Читать книгу The Rebel Returns: The Return of the Rebel / Her Irresistible Protector / Why Resist a Rebel? - Leah Ashton - Страница 14

CHAPTER EIGHT

JAX YAWNED AGAIN. At this rate he’d need to brew another pot of coffee before lunch. He’d done nothing but toss and turn for hours last night. He’d finally dozed off sometime after three.

His mind had been crammed full with thoughts of the thug who had hurt Cleo. He’d even checked in with the police to see if the ape, as Cleo called him, had been arrested. So far, nothing. But the good news was they had his image from the resort’s tapes and were working on identifying him.

Jax grabbed a spatula for the scrambled eggs. He wasn’t used to cooking for anyone, but he didn’t mind. What did bother him was having Cleo long for another man after he’d just got done kissing her. He snatched up a plate and placed it with a thunk on the counter.

The fact that she had Charlie in her life was for the best. A man in his position needed to keep clear of romantic entanglements. And even if his latest set of tests came back clear there was no guarantee they’d stay that way.

He drew his thoughts up short. None of it mattered because he had no intention of letting Cleo into his life—into his heart.

After the thug was arrested, Jax’s plan was to return to his solitary life. With all of the money he’d made in the stock market, he could retire young. He didn’t want to be one of those people who died at their desk. He wanted to get out and experience the world for as long as he had... And just as soon as this court case was over he’d get started.

No longer feeling so tired, he piled the scrambled eggs on the plate next to the buttered toast. When his friend said the housekeeper kept this place stocked, he hadn’t been kidding. Jax really need not have bothered stopping at the store last night after he’d picked up the rental vehicle.

He placed the food and the orange juice on a tray, along with a red rose from the bouquet on the dining room table. Then on second thought, he returned the flower back to the vase. There was no reason to muddy the waters any further.

He carried the tray to the bedroom and tapped on the door. “Cleo, are you up?”

Silence greeted him.

He knocked louder. “Cleo, I’ve got your breakfast.”

Still nothing.

Balancing the tray with one hand, he eased open the door and stepped inside. He came to a halt when he saw that the bed was already made up. His gaze flicked to the bathroom door. It was open and no sounds came from within.

Erring on the side of caution, he called out, “Cleo, are you decent?”

Again there was no response. He envisioned her passed out in the tub or worse. He set the tray on the end of the bed and rushed into the bathroom. The room was spacious, just like the rest of the house, but there was no sign of Cleo. He didn’t understand. Where could she have gotten to?

The food long forgotten, he searched the other five bedrooms. She wasn’t anywhere in the upstairs. He rushed to the sweeping staircase, which faced the wall of glass overlooking the front lawn and the drive. That was when he noticed the SUV was gone.

She’d run out on him!

But why?

Was she that upset about the kiss last night?

Did she feel guilty for cheating on Charlie?

His chest tightened. The doctor said she was supposed to be resting. What if she made her injuries worse? A knot formed in his gut. Or what if that thug caught up with her again?

He had to find her, but where did he start?

* * *

Cleo wished she hadn’t been so spontaneous. Trying to get about with the aid of crutches was more work than she’d imagined. And now Jax had made her paranoid about the ape man staking out her place. She’d driven around the block three times looking for anyone or anything unusual, but nothing appeared to be out of place.

She pulled to a stop in a handicap parking space in front of her unit. She figured due to her unusual circumstances, she could park there for ten minutes—long enough to grab a few essentials and scoop up Charlie.

She’d just opened the driver’s-side door when Robyn came up the walk, pushing a pink polka-dotted stroller. “Hey, girl, where have you been?”

Robyn was a good friend, but she was known for staying on top of the latest gossip in the complex. And this place was always rife with juicy stories. Cleo just hoped she wouldn’t make a big deal over her injury.

Cleo reached over to the passenger seat and grabbed the crutches. With the crutches positioned outside the door, she carefully lowered herself to the ground. Her ankle pulsated with pain. It probably didn’t help that she didn’t take any of those pills the doctor prescribed for her. But she needed to be clearheaded for driving.

Cleo swung the door shut, almost losing her balance. She really did have to get the hang of the crutches since she was going to be on them for a while. “Sorry I didn’t call again, but I didn’t have my phone.”

“I was hoping you were off with some hot guy, but by the looks of you, I guess that’s wishful thinking. Unless you had a McSteamy doc taking care of you.”

At the mention of a hot guy, her thoughts immediately went to Jax. He was definitely sexy in anyone’s book. But she wasn’t about to open that can of worms with Robyn, who was far too eager to help her find a “forever” guy. No matter how many times Cleo told her she wasn’t interested, Robyn would still introduce her to any hot new tenants.

“Sorry. No hot doctors.”

“When you called yesterday, you didn’t say anything about it being this serious.” Robyn frowned at her injured leg.

“I’m not that bad off.” Cleo forced a smile, wanting to ease her friend’s worry. “And the doctor said I was fine to go home.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie. She just left out the part about needing to be supervised for forty-eight hours. Come to think of it that probably meant she shouldn’t be driving. But this was important.

“I don’t know.” Robyn gave her a hesitant stare. “You look about as appealing right now as Stephie’s mashed peas. Definitely a bit green around the edges.”

“Thanks. You really know how to cheer up a person,” Cleo teased.

