Free All I Want is You (Hearts on Fire Book 1) by Ashley Mullins

help, she might have a shot.”
    “How’s he going to help?”
    “He still has some connections in the league.”
    “Was he a cheerleader too?”  
    “No… God no,” Jake laughs.  “He wouldn't be caught dead prancing around as a cheerleader.  He played in the league for a few years,”
    “Oh,” Ellie laughs.  
    “He had a big career ahead of him, after all he'd been through, but then he was injured.”
    “That's too bad,” Ellie frowns.  “He must have been devastated.”
    “I think it really messed him up,” Jake looks off at the water again.
    “What did he…” her voice trails off.  She wants to ask what he’d been through, but she doesn’t know if it’s appropriate or not.  She’s still feeling Jake out on some things and asking about a close friend’s difficult times may not be fair game just yet.  “What did he have?  What injury?”
    “He had a severe concussion.  Doctors said he was lucky to survive.”
    “Oh, my God.  That's awful,” Ellie says, but then adds, “He seems like he’s doing well now, though.”
    “For the most part, yeah, but he still has times…” Jake looks at Ellie and lowers his voice.  “He has fits of aggression sometimes.  It's a nasty side—”
    “Jake,” a woman’s voice interrupts from a few feet away.  
    “Hey, Alex,” Jake opens his arms, his look brightens in an instant.
    Ellie looks her over as she hugs Jake.  She’s more gorgeous than she was the night at the townhouse.  Perhaps more of a threat to her and Jake as well?
    “Alex, this is my friend, Ellie.”
    Friend?  Ellie’s body tightens.  “Pleasure to meet you,” she says in a steady, but flat tone.
    “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Alex smiles at Jake before glancing in Ellie’s direction.  “I’ve been anxious to meet you in the flesh.”
    “Here I am,” Ellie tugs her dress out at the hips and curtseys.
    Alex laughs.
    “You two get to know one another.  I’ve got some catching up to do with the other guests.  I’m not being a very good host here, spending all my time with the people I came with.”
    “Nonsense, Jake, I don’t believe that for a second,” Alex says as he walks away.
    “I love your hair.  It’s a beautiful shade of red,” Ellie says.  It’s the only thing she can think of to start a conversation with Alex.  She’s still not sure about her, and how she and Jake know each other.  
    “Thanks.  I get lots of likes on it.  I wish the rest of me were more complementary to it,” Alex’s cheeks turn pink.
    Her self-deprecating way instantly pulls down Ellie’s guard.  “I know what you mean,” Ellie curls a few loose strands of hair in her finger by her ear.  “So how do you know Jake?”
    “We go back a ways.  I think when he first arrived in the city… he hired me to do some accounting work for him, at his publishing business, but then he must have found that I was a better personal assistant, because he offered me more pay and better benefits, and who was I to say no to Jake Harlow?   I was new to the city as well.”
    “Is that what you do for him now?”
    “Yeah, sort of.  I manage the affairs of his homes, both the East Side townhouse in the city and the waterfront in the Hamptons.  Occasionally he’ll ask me to plan events on the yacht, like tonight.”  
    The Hamptons?   “Did you guys…? I mean—” Ellie stops mid-sentence, upset with herself for letting the words out.
    “No… if you mean date… or anything romantic,” Alex says casually.  “Never have.  I was in a relationship with someone else for a long time...” her voice trails off.  She looks away quickly, raises a black, silk-gloved hand to her eyes.
    “Are you okay?”  Ellie asks confused.   
    “No, yeah, I'm fine… I thought I was ready to talk about it, but I guess I’m not.  So anyway, how do you know Jake?” she changes the subject.
    Ellie has to think about the answer for a second— a week ago seems like two months ago