“Oh that’s so sweet,” Laura gushed to which Andrew only grunted.
“Daddy, you know that I love you both, and I’m not going to do anything to hurt you or disappoint you. Just like I told before to you about Jake, I am an adult, and I have to live my life. And right now I chose to spend my recovery time with him.”
Her words sent a beaming smile to my lips. I was so fucking proud of her for being so strong. I couldn’t have loved my girl more for standing up for me and herself.
“But Abby, we want to be with you while you’re healing. I can’t bear the thought of just abandoning you.”
Tentatively, I reached out to touch Laura’s arm. “You won’t have to do that. You and Mr. Renard are more than welcome to stay at my farm for as long as you like.”
Laura’s expression warmed at the thought. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not. Abby needs her parents around her.” I gave a pointed look at Andrew.
After a few seconds of staring each other down, he finally sighed resignedly. “I do apologize for any wrong doing on my part.” He held out his hand to me. “I believe we were never formally introduced. I’m Andrew Renard.”
“Jake Slater,” I replied as I pumped his hand up and down.
Although I knew he hated it, a smile filled his face as he added, “It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
“Likewise.”
“You guys really make me happy,” Abby said.
“Anything for you, sweetheart,” Laura replied.
Abby winced. “Good. Because I really need some more pain medicine.”
Even though I wanted to, I held back and let Andrew punch the button for the nurse. I figured it was just another set of baby steps along the way to building our relationship.
CHAPTER TWENTY
* * *
Abby
For the next month, I spent my recovery at Jake’s farm. Although I was wrecked physically, I don’t know when I’d been happier emotionally. Sure, I didn’t necessarily want to almost be beaten to death by a psychotic, jealous ex-lover of Jake’s, but in the same token, it meant I had time to spend with him and with his mom. The first week my parents stayed in the guest bedroom while I stayed next door in Jake’s bedroom. Although the barn boasted a finished loft that was as nicer than any apartment, Jake refused to sleep far from me, so he either slept in the chair beside my bed or on the couch in the living room. I’d offered to let him sleep with me, but he was too afraid of accidentally hitting or kicking my wounds during the night.
That first week I was smothered to death by Jake, my parents, and Susan. Even Rhys, Brayden, Lily, and AJ hovered over me. Don’t get me wrong. It was nice milking my injuries for my favorite home-cooked meals of my mother’s or little gifts from the guys. But after a while, it got really old being spoiled. I couldn’t even sneeze without everyone freaking out and rushing to my bedside. It was sweet, but it was also incredibly annoying.
Once I was literally back on my feet again, my parents reluctantly left to go back to Texas. They’d spent ten days away from their jobs to make sure I was on the road to recovery. They still weren’t happy with me recuperating at Jake’s, but they had resigned themselves to the fact that I was an adult and made my own decisions. We had a teary goodbye where I promised to come home at the end of the month.
Some days Jake would reluctantly leave me with Susan, so he could go to Atlanta with the guys to work on the new album. I had to admit that I enjoyed the time with her. She was truly an amazing woman of strength and courage. Physically, she had her good days and bad days, but emotionally she was upbeat each and every day. She was also really funny. When I felt up to riding in a car again, she took me to her dance studio and showed me around. Jake’s family came in droves to meet me and to bring home-cooked meals to Susan and to Jake. I’d never felt so much love outside of my own immediate family.
One afternoon after Jake got in from the recording studio in Atlanta, he found Susan and me on the front porch each reading a book. With a beaming smile on his face, he beckoned me with his hand. “I have a surprise for you.”
Wrinkling my nose, I replied, “You know I hate surprises.”
“You’ll like this one. It’s a special gift from my grandfather.” It didn’t escape me that a knowing look passed between Susan and Jake.
Reluctantly, I pulled myself out of the chair and walked down the length of the porch to meet Jake. He took my hand in his and led me across the yard to his barn. When he opened the door, a fluffy ball of a Golden Retriever puppy came galloping over to me.
