Tall, like Jake. Not as broad, but still muscular.
I set my Kindle down, freeing my hands. Place my palms on either side of me. Keep an eye on the intruderas I push my torso up off the blanket and swing my legs around until I’m in a sitting position.
If this person knew who I was and intended to harm me, they wouldn’t have allowed me to do that. Because now, if I have to draw my weapon, it’s going to be a lot easier to aim before I fire. Which I really want to do.
Whoever this is, they’re uninvited. They’ve hiked halfway across the paddock to find me. And the way they’re just standing, staring at me without saying a word, is giving me the creeps. Then the man shifts his weight, and like a magician waving a wand, his face is revealed.
“Julian?” I ask, squinting up at Jake’s colleague, the other senior partner at the corporate law firm of Myers and Kleinman. “What are you doing here?”
“The real question is, what are you doing to Jake?”
I open my mouth to snap a response. We’ve been over this before. Only, before I bark my reply, I realize that this time he didn’t ask what I was doingwithJake, buttohim. Icy fingers prickle up my spine at the implication.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, this whole thing with you testifying against his mom. It’s messing with his head.”
“How so? What’s he said?”
“He hasn’t said anything.”
“Then how—”
“Because I’ve worked with the guy for over a decade and in all that time, he’s raised his voice on maybe half a dozen occasions, all of which were warranted. But I just saw him completely ream out an intern this morning for a tiny mistake. One that was understandable, considering it’s not the kind of law we do.”
“What do you mean by—? Sit down, you’re making me nervous.” I wait until he’s settled reluctantly on the blanket beside me. He runs his hands over the legs of his slacks, eyeing the grass like it’s a creature he’s never seen before and he’s worried it might spit. Turning to face him, I say, “Explain reamed. What exactly did he do?”
Julian stares at me with a shocked look on his face. He reaches up and touches his own cheek, mirroring where my bruise is.
“What happened? Did Jake—?”
“What? No! Jake would never.”
“Then what?”
