Текст книги "The Will"

Автор книги: Kristen Ashley

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Текущая страница: 31 (всего у книги 35 страниц)

I stepped free of them.

Jake’s eyes darted back up to my face and a quiver glided along my inner thighs at the look in them.

As this happened, I said to Alyssa, “That’s quite interesting.”

“Josie,” she sounded impatient. “Pearl was investing in that development. And I mean big time. The woman is drowning in money. She’s the biggest investor in the project, except for Boston Stone. But her pulling her money means that huge project is dead in the water.”

At the mention of Boston Stone, I blinked and looked to the floor.

“Pardon?”

“She heard what Stone was doing to you and she yanked her funding. That’s massive Josie. She told the other investors the only way she’d go forward is if they found someone to replace Stone. She’s squeezing him out and they’re breaking ground in two weeks. We’re talking jobs, material, a lot of people are depending on this and everyone is looking to Stone who screwed the pooch because Pearl made it known she wouldn’t do business with a man who behaved the way Stone behaved with you. This project is gonna cost millions but word is it’s gonna rake in millions more to the investors. Stone backs out, he’s taking a huge hit. Those investors are not gonna let this deal die. They’re going to find someone else and he’s the mastermind behind that. He’ll lose all his time and effort and he won’t make a penny.”

“Oh my goodness,” I breathed just as Jake’s body came into my eyesight which was a fraction of a second before my skirt was yanked all the way up to my hips and I started moving backward because Jake was pushing me that way.

I lifted my eyes to him, caught the look on his face and my mouth got dry as I experienced a full body spasm.

“Isn’t that awesome?” Alyssa fairly shrieked in my ear.

“It is, sweetheart. Very awesome. But I have to go. I’ll call you back tomorrow,” I told her.

“Everything okay?” she asked when the backs of my legs hit couch and Jake’s hands found my behind.

“Yes,” I said breathily. “Thanks for calling me and telling me that. I have a feeling it’s very good news.”

“No probs and I have a feeling it is too,” she replied. “Talk to you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, honey.”

“’Night, babelicious.”

I barely heard her finish her farewell before Jake had my phone out of my hand. He tossed it without looking in the general direction of the chair in front of his desk. I heard the plonk, however, and knew it hit the floor.

I put my hands to his biceps and told him, “I have some news about Boston Stone.”

“Right now I do not give one fuck about Boston Stone,” he replied.

“Okay,” I whispered.

“You got something else you wanna play out here, baby, or is it my turn?” he asked.

I actually had an entire scenario I wished to play out but although I thought Alyssa’s call was only making that scenario better, it distracted me.

Now I wanted Jake to have his turn.

“Your turn,” I answered.

“Do you know what it does to a man to have a beautiful, classy woman who is looking more than her normal fine—when her normal fine is off-the-fuckin’-charts—walk into his office, show him her fantastic body in a fuckin’ amazing dress then take her panties off right in front of him?”

“Um…” I mumbled.

It must be said I knew what I’d hoped it would do to him.

But by the look in his eyes and the sound of his voice, it was clear I’d succeeded well beyond my wildest imaginings.

He didn’t share this wisdom overtly but he still did.

And he did this by stating, “You got one choice, you either suck me or I eat you. After that, I take over.”

This was hard. His mouth between my legs was heaven.

But I very much enjoyed how it felt when I had him in my mouth, the way he tasted, how big and hard he got, the noises I could make him make, the satisfaction it gave me that I could excite him in that way.

“Josie—” he started.

“Um…” I mumbled.

“I eat you,” he decided for me. “I want you spread on my couch in that dress and you can’t do that blowin’ me.”

“Uh…all right, darling.”

He dipped his head and his mouth came to mine but he didn’t kiss me.

He ordered on a whisper I felt everywhere. “Down, baby, and spread.”

Then he brushed his lips against mine.

After that, I lay down on the couch and spread.

