Wild Fire (The Fairy Tale Match Series) (29 page)

“It’s Jake. I saw him. With
Victoria.” She finally got out, sobbing broken heartedly into the phone,
completely unable to control herself.

“What! You have to be wrong. Jake
wouldn’t do that. He hates her,” Kerry told her emphatically.

“I wish that were so, but he forgave
her Kerry. She told me today that he forgave her two years ago and would have
still married her. She walked away from him.” Laura didn’t see any point of
hiding that from Kerry any more.  She had to make her understand that Jake had
indeed made his choice and it wasn’t Laura.

“That’s a lie!” Kerry said hotly. “No
way would Jake have married her after what she did.”

“But he would have. I asked him and
he told me himself. He did ask her to stay and work things out with him. He
begged her. And now he has her back.” Laura tried to get herself under control,
but it was almost impossible. She had never felt pain like she was experiencing
now. Truly she wished she could die on the spot, just to make it stop hurting
so bad.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.
Jake told me he loves you. He said he didn’t have any feelings left for her.
You have to be wrong. What exactly did you see? Maybe there is another way of
looking at it.”

“It’s pretty hard to misinterpret two
people locked together, naked on a bed.” Laura shouted, every bit of pain
filling her voice. She appreciated how hard this was for Kerry to accept, but she
really wished she’d stop raking it over. What was done, was done!

“No!” Kerry cried. “I can’t believe
it!”

“Well I saw it. It is something I’ll
never forget. So please, I have to go home. I am asking you to send me my
things when you can. Will you?”

“Can’t you come to me and Dan
tonight? You don’t sound like you’re in any fit state to drive. I’m worried
about you. Please?” Kerry pleaded.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll be fine. I don’t
want to be here in the morning. If you won’t send me my clothes, I’ll just have
to accept it.” Laura’s tone gave no doubt that she wouldn’t be budged on this.

There was a stunned silence for
several moments before Kerry replied. “Of course I’ll send you your stuff. I
just wish you would please stay with me tonight. I’ll drive you to the airport
myself tomorrow if you really want to go,” Kerry tried once more to plead with
her.

“No, but thanks. I’m sorry. I have to
go.” Laura hung up. She didn’t want to talk any further about what had happened
that night. She turned on the engine of her car, resolved to a long drive and
to returning home. She drove out of Willow Creek and hit the road, heading back
to the airport, a hollow coldness filling her body. She was grateful. She
didn’t want to feel anything.

*****

Jake caressed Laura with every ounce
of love within him. He ran his hand up her leg, continuing on past her hip,
over her belly and up over her breast, flicking his finger over her nipple. She
moaned deep in her throat, bucking her hips under him to get closer. As his
hand explored her breast, he slowly became aware of the fact that something
didn’t feel right. The mouth under him felt wrong, the body writhing under his
didn’t fit him the way that it should. The breast in his hand was far too big.

The haze of passion fled as a nauseating
realisation swept over him. The body under his wasn’t Laura’s. Horrified, his
erection died instantly. He fought to pull away from the grasping clinging
woman wrapped around him like a second skin. He pulled at her arms and legs,
somehow managing to untangle himself. He almost fell to the floor in his
desperate need to get away from her. Grabbing his towel from the floor, he
wrapped it around his hips and switched on the light.

Laying on the bed, her golden eyes
filled with desire and satisfaction was Victoria. “What the hell are you doing
here?” Jake snarled, his stomach wanting to heave. He had the sudden need to
shower all over again. He wiped at his mouth furiously.

“I wanted to show you that the
passion between us still existed. Remind you of what you once had and would be
losing if you continue to push me away. I was pretty mad at you for a bit, when
you sent that manager of yours to kick me out.” She sat up, completely
unconcerned at her nakedness. “But I decided to forgive you and give you a
second chance.”

“So you thought you’d come and plant
yourself in my bed?” Jake couldn’t believe his eyes. His gaze flicked to
Laura’s clothes thrown about the floor. “You deliberately made me think you
were Laura in my bed, why?”

