by Tremay, Joy
“My kind of girl,” he said. “Their pizza is great here, full of olives and flavor.”
“Is this your favorite restaurant in San Diego?”
Jake nodded. “One of them. I love the view from here. I try to come back to San Diego every summer for a few weeks primarily to visit my family, but I also enjoy the ocean and sunshine.”
“I miss the ocean, too. Sometimes living in Vegas has its drawbacks,” said Diana softly. “But I do like living close to my mom.”
“You and your mom are close?” asked Jake curiously.
Diana nodded. “She was always my rock. My dad and I have had a turbulent relationship.”
“I remember that night he showed up at the beach and nearly chewed me out.”
Diana flushed at the memory.
“I’m so sorry about that -”
“No, don’t apologize,” Jake interrupted. “Any father would have done the same thing if he had found his daughter in a compromising situation.”
Diana smiled. “I was so embarrassed that night.”
Jake reached over to touch her cheek and caress it gently.
“You were beautiful,” he said. “All innocently sweet but sexy.”
Diana blushed under his warm gaze.
The waiter approached them and took their orders. Jake ordered a seafood pasta platter and a bottle of red wine.
“I’m glad you decided to come with me today,” Jake said after the waiter left.
“You’re welcome. Thank you for inviting me. It’s not every day I leave the state for lunch.”
Jake chuckled. “I’m just glad you didn’t faint when the plane took off.” He paused and said in an apologetic voice, “I’m sorry that it frightened you.”
“It didn’t really,” Diana said lightly. “I’m just going to have to be braver if you intend to whisk me off to far-off destinations.”
Jake laughed and said, “You bring out the adventurer in me.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she said, smiling.
He frowned slightly and placed his hand over hers on the table.
“Only you, Diana, only you.”
Diana swallowed the sudden lump in her throat as she stared into his brilliant green eyes. She felt as though she was drowning in them and everything around her disappeared. It was just the two of them alone with the sun warming their bodies and his hand caressing hers.
“I’m definitely going to need dessert after lunch,” he teased, breaking the spell.
Diana blinked and licked her lips nervously. He was too mesmerizing and she was too vulnerable around him. She was going to have to be extremely careful with her emotions or she was going to be in danger of falling down the proverbial rabbit hole.
“Like I said, you’ve already had dessert,” she quipped back as casually as she could.
Jake smiled, “I know - but I want more, much more.”
The waiter came back with their meals and poured some red wine into their glasses. Jake kept the rest of their conversation light and free of innuendo, which Diana appreciated, so she could concentrate on enjoying her meal. She did notice, however, that several women sitting close by them couldn’t help but give Jake interested, surreptitious glances now and then.
Sitting back in his chair almost an hour later, Jake grinned widely as he watched Diana take one last bite of her pizza.
“Good, wasn’t it?” he asked, a satisfied smile on his face.
“It was,” she agreed. “I haven’t had pizza this good in a while.”
“Then I’ll have to take you back here sometime.”
Diana laughed, “Another plane ride for pizza?”
Jake leaned forward and traced his finger down the side of her mouth. He gently swept away a trace of pizza sauce. She felt her mouth tingle at his gesture as he licked the pizza sauce from his fingertip sensuously.
“Mmm,” he murmured, “so good.”
Diana felt her breath hitch as she watched him and looked around to see other women watching him, too.
“You have quite a fan base here,” she said, a little disgruntled.
Jake looked around and smiled back at her boyishly.
“The only one I care about is you.”
Her heart did a somersault in her chest as she looked at his handsome face.
“Well, thank you for the delicious meal and for the wonderful view.”
“You’re welcome, Diana,” he said, the mischievous glint back in his eyes.
The waiter came back and asked them if there was anything else they wanted. Jake shook his head and asked for the bill.
“Did you want to order a dessert?” Diana asked.
“That’s for later, sweetheart,” Jake said casually before winking at her. Diana’s eyes widened at his remark and she shook her head.
“Jake, I do believe you have a one-track mind.”
“What can I say? You’re too beautiful to resist.”
Jake stood and Diana rose, feeling conscious of the looks they received. She felt the heat of his hand as he placed it on her lower back and guided her out of the restaurant. They walked outside and she carefully stepped down the steep staircase leading down to the pavement where their car was parked.
“Where’s the driver?” she asked.
“I’ll call him when we’re ready to leave. Let’s take a stroll first.”
Jake took hold of her hand and entwined his fingers around hers. He led her across the street to a pathway curving down toward some small shops. Diana admired the view below of the sparkling, blue ocean as she savored the feel of Jake’s hand holding hers. Suddenly Jake stopped and turned her to face the ocean view. A white, wooden railing kept strollers from the edge of the cliff side and Diana leaned against it as Jake stood closely behind her. She could feel his muscular length pressing into hers as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Great view, don’t you think?” Jake asked, his breath teasing her ear.
Placing her hands on the railing, Diana tried to slow her breathing, feeling lightheaded at his nearness.
“It’s beautiful,” she replied. She could feel him nuzzling her hair.
“Soft and silky,” he muttered as he continued to rub his cheek against her hair.
