The Scale (Martha's Way) Read online

  “I want a relationship,” she said. Her voice firmed, her green eyes fixed on his.

  There lay the conflict. For a moment, they stood in the middle of her living room staring at each other. Jason tried to maintain his composure but his annoyance level was starting to reach its apex. From the beginning, their relationship had been based on a mutual desire to satisfy each other on a physical level. Neither wanted more. What had changed?

  Unlike his father, he recognized his flaws and vowed to never put a woman through the amount of pain his mother had endured. That only worked in his favor because the desire to commit to anyone of the opposite sex had never crossed his mind in his thirty years. No one was going to force him into one at this point in his life.

  The idea of walking out of the apartment and out of her life forever crossed his mind. There were other women he could call, even though he was bored with most of them. But although sex with Rita wasn’t stellar, it was familiar and, at the very least, did the job.

  “But, it’s my birthday,” he murmured, coaxing her into at least trying to see things his way, in the short term.

  “My point exactly.” She jammed a finger into his chest. Frustration and anger elevated in the pitch of her voice. “I didn’t see you all day and it’s…” she glanced at her watch, “almost eleven o’clock, and here you are knocking on my door for sex.”

  “I was busy.”

  “Well, I’m done. Go get laid somewhere else.”

  Jason ran a hand through his loose hair and made a mental note to get a haircut. He was, after all, the best man of a wedding. He should try to look the part. “Why didn’t you tell me three months ago?”

  “Tell you what?”

  “That you wanted a relationship.”

  She shrugged, “I didn’t want one three months ago. But,” her voice softened, “things have changed, Jason. My feelings have changed.”

  His gaze stayed on her as she paced around the room in her robe. He imagined she was naked underneath.

  “Jason, you’re thirty years old.”

  He wasn’t sure where this was going but a speech was coming on, for sure.

  “You need to think about love, marriage, a family.”

  His jaws tightened. It was becoming clear to him where this was going and he didn’t care for it. He evidently didn’t get the memo that thirty was the age one should be married. He tried to focus his attention on the pretty redhead pouting at him. His eyes rested on her lips. A vision of her lips wrapped around him flashed through his mind. Although he no longer got that climactic sense of excitement he used to get at the beginning, when everything about her was so new, he still felt a stirring in his groin. Not wanting to lose the tightness growing between his legs, Jason decided to make an attempt at appeasing her.

  “Rita, I have feelings for you as well.” The words were somewhat true. He cared about her welfare and wanted her to one day find a nice man and settle down. He took no pleasure in hurting anyone. Since he had discovered the joys of the female body, he’d gone to great lengths to stay away from anything that came close to commitment.

  If he was trying to make his point, he failed. Without saying a word, she walked to the door and opened it. The frown twisting her face confirmed his night was over. He took one last look at Rita before walking out of her house and out of her life.

  The cold night air chilled the last of the heat from his groin as he stood on the porch and tried to figure out what the hell just happened. He considered letting her calm down and trying again in a few days, but as he trudged down the stairs he realized he didn’t care. Great sex, good sex, decent sex; it wasn’t worth it.

  * * * *

  Vapor was one of those trendy restaurants in downtown Edgartown. Saturday nights, a live band played at the bar; upstairs in the lounge, a DJ spun the latest hits while people danced away their excess energy and stress. Minka glanced over the room; even at this late hour, the restaurant was still packed with hipsters who had too much money, too many friends, and little to do but hang out. From fainting in a room filled with people, Keely took pity on her and relieved her of MOH duty for the day. Relieved at not having to spend the day at the inn surrounded by the excitement about her sister’s upcoming wedding, Minka used the time to get a pedicure and explore downtown. Tomorrow she would put on a cheerful face and let Keely enjoy her moment. During their exchange of texts, she had even agreed to meet for brunch. Feeling restless, she had made a bold decision to drive down the block to the restaurant.

  I need to let him go.

  You need to get laid.

