by J. Lea
“Why don’t you leave me alone?” I yell.
“Why would I want to do that? You’re currently the hottest front-page story. Ella and Jake. Everybody is surprised you’re still together. What’s your secret?” He grabs my elbow. I look at his hand on my shoulder, and then look at him.
“Get your hands off me,” I hiss, and yank my elbow out of his grip. “I have nothing to say to you.” I take a couple of steps back, and my back hits the cold stone wall. He’s still right next to me.
“You’re pretty,” he says, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. “But so were the other women he fucked. What do you have that others don’t, huh?” His leans to my neck and sniffs me, as if he wants to remember my smell.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please, you’re scaring me.”
“Aww, we don’t want that, do we?” he’s mocking me.
“What’s going on here?” We hear a strong male voice, and turn in its direction. Kevin takes a step back, and I can breathe more easily now. The silhouette approaches us, I can see it’s Brett, looking at me worriedly.
“Brett!” I yell. Kevin leans toward me again, and whispers.
“Tell your man he’ll pay for what he did. I’ll get my revenge.” He curls his lip, and calmly walks away.
“Ella? Are you okay? What was that?” Brett asks, and I shrug.
“I wish I knew…” I look him in the eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood. I met some friends for a drink,” he points his finger to the café Sophie and I also frequent. I nod. My legs are still shaking. What did Kevin mean by revenge? Do Jake and he know each other?
“Thank you,” I say, and continue walking.
“Wait. I’ll walk you home, he could come back.” As we reach my apartment building, I invite him up for a drink to thank him, and he accepts. I really don’t want to be alone right now, and Jake won’t call for another hour. So Brett and I are sitting in my living room, drinking tea. I tell him about Jake, and that we are together. His expression turns a little sad after that, but I don’t want him to get any wrong impressions about me. I know he likes me, he has already told me that a few times, but I only see him as a friend. After half an hour, he stands up.
“It’s late, I should get going. Are you going to be alright?” I nod, and open the door for him. I thank him again as he walks out. He turns to me. “I hope Jake realizes how lucky he is,” he says and leaves.
Chapter Twelve
Jake
I just landed at the Indianapolis airport. I told Ella I’m coming home tomorrow but I wrapped up things early, and I’m here a day early. I want to surprise her, so I didn’t tell her that. The flight was long and tiring, but I don’t make a stop at my home to take a quick shower. All I need right now is Ella. I drive like a maniac to her house, and ring the intercom to her apartment. It’s already getting dark outside. I wait a few seconds but she doesn’t answer. I try again. Nothing. I fish my phone out of my pocket and call Sophie.
“Hey, Jake,” she says. I quickly greet her, and get to the point.
“Where is Ella?”
“At work, why?” Wanting to get to her as fast as possible, I totally forgot she switched shifts with a co-worker.
“Oh, right, she told me that, and I forgot. Thanks, Sophie,” I hang up. I drive to Ace like a maniac, and sit down in reception area to wait for Ella. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she sees me. Smiling to myself, I shift in my chair, when I see a smiling Ella coming out if the massage room. I love seeing her so exuberant and full of life. Her hair is up in a ponytail, and the T-shirt she is wearing is hugging all her curves nicely. But my smile falls the second I see Brett following her out, grinning his ears off.
“It was so nice to see you again. And thanks for the tea the other night.”
“Don’t mention it. It was the least I could do. Thank you,” she waves her hand, and I feel the blood in my veins boil. They went out? What the hell is going on? I furiously jump out of my armchair, and approach them. Ella widens her eyes as she sees me, but the surprise is soon replaced by happiness.
“Jake,” she shouts, and runs toward me. She wraps her arms around me tightly, but I don’t return the hug. My eyes are still on Brett, shooting daggers at him.
“What the hell were you doing going out with my girlfriend?” I yell angrily, as Ella stops hugging me. My hands are clenched in fists. I get in his face, ready to kick his ass and fight for what’s mine. Brett looks at me, fear in his eyes, and he turns to Ella, who quickly jumps in between us. She pushes me away from Brett.
