Page 29 of Embrace
My eyebrows pulled into an intense frown. “What do you mean?”
“Everything. My brothers, being Asher Christmas again.” He scoffed. “I didn’t think I’d ever encounter Julia again, yet here the fuck she is, making herself front and center. That’s what bothers me, Penina. That’s all.”
I waited for him to look at me. When he did, I nodded softly, letting him know I understood.
“Then you plan to come clean about your identity?” I asked.
His gaze ventured down to my cleavage and back to my face. “This is not supposed to be happening right now.”
I knew what he meant.
“But it is happening.”
He sighed. “I know. And yes, I am coming clean to all hospital personnel.”
Finally, he didn’t try to stop me when I scooted off his lap. I was disappointed by that. The distance between us felt like an impending threat.
Once he was free of me, he massaged his temples. Jake rarely slept, and it showed, but I’d never seen him look so ghoulish.
“And Julia Valentine doesn’t inspire warm memories, you know,” he added.
I nodded understandingly, trying very hard to put myself in his shoes. I had been just as angry when Rich trapped me in Dr. Best’s office and tried to bang me, which was an activity he wasn’t that great at, especially compared to Jake. I had felt violated and insulted because I had gotten over him, and he had the nerve to treat me as if I hadn’t.
But I had to say something to convince Jake that I wasn’t jealous or afraid of losing him, even though I was. “Well, then maybe you should answer her call and find out what she wants.” I could hardly believe that was what I’d come up with, and I immediately wanted to take it back while at the same time allowing my words to stand.
I could see the wheels turning in Jake’s mind as he watched me with narrowed eyes. My chest was tight and my body completely still. Jake had been something very good that happened in my life, which was something that hadn’t occurred in a long time.
I had sort of sworn off men after Rich. My ex-boyfriend had certainly left me bitter about finding true love, Prince Charming, and shit like that. Maybe Jake’s brothers and his ex-girlfriend, who I couldn’t forget was my long-lost sister, had busted our bubble at the right time. After all, our relationship was entering a new phase. To me, he had always been Jake Sparrow, but I had to be honest with myself. The sky-blue eyes I was looking into, the ones that had always been so intense and careful, belonged to a man named Asher Christmas.
“I need to get some work done tonight,” he said in a low voice. “How about I take a rain check?”
My mouth fell open. We had chosen that night to make up for being so afraid we would never be able to make love again. He was supposed to make me climax so many times that by the morning, I would feel as loose as a rag doll. Between sessions of us fucking each other’s brains out, I would catnap while he squeezed my tits until he turned me over so he could put them in his mouth while groping my ass and rubbing my clit. Jake loved rousing me, making it hard for me to ignore his handiwork.
So I allowed Julia Valentine that victory and quickly replaced my astonishment with a gracious smile. “Okay,” I said, overly chipper.
Jake nodded as he stared into my eyes. “Thanks, Penina. And um, it’s time to refer to me as Asher.” He sighed. “Asher Christmas.”
* * *
I closedmy eyes as Asher and I kissed. Heartbroken, I had already turned away from him when he said, “See you in the morning.”
The car waited in front of the steps until I was securely inside the building. It felt as if I were moving in an alternate universe where I no longer had a love interest because my evil stepsister had stolen him away from me.
A lonely feeling plagued me when I entered my apartment. Suddenly, I remembered how little I had eaten at Court’s party. It would’ve been wise of her to cross whoever catered dinner off her contacts list. The food was horrible at best. Still starving, I rushed to the kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator. I needed to eat, and it had to be something that could ease my despair, if only for a little while. I had all the fixings for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but as I stood in the chilly space between the door and the racks, I remembered the chocolate blast ice cream with large chunks of dark chocolate and Oreo cookies in the freezer. That would do.
I slammed the refrigerator door, opened the freezer, and found the full carton behind all the scallops, shrimp, and crab legs I wanted to cook but never had time for.
I tugged open the drawer where I kept my silverware and found a big spoon. It was as if my taste buds were in desperate need to have the flavors on my tongue. Plus, it was the fastest way to expunge Jake’s delicious taste from my mouth. The ice cream was hard, but I managed to scoop out a hearty spoonful anyway and plop it into my mouth.
“Oh…” I said, warming the cold ice cream sitting on my tongue.
One spoonful after the next, and with each swallow, I thought less and less about Jake, or Asher, or whatever the hell he was calling himself at the moment.
Knock, knock, knock.
I stood up straight, spoon in my mouth, and my eyes grew wide.Is it him? Has he come back to claim me?
When I made it to the door, I saw that I’d forgotten to put down my spoon and pint of ice cream. I didn’t want Jake, or Asher, to know I was gorging my blues away. “Fuck,” I whispered.