Jake’s eyes raked over me before his hands moved to the backs of my knees, shoved them up which slid me up the couch so I was nearly hanging over the arm and then he joined me, well down from me, his mouth closing over me between my legs.

My legs tensed in his grip and my head fell back.

Jake ate me.

And not that he hadn’t already taken over, after he made me come with his mouth between my legs, he made me come three more times “taking over.”

It was better than making out.

Much better.

In a big way.

* * * * *

The next afternoon, with my uncle incarcerated and unable to come up with bail money, even for a minor breaking and entering (although, since he had a record, minor had turned into somewhat major), we were back at Jake’s.

And it was me who had a bag in his bedroom.

I was heading to the living room from the kitchen with a bowl of Ro-Tel dip I’d nuked and another of chips when the doorbell rang.

“Got it!” I called and moved to the door.

However I saw who it was through the windows and stopped dead.

He saw me too. I knew this when his already hard face got harder. But when I didn’t move the doorbell rang again.

“Babe? You got it?” Jake yelled from the family room.

I stared at Boston Stone through the window and yelled back, “Darling, I think you need to come here.”

I had not moved an inch before I felt Jake’s presence and then I heard him growl, “Oh no. This shit is not happening.”

He then stalked around me, threw open the door and ordered, “You get off my property in five seconds or you get to have another conversation with Coert and slapped with a restraining order.”

“It’s necessary I speak with Josephine.” I heard Boston say but I only heard it. Jake was barring the door and I couldn’t see him.

“The fuck it is. Five seconds, Stone,” Jake returned.

“I came to apologize,” Boston announced.

What on earth?

“Write her a letter,” Jake clipped.

“If I apologize, this is done,” Boston told him.

“One,” Jake started counting and it was then I moved.

I got close to him, put the bowls on the table by the door and my hand to Jake’s back.

Through this, Jake didn’t move a muscle except the ones around his mouth in order to say, “Two.”

“Jake,” I said softly.

“Three,” Jake said to Boston.

“Jake.” I pressed my hand into his back. “Please. If we can get this done, let’s do that.”

“Listen to her, Spear.”

Jake stopped counting but still didn’t move.

I pressed my hand deeper into his back.

Finally, he shifted to the side.

But barely.

Nevertheless, I had a view to Boston and he looked directly to me.

“Right, Josephine,” he bit out. “I apologize. Now call off your dog.”

I felt my brows draw together.

My dog?

Was he referring to Jake? For he couldn’t be referring to Pearl.

Could he?

“I’m uncertain what you mean, Boston, but if you’re referring to Jake or Mrs. Milshorn, that’s quite offensive.”

Boston straightened his shoulders even as he continued scowling at me. “You know what I’m talking about, Josephine. Now tell your dog I apologized and this is done.”

I straightened my shoulders as well and informed him, “I can’t control Pearl. And Jake’s right here so if it’s him you’re attempting to appease, I would suggest you do it in a less insulting manner.”

“I’m not talking about Pearl or Spear,” he ground out. “I’m talking about your other dog. The black one.”

I shook my head in confusion but this confusion was cleared when Jake murmured, “Amond, babe.”

I looked up at him to see he was struggling to keep his composure and that was to say he looked like he wanted badly to smile but was fighting it.

“Amo…?” I started then the light dawned and I stared at Jake.

Then I looked to Boston Stone.

“Are you speaking of my friend, Dee-Amond?” I queried.

“What I’m speaking of is that I was told if I apologized directly to you and made you the promise that I would no longer involve myself in your life in any capacity, some difficulties I’ve suddenly found myself facing would disappear. So I’m apologizing directly to you. I will no longer involve myself in your life in any capacity. Now, I request that you phone your friend and share this with him.”

Suddenly, it was me having difficulty fighting back my smile.

Through this struggle, however, I told him, “There is one small matter that needs addressing.”

A muscle jerked in his cheek before he asked, “And that would be?”

“My uncle has no way home and I’d like him to go home and stay there. I’ll drop the charges against him if you would see to that issue and that would be, getting him home and giving him plenty of incentive to stay there.”

