Finding Love: Incident at the Candy Apple (At the Candy Apple Series Book 2) (3 page)

Chapter Five

Jake stared at the closed door for a full minute after Ellie had gone through it. He blinked a couple of times trying to rid himself of the burning sensation that suddenly started up in his eyes. A tear escaped and ran down his cheek. Without his hands to swipe it away, it rolled onto his lips and he had to lick it off before it traveled down his chin.

All the bad memories of the bullying he’d endured from his older brother flooded back. Darren was only just over a year older than he was, and stupidly, in retrospect, Jake had gone to the same college, where Darren had led some punishing hazing.

Ellie’s actions, tying him up and leaving him, triggered buried feelings, and a memory ricocheted back to him of when Darren and his mob of hazers had thrust Jake into a cage in the Vet Science wing. The cage, meant only for a large dog that was in for treatment, made a squared pattern of bruises on Jake’s bare back that lasted two weeks. He’d spent the night in that cage, left by his brother to prove his worth by not crying out for help. The animal husbandry lecturer had found him the next morning. Jake had laughed off the alleged prank when the dean requested he report the hazing stunt, but deep down it had damaged Jake. He’d never really trusted his brother, so right then any love he’d had for his sibling flooded away with the night, as dawn broke, and sunlight streamed through the lab window.

Jake always pushed away the memory of how his dad had laughed and patted Darren on the back for being what he was, a nasty bully. Jake tried to stop wanting his dad’s approval, but he always fell into the trap. Somehow, when he reached twenty-seven years old, he’d realized he’d never be good enough for his family. He’d never be what they wanted. No matter how good his grades, how high his achievements, they were never acknowledged. Jake was successful, an assistant professor of Botany, but that didn’t measure up to the career his brother had chosen. His dad had told him Botany was for girls.

He started to live for himself then.

Two years later Jake knew he was still seeking approval from one place or another. It was a bad habit.

He sighed. Nothing changed, did it? He’d give himself to someone. Give them part of his heart. Offer them the love he had to share. They’d throw it in his face.

He thought about his work with plants, soil, trees—the natural environment. Plants grew in response to his care. Trees blossomed. He was safe there.

He stood and walked to the door. He turned around and held the door handle with his fingertips even though the rope bit at him. It took a few moments but he turned it. He concentrated on not letting it slip from his grasp and bunny hopped to move the heavy door. Thankful he’d taken up weight training for stress relief, he dragged the door open, his biceps only straining a little, and he slid behind it. Using his hard ass to keep it open he stepped into the corridor. As the door closed, it hit on his fingertips. It was then he felt soft fabric under the soles of his feet. His pants were strewn on the tiled floor. He had to squat to pick them up, but of course, when he stood, they dangled behind him from his tied hands.

Jake took a deep breath.
Can I just wander into the club naked? Maybe I should try the surveillance dials after all.
He let his pants fall to the tiles and turned to clasp the door handle. A tremor of apprehension passed through him as he tried to open the door to go back into the room, in the same way as he’d opened it to get out.
Holy shit.
He couldn’t do it.
The fucking handle won’t turn.
A smile tugged at his lips and then he started to laugh.

He looked down at his suit pants, and still chuckling he sat and started the strange activity of trying to get them on. He pushed one leg into the top and then the other leg. He had to do this three times before they were positioned so that he could shuffle the pants almost on, then do a hog-tied type position to reach the waistband with his tied hands and drag it over his ass. Jake couldn’t stop smiling as he knelt, then stood, holding onto his pants with a tenuous backwards grip. He managed to wriggle his cock into the side of the open fly. The smile left his mouth as he considered what a spectacle he’d be, but he padded down the corridor to the main area.

The low lights didn’t quite reach to the very side of the room and he hugged the wall in the shadows until he had to reveal himself in the white downlights of the bar counter at the far end. A couple stared at him. Another couple smiled and looked away. The bartender, eyes wide, leaned across the bar. “Fuck me, Jake, what’s going on?”

Jake gave him a wry grin. “A girl left me like this. Get the rope off will you, please, Tom?”

Tom turned away and picked up the paring knife. He lifted the counter break to walk through. Jake stepped away. He turned so that Tom could cut the ropes from his wrists.

Freed, he rubbed his wrists as he faced Tom. “Thanks. I just couldn’t get them off.” He zipped up his pants that had thankfully hitched low on his hips when he let go of them.

“No wonder, that’s the best constrictor knot I’ve ever seen.”

