"Alright. I'll try." He kissed her once more, quickly. "You’d better not be having another private dinner with my brother."
She popped his butt and walked to the door. "Your sandwich is on the table right by his. Get in there and I'll grab you a beer. We're not doing anything that you wouldn't be invited to by both of us."
"Good answer. You've been trained well." He smirked as she glanced back and gave him a warning look.
"Watch it, mister. I know where you sleep."
"Mmmm... you do, don't you?" He moved up behind her and squeezed her rear as they walked into the living room. "I don't just sleep in there."
"Really? I'm trying to eat. Shit," Mark teased, and pretending to toss his sandwich down in disgust, only to pick it back up half a second later.
When Alex relented, life could be really good. It would be up to Jamie to help figure out how to get him to relax more often. Sex was one way, but there had to be others too. Ones that Mark and Gina could help with. She dismissed the thought and worked instead to enjoy the evening with her two favorite guys.
Chapter 8
One Week Later
Things were getting better between Alex and his brother, which was a relief and a half. Jamie needed Alex to have someone else he could talk to, and trust. The two of them had been to play golf twice in the last week. Or, to the indoor driving range, as Alex had corrected her several times, Mark rolling his eyes and mouthing ‘women’. It helped things around the office, and within a week or so, everyone was back to acting more like themselves.
After trying to get Jake to join her on her morning jog for thirty minutes, she finally gave up and locked him back up in the house, but stopped short. She wanted him to learn to be her jogging companion, even if she had to play hard ball with him for a while. After filling up her pocket with treats, she got him back on the porch and chucked one a few feet in front of him.
"Get it, boy. Get it." He took off, and she barely hung onto the leash as he did. "Never in a million years would anyone's dog get fat from jogging, but mine’s going to."
Using the treats, she made it a mile down the road before it was time to turn back. Seeing that she had no more enticement for the dog, she just ran and tugged him along softly from time to time. After a few minutes, he got the hang of it and actually moved ahead of her.
Something must have caught his attention, because he jerked out in front of her and ran across the road, tugging the leash from her hands.
"No! Jake, no!" She took off after him, not paying attention to the cars headed her way. The one racing toward her clipped her leg, and sent her flying to the side of the street. She hit the ground hard and rolled, trying to assess if she was okay.
A truck pulled to a stop and a middle-aged guy with boots and a heavy jacket jumped out. "Oh, my goodness! Are you okay, miss?" He dropped down beside her and reached out, touching her shoulder gingerly. "That asshole drove off without stopping. Unbelievable."
"I'm okay. Just twisted my ankle a little." Jamie pushed back the burn of tears and sat up. "I'm good, but thank you for checking." It could have been worse. A lot worse.
Jake leapt into her lap and licked at her frantically.
"Alright, you need a ride home, or are you able to walk?" He lifted his eyebrow before reaching out and rubbing Jake's head.
"I can walk, but thank you." She didn’t the man to know where Alex’s house was, even if he did seem friendly. She pulled the dog close and waited until the friendly guy left to try to get up. She could stand, but couldn't put much pressure on her ankle. "Damn."
Pulling out her phone, she called Alex, but the call went to voicemail. Gina's did the same. She considered calling her sister or mom, but decided that she'd rather roll home than talk to either of them.
She dialed Mark's number, knowing that Alex's younger brother wouldn't be put off by her calling. He was becoming a good friend.
"Hey. What's up?" His voice was as chipper as it always was. The man never seemed to be in a bad mood.
"Hey. I need you to come pick me up. I'm sorry to bother you, but Alex and Gina aren't answering their phones." Jamie let out a quick sigh and let the dog down. After wrapping the handle of his leash around her wrist several times, she hobbled over to the large fence behind her and leaned against it.
"Car trouble?"
"No. I went for my morning run, and the dog ran out into the road. A car clipped my leg as he sped by me, and I hit the ground."
"Holy shit, Jamie! Are you alright?" Panic filled his voice, which warmed her heart.
"Yeah. I'm okay, just can't put any pressure on my ankle. I'm about a mile south of the house on the main road. Can I beg you to—"
"I'm on my way now. Stay put. You want me to stay on the phone with you? I don't mind." His breathing had gotten a little off. He had to be moving fast, which meant a lot to her. Alex would have done the same thing if she could have just gotten in touch with him.
"No. I'm okay. Just take your time. No rush." She hung up and glanced down at the dog. "You're almost more trouble than you're worth, mister."