by J. Lea
“You got lucky again, mate,” Mike shakes his head, a roguish smile on his face, as we are walking up the steps to the victory podium.
“In your dreams, man. It’s called talent.” I challenge him with a raised eyebrow, and he bursts into laughter.
“Yeah, right. Keep thinking that if it makes you sleep easier at night. Every time Ella shows up at the circuit, you want to impress her. You were lucky the track wasn’t wet when you went into that left corner.” I can’t believe he noticed. I lost control of the bike for a split second, but I was certain nobody knew except me. “You handled it well, I have to admit.”
“You saw that?”
“I know you, mate, and besides, I was breathing down your neck the whole time. It was hard to miss it.”
I shake my head incredulously, while Mike grins. We step on the podium where we receive our prizes. Mike was a close second, and Gonzales came in third. The next race is in two weeks, so this is the perfect time to disappear from the public eye for a while.
Right after the incident with the threatening photographs, I booked a house on a private beach, so we won’t have any interruptions. It’s located in Sardinia, and the excuse, that this is what I wish for my birthday, was perfect. I want Ella to put her worries aside, and just enjoy some time alone with me.
After the ceremony, Ella and I head to my trailer, where I take a quick shower, change clothes, and then we go over to Debbie and Mike’s trailer.
“Come in,” Debbie yells, as we knock on their trailer’s door.
“Hi there,” Ella greets her as she enters. Debbie is packing clothes into a travel bag. She smiles and tells us to sit down. Her baby bump is starting to show; she is in the middle of her second trimester, and in a few weeks, she and Mike will find out the baby’s sex.
“If you want anything to drink, help yourselves,” she points to the fridge in the corner.
“Do you need any help?” Ella asks her, but Debbie shakes her head, saying she is almost finished. Mike comes out of the bedroom and joins us. We chat about their baby and the upcoming games.
“Debbie and I were talking…” Mike starts. He shifts in his seat, and puts his arm around Debbie’s shoulders, smiling at her. “When the season is over, I’ve decided to retire.” I stare at him in shock, and run my hands over my face a few times.
“Seriously?” It’s hard to believe the news, as he is only a few years older than me, and considering his successful career, he could still race for some time.
“Yes, we’ve talked about this for a while now, but when we found out about the baby, there was no more doubt. It works out perfectly with the season ending. Debbie’s due in the beginning of January, and the season is over in November. Couldn’t be more perfect. I want to be there for her, I want to raise my children. If I continued racing, I would see very little of them. I want to be a good dad and husband,” he shrugs, and Debbie kisses him, her eyes full of adoration.
“Wow, you just surprised me, that’s all. I thought we’d be racing together for at least a few more years. You know how much I enjoy you eating my dust,” I laugh, and nudge him in the shoulder.
“Don’t worry, mate, the season has barely just begun. I’ll make sure you’re the one staring at my back as many times as possible,” Mike jokingly threatens. “And there’s more…” Mike and Debbie lace their fingers together, and turn to us. “We are moving.” Mike’s face lights up as he shares the news.
“Where to?” Ella is shocked.
“Well… Since I’m giving up racing, I’m certain Jake would miss my sorry ass like crazy if I returned to Australia,” Mike raises his eyebrow at me. “And we fell in love with America, so the only logical solution was to move to Indianapolis. I’d like to coach young racers, and transfer my love for racing to them.”
“Yeah, right,” I laugh. “Just admit it—you’d miss my face if you couldn’t see me every day. No one can resist this pretty face.” We all burst into laughter. I jump out of my seat, and give Mike a hug. I’m happy about their decision. After all, he is my best friend.
“When are you moving?” Ella asks Debbie while they hug.
“Soon. We have already put down the deposit for the house. Until September, I’m going to travel with Mike, but after that, it’ll be too dangerous for both of us, so I’ll be settling into the new house, and getting ready for the new family member.” Ella’s eyes are sparkling.
“If you need any help whatsoever, you know where to find me. I’ll be happy to give you a hand.”
“Thanks, Ella.”
Mike and I step to the side, and let the women continue chatting about the move and the baby.