My eyes widened in shock. “You got me a dog?”
“It’s a gift from my Papa. She’s the pick of his new litter.”
I squealed with delight as I went to pick up the puppy. “She’s beautiful,” I murmured as I rubbed my face into the soft fur.
“Does that mean you like my surprise?”
I grinned. “Oh I love this one.”
Jake tipped back his baseball cap off his forehead and eyed me. “So what are you going to name her?”
“Hmm, good question.” I stared into the puppy’s warm brown eyes. “What should I name you, sweetheart?” As she opened her mouth and yawned, it hit me. “Angel. She can be my angel.”
“But you’re my Angel,” Jake protested.
“I think there’s room for two Angels around here.”
“Whatever. She’s your dog.”
I couldn’t help my brow creasing in worry. “But what happens when I have to leave or go back on the road?”
Jake shrugged. “She’ll just stay here with all our other dogs until you get back.”
My heartbeat hammered so loud I feared Jake would hear it. I didn’t know if he realized that by saying my dog would always have a home at his house, he had just alluded to a massive level of commitment between us. “Are you sure that wouldn’t be an imposition?” I finally asked.
“Of course not. I mean, we have all these fenced in acres for her to run around and frolic in.”
I giggled. “Did you just say frolic?”
“Yeah, I did, smartass,” he replied with a smirk.
Setting Angel gently down on the floor, I then put my arms around Jake’s neck. “Thank you so much for the sweet and thoughtful gift. You made my day.”
He grinned. “You’re welcome.”
I leaned in and gave him a lingering kiss. Since the night I had been beaten by Bree, Jake had been gun-shy about kissing or touching me. More than anything in the world, I wanted his mouth and hands on me again like the night in the hotel room. I slid my tongue against his lips, urging him to open to me. When he did, I thrust my tongue against his. Surprisingly, Jake ran his hand down my back and cupped one of my butt cheeks, jerking me against him.
As our tongues danced around each other, I brazenly rubbed myself against the bulge growing in his jeans. I hiked one of my legs up and wrapped it around his hip, giving him part of his former wish to have my cowboy boots digging into his ass. Since I wanted to give him and myself the full experience, I melted against Jake, silently begging with my body language for him to raise me up. Fortunately, he appeased me by cupping my other butt cheek and hoisting me up to wrap my other leg around his waist. I arched my center against his crotch, causing him to groan into my mouth. “Angel,” he murmured as he kissed a scorching trail down my neck.
When his hand moved up my ribcage to cup my breast, I cried out. Thinking it was from pain, not pleasure, Jake froze. My vocal reaction had the same effect as pouring a bucket of ice cold water over Jake. “Oh fuck,” he muttered before gripping my hips and unwrapping my legs from around his waist. Once he sat my feet back on the ground, he ran a shaky hand through his hair.
“Jake, please don’t stop!” I protested.
He shook his head. “You’re not fully healed. I hurt you.”
“No, you didn’t. I cried out because I liked what I was feeling.”
He stared at me for a minute. “It doesn’t matter. We shouldn’t be ma
king out anyway.”
Cupping his cheek, I argued, “But I want to make out with you. You’re my boyfriend, and I love you.”
Staring down at Angel playing at our feet, Jake refused to meet my gaze. “No, we don’t. Not now and not any time soon,” he muttered before stalking out of the barn. Angel started after him, but then she came back to me. I pulled her into my arms and let the tears rolling down my cheeks dampen her fur.
***
I didn’t see Jake the rest of the afternoon until Susan called us to dinner at seven. To say that you could have cut the tension in the air with a knife would be a mild understatement. Susan chattered along, and I tried keeping up with her while Jake sat in a broody silence, shoveling in his food. Our plates were half-eaten when he sprang out of his chair. When Susan and I stared up at him with our mouths open in surprise, he muttered, “I’m going to the barn to work out.”
Angel followed him out of the dining room, but her whines echoed throughout the foyer when he slammed the front door. With an anguished sigh, I dropped my fork onto my plate, causing a noisy clatter. “Sorry.”
