SHELTER

Chapter 17

"Jake!?" Both excitement and astonishment colored her voice.

He heard her sprinting across the living room until she was just behind him. Reluctantly he opened the door wide and allowed the other man to cross the threshold into his home.

Moments ago, Warren had been more than pleased with the shorts and t-shirt combination Jolie was wearing. Now, standing in front of another man whose eyes belayed his obvious appreciation of her body, Warren wished she owned a bathrobe.

The other man extended his arms and Jolie stepped into them without hesitation for a hug.

"What are you doing here?" Her face conveyed surprise and pleasure in the flush of her cheeks and sparkle in her eyes.

Jake held her close a little too long in Warren's estimation but finally released her and stepped back to give her another sweep with his eyes.

"No one has physically laid eyes on you for months. Pictures on Facebook simply don't satisfy my worry. I know you said you were fine but I wanted to see for myself," Jake reached out and touched her arm. "As soon as I could get time off I looked up Warren and set out."

Warren suppressed the need to forcefully remove the blonde man's appendage from his woman's person. He didn't like this guy. Maybe it was just jealousy rearing its ugly head but he couldn't help it. Everything about this guy was too smooth and he was way to familiar with Jolie for Warren's comfort level.

The fact that the guy had looked up Warren's address and taken it upon himself to visit without notifying or asking his or Jolie's permission, rubbed him the wrong way. Beyond his admittedly jealous feelings, this behavior seemed suspicious in itself. Jolie explaining that Jake was a police officer did nothing to assuage his concern.

Warren stood aside and tried to school his features to look pleasantly amused as he observed their interaction.

Jolie pulled their visitor into the kitchen and sat him down at the table. His asked questions about her wreck and the damage to her bike. She answered in a chipper voice as she poured him a cup of coffee and sliced a piece of coffee cake for the three of them.

He joined them at the table with his coffee and pretended to listen as he ate his cake. In truth he just wanted more time to observe and size up Jake Monroe.

Jolie appeared excited to see her friend which was understandable. Warren couldn't discern anything but platonic feelings on her side of the conversation. Jake's side, however, conveyed loads of unrequited feelings no matter how hard the other man tried to play it cool.

The way he leaned in toward her, took every opportunity to touch her, stared unabashedly at every feature of her face and hung on every word she said told the story well.

By the end of twenty minutes Warren was positive Jake Monroe had a thing for his girl and had some time. Maybe years. He was equally certain Jolie had no idea.

Warren tamped down an irrational desire to pull the man up by his collar and throw him headlong from the house. Behaving like a caveman certainly wouldn't earn him any points with Jolie. In addition, he'd look like a psychopath.

He checked the pleasant smile he'd pasted on was still being maintained. With a tight leash on his tone he waded into the conversation.

"So Jake, where are you staying?" Warren tried to sound relaxed and conversational.

"At the Holiday Inn. It was the first place I saw when I pulled into town. I just dropped my bags off then set out in search of your house." Monroe flashed a too wide, too bright smile that irritated Warren.