“I don’t know what to do, man,” I run my hand across my face. Mike knows everything about the “journalist”, the threats, and the photos. “What if he does manage to hurt her somehow? Do you think this is all connected? I’ve long ago stopped believing in coincidences.”
“Shit, mate. I think it’s a good idea to let the police handle this. That’s the best advice I can give you.”
“I’m nervous. I don’t know what else to do to protect her. I trust in James’s abilities, but I’m still concerned. I keep thinking about the possible suspects, but I haven’t got a clue.”
“Everything is going to work out, mate You’ll see.”
I wish I could believe Mike’s assuring words. “I’m not sure, but one thing I do know is that I won’t sleep a wink until that man is behind bars.”
“I know you’re afraid. I’d be terrified if I was in your shoes. What does James have to say about the matter?”
“Nothing much. He and his buddies at the police station are trying to figure out who’s behind all this.”
Mike nods. “Trust him. He won’t let anything happen to Ella.”
We are silent for a few seconds, and then I speak.
“Nobody knows about Sardinia, just you and James. I have to make Ella feel at ease, to focus her thoughts elsewhere.”
“You’re probably right. And your birthday is the perfect excuse.”
“I know.”
“Enjoy yourselves while you’re there, and put your worries aside.” Mike pats my shoulder, before we join Ella and Debbie.
“We’ll try.”
~ * ~
“Finally, I can have you all to myself for four days,” I lean in to kiss her neck, as we walk into a beautiful cottage on the beach.
“Mmm, I know how you feel. It seems as if we haven’t been alone together in ages.”
I nod, and slide my hands down her body to her hips. I gently push her back until her back hits the wall. “You smell divine.” I nuzzle my nose from her neck, past her jaw, to her full lips that are screaming for a proper kiss.
“Shouldn’t we get our luggage from the car first?” Ella mumbles with her eyes closed, while my hands slip under her blouse, exploring her soft skin. She pushes her hips toward me, and I know she can feel how hard I am for her.
“Fuck the luggage. Who needs clothes, anyway? All I need is you…naked…in bed, or anywhere else. I don’t give a damn,” I say, as I lift her by her butt. I shove her against the wall, and she lets out a sexy moan. Wrapping her legs around my hips, she kisses me senselessly. I pull her blouse over her head, and bury my head into her generous breasts. I carry her to the kitchen, and set her on the table. I swiftly shed her of her jeans and panties, so I have her lying in front of me, completely naked. She is spread on the table, watching me with her heavy-lidded chocolate eyes. I bend over her, trap her hands into mine above her head, and then feast on her lips. They are so warm and soft, so perfect. Trailing kisses downward until I reach her breasts, I circle a nipple with the tip of my tongue. Ella moans in pleasure, and gives me a lazy, lustful smile.
“Lower, Jake. I need you lower, please,” she groans, and pushes her hips up toward me.
“Don’t worry, babe. I’ll pay special attention to each and every part of your body,” I assure her, before I fulfill that promise.
Later, when she is
still coming down from her explosive orgasm, I lift her off the table, and carry her on the couch, where I bury myself deep into her, and take her to the heights of pleasure again.
We are lying on the couch after our explosive lovemaking. I have my arm around Ella, caressing her arm with the other hand. For the last month, I’ve been thinking more and more about taking her to my parents’ house for lunch. I promised I was coming over at the end of the week, and I want Ella to accompany me. I want my parents to see what a wonderful person she is, and that Liz doesn’t even reach her knees.
“Jake, that was incredible,” Ella purrs with satisfaction. “I’m not sure I’m even going to be able to walk.”
Good, so my job was successful. I carefully turn around to raise myself on top of her on my elbows, careful not to crush her under my weight. I stroke her hair and look into her eyes. “I was thinking…” I say, still playing with her hair, and her eyes shoot up to mine. She flashes me her brilliant smile, and nods for me to continue. “I want you to come with me to my parents’ house for lunch. I want them to get to know you better.” She opens her mouth to protest, but I put my finger to her lips. “Let me finish, okay?” She nods, so I remove the finger. “I know you met under rather ill circumstances—”
“Rather ill circumstances? Jake, they almost ripped me to pieces!” I raise an eyebrow at her interruption, and she clamps her lips together, letting me know she’ll listen to me until I finish.