“You wouldn’t have even given us a
chance if you’d known it was me straight away.” She pouted, her eyes glittering
in the candlelight. “Haven’t I just proved to you that you still desire me?”

“Are you nuts? I thought you were
Laura,” he snarled. “Get your butt out of my bed now!”

“You don’t mean that Jake,” Victoria
purred. She stretched her body out, opening her legs invitingly, her finger
coaxing him to join her. She ran her other hand over herself, trying to entice
him back into her embrace.

Jake felt ill. He could hardly
believe he’d ever found her beautiful. Looking at her in her blatant sexual
manipulation, he couldn’t feel less aroused if he tried. He finally could see
her for everything that she was and he wanted no part of it.

“Is that supposed to tempt me?” he
laughed at her, knowing how angry it would make her. “Look how little you do
for me?” He removed his towel to show her his complete lack of interest in her.

Victoria’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“We’ll see about that!” she hissed. She got up from the bed and moved towards
him. Snaking her arms around his neck, she kissed him fully on the mouth,
pushing her tongue inside to pull on his as she ran her hands over his chest,
scratching him lightly over his nipples with her nails.

Jake tolerated it for several moments
before he pulled back and placed her hand on his uninterested body. “Sorry,
still nothing.” He laughed at her again.

Victoria slapped him around the face,
the sound bouncing off the walls like a pistol shot. “How dare you humiliate me
this way!” she screamed. “You don’t get to finish with me! Men don’t finish
with me! Men pant after me. You’re no different. You begged me to stay with
you. Begged!”

“That was two long years ago and a
lot has changed for me since then. I wouldn’t have you now if you were the last
woman on earth. Get your clothes and take your sorry ass out of my house and
off my ranch this minute!” Jake’s expression turned deadly. “I don’t want to
even catch a glimpse of you after tonight.”

Victoria hissed, but she turned and
gathered up the clothes she’d hidden under the bed. Dressing swiftly, she cast
him a malicious glare as she turned to leave the room. “You haven’t won you
know. You may think you have, but it won’t be long before you realise I’ve
already taken my revenge.”

She laughed wickedly as she swept out
of the room. Jake’s heart thudded painfully as he wondered what she meant by
that last remark. Worried, he dressed quickly and was heading down the stairs
when the front door banged open. Kerry whirled in, her expression murderous.
Dan followed behind her. He glanced at Jake with a disgusted look.

“What the hell is wrong with you
two?” Jake snarled, having had just about all he could take today.

“Are you out of your stupid mind?
What are you thinking?” Kerry shouted waving her fist at him.

“If you’d tell me what you’re on
about, I might be able to tell you.” Jake could feel the beginnings of a
headache. All he wanted to do was find Laura, sort things out with her and put
this whole sorry day behind him.

“I saw Victoria leaving. So you’re
back on are you?” Kerry ranted. “Are you completely stupid? How could you toss
Laura over for that scheming witch?”

“I haven’t!” Jake snapped, wondering
if his sister had taken complete leave of her senses.

“Well you could have fooled me.
Pardon me for getting things wrong, but usually when you sleep with someone,
you are saying you want a relationship with them. Unless you are saying you’re
suddenly into one night stands.” Kerry stood with her hands on her hips, her
eyes spitting darts at him.

“Of course I’m not. She knows when I
slept with her that I was making a commitment. What the hell is all this?” Jake
was getting more and more confused.

“So, you are back with her then? Of
all the stupid, idiotic, foolish things you could do, this one takes the
prize!” Kerry screamed in irritation at him. She turned to Dan, her face a mask
of fury. “You talk some sense into him. I might just kill him!”

“She’s right Jake. Letting go of
Laura is the worst mistake you could make,” Dan told him seriously, his hands
in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels, a sure sign he wasn’t
comfortable.

“Hold it right there? Why are you
saying I’ve dumped Laura?” Jake’s head was now feeling like someone was driving
nails through it.