She gave me a sympathetic smile. “Sweetheart, you don’t need to apologize to me. Instead, you should be marching yourself right on out to the barn to sort things out with Jacob.”
My eyes widened at her suggestion. “Y-You know things are strained between us?”
“Oh honey, I know I’m dying, but seriously, I would have to be blind not to notice that.” Easing back in her chair, she eyed me for a moment. “He’s afraid to touch you, isn’t he?”
I gave a brief nod. “Since my accident, he acts like I’m some fragile piece of glass that will break at any minute. I know he loves me—he shows it in every way possible.”
“He’s conflicted about the guilt he feels for what happened to you. In his mind, Jacob thinks that by keeping you at arm’s length he’s somehow atoning for what he feels are his sins for your accident.”
“That’s so wrong!” I protested.
“I agree.”
“So what should I do?”
A mischievous gleam burned in Susan’s blue eyes. “You’re going to have to figure that one out on your own, honey. But I think your best strategy to clear the air and end all the tension is to force Jake to touch you again.”
I gasped as warmth flooded across my cheeks and down my neck. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
Susan held up her hands. “I just said that you needed to go out to the barn and fight for your man.” She rose out of her chair. “If anyone needs me, I’m going to take a bath and turn in early tonight.” With a wink, she walked out of the dining room.
Chewing on my nails, I let Susan’s words sink in. I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know if I had the courage to do it. After all, the cards seemed stacked against me for anything about my plan to work out right. I was twenty-one years old, in love with a womanizing rock star who was going through emotional hell because of his mother’s illness and the fact a psychotic ex-girlfriend had beaten me, and my idea of making things better between us was to give him my virginity. Surely that made me crazy.
But when it all came down to it, it wasn’t just the desire pumping through me whenever I looked at Jake or when we were close to each other. No, I was crazy in love with him. I’d been in love with him before my accident, and after the last month with him, I was even more in love with him than ever before.
So it was now or never. I loved Jake, and I wanted to be with him. Who knew what the future held for us? But deep down, I would always regret it if the first man I loved wasn’t the first I slept with.
“Alrighty then,” I muttered before rising out of my chair. I stalked down the hallway and locked myself into the bedroom. My mind was now made up. Susan had planted a tiny seed, and I was going to act on it by going to Jake in the barn and seducing him.
I knew the first thing I needed to do was arm myself with the necessary tools. I had to look like sex to him. Well, I guess that wasn’t exactly true since the last time we had almost had sex I was wearing an old t-shirt and yoga pants, not to mention the fact we’d gotten pretty frisky this afternoon when I was wearing jeans and a sweater. Regardless of what had happened before, Jake needed to know just by looking at me tonight what I wanted.
I snapped my fingers and made my way over to the closet. Digging in my suitcase, I pulled out the white baby doll nightie I’d bought when I got the white dress for Jake. I slid on the glittery thong before shimmying into the nightie. Gazing at myself in the mirror, I turned left and right, appraising my reflection. I guess I looked sexy. The pearl and sequined encrusted bodice barely held in my cleavage, and it felt like at any minute my boobs might pop out of the front, which was probably a win-win situation considering how much Jake professed to like my boobs.
Pulling my hair out of my ponytail, I then brushed it until it to where it cascaded over my shoulders in waves. I reapplied a light coating of makeup, and when I finished, I rolled some shimmering colored lip gloss across my lips.
I slid my robe over my shoulders and stepped into my boots. Cracking open the door, I poked my head out and surveyed the scene. Susan’s door was shut tight, so I tip-toed down the hallway and then closed the front door quietly behind me. The full moon overhead lit my way across the yard to the barn.
Although Jake had six horses, they weren’t housed in the barn. Instead, they were down the hill in the stables. The ‘barn’ was more of a finished house or his bachelor pad, so to speak, where he had work-out equipment, a living area to relax in, and then the loft upstairs to sleep.
