Rugged Match: A BBW & Mountain Man Valentine's Romance by Lana Love

Author:Lana Love [Love, Lana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Love Heart Books
Published: 2024-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

LUKE

Istride into Ghost Security, my heart hammering like I’m headed into battle. The steel and glass of the office don’t do a damn thing to cool my nerves. Jake’s desk is a fortress of monitors and tech. He stands by the window, looking out over Jefferson with that intense focus he gets when solving a problem.

“Jake,” I start without preamble, “we need to talk.”

He turns, his eyes watching me closely. “What’s up, Foster?”

“Can we—somewhere private?” My voice is gruff and even I can hear the strain in it.

I’m not looking forward to this conversation, but I know it’s better to have it now than later. One thing therapy taught me is to work on getting in front of issues, not hiding and waiting until they explode like an IED. Besides, Jessica is worth it.

Without a word, Jake leads me to a small conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s a room meant to impress and intimidate. The sounds of the office disappear as Jake closes the door.

Jake turns to me and crosses his arms over his chest. “Spit it out, Foster.”

“It’s about your sister,” I start, the words sticking in my throat.

“Is she okay?” Jake’s demeanor changes to concern with a coiled intensity. He’s deeply protective of her.

“What? No, no, she’s fine.” She’s fantastic, actually. “It’s…we went on a date.”

Jake lowers his head for a long moment, and I see the muscles in his arms clenching.

“What have I told you? You need to stay the fuck away from my sister. You hurt her again, and you’ll regret it. You’ll end up on that mountain in a ditch where no one will find you for a hundred years.”

I wince. He may be a computer guy, but I know full well he did combat training in the Army. I’m no stranger to combat, but I don’t want to fight my closest friend. It strikes me that my challenge now isn’t only to win over Jessica—I need to convince her brother, too, so he doesn’t try to kill me.

The air between us crackles with tension. Jake’s jaw clenches, and he doesn’t hide his feelings about me wanting to see his sister again.

“Listen, I know how protective you are about her, and I respect that, but—”

“Respect?” Jake cuts me off, his voice low and dangerous. “If you respected it, you wouldn’t be here telling me this.”

“I’m here because I respect you. Her happiness is important to me,” I counter, staring my best friend down.

“Is it? Or is this just another conquest, Luke?” The accusation stings because part of me fears he may be right.

“Conquest?” I shake my head, heat rising in my cheeks. “No, it’s not like that. I don’t sleep around, and you know it. With Jessica, it’s different.”

“Didn’t seem that way when she told me you ghosted her the summer you came back. She’s not a woman you can string along. If you hurt her—”

“I’m not intending to hurt her,” I interrupt, my hands fisted at my sides. “Hell, I didn’t want to hurt her before, but you know the shit I was dealing with.

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