Chapter 10
Jason walked down the snow-covered pathway through the park, his hands stuffed deep inside the pockets of his leather jacket. It was a cold day, though not as cold as the others had been for the past two weeks. Snow was falling; fat, wet flakes that were sticking quite rapidly, and there was nothing more beautiful than the park on a wintry day.
After getting permission from his aunt, Jason had closed Kelly's after lunchtime and driven over to the site of his old garage. The construction company he had hired back when the place had burned down had done a fairly good job putting it back up. Drywalls had been erected and the place even had a roof over it. The winter snows had slowed productivity – actually, the snow had caused productivity to come to a grinding halt – but the little shack that would become his home once more in a couple months – after more work and one more floor addition - was nonetheless standing.
The team was a good one – it had been referred to him by Lorenzo Alcazar. Even though Jason didn't want to accept any favors from the mobster he had once helped out of a jam, he had to admit that he was glad Lorenzo had talked him into hiring the contractors. They put in long hours and did good work at an extremely reasonable price. However, what Jason didn't know was that the team was operating at cost only and would be receiving reimbursement from Mr. Alcazar upon completion. The mobster had explained this to the foreman specifically, and the workers were happy to comply after learning of the generous percentage he'd offer them.
The original foreman had to take a leave of absence and so Jason had gone to his old garage that day to meet with the man that would take his place. It was meant to be a cordial meeting; he had introduced himself to the new guy, a barrel-chested Italian by the name of Max Giambetti, and had shown him around the tentative structure. After looking at snapshots of the garage before the fire, Jason had brought out the floor plan he had made himself for the new building. He and Max had discussed it over a thermos of coffee that the Italian had brought along and before long, they were shaking hands and parting ways.
Jason blinked when a fat snowflake landed on his sandy lashes, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. He loved the smell of snow. It was so crisp and clean, like there was nothing a good snowstorm couldn't wipe away. He had left his bike in the park's lot and decided to stroll on through on his way back to Kelly's for some more hot coffee.
He was enjoying the peaceful walk until – suddenly and out of nowhere – a snowball came careening at his head, swishing just in front of his nose. The snowball was immediately followed by a streak of bright red and before Jason knew what was happening, Elizabeth was in his arms. The brunette was dressed in her crimson coat and matching snow boots with red mittens and a white knit cap pulled snugly around her head and tied under chin, and she was wriggling and squealing to beat the band.
"Eeee! Jason!" His arms wrapped securely around her waist as he turned his body, seeking to protect her from the snowballs that whizzed past as she buried her face in the warm cavern of his neck and laughed giddily.
"There she is! Get her!" came a chorus of yells, and Jason looked over his shoulder to see Emily O'Brien and a band of children racing toward them, all armed with snowballs.
"Oh, crap!" Elizabeth's arms snaked around his neck as she peered over his shoulder, not even the slight bit affected when her temple pressed up against Jason's chin and his breath rustled through her bangs. Jason, however, couldn't say the same. "Jason! You have to-ack!" A snowball just narrowly missed her face and exploded on Jason's shoulder. "Save me, Jason!"
His heart caught in his throat as Elizabeth sought to burrow into his chest, and Jason wrapped his arms tightly around her narrow waist, letting his chin rest on her soft hat as he folded her up against his strong body.
"You can't get 'way that easy, Lizabeth!" one small boy yelled, armed with not one but two snowballs. "C'mon, Mister, let 'er go – we're in the middle of a game!"
"Never!" Elizabeth yelled back, clinging even tighter to Jason as she made faces at the gang of kids over his shoulder. "He'll never let go!" She caught him off guard when she suddenly turned her face toward him and her small, red nose bumped against his as she whispered, "Jason, don't let me go."
"Don't worry, guys," Emily grinned wickedly, shooting Elizabeth a wink. "The White Knight can't stand around protecting her all day, you know."
Jason frowned at the redhead but she didn't seem to care as the kids leered as menacingly as they could at Elizabeth, who only made funny faces at them in reply. "What's going on?"
Elizabeth sniffed when her nose began to run slightly and let one mittened hand grasp the back of Jason's neck, smoothing over the soft golden hair there. "Jason, this is the gang. Gang, this is Jason."
"Hi, Jason," they all chirped before one small tow-headed little boy stepped forward. "Now can you please let her go? We have to get her!"