Jake gazed at Tom. “You know the name of the knot?”

Tom gave a short nod as he answered, “Yeah, I sail a little, so I know some.” He went back behind the bar. “Bet you could use a drink.”

Jake accepted the bourbon Tom had poured and took a sip. “I’ve lost my wallet and keys, along with the rest of my clothes. Believe this if you can. I thought this girl might need me—turns out she needs no one, least of all me.”

Tom gave a low whistle. “I’ll get Charlie. She’ll sort things out.” He went to the phone on the wall, pressed the key for an internal line, and called the owner.

Jake glanced at the four people standing by the bar counter. The couple who’d stared still watched him. He smiled at them. The girl smiled in return, her gaze traveling over his chest. Her eyes held appreciation. It made Jake feel better for a moment.

The owner approached, a frown creasing her forehead. She took Jake’s arm and brought him to one side into the semi-darkness. “This is unfortunate, Jake.”

That made him grin.

“It’s also theft. Who did it?”

Jake looked down into her earnest expression. “I … I … er, don’t know her name. We just met. I thought it was going to be a little fun … you know, but it turned ugly.”

Charlie raised her eyebrows momentarily. “What room were you in? Someone will have seen her when you entered.”

Jake hadn’t thought of that. He gazed at Charlie for a few seconds. “You know what? I’d rather just leave it all. Forget it.”

Charlie bristled. “No way. She can’t do this. How’re you going to get into your apartment? Maybe she’s down the road using your credit card right now…” She stopped speaking and pressed on her earpiece.

Jake waited as Charlie obviously listened to some communication from her office on the top floor.

“You’re in luck. This girl must have had second thoughts about stealing your stuff. A jacket, shirt, tie … boxers,” she grinned, “all handed in to security at the main door. No mention of shoes, though,” she finished, and looked down at Jake’s bare feet.

“They’re in the room. I’ll get my things and check it’s all there. If it is, Charlie, can we just forget this?”

She gazed at him for what felt to Jake like a long time.

“Maybe. The thing is she might do this again. I mean who does this? I’d like to know who she is so that I can revoke her membership. We don’t need people like this.”

Jake shrugged feigning submission. “Okay, I’ll come to the office when I’m dressed.”

Charlie grinned at him then. “Pity.” She looked him up and down settling her gaze on his naked torso.

A little wave of pleasure went over him as Charlie referred to his body in obvious admiration.
Two women think I’m okay in the space of a few minutes.
His damaged psyche healed a little.

She left him and Jake went to retrieve his clothes.

He checked his jacket pockets as one of the security guards gazed at him with open amusement.

Jake gave him a smile. “All there.”

He went back to the private room. It was only then he saw the post-it note high on the door. Just as Ellie had said, it read that the room was out of commission.

He ripped it off and crushed it in his fist.
She must have stood on tiptoe in her shoes to attach that. Who carries post-its in their purse?
He smiled as he suddenly pictured her heart-shaped face and lovely eyes.

Once inside the room, he dressed and slipped on his shoes. Sadness descended on him as he pulled on his jacket. He didn’t want Ellie punished. In fact, when he thought of her kisses, he wanted her back in his arms. He took the elevator to Charlie’s office and rehearsed his plea.

The door to her office stood open and Jake knocked on the glass panel before walking in. Charlie’s assistant, Paula, sat at a computer. She smiled at him. Jake almost had a thing with Paula once upon a time.

Charlie turned to him. “It happened in room two, huh, Jake? She was seen before she turned off the camera. Audio was turned all the way down, but it can’t be turned completely off. If you’d called out loud enough, you’d have been heard. We’d have found you anyway at closing time. We check all the rooms before they’re cleaned at five a.m. I don’t get it, Jake. Why protect her?”

Jake didn’t know for sure. He gazed at Charlie for a long time before he answered.

“I don’t mind anymore that she did it, but I’d like to know why.”

Charlie pursed her lips. “Without your
formal
complaint I can only give her a warning, but I’ll be keeping my eye on her for sure. She’ll be gone if she shows any signs of repeating this. Not been your year, huh, sweetheart?”

Jake’s shoulders slumped as Charlie referred to his ex-girlfriend’s public dumping in the club, which included a scene he wished he could completely forget, where she’d accused him of rape. He’d been mortified, since he’d never done and never would do anything of the kind.

There’d been all manner of inquiries that night, until she finally admitted to Charlie that it hadn’t happened and just wanted to hurt him. He’d been lucky that occurred before police were called. She’d succeeded in hurting him for sure. Jake didn’t know why, but it seemed there’d been a few people in his life who wanted to hurt him.