Diana’s breath quickened as she felt his hard body press even closer. She knew that he was aroused and felt his excitement through his jeans. Her own excitement rose to a fever pitch and she turned her head toward his, desperate for his kiss.
Jake bent and kissed her, his tongue delving deep. He groaned into her mouth as she met his tongue eagerly. She moaned as he kissed her leisurely, controlling the kiss. It was so delicious and she never wanted their kiss to end. She heard voices nearby, but the noise didn’t detract her until Jake reluctantly lifted his head from hers.
“Jake Redmond, as I live and breathe! What in the world are you doing here?!” said a high-pitched, excited voice.
Both Diana and Jake turned to see two very attractive women facing them. The one who spoke was a beautiful blonde wearing a figure-hugging, white dress. Diana blinked in surprise as Jake laughed and smiled at the vision in white.
“Portia? Wow, I haven’t seen you in years. How are you?”
The blonde beauty tossed her waist-length, curly hair and giggled, her blue eyes eyeing Jake from head to toe.
“I’m great and you haven’t changed a bit. Still a stud, I see,” she said teasingly.
Diana stiffened next to Jake. He kept one arm around her waist as he introduced her.
“Portia, this is Diana.”
Portia smiled dimly as she inspected Diana’s face and figure.
“Nice to meet you,” Portia said, but Diana highly doubted that she was sincere. “I used to date Jake a few years ago.”
Diana picked up on the possessive tone in Portia’s statement and knew that given the opportunity, the other woman would leap at the chance to date Jake again.
“This is my friend Alexis,” Portia said offhandedly. It was almost as if sh
e had momentarily forgotten about her friend. The beautiful brunette in a tight, blue dress standing next to Portia smiled at Jake, but completely ignored Diana.
“I can’t believe I bumped into you,” said Portia. “I know you’re currently living in New York.”
“Keeping tabs on me, Portia?” Jake asked. Diana was far from amused as she noticed that both women were eyeing Jake with avid interest.
“Hardly, baby,” drawled Portia flirtatiously causing Diana to stiffen next to Jake in annoyance. “But, you know, it’s a small world. Now that you’re back here, why don’t we have a reunion? I know that the old crowd would love to see you again.”
“Thanks, but I’m living in Vegas for the summer and we’re flying back immediately. I just brought Diana here to see my old stomping grounds.”
“Oh...I see,” said Portia, in a disappointed voice. Diana noticed that Alexis didn’t look too happy either.
“Well, the next time you’re in town give me a ring. I believe your sister Lana still has my number,” said Portia breezily. She barely glanced at Diana before saying, “Nice meeting you.”
She smiled at Jake and said, “You look great, Jake.”
Jake said, “Thanks. Take care.”
Portia sauntered away with her gorgeous friend, turning male heads as they walked past.
“Sorry about that,” Jake apologized. “Portia is actually one of my sister’s friends, but we used to hang out years ago.”
“I thought she said you dated,” Diana said, eyebrow raised.
“We did for a while, but it didn’t work out,” he said as he took her hand and led her back up the pathway toward the car. With his other hand, he took out his iPhone from his pocket and made a selection.
As Jake spoke to the driver, Diana mulled over the encounter with Portia and frowned. She had always possessed what she considered to be a healthy dose of self-esteem and had never considered herself to be unattractive, but seeing those beautiful women made her feel like an ugly duckling. Was that the type of women Jake was used to dating? If so, what was he doing with her?
“They looked like models,” Diana said.
She was aware that she sounded slightly petulant, but she couldn’t help herself. As she and Jake reached the car, he looked down at her with a grin and tugged her close to him. She willingly allowed him to draw him into his strong arms and savored the feel of his hard chest.
“I believe that Portia did some lingerie modeling for magazines,” he said, “but that was years ago. Who knows what she’s doing now?”
“Probably the same,” muttered Diana under her breath. Great, he had dated a lingerie model. That made her even more insecure and just a little jealous.
“Hey, she isn’t as beautiful as you,” Jake said, kissing the top of her head.
Diana let out a mirthless laugh. “That’s sweet, Jake, but I’m no lingerie model.”
“You’re sexier, Diana,” he said and then bent his head and kissed her with passionate fervor. It was a soul-stirring kiss and it filled her with reassurance. She placed her hands on his chest as he deepened the kiss, opening her mouth wider and angling her head so that he could delve deeper.
They heard a cough as the driver interrupted them.
“Excuse me, sir,” he said sheepishly.
Diana and Jake broke apart abruptly and once again, Diana was embarrassed at being caught kissing Jake in public.
“Come on, let’s do some sightseeing,” said Jake with a husky laugh.
~
“It’s so beautiful here,” Diana said as she took in the panoramic view of San Diego and the Pacific. The light wind and warm sun heightened her pleasure as she surveyed the landscape before her.
“It is breathtaking,” agreed Jake as he placed his arm around her slim waist.
Jake had asked the driver to take them to the tip of Point Loma peninsula. They had passed a naval base and a graveyard and had finally arrived to see the Cabrillo National monument.
