by Mandy Rosko
Jake’s eyes glanced down at her fingers. “You always pick at your nails whenever you’re keeping something in. What’s wrong?”
“Oh…uh, well, nothing. Everything’s great. You’re awake and recovering, and Bobby’s gone.”
“But?”
He wasn’t going to let this go, and she didn’t want to lie to him, or hide anything from him. Not anymore.
“What you were talking about…before Bobby attacked us. Do you remember that?”
Jake briefly bit his lips together. “How could I forget?”
Alice’s heart pounded hard. She could hear it drumming in her ears as her pulse raced with all kinds of anxiety and fear. “Did you mean what you said?”
Jake’s mouth quirked up at the side. He lifted a hand to tap the arm that had the snake and squirrel tattoo on it. “Meant every word,” he said, dropping his hand. “I won’t guilt you into anything you don’t want. Don’t stick around because you feel sorry for me, or because you think you owe me a chance just for keeping my tattoo and looking out for you.”
Only then could Alice feel like she could breathe. Which was strange, because at the same time, it felt like her throat was closing up. “Wasn’t what I was thinking,” she said. “You know, it occurred to me that you never got to hear how I still felt about you before Bobby showed up and ruined it.”
Jake’s eyes widened. His chest stopped moving up and down for a second. “And?”
A burning sensation caught her in the eyes, but Alice was a big girl and had gone through some serious shit without crying before, so she tried to hold back the water works now.
It was hard. So very fucking hard. “I still love you,” she said, and it was kind of pathetic the way her voice came out in such a terrible-sounding croak. She had to clear her throat and repeat herself. “I love you. I tried to forget about you, but I couldn’t.” She laughed. “A girl doesn’t have an easy time forgetting the man who took a bullet for her, you know?”
“Not that I have much experience with men taking bullets for me, but I could imagine that would stick with a person,” he joked.
Alice laughed again. Really laughed this time. She covered her face with her hands.
“Hey, don’t cry,” Jake said.
Alice shook her head, but only because she couldn’t seem to help herself. She didn’t have a choice anymore, and this time she didn’t stop herself when she got up from her chair and moved over to his bed.
She kissed him. His mouth definitely tasted different this time around, and it was noticeable even without pushing her tongue between his lips like she wanted to.
He tasted kind of minty, and kind of garlicky from the sandwich, with a touch of sugar from the juice. He also tasted like himself, like a place she hadn’t been in years.
He tasted like home, and Jake moaned when she pushed her tongue between his lips.
It probably wasn’t allowed, even though the staff around here was basically letting Alice have her run of the place, but she climbed into Jake’s bed with him.
It was small and there wasn’t much room, so it reminded her of the times when they slept together on couches or her small mattress, back when he’d been undercover and she’d been the thief who had fallen in love with him between jobs with Bobby.
The only difference was they were both older now. Jake’s body felt somewhat thinner, though still strong, even after a month of recovering. The hospital sheets were surprisingly comfortable, and so was the mattress, though that also could have been Alice’s experiences on motel beds and shitty mattresses clouding her judgment.
Or it could have been because Jake was beside her again after so many years.
They didn’t do anything, but laying there with him, and falling asleep while Jake’s fingers brushed up and down her shoulders, was a wonderful feeling.
It was a strange feeling to be able to walk through the streets freely knowing that no one would be looking for her, hunting her down.
Alice still glanced over her shoulder every once in a while, usually a couple of times an hour. It was an old habit, and she wasn’t going to break it so easily, not even when she held onto Jake’s hand.
He squeezed her fingers, just enough to get her attention. Alice looked up at him. His lips pulled up in a rugged smile. Even though he’d woken up only ten days ago, his looks were bouncing back better than anything, and he was healing nicely.
“What do you think about getting something to eat? Rickman invited us out for a free lunch before we go.”
There was nothing better than free food. Alice smiled back up at Jake. “That sounds awesome. We should really rack up his bill, too.”
Jake chuckled, but he shook his head.
Rickman, as serious as he could be in his office, was still feeling guilty about what happened. Alice and Jake were enjoying twisting the knife just a tiny bit, but it was only in good fun. They didn’t actually hold anything against him, and Alice was fairly sure Rickman knew it.
Free food, however, was going to be impossible to turn down, so why not accept it?
“You sure you don’t want to stick around for a bit? Rickman tells me that their Halloween festival is supposed to be insanely amazing.”
Alice looked around the street, noting the fall colors coming out. She tried to imagine the street covered in decorations and people walking down the sidewalks in costumes—or in their animal forms pretending to be in costumes. She didn’t have all the details, and was pretty sure Jake didn’t either, but it sounded kind of cool.
