Trusting Jake (Blueprint To Love Book 1) Read Free Page B

second-guessed herself. Was lying the right thing to do? Because it was a whopper. One that would require maintenance. Vigilance. She fingered the plain, gold band. Technically, she was a widow– but that was only because Rick hadn't bothered responding to the divorce papers. Should she just kill him off for good? The memory of Baldwin's smirking face floated before her eyes, providing the answer. No more bosses who assumed alone meant available. Or in Steve's case– desperate. Repressing a shudder, she muzzled her honesty. Bound and gagged, it could sit in a dark corner of her brain for a while. Pretend husband equaled necessary evil.
    "That must be tough on your kids," Jake acknowledged.
    "It's always been that way," she confessed. Travel or not, Rick had been the definition of an absentee father. At the time he died, he hadn't seen them in nearly a year. "They're pretty adaptable." They'd all adapted. A new city. New job. New life .
    She recognized their neighborhood once Jake left the highway. Soon, she'd be able to find her way without relying on GPS- Damn, she'd left her unit in Lulu. Hopefully it wouldn't be gone by the time she retrieved her car.
    "I like your neighborhood."
    Jen smiled, pleased by his acknowledgment. She loved her cul-de-sac with little traffic. Lots of kids to play with. Alex was learning to ride his bike– a gift from her favorite brother Dan. "Me, too. We were lucky it was available." And affordable. Sort of . Though not for much longer. Rick's tiny life insurance policy had assured their rent for the first few months. But that money was dwindling. She needed a job. Soon.
    She directed him down the block. "It's the yellow one." When he pulled into her driveway, Jen experienced a surprising letdown. The interlude with the kind, sexy stranger had been a surprising gift on a bad luck day. He'd been generous and polite. Funny. Her road map to men had been blazed a decade earlier, meeting Rick her junior year in college. A handsome face coupled with a thoughtless, selfish demeanor. Her first mistake– assuming he would outgrow those qualities. Aside from her brothers, she'd had little experience with nice guys. But if she were laying money down, she'd be willing to place a bet on Jake.
    Somewhere along the way, she'd lapsed into a pleasantly sparking comfort level– with a man she'd known less than an hour. It smacked of an 'old Jenny' mistake. Of overlooking some blatant character flaw that to everyone else was obvious. His addictive cologne was the probable culprit, she decided. Infiltrating her nose, it had traveled through her system, awakening long slumbering hormones she'd assumed had withered up and died.
    If she hadn't sworn off men for the remainder of her life . . . Jake would be someone she might have taken a chance on. Maybe. Probably not . The sensation of desire was foreign. Confusing . . . yet dangerously intoxicating. An unexpected ego boost after so many years of being found lacking-  
    Shoving her alarming thoughts aside, she smiled. "Thank you so much. I'm grateful  you stopped."
    His smile was open, relaxed."It was really no trouble."
    Gathering her purse and the pile of folders, she opened the door.
    "Wait– take this."
    His business card. It turned out Jake was short for Jackson. Jackson Traynor– an owner of one of the largest construction companies in the state. "You– you're the managing partner?" Heat crept into her face. Way to look stupid, Jen. "I guess I should've already known that." If she'd done her research-
    "It wasn't a test, Jenna. You just moved here." Behind his shades, Jake's eyes registered amusement. "You said we were on your list."
    It would be near the top of anyone's list. "Specialty would be an incredible place to work." Damn– a blown opportunity. She'd had the undivided attention of a decision maker who could've-
    "Can I have your resume?" Sifting through the folders, she offered him the one meant for the interview. "Give me a few days to talk