Standby (Open Skies Book 4) by Becca Jameson (popular e readers .TXT) 📕

“Mmm.” She wondered if she should continue to tempt him into having sex with her tonight so she could hold it over him for the rest of their lives, or if she should be kind and give him this one. She decided to go halfway. “Hey, does the bathtub in the master bathroom have jets?”

He gave her a sideways look. “Yesss. Why?”

“Because I’m looking forward to a long soak and I’d rather use yours.”

“Be my guest, of course. But if you try to trick me…” he warned playfully.

She shrugged. “I’ve tried everything to trick you this week, up to and including nudity. Nothing worked. Which, by the way…” She lifted her fork and pointed the tines at him. “How the hell would I think you were really interested in me if you could resist not only nudity but watching me finger myself to orgasm?”

He groaned.

Good. Served him right. She still had a small slice of the upper hand.

An hour later, Shayla leaned back in Jake’s bathtub and closed her eyes. She really did want to soak in the tub. It was relaxing. After her chat with Renee this evening, she needed to think.

It was mind-boggling that Hawke had such a long list of women he’d fucked, abused, and harassed, all while being married. Maybe she could somehow turn the tables on him and send him threatening texts? She could bombard him like he did her, but with messages like:

I know you’re married. If you don’t stop harassing me, I’m going to tell your wife.

I know where you live. How would your kids feel if I showed up at your house uninvited?

Shayla shuddered from head to toe. No way could she ever do something like that. It would scare the fuck out of her. But damn, it would be nice.

She forced herself to stop mulling over Hawke and closed her eyes. She hated that the man took up so much of her energy. It would be nice if she could be free of him and move on with her life.

It would be so much easier to start a real relationship with Jake—who apparently wanted that badly—if she didn’t have to deal with a psychotic ex.

A knock on the door startled her. “Shayla?” Jake said.

“You can come in.” For one thing, she was fully covered in bubbles. For another thing, she didn’t give a single shit if he saw her naked.

Jake opened the door and stepped inside. “Sorry about your bath, but you’re gonna want to get dressed and come into the living room. You have guests.”

Shayla lifted her brows. “Guests?”

“Yes.” He grabbed a towel from the shelf in his linen closet and set it on the vanity. “Just come out.”

“Okay.” She was confused by his cryptic request as he left the room and shut the door. She released the plug so the tub would drain and rose out of the warm cocoon. Who was here to see her and hadn’t even called?

Ten minutes later, she was dry and dressed in her tank top and shorts. That was all she had in the bathroom. She could put more clothes on, but they were in the guest room and she’d easily be able to see whoever was visiting before she could slip inside to change.

As soon as she came out of the master bedroom, she could hear Raeann’s voice but also another woman. When she reached the guest bedroom, she could see them but they had their backs to her, so she quickly ducked into the room and put on clothes. Jeans, bra, T-shirt. More presentable than the clothes she used to tease Jake.

What was Raeann doing here and who the heck was with her?

Shayla was nervous by the time she made her appearance. With everything going on, she was worried Hawke might have shown up at the condo or something.

“Hey,” she said as she entered the living room.

Jake had graciously seated them on the couch and given them drinks. He really was a wonderful man. She needed to accept the fact that he truly liked her and go all-in.

Raeann smiled up at Shayla as Shayla lowered onto the sectional at an angle from the two women. “What’s going on?”

“Shayla, this is Katy. Katy, Shayla.”

Katy nodded toward her apologetically. “Sorry to stop by unannounced. I feel bad about this.”

Shayla frowned. “What do you feel bad about?”

Raeann sat forward. “Katy came to the condo hoping to find you. Since you weren’t there, she told me some things I thought you should know.”

Katy licked her lips. “I’ll be blunt. I dated Hawke before you.”

Shayla drew in a breath and let it out slowly. She shouldn’t be surprised. Katy fit the look. “How long ago?”

“I left him about two months before you started seeing him.”

“And let me guess, he harassed you right up until that moment?”

“Yes.” Katy glanced at Raeann. “I gather from what Raeann has told me, that’s his MO.”

“Yes. He hasn’t found someone else to fuck with yet after me.” She didn’t give a shit about her language right now.

Katy cringed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know that there’s anything I can do to help, but I wanted to at least tell you. I didn’t realize there were others. I mean, I knew he moved on to you and stopped bothering me, but I didn’t know there were women before me and it was a pattern.”

Shayla looked at Jake who was leaning back in the far corner of the sectional, rubbing his jaw. “How did you find out about Shayla?” he asked. “Do you work for the airline?”

Katy nodded. “Ticket agent. It took a while for the rumors to reach me, but eventually, they did.”

“Oh good,” Shayla muttered sarcastically. “I’d hate for my name to be smeared only among flight attendants.”

Katy nodded. “Right?” Her sarcasm was just as thick. “Listen, I feel really bad about this. I thought hard about going to HR, and then decided against it. Who would believe me? I just