“You think maybe we can come back?” Alice said. “To be honest, I’m looking forward to getting out of here with you.”
She wouldn’t mind visiting, but after spending so much time here, getting Jake back, watching him get shot, and waiting impatiently beside his bed for him to wake, she needed some time away from this place.
She and Jake had agreed to take things slow—though they hadn’t been remotely slow last night—but when Alice wasn’t feeling paranoid and looking over her shoulder, she was bubbly and happy, more so than she’d ever felt in years. She wanted to have her honeymoon phase with Jake.
And because he was just that amazing, Jake nodded. “Of course. We can leave here and never come back, if that’s what you want. I don’t actually care about this place, but I was just making sure.”
Alice pushed herself up onto her toes, kissing him. The way Jake couldn’t stop smiling, and the way she couldn’t either, made it slightly hard to carry out, but it was still fun.
Jake had told her all about his apartment and his business, and she had an invite to live there until she could find her own place.
Unless she wanted to stay permanently, and he hinted that was an option as well.
Alice got the feeling Jake was trying to not scare her off by constantly offering so many outs. Hinting at living apart before living together, of helping her find an apartment while she stayed with him, or of just flat out staying, taking it easy on rent while she went to school.
Alice didn’t know what to do. Now that she had options, it seemed like she wasn’t sure what to do with them all. One thing was for sure: she wanted to pull her weight. If Jake really wanted her to stay with him and help her go to school, then getting a job seemed like a good idea, helping out with rent and groceries and whatnot if she was going to be in his space.
Alice wasn’t going to lie to herself. Despite their agreement to go slow—though, again, last night had been super hot and awesome on all kinds of sweaty, naked levels—Alice did want to live with him. She figured that, to keep him from regretting making the offer, she’d have to prove she was ready to have that kind of life with him.
Normal people didn’t just assume it was true love after ten years apart, though Alice sure as hell wanted to give it a shot.
She was still smiling when their mouths pulled apart from each other. Jake had a big grin on his face, too. With the stubble around his mouth and on his jaw, it made him look that much better.
And
Alice was overcome with a desire that had been simmering since she’d woken up that morning.
“You sure you want a free lunch?” she asked, playing with the buttons of his coat. “I was thinking I might be hungry for a repeat of last night.”
Jake groaned. “Did you really just say that?”
“No making fun of me,” Alice said, shyness she wasn’t used to warming her face and neck. “Unless you’re too tired?”
The fact that he was still recovering, and that she had to be careful not to touch his chest area, was still a concern.
“I’d like to say something romantic, like I’m never too tired for you, but lately that doesn’t feel like the case.”
“That’s all right,” Alice said. “I can wait. I really can.”
She didn’t want him to feel like he had to perform, or feel guilty if he couldn’t.
One of his big eyebrows lifted up. “I didn’t say I was too tired now. I still have one left in me for today.”
Alice blinked up at him, and then exhaled a deep sigh. “Oh, thank God,” she said.
Jake laughed, and they turned to walk back to the inn to enjoy more of their free time there. The Do Not Disturb sign was going to get some more use today.
END
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my novella from Woodland Creek!
All reviews are appreciated.
If you would like to read more from the Woodland Creek series, please click on the link below:
Woodland Creek Website
About The Author
Mandy Rosko lives as a hermit with her scared of everything dog, and she works in Ottawa, Ontario. Every once in a while she peels herself away from writing and Internet surfing to socialize with real people. She loves videogames, Sailor Moon, and her dog.
Want all the latest news on your super sexy and tortured heroes and when their stories will be available? Sign up for my Mailing List and get one book of your choice from my backlist for free. For a full list of my books (many of which are paranormals) visit my website, Mandyrosko.com.
Thank you for reading. ~Mandy
Other Paranormal Romances by
Mandy Rosko
Things in the Night Series:
The Vampire's Curse Book 1
The Legend of the Werewolf Book 2
The Dragon and the Wolf M/M Novella
The Shepard's Agony Book 3
Dangerous Creatures Series:
Burns Like Fire Book 1
A Shock To Your System Book 2 M/M
As Cold As Ice Book 3 Coming Soon!
Let Me Play a Trick on You A Novella Coming Soon!
Others:
The Princess' Dragon Lord
The Lady and the Dragon's Holiday Coming Dec 2015!
Sold To The Enemy
My Angel Lover, Have Mercy on Me M/M
Mate of the Wolf
Night and Day Series:
Night and Day Book M/M Book 1
The Calm Before the Storm M/M Book 2
All Hell Breaking Loose M/M Book 3
Book 4 Coming Soon!
Medieval Romances by Rizzo Rosko:
Lady Thief Book 1
Lady Deception Book 2