“Hmmm,” she replied and went back to eating her breakfast.
What the hell did that mean? He wished he understood women more, but then, most men wished for the same thing. It was as if they spoke another language sometimes, one he didn’t quite grasp. He studied her and was pleased that she didn’t seem angry, just thoughtful. He could work with that. “How about dinner tonight? I could bring something over to your place.”
She nodded. “That sounds good.” She stood, flinching slightly as she did. Jake inwardly winced as he watched her slowly walk to the counter with her plate, mentally resigning himself to celibacy for the next few days. He had no one to blame but himself. It was his fault for making her sore.
He rose from the table and walked to stand behind her. “I’m sorry, babe.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head. “I was too hard on you last night.”
She shook her head, her curls dancing over her shoulders. “I’m fine.”
He wanted her to feel more than fine. Before he could figure out what to say next, there was a knock on his door. He frowned and released Sapphire.
“You expecting someone?” she asked.
“No.” He stopped on his way to the door and pulled a Sig Sauer out of the drawer of the console table. It was one of several weapons he had stashed around his apartment. He stepped to the side of the door and took a quick peek through the peephole. “Shit,” he muttered. He didn’t need this now.
“Who is it?” Sapphire’s eyes were wide and her skin pale as she looked at the weapon in his hand and not the door.
He lowered the gun and tried to think of a way to break it to her gently. A fist thumped loudly on the door. Jake swore under his breath. “It’s my brother,” he paused, “and your sister.”
Knowing there was nothing else to do but face their family, Jake shoved the gun back into the drawer and undid the locks. He pulled the door open and scowled at his brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law. “What do you want?”
John’s smiled quickly turned into a frown when Topaz gasped and pointed to her sister. “What are you doing here?”
Topaz shoved past him and descended on her sister. Before she reached Sapphire, Jake got to her first and tucked her under his arm. Topaz stopped in her tracks. She stared at Sapphire and then back at him.
Her frown deepened. “He’s the one, isn’t he? He’s the reason you’ve been so down the past few weeks, the reason you’ve tried so hard to change yourself. Tell me I’m wrong.” When Sapphire didn’t answer her, Topaz turned on him in the blink of an eye. “You sorry son of a bitch.”
John was scowling at him, fists bunched at his sides. Jake didn’t want to fight with his brother, but what was between him and Sapphire was their business and no one else’s.
But it was Sapphire who surprised him the most. She stepped in front of him and faced her furious sister. “Stop it. This is between Jake and me.”
“But he hurt you.” Topaz was practically vibrating with anger and Jake couldn’t really blame her. He had hurt her sister. It didn’t matter that it hadn’t been his intention.
Sapphire shook her head. “It’s our problem to work out.” She turned to him and offered him a wan smile. “I’ve got to go and get to work.”
“I’ll take you home.” No way was he letting her go by herself. He couldn’t help shake the worry that she was somehow slipping away from him.
“No.” Topaz took a step closer to her sister. “I think the two of us need to talk.”
Sapphire nodded at her sister even as he protested, but she held firm. “No, it’s okay. I’ll go with her. She’s right, we need to talk.” Jake couldn’t resist the request in her eyes and nodded.
“Call me when you get home.” He leaned down and kissed her, ignoring his brother and her sister. “Promise.”
“I will.”
John stepped to the side and spoke with Topaz while Sapphire retrieved her purse. When she was ready, Jake kissed her again. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Tonight,” she repeated and then she was gone with her sister.
John closed the door with a heavy thud. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
Jake turned away from his brother and went into the kitchen to clean up from breakfast, knowing John would follow him. He sensed his brother’s growing frustration.
“What the hell is going on?” his brother asked again. “I thought you two were barely talking again after what you did to her, but it’s obvious she spent the night here. What kind of game are you playing?”
Jake scraped the remaining food into the garbage, frowning over how much was still left on Sapphire’s plate. She’d only nibbled at her food. He placed the plates into the dishwasher before facing his brother.
“No game. I told you we talked.”
John glared at him. “You’re not trying to tell me all you did last night was talk, ’cause I ain’t buying it.”
Jake raked his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath. “No, we sure as hell did more than talk.” And just thinking about last night was making his dick stir when the appendage shouldn’t be able to get up for at least a week after the workout he’d given it last night.
John leaned against the counter and stared at him. “Then what changed?”
Jake propped himself up against the counter in much the same pose as his brother, every muscle tense. “She decided to give me another chance.” No need to go into the details of what that entailed. That was between Sapphire and him. It was no one else’s business.
“As long as you don’t hurt her,” John warned.
It hurt him that his brother could even think such a thing. “We’re both adults.” Funny, but his brother didn’t seem the least bit concerned about him getting hurt. Maybe John thought he couldn’t be hurt. “I won’t do anything to harm her.” That was a promise he’d made himself and it was one he’d never break.
John released a sigh and spread his arms wide. “What am I supposed to think? You barely talk to me for weeks. When you do, you tell me how badly you screwed up with Sapphire. You talk about a dark side you have that you’re worried about and suddenly she’s spending the night here. Why would I worry?”
Jake buried the pain and anger bubbling up inside him. His brother was right to question him, all things considered. “All you need to know is that Sapphire and I have decided to try to work things out between us.”
“Shit.” John pushed away from the counter and stalked into the dining room, staring out through the window. “Just don’t do anything stupid. Topaz is very protective of her little sister.”
Normally, Jake was very glad that was the case, but not this time. Topaz could be a problem if she chose to be. Sapphire was very close to her sister.
“This is between her and me. Sapphire is a grown woman and can make her own decisions.” He had nothing but the utmost respect for her, but this morning he had his own doubts to contend with. He didn’t need his brother and her sister adding to them.
He’d do whatever it took to make things work between them. He really didn’t have any other choice, wasn’t sure what he’d do if she turned away from him now.
John walked over to stand in front of him, legs spread wide and hands on his hips. It was like looking at a mirror, except his image had short hair. Familiar eyes stared back at him. Time clicked by, second by second.
Finally, John swore and wrapped his hand around the back of Jake’s neck, tugging him close. “Don’t fuck this up, bro.” The two of them held on tight for a moment and then John slowly released him. “But if you do, I’ll be here for you.”
“Thanks, John.” Something painful in his chest loosened. “Was there a reason you stopped by this morning?” With everything else, he’d forgotten to ask why they’d showed up at his door this morning.