47
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 his closeness. He has no idea that internally my body is acting like a pubescent teen after her first sexual experience. I tense and move away to get more coffee from the cupboard, glad of the reason to move away.
“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’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, holding my wrists in front of me so I can’t get away from him. My body held taught, his mouth by my ear, and he has my back pressed to his abdomen.
God!
“I want a second take, so I can 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, effortless 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 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 is 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 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 me, knowing I haven’t dodged the bullet fully.
“Nightmares,” she says softly, and we connect visually, kindred in many ways. I throw her an understanding smile, and she gives one back in acknowledgment. Jake notices the look but says nothing, just a hint of narrowed eyes and a thoughtful chew on his lip before it disappears. 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.
“Your mom will be discharged in a day or two, Emma; I’ll be okay.” She looks determined. Jake looks at me, then her, confusion on his face. I hadn’t yet told him of Sophie’s plan to stay here another week.
“She’s following us in seven days,” I point out to him and see the twitch in the corner of his eye briefly; he doesn’t like this idea but knows it’s not his place to say anything. His jaw tensing, he gets up and leaves the room. I know him too well; he’s walking off, so he doesn’t say precisely what he’s thinking.
“Sophie, yesterday a man called Ray Vanquis came here. I know he’s the one who did this. He was very aggressive; he may come back,” I tell her, scared to divulge the full story in case it makes her afraid. Maybe I should so that she’ll come with us today after all. She swallows hard, her eyes shifting to the window; she looks nervous.
“Your mom told me not to tell you it was him,” she replies softly, and I nod, indicating I already guessed that.
“He won’t come here until she gets out,” she adds hastily. I want to point out that he already did, but her expression hushes me. For a moment, she looks so young and uncertain that my throat catches with emotion. I can’t leave her here alone. The thought of him coming back when she’s here by herself makes me tense up. I hadn’t thought about this fact. I realize she’s staring at me, and I assume my expression is betraying me.
“I don’t want to go until you come too, Sophie,” I say, sounding uptight, suddenly unsure about what to do, my insides tied up in knots.
“I know, Emma, but I can’t just leave her helpless and injured.” She tries for a smile, but I just stare at her impassively.
“Is that the issue?” Jake’s voice breaks in. He’s at the door with his cell in his hand as though he’s just used it, walking back in at the opportune time.
“She has no one else,” Sophie answers him, glancing at me warily. I experience a pang of guilt but push it down. She has no clue how complicated my relationship is with my mother. I watch as Jake frowns, his eyes losing focus for a second as he thinks something through. Even standing like that, the heat of attraction surges through me still, and I push it away.
“If I arrange for someone to care for her until she’s well, Sophie, will you come with us? Today?” He’s in negotiation mode, Mr. Business, and watching him lifts my heart. From the second he had met Sophie, I knew that he had taken an instant like to her; I knew he would help her. Jake is that kind of person.
“Maybe,” she says quietly, mulling it over in her mind. “If I can go see her and tell her myself,” she adds softly. My heart lifts, hopeful, satisfied that he just gave me an answer to this problem. The sooner I detach this girl from this situation, the better. I could kiss him right now; he is just beyond amazing sometimes.
“It’s a deal then, Sophs,” he beams at her, dazzling and charming. “I’ll call an agency this morning and hire a live-in nurse until she’s fully recovered. On me.” His eyes flick to me, asking for my permission, but I shrug, a smile creeping over my face. At this moment, I could not love him more than I do right now. He is just everything to me.
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