"That's right!" Emily gloated. "Hot chocolate for everyone after we've vanquished the fiend!" She cackled in Elizabeth's direction as she gestured toward the gang of children. "These sprouts know which side their bread is buttered on, that's for sure."
Elizabeth growled low in her throat, her blue eyes narrowing into slits, and Jason found her absolutely adorable. She was on her toes in front of him in order to peer over his shoulder, her entire body supported by his strong arms wrapped protectively around her waist, and her hands still clasped his shoulder and the nape of his neck as she laid out another battle strategy. "Hey, guys, how about this? –Brownies and hot chocolate for everyone that can bean Emmy with a snowball!"
The kids considered it carefully, and Jason and Elizabeth both watched as small, wicked smiles spread across their cherubic faces. Slowly, they turned on the heels of their little Superman snowboots and looked at a suddenly flustered Emily.
"Oh, no," she was sputtering, holding her hands up and backing away slowly. "No, no, no – you can't do this. She's the one that started chasing you guys – Tommy, she hit the tree branch so that it dropped a bunch of snow on your head, remember? And you – Alfie, she was the one that-"
"GET HER!" The boys let their snowballs fly as Emily turned hard on her heel and took off, squealing and cursing her best friend for playing upon the fickle nature of the kids' loyalty. Elizabeth giggled and hopped in place as the children tore after the redhead, scooping up snow and packing it into small balls as they ran.
Jason could only blink as she abruptly pulled out of his tight embrace, but not before pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, Jason," she grinned, sidestepping him and scooping up some snow in her mittens. "You're the best! See you later!"
And with that, she took off after the pack of munchkins and left Jason standing alone in the cold, wondering how it could be that a snowball fight in the park suddenly seemed so incredibly appealing.
The kindergarteners sat at the counter at Kelly's enjoying the brownies and hot chocolate they had been promised while Emily and Elizabeth took the down-time to do some serious catching up in the little nook by the jukebox.
"It was perfect," Emily sighed with contentment. "Seriously, it couldn't have gone better if we'd actually planned it."
"I know," Elizabeth squealed, careful to keep her voice down. "What were the odds of him walking by right then? Man, Em, I have to say – the universe is most definitely on my side."
"Most definitely," the redhead agreed, clinking her mug of hot chocolate with Elizabeth's. "Did you see the way he was looking at you? Ooh, Lizzie!" She stamped her boots on the floor with excitement. "That man wants you – no doubt about it."
"You know, I think I might actually be starting to believe you," the brunette admitted shakily. "Holy cow."
"He looked hungry," Emily declared. "And I don't think a number 7 on rye, no onions, would have done the trick."
"Emily," her best friend growled, elbowing her in the side. "Shut up. Jesus."
They chattered away in the little nook, looking as thick as thieves to any customer that happened to walk by. Emily couldn't stop making dirty jokes and Elizabeth just couldn't stop blushing to save her life. They both agreed that excellent progress had been made in the Befriend the Borg phase of the plan, but when Emily suggested that it was time to start parading rival young men in front of Jason, Elizabeth was a little hesitant. They debated it back and forth – Emily claiming that Jason needed a good kick in the pants, Elizabeth arguing that she wanted to keep going with the friendship bit for a while longer before she ambushed him – and still they couldn't come to any real conclusion. Finally, Elizabeth announced that it was her quest and so she was the only one to decide what could be done, and Emily begrudgingly agreed as long as Elizabeth forfeited all her rights should her current situation be turned into a humorous romance novel sometime in the near future.
"What would it matter if I did or didn't?" Elizabeth asked sullenly. "You always steal material from my crazy life anyway – and I never see a dime."
"And that's why this friendship is so wonderful," Emily sighed happily. "We don't let money get in the way."
The kids had already cleared out by the time that Emily and Elizabeth finished their cocoa, and the two girls were still seated on the cushioned bench in the little nook when Jason walked into the diner. Emily was chattering on about something when she noticed that her best friend was no longer paying attention and was instead staring off somewhere else. Following her gaze, Emily wasn't surprised at all to see that it led straight to Jason. What did surprise her, however, was the intensity in the simple look they shared, and the genuine smile that tugged at the corners of the normally stoic mechanic's mouth.
Trying desperately to suppress her own wicked grin, Emily quickly rose and reached for her jacket, mumbling out any old excuse and slipping out into the mid-March evening. Elizabeth shifted on the little bench seat, pulling a pillow out from behind her and tossing it onto the bench as Jason slowly made his way over to her.