“Jake, Jake, calm down.” I finally tear my gaze away from Brett, and look at Ella.
“How the hell can I calm down if another guy is hitting on my girlfriend?” I turn to Brett again, and so does Ella. Just as I’m about to charge at Brett, Ella yells:
“Brett, go, I’ll handle this.”
“Yes, let him run. How very brave of him,” I snort. Brett throws some money on the desk and leaves, shooting Ella a worried glance.
“Jake, what’s the matter with you?” Ella angrily demands. “You can’t just barge in here and attack my clients.”
“Why not? He was drooling all over you. And you? Why did you go out with him? Is there something going on between you two?” Balling my hands into fists again, I turn away from her. I close my eyes and shake my head. Ella is right next to me in a second. She puts her soft hands on my cheeks.
“Jake, listen to me. It’s not what you think,” she says quietly. “Yesterday, as I was leaving work, that reporter harassed me again. You know, the one who pretended he worked for you.” I freeze in my spot, and look her in the eyes. What the hell? “This time, he wouldn’t leave me alone. He kind of scared me. Luckily, Brett came to help, so that jackass left me alone. To thank him, I invited him to my place for a cup of tea, nothing else. Besides, he knows I’m dating you.”
“What did that jerk do?” I can’t believe he would harass Ella like that. What does he want with her? “I’m going to kill that fucker. Damn it, Ella,” I angrily run my hands through my hair. “Why didn’t you tell me? Was this the first time?” I ask her. Biting her lower lip, she shakes her head no.
“When Sophie and I went to shop for a wedding dress, he stopped us on the street.”
“Fuck,” I swear. “I’m sorry for acting like a jerk. But I couldn’t help myself when I saw that guy was all over you.”
“It’s okay,” she says, and gently kisses my mouth. “It’s okay, you know I’m all yours.”
“Damn right, you are,” I tell her, lift her in my arms, and take her to one of the massage rooms. After an hour of hot sex on the massage table, Ella exclaims.
“Oh, we have to hurry. I promised Sophie I’d go with her to Pearl.”
“Pearl?” I ask, having no clue what this is.
“That’s the new club Matt owns. Well, half of it. Today is the grand opening, and I told them I’ll be there. You’re coming with me, right?” Even though I’m exhausted, I want to be with her.
“There’s no place I’d rather be than with you. Of course I’m going. That way, I’ll at least make sure guys don’t slobber all over you too much.”
I drop Ella off at home so she can get ready. In the meantime, I call Mike. He has some friends that could help me right now.
“Hey, mate, what’s up?” Mike answers his phone. I get straight to the point.
“I need a number for a private investigator. I know you know a few.” I hear rustling in the background, and then a door slams shut.
“Why do you need it? Is everything okay? Something happen?”
“Some reporter is harassing Ella. He went too far. I need a pair of eyes I can trust on him. I want her to be safe.”
“Yeah, no problem. I’ll send you the number.”
“Thanks, man, I owe you one.”
Ella
At eleven, we’re ready to go. Jake went home to shower and change, and I spent this time to pu
t on some make up. I decided to dress up tonight. I want him to be unable to keep his hands off me the whole evening, and the look on his face when he saw me, was priceless. He just stared at me for a while, and then he picked me up and threw me on the couch. If I didn’t stop him, we would still be lying on that couch. I’m wearing a short black cocktail dress, and high heels with straps around the ankles. The neckline is low enough to emphasize my relatively small breasts. My shoulders are bare; only two thin straps are holding my dress up. I put my hair up in a messy bun, a few wisps of hair escaping and framing my face.
Right now, we are driving in Jake’s sports car, his hand possessively on my knee. Every now and then, he slides it up my bare thigh to my panties. We’re silent, a song playing on the radio in the background. Jake looks gorgeous, too. He’s wearing black slacks that hug the muscles of his legs nicely and a V-neck. The shiny metal piercing makes him look even more attractive.
“What are you thinking about?” I ask him. He looks at me, an eyebrow raised, and the corners of his lips turn up.
