The Best Man's Baby(45)

“Stop walking so fast, one of my heels is going to get caught in this mud. Besides, you didn’t even ask me what my news was. You wanted me to be open. This is me making a concerted effort to tell you things.”

He stopped walking abruptly as the rain pummeled down harder on them. She was actually volunteering information about herself, involving him, just as he’d asked.

Claire was fishing though her purse, oblivious to what he was thinking. “And I know, you’re probably going to insist on driving my car.”

“I have no problems with you driving us,” Jake said, almost laughing. “What did you want to tell me?”

“I’m not selling my business. I’m keeping it.”

He went completely still. The night of their first argument, the charts, the plans, played through his mind. And now, without speaking the words, she was telling him she was trusting him enough to have a role in their lives. He knew he needed to do the same. He was a hypocrite if he didn’t, but he needed to find a way to let her in as well.

“Thank you,” he whispered hoarsely.

“For what?”

“For trusting me.” She turned to look at him, her eyes drifted over his bare chest, and he saw the exact moment her expression went from irritated to aroused. And then when she did the little flick that her tongue always did when she was turned on, he took her hand that was holding the keys and tugged her over to him, his other hand on her waist.

“I saw that look,” he said with a muffled laugh against her smooth throat.

“What look?”

“That’s the ‘Jake, please make love to me right here, right now’ look,” he said, smiling against her mouth, effectively sealing what was sure to be a denial. “I wish we weren’t in a parking lot right now,” he whispered as she willingly molded her body against his. She let out a little moan as his hands wandered over her curves, reminding him why they needed to get out of here.

“Your place is closer,” Claire whispered into his neck, her hands on his bare chest making him suck in his breath. He groaned out loud, using every ounce of self-control not to start feasting on her right then and there.

…

“Do I look okay?” Claire whispered in his ear. Jake had no idea how the softest, most innocent whisper could set off such a chain reaction throughout his body. He looked over at her.

“You look hot,” he whispered in her ear, smiling as her skin flushed.

“No, what I meant was does it look like we’ve been…” She wiggled her eyebrows and made a rolling motion with her hands. He leaned forward to grab his beer.

“Oh yeah, Claire, we both look as though we’ve been thoroughly—”

“Uh, sorry to interrupt your party for two, but we’ve been sitting here watching you guys whispering for ten minutes.” The sound of Quinn’s deep voice made Jake snap his head up. He looked around the table. Everyone had an amused expression on their face. They had arrived at Holly and Quinn’s a half hour ago and were just sitting down to eat dinner. They had stopped at Claire’s house so she could change, and then driven back to the construction site so he could pick up his bike.

His brothers had taken one glance at them when they’d stepped into the house and had given him a knowing look. Now he was trying, quite unsuccessfully, to keep up with the conversation when the only thing he felt like doing was being in bed with Claire.

“What was that, Quinn?” Jake drawled as he took a sip of beer.

“I said, I know I’ve asked you before, but maybe now that you’re about to be a father you might rethink my offer to be a partner in Manning Construction.”

Jake put the beer down slowly, completely caught off guard. Why did Quinn have to bring this up tonight? He felt Claire’s curious stare. Everyone except her knew where this was going. Why couldn’t his brother take no for an answer? He knew he should tell him why there would never be any way he could partner with Manning and Son Construction Company.

Jake loved his job. He loved being able to build. He loved working with his hands. He loved creating. And he hoped one day he could pass that on to his kids, but it wasn’t enough anymore. He needed to prove to Claire and to his kids that he was his own man, capable of being a success, without help from anyone.

This morning, ownership of W.W. Custom Homes had been signed over to him. There was no going back. There was no rethinking it. He knew deep down in his gut this was the only way he would feel like he wasn’t some pathetic freeloader. He had his own company now. He would have his own legacy to pass on to his child. He was going to have to tell Quinn, but in private when he could explain.