“They’re not bad people. They are just worried for me—which is not strange, considering everything I put them through. They’re overprotective. You’ll see they’ll come to love you when they get to know you better.” She wants to cut me off again, but I quickly put a finger over her lips again. “Please, give them a chance. For me, okay? I promise they’ll act maturely.”
“I don’t know, Jake. I’ll have to think about it.” I nod, and kiss her.
“But, think quickly because the lunch is on Sunday.”
“This Sunday? In five days?” Ella gently pushes me to the side, and sits up on the couch. We are still completely naked. She combs her fingers through her messy hair. I nod, and lean on my elbow.
“What are you afraid of? It’s just dinner.”
Ella throws me a deadly serious look, raising an eyebrow. “Are you serious? The last time we were together in the same room, they almost threw me out. Your mother acted like I’m the world’s biggest scum and your father… I don’t even know what to think of him. That he hasn’t said a word probably hurt the most. I wasn’t even worth a single word. You can’t—”
“He can’t hear,” I interrupt the flood of her words, and I get her full attention immediately.
“What do you mean by that? He didn’t want to hear what I had to say?” I shake my head, run my finger over the skin on her shoulder, and brush her hair off her shoulder.
“No, like I said, he can’t hear. He’s deaf.”
“Oh my God, Jake! I’m sorry.” She clamps a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t know.” Her eyes turn from hard to soft instantly.
“It’s okay, babe. I should have told you that before. It slipped my mind with everything that has been happening.”
“S-so… has he been deaf since birth?”
“It happened about ten years ago.” I hold her hand in mine, and gently run my finger over it. “You remember when I told you I had mumps?” Ella nods compassionately. “Well, that day, Dad was fixing the roof. Some shingles came off, and he wanted to put them back on, insisting he didn’t need to call someone to do that for him. So he took the ladder, a hammer, and a few nails and started fixing the roof. Mom came outside every once in a while, telling him my temperature was rising unnaturally and frighteningly fast, and that this lump in my throat had appeared, and it had us all in panic. I was burning up, barely able to move. Mom insisted that Dad come down the ladder, and take us to the doctor. He said he’d be right down, and that we are leaving for the hospital immediately. And then everything went to hell.”
“What happened?”
“He was in hurry and wasn’t careful, so he missed a step. He fell about 8 feet to the ground below, and directly on his head. Mom and I were already in the car, waiting for him, when this happened. When we saw his fall, Mom rushed to him. He was conscious, but only barely; he didn’t know what was happening around him. I immediately called 911. I remember being so weak that I was barely able to hold the phone to my ear, and when the operator asked me things, I just mumbled into the phone, urging her to send the ambulance. When the paramedics arrived, Mom let them handle Dad, and she ran to me. They took the three of us to the hospital, but Dad wouldn’t let them check him. He insisted I should be taken care of first, because I was burning up, my face was red as a lobster from the fever, and I was shaking from the cold. We didn’t know what was wrong with me because the fever and the lump only appeared that day. We thought of the worst.”
“Jake, that’s so horrible,” Ella whispers.
“Well, long story short, they stuffed me with antibiotics, brought my fever down, and I stayed in the hospital for observation for a few days. But, the day of the accident, Dad was completely disoriented. He kept tripping over things. He wouldn’t listen to Mom and wouldn’t let anyone treat him. He wanted to be by my side, so he kept insisting he was okay. The next day, he couldn’t hear a thing anymore. Finally, he allowed the doctors to check him. So they discovered the fall was so severe, he hurt his eardrum and crushed the bones of his middle ear. This was a great shock for all of us. If I hadn’t gotten sick, Mom wouldn’t be nagging him to hurry up.”
“You’re blaming yourself?!” Ella exclaims, her eyes wide open.
“Who else is to blame? He fell because of me.”