Boston said nothing, just scowled at me.

So I continued.

“And that would be plenty of incentive, Boston. Alas, he’s a greedy man and he’s also an unpleasant one. Unless you’re certain to neutralize him, since he knows where to find me and what I have, it is likely he’ll continue to bother me until the day he dies.”

“Which could be any day, Josephine. He’s not exactly young,” Boston pointed out.

“He also shouldn’t be my problem,” I said softly. “And wouldn’t be if you had left well enough alone. That’s your mess, Boston. Clean it up or I make no calls.”

He drew in a deep breath, his neck going red before he said, “I’ll deal with your uncle.”

“Then I’ll be certain to call my friend when I have time,” I assured him.

“At your earliest convenience, if you wouldn’t mind,” he clipped.

“Of course. However, the Ravens are playing and I rather like their uniforms so it’ll have to be after the game.”

Jake made a strangled noise and Boston’s jaw clenched.

Then he forced out, “My gratitude.”

“Have a lovely Sunday, Boston,” I bid him.

He scowled at me, didn’t even look at Jake, turned and stormed down to his Mercedes.

Jake gently shoved me back with a hand in my belly, shut the door and locked it.

I looked up at him and burst into laughter. In the midst of doing this, his arms closed around me so I got to finish it with my arms around his neck and my face in his chest.

It felt so nice laughing in Jake’s arms I made a mental note to do it more often.

Perhaps once a day.

When my laughter was dying I looked up into his smiling face.

“Perhaps I should call Amond,” I suggested.

“It’s only first quarter. You got most of the game to appreciate the Ravens’ uniforms,” he replied.

“Yo!” Ethan shouted from the living room at this point. “What’s taking so long with the dip? I’m starved!”

And that made me burst out laughing again so I shoved my face in Jake’s chest and held on tight doing it.

Therefore it was then I amended my mental note do to this more often.

I wouldn’t aim for once a day.

I’d aim for at least twice.

“I’ll go nuke the dip again,” I told Jake.

“I’ll take in the chips,” he told me.

“All right,” I agreed but he didn’t let me go.

I would know why when he asked, “You good?”

The look in his eyes and expression on his face changed the instant I answered, “Of course. I have you.”

I loved the look in his eyes and expression on his face. I loved it so much, I wanted to give it to him again.

Regularly.

But I wouldn’t aim for once a day.

I’d aim for at least twice.

Chapter Nineteen

Good Answer

“That’s it, baby!” Alyssa shrieked at Junior fighting in the ring. “Mess him up! You know mama likes it like that!”

I grinned at my lap before looking back up to the action.

We were at the arena in Blakeley for the adult league matches and Junior’s opponent this time was a fair sight less talented than he was.

Bryant and Ethan were sitting in the aisle with us, both of whom had bags of Halloween candy they’d brought with them for treats. I was monitoring their consumption as I wanted to see Jake fight, not be in the bathroom with Ethan vomiting. That was unpleasant enough the first time for me to take pains not to let it happen again.

This was difficult as Halloween had been just two nights before and Ethan, Bryant and Joshua had pulled in large hauls, putting a fair amount of effort into it by traipsing from house to house in their Combat Raptor costumes, followed by Jake and me, Jake carrying a flashlight.

We’d hit four neighborhoods. Four large neighborhoods.

Therefore, by the time we were done, I was exhausted. I had just enough in me when we got back to Jake’s to tell Ethan to go easy on his consumption, eat a handful of pumpkin seeds (which were, I found, addicting) and go to bed.

We had a vast amount of seeds because, a few days before Halloween, we’d carved five pumpkins, one for each of us, and put them around Jake’s front door. I was surprised to see in their teenaged coolness that even Conner and Amber got into the carving process.

Then again, I’d learned it was a family tradition that they never missed and enjoyed greatly. I knew this because I found it was highly enjoyable.

