Raging Fires by Candace Camp

Chapter Forty-Two

Jake surveyed the large room, where only a smattering of people remained. It was easy to see that Kelli wasn’t there. He swallowed his disappointment. Today when they took the field, he had glanced around the stands, but he wasn’t sure where the wives sat, and he didn’t want to search the bleachers like a high school player looking for his girlfriend. Besides, there was something in him—Asa would doubtless call it the coward—that didn’t really want to know.

Probably for the same reason, he had lingered in the locker room for a while. Then he’d been sent to the media room, which surprised him a little. It was the first time in a long time that the press had thought he was worth interviewing. Of course, the stories they’d write would include his past failure, but no way to get around that.

So he was later than most the players to the family room. Which was good—fewer people to see that his new wife hadn’t bothered to watch his first home game. He hitched his duffel bag higher on his shoulder and started toward the exit. No reason Kelli would be here. They hadn’t had any contact for almost four weeks. Still, the knowledge added to the heavy lump in his chest than had been there ever since he’d talked to Gran yesterday.

Other people were leaving, and he was stopped and introduced to wives a few times. Jalyn’s wife Mel had brought two kids that looked like miniature Jalyns, and Jake went over to exchange high fives with them. The room had mostly cleared by then, and he walked out with the Williams family. They turned to the right to go to their car, and Jake turned left.

And there she was.

Kelli leaned against the side of his SUV, looking like a million dollars. She had come to his game. Jake stopped, everything in him suddenly twisting and turning. Kelli levered herself off the car and started toward him. She wasn’t smiling. In fact, she looked sort of the way he felt inside.

Jake recovered enough sense to start walking again. He wanted to run and grab her up in his arms like they did in movies. But her being here didn’t mean she wanted that. It didn’t mean she was back. Maybe Gran had talked to her too, and she was here to drop the hammer on him.

They stopped a few feet apart. “You saw the game?” Okay, that was a lame beginning.

She nodded, looking a little relieved. Apparently she was happy to grab onto something easy to talk about, too. “Yeah, you looked really good. The game was great.” She paused. “I came with Stephanie. We figured you could give me a ride home.” This last was said in a faintly questioning tone.

“Sure. You know I will.”

Kelli nodded again. “Well, I wasn’t sure after…”

“I shouldn’t have been so harsh. I was…”

“Hurt. I know.” She took a breath, as if fortifying herself, and the words that followed came out in a rush, “I need to talk to you.”

“You talked to Gran.” His stomach went down to somewhere around his kneecaps.

“Gran?” She frowned. “No. Why?”

“Oh.” He had to open his big mouth. Jake thought about not telling her. Maybe if he kept it to himself… but no, he’d never been good at fooling Kelli, only himself. And eventually she’d find out anyway. “She called me yesterday and said she was sorry, she’d made a mistake.”

“Gran said this?”

“Yeah. Shocker, huh?”

“Sounds like a first,” Kelli agreed.

He nodded, hesitating for a moment, then forcing the words out, “Anyway, she said—” He felt like a hand was clenching his chest, and he looked away. “She said we didn’t have to live together. We have to stay married and one of us has to live there because of the legal thing, but she said she wasn’t going to tell the lawyer we weren’t doing that, and there was no way he’d ever know. I think she was bluffing the whole time anyway.”

Jake forced himself to look into her face. She’d gone really pale, and she’d put one hand to her chest like she was holding something in. Only he didn’t know whether it was elation or regret.

He was starting to think Kelli wasn’t going to respond, but then she said softly, “Is that what you want, Jake?”

She gazed into his eyes. And again there was that no lying to Kelli thing. He answered in a voice almost as soft as hers, “No. Do you?”

“No.” Her voice broke and suddenly her eyes welled with tears.

Jake instinctively stepped forward, then stopped. He was on shaky ground here, and he was not going to screw it up with a wrong move.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Kelli told him. “I want to—Jake, I’m sorry for what I said.”

“Don’t worry about that.” He waved that away and took a step closer. Maybe now was the time.

But she raised a hand like a crossing guard. “No. Wait. I don’t want to just kiss and make up.”

“Sounds pretty good to me.”

Kelli let out a little chuckle and sniffed, wiping the tears from her cheek. “It’s not good enough for me. Because I was wrong.”

“No, I was late. And I’m sorry. I should have—”

“No, not that. You were late and you should have taken your phone, and it did upset me because it meant a lot to me.”

“I know.” What was he supposed to say here? An apology apparently wasn’t the right response.

“But I was angry, furious, at my mother because I’d let her suck me into believing she’d changed, and I took it out on you. You being late was just a part of my anger, maybe a third of it.”

“So am I forgiven for my third?” His lips twitched. “Cause I’d really like to get to that kissing and making up part.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed, and his chest warmed. “Yes, you’re forgiven. But I’m not through. I need to tell you: I didn’t mean I wanted you to be a different person. I want you to be Jake, my Jake. You’re messy and often late, and you’re irritating as hell lots of times.”

“Um… thanks?”

“But that’s just part of you. You’re also funny and sweet, no matter how hard you try to not be, and I want all of you. The whole package.”

Probably not a good time to make a joke about his package, so he kept his mouth shut.

“And even though you were being really, strangely secretive, I know I should have believed you.”

