Page 22 of Work It Out
Again, she turned to make her dramatic exit, but his next words stopped her cold. “Rayah, you can discuss it with me now, or I’ll be gone by sunset.”
Her knee-jerk reaction was to call his bluff, but his jaw was set in that same stubborn jut as when he talked about doing whatever it took to land this part. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“Of course. I feel horrible about putting you out of your home. I never would’ve agreed to that.”
“Really, it’s fine. I spent years living out of gyms and suitcases. I can crash in a hotel for a couple months.”
“Why’d you live—” He stopped, wagging his finger in her face. “Oh, no. You’re not sidetracking me again. Though you’ll have to tell me that story sometime. Right now, we’re discussing you moving back into the cabin.”
Rayah blew out a breath. “You really will do better if you stay on the property, and the other rooms are taken for at least the next few weeks. The cabin also offers the most privacy, which you said was important to you.”
“I never said I was leaving.”
She frowned. “But you said—”
“I said you should move back in. That doesn’t mean I can’t stay. It’ll be one long sleepover.” His eyebrows wiggled. “I’ll even let you put panties on my pillow every night. If you can call a thong that tiny panties.”
“You would bring that up.” Embarrassment scorched her cheeks.
He laughed. “Come on, I’m kidding. We’re adults. There are two bedrooms. It’s no biggie. We did fine in Sedona, didn’t we? Besides, if today’s any indication, I’ll be too exhausted to do more than try to sneak in cheeseburgers and flirt with you. And you can’t blame me; that was some seriously sexy lingerie.”
“You’ll sneak cheeseburgers into that cabin over my dead body.”
“Has anyone ever told you how hot you are when you go all drill sergeant?”
“All the time,” she quipped, but she winced on the inside. Mostly, she’d been told she was too little to be such a bitch. Like short girls never get mad or something. Puh-lease. Her mom used to say the shorter the body, the shorter the fuse.
She realized she hadn’t hidden her grimace well when Jake nudged her face up with a knuckle under her chin. “Hey, I like to tease and flirt, but I’d never intentionally make you uncomfortable, and I certainly wouldn’t purposefully hurt your feelings.
“Pierce said my teasing wouldn’t bother you, and that if something did bother you, you’d hand me my ass—which, again, so hot. But, real talk? I’m counting on that, okay? If I cross a line, feel free to toss me back over it without fear of legal reprisal.” He frowned at her. “You seem weirdly focused on the potential of a lawsuit, but that’s not my style. Besides, imagine the headlines. ‘Hollywood Hunk Sues Polly Pocket for Assault.’”
“I only commit assault when the guy truly deserves it,” she said sweetly. “Well, assault and battery.” He laughed. She didn’t bother explaining that it wouldn’t be the first time she’d gotten blood on her hands. “And I’m really more of a gremlin.”
He nodded solemnly. “No cheeseburgers after midnight. Got it. And hey, we won’t even have to share the bathroom, you know, with the no water thing.”
“Nice try.” She chuckled, then grew serious. “Your teasing doesn’t bother me. Honestly, if I haven’t killed my team yet, you have nothing to worry about.”
She was used to it. That’s all she was to most men, the funny little sister they could torture or the friend they could use to fine-tune their flirting, because nothing would ever come of it. To them, she looked like a child, a twelve-year-old with big boobs. With one notable exception, and there’d been something insanely wrong with that man.
“Poor Blaine.” Jake sighed. “I’d feel bad for the dude if he hadn’t threatened to choke me with my own small intestines.”
She gasped. “He what?”
“In my sleep.”
“He did not!” Except that totally sounded like Blaine.
“’Fraid so, cupcake,” he replied calmly, as if they were discussing the chance of the Diamondbacks making the playoffs rather than his imminent disembowelment and asphyxiation. “But I’m not worried. You’ll be there to protect me, right?”
She snorted. He sounded so hopeful. Staying with him was a terrible idea. He was a client—a sexy, funny client. Who was mostly healthy now. On the other hand, if Jake tried to pull anything, all she had to do was call his grandmother. Rayah almost giggled. He’d stand a better chance against Blaine.
And she had nowhere else to go.
Slowly, as if he feared she’d slap him, Jake took her hands in his and bent down enough to look her in the eye, which was to say he practically doubled over. “No matter what, you’re moving back into your home tonight. The fact that I kicked you out in the first place kind of makes me want to put my fist through a wall, and I’m not a violent guy. I won’t stay there another minute if it means you can’t. The only question here is whether you’re up for a house guest for a couple months. If not, that’s cool. I’ll find somewhere else to stay and drive in to work out with Pierce.”
“You could stay with Jean. She’s anxious to have you.”
One hand released hers and flew up to cover his heart. “Damn, woman. You could’ve just said no. There’s no need to be ruthless.”