I knew it more when Amber declared, “Even when I’m married and have kids of my own, we’re coming to Dad’s to carve pumpkins.”

The “when I’m married and have kids” comment made Jake’s mouth go tight, this making me fight a grin. But in the end, Amber’s sentiment was very sweet and after experiencing pumpkin carving at the Spear household, I understood why she felt this way.

By the way, Jake was a master pumpkin carver. I knew this because he helped Ethan freehand carve a Combat Raptor pumpkin that, if there were such contests, would win an award. I was sure of it.

Conner, Amber and Alexi stayed behind to hand out candy at Jake’s (this Jake arranged, with Conner being a vaguely disguised chaperone) while we took Ethan out.

When we got back, I asked Conner to keep an eye on his brother’s candy consumption and went to bed without Jake for the first time since we started sharing one. Which was to say, unless Jake was at the club, Jake and I went to bed together every night since we started sharing a bed.

Jake joined me later, waking me as he pulled me in his arms and I fell right back to sleep hearing him mutter, “Next year, you’re gonna stay home and hand out candy so you don’t pass out after walkin’ twenty miles watchin’ Ethan get his haul.”

I was just happy there would be a next year.

This was why, I fell right back to sleep.

It was not lost on me that I had sat beside the runways of the most lauded designers of our time. I had traveled to five continents and done it repeatedly. I knew the best place to buy croissant in Paris. I’d eaten pizza at the Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba in Naples. I’d sunbathed on Bondi Beach in Australia. And I’d slept in an actual igloo in Alaska.

But carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds in Jake’s kitchen were the most fabulous thing I’d ever done.

Bar none.

On this thought, with senses attuned from taking care of two eight year old boys who’d evacuated their stomachs due to overindulgence, even over Alyssa’s shouting and a rabid fighting crowd, I heard a candy wrapper. I looked down to see Ethan opening up a fun-size Snickers.

I leaned into him and said in his ear, “Honey, I know you like your treats but I suspect you’d prefer to ingest that and not re-experience it later, hanging over a toilet bowl. So let’s make that the last one tonight, hmm?”

I pulled slightly away and caught his eyes. They were looking in mine and Eath (such a wonderful child) nodded.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” I said.

He chewed, swallowed and grinned a chocolate, peanut, caramel and nougat grin.

I grinned back.

At this point, Alyssa shot out of her chair, jumped up and down on her strappy, high-heeled sandals and started screeching, “That’s right, baby! Get in there. Don’t let up! Take him down!”

I allowed myself to admire her attractive, albeit brief and tight, red dress before I looked to the ring to see Junior had his opponent up against the ropes and was landing a succession of combinations that his competitor was having difficulties defending against.

Alas, the referee pushed them apart and moved in to assess the condition of Junior’s challenger. The man shook his head side to side to clear it then looked the referee in the eyes and nodded.

The referee let them loose again.

“Stupid ref,” Alyssa groused, plonking herself down in the seat beside me, her eyes never leaving the ring.

The bell rang and since it was only the second round, we had another one to go before Alyssa again shot from her seat, lost her mind, shrieking, clapping and jumping up and down when the referee lifted Junior’s hand.

He smiled down at his wife.

She blew him a kiss that was so exaggerated she came off her feet when she swung her arm wide. Then she turned instantly to the seat, snatched up her purse and coat and her eyes came to me.

She leaned into me and said low, “Right, Operation Tag Team commence. You got Bryant. I get home with my man and get laid. You text when Jake’s done, drop Eath and Bry at our place so you can get laid. Yeah?”

I nodded, enjoying the happy light in my friend’s eyes and trying to ignore the happier feeling between my legs considering what was to come for me.

“Yes,” I agreed.

She lifted her fist, knuckles facing me, something Conner had taught me about a week ago was a “fist bump.” He did this after he did the same to me and I stared at his hand nonplussed for half a minute before he showed me what to do.

Thus, I knew what to do, bumped my fist against hers, and she breathed, “I love fight night.”