"Hey, there, stranger," she grinned cheekily, brushing her bangs out of her eyes.
Jason smiled down at her, somewhat surprised when she cleared off a spot next to her and reached out to pull him down next to her. The little bench seat in the nook was small and their legs were so close together that Jason could feel her body heat. He shifted slightly, shrugging out of his jacket, and quirked a brow when Elizabeth grabbed it from his hands and folded it up in her arms. She always said that she loved the smell of leather, especially his jacket, and Jason couldn't help but feel an unexplainable surge of pride when she gushed about how his jacket always smelled like pine trees and snow.
"So where've you been?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear with one hand and bringing his jacket up under her chin as she curled up on the cushion seat. "I thought I'd find you here when we got back from the park."
"I had some things to do," he replied simply. "I met with the new foreman for my garage today."
Elizabeth's dark eyes lit up. "Oh, really? How's that going?"
He shrugged and leaned back, bringing one muscular leg up underneath him. "Construction pretty much stopped as soon as it started snowing; the building's standing, but there's still a lot of work to be done. And the first foreman I had needed to take a leave of absence, so a new guy's filling in. Max Giambetti."
"Is he nice?" Elizabeth asked, twisting around to face him. She had changed into a pair of black track pants and a white sweatshirt, once again stepping into the role of the innocent schoolgirl he felt guilty about ogling.
Forcing himself to concentrate when Elizabeth lifted her pant leg to scratch her creamy, shapely calf, Jason nodded briskly. "Yeah, he's fine. Talks a lot, though."
"There's nothing wrong with that," she grinned, crinkling her nose in that adorable little way of hers.
Jason just rolled his eyes. "That's what you think." He laughed and ducked away when her small hand swatted his arm. They sat there together for a while, chatting amicably and Jason felt remarkably at ease with the spirited little brunette. He teased her about being hounded by a bunch of kindergarteners, and watched her through twinkling eyes when she bashfully explained that the kids were from the community center and that she and Emily always made time to hang out with them at least once a week.
A comfortable silence stretched between them for a moment, and neither felt the need to fill it in. Elizabeth let her eyes linger on Jason, starting from his long, nimble fingers and slowly drifting up his muscular arms to his strong chest and his devastatingly handsome face. When she thought about how far they had come from when they first met, Elizabeth knew it was nothing short of remarkable. They were sitting together and actually talking – no more one word answers from her colleague. It was such a simple affair – to be filled in on the major events of his day – but it warmed Elizabeth's heart. They really had come a long way.
Her eyes darkened when she remembered their no-holds-barred make-out session in the kitchen, after which he had left her in a lurch – oh, he'd be regretting that, that was for sure. When Jason noticed the little smirk she wore, his sandy brows furrowed and Elizabeth almost wanted to laugh. The poor man really had no idea what he was in for.
"Let's do something."
Her words broke the silence and Jason blinked at her. "What?"
"Let's do something," she repeated, leaning closer to him and tapping her toes on the cushions upon which they sat. "You. Me. Tonight. Let's do something."
His eyes helplessly followed the tip of her pink tongue as it swept over her full lips, and Jason had to shake himself out of it. Oh, he wanted to do something with her tonight, all right. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know," she shrugged. "The roads are pretty much clear, right? Can we go out on your bike? Maybe grab some dinner? I don't know – something."
An idea slowly kicked up the corner of his mouth, and Jason's eyes twinkled. "Ok."
The surprise was evident on her face – it couldn't be that easy. "Okay?"
He nodded curtly and stood up. "Okay," he repeated. "I know what we can do."
She peered up at him from under curly raven lashes. "What? What are we going to do?"
He cocked his head, treating her to that boyish smile she recently discovered she loved so much. "Don't worry about it – just trust me."
Her heart jumped in her chest and Elizabeth wasn't about to admit that she didn't find his mysterious behavior alarmingly sexy. Jason Morgan was a take-charge kind of man – but that didn't mean he got to feel like he was in control all the time. "Okay," she smiled saucily up at him, a mischievous gleam in her dark eyes. She pushed herself up off the little bench and twirled around toward the stairwell, making sure to add a seductive little sway to her step. "Just let me get dressed and I'll be right with you, Morgan."
A rakish grin tugged on Jason's lips as he watched her sashay off to her room, and the tall mechanic began to hope suddenly that he knew what he was getting himself into.
"So this is Jake's, huh?"