With gangsta rap blaring out of the stereo speakers, Jake didn’t even hear the door close. Over and over, he pummeled the punching bag as sweat dripped off his head and onto his shoulders.
“Jake,” I shouted.
The sound of my voice caused him to still instantly. His arms reached out to steady the swaying bag before he turned around. “What are you doing out here?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“About what?”
I crossed the gap between us. I was sure he could hear the knocking of my knees as I feared my wobbly legs wouldn’t hold me up. Without taking my eyes off of his, my trembling fingers went to the sash of my robe. I untied it and then slowly slid it off. When it dropped to the floor, it felt like the sound was so deafening that it echoed around us.
Jake’s blue eyes widened as his gaze trailed over the negligee. He licked his lips several times and swayed on his feet before he finally spoke. “Angel, what are you doing?”
“Seducing you.”
The corners of his lips twitched, and I could tell he was fighting not to laugh. “You came out here in some racy get-up to seduce me?”
“I-I want to be with you. I want you to make love to me.”
Jake’s eyebrows shot up before he quickly shook his head. “I told you no earlier, and I still mean it.”
My mouth gaped open in surprise. “That’s your response to this?” I motioned to my jacked-up cleavage.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down a few times as he swallowed hard. “Yeah, it is.”
He then bent over and snatched my robe up off the floor. “Now put this back on and go to bed.”
“Jake, I’m not in pain anymore. I’m healed, and I can do this—I want to do this.”
“No.”
Tears stung my eyes, and I bit down on my lip. “You seriously don’t want me?”
With a grunt, Jake replied, “Oh my dick wants you more than anything in the world right now. But for once, I’m going to think with the head on my shoulders, rather than the one below my waist.” Jake gripped the edges of my robe so hard his knuckles turned white. “Trust me, Angel, I’m the last man on earth you should want to give yourself to.”
“But I do want to be with you. I bought this a month ago when Lily convinced me to wear a white dress. I realized that day I wanted to be prepared because I knew sometime soon I would want to make love to you.”
<
br /> My statement caused an agonized groan from Jake, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he paced anxiously around the room. Finally, he whirled around and threw up his hands in defeat. “After everything that happened with Bree and your recovery, I’ve been doing some thinking—hell you could even call it soul searching.”
“So have I, and I—”
His blue eyes blazed with fury. “Don’t you get it, Angel? You deserve a hell of a lot better than me, both in and out of the bedroom.”
“Not that bullshit again. I’m so sick of hearing how you think you aren’t worthy,” I protested.
“It’s the truth, dammit! You’re this beautiful, pure spirit, and I’m corrupted and tainted from my past. I won’t put that on you.”
Taking a tentative step forward, I took his hand in mind. I brought it to my lips and kissed along his knuckles. “You’re not able to see yourself like I do. You’re deserving of my love, and I want to give it to you in all ways.”
His expression darkened. “But I haven’t made love since I was eighteen years old—if I even did it then. I only know how to fuck girls, and there’s no way in hell I’ll fuck you!”
Frustration and anger swirled within me. I swept a hand to my hip. “So just because you have a past and I don’t that means we can’t have sex?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Well, that’s not fair.”
Jake tossed the robe at me. “Life’s not fair, babe. Get used to it.”
I threw the robe back at him, smacking him in the face with it. “No, I won’t. I’m not taking no for an answer!”
He smirked at me. “And just what do you plan to do? Rape me?”
“No, I intend on making love with you.” Stepping forward, I slid my arms around his neck and then pressed my body flush against his. Jake instantly tensed. Before he could push me away, I said, “Even though you don’t believe it, I know you, Jake. I understand that feeling and expressing emotions off the stage is hard for you—I’ve seen you screw-up way too many times, remember? More than anything I understand that now with everything that is going on with your mom and what happened with me, that you’re gun-shy, scared, and unsure of what you’re experiencing and feeling.”
Rock Star Romance Ultimate Volume 2 Page 24