I giggled as I encouraged, “Go.”

I needed to give her no further encouragement. She dashed to her son, grabbed either side of her face, gave him a loud kiss right on the mouth, which made him shout, “Euw, Mom!”

She then tousled his hair, looked to Ethan and said, “Later, buddy.”

“Later, Mrs. Harper,” Ethan replied.

Alyssa gave me a finger wave and took off down the aisle.

“Can we get popcorn?” Bryant asked and I looked to him.

“Think hard about your stomach, the fullness of it, the possibility if more was introduced that it may need to purge some to fit the rest and then tell me if you really want popcorn,” I stated.

“What’s purge mean?” he asked.

“Evacuate,” I answered and he grinned.

“What’s evacuate mean?” he asked.

At that, I grinned.

“Empty,” I answered.

“You talk so freakin’ cool,” he replied. “Weird. But cool.”

“Indeed. And you will find, young Bryant, as you grow older that things that are normal are just normal. Anyone can be normal. Thus it’s my experience that most things that are weird are cool.”

“So you sayin’ we should try to be weird, Josie?” Ethan asked, a teasing glint in his eye.

“I’m saying that you shouldn’t try to be anything. You should be you and however you are will be cool unless however that is, is you trying to be like everyone else, which is just normal, which is not cool,” I answered.

“Well, I’ve decided to be a con artist turned FBI consultant like that dude in White Collar. Is that weird and cool enough for you?” Ethan shared his latest plans for his future, that teasing glint still in his eye.

This was a program that Ethan had recently discovered on Netflix. I knew this because he not only told me but he also talked about it all the time. And watched it all the time. And as I was with him a fair amount of that time, I watched it too.

It was an excellent program.

However, a life goal to be a con artist, even a stylish and intelligent one who had a definite flair with wearing a fedora, such as “the dude on White Collar,” was not optimal.

“If you skip past the con artist part, and simply aim to be an FBI agent, yes,” I answered.

He shook his head but did it grinning.

I looked to Bryant and prompted, “Your popcorn assessment?”

“I’m thinkin’ I wanna keep those fifteen Kit Kats in my stomach, Ms. Malone,” Bryant replied.

“Good choice,” I murmured.

We settled in, me examining the crowd, the boys jabbering to each other. We then watched the next fight, Mickey’s, the boys encouraging him rather boisterously to win, and although I didn’t shout, I did clap when Mickey’s arm was lifted.

It was after that I started to get excited.

Because Mickey’s victory heralded the last fight of the night.

Jake’s fight.

As the delay between fights began to feel incessant, I started fidgeting. But when the announcer introduced the fighters, like everyone else, I came out of my seat, clapping, but doing it on legs that were trembling.

I felt my mouth go dry when I saw Jake coming down the aisle. I then felt my heart swell when he stopped at our row, put a gloved hand to Bryant’s head, then Ethan’s.

And I found it took everything to remain standing when his eyes came to me. They heated instantly before they swept me from top to toe. They came back to my face and they were even more heated which made it even more difficult to remain standing.

I had, of course, tricked myself out.

This being that I had my hair down but curled so there seemed more of it.

Much more.

And I had a midnight blue dress on, high collar and halter, which left my shoulders and back totally bare. The dress was almost blousy at the bust but clung rather alluringly everywhere else. It had a slit up the front and came to just below the knee. And last, the midnight blue had an almost elusive wave of burnished silver through it so I also had on my delicate, very strappy and very high-heeled silver sandals.

It would seem Jake appreciated my efforts.

Very much so.

And I appreciated his appreciation.

Very much so.

Finally, he released my eyes, which he was holding captive, and went to the ring.

I thankfully sank into my seat.

But the fidgeting had not stopped.

No, because shortly after, the fight started.

Jake did not knock his opponent out in the first round this time. It went all three. Which was sheer torture for I was very ready for it to be over when it was finally over since watching Jake fight meant I was ready for it to be over about one minute into round one.

