Jake was spent on his back, his chin resting against my forehead while I was cuddled into his side. I watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, nearly joining him in his sated slumber. From the simple kissing on the porch to the intensity of our intimacy, Jake showed me a new side to him. He was always kind and gentle, but the sarcasm and playfulness were gone, and I knew when he was kissing me, it was real, and not just wanting the warmth of a woman.
He took in my baggage, and was willing to make it his own.
Jake made love to me, and I was head over heels in love with him.
My life had swung a complete one eighty in the matter of days. I was writing, I was happy, and I felt safe.
The only issue I had, was needing to stealthily get up from the bed to use the restroom.
As bad as I didn’t want to untangle myself from him, I really had to pee. As carefully as I could, I slipped from his side and tiptoed to the attached bathroom.
For being a man, his own private bathroom was spotless, including a whirlpool tub. I squealed inside, eager to take a bubble bath after I kicked out a few thousand words tomorrow on my manuscript. Sandra would get more than what she asked for by the outlandish deadline she demanded. At this rate, she’d get an entire book, and I was geeked to have a new release.
Taking a seat on the porcelain throne, I relieved myself, wiping away the stickiness from Jake. A tremor ran through my arms, knowing I let him claim me completely. Knowing he filled me with his seed was sexy.
After washing my hands and cleaning myself up, I couldn’t help but notice his closet. Peeking back into the bedroom, Jake hadn’t moved, and I was curious to see what he held in the walk-in closet. He dressed so simply, I couldn’t imagine him needing so much space. Maybe there’d be room for some of my things?
Warmth crept through me. I could see myself living here with him, sharing his space as if we were a married couple. The thought was thrilling, and I only hoped part of him had already imagined it becoming the same idea.
Switching on the light, I smiled at how neat the big space was. His clothing was hung on hangers, even his t-shirts, color coordinated, and his pants and shorts hanging on a bar below in the same fashion. He even had separate shelving with shoes. I smiled when I saw the black pair of dress loafers, then on another wall a small section with a few suits and even ties. A fantasy of him dressed to impress shot right between my legs.
I skimmed further, curiosity forming when I saw a pair of military grade boots tucked in the corner. I cocked my head, walking toward the shiny steel toe. My gaze went higher, noticing the tan camouflage suit that was neatly pressed above it. I ran my hand along the nametag on the chest pocket. Stanton. My brows furrowed. I’d never heard of the name before, and an uneasiness settled in my chest. Why would he have a military uniform in his closet? One with a different name on it? Did it belong to a friend of his? Maybe his father? But his last name was Cooper, not Stanton.
I crept to the one wall I hadn’t explored yet, finding it odd that cupboards covered them instead shelves with neatly folded and hung clothing like the other side. Each had a padlock.
Glancing back toward the bathroom, I could see into the doorway of the bedroom, Jake’s feet in view hanging over the edge of the bed. I should have gone back to him, disregarded it and asked him about the uniform and locked closets in the morning, but the cupboards were calling to me, begging for me to open them. Maybe the key was on his key ring? No, I wasn’t going to look for it, I’d ask him in the morning.
Taking a deep breath, I went to shut off the light and join him in bed, ignoring the eerie feeling that was tickling up my spine. I knew Jake in and out from all of our conversations, and even more so from the past few days we’d spent together. There was nothing to be worried about.
When I reached for the light switch, a glimmer caught my eye in the narrow passage between a cupboard and the wall. My conscious screamed at me to reach back and grab the key hanging on the wall. It was obviously hidden, poorly.
I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. Taking another glance at Jake, his feet hadn’t moved. Following my gut, I reached my trembling hand through the narrow space and grabbed the keys. No doubt they belonged to the cupboards.
Ignoring the sense of betrayal for invading something he clearly was trying to keep private, I stood before them.
My speed of my breathing increased, the only sound coming from my nostrils as I worked up the courage to try one of the keys in the lock. Taking one last look toward Jake’s legs, I raised a key to the hole, finding which of the three fit.
The second key worked on the first cupboard. Inhaling another breath, I latched onto the handle and swung the cupboard open.
I couldn’t contain my gasp with what I saw.
Weapons. Tons of them.
Two big military grade guns were displayed on the wall. Below them were drawers, and I bit my lip and opened them, only to find more. Handguns and ammunition neatly placed, no dust or cobwebs around them. They shined as if they were cleaned on a regular basis.
My whole body shook. Jake had never talked about having an infatuation with guns, and by this collection, he had to have been obsessed. With a trembling hand, I ran my finger along one of the handguns where a name was inscribed.
C. Stanton.
I covered my mouth, holding in my scream of terror. It was the same name that was on the uniform, and every bone and nerve in my body knew Jake Cooper, the man I’d just begged to consume me and love me, wasn’t who he had claimed to be.