CHAPTER74
Only Jake would have a manly sex-related sleeping disorder. Well, that explains a lot!
He comes to stand beside me, and I try not to shrink.
“Are you mad at me?” he asks, his breath warming my neck, indicating how close he is. I tense and move away to get more coffee from the cupboard, glad of the reason to move away. He has no idea that internally my body is acting like a pubescent teen after her first sexual experience.
“No. It was …you were asleep.” I have no idea what to say.
Do I admit that I was the one who started it? That I liked it.
My heart is pounding through my chest, his proximity making breathing difficult suddenly, in a way I that I’ve never reacted to him before.
“Well, that’s not fair; you get to have a memory, but I have none. I demand a re-enactment,” he quips. There is humor in his voice as his hand catches my shirt from behind, pulling me back against him softly, his mouth by my ear. “How about a replay, Anderson? Literally make my dreams come true.”
I swat him away and pull myself free, my skin burning and shame swamping me. I should have known he would react this way. Casanova Carrero! He makes a joke about everything, so why not this?
I can’t help myself. I giggle at his playfulness, relieving some of the tension, the usual flirty Jake, and I try to twist free from his body which I’m a little too sensitive to.
“Go away,” I scold lightly as he tries to capture me again, this time holding my wrists in front of me so I can’t get away from him. My body held taught, his mouth by my ear, he has my back pressed to his abdomen.
God!
“I want a second take, so I can at least say I remember that time I made out with you in my sleep.” His husky voice sends tremors through my stomach. I wriggle free and he lets me go, grinning wildly. He tilts his head boyishly. “At least this time you’re smiling about it, bella.”
I turn to look at him, knowing my face is probably puce from top to bottom, and meet with the relaxed easy look on his face. I shake my head and tilt it to the side to match his. His mention of the earlier kitchen kiss in such a blasé way makes me feel calmer. I wish I had his ability to brush things like this off so easily, to make them all out to be nothing except forgettable misdemeanors. I guess when you’ve had more bedroom romps than hot meals, it’s easy. This really is nothing to him at all.
“I can’t be mad about things you do while unconscious,” I lie, fully mindful that this was all on me, a secret I’ll never tell him. He stops for a moment taking in my face, his smile slipping as something registers in his mind, and my insides somersault.
“Wait, you said we kissed? Not that I kissed you. So, you kissed me back?” He moves forward closing the gap between us, his face now serious, all humor gone. I gulp and hesitate, unsure how to answer.
Crap. Fuck. Shit.
Inhaling sharply, I look down at what I’m doing, my thoughts scrambling in panic at how to answer him now. My mouth dries up.
Please don’t, Jake! Don’t go there.
“Morning.” Sophie’s tired voice comes out from behind Jake’s all-consuming stance, and she wanders into view dressed in a fluffy onesie with rabbit ears on the hood. Her presence makes me sag with relief. I have never been so happy in my life to have a third person show up and save me from Jake’s burning gaze.
“What time is it?” she yawns loudly, and I grab the opportunity to dive away from Jake toward the toaster as his attention is diverted.
“Just after six,” Jake answers turning toward her. I catch his eye as he turns back, and a moment passes between us. I know that look; it’s his ‘we’ll come back to this’ look. He turns his full attention to Sophie. “Why you up this early?” he goes on. I exhale as a knot of apprehension rises inside of me knowing I haven’t dodged the bullet fully.
“Nightmares,” she says softly, and we connect visually, kindred in so many ways. I throw her an understanding smile, and she gives one back in acknowledgement. Jake seems to notice the look but says nothing, just a hint of narrowed eyes and a thoughtful chew on his lip before it flits away. His sharp, keen focus never misses a beat.
“So, we’re all up at the crack of dawn it seems,” I inject, overly bright. I finish making three mugs of coffee and slide two across the counter towards them.
“Looks that way,” Sophie sighs as they both lift their mugs. “Are you going to see your mom today before you go?” she asks innocently, but I throw her a warning look that equates to, “Not in front of Jake”.
“No, Sophie. I said everything I had to say to her yesterday. I wish you would reconsider coming with me today,” I plead. I don’t like the thought of leaving her here alone at such a young age."