“You sure you want to know?” I nod, and his expression tells me everything. “I can barely restrain myself from pinning you against the hood of the car, grabbing your hair and fucking you so hard you won’t be able to move afterward.” I instantly feel the throbbing between my legs, and I squeeze them together. Jake looks me over from head to toe and I can feel him undressing me in his head. I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat. Jake stops the car, and takes the keys out of the ignition. I’m staring at him and only when he opens the door, I realize we have arrived at the club. Taking a deep breath, I exit the car, fix my dress, and then we walk in. My legs are still shaky from his dirty talk in the car, but I quickly collect myself when I hear Sophie’s voice, and see her approaching with Matt in hand.
“Wow, girl, you look amazing,” she looks me up and down. “I bet Jake won’t let you leave his side tonight,” she whispers in my ear. We greet each other, and the guys shake hands. We take our coats to the coat check, and hand them over to the girl at the counter. As soon as she sees Jake, her eyes get a sparkle, and she quickly straightens and fixes her hair. She flashes him a white grin, but he ignores her. I smile to myself, and hold his hand. Matt calls over the waiter to take our order. We chat pleasantly for about half an hour, then they turn up the music and people get wild on the dance floor. Sophie grabs my hand, wanting to go dancing, and I look at Jake. He nods for me to go. I know he doesn’t like to dance, but I still hope I’ll be able to convince him to dance with me for at least one song. Matt and he stay behind, at the bar, and we head to the dance floor. I feel his eyes on me the whole time. Sensual sounds of music reverberate around the room. People are moving to the rhythm of the low bass beat and the sound of the guitar. Sophie and I are spinning, swaying and shaking our butts, enjoying ourselves. We’re getting tired, but we don’t give a damn. All the alcohol we consumed in between has loosened us up. Suddenly, I feel a man’s hands grab my hips from behind, and, grinding his hips into my butt, sways us to the slower song that’s playing. Closing my eyes, I lose myself to the moment and the music.
“Get your filthy hands off her!” I hear Jake yell. The man I’ve been dancing with turns around, his hands still on my body. When he sees Jake’s gaze—pissed, confident and possessive—he raises his arms in defense, and steps aside.
“We were just dancing,” he says, defensively and disappears in the crowd.
Smiling, I shake my head. “You don’t have to be so jealous, we really were just dancing. I wrap my hands around his neck, and he puts his on my hips.
“He was groping you,” he wrinkles his nose. “Only I can do that.”
“Oh, really, Mister Burns?” I purr like a kitty. I trace my finger on his strong chest. I’m feeling courageous, two cocktails already under my belt, and Sophie is carrying the third one toward me.
“Here you go,” she says, but before I can grab it, Jake snatches it.
“Hey, I was planning on drinking that,” I pout.
“You’ve had enough.” He puts the drink on the nearby table, and I start sulking. I lose my balance for a second. Jake catches me before I crash to the ground.
“Whoops,” I giggle. I don’t drink much, so the alcohol quickly goes to my head.
“Sophie, I think I’m going to take this one home. She’s had way too much to drink. Tell Matt congratulations on the opening. I’ll see you guys.” Sophie nods with a straw in between her lips, hugs me, and leaves, most likely to join Matt.
“Do we have to go yet?” I stick my lower lip out. “I was having fun.”
“Yes, I noticed. And a hundred other guys, too. They all had the pleasure of staring at your butt the whole night.”
I giggle as Jake lifts me up from the car and takes me to his house. He sits on the bed and runs his hands over his face. I seductively walk toward him, and place my foot between his spread thighs to gently massage him there. He closes his eyes, but then grabs my ankle.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish,” he warns.
I push the straps off my shoulders. The dress slides down my body and drops in a pile at my shoes. I’m standing in front of him, wearing only my sexy black lingerie and high heels. Smiling, I kneel between his thighs. I try to open the button on his pants as expertly as I can, considering my head is spinning like crazy.
“Ella.” Putting his hands on my hair, he closes his eyes and leans his forehead against mine. “Even though I want nothing other than your sexy lips on my cock, I think it’s best you go to sleep now. You’re drunk and a little sleep will be good for you.”
