"I care about you Emily and this is the safest place for you right now."
I pause, my heart fluttering away at his words. I've never heard anything say those specific words to me for years. Someone cares about me. For someone who's felt so lonely and isolated in this world, Jake's words are music to my ear. No-one has ever cared about me enough to want to protect me.
Without thinking I walk towards him, wrapping my arms around his neck. The heavy burden on my shoulders feels like it's reduced slightly and I have Jake to thank for that. He appears startled at first, his body rigid before it softens ever so slightly. His arms wrap around my small frame, returning the embrace.
"Thank you . . . for everything." I murmur quietly against his chest. I can hear the thumping of his heart under his shirt. Moments pass between us and he doesn't respond but his body relaxes further against mine.
"It's what — " before he can finish, he pauses, clearing his throat. My body stills as I wait for him to finish his sentence.
"It's what friends are for." He mutters, his posture tensing up considerably. I feel his arms drop from around me and he takes a step back. I immediately miss his warmth but I don't show my disappointment.
"Right." I respond, giving him a tight smile. He looks at me for a while, his eyes falling around my features. I hear him let out a sigh before he turns away, heading for my bag. He picks it up effortlessly, beginning to walk up the stairs.
"Are you going to stand there all day or follow me up Muffin?" He asks me, turning around to give me a playful raised eyebrow. The sparkle has returned in his ocean blue eyes making me question whether the last few moments happened between us.
"Don't call me Muffin." I hit back at him, following him close behind. He lets out a low chuckle, his wide shoulders vibrating as I watch him from behind.
"We've already been through this, Muffin."
Even though I can't see his face, I can sense the smirk behind his words. I roll my eyes and decide to drop the topic because I'll never win with someone as stubborn as Jake Melvin.
Once we're upstairs, he turns right and opens a door. It reveals a large room with walls that are decorated in grey and black stripes. There's a double bed in the middle, a few posters hung on the wall and a computer desk. The left side of the room has a punching bag hung from the ceiling looking battered and bruised. A pile of weights are stacked neatly beside it.
I scan the rest of the room which is surprisingly tidy for a eighteen year old possible gang member. Huh, so Jake Melvin is a clean freak.
"This is my room. You're welcome to come and spend time with me in here." Jake winks in my direction. How does he manage to remain so confident all the time?
"Ha, you wish." I respond, my voice sounding more like a squeak. I can feel my cheeks burning with heat and curse myself for blushing.
"You're heating up Wentworth."
"It's warm inside, that's all." I reply, avoiding his gaze. Jake chuckles quietly under his breath before moving along the corridor slowly. He stops off in front of the next bedroom and swings the door open.
"This is your room. Treat it like your own."
He walks inside, dropping the bag on the floor. I walk in after him and scan the room. The walls are painted a light shade of lilac which I like. There's a large bed decorated with white and light grey cushions. Empty photo frames hand on the wall waiting to be used and a square fur rug sits at the end of my bed. I glance at the victorian wardrobe in the corner, admiring the intricate white detailing before turning towards Jake.
"It's perfect, I love the colours in here." I tell him walking around the room. My fingers trail over the bed spread, the material cool under my fingers.
"Are you sure it's cool that I'm staying here?" I ask him, spinning around. He's watching me intensely, leaning back against the wall with his hands stuffed inside his pockets. His sleeves are rolled up halfway, exposing the skin on his arms. My eyes linger on them a second too long and when I look up, Jake is back to smirking at me.
"Mine and Ivory's mum are in Thailand for two weeks on business." He says, taking a slow step forward. I nod my head but remain silent.
"Two, Ivory's brother doesn't care who stays." He continues, his voice softer this time.
"And three, I want you to stay so you're staying." He finishes off, standing in front of me. I nod my head slowly, my breathing catching in my throat. Jake is inches away, his alluring scent wrapping itself around me. He suddenly steps away, dropping down onto the bed beside him.
It snaps me out of it and I plaster a grin onto my face.
