Page 105 of Jake's Angel

AVERY

It’s beena week since I had dinner at Gabe’s and all my secrets were spilled to the club. Jake has been relentless in trying to get me to talk or spend time with him. Gabe comes over to the house every night for dinner, which seems to be the highlight of Liz’s day. She loves cooking for everyone and having them sitting around her table. It’s his attempt at getting to know me. I think he’s afraid to talk to me alone. It may have something to do with the fact I’m still not warming up to being around him or the club.

I don’t know how to act around any of them. It feels like they can all see through me now that they know my secrets. It’s uncomfortable and a little unnerving.

I spend most of my days locked away in my room or on the porch, drawing in the sketch pad Liz bought for me. Sadie told her how art and dance were my only two outlets. Everything else I did was structured to a T and were rarely ever activities of my own choosing.

Jake is still sleeping across the hall, which is annoying. He sleeps shirtless and in a low hanging pair of gray cutoff sweatpants.

I tried telling him he could go back to his own place or the clubhouse to sleep. I am perfectly safe with Caleb watching me. I was hoping he’d leave for a little while so I could catch my breath. Of course, Caleb shut that idea down. He reiterated how Jake was following orders, which was like a bucket of ice-cold water bringing my desire to a grinding halt.

I’m a job. A duty.

I did take Sadie’s advice to get even a little.

Jayde brought me some thin pajamas sets to wear around the house. They’re cute little tank tops, not quite see-through, but they leave little to the imagination. The short butt-cut shorts fit snug around the curves of my ass. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be so petty. Then I heard Jake growl as I brushed past him in the hall on my way to the bathroom and agreed it was a great plan.

Two can play this game.

Jake tries to start up random conversations with me, but I’m sticking to short answers or basic information. I refuse to let him get to know me any more than he already does.

There’s no point.

I put my heart out there, showed him a part of me only Sadie has ever seen before. He made me believe he cared. He was so tender and caring. I thought he felt something between us, but turns out all he saw was an opportunity to further his business and make his president proud. He wants to draw my tattoos, thathewill be putting on me apparently, because he thinks he gets to make those decisions for me.

But he doesn’t want me.

Something must’ve happened over the last couple of days, because Jake has become all about his guard duty. He’s alwaysthere, whether I want him to be or not. He forbade Austin and Blake to take me to the store when I asked. He took me to the grocery store and followed me around. I was so angry he wouldn’t let me walk down the aisles alone that I made him stand beside me while I read the back ofeverytampon and pad package. I could get my hands on. And because I was feeling extra petty, I asked him which douche scent he thought would be best.

The bastard pickedMorning Paradiseand gave me his signature cocky grin.

He is so infuriating.

He’s taking this protection thing a bit too far if you ask me, but no one does. They don’t care what I think. The men have decided, and my job is to obediently comply. Some things never change.

Most days, Liz puts Jake to work doing things around the house, like moving the furniture around in the living room and fixing the front steps. Any and every miscellaneous thing she can think of to keep him busy. I assumed she was doing it for my benefit as much as for her own amusement, but now I’m convinced she’s trying to torture me.

She asked him this morning to sand and paint the porch railing, claiming every time she touched it, she got splinters. I thought it was funny she was making him do all this hard labor when she could just ask a prospect to do it, and they would without question.

Then Jake came out this morning and after only an hour of sanding the rails, he removed his T-shirt, revealing all the hard planes of his body. His chest, abs, and arms were on full display, glistening with sweat from the summer heat. His tattoos are taunting me with every move of his muscles. I wanted nothing more than to kick Liz—right after I kiss her.

This! This is what I’ve been trying to avoid!I don’t want to be lusting after this man. This infuriating, controlling, cocky, beautiful specimen of a man.

I’m so screwed!

I’ve been trying to keep my distance since I know he’s only doing his job, but I can’t help how I feel about him. It’s just attraction, I tell myself time and time again, but then he does something sweet like brush my hair off my face or bring me a glass of sweet tea on the porch and sit with me while the sunsets.

We don’t talk. We sit in silence and enjoy the moment. I catch myself wanting to curl up onto his chest and feel his arms around me, but I know it wouldn’t be real. Not for him. I wish I knew why he keeps toying with me. It’s frustrating as hell.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, Sadie caught me drooling over Jake while I was watching him through the kitchen window.

“You just going to stand there ogling the poor man, or are you planning on doing something about all that pent-up frustration you’ve got built up over there?” She winks.

“There isn’t any pent-up anything, and I’m not ogling.” I snap back.

“Obviously!” she says sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “You’ve been holed up in this house avoiding anything fun. It’s time we get you out of here,” she says, biting her bottom lip. “You’re finally free, Avery. Let’s live a little, please.” She draws out the last part in a whine.

“Have you forgotten I’m under house arrest?” I joke.