But one could not say that watching him box, the brute force, the focus, his muscles moving, his body shifting, his utter command of not only the fight, not only the ring, but the entire arena, was a sight to behold.

Even so, I was beyond thrilled when his hand was lifted at the end. I again rose from my seat, shooting from it this time, clapping fast and hard, smiling wide.

Jake gave the boys a smile and me a wink as he walked back up the aisle and hurriedly I turned to Ethan and Bryant.

“All right, boys. Get your things. Check around to make sure you didn’t forget anything. Let’s go,” I urged.

They did as told. I slid on my coat and grabbed my bag. When we were ready, I herded them up the aisle and to the door to the locker rooms.

The same security man was there and he smiled at me when I approached with the boys.

“Same room, babe,” he told me.

I nodded and ushered the boys through the door. We hurried down the hall to Jake’s door but this time, I knocked.

“Yo!” we heard from the other side.

Ethan charged in, followed by Bryant, and I came up the rear.

I felt a rush of wet between my legs when I saw Jake in the same position as last time, sitting on the table in his trunks, his friend and trainer, Bert, standing in front of him.

“Dad! You killed it!” Ethan shouted, rushing up to his father to give him a hug.

Jake jumped off the table to get it and hugged him back. When they separated, he looked down to his son. “Like that?”

“Heck yeah!” Ethan yelled.

“You’re the master, Mr. Spear,” Bryant told him.

“Thanks, Bry,” Jake murmured on a grin to Bryant then he came to me.

He got close, slid an arm around my waist and put his mouth to my ear.

“Love my kid, babe, you know it. But get him and his bud in the car, dump them on Alyssa and meet me at your place. Fast.”

He had his gloves off but, as I mentioned, he was still only in his trunks. Thus, as he was speaking, I had a view of his shoulder, which, when he leaned back, became a view of his slick chest.

My eyes lifted to his, and suddenly incapable of speech, I nodded.

His eyes dropped to my dress then came back to my face.

“Fast,” he ordered, his voice low.

“Okay, darling,” I forced out.

He dropped his arm and moved away. I turned my eyes to Bert.

“Hello, Bert,” I greeted.

“Good to see you, Josie,” he replied.

I felt that did well enough for the niceties so I clapped my hands and said, “Right, boys. Let’s go. Time to hit the Cayenne.”

Ethan looked to me. “I dig the Cayenne, Josie, but we wanna ride with Dad.”

“Got stuff to do here, bud. It’s gettin’ late. Go with Josie,” Jake replied.

“But—” Ethan started.

“Bud. Josie,” Jake stated firmly.

Ethan held his eyes then looked to his feet and muttered, “All right.”

I put a hand to Ethan’s shoulder and started herding him and Bryant again, calling my farewell, “I’ll see you at the gym sometime, Bert.”

“Yeah, Josie,” Bert replied.

I looked to Jake. “Later, darling.”

He looked to me and firmly in a way that was not a farewell but a promise, he said, “Later.”

That got a thigh quiver that was very strong so I had to force myself to focus on getting the boys to my car.

I texted Alyssa after I started up the Cayenne and then I took the boys to her house.

Alyssa, in a robe with very mussed hair, answered the door and accepted delivery, but she did this with a sated smile and a lascivious wink.

I winked back (mine probably not lascivious), moved quickly back to my car and drove carefully, but swiftly, to Lavender House.

Jake’s truck was in the lane and I could see lights coming from the windows at either side of the front door.

I got out of the Cayenne and hurried to door.

It opened before I got there.

Seeing it open, in my excitement, I stumbled, but Jake’s arm shot out and caught me around the waist, pulling me forward so I collided with his body. He kept me pressed there as he dragged me into the house, slammed the door and locked it. He then shifted me to the side and pressed me against the wall.

Oh my.

I tilted my head back just in time, for the instant I did, his lips were against mine.

His hands came to my coat and yanked it down my arms.

I dropped my bag and the coat fell to the floor.