"Sounds great." I reply, feeling my heartbeat slow down now he isn't so close to me. I will end up having a heart attack one day from having Jake Melvin invade my personal space.
"I'll find a job and pay you back everything I owe." I tell him, taking a seat on the end of the bed. I sit cross legged and turn to face Jake.
He's looking at me with one eyebrow raised, the blue in his eyes lit up with passion.
"Did you just say you're going to pay me for staying here?"
"That is kind of what people do Jake." I say in a duh, isn't it obvious way and he rolls his eyes, sitting up straighter. He places his hands behind his head, the muscles in his arms tensing. I tear my eyes away from him in fear that I'll start drooling and won't be able to stop.
It should be a skill to stay focused when an insanely attractive human being who smells divine is sitting inches away from you.
"You're not paying me." Jake says firmly and I narrow my eyes, shaking my head in disagreement.
"Of course I'm going to pay you, I can't stay here for free."
"Yes you can."
"No I don't want to."
"It's my house and I'm telling you I don't want any money. So I win." Jake smirks confidently.
"You're impossible, you know that?" I say but a smile spreads across my face and I look at him gratefully. He shrugs, brushing it off as if it's completely normal to offer me a room for free.
"Thank you."
He opens his mouth to respond but a furry creature jumps up onto the bed and heads straight for his lap. My eyes widen in surprise at the little white dog, laughing as it attacks Jake's face with licks of its pink tongue. He lets out a groan, bringing his hands up to protect his face.
"Oh my goodness, she's adorable!" I coo over her, patting my knees. She notices me and heads over, her tail wagging in glee. A small pink rhinestone collar covers her neck which only adds to her cuteness.
"This is Boe, she's my dog." Jake says, introducing us. I scratch the back of her ears and her tail begins to wag faster.
"I think I'm going to like it here, especially with this little beauty." I coo over her. She spins around a few times before settling herself in my lap.
"She's your dog?" I ask in disbelief, the surprise clear as day in my voice.
"Yeah, she's mine. I've had her since I was five." Jake chuckles. I smile back at him, my heart warming at his words.
"That's kind of adorable Jake." I say softly, stroking the little dog in my lap. I've always wanted a pet but Mum and Trevor wouldn't allow me to have one. Jake's smile quickly turned into a childish pout at my words.
"Don't call me adorable."
"Does it bruise your man pride?" I tease him and he rolls his eyes. "Definitely."
*****
I decide to come clean and explain everything to Ivory. Two tissue boxes and forty minutes later, I'm done. Ivory sniffles, pulling me into a bear hug.
"I can't believe everything you've been going through. You're so strong." She mutters, her eyes red with tears. I gently pull her away from me, giving her a reassuring smile.
"I feel like things are going to be better now." I explain, my eyes drifting over to Jake who's sat cross legged on the floor, Boe fast asleep in his lap. Ivory notices me staring at him and a triumphant smile stretches across her face. She jumps off the bed and heads for the door.
"Wait there!" She yells at me and I frown, wondering what she's up to.
She disappears out of the room, leaving Jake and I alone.
"She's right you know." Jake says quietly, looking up at me. I swallow the emotional lump lodged in my throat —
"She's right about what?"
"You are strong."
I bite down on my bottom lip, a red tint covering my cheeks.
"Thank you." I reply, fidgeting with nerves from being under his intense stare. Ivory re-enters the room, causing me to blow out the breath I didn't realise I was holding.
"Here you go, these are yours!" She says excitedly, throwing a bunch of stuff down onto the bed. My eyes scanned over the toiletries and girl essentials and I smile, my heart bursting with love for her.
"You really didn't need to do this." I say, hugging her. She pulls back, shaking her head.
"Of course I did! This is going to be so exciting! It'll be like having a sister, I definitely need another girl around the house."
"I'm surprised you're still sane having to live under the same roof as Jake." I joke, getting a shocked gasp from Jake in return. Ivory giggles, agreeing with me before turning towards him.