Elizabeth's wide eyes swept around the dark little bar, taking in the handsome wooden chairs and the old jukebox in the corner before finally landing on the pool tables. Jason followed her with an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of his stomach as he watched the men slowly snap to attention as the little brunette made her presence known. As if of their own volition, Jason's own eyes strayed over her tight form along with the rest of the drunks in the room – dressed in tight black jeans and a low-cut red sweater coupled with silver rings and a black choker finished off with leather boots, Elizabeth made quite the picture.
And judging from the thinly-veiled growls and cat-calls, he wasn't the only man that thought so. Jason had to bite back a groan when Elizabeth idly pulled her slender arms from the sleeves of his leather jacket. He had grabbed his newer one from his closet and offered her his favorite, worn one and Elizabeth had accepted immediately. And now she was folding that same leather jacket over her arms as she slowly paced to the center of the bar, her narrow hips swaying seductively to the beat of the music.
Several of the older men recognized Jason easily as one of the bouncers that sometimes guarded the joint, and upon realizing that Elizabeth was with him withdrew their gaze and retired themselves to idle fantasizing. Some of the younger ones, however, were bolder, and even went so far as to growl lewd comments at the young woman. Thankfully, Elizabeth didn't even hear more than half of the remarks and when she turned her back, Jason had a good three-second window to grab the young men by the shirts and threaten to break their hands if they looked at her again.
"I like it," she announced, turning back to him with a smile. "It's…cozy."
"Okay," he shrugged, crossing his meaty arms across his chest. "If you think so."
She just smirked at him and shook her head. "I can't believe I've never been here – I pass it all the time, and yet I never came inside."
"Well, it is a bar," Jason reminded her. "And you are underage."
Elizabeth's jaw dropped and her sapphire orbs flashed indignantly. "I am not underage!"
Jason had to fight to suppress a grin. "Aren't you? You're not more than twenty, right?"
She wanted to hit him. "I turned twenty-one back in November!"
"Back in November, huh?" he repeated, rocking back on his heels and avoiding her eyes because he knew that if he looked at her he'd burst into a grin. "Damn, you're young."
Her small fist nailed him in the gut and Jason stumbled back a step, chuckling as she sputtered and fumed. "I am not young, Jason Morgan! I'm twenty-one-and-a-half, I'll have you know, and that's old enough to vote and drink and go off to war and get married and all that – and I am NOT young!" Red-faced and still seething, her blazing eyes found his smug and amused one and as quickly as that, all the annoyance fizzled out of her body. "So how old are you?"
He lifted one shoulder in reply. "Almost thirty."
Elizabeth's eyes widened and she clicked the heel of her leather boot against the floor as she pondered his response. "Wow," she sighed as she shifted her weight and slowly walked around him on her way to the bar. "You're old."
Stunned, Jason just stood there for a moment before turning on his heel and stalking over to the bar where Elizabeth was trying to figure out what to order from the austere-looking blonde matron after whom the establishment was named. "I am not old," he replied witheringly, pulling himself onto the stool next to hers and glowering at her when she dared to smirk. "I'm not." She didn't reply, just shifted that firm little bottom of hers on the leather and shared an amused look with Jake. "Look," he tried to explain, "when I said almost thirty I meant in about seven months, okay?"
"Sure, sure, Pops," she had the audacity to reply, smoothing her hand over his bicep soothingly and not even realizing what that innocent touch did to him. "Don't pop an artery." He muttered darkly under his breath and hunkered down at the counter, not pleased at all when Jake slid him a patronizing look.
"There's nothing wrong with being thirty."
Done with her teasing, Elizabeth slid him a tender sideways glance. "You don't look thirty, you know."
He chuckled at that, a soft noise much like the rasping of sandpaper. "And what does thirty look like?"
"Well…" She tapped her chin thoughtfully with a polished index finger as she thought. "For one thing, you're supposed to start getting those little crows' feet around your eyes. And you get this little bulge at your abdomen-"
"I don't have a bulge," Jason frowned, clapping one strong hand over the defined muscles of his stomach.
He didn't notice the way her eyes drifted over to him, shamelessly examining his god-like body in the dim light. "No, you don't."
Jake had finished wiping down the glasses and now turned to them with her full attention. "Can I get you two anything to drink or are you going to sit here and carry on like biddies all night?"
Jason smirked at the older woman's humorless question and realized that he should probably introduce the two women. "Elizabeth, this is Jake – she owns the place. And Jake, this is Elizabeth." His eyes darted to her face before he croaked out, "She's a friend from Kelly's."
