by JL Paul
“This is amazing,” I whispered.
He approached me from behind and wrapped his arms around my waist. His breath was hot on my neck, making me shiver. “You can spend the summer with me and we’ll swim and fish in that lake.”
My heart did a jubilant dance. I hoped he was serious because I couldn’t think of anywhere else in this whole, wonderful world where I’d rather spend my summer.
He showed me the rest of the house, and I was totally charmed by it. The eat-in kitchen was spacious and perfect for those who liked to cook but didn’t live for it. A small powder room sat just next to the pantry. Upstairs there were four bedrooms and another bath. The master bedroom faced the lake with a little balcony outside of another set of French doors. The master bath had an adorable pedestal sink and a huge, Jacuzzi tub.
He was absolutely ecstatic about the basement. It wasn’t totally finished but it was huge. He pointed out where he planned to build a few walls to make a studio.
“And I’ll have it soundproofed so me and the guys can work or goof-off.” He kissed me quickly and led me up the stairs to the kitchen. “It still needs some work, and Greta keeps bugging me about getting a decorator, but it’ll get there.” He paused to smirk at me, his eyes glowing. “The hot tub on the deck works, though.”
I leaned against a counter and pulled him to me. “I think it’s perfect. I love it.”
His smile crinkled his eyes and it caused my heart to twirl.
“That’s all that matters,” he whispered as he leaned in to kiss me. I sighed, happy to be with Jake again. “I stocked the kitchen so I could make you something to eat. Good thing, too, Isabella, since you obviously can’t cook.”
He grinned playfully and I smacked him lightly on the arm. Laughing, he began pulling things out of the cabinets. I watched, mesmerized, as he cooked. He wouldn’t allow me to help at all but narrated what he was doing every step of the way. He seemed so professional that the only thing he needed to do was switch the black bandana on his head for a chef’s hat, and he could have his own show.
He started a fire and we ate in the living room at the coffee table. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him as my heart thumped wildly, urging me to confess my feelings. If I didn’t soon, I’d just blurt it out.
Once we finished dinner, I helped him clean up our dishes. He grabbed my bag and headed up the stairs, me trailing behind. He stopped at the top and smiled at me. “Would you like the guest room?”
I gave him my favorite ‘are you kidding me?’ look. He laughed and kissed the top of my head.
“I take it you’re bunking with me.”
“Is that okay?” I asked. I didn’t want to force myself on him.
“Of course, Iz. Whatever you want.”
I grinned as we stepped into his bedroom. The bear I’d sent him for V-Day was propped against his pillows.
“The guys tease me about that, you know.” His eyes were alight with laughter.
“Do you want me to take it back?” I asked.
He kissed me. “Not at all. It’s so perfectly you.”
My heart started up with its treacherous pounding, and I asked shyly if he’d allow me to use his bathroom, to freshen up. He laughed again, shoving me gently to the door. Nervously pulling the red nightie from my bag, I changed quickly and combed my hair. I studied my reflection in the mirror. My face was flushed with a slight pink tint to my cheeks, and my eyes were bright.
Jake’s raspy voice slipped under the bathroom door and didn’t steady my trembling hands in the least. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. He was sitting on the foot of the bed in shorts and a t-shirt, strumming on a guitar and my heart nearly stopped. He was incredibly beautiful and I loved him all the more.
I shifted nervously from foot to foot.
“Um, Jake. I forgot to show you the other Valentine’s present I have for you.”
He twisted to look at me and his eyes widened. He stood, nearly dropping the guitar, eyes never leaving me.
“Damn, Iz,” was all he could whisper.
Chapter Twenty
I bit my lip, still shifting nervously from foot to foot as Jake finally came to his senses and put his guitar on the stand. He crossed the room in slow motion and took both my hands.
“Iz, you are so very…beautiful.” His voice was unsteady, and it boosted my courage. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
He tried to grin but his emotions got the better of him.
“No, not at all. I…um…want you,” I said, dropping my head as heat flooded my cheeks. What could I say? I was new to this sort of thing. “I love you, Jake.”
He lifted my chin and finally managed a soft smile. “Iz, you don’t have to do this, you know. There are other ways to show me you love me.”
“I know I don’t have to do this,” I told him firmly as I grabbed his waist. “I want to do this because I love you.”
He cupped my face, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. He dipped his head and kissed me so lovingly that my heart surged enough to power his entire house. He eased me closer and wrapped his arms around me. My nerves were on end, totally frayed. I wasn’t sure what to do next—where to put my hands or anything else. I hoped he would be patient and guide me through the entire process.
But his lips broke away from mine and we both gasped for oxygen. “Iz, angel, this isn’t a good time.”
My heart shattered at my feet. How could it not be a good time? We were totally alone, in his home, and I would be staying the entire night with him. Unless…
“You don’t want me?” Rejection washed over me and nearly buckled my knees. Of course he wouldn’t want me that way. He had been in a serious relationship with Monique, after all, and she was absolutely gorgeous.
Jake gripped my chin, again, and his hard eyes burned into mine. “Never, ever say or think that, Iz. I always want you. You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” He took a second to inhale deeply before he pecked my lips sweetly as his eyes softened. “I love you, too, Iz. Very much. And I find you very desirable.”