Charlie gave him a gentle smile, and as if reading his mind she told him, “There are all kinds of shitty people out there, Jake. You’re young, intelligent,—frankly gorgeous. I don’t get why a woman hasn’t snapped you up. You need someone to tell you all this. I’ve been on surveillance when you’ve been in a private room and holy hell, what I wouldn’t give to be twenty years younger and in your arms. Take stock, Jake. Somewhere along the line you’ve lost the idea of your worth. I’m saying this because I’m older and I can.”

Jake gazed down at his boots as he considered her words. It reminded him of being in the principal’s office at high school after Darren had landed the blame for a broken window in his lap and he’d refused to report his brother. He looked into Charlie’s face. “Thanks, Charlie.”

Jake went down to the bar, thinking about Ellie as he rode the elevator. He thought about her kisses and the feel of her lovely body against his.
I really liked her. I wish I knew why she did that. She must have been hurt—like me. Pity she decided to take it out on me. I’d still listen, if she chose to say why. I guess that’s my problem. I let people off too easily. Maybe I should start being as mean as they are.

He sat at the bar of the club and talked with Tom. He’d known Tom for three years and they often talked about girls, or guys, because Tom was gay, politics, cars, and work. Jake asked Tom if he thought a change of personality to being harder and meaner might be the way to go.

Tom laughed aloud. “Jake, be true to yourself and fuck the rest of them, if they can’t handle a nice guy they’re fuckwits.”

Jake occasionally glanced around twirling his glass on the bar counter. He couldn’t shake the need to see Ellie again. He said good night to Tom and left the club.

As he ran down the steps and took a right into the street, someone stepped from the shadows of a darkened doorway. It was Ellie.

Chapter Six

A spike of shock ran through Jake. He stopped walking.

Ellie gazed up at him, her face pale in the light from a street lamp. “I owe you an explanation.” She actually smiled at him.

Disbelief raced over Jake and made him indignant.
How is that okay? She smiles at me as if nothing happened. What a nerve.
“You sure do.” He glared at her. This was the first time ever he’d displayed his anger at what happened to him at the hands of bullies and right now she fell into that category for him. He grabbed her elbow and hurried her along the sidewalk. “There’s an all-night café around the corner. Come with me before I change my mind, take you back into the club, and march you up to the office to explain to the owner.”

“Okay, don’t pull.” She clattered along beside him in her high-heeled shoes.

“Sorry.” Jake stopped hurrying her, but kept a grip on her arm. At the door of the café, he reached over her shoulder and pushed it open blocking her exit with his body, so that she couldn’t make a break for it if she’d changed her mind. Once inside, he stayed close behind steering her toward an empty window table with his proximity.

Ellie sat and Jake sat opposite her. She rubbed her arm where he’d gripped.

Jake frowned. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you okay?”

The server showed up. Jake instinctively let Ellie order what she wanted first and then he asked for black coffee.

He watched the server head off and then switched his gaze to Ellie.

“If you’re okay, explain to me now.” He snapped out the words trying to be harsh although his anger had gone replaced by a strange feeling of freedom.

Ellie pulled a paper napkin from the dispenser and started rolling it into a strip.

“I knew you would escape or be found. I’d watched you. I reckoned that you wouldn’t be the kind of guy who’d track me down and slap me around for doing what I did. You were so keen to give me what I needed and I needed to do that—to get it out of my system. I waited for you so that I could explain why, hoping that you’d forgive me and understand.

My last boyfriend was the dominant type. He used to make me have a safeword and have me submit to what he called love play. I should have left him, but for some reason I just let it happen until he tied me up and kept me for days in his bedroom. He didn’t hit then, but he knew the ropes hurt, and he knew I was afraid. He ignored my safeword. He said he loved me, said he couldn’t let me go he loved me so much. He left me in the dark, naked for two days before he came home. I—I wet myself. It took me two more dark days to persuade him to untie me. I needed a drink of water badly. I felt faint. I promised him I would stay—that he could trust me. He untied me and locked me in the apartment the next morning when he went to work.

He’d taken my cell phone. I’d kicked my purse under the bed when I’d first arrived early in the week, and somehow he’d forgotten I had that. I had my wallet and car keys in the purse. I smashed the window with the metal legs of a designer stool he used as a bedside table, and escaped via the fire ladders. It was so scary. I left town that day and never went back.