  Minka grinned at Lily’s words. She wished her friend had taken her up on her offer and accompanied her to the island, but Lily, in typical Lily fashion, pointed out the obvious fact she wasn’t invited and barely knew Keely.

  Minka responded, her brow furrowed.

  I don’t sleep around.

  LOL. Maybe you should start.

  Minka rolled her eyes and welcomed the pretty waitress who’d come to take her order.

  “What do you recommend?” she asked. Minka glanced at the young woman’s shirt for a name tag but realized she only wore a fitted gray T-shirt with a picture of a black dog on it. She recognized the Martha’s Vineyard mascot and smiled.

  “I’m Maxie,” the girl offered with a warm smile. “First time on the island?”

  Minka nodded. “My sister is getting married here next week.”

  “Oh, is it Keely?” Maxie continued with that same friendly chatter. “I thought I saw a resemblance.”

  “You know my sister?”

  “Not really, but I know her fiancé. Blake and the owners of the bar are good friends. You might know them, Jason Montgomery and Adam Aquilani.”

  What a small world, Minka thought. It seemed everyone knew each other on the island.

  “I met them briefly last night,” she offered. She had no desire to relive the memories of fainting in the arms of Jason Montgomery or any other man for that matter. The last thing she recalled was the amused grin on his face.

  “They are so good-looking, aren’t they?” Maxie continued.

  “Um, yes. They are.” Minka focused her eyes on the menu. She didn’t want to think about Blake, or his friends, for that matter. Well, one particular friend, but whatever. She just wanted to have a glass of wine and something sweet. The soufflé looked tempting.

  “Go for the soufflé,” Maxie suggested, “it’s as good as it sounds.”

  Minka smiled at the girl. “Okay then, a glass of Lillet and the soufflé it is. I’m sure I’ll be two pounds heavier tomorrow, but what the hell.”

  Not that she should be eating at this hour, but who went to a restaurant, sat at the bar, and didn’t at least have some dessert? Especially since the asterisk on the menu pointed out they had the best chocolate soufflé on the island.

  The waitress gave her a once-over. “You look fantastic. I’ll go place your order.”

  Her phone beeped and she looked down. So tell me about Blake’s best man. Obviously Lily wasn’t ready to give up yet.

  Minka paused and thought of the man who’d be escorting her down the aisle. He’s handsome in that bad–boy, tortured soul kind of way, she texted back.

  The MOH should sleep with the best man, Lily suggested.

  SMDH. I don’t sleep around. And I highly doubt I’m his type.

  Maxie reappeared with the dessert and wine. Minka smiled and thanked her. She would have another glass of wine, eat the soufflé, then go back to her hotel.

  “Oh, he’s here,” Maxie exclaimed. Her stare fixated on the door.

  “Who’s here?” Minka asked, curiosity piqued. Stars were known to escape to The Vineyard for a getaway.

  “Jason,” Maxie answered with a wide smile. “Remember I mentioned he and Adam own Vapor. Sometimes they like to work the bar.”

  A knot formed in the bottom of her stomach. Could the gods be so unfair and bring her face to face with Jason Montgomery the day after she’d passed out in his arm
s?

  Somewhere in the back of her mind, Minka heard Maxie say something about Jason being good enough to eat. Turning around to see the entrance, Minka followed the direction of the other woman’s gaze and spotted the object of the pretty waitress’ lustful comments.

  Tonight he was dressed in faded blue jeans that hung low on his hips with a fitted gray V-neck T-shirt sheathing the corded muscles of his torso. His blond locks were disheveled, and she wondered what lucky woman had run her fingers through his hair. A pang of envy pulled in her gut. He shoved his hand through his hair and brushed some of the strands away from his face and Minka became consumed by the man with eyes the bluish steel color of a midwinter sky.

  “I want him,” Maxie whispered.

  Minka smiled at the other woman. She couldn’t blame her for wanting someone like that. Picking up her phone, she scrolled to Lily’s last text and typed.