“Then why not?” I persisted, reveling in his declaration. He loved me!
He gently eased me to his bed and sat next to me. He cleared his throat as he studied the wood floor.
“Iz,” he began, finding my eyes again. “We’ve only been together about six weeks or so. That’s not enough time to build a relationship.”
“But we’ve known each for a lot longer,” I pressed.
“Oh, angel,” he sighed. He ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed. “Listen, please, Iz.” I nodded, curious to what he had to say. “When I was with Monique, I was crazy about her. We were together a short time when we began our … physical relationship. I don’t think either of us was ready. Pretty soon, our entire relationship was based pretty much on sex. We stuck together for over a year but it tore us apart.”
He stroked my hair and flashed a half-hearted grin. “There’s no way in hell I want that to happen to us. I love you more than I ever loved her but more importantly, I have an enormous amount of respect for you.”
I tried to form a smile with my trembling lips. “So you do want me but you don’t want us to do that sort of thing yet?”
He chuckled and kissed my cheek. “Let me tell you a little story, okay? Before me and the guys signed with the record company, my dad sat us all down for a talk. Matt and I were the only two with fathers in our lives so my dad sort of filled that role for Ronnie and Nick. Anyway, he told us all kinds of ‘manly’ things. But he also warned us not to forget who we are. He reminded us that we were raised with morals and decency and not to let success cloud or change us—especially with girls. He warned us to keep a firm hold on our hormones and remember that even though girls may seem willing, they aren’t playthings.”
I frowned. “Jake, I’m not a groupie or anything like that. I’m your…girlfriend.”
His blue eyes filled instantly with warmth. “Yes, I know. But my dad also told us that sex wasn’t jus
t about pleasure and feeling good for a little while. He warned us not to cheapen it and remember that we wouldn’t be the only one engaging in it – that we’d have a partner and to remember that that partner had feelings.” He sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What he essentially was trying to tell us was that girls were more than warm bodies. And especially if we met a special girl to always respect her and not let sex define love. Do you understand?”
I considered his words before answering. I did get it. He didn’t not want me, but he respected me. He wanted us to be a couple for a little while before taking that next step.
“Yes, I guess I do.” I laughed nervously. “I actually, well, um, used to want to wait until…you know…I got married. I thought it would be so romantic.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” he said, but it seemed to pain him to admit it.
“But Jake,” I continued, determined to make him see that I didn’t just have a silly little crush on him. “Jake, the feelings I have for you—well, I can’t entirely explain it, but you are the first person that I haven’t wanted to wait that long to…you know.”
He pressed his lips to mine. “I do love you, Iz. I fell in love with you that night I met you. And I don’t want to do anything to screw this up.”
I captured my lip between my teeth, still battling that lingering self-doubt. He took my face in his hands. “Don’t ever think I don’t want you; that I don’t desire you, because I do. It’s very … difficult to put you off tonight – especially as beautiful as you look right now. But just because I love you and you love me doesn’t mean we have to automatically jump into bed together. I’m not saying we have to wait until marriage, but maybe we should at least wait until you finish high school. We don’t have to set a time line. Let’s just bask in it for awhile, huh?”
His crazy smile made me laugh so I kissed him. My heart overflowed with love and I just wanted him to hold me and not ever let go. “Okay.”
He rose from the bed and pulled me to my feet. “Let’s get some sleep.
He turned the bed down and held the blankets up so I could slide under them. He crawled in next to me and shut off the lamp on the night stand. His hands found me in the dark and eased me flush with his body. He kissed my head and I sighed.
“I guess the nightie wasn’t such a great Valentine’s Day present,” I murmured.
“Oh, no, Iz. It’s a perfect gift. You are absolutely breathtaking in it, and I am a lucky man to be the only one to see it on you.” He kissed my collarbone. “You look beautiful in my beat up t-shirts, but it is an excellent treat to see you in this,” he said as his finger hooked the spaghetti strap. “Thank you so much.”
I was grateful he couldn’t see the heat flood my cheeks as I nestled closer to him. His arms tightened around me and his warm breath tickled my cheek. My heart didn’t pound as loudly but it still fluttered in my chest. I was disappointed, a little, but filled with awe for the man lying next to me. I knew he was a decent person—all four of them were—but I never expected this. Exhaling, I closed my eyes. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was too early in our relationship to take things to that next level.
“Get some sleep, angel,” he whispered in my ear, his voice heavy and weary. “We have plenty of time. I’m not going anywhere.”
A tiny smile graced my lips as I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
***
I was a little embarrassed the next morning when I woke, my limbs tangled with Jake’s, wearing the slinky nightie. The events of the evening returned to my brain and my heart pattered. When I sat up, I found his lips curved in a slight smile.
“Morning,” he mumbled. He ran his hand up and down my back. “You hungry? I’ll make breakfast.”
His hair was rumpled, sticking up at odd angles, and his eyes were heavy, still rimmed with sleep, but he never looked more beautiful to me. I dropped a quick kiss on his cheek. “I can help.”
His smile grew. “Not on your life, Iz. Your mother warned me about you and kitchens.”
