She shook it and held on. “Are you married?”
“No, ma’am.” Jake shook his head.
“Girlfriend?”
“Not a one.”
Glenda leaned forward. “Gay?”
As usual, her mom had her contemplating moving to Siberia. She couldn’t be more humiliated if she had to run naked down Main Street during the annual Oh, Pioneer Parade.
“Nope.” He grinned down at Glenda. It looked as if he had this conversation with every mother he met.
“Do you want to be married?”
She grimaced at the hopeful look on her mom’s face.
“Not really.”
“Why not?” Glenda dropped his hand and crossed her arms in front of her.
Jake shrugged. “Well, ma’am, I’m just not the marrying kind.”
“We’ll see about that.” Excited speculation lit up Glenda’s face. She dug into her makeup counter giveaway purse and brought out a polka-dotted notepad and pen set. She scribbled something and handed it to Jake.
“You call me if you need my help. I belong to the NRA.” She turned her attention to Claire. “He goes, I stay. Got it?”
She mentally conceded the battle. With her mother, it always ended the same. “Yes, Mom.”
“Good. Toodles.”
She watched in silence as her mother stalked from the room. Groaning, she cradled her head in her hands.
“Wow.” Jake’s voice was tinged with awe.
“Yeah. My mother is…something else.”
Claire glanced at Jake. He looked dazed, the normal reaction after meeting her mother, which was why she’d had only first dates in high school.
“Thanks for helping me. Telling her you were staying with me was brilliant. I appreciate it.”
He leveled the full force of his slate-blue eyes at her. “I am staying with you.”
“Oh no.” Claire slapped her palms down on her desk. “That was just to get Mom out of here. There’s no way you’re staying with me.”
She couldn’t play house with him. Going to sleep listening to him breathe. Having coffee together in the morning. Brushing their teeth together in the bathroom. No way could she keep her heart in check in that situation.
In two long steps, he was beside her. He tugged at her elbow and spun her around to face him. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re safe with me.”
He promised protection, but that wasn’t what she wanted most from him. Maybe having her life turned upside down by a crazy man had bent her thinking. Perhaps she would have reacted this strongly to Jake under any circumstances. No matter the reason, she wanted this man, and wanted him badly.
“Am I?” Her gaze aimed for the erection visible through his jeans.
“Yes. I’m here for a job. That’s all.” A vein throbbed at his temple. “I don’t want to want you, but I can’t seem to help it.”
What did she gain from denying herself the pleasure of him in bed as long as he didn’t stay the night? Nothing. Her decision made, Claire embraced the sexual fever burning through her body, grabbed his waistband and pulled him close. “Is wanting me so bad?”
“Yes.”