That was about six months ago. I couldn’t trust anyone. I couldn’t let myself date. New work friends brought me to the club saying I had to break my drought, get back in the saddle, those sorts of joking around things. I joined. It felt safe. I saw you. I really liked you. I waited for your approach. Honestly, I would have just had sex with you, but you came on with that safeword stuff and giving me what I needed, and suddenly I needed to rid myself of the experience with my boyfriend. I used you. Sorry.”

Jake gazed at her. She’d twisted the rolled up napkin into a pretzel knot. Her face was even paler than when she’d stepped into the streetlight. He felt sorry for her.

“Hey, I wish you hadn’t done it, but you did. I’m sorry about what happened to you with that boyfriend. What’s the asshole’s name?”

She pulled little pieces off the paper napkin knot and crushed them into scrunches. She sighed and put down the napkin. “Tyler, Tyler Collins, does it matter?”

Jake smiled to reassure her. “No not really. I guess I asked because I’m shocked a guy could do that to you, to any woman.” He reached for her hands and held them gently, wanting to connect with her, he continued, “I have stuff in my past that made what you did confronting, but weirdly freeing, too. I was bullied. I wanted to be loved. I guess that’s why I hang out in Candy Apple to be appreciated somehow.” He gave a self-conscious laugh. “Maybe, that makes me a prick. Maybe I’ve been acting out, too. Offering to give a woman what they needed kinda backfired with you. It’s complex, huh?”

The server showed up with their order. Jake let go of her hands so that his coffee could be placed before him on the table.

Ellie transferred her nervous energy to her cup and began moving it in circles on the saucer.

Jake watched for a moment. “Charlie, Candy Apple
’s
owner, considered banning you from the club. I asked her not to. She thinks you’ll do it to others. Will you?”

Ellie sighed and gazed forlornly into his eyes. “No, I’m sorry I did it to you. I just snapped somehow.”

A wave of tenderness went over Jake. He thought about how it must have been for her with the abusive boyfriend. “You don’t deserve to be punished in any way, you do know that? Now I know what happened to you I don’t feel angry with you. I loved being with you. The sex was intense. I don’t know if you felt it, too, but I thought we had chemistry there. I just want you to know that. Hey, after I got over the shock of you leaving me tied up in the room, and I was in the corridor trying to get my pants on, I couldn’t stop laughing. Thanks for leaving them, by the way, or did you drop them? You made me laugh at a situation similar to a hazing incident I went through that’s haunted me. I can’t feel anything bad about you right now. You’re so pretty and so sexy your boyfriend has to be a sadistic idiot to treat you like that.”

“I left your pants purposely. I handed in your stuff. I didn’t mean you any real harm.” Ellie looked down into her coffee cup.

Jake took a deep breath. He still liked her a lot. He remembered waiting to approach her because she appealed to him so much and he didn’t want to be rejected immediately the way he’d seen her do to other guys. He reached out and gently slid his hand around her face to bring her head up and look into her eyes. Tears slipped out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. One met his fingers. He brushed it away. His fingers slid on her cheek and her skin felt like satin.

“Let me take you home, Ellie. It’s very late. You’re upset. I’ve only sipped at a couple of drinks all night. I’ll drive you and I won’t expect anything from you. I just want to know that you’re safe home.”

More tears wound down her cheeks. Her mascara smudged.

Jake held himself back from lifting her into his arms and kissing her.
Hell, I still want her bad. I’d like to comfort her and take care of her…

“I’d like that.” She finally answered.

Jake paid for the coffee and steered Ellie out of the café with a gentle hand on her waist. He took her hand to walk to the lot where his car was parked.

She held on tight.

Jake let the enjoyment from her touch flow over him. At his car, he unlocked the passenger door and helped her in. Letting go of her hand was a wrench. He looked across at her as he sat in the drivers’ seat. “Where to?”

She told him her address and gave him a smile that tugged at his heart.

Jake keyed it into his sat-nav, and saw on the screen map that it wasn’t too far away from where he lived. He drove there wondering if it would be appropriate to ask Ellie out to dinner or coffee the following week. When they reached the address, Jake couldn’t find a gap in the parked cars lining the street. He wanted to see her to the door, but Ellie urged him to drop her. He noticed a small opening on the opposite side of the road and swung in.

“I’ll walk you over the street.” Jake unclasped his seat belt.

Ellie put her hand on his arm. “Thank you, Jake, but there’s no traffic—it’s so late and you need to drive home, too. Thanks so much for the ride.”