“No!” she says firmly. “You were a child who needed medical help. Every good parent would be worried about their child, and have hurried to help them.”
“I don’t know…”
“So, was that why you got mixed up with bad people? That’s why you drank excessively and destroyed things and, especially, yourself? So you wouldn’t feel so guilty?”
“I guess. I didn’t even blink an eye when they told me I was infertile. Who’d give a damn about that at fifteen? But my father’s injury knocked me down hard.”
“Oh, Jake, I’m so sorry… The things you had to go through…”
“It’s okay. This happened a long time ago, and I’ve come to live with it.”
“And how did your Dad come to terms with it?”
“To tell you the truth, I have no idea. He was always so strong on the outside, never showed any weakness. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him, but he didn’t show us that. I guess he reconciled himself with the fact that he is deaf now, and learned to live with it.”
“He is a brave, strong man,” Ella says, and I nod. It’s true. Dad was always by our side, encouraging us, never letting us give up. His hearing loss didn’t stop him from being the rock of my family. You really have to be strong to do that. “Okay,” Ella smiles up at me.
“Okay, what?” I raise an eyebrow at her.
“Okay, I’ll go with you to lunch at your parents’.” I completely forgot I told her about the lunch. I give her a grateful smile, and wrap her into my arms. I can feel how cold her skin is. It’s summer, but it’s cold in the house.
“You’re freezing,” I say, running my hands up her arms. “Grab a shower, and I’ll bring our bags inside so you can get dressed.” Ella nods, and heads toward the bathroom, while I get the luggage.
Ella
I stand under the hot spray of the water, my thoughts on things Jake told me. How horrible—the things he had to go through…. and his father. I thought he disliked me, and that he was not the least bit interested in speaking to me, but in reality, he had no clue what was discussed in that hospital room. Now I feel terrible. I blamed him, too, without knowing such an important detail. I’m no better than Jake’s mother. So, I finally accepted Jake’s invitation to meet his parents officially. I want to be the be
tter person and give them, especially his mother, another chance.
Stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around me, I saunter to the bedroom, where Jake is already unpacking. His sexy, muscled back is turned away from me, dressed only in sweats, resting low on his hips. He turns when he hears me enter, and the corners of his lips turn up.
“Christ, you’re sexy as sin,” he says, his eyes roaming my body. “I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you.” My face lights up at his words. I’m the lucky one. He brought me back to life, gave me the will to live on, and I’m eternally grateful to him for that. I walk past him to the bed, where Jake’s already laid out a short summer dress for me to wear. He slides up behind me, and presses his warm skin against mine. Brushing my wet hair away from my neck, he trails kisses down the length of my throat. “Get dressed quickly. Otherwise, we won’t be getting out of this room today,” he murmurs in between kisses.
“I would, but your arms are in the way,” I say playfully. I let go of the towel, letting it fall at my feet, and turn around.
“So beautiful,” Jake groans, shaking his head. Brushing a knuckle of his finger over my swollen nipple, he stares deeply in my eyes, and then he slaps my butt. “Get dressed, woman! I’m barely able to contain myself from throwing you on the bed, and having my way with you.” I giggle, and quickly search for a bra. Looking Jake straight in the eye, I try to clasp the bra, but his hands find mine. “Allow me,” he says, and my arms drop beside my body. He turns me over, and expertly clasps the bra. He rubs my shoulders, and I reach for the dress and put it over my head. I straighten the hem, and put on my panties last. Jake changes out the sweats for shorts and a wife beater.
We want to catch the last sunrays of the day so we take a stroll down the beach. We’re in no hurry to put the clothes away; unpacking can wait for later. We’re walking barefoot on the warm sand; hands laced together, a soft breeze accompanying us. We’re enjoying the silence, and each other’s company, listening to the seagulls screeching above the water, and sometimes diving in to catch food. Tomorrow is Jake’s birthday. I know we came here to spend time together, but I also managed to prepare him a little birthday surprise. I really hope he’ll like it. I had to be inventive because Jake already has everything his heart desires, and I think it’ll be something he remembers for a long time.