  Jason is at the bar. All the women are wet.

  LOL. You too?

  If there was one person in her life she was the most comfortable with, it was Lily.

  Maybe just a little.

  Go have some fun, my friend. I want to hear all about it in the morning. Love you.

  Minka turned her attention back to Maxie, but the waitress seemed to have forgotten she was there. Instead she ran her hands over her jeans and adjusted her tank top to accentuate her perky breasts.

  She followed Maxie’s gaze to where Jason stood and let his presence consume her. Like every other woman in the room, she found she couldn’t look away.

  Chapter Three

  “She was hearing the words. They just weren’t registering on her Richter scale of sanity.”

  Dakota Cassidy

  Jason glanced around the crowded bar. The summer crowd was starting to pick up on The Vineyard. Five years ago, he and his buddy Adam bought an old, worn-down space and turned it into the trendy bar Vapor was today. His friend was nowhere to be found, which was to be expected since Adam divided his time between Italy and The Vineyard. However, he knew Adam was back on the island for the summer, but probably in Menemsha overseeing his always busy restaurant.

  He recognized a few familiar faces right away. Lynn, the pretty brunette he used to spend time with, smiled at him. By now, he was over the thought of having sex, but he smiled back at her. After all, he was raised to have manners. While he might have a bit of the cad in him, it wasn’t in him to be overtly rude toward anyone. As he turned to walk in her direction, his eyes spotted Maxie and the woman sitting at the table.

  A wild tangle of big curls framed her face almost to the point that all of her features were hidden. Jason recalled the way his body had reacted to her on the previous night and found himself to be still curious.

  He wanted to see more of her face, her lips, and her eyes. He remembered them well, an alluring shade of hazel, a mixture of deep green and playful specks of gold, which gave off a mysterious but lively aura underneath her sense of quiet amongst the others. They had a certain tinge of sadness in them that caught him off-guard last night and was still apparent now, but they were beautiful nonetheless. They had captivated and enticed him right off the bat. Aware of his scrutiny, she looked away and sat a little straighter, silently telling him to go away.

  He squeezed through the cramped space and headed to the corner table. Someone said hello as he walked through. Absently he nodded at the man he had come to know as a regular at the bar, but his gaze never veered from Minka. Even when Lynn came pressing a pair of firm, perky breasts he was all too familiar with against his chest, he tried to brush her off.

  “How come you stopped calling me?” Lynn pouted.

  Jason glanced back at the table to where Minka was now seated upright with her back facing him.

  “Lynn, this isn’t a good time,” he grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

  That didn’t deter the woman he’d slept with once or twice. Long, red-colored fingernails ran over his arms and lazily across his chest as she tiptoed to whisper in his ear. “Come home with me tonight.”

  Jason shook his head, and it wasn’t because of the woman sitting across from the bar or what had happened with Rita earlier. The sexual urge he’d felt earlier had long vanished, and quite frankly, the more he thought about what Rita had said, he couldn’t help but wonder if he had been a bit selfish with his needs. Gently, he circled her wrists with his hands and removed her hands from his chest. Her lips curled disapprovingly.

  He cocked then shook his head. “You are barking up the wrong tree, baby.”

  Lynn chuckled and pressed her sexy little body closer to his groin area.

  Nope. Nothing.

  Putting some space between him and Lynn, he shook his head again apologetically. “I have to go.”

  “Someone else got your attention, Jay.” She followed Jason’s gaze and chuckled. “She’s not your type.”

  The words disturbed him and he took a breath. His eyes wavered from Lynn to Minka, her face once again hidden behind her curls. An overwhelming desire to brush back what seemed to be her shield and look into her eyes rushed through him.

  “I have to go, Lynn.”

  “I’m a sure thing, baby; she doesn’t look like she’ll give in to your charms.”