I jutted my bottom lip out and crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not that bad.”
He threw the blankets back and crawled out of bed, holding out a hand. “I’m sure. But you’re my guest so I’ll just cook for you.”
After breakfast, we prepared to go to Jake’s father’s house. I was a wreck, naturally, and Jake noticed. His face was relaxed, lips turned up, with amusement frolicking in his blue eyes. “My dad is going to love you, don’t worry.”
Sure, easy for him to say. He held out my coat, and I shrugged into it, resigned to the fact that I would have to meet Jake’s family sooner or later. He spun me around and zipped my coat, pausing to drop a light kiss on my lips. His eyes crinkled with his smile. “I meant what I said last night, Iz. I do love you.”
He still had a tight hold on my jacket, and I was grateful for that. My bones softened, and I nearly crumpled. “I love you, too.”
He squeezed me to his chest then took my hand. “Come on. My dad’s probably waiting.
***
It took a little less than an hour to reach his dad’s house in the suburbs. I was somewhat disappointed that we didn’t get to drive downtown but I lived. The traffic was probably murder, anyway.
Jake pulled his Mustang into the drive of a handsome, brick two-story about the size of my parents’ house. Butterflies took flight in my stomach as Jake took my hand and led me up the walk, through the still frozen garden beds. I gnawed on my lip and Jake noticed. He rubbed his thumb over my chin, startling me.
His grin was incorrigible. “Don’t bite your lip, angel. That’s my job now.”
My lip fell out of my mouth and followed my jaw to the ground. My cheeks flushed as I gaped at him. Laughing, he opened the door and yanked me inside. My jaw fell even lower as I nearly barreled into an older, carbon copy of Jake.
“You have to be Iz,” the man said, smile crinkling his fading blue eyes. I nodded, unable to speak. He chuckled and took my free hand. “I’m James Johnson.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Johnson,” I managed to stammer.
“Please, call me James,” he insisted as he pulled his son into a manly hug.
“Where’s Greta?” Jake asked.
“Behind you, dork.”
We turned and I found myself face to face with a dark haired beauty with eyes as sparkling blue as Jake’s. She was a few inches taller than me and had a breathtaking smile. She held her hand out to me. “I’m Greta. It’s really nice to finally meet you.”
We sat around a handsome table in the cozy dining room and talked for the rest of the afternoon. James was extremely charming, and I wondered why the man was still single. Warm and friendly, it was easy to talk to him. And it was evident how much he adored his children—and vice versa.
Greta was a year older than me and exuberant. I was probably as thrilled as she was that we hit it off so quickly. I could easily see her hanging out with me, Annie and Cammy. Although her brother was a huge rock star, she was down to earth and just so nice that I loved her immediately.
James reminded me a lot like my own father. He was perfectly at ease with his children and comfortable talking about anything. Even when my mouth got started about my own family and I rambled on and on, he smiled warmly, not the least bit patronizing, and listened carefully. He asked questions about me and my school and my future plans and often shot Jake approving glances. My nervousness dissipated.
James took us to a neighborhood restaurant for dinner. I held tightly to Jake’s hand, moving as close as possible as quite a few people turned to stare. Jake either didn’t notice or chose to ignore it as we followed our hostess. A couple from a nearby table came over to greet the Johnson clan and James invited them, and their daughter, to join us. He explained, for my benefit of course, that they lived around the corner. Jake tensed beside me, and I fumbled for his hand under the table. He gave it a squeeze, grateful little grin popping on his face.
James introduced the couple as Peter an
d Cynthia and their daughter as Michelle. I didn’t catch their last name as I was too busy watching Michelle eye Jake as though he were a fine piece of art. Or a side of beef.
“What do you do, Isabella?” Cynthia asked.
“I’m in my last year of school,” I answered simply. I didn’t want to appear rude but there was absolutely no need to get my mouth going. Who knew where it would stop.
“Oh? What university do you attend?” she asked, only slightly interested. “Michelle is in her first year at DePaul.”
“I’m a senior at Meridian Valley. It’s a boarding school,” I explained. Michelle raised a haughty brow, amused smirk puckering her glossed lips. “I’ve been accepted to West Village University. They have an excellent Elementary Education program.”
Jake beamed at me. “You didn’t tell me you’d been accepted. That’s great.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled. “I just found out.”
Heat burned my cheeks as all eyes found me. I wanted to slide under the table. I hate attention.
“I’m studying law,” Michelle announced with a lift of her proud chin.
But Greta cut her off before she could boast. “I’ve been thinking about teaching, also. Maybe I should check into West Village.”
“It’s a nice place,” Jake added. He gave my hand a squeeze. “We played there New Year’s Eve.”
“What do your parents do?” Peter asked. I forced a smile. What was it with these people? What do you do? What do your parents do? What’s next? Were they going to ask what my pets did? I didn’t have any but I didn’t think that would matter much to them.
“They’re both attorneys in my grandfather’s law firm.”
Michelle lifted her glass to her lips to cover her snort. Greta nudged my thigh with hers and suppressed a giggle. I glanced at her, curious. She looked pointedly at Michelle and rolled her eyes.