Page 18 of Worthy Now
I burst out laughing, slapping my thigh at his dumbstruck expression.
“Yes, Jake. I’m fucking with you. The night is still young. The great thing about being an adult is that I no longer have a curfew. I’d love a nightcap.” Jake’s relieved exhale is audible.
“Thank fuck for that. For a second, I thought you were serious.”
“Take me home, Tiger. I’m all yours.”
“Damn, baby. Don’t go making promises you don’t intend to keep. I might just hold you to it and never let you leave again.”
Then don’t, I think to myself as I stare at his profile highlighted by the silver glow of the moon.Keep me and don’t ever let me go.
Eleven
Tessa
“Home, sweet home,” Jake announces, sweeping an arm out and granting me entrance to his domain. As soon as I set foot in the door, I can’t help but notice the changes he’s made. What used to be a mud room/hallway combo that led to a cozy outdated kitchen now opens straight into one massive space. Walls that used to separate each room on the main floor gave the entryway a dark, almost claustrophobic feel. Nothing obstructs the view now, and I gawk at the most amazing state-of-the-art kitchen I’ve ever seen.
Solid marble countertops, cherry-stained maple cabinets, and stainless-steel appliances easily turned the space into every homemaker’s dream. A beautiful breakfast bar with intricate wood carvings separates the kitchen from the dining and living room, and Ican hardly believe this is the same house I’d hung out in back when we were kids.
“Wow,” I breathe, at a loss for words in the face of his talent, because I know damn well he wouldn’t have hired a third party to do this. “It looks nothing like I remember, Jake. This is incredible.”
“Thanks.” He looks almost bashful as he shrugs his dress coat off his wide shoulders and holds a hand out for mine. “I thought about selling after Dad passed,” he admits as I follow him deeper into the room. “I even met with a realtor, but in the end, I couldn’t go through with it. This place has seen a lot of ugly things, but it’s also where my mom’s memory lives. I swear, the closet in the master bedroom still smells like her.” He huffs out a humorless laugh. “This is our home and Anna and Jude have already lost so much. I didn’t want to take anything else from them.” He gives me a tight smile and pulls out a barstool, offering me a seat, before taking a couple of wine glasses down from one of the upper cabinets. Uncapping a bottle of chilled Chardonnay, he pours us each a generous amount before handing one over to me.
Low jazz music filters through the room and the dim lighting creates a sultry atmosphere. Jake lifts his glass in a toast and holds my warm gaze. “To us. They say change is good, but sometimes what the soul really needs is the old and familiar.”
“Who are you calling old?” I ask, chuckling. Taking a sip and savoring the fruity notes exploding on my tongue, I peer at him over the rim of my glass. “You’ve done a beautiful job. I can hardly believe this is the same house.”
“Took me a while but it had to be done. Once I decided to hang onto the place, I just couldn’t leave it the way it was. I needed to make it my own, you know? Cleanse it of his ghost.”
“And so you did,” I say, and even though I feel a lingering sadness for everything he’s been through, there’s also a profound sense of pride.
“So I did.” The heat in his ocean eyes makes me break out in goosebumps, and I gulp down more wine in an effort to cool myself down.Is it just me, or did it suddenly get a whole lot warmer in here?I fight the urge to fan myself, opting to let my eyes wander over the rest of the room instead. It snags on a charming stone fireplace that begs you to relax and put up your feet after a long day of work. What really draws my eye, however, is the built-in reading nook that wraps around an enormous bay window. Two wall-to-ceiling bookshelves line a cozy bench seat, filled to the rafters with a mix of paperbacks and hardcovers. To my absolute delight, I spot a few of my own among the impressive collection. It’s dark now, but I can only imagine how inviting the area must look during the day, kissed by golden hues from the rising sun. Ican easily picture myself sipping a hot cup of tea while I devour romance novel after romance novel or type out another bestseller of my own. Jake follows my dreamy gaze. “I built it for Anna. Always has her nose stuck in a book, that one. I swear she spends more time there than anywhere else in the house.”