Jake put his hand over hers on his arm. “Ellie, will you come back to the club next week or maybe you’d meet me for coffee or some dinner this week?”

“I’ll come to the club next Saturday.”

Something about her tone of voice made him think she probably wouldn’t and they’d never see each other again. Disappointed, he tried to show her he hoped she’d be there.

“I’ll wait for you. I’ll look out for you. We can talk.”

Ellie opened the door and was getting out of the car before he had chance to say or do anything else. She closed the door and crossed the street.

Jake watched for a moment, then drove the short distance to the traffic circle, and turned to drive along the street again going the correct way, and join another road to go home. As he approached Ellie’s apartment block, he saw a man and woman in some kind of altercation. The woman was on her knees and the man held her hair keeping her bent. With sudden clarity, Jake knew this was Ellie and the guy had to be her former boyfriend.

Jake stopped his car even though it was double-parked and just about in the middle of the road. He leapt from it and left the door hanging open in his haste to run to Ellie’s aid. Jake’s anger rose in red-hot spears as he saw the man drag Ellie by the hair and kick her up the bottom step of the apartment building stoop.

Jake reached the guy in a haze of fury. He grasped the man’s shoulder and dragged his hand from Ellie’s hair. His anger boiled as Ellie cried out when the guy tried to grab back her hair. Jake drew away and punched the guy in the face with a force he didn’t know he had and never used before. Jake followed as the man went down backwards onto the sidewalk and he leaned over the guy.

Jake hadn’t ever been in a fight and his fury blocked any fear he might be hurt. He took the guy by the throat with one hand and punched him across the face again. He had to gasp out his words he was so furious about this man’s attack on Ellie. “What the fuck are you doing? You need to leave Ellie alone. You’re that disgusting low life boyfriend she’s told me about aren’t you? You fucking bastard.” He smashed the guy’s head onto the sidewalk, realized he could kill the sucker, and pulled the guy’s head and shoulders up by the collar before the man’s skull cracked on the pavers. “Get up.” Jake spat out the words as he stood.

Tyler slowly got up and gestured at Ellie who cowered on the stoop.

“She’s my girl and this has nothing to do with you. I’ll have you arrested for assault.”

Jake laughed aloud. “And open yourself up to be prosecuted for the things you’ve done to Ellie. I don’t fucking think so, buddy. You’d better get lost and remember this. I’ll give you such a beating if Ellie even
thinks
she’s seen you anywhere near her place. Touch her one more time and I’ll kill you. Got it?”

Tyler took a step toward Ellie. He screamed at her. “I’ll find you again. You just wait.”

Jake grabbed him, and threw him with a huge push against the fence rails of the next apartment block. The force of Tyler’s body hitting the fence made the whole row vibrate. A light went on high up in the building.

“Go now.” Jake’s anger threatened to bubble over. He stood between the man and Ellie who had crawled to the top of the steps. Jake genuinely felt murderous. Flashes of Ellie’s pretty face and lovely body flew through his mind. Horror and sadness at what this guy had done to Ellie made his stomach churn.

Tyler took off down the street.

Jake only knew he was shaking when Ellie dashed down the steps and flew into his arms.

“Are you hurt?” He stroked her hair and held her close, rocking her a little to comfort her.

She drew away to look up at him. “My head aches. He’d punched me in the stomach before you arrived. I feel nauseous, but what about you, did he hit you? Are you hurt?”

Jake grinned as he shook his head. “He never got the chance to hit me. Damn it, Ellie, how could he have found you?”

“I don’t know how he found me. I never imagined he could. I changed my number when I bought a new cell phone. I registered my car for this state, so that changed. I haven’t changed my name so maybe that’s it, but I shouldn’t have to. Thank you for helping me.”

Jake hugged her gently. “No need for thanks. He’s a monster. How about I go with you into your place? Get a few things and come home with me for the night. What’s to stop him returning when I’ve left?”

Ellie nodded against his chest. “Thank you. I will.”

He ran to his car and slammed the door closed. The clunk of the central locking reached his ears as he rushed back to Ellie, hoping nothing came along to crash into his badly parked vehicle.

Jake held her hand as she took the steps to the apartment building and used her main door key to get in. She lived on the second floor and Jake waited in her hall as she ran around picking things up. She had a duffle bag, a lap top bag, and a coat over her arm when she came to him.

Jake took the duffle bag and the lap top bag from her. “Ready?”

She adjusted her shoulder bag across her body and turned to take a leather jacket from the hall coat stand. “Yes, thank you.”