CHAPTER290
“Ready?” Jake appears at the door, as I zip up my case, placing it beside his. He’s already done his, finishing before coming to get me off the couch. I’m playing catch up under his watchful eye.
“Yup.” I smile and squeal as he scoops me up into his arms for a kiss and tells me he loves me. I have missed this kind of spontaneity from him; the last couple of days have been filled with never-ending touching and giggles. He’s still being gentlemanly with where he places his hands and it reminds me a little of the man he was before I was properly his, that boundary of what is appropriate touching but still hands on in every way.
“I love you too.” I breathe him in, before he puts me back on my feet, biting my lip in painful adoration as he bends and kisses my abdomen softly and mutters, “I love you too” to my dress before hauling me with him to the living room. I can’t stop the gush of complete infatuation coming over me at that little thoughtless moment, just instinctual, to tell his child he loves them. I know, instantly, he’s going to be the kind of father I can only dream of.
He directs Mathews to our bags and asks for the Mercedes keys.
“Mercedes? What about your bat-mobile?” I quiz; watching him take keys from one of the other men being handed my case by Mathews.
“It’s a long trip, bambino, if you want to nap you can’t in the P1. Its seats don’t move, and it isn’t built for long distance travel. You need to be able to stretch out and get comfy, the Mercedes is that car, unless you want me to take one of the SUVs? They’re bigger and spacious.”
I gawp at him in complete jaw dropping awe.
Where did I find him? What has he done with Jake Carrero super-hot playboy who dropped women by the wayside weekly? Here he is sacrificing driving his pride and joy so his girlfriend can take some pregnancy naps and be comfier.
I couldn’t love him more if I tried.
“I love you.” I say it with so much conviction he turns around and looks at me like I’ve never said it before. A grin breaks over his face and he closes the gap between us, kissing me softly right in front of the waiting men; a wave of sheer emotion running through me, my stomach tingling with butterflies. I can’t imagine a life in which Jake didn’t kiss me anymore, it doesn’t bear thinking about. That gorgeous face and masculine jawline, those teasing lips and the pearly white Hollywood smile that he always casually throws my way. He really has no idea how devastating he is to me.
I am finally starting to leave the pain behind to make space to appreciate what he still is to me. I am never going to leave him, we will get through this, we have to; life without Jake doesn’t bear thinking about ever again.
“Feelings mutual.” He smiles with his most seductive ‘I’m hot’ twinkle, leading me by the hand to the waiting elevator.
Two hours later I’m regretting the road trip as we stop for the fiftieth time so I can get some air. The nausea seems to take over anytime we get on the road and I’ve had to stop and throw up a few times already; seems my morning sickness likes to rear its head badly the second a vehicle is involved.
“I’m sorry.” I grimace as the waves of nausea roll over me. He holds my hair away gently rubbing my back while I grip my bottle of water. I’ve been sick a few times already and no longer embarrassed at Jake seeing it. I need him with me to hold me and hold back my hair.
“No, baby; I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would make
you sick like this, we should’ve just asked Mamma fly to
New York for a visit.” He helps me up from my perch
in the grass and holds me tight against him, my body trembling at the effort of throwing up, not really relishing at the thought of getting back into the car. I feel like hell, as badly as the first few days of knowing I was pregnant.
“We’re only an hour’s drive away from Manhattan; we could head back?” Jake seems to read me, as he usually does, but I’m adamant he gets to tell his mother face-to-face. I owe that to him at least. I know how much it’ll mean to him to see her reaction first-hand.
“No … I’ll take some of the anti-sick pills Nora gave me and try to sleep; that might help. I’ll manage. I really want to go Jake.” I lean against his chest, closing my eyes, inhaling his smell enjoying the moment of calm before I get back in the car and let the nausea build again. I’ve managed twenty minutes, maximum, before having to get him to stop again; secretly hoping for a lot longer before we need to do it again.
“I don’t know, Emma. This was a bad idea; I’ll take you home.” He sounds dubious and concern is etched all over his handsome face.
