Page 37 of Redeemed

Audacity

Twodaysbeforethewedding, Sofia was in her office when Jenny tapped quietly on the doorframe. Sofia looked up and smiled, grateful for the distraction. The numbers were starting to swim in front of her eyes. She hadn't been sleeping well, and it was affecting her concentration. "Hey, Jenny. What can I do for you?"

Jenny chewed on her cheek before she spoke. "Um, that really big guy is back and asking for you?"

Sofia's eyebrows met in confusion. "Really big guy?"

"Yeah. He was here before. I don't think JT was too glad to see him that time," Jenny reported. "I wasn't eavesdropping, honest, but well, they're both pretty hard to miss. He said his name is Jesse."

Sofia groaned.Dios mio!She did not need this shit today.And she sure didn't want JT to see him there. She tried for calm. "Can you please show him back to the office, Jenny? I'd rather JT not notice him. They don't really get along."

"Um, sure, Sofia," Jenny agreed. "I'll bring him right back."

Sofia straightened her spine and took a cleansing breath. She couldn't figure out what Jesse's deal was. She thought she'd made it perfectly clear that she had no interest in dating him or even being friends at this point after the way he had acted. She wished she could throw him out but if JT saw him, he was sure to get the wrong idea.

Her head popped up when Jenny stuck her head in again. "Here he is."

"Thanks, Jenny," Sofia said, standing up behind the desk.

Jesse maneuvered his bulk into the room and shut the door behind him. The room seemed to become half its size. Sofia scowled. She didn't like being closed in with him like this. "What do you need, Jesse? I thought I made it pretty clear I didn't want to see you anymore the other night."

"Now, baby, don't be that way," Jesse said smoothly. "I'm sorry I upset you. I really did come to apologize. It's not my fault your little man got his panties in a wad."

Her hands hit her hips. "Listen to me good, Jesse," she said, pointing at his chest."We are done. Finished. Do you understand?"Her voice was low and hard. "I love JT and I'm going to do everything I can do to get him back. You need to leave me alone. I can't even look at you anymore."

Jesse smirked and took two steps around the desk, backing her up to the wall. "Ah, baby, you're always so sexy when that temper flares up." He placed one meaty palm against the wall next to her head and reached out to run a finger down her cheek. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body. She flinched at his touch but wouldn't break eye contact with him.

"Get off me," Sofia growled. "Don't make me scream. Everyone will come running and know what you are. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

She pushed hard on his chest, but it was like trying to push a wall away from her. He leaned into her, pinning her to the wall, his body engulfing hers from chest to knees. His lips grazed her jaw when she turned her head away from his attempted kiss. She pushed again and wriggled under him trying to get free enough to knee him in his precious cojones, but it was no use. He was too big. Panic built in her and her breathing came faster.

"Ah, Sofia, why don't you give in and admit it?" Jesse said, the breath from his words falling hot on her cheek. "I can feel your body trembling. Your heart is pounding. You want me. You know it's true, baby."

As his hand came up to fist in her hair, Sofia gathered a breath to scream when a knock came at the door.

"Sofia?" Jenny called.

"Come in," Sofia called back loudly, pushing at Jesse again. With deliberate slowness, he stood and turned from Sofia as Jenny opened the door. The girl's eyes widened as she took in the large man looming over Sofia and her boss' face flushed with what she interpreted as anger and fear. She'd never seen such an expression on her face before.

"What do you need, Jenny?" Sofia asked, squeezing past the man and coming to the door.

"Um, there's a vendor that needs to talk to you. There's a problem with, um, an invoice or count or something?" Jenny stammered.

"Thanks, Jenny. Tell him I'll be right out. Thanks for letting me know." She gave her young waitress a pointed look and nodded.

When Jenny left, Sofia placed a hand on the open door. "You need to leave. Now," she told Jesse, her voice shaking with anger. "If you ever come back here, I'll call the law and have you trespassed. The same for my house. You're not welcome anymore, Jesse."

Jesse calmly ran a hand over his hair and straightened an imagined wrinkle from his dress shirt. A slow smile grew across his face as he regarded her. "Okay, bebé. I'll leave. I can see I've caught you at a bad time." He stopped in the doorway and ran a finger slowly down her arm. Her skin was instantly covered in gooseflesh. "You should really think about getting a new job. This one makes you so tense."

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish at his audacity, but before she could respond, he was back down the hall. A few moments later she heard the tinkling of the bell over the front door. She let herself fall into one of the chairs in front of her desk, all the bravado rushing out of her. She'd tried hard not to show it in front of Jesse, but he'd scared her. Badly. What had happened to him? Who had he become? He'd always been cocky but now he was…predatory. She didn't want to think about what might have happened if Jenny hadn't interrupted.Jenny! The vendor! Mierda!Taking a final steadying breath, she got up to go deal with whatever normal crisis was happening.

Chapter thirty-six

A Green Sauce

Thedayofthewedding finally arrived. All hands were on deck early that morning to start packing up the vehicles to take to the venue. JT couldn't help but notice Sofia's sluggishness and pallor, nothing like her normal self. Despite himself, he had not been able to give up trying to catch glances of her throughout the day as she worked, even after what she had done to him. His eyes were inexorably drawn to her whenever she was close. He'd never seen her like this. His brows knit together in worry. He sidled up to his sister where she sat at the breakfast bar supervising everyone.

"Is something wrong with Sofia? Is she sick?" he asked her.