Diana turned to look at the monument and read the plaque.
“This monument was erected in honor of Captain Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on the west coast.”
She turned to Jake and smiled.
“There’s a lot of history here.”
Jake nodded. “When I was a kid, my family used to come here often to hike and have picnics near the tide pools. We also came in the evenings. At night, when San Diego is lit up, the views of the city and the bay below are spectacular.”
“I can imagine,” murmured Diana. “You must have had a wonderful childhood growing up here.”
Jake held her hand as they began to walk up the pathway leading to the Point Loma Lighthouse.
“It had its ups and downs, but mostly ups,” he answered quietly.
“What were the downs?” asked Diana curiously.
Jake paused before answering.
“My dad was and still is a very driven man. He founded a construction company and expanded it to what it is now, a very profitable business. He expected a lot from me and sometimes I think I didn’t exactly meet his high expectations.”
Diana looked at Jake carefully, catching his resigned expression.
“It seems to me that fathers often have high expectations of their offspring,” Diana said, thinking of her own father and of the high academic standard he had placed upon her during her school years.
“I’m his son and he always expected me to take over the reigns of his company - whether I liked it or not.”
Diana was slightly surprised to hear a bitter note of resentment in his voice.
“Are you not happy with what you’re doing?” she asked carefully.
Jake paused before stopping in the middle of the pathway. He sighed and brushed his blond hair back before answering her.
“When I was a freshman in college, my dad told me that I had to major in business when what I really wanted to do was major in liberal arts. After college, I wanted to backpack across Europe and see the world, but my dad told me I had to start working in his company right away,” Jake paused. “I no longer mind working at the company and as president, I relish the challenges I face, but it took me a while to embrace his corporate ideals. I now realize I’m exactly where I want to be in life and Dad did know best in the end.”
“But still, you weren’t able to explore other opportunities or options,” Diana said, a bit upset that Jake had been practically forced to work for the family company. “He sort of railroaded you into working for him.”
Jake sighed again. “I don’t believe in looking back and wondering ‘what could have been.’ Besides, now that I’m president of the corporation, I can pretty much travel wherever I want and I don’t need to backpack.”
He smiled and placed his hand on her cheek, rubbing it gently with his thumb.
“And if I had been the starving artist that I had aspired to be in my teens, I would have never worked for my dad, gone to Vegas, and met you...again.”
Diana felt her cheeks flush under his warm, steady gaze and tender gesture.
“I guess your dad and mine have one thing in common,” Diana said, smiling.
“What’s that?”
“They’re both stubborn as mules.”
Jake laughed and took her hand, leading her back up the pathway again.
“I love my dad and I respect him greatly, but one day, when I have a son, I’m giving my son the free will to make decisions regarding his career.”
Diana swallowed the sudden lump in her throat as she took in his statement. For a split second, she wondered whom he would eventually choose to be the mother of his future son but she quickly suppressed her runaway thoughts. She couldn’t possibly entertain the remote possibility that he would one day choose her. She bit her lower lip and shook her head. She wanted to enjoy the day with him, nothing more.
“Fortunately,” Jake continued, “my dad has mellowed out in his old age and now it seems that all he wants to do is play golf and spend time with N
athan. That’s partly why my parents moved back to San Diego, so that they could play the doting grandparents.”
Jake shook his head in mild bafflement.
“He and my mom indulge Nathan so much that Lana and her husband are afraid they’re spoiling him. It’s quite different from the way my dad treated me.”
Diana smiled. “Once parents become grandparents, discipline goes out the door,” she said. “They’re no longer responsible for the upbringing, so they just want to spoil them. Believe me, I’ve seen a lot of grandparents melt just by seeing their grandkids.”
She found herself standing in front of the Point Loma Lighthouse and admiring the historical landmark.
“This lighthouse was built in 1854 and was restored with a museum inside. Do you want to go in?” asked Jake.
Diana nodded and they toured the building, looking at the artifacts belonging to the last family who lived in the lighthouse.
The rest of the day passed in a joyful blur as she and Jake walked over to the tide pools on the western side of Point Loma. The late afternoon sun had them both craving ice cream, so Jake instructed the driver to take them to Seaport Village.
“Hey, that’s not fair. Why do you get two scoops of ice cream and I only have one?” asked Diana in mock anger.
They were sitting on a park bench facing the duck pond at Seaport Village. Jake had laid his arm behind her and she loved feeling him sit so closely next to her. His thigh touched hers and the heat of his body warmed hers. It was enough to make her ice cream melt right then and there.
“Because I’m twice as big as you,” he laughed before taking a long lick of his vanilla ice cream.
Diana had to subdue a groan as she watched his tongue lick his ice cream. He was seducing her without even knowing it.
“Well, if I eat my ice cream faster than you do, can I have another scoop?” she asked playfully.
“Is that a challenge?” he teased.
Diana nodded and began to lick her chocolate ice cream fast and furiously. She heard him chuckle and watched him do the same with his. Unfortunately, he finished before she did, but he surprised her by bending down to her cone and helping her eat the rest of her ice cream.
Diana giggled as they both slurped up the rest of her treat.