“Panties, babe.”

A shiver slid through my entire body.

Jake helped, yanking up my skirt.

I pulled down my panties and they dropped to my ankles.

Jake lifted me free from them and pressed me against the wall at the same time his lips against mine opened.

Sliding my arms around his shoulders, curling my legs around his hips, I reciprocated the gesture and his tongue slid inside.

Having waited for what seemed like years since he walked down the aisle of the arena in his boxing robe, I was so ready for the taste of him, when I got it, I whimpered into his mouth.

One of his hands left my behind and slid through the damp between my legs.

When it did, his lips glided to my ear and his fingers slid from between my legs to go to his training pants.

“My woman gets off on watchin’ her man fight,” he murmured in my ear.

“Yes,” I whispered.

I felt the tip of him, caught my breath, and then he was inside.

“Yes,” I breathed.

“So wet,” he groaned.

“Yes.”

“Fuck yes.”

I held on as Jake pounded inside me, running my nose along his jaw, my lips along his neck, my tongue around his ear.

Jake grunted.

I whimpered.

Jake clenched his fingers into the cheek of my bottom, tilting my hips and he thrust harder.

I moaned.

Jake caught my mouth with his and kissed me rough and deep.

I curled my legs tighter around his hips, slid a hand in his hair and wrapped the other one around the back of his neck, gripping hard.

Jake drove in faster.

It built and I knew it was going to explode so I broke our kiss and whispered against his lips, “Darling.”

“Yeah.”

“Jake.”

“Fuck yeah, baby.”

My lips parted, and as the deliciousness of the orgasm he gave me overwhelmed me, I felt his tongue trace my bottom lip, this making it all the more delicious.

Then his tongue was back inside as he slammed into me, pounding me into the wall.

I kept holding him close, clenching him tight with everything I had, feeling everything he gave me, everything he was giving me, loving every sensation, until he broke the kiss, shoved his face in my neck and thrust deep through a long, beautiful groan.

He held me against the wall, keeping me close, stayed inside as he breathed heavily against my neck and I held on.

Finally, I turned my lips to his ear and whispered, “I love fight night.”

At hearing that, Jake lifted his head, caught my eyes, his still heated, but satiated and happy, his most beautiful look of all, and he smiled.

* * * * *

“She was bullied.”

It was the next morning and I was pushing a cart through the grocery store, Amber at my side. We were preparing for the feeding frenzy that was Sunday in front of football.

And we were talking about Conner’s still unsuccessful, but thankfully undeterred, pursuit of Sofie.

However, this had gone on so long I was getting concerned.

Sofie liked Conner that was clear. Conner liked Sofie and that was abundantly clear because he was pulling out all the stops to make it that way. Alyssa was all for the duo and she’d been making that clear. Junior was not all for it, but like Jake, he was resigned to the fact his daughter would eventually date.

Further, Alyssa told me Junior was beginning to get concerned that she was sixteen and had never been out with a boy. Although Conner had a reputation, he was Jake’s son. Junior knew him to be as a seventeen year-old boy with a girl in his sights, but he also knew Jake and Conner very well. Therefore, unlike the dire predictions when we first became aware that Conner was interested in Junior’s daughter, even if he wasn’t all for it, he wasn’t avidly opposing it.

So, in the end, the only obstacle to Sofie and Conner being a Sofie and Conner was Sofie.

And thus, Alyssa was getting concerned. As was I.

I stopped pushing the cart and looked down to Amber. “Pardon?”

“Sof,” Amber replied. “Back in Junior High, she was bullied and it was pretty bad.”

I stared at her, not believing this.

Sofie was very sweet, very pretty, quite intelligent, had a lovely figure and a sense of style that was cute and girlie and very becoming.

She also, apparently, had great talent as a singer. I was much looking forward to the high school Christmas concert during which she was to have two solos. This was unheard of as Alyssa told me the choir director tried to hand out solos with a fair hand in order to give as many of his students as possible the opportunity to shine.