"Is it a coincidence that Emily's room is right next door to yours?" She asks him, her tone suggestive. I feel my heart rate increase as I wait anxiously for his response —
"Not a coincidence." Jake shoots back instantly, a confident smirk on his face. I snap my head up to meet his blue eyes, butterflies exploding in my stomach.
"I'm welcome in here anytime, right Muffin?" Jake says, winking directly at me. I open my mouth to reply but I find the words unable to leave my throat. Ivory rolls her eyes, standing up and walking out the door —
"Just use condoms guys," she giggles over shoulders. My mouth falls open in shock and I feel my face burn bright red. I groan and slap a hand over my face to disguise my embarrassment.
"Ivory!" Jake warns her firmly before mouthing an apology my way. I give him a small smile in response, my cheeks burning up with flames. Jake's lips twitch upwards into a smirk at me before he spins around, glaring at Ivory.
"You have till the count of three before I chase you down and drop you head first out of the window." Jake threatens her, glancing down at his watch. Ivory gasps and narrows her eyes at him.
"You wouldn't," she hits back uneasily, her voice wavering. I can sense the nerves in her tone and let out a small giggle. Jake looks at her before tapping his watch —
"You know I would."
Ivory takes a second to consider her actions before turning on her heel and bolting down the corridor. Jake turns to give me one last heart stopping grin, his blue eyes shimmering.
That smile will be the death of me.
"I'm going to drop you on your head and hopefully you'll earn some brain cells!" Jake yells, his feet pounding on the floor as he leaves the room and catches up with her. Ivory's laughter fills the air and I cross my legs, glancing around my new room.
Well this is going to be different.
*****
All three of us are enjoying an extra cheese pizza when the front door bangs loudly, causing me to jump. I glance towards the living room door, watching as it's pushed open.
The first thing I notice is his striking resemblance to Jake. Instead of bright blue eyes, his eyes are dark and deep. A shade of brown with swirls of black and they appear bored. His dark hair is ruffled messily, falling over into his eyes.
His shirt clings tightly to his body especially around the top of his arms. He's clearly toned, his muscle definition so strong without the need of flexing. His lips are set into a permanent scowl and I tear my eyes off him, swallowing the lump in my throat.
I know instantly he shared the same DNA as Ivory and Jake. All three of them are beautiful with such striking features, you simply want to sit back and stare.
"Who's this Ivory?" he asks her, signalling towards me. His voice is a low rumble, words clear and blunt. I shuffle in my seat awkwardly, my body burning from underneath his intense stare.
"This is Emily, she's our friend. She's going to be staying here for a while Tobias." Ivory responds before reaching forward for another slice of pizza. Tobias' scowl deepens at the news, his eyebrows scrunched together in anger.
"How long?"
Jake immediately stands up and turns towards him, his jaw clenched tightly.
"However long she wants. Last time I checked, you didn't own this house."
Tobias glared at Jake and the two of them have a silent stare off with each other as I glance between them both nervously. Tobias huffed and leave the room, slamming the door as he went. I jump again and bite my bottom lip, hating being stuck in the middle of confrontation.
"Ignore him, he's always an asshole." Jake mutters, dropping back down onto the couch. I nod at him, my first impression of Tobias being not so great.
Later that night, I'm searching for the bathroom when I open a door and came face to face with a shirtless Tobias.
"Crap! I'm so sorry!" I yell, shutting the door over and standing back, wide eyed. Tobias' door flung open and he stares at me, his eyes burning with hatred.
"Stay out of my room." He warns me, his tone dangerous. I take a step back, blinking in surprise at his hostility.
"I'm trying to find the bathroom, can you show me where it is?" I ask him confidently. I won't let him know that his rude personality bothers me. Tobias pauses before tilting his head at me, studying me. He silently walks down the hallway and opened up a door, motioning for me to go in.
"There you go." He says bluntly.
"Do you have a problem with me Tobias?" I asked him outright, wanting to clear the air between us. Tobias doesn't reply instantly and instead raises one brow at me patronisingly.