"It's nice to meet you," Elizabeth smiled brightly, half-rising in her stool to reach over the counter and shake Jake's rough hand. She didn't notice how Jason's eyes immediately devoured the expanse of creamy skin that was exposed from where her sweater rose as she leaned over the counter – but Jake sure did.
"What can I get you, Elizabeth?" she asked, wiping her hands on her dish towel.
The brunette nibbled her lip. "Gosh…I don't know. I don't really drink that often – I feel like I should be ordering something fruity or something with a funny name." Jake smirked in amusement. "You know, like…Martian Hard-On. Or Screaming Orgasm."
The older woman's eyes glittered when Jason practically choked on his own saliva.
Elizabeth's chocolate curls slipped past her ear and crowded her porcelain cheeks. "But it's almost embarrassing to say those names out loud. And how in the world can you even say 'Flying Purple People Eater' without blushing?-Answer me that, Jake."
The blonde matron was laughing heartily, thoroughly enjoying the tortured look on Jason's face as the brunette easily rattled off the explicit drinks. "I don't know, honey – maybe you'd better steer clear of those kinds of drinks."
"I think you're right," Elizabeth agreed. "But what should I get, then?"
"Two beers," Jason announced, tapping his knuckles on the bar. "Thanks, Jake."
He shook his head as the woman retrieved the frosty bottles, and Elizabeth turned her face so that he wouldn't see her wicked smile. She had to hand it to her squirming companion – coming to Jake's had been a fabulous idea.
"Am I lining it up right?"
Elizabeth shifted against the table, straining to get a better grip on the pool cue and to guide it toward the white ball. She was standing on her toes and felt awkwardly suspended over the table as she tried to attain an angle that would allow her the most leverage over the balls.
Jason stood behind her, thinking that he must have really pissed someone upstairs off to deserve this. Try as he would, he just couldn't seem to lift his eyes from her denim-covered derriere. His eyes just would not comply.
She wiggled slightly over the edge of the table, getting frustrated. "Oh, hell – I'm too short, right? It's because I'm short, isn't it?"
A smile tugged on his lips and Jason smoothly rolled forward, bending with her and placing his hands over hers. Finding herself suddenly ensconced in his warm embrace, Elizabeth looked up and blinked at him in surprise. But when Jason stared into her sapphire eyes, he saw nothing that indicated that she was affected by his impulsive action. Instead, she just smiled cheerily and accepted his guidance. He helped her line up the shot, covering her small hands with his and showing her how to get the best angle. They were pressed together from shoulder to thigh, and Elizabeth's bottom was nestled in the cradle of his strong thighs and yet the little brunette still didn't show any signs of embarrassment or discomfort.
And Jason was beginning to seriously doubt his own sex appeal.
He coached her through one game and then she insisted they actually play an official one. Jason won easily, knowing that if he let her win he would never hear the end of it; Elizabeth was clearly the type of woman that wasn't looking for any favors from anyone.
She slid off the edge of the pool table and tossed him her cue before retrieving her purse from the table. "I'm going to go to the bathroom; I'll be right back."
He nodded as he put the cues back in place and motioned for two more beers. She slipped away into the shadows toward the bathroom, giving Jason a chance to admire her retreating her form. The evening was going fairly well – just not for him. He didn't know why it bothered him that Elizabeth wasn't the least bit flustered around him; in all actuality, it shouldn't. After all, he was the one that told her he didn't want a relationship, and she had told him the same thing the next day. He had been perfectly willing to accept her offer of friendship, and there was no reason that he should be displeased that things were actually progressing well and they were at ease with each other.
And yet he was beginning to rethink his old stance.
The thought was troubling; he couldn't want more from Elizabeth Webber. Not after what had happened between them in the kitchen. Not after the way he had hurt her. And especially not after she declared that she only wanted friendship from him. He didn't want to send her mixed signals, after all. Hell, he didn't want to send himself mixed signals. Feeling anything more than friendship for Elizabeth was out of the question; he simply couldn't go that route.
And it wasn't so bad – the place they were at now. She was comfortable around him and she had no problem talking to him. Sure, they teased each other and he still made fun of her for being so loud and animated, but it was all in jest. He enjoyed walking into Kelly's every morning and either seeing her straightening the chairs or rushing off to school, and he enjoyed taking his breaks with her. They had a comfortable relationship now, and he did like it. But it was just that one nagging doubt – the doubt that something was still lurking, waiting to be resolved between them – that troubled him.
