Now she was about to blow it.
What she needed to do was convince Jake that he really didn’t want sex with her again and that he certainly didn’t want to marry her. It shouldn’t be too hard, and she had come up with a plan after the sixth or so cocktail. She knew the type of women Jake usually went for—cool, understated elegance…sophisticated. She’d make herself the complete opposite—which shouldn’t be too difficult—so no way would she appeal to him. She knew the look she was going for—total kick-ass chick.
She had work this morning, and she had to face Jake, if only to prove she could. But her afternoon was free and she’d booked an appointment at a hair salon—she was going to look so good, or so bad, depending on your viewpoint. This evening there was a leaving do for one of the guys at work. She’d reveal her new self there.
Perhaps then, Jake would realize that she was a much more suitable friend than she was a lover…or a wife.
But first, there was something she needed to do. Something she’d dreamed of doing for a long time.
Chapter Seven
Jake woke with a raging hard-on.
He considered doing something about it himself, and then had a better idea. Yesterday, Kim had run from him so fast after he’d made his strategically disastrous move of suggesting they get married. He’d decided to back off and give her time to get used to the idea. But by now she must have calmed down.
He’d bet she was lying below him right this minute. Probably thinking about him and how good they’d been together, maybe even touching herself.
His hard-on gave a twitch. It liked the idea.
Should he head down there? Offer his assistance? They often went running in the mornings together. He could pretend he thought they’d arranged it. And if she didn’t want to go running they could…
He rolled out of bed and pulled on sweats and sneakers in record time and was heading down the stairs within minutes.
If they did go for a run, maybe they’d get back all hot and sweaty and find her water was off. Hell, he was the owner of the building; surely he could arrange a little thing like that. He’d offer to let her use his shower—a nice friendly gesture. Then he could offer to help her…
He was getting ahead of himself.
As he came out of the stairwell on Kim’s floor and rounded the corner, her door opened. He stepped back instinctively as she emerged from her apartment. It didn’t look like she was running; she wore her usual work gear of khaki combats and a T-shirt.
But it was too early for work.
Maybe she was heading somewhere first.
Or maybe she was meeting someone first. Steve perhaps? Was he going to have to fire Steve’s sorry ass after all? His hands fisted at his side as he counted to ten to give Kim time to get a head start, and then he followed.
Christ, he was losing it again. She’d turned him in to a goddamn stalker. Still, he couldn’t seem to stop.
Jake exited the building and came out on the street. He was fucked if she caught a cab—he wasn’t so far gone that he could jump into another and say, “Follow that car.” But she kept walking, and he kept following.
The streets were quiet this early, and he had to stay a good way back in order not to be seen. But when she headed over the river, he had his first inkling of where she was going.
Back to her old apartment. The one she had shared with her asshole ex-husband.
Why the hell was she going there?
Had talking about Michael yesterday brought back old memories? Had she decided she still cared about the bastard? She never spoke about her marriage, but she must have had some feelings for the guy—however misguided they were.
Had he driven her back to Michael?
What if he’d awakened something in her yesterday? A craving for more sex. Just not with him. Had she been disappointed and now decided to try someone else?
And picked her ex-husband.
Her gay ex-husband.
Maybe she liked a challenge…
…and Jake had been too easy.
His brain was about to explode, and he was being a complete dickhead. Of course she wasn’t going to Michael for sex—she loathed the man.
So what was she going to see him for? He’d soon find out. She was entering her old apartment building now. At least he felt better about the whole stalking thing—he needed to be there in case things got ugly. Though he suspected Kim was more than a match for her ex these days.
He followed her into the building but hung back, taking up position just out of sight of the apartment door, but where he could still peer around the corner.
Her back was to him as she rang the bell, her body tense, her feet tapping against the tiled floor. When nothing happened, she jabbed her finger to the bell again and a few seconds later the door was yanked open.