"No," he replies bluntly, his tone bored.
"If you want me to leave, I can leave."
"Jake wants you here so I don't have a say in it. Stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours." Tobias says firmly, walking past me and shutting his bedroom door with a bang. I hear the lock in his door shut and I roll my eyes, exhaling the breath I'm holding.
Tobias really doesn't like me.
*****
It's 2am in the morning and I couldn't sleep.
I woke from a terrifying nightmare to find my cheeks and pillow drenched in tears. The room around me didn't feel like mine at all and I miss the feel of my room at home.
I sat up straighter in bed, tugging at my hair and scraping it back into a ponytail. I let out a sigh and climbed out of bed, deciding to go downstairs for a warm drink.
A hot chocolate or a glass of milk relaxed me and right now, I was on edge from the nightmares.
I grabbed a checked shirt, pulling it over me to provide extra warmth from my crop top and pyjama shorts. Slowly creaking my bedroom door open, I left my room and padded across the hallway on my tip toes. I scurried down the stairs and entered the kitchen, deciding against turning on the lights.
I didn't want to wake anyone.
I walked over to the fridge and opened it up, squinting from the light inside. I pulled out the milk and set it down on the counter before turning around to find a glass.
A dark figure was sat on the dining table, hunched over. I immediately froze in fear, my heart skipping a beat. All the hairs stood up on my body as I took a step back, feeling my heart thump wildly against my chest.
"Don't worry, it's only me."
I jumped at the voice before realising who it belonged to - Jake. I breathed out a sigh of relief and sit beside him, trembling slightly from the scare.
"You scared me," I admit quietly.
"You're easily scared," Jake replies back instantly. His voice is low and quiet, barely above a whisper.
"Jake?" I say quietly, placing a hand on his arm. He's freezing cold and I'm aken aback instantly.
How long has he been sat here in the dark?
"Are you okay?" I ask, worry settling inside me from his silence.
"I'm fine." His words are short and blunt.
"Okay," I whisper, scraping my chair back
and finding a glass from the cupboards. I had changed my mind about a warm drink, cold milk would do just fine.
Jake stands up behind me and I'm very aware of his presence as he walks around the table until he's right behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up followed by goosebumps. Jake's body presses against mine from behind, his hands resting on my waist.
He brought his lips up to my ear, nuzzling it with his nose. I feel goosebumps erupt all over my body and I shiver from his touch.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have been rude," he whispers, his voice sending shivers down my body. I frown, feeling confused from his sudden quick change in personality. Jake notices my shaking body and his arms tighten around my frame.
"Are you cold?" He asks me, mumbling his words down my ear. I turn around, my breathing hitching as I feel my body press against Jake's. His hands remain on my waist and he stares intensely at me, blue eyes burning through mine.
Desire filled the air, the connection between us so strong and passion filled.
"A little," I whisper, my lips an inch away from Jake's.
"I can come upstairs and keep you warm?" Jake suggests quietly, his fingers trailing against my bare stomach. I suck in a breath, closing my eyes so that I can think clearly.
Whenever Jake is next to me, it feels like I don't have control over my body or mind.
"I don't know, it's pretty late." I mumble hesitantly, my eyes stinging with lack of sleep.
"Jake, can I ask you something?" I say quietly, feeling his chest rising and falling against mine. His breathing shallows out as he continues to draw swirls on my stomach with his finger. My heart is going crazy inside my chest and I can feel my throat dry out from the electricity shooting through my body.
"Yes Muffin?" Jake answers, his warm breath fanning across my lips. I shudder, pulling back to create some distance between us.
"Do you care about me? Like, really?" I mumble, feeling insecure. It still surprises me that he would want to do all of this for me. I want to be certain about my feelings for him before I reveal them. I don't want to set myself up for failure, pain and humiliation.
"You know I care about you Emily," Jake murmurs, pulling back away from me. The heat begins to disappear as he inches further away, his face masking over with worry.
His Mission (HIS SERIES Book 1) Page 9