“But—”
“Shhh,” he places his fingers against my lips. “Sleep.” He kisses me, and gently puts me on the bed. I place my head on the pillow and close my eyes. Only now do I realize how exhausted I am. I feel the mattress dip under his weight as he lies down next to me, wraps his hand around my middle, and cuddles into me. The smell of his aftershave lulls me into sweet dreams.
I’m awoken by the combination of morning sun peeking through the curtains and wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen. I groan as I turn over because my head is pounding. I slowly open my eyes, blinking a few times to get used to the light. I glance at the clock on the nightstand, see that it’s already 10:30am, and I shoot into a sitting position. Only now do I notice the glass of water and two Aspirin on the nightstand. A smile plays on my lips at his attentiveness and I gulp down the pills. I dress into the shirt that’s hanging from the back of the chair and button three buttons. I comb through my hair with my fingers, but I doubt it helped any, with the rat’s nest on my head. Barefoot, I walk down to the kitchen. Camilla is standing by the stove, contentedly humming some melody. I knock on the doorframe so I wouldn’t startle her. She turns her head and smiles pleasantly at me.
“Good morning, Miss Vaughn. I’m just making breakfast. Sit down,” she points her ladle to the bar stool by the kitchen counter. She sets a glass of orange juice in front of me and returns to the stove.
“Where’s Jake?” I take a gulp of my orange juice.
“Oh, he’s been in the gym all morning. He’ll probably finish soon.” I don’t wait for her to continue. I get up and walk to his gym. As I’m approaching, I hear muffled music coming from the room. When I open the door, I’m deafened by the loud rock music playing from the speakers. At the far end of the room, running on a treadmill, there he is.
Sweaty.
Sexy.
Powerful.
Licking my lips, I approach him. He doesn’t notice me right away as he is too focused on running. He is wearing black basketball shorts (riding low on his hips), his running shoes, and he’s shirtless. Beads of sweat are trickling down his torso, glistening in the sunlight coming from the windows; his muscles moving in accord with the rhythm of the run. He wipes his forehead with the back of his hand, and then he sees me. Leaning against one of many mirrors built in the wall, I beckon him closer, inviting him with my index finger. Jake steps off the treadmi
ll, wipes his face with a towel, and secures it around his neck. Holding the edge of the towel with his hand, he slowly approaches me, his eyes roaming my body.
“Good morning,” I say.
“It is now,” he responds and lifts me up by my butt, kissing me.
“Eww, you’re sweaty.”
“And you’re hot.” He presses me back against the mirror, and presses his rock hard erection into my stomach. He kisses me again, and then sets me back down. “Even though I’m dying to bury myself to the hilt inside you, I have to take a shower. We have to go soon. Wait for me in the dining room, okay?” He runs his thumb over my lips. Aroused, I swallow hard, and nod.
After the very late breakfast, Jake drives me home so I can change, and then we go to his interview at 1 o’clock. We park in the parking lot by the TV station, and go inside the building. At the reception desk, a young receptionist greets us. Recognizing Jake immediately, she flashes him her white smile, and straightens her blouse. She fixes the strand of hair she already tucked behind her ear three times. I only roll my eyes at her. But who could blame her? He is gorgeous. She directs us toward the studio, and I decide to wait for him on an armchair that’s behind the cameras. On the other side of the studio, an audience is impatiently waiting for the show to start. The host of the show approaches Jake, enthusiastic, and they shake hands. He shows him which side he has to come from when he announces him, explains a few things, and the show soon begins.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our show. I have a real treat for you today, especially for the ladies. It’s no other than Jake ‘The Beast’ Burns.” The women in the audience start cheering and whistling. Jake confidently walks across the set to his seat, waves to the audience, and sits down. The cheers still don’t die down, even when the host of the show speaks. “I’m glad you could be here with us despite your packed schedule, and it being the peak of the season for you. Tell us, how are you doing? You already have a few wins under your belt. It seems that this is going to be another successful season for you.” Rubbing his chin, Jake shifts slightly in his seat.