“You slept with Victoria!” Kerry
yelled, throwing a cushion from the nearest chair at him. “What did you think
it would mean? Of course things are over with Laura!”

“I haven’t slept with Victoria,” Jake
denied. “Did she tell you that? She’s lying through her teeth. She hasn’t said
that to Laura has she?” Jake thundered down the rest of the stairs, he’s face
going deathly white. “Where is she?”

Kerry was staring at him with a
deadly expression. “Don’t you lie to me Jake. We’re family!”

“I’m not lying.” Jake ran his hand
through his hair in frustration. “Did she tell you I slept with her? Was Laura
there when she said it?”

“No, Victoria didn’t say you’d slept
with her.” Kerry folded her arms over her chest.

“Then what the hell made you think I
had?” Jake was beginning to lose patience.

“Because Laura phoned me in the worst
state I’ve ever heard her in and told me she’d seen you in bed with Victoria!”
Kerry informed him in a hard clipped tone.

“You what!” Jake felt his heart stop
for one instant, before it started to bang in his chest like it was going to
come right out of it. He couldn’t breathe. So that’s what Victoria meant. She
must have known Laura had walked in on them. He felt sick at the thought of
what she must have seen and how it must have looked to her. “How could this be
happening to me? Where is she? I have to talk to her.”

“Before I say anything, I want
answers first,” Kerry poked him in the chest. “What went on here this evening?
And you’d better tell me the truth.”

Knowing she wouldn’t budge an inch
before he filled her in, Jake sighed. “Fine, if you must know Victoria was
here. I found her after I’d had to take a shower, thanks to Walter dumping me
in a pile of horse manure. She’d staged a nice little seduction in my room for
me. She’d even put some of Laura’s clothes on the floor so I’d think it was
her. Call me stupid, but I thought I was getting into bed with Laura. As it
turns out, it was Victoria. When I realised it was her, I kicked her out.
Nothing happened. It didn’t get past some kissing and touching. Believe me, I
feel ill at the thought of it.”

Dan swore. Kerry’s mouth dropped
open. “I knew she was scheming and dangerous, but this is beyond even what I
thought she’d do!” She pulled Jake into a hug. “I’m sorry I doubted you. Laura
was so sure you were back with Victoria. You have to explain things to her.”

“I will as soon as you tell me where
she is,” Jake gritted out, fed up with all the delays.

“Hold on.” Kerry pulled her phone
from her pocket. “It will be faster if I try and call her.” She rang Laura’s
number, but she got straight through to the machine. “Laura, please call me.
I’ve talked to Jake and it’s not what you think. Victoria staged the whole
thing. Jake didn’t sleep with her. Please call me back when you get this.” She
turned to Jake. “She’s not answering. I’ve left a message but there is no
guarantee she’ll get it in time.”

“In time for what?” Jake cried,
grabbing her arms.

“She’s driving to the airport. She’s
determined to go back to England.” Kerry barely got it out of her mouth before
Jake swore and tore into action. Grabbing his keys and his wallet, he took off
in his truck.

Dan hugged Kerry to him as they
watched him go. “He’ll find her. Don’t worry. Those two belong together. You’ll
see.”

“I hope you’re right. I never
imagined for one moment Victoria would try something like this. I hope Laura
believes him.” Kerry bit her lip in anxiety.

“She will. Jake will find a way to
make her understand.” Dan wished he could be as sure as he sounded, but he knew
all too well what sleeping with Victoria could lead to. He hoped Jake wouldn’t
suffer for his mistake with the loss of the one woman he really loved.

*****

Victoria stormed into her cabin, fury
flowing steadily through her veins. She stopped short at the sight of Walter
sitting on her sofa.

“What the hell are you doing in
here?” she shrieked.

“I’m waiting for you, what else?” he
snapped back, his eyes turning stony at her attitude.

“You are supposed to be sleeping with
that little wren. What are you doing sitting in my cabin instead?” Victoria’s
face contorted with her fury, making her usually beautiful countenance ugly.