“No, really, I can’t stay locked up in the apartment for the next few months or I’ll go stir crazy. I really want to see your family and I really want to see the house.” I smile up at him and flutter my lashes, instantly knowing he’s folding. The lure of showing me the house and the look on my face; Jake is so whipped he has no clue and it makes me grin. I can literally see him caving in.
“Okay, but if we need to stop then we stop, even if it takes three days to get to my mamma’s, okay? I don’t mind stopping for breaks and letting you get air or even finding a hotel and staggering the trip.” He helps me back into the car putting my seat belt on, coming back from the trunk he hands me a pillow and blanket, helping me get comfy before kissing me on the forehead and closing the door.
“You know … you’re nothing like the Jake Carrero I met in his office on day one.” I giggle at him as he settles himself back in the driver seat and pulls on his belt. His wide shoulders make me long to strip that shirt off him and see them in all their glory.
“I’m one and the same.” He winks at me cheekily, pulling his seat belt out from his shoulder to untwist it, starting the car and revving the gas as he fiddles with some buttons on the dash.
“Sure, you are.” I smirk. “That Jake wouldn’t have entertained the idea of a girlfriend, let alone a baby and a house. I can’t see him stopping to prop a cushion under his moaning girlfriend’s head on a boring four-hour drive either.”
“I guess you broke me, bambino, not that I’m complaining … In breaking me, I got to break you too and that reward is worth it all.” He grins and ruffles my hair affectionately. “You’re nothing like the Emma who walked into my office in stilettos and the tightest gray skirt I have ever seen, staring at me like I was the enemy. Oh, and for the record, in those first few seconds I thought about taking that damn skirt off and bending you over my desk. I wanted to fuck you the second I laid eyes on you.” I turn my head to gape at him in outright surprise.
“You did not … You barely looked me up and down.” I protest, laughing, as he tries to tickle me in the ribs. Playful Jake has been slowly seeping back in these last couple of days, relaxing in a way. Our relationship starting to return slowly and surely. The change in both of us had been a lie. We are still in there; trying to find our way back to each other, back to how it was before.
“Bambino, I’m a seasoned pro. I could check out any woman without even looking in her direction.” He flexes his eyebrows. “You gave me hot dirty dreams from day one, Emma, those skirts seriously ruined my concentration.”
“Liar.” I move in the seat, getting comfy with my cushion and blanket, snuggling down so I can watch him drive; he’s too adorable not to watch…
“Trust me; I’m a guy. I thought about having sex with you at least once a day; sometimes once an hour. Even back when you were trying your hardest to keep me at arms-length.” He has us out on the road smoothly sailing along the tarmac. It’s sunny out and the scenery is pretty and soothing. I can’t imagine that back then Jake was looking at me that way; I guess he really was a seasoned pro after all.
“Okay, well maybe you did. I admit I checked you out way more than I allowed myself to deny.” I smile when I catch his satisfied grin.
“I knew you fancied me.” He smirks, and I just shake my head indulgently. His ego does not need any encouragement; then or now.
“I had to take a ticket and get in line.” I respond with
a lowered eyebrow. We haven’t had this easy amusing
kind of flow with our conversation in a while. Experiencing
an inner swell of happiness because I’m starting to feel this way with him again, easing into this, signs that maybe
things could be okay again; that maybe in time we might be how we were.
“You must’ve had the golden ticket, bambino.” His cheesiness and wink set me off giggling, and I tell him to shut up. My face meets that annoying palm of his, as he slides his hand across it, squishing my nose in the process.
“Stop it. Jerk.” I slap it away.
“Make me. Sexy.” He throws me an air kiss, and a wink, then tugs the corner of my blanket up. “Now go to sleep, before you feel like you’re going to throw up again and let me drive. You’re too distracting with that beautiful face.” He beams at me genuinely. I can’t help but smile to myself, as I snuggle down at his command, closing my eyes."