  He stopped in his tracks and looked into the depth of the other woman’s eyes. Sure she was pretty but other than that, Jason couldn’t remember what initially attracted him to her. “I don’t want a sure thing. I don’t want anything. Order a drink. It’s on the house.” He walked past Lynn and fast-paced over to the table where Minka Greene sat talking to Maxie.

  “He’s coming this way,” he heard Maxie whisper. “And he can’t stop looking at you.”

  He walked to the open space and closed the distance between them. “Hello, ladies.”

  Maxie, freshly out of college, flashed him her come get me smile. Well aware of her crush on him, Jason returned a warm expression of friendliness. It was enough to let a woman know he found her attractive but not enough to give her hope.

  Minka on the other hand, simply nodded her head to acknowledge him, picked up the menu and buried her face in it. His gaze rested on her, challenging her to look his way. “Would you like a drink, Jay?” Maxie asked.

  “I’ll get it in a little while, Maxie.”

  “Okay, see you in a bit.”

  Her protector walked away, leaving her alone with him. She couldn’t go on ignoring him. He leaned over and rested his elbow on the table, showing no indication of leaving. With reluctance, she raised her head to meet his gaze.

  “What are you drinking?” he asked.

  She shook her head, showing no desire to spend time with him.

  “Nothing,” she answered, “as a matter of fact, I was just leaving,” she said quickly. Too quickly.

  “Have a drink with me first.”

  She blew out a strand of hair out of her face. He sensed an inner hesitation.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  He caught her hand and held her gaze. “One drink, then you can leave.”

  * * * *

  Even though he still had a hold of her, Minka knew if she asked him to let her go he would. It would be so simple, and Jason would probably not give her another thought. He was just being polite anyway. She was, after all, the MOH and twin sister of the bride. The least he could do was be cordial.

  “Lillet,” she answered.

  He grinned and leaned in a little closer. “I’ll be right back.”

  She watched him go to the bar. Through all of her adult life, Minka always thought all men’s jeans were created equal. However, as she examined the way the fabric sat low around his waist, perfectly embracing the tightness of his butt, she had to admit she was wrong. Although something told her Jason probably looked hot in anything or nothing at all.

  He leaned forward to order the drink, accentuating his lean, hard triceps. She caught a glimpse of black ink on his upper arm peeking underneath the sleeve of his tee.

  He was sexy, whic
h automatically told Minka she was no way in his league. Yet, there was something very relaxing, casual and confident about him. She thought of her friend’s text earlier, suggesting she hook-up with Jason.

  Did she dare?

  Minka chewed her bottom lip, pondering Lily’s suggestion.

  He must have felt her watching him because he turned his head toward her direction and met her gaze. She wanted to look away but their eyes remained locked. A strange sensation vibrated through her veins, making her shiver. It scared and excited her at the same time. He smiled; a short brief smile. And Minka found herself smiling back, hers a bit unsteady and not as confident as his, before he turned his attention to the man beside him and fell into a casual conversation.

  What was that? Did her heart just flutter? More important, did she just feel a sensation around her breasts, or even someplace farther down between her thighs? The simple acknowledgement jolted her pulse as well, not quite into heart-attack-land but close enough.

  The pretty brunette who caught his attention earlier walked straight into Jason’s arms and planted a big fat, lingering kiss on his lips. For a slight second, he froze in surprise but just as quickly, he wrapped his arms around her waist to accept the kiss. Minka turned her attention away from the display. But from the corner of her eye she caught Jason coming to his feet as the woman stumbled against him. He took the dangling keys from her and led her outside. Minka dropped her head and blocked out the disappointment creeping inside of her.

  One hour later, Minka felt surprisingly relaxed. After she’d watched Jason leave with the woman, she went back to her dessert along with the Lillet he’d sent to her table. The atmosphere around the bar had picked up a notch to a standing room only. The musician for the night was on stage doing his rendition of No Woman No Cry. And, somewhere along the way, she’d managed to sweep the man with the penetrating blue eyes out of her mind.