“Ah. Michael told you.”

She frowned. “Michael told me what?”

“Oh.” He’d stepped in it again. “I—I promised him I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Me specifically? Why? Did he say he doesn’t like me?”

“No.” He was just making it worse. “Of course he does; you know he does. He just...”

“Jake.” Now she was getting that look in her eyes. “If you don’t tell me right now, I’m going to go over and ask Michael what’s going on.”

“Damn it, I wish people wouldn’t tell me secrets.” Jake sighed. “He needed a loan.”

“You loaned him money? After all the stuff in Miami?” She waved her hand vaguely.

“No. I tried to, and he wouldn’t take it. But he let me guarantee a loan for him with the bank. He was in really bad shape, and it wasn’t his fault.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” Kelli swatted his arm lightly. “It’s not like I would have told him, ‘Hey, Mike, I know you have financial problems.’”

“Because I promised him I wouldn’t. Looking back on it, I see I should have broken my promise. But at the time, I had just said it to him, and then later, it pissed me off that you didn’t take my word for it.”

“And I should have.” Kelli nodded. “But not because I found out the truth... I should have believed you because I know you don’t lie—even when it would probably be better if you did. I trust you, Jake, because you’re you. Stephanie asked me why I called you when my car broke down. And I realized it was because you’re the one I trust. I know you’ll always come if I need you, no matter what, just like I would with you. Because I love you more than anything in the world, and I’ll never stop loving you. And I don’t want to spend the rest of my life missing you.”

To hell with the right time. Jake grabbed her arms and pulled her to him. “Kelli, stop talking.”

She smiled up at him, looping her arms around his neck. “That’s the best thing you’ve said this whole time.”

Jake pulled her up into him and kissed her like—well, like he hadn’t seen her in a month. Like she had put his world right again. Like she was the only thing that mattered.

When at last he lifted his lips, his breathing was short and fast and his skin felt on fire. He rested his forehead against her head. “God, I love you. I’ve been so miserable the past month. I picked up my phone a million times to call you.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because I was stupid. And hurt. Mad. But mostly because I was scared. I was afraid you’d hang up on me or send me straight to voicemail. And I was afraid of how devastated I’d be if you didn’t want me back. I’ve been in love with you since I met you, and I know I’m going to love you forever. And, God, that’s scary.”

“I know. It scared the hell out of me, too.” Kelli went on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Jake drank her in, running his hands over her body, thanking the fashion gods for her wearing one of those little flared skirts that were so much easier to get his hands inside than a pair of tight jeans. Although the tight jeans had their advantages, too. He slid one hand up under that tempting skirt, searching for and finding the scrap of lace that was all that separated his fingers from what he ached for.

She was hot and wet, that little scrap soaked, and when he pushed aside the cloth, she widened her stance, giving him fuller access. Which made him so hard, he was afraid he might come right here. But he didn’t pull back; he stroked and circled and teased until a little moan escaped Kelli’s throat.

“Jake.” Kelli put her hands on his chest and moved back a little. “I’d like to go home. Right now.”

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright, her hair tousled from his hands, her mouth red and damp from his kisses. And that wound him up even more.

“Aw, come on, Kell.” His voice was husky, and his fingers went back to work. Kelli’s eyes fluttered closed. “Where’s your sense of adventure?” She didn’t say anything, just leaned her head against him and let out another breathy moan. Kelli began to move with his fingers, and that brought out his own groan.

“Somebody will see,” she protested faintly.

“Who? Everybody’s gone, and it’s dark.” That wasn’t exactly true because there were still all the tall lights spaced over the parking lot. But Jake wasn’t going to quibble over that. Right now he thought it could have been bright blazing day, and he wouldn’t have cared.

Kelli let out a low laugh, and he knew he’d won. Jake wrapped his arms around her, hitching her up, and her legs wound around his waist. He walked the few feet to the car, Kelli clinging to him and distracting him by kissing his neck. Jake braced her against the car and took care of the excuse for panties with a single rip. He really, really like these flirty skirts.

Kelli put her hands on either side of his face, holding him still and kissing him deeply. She broke their kiss for a moment to murmur, “Now. I want you inside me now.”

And then she was kissing him again, and Jake could think of nothing else but the need thrumming through him. He fumbled at the waistband of his sweatpants, shoving them down to free himself. And then he was sheathed in her slick heat.

He slid in and out in a slow, smooth stroke, both of them teetering on the knife edge of climax, extending their pleasure to the breaking point. Kelli dug her fingers into his hair, little whimpers escaping her lips as she writhed against him. She cried out as her climax crested within her, and it shot him over the edge. He plunged into her harder and faster, culminating in a powerful explosion that shook him to his very core.

There would never be anyone else for him. Kelli was all he’d ever wanted, all he’d ever need, and more than he could have ever hoped to have. More than he deserved. Yet, here she was. Again. And she wanted him back, after all they had been through. Which was good because he knew now that she was his everything.

Jake relaxed, lowering his head to her shoulder, his breath coming in pants. Kelli rested her head against his, letting out that familiar sigh of contentment, and murmured, “I’m so glad you’re back.”

Jake lifted his head, gazing intently into her eyes. “No more leaving, no more hiding. No more giving up. Either of us.”

Kelli nodded and kissed him softly. “Welcome home, Jake.”