Robyn wasn’t the type to mince words. And right about now, Cleo did feel pretty rotten. She hoped she never saw that ape man ever again. If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t be in this mess. The memory of him had her glancing around.

“You’ll be back to normal after you get some rest.” Robyn kept pace with her as they headed for their side-by-side apartments.

“You haven’t seen any strangers lurking about, have you?”

“No.” Robyn raised her brows. “Should I have?”

How much should she say? Probably as little as possible. Robyn had a good heart, but she had a habit of saying too much.

“There was just this creepy guy hitting on me at the casino. You know, the kind who won’t take no for an answer.”

Robyn’s brunette bobbed hair swayed as she nodded. “Sometimes guys can be such jerks. And with you being so pretty, I’m surprised you don’t get hit on more often.”

“So if you see some tall guy with dark hair lurking about, call the cops.”

“But what do I tell them?”

“Hmm...let’s see.” She stopped and thought for a moment. “I know, tell them that he’s trespassing.”

“Consider it done.”

Luckily she lived on the first floor, saving her the task of going up and down more steps. They stopped at Cleo’s door and it was then that she realized she didn’t have her purse or her keys. Everything was back at the casino in her locker.

She turned to her friend. “I’m afraid I forgot my key. Would you mind letting me in?”

“Oh, sure. Let me grab the spare one. It’s a good thing you gave it to me. I’ll be right back.”

Cleo hobbled around until she could lean against the wall. She wondered if Jax was awake yet. She’d considered telling him what she was up to, but when she’d gone to his room, the door was open and he was out cold. He was sprawled across the bed on his stomach while wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers.

He’d looked good—real good. She also remembered how he didn’t want her—how he’d withdrawn from her. The memory dug at her heart.

Before turning away from his sleeping form, she’d noticed how the sheet had been pulled loose and kicked about. The pillows had been tossed off the bed as though he’d had a rough night. At least she had the satisfaction of knowing that he hadn’t had a good sleep, either.

In no time, Robyn returned with the key in one hand and a baby monitor in the other. “If you lost your key during your accident, I can call the manager and have them change the lock. Of course, you know they’re going to charge you for it. Like we don’t already pay enough in rent.”

“Thanks. But I know where it is. I just didn’t have time to grab my things before they took me to the hospital.” She wasn’t about to add that she’d blacked out.

“Okay. But if you need anything, just phone me. By the way, Charlie wouldn’t eat last night. I don’t know if he’s not feeling well or if he just missed you.”

“I was worried about that. After his surgery, I want to keep a close eye on him. He didn’t react well to the anesthesia.” Cleo made her way over to the couch, where Charlie was curled up. He eyed her up but didn’t make any movement. “Hey, buddy, it’s okay. I’m here.” She ran a hand down over his striped fur before scratching beneath his ear. Finally a faint purr started. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here last night.”

Instead of taking him with her, she was actually thinking of just staying home. According to Robyn there hadn’t been any strangers lurking about. Apparently ape man had other people to push around.

The sound of the baby stirring came across the monitor. “I better go check on her,” Robyn said, stepping out onto the walkway. “If you need anything else just let me know.”

With her neighbor gone, Cleo turned to Charlie. “You do know that I’m going to be in trouble when Jax finds out I’m here with you.”

Charlie blinked and licked his paw.

“I see you aren’t the least bit worried. That makes one of us.” She ruffled the fur on his head before locking the front door.

It was nice that Marylou had picked her out some new clothes, but they weren’t really her taste and right now, she needed soft, stretchy shorts to get over her cast. And a comfy T-shirt. She may enjoy dressing up on most occasions, but this was different. Her body ached in places she didn’t even think had been injured. Some loose-fitting clothes were definitely in order for today.

She hobbled toward the bedroom with Charlie leading the way. His tail hung low and he wasn’t chatty like normal. The poor fellow. She felt really bad for him having surgery. At this point, she could kind of relate to not feeling so chipper. She’d have to remember to grab a bag of his favorite treats to take with them.

When her gaze landed on her bed, she thought that it never looked so inviting. So soft and snug. Maybe if she just lay down for a moment, she’d get her wind back. And she could give Charlie some much-needed attention as his love meter seemed to be low.

When Charlie eyed the bed hesitantly as though he wasn’t so sure he could jump that high after his surgery, she scooped him up and deposited him in the middle of the bed. She could tell he was going to get as much babying out of this recovery as possible. And she didn’t mind it a bit. She smiled as he circled once, then twice and finally sank down on the blue comforter.

After struggling to get changed into some comfy clothes, she lay down next to him, anxious to discard the crutches, which were as much a hindrance as a help. Her hand smoothed down over Charlie’s back and his purr machine kicked into full gear.

“Sorry I wasn’t here to take care of you last night. Some meanie sent me to the hospital.”

Charlie yawned and then she yawned.

“I don’t think he’ll be back. Maybe we can both stay home.”

She adjusted her pillow and closed her eyes for just a moment. After all, this guy was after Jax, not her. And Jax would be a lot safer if he didn’t have to worry about caring for an injured woman. Especially after he made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with her. He felt an obligation toward her—nothing more.

Staying home was sounding ever-so-tempting. And with Robyn watching her back, she didn’t have to worry.

“We’ll be fine. Right, Charlie?”