He shook his head to clear it as he retrieved their beers. Jason didn't even wait for Elizabeth's return before cracking open his bottle and taking a long pull. He was being ridiculous. He had gone from knowing he couldn't have Elizabeth to foolishly trying anyway, and now that things had balanced out he was right back there – wanting something he just couldn't have. That was what he'd do – every time that doubt got the best of him, he'd remind himself how different they were. She deserved better than someone like him.
But there was no reason he couldn't enjoy their newfound friendship – provided that he didn't let it progress any further.
He tapped his nails against the clean counter and didn't even notice as Jake sidled up in front of him. The matronly woman leaned her elbows on the shining surface and quirked a brow at him, and Jason sat up in surprise. He instantly understood the amused gleam in her pale eyes and scowled.
"Not a word, Jake."
The woman's smug smile grew and she cupped her chin, relentless in her quest to make him squirm.
Jason slammed a fist down onto the counter, rattling the two beer bottles. "Damn it, Jake-"
"I didn't say a word," she reminded him glibly. "But now that you mention it, I have to ask…what's a little thing like that doing with a man like you?"
The mechanic's sandy brows furrowed. "I don't know what you mean."
Jake rolled her gray eyes. "Don't get cute, Morgan – I've seen the trash you drag in here." When he opened his mouth to protest, she silenced him with a quick glare. "And that little number in the bathroom over there – she's not like any of them. So what's the story?"
Much to her amazement, the young man shifted uncomfortably. She hadn't meant to embarrass him; that much was the truth. And while Jason Morgan was no gigolo, she had seen the women he usually had on his arm – tall, blonde, well-endowed, and usually scantily-clad. Granted, there had only been a couple in the long time that she'd known him, but the only thing they had in common with Elizabeth was the rate the words came out of their mouths.
The little brunette that had occupied the entirety of Jason's attention since the minute they walked in through the door was different – that much was obvious. She was tiny – quite petite – and actually seemed to have a brain. She chattered in abundance, to be sure, but there seemed to be some sort of rational thought behind the constructed thoughts which was more than Jake could say for Jason's past girlfriends. She knew he was a man and that he had his own needs, but in all the time she had known Jason Morgan, Jake had known that he was not the kind of man to settle down. She wasn't even sure he believed in love or marriage or the white picket fence and 2.5 kids.
And that was what made her extremely suspicious about the introduction of the petite little brunette – just what was Jason up to?
"There's no story," he finally replied. "You know I've been working at my Aunt Bobbie's diner since the garage was destroyed." Jake nodded and he continued. "She's one of the waitresses there – has been since high school. She works about four days a week including weekends and goes to PCU three days a week – art major. We've been working together since I started there and we're just friends."
"Mm-hmm," Jake drawled sarcastically. "So why do I get the feeling that if I asked you, you could rattle off her pet peeves, her childhood nickname, and her favorite color M&M?"
Jason could only scowl at the question even as the word Lizbits echoed in his head. "We're just friends, Jake. That's all."
The woman smirked mischievously and was about to retort when she heard muffled cries coming from the dark hallway that led to the bathrooms. Soon, Elizabeth's voice was clear, and Jake's eyes widened when she recognized the anger and fear in the little brunette's cries. "Jason-" Her hand reached for him but he had already leapt to his feet. "Jason, you'd better go see what-"
She didn't even have to finish her sentence; Jason was already off. He was a few paces from the little hallway when Elizabeth stumbled back, followed by two guys. The younger one had his broad hands on her hips and was clearly drunk. He backed her up against the wall, pinning her there with his hips as she slapped his chest, wriggling to get enough freedom to knee him in the groin.
Jason's blood boiled when he saw the man's hands pass gropingly over Elizabeth's taut stomach and that was when he sprung into action. The young man couldn't even blink before Jason's strong hand was on his shoulder, wrenching him backwards and sending him sprawling with a swift crack to the jaw.
His friend, who reached for Elizabeth when she reflexively let out a scream, wasn't prepared for what was coming his way. Jason kneed him in the stomach the instant his dirty hand closed around her elbow and a strong blow to his back sent him crashing to the floor.
The two beatings were all it took for Jake's bar to erupt. Men kicked over their chairs as they rushed for Jason and Elizabeth to teach them a lesson. The smarter ones – the ones that knew who Jason was – came running to help him out. Elizabeth squeaked as men threw blows and chairs to her right and to her left, backing up against the wall until there was nowhere to go.
