Chapter Seven Jake #4
The days might be warmer, but I can tell by the way he’s dressed that he obviously knows what he’s doing when he heads into the woods for a hike.
Proper boots, jeans, and a long-sleeved shirt to protect his skin.
But there is no hiding the shape of his arms under that shirt, and the moment he lifts his arms above his head, linking his fingers together and dragging them back under his head to lie on, his biceps bulge, and the vision of his naked, sweaty body glistening in the sun that afternoon at Heatherbrae comes flooding back into my memory.
I can feel my breath hitch, and I need to close my eyes to stop gawking at his arms. I’ve already embarrassed myself enough tonight, I don’t need to make it worse.
In a way, I wish I could curl up into a ball, but there isn’t enough room on this blanket, so instead I cross my arms tightly over my chest and try to think of serene happy places.
Isn’t that what they say you should do when you need to stay calm?
But instead, I find myself focusing on the sound of Jake’s breathing.
All the noises of the woods around us seem to disappear, and it’s like his slow deep breaths in and out are my own personal white-noise machine.
The dull ache in my ankle is still there, but the more I concentrate on Jake’s breathing, the less it becomes my focus. The fear of the night is slipping away, along with the sounds around me.
It’s just him, and I feel safe.
And that should scare the hell out of me, except surprisingly, it doesn’t. But I can’t guarantee I’ll feel the same in the morning light.
Jake
I’m surprised to hear the first little snore coming from Ashley, lying beside me.
To get her to rest, I closed my eyes, hoping she would do the same, but I didn’t think it would work as well as it did. She must be exhausted from the pain and panic.
Opening my eyes and ever so slowly turning my head to the side, I take her in.
This woman is gorgeous.
Even in her most vulnerable state, she still glows, reminding me that when I’ve seen her the last few times, her skin has a natural tan to it.
You can tell she spends plenty of time outside in the sunshine.
Taking my time, I really look at her now.
She has three little worry lines on her forehead, and just on the top of her nose, there is a faint sprinkle of freckles that runs across both of her cheeks.
I have never noticed them before, but now I can’t unsee them, even though they are so light in color.
Wisps of hair have fallen onto her cheek, helping to soften the slight frown on her face. But nothing could dampen her beauty.
As the minutes pass, I notice her breathing is slowing to a nice steady rhythm and the creases on her forehead ease. As much as I try, I can’t get the vision out of my head of watching her come, just from my touch.
I should regret it, but I don’t. Having her under me, giving in to her base desire to let herself feel, was something special.
I know I’m not in Abbey Falls to find love, or even to have a good time. But there is this spark running through my body that’s suggesting I reconsider not wanting to get involved with Ash. And that’s not helping my cock to settle back down one little bit.
Looking at my watch, it’s now 1 a.m. and I have been watching over Ashley as she sleeps for more than two hours.
She’s starting to hug herself tighter with an occasional shiver, so I know she must be getting cold.
Although I have been keeping the fire going, there is a chill starting to seep up from the icy ground.
I can feel it myself and know that the temperature is only going to drop more before the sun rises.
Slowly sliding myself sideways, my body is now right beside her.
I can feel her breath on my face, and even though I know she was too embarrassed to accept my body for warmth earlier, I don’t think we have a choice now.
The last thing we want is for her to get hypothermia too.
Gently placing my arm around her waist, I pull her to me.
A shiver runs through her body, and she partially wakes.
“Jake.” Her voice is barely above a whisper, and I’m not sure how coherent she is.
“Shh, just keeping you warm.” And without another movement from me, it’s like she can feel the heat of my body, and that’s all it takes for her to mold herself against me.
Drawing what heat she can, her body starts to relax, and the sound of her breathing slows again to the soft lullaby I have been listening to for hours.
I’ve forgotten what it’s like to sleep holding someone.
Thoughts of Danika float into my mind, but surprisingly only for a few moments.
Because the way Ashley is now snuggled into my arms—dirty, cold, and hungry, on the ground in the middle of the woods—it still feels more like home than it ever did with Danika.
In my gut I know this is one of those moments that I will look back on in years to come, where I’ll know it was the right woman but the wrong time. And I’ll always be left wondering, what if.