“I don’t blame her. It’s gorgeous. A bookworm’s wet dream.” Jake chokes on his drink, thumping a fist against his sternum. I blush when I realize my poor choice of words but can’t help but laugh at his wide-eyed expression.
“Don’t tell me my blunt description shocked you, because I don’t believe it. I mean, I’m looking at the man who loved to make people uncomfortable by saying the most inappropriate things, and didn’t hesitate to tell my mother my chocolate cookies gave him indigestion.”
Jake gives a low chuckle, eyes shining with glee. “He’s still in here somewhere. Believe it or not, being a respectable business owner forces me to be a bit more diplomatic these days.” He leans back, looking both comfortable and sexy while he studies me with an intensity that has my heart rate increasing. “Your dirty mouth just took me by surprise, is all. I also noticed you swear a lot more than you used to. Not so proper anymore, are you?” He probably expects me to squirm under his scrutiny, but he’s right. I’m no longer the innocent girl he once knew. Matching his relaxed posture, I digmy teeth into my bottom lip and watch his azure eyes dip to my mouth.
“Penny for your thoughts,” I whisper.
“I’m not sure you’re ready to hear it.”
“Alright,” I say, resting my forearms on the cold marble. Time to show him just how brazen I can be. “Let me tell you what I’m thinking.” Jake arches a brow, eyes flashing with interest. He knows the evening’s about to take a different turn and doesn’t seem at all mad about it. “I think we’ve been dancing around each other all evening and it’s time to do something about this crackling tension between us. I think you didn’t invite me here just to share a friendly drink. You’re trying to be a gentleman, but that’s not what I need. What I need is for you to give me what I’ve been craving ever since that explosive kiss the other night.”
I watch with satisfaction as his nostrils flare and a hungry expression takes over his features. And I don’t look away when his Adam’s apple bobs on a hard swallow just before the corner of his mouth curls into a predatory smile.
“Damn, Tessa,” he groans, like my demand causes him physical pain. The way he shifts in his seat suggests my little speech has had the desired effect. “I had every intention of taking things slow. But you’re making it real hard for me to keep my hands to myself. I’m about two seconds away from dragging you into my bedroomlike a fucking neanderthal, so I’m giving you one last chance to reconsider. After that, you’re mine. You better be damn sure you know what you’re asking for because my self-control is slipping, and I don’t want there to be any room for regrets.”
Reaching across the counter, I lightly run my fingertips up his forearm, making sure I have his attention before saying, “I could never regret you, Jake. I’ve wanted you my whole life. Seven years of keeping my distance hasn’t changed that, and I doubt anything ever will. So, if you honestly think I’m going to tuck tail and run, you’d better think again. Been there. Done that, and I don’t make the same mistake twice. But if you don’t get your hands on me soon, I swear I’m gonna call an Uber and go take care of the situation myself.”
Jake narrows his eyes at me for a long, tension-filled moment before he stands so abruptly his chair wobbles, almost toppling over.
“Upstairs. Now,” he barks, taking my hand and making good on his promise as he drags me to his lair. He nudges me through his bedroom door, slamming it shut with a well-placed kick and begins stalking me like a hungry lion.
The single-minded focus in his baby blues is both a little unsettling and exhilarating. I retreat a step for every one of his until the back of my legs hit the massive four-poster bed, leaving me withnowhere to go. Jake’s big hands land on my hips, roughly pulling me into his body while his impressive erection digs into the swell of my lower belly. He groans at the contact, squeezing his eyes shut, and I take that opportunity to study his chiseled features. He’s always been beautiful, but he’s positively stunning now. A display of raw, masculine power. His mouthwatering body is honed by years of physical labor, and I crave him with an intensity I’ve never experienced before.
“This is crazy,” he whispers, echoing my thoughts while he stares straight into my soul. “I’m about to come in my pants like a fucking teenager, and I’ve barely even touched you. It’s like I’m sixteen again, fumbling my way through and trying not to embarrass myself. Goddamn, woman,” he rasps against the side of my throat. “I need to get inside you.”