Her eyes frantically scanned the melee for Jason, but she couldn't find him. Panic licked at the back of her throat as she saw one man break a beer bottle across another man's head – what if Jason was hurt? What would she do?
A man crashed into her and she leaped away, her limbs trembling as she renewed her efforts to find him. The men that had recognized Jason and knew she was with him tried to steer her to safety, but they also had other problems on their hands – namely, trying not to get their skulls bashed in.
Elizabeth let out a groan when her ribs slammed into the jukebox and was afraid for a moment that she'd cause it to tip over. Steadying herself, she was about to turn and edge for the door when an arm wrapped securely around her waist.
And Elizabeth couldn't help it – she screamed.
"Elizabeth." A harsh voice met her ears and she looked up, startled, to meet Jason's stormy cerulean orbs. His arm tightened around her waist before his grip was loosened by the drunk man that had just tried to topple him over. One of his friends grabbed the drunk and sent him to the floor with a swift hand to the neck, and then nodded to the mechanic. "Jason – get her out of here! Go!"
His long fingers wrapped around her wrist and he almost lifted her up when he slid an arm tightly around her tiny waist, anchoring her to his side. Shouldering his way roughly through the churning crowd of brutes, he tipped his head at his friends in gratitude and only breathed a sigh of relief when the frigid night air rushed to greet him and Elizabeth as they ducked outside.
She was still too stunned to speak and remained silent as he dragged her over to the bike where he quickly scanned her for injuries. His fingers gently speared through her silky hair, his palms cradling her cheeks, as he searched for any cuts or bruises, and Elizabeth shivered when his broad hands rubbed up and down her arms. She hissed sharply when his fingertips prodded her ribs and without a second thought, Jason jerked her sweater up to investigate, swearing when he saw the yellow-and-purple stains across her alabaster skin.
Wordlessly, he handed her the helmet and waited for her to pull it on. When it was secured, he practically hoisted her onto the bike before climbing on himself and taking off into the night as the engine roared angrily beneath them.
She felt sick.
Jason's grip was like an iron hand, clenching her small hand in his so hard that it almost hurt. But she wasn't about to complain. The anger radiated off of him in waves, and that muscle in his tightly clenched jaw had been ticking ever since he'd parked his bike and gotten off. And now they were walking across the docks back to Kelly's, his fingers twined with hers in a gesture that felt like a bear-trap.
Her stomach rolled as she tried to force herself to speak. He was so angry. She could feel it. He hadn't said a word to her after getting her into the parking lot, and he didn't seem like he'd be saying anything soon.
Oh, God, he was so angry.
Jason's footsteps thundered across the wooden planks as he half-dragged her up the steps. They cut through the alley and he growled darkly at the raccoon that dared to scuffle past, scaring them for an instant before making its presence known. He stalked across the little cobbled walkway that led to Kelly's and wrestled his keys from his pocket.
He didn't bother flipping on the lights as he pulled her inside, letting the door slam behind them. Her voice died on her lips as he tugged on her hand and led her toward the stairs. They climbed in silence. She stumbled once, still feeling a little disoriented, and his strong arm wrapped around her waist to support her and they resumed their climb.
He had her keys in his hand and jammed the jagged silver metal into the lock, flipping on the light with a brisk flip of his wrist and ushering her in. After mumbling an almost incoherent "goodnight", Jason slipped out into the dark hallway and closed the door quietly.
Elizabeth remained standing in the middle of the room staring at the shut door and listening to the sound of his footsteps as he thundered down the stairs. She heard the front door to the diner slam and then she heard the angry sputter of his bike as he revved the engine and took off.
The strength in her body seemed to depart as the roar of the motorcycle faded off into the distance and Elizabeth collapsed onto her blue comforter. Without even bothering to look at the clock, she reached for her phone and hit her first speed dial button. Her chin quivered as the phone rang, and then a cross and slurred voice met her ears.
"Do you have any idea what time it is? I swear, you must have gotten laid tonight and decided to call me during the post-coital cigarette break because I'm going to break your-"
Tears crept into her eyes as Elizabeth fell sideways onto her bed, not even bothering to clear her hair away from her face. "Em?"
The voice on the other end of the line sobered instantly. "Elizabeth? Sweetie? What is it? What's wrong?"
She choked on a small sob. "I think I screwed everything up."