Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Jacob
Curling my toes into the soft grass, I tip my head back and close my eyes behind my sunglasses.
It’s so peaceful here. There’s no traffic noise or people talking. I’ve been able to lose myself in a book or watch as a little robin runs around looking for food in the grass. The sense of tranquility makes me want to lay back and fall asleep right here to the sound of birds singing.
But I need to fight it, because even with my two-hour nap yesterday, jet lag is kicking my ass.
Last night, I swallowed my mortification over being caught staring at Ethan and how much I enjoyed him growling at me.
We talked about other stuff while he cooked dinner for us, but he didn’t bring it up, so neither did I—not even when I fell asleep on the couch, only to wake up to find I was using Ethan’s broad shoulder as a pillow .
So, here I am, trying my best not to sleep during the day to get into some kind of routine.
I don’t know when I’ll get to experience England again, if ever, so I need to make the most of my time here.
I keep thinking about how much Grandma would have loved this backyard. She would be in her element. Looking at every single flower, stroking the petals between her fingers, and reciting facts about every bird she spotted in the sky.
You let her flowers die.
My chest tightens. It’s true. Over the years since she passed, all her flowers have wilted. I didn’t know how to care for them—I didn’t have time to learn how or to even think about them.
Now every time I go outside, I feel this immense guilt that I’ve let her down. That she’s watching me from wherever she is, cursing me for allowing her garden to die.
It’s my plan to learn to garden and replant them in her memory.
My phone vibrates on the blanket beside me. I take a few slow, gentle breaths to try to ease the ache in my chest. Shielding the screen with my hand, I see Alex’s name flashing, and I quickly swipe my finger across to answer his FaceTime call.
“Hey!” He says, cheerfully. I see he’s in the bakery kitchen, his phone propped up on the counter in front of him while he decorates some donuts. “Are you outside?”
“Hey! Yeah, I am. We’re having a lazy day today before going into London tomorrow, so I thought I’d come outside and read for a little while.
It’s so beautiful! Look at the back yard!
” I turn the camera around, showing the colorful flowers, expansive lawn, and clear blue sky before turning it back to me. “Ethan’s working out in the gym.”
After yesterday, I needed to make sure I was out of the house so I wouldn't be tempted to go and sneak a peek at him again.
Not that anyone could blame me for it.
I don’t understand how one person can be so damn hot. Seriously. His rippling muscles, sweat-soaked skin, and the way his hands gripped that metal bar?
Holy shit.
I didn’t know I had such a thing for big hands, but all I could think about was how desperately I wanted to know what his would look like wrapped around my throat as he drove inside me.
Whoa! Where the hell did that come from?
“Jake?” Alex prompts, pulling me out of my wayward thoughts.
“Sorry, what was that?”
“Where did you go just now?” He smirks, waving his finger in a circle in front of his face. “You got a dreamy look on your face.”
I’m glad it’s warm because my sun-kissed skin hides my blush. “I may have been caught watching Ethan work out last night, and I haven’t been able to think about anything else since.”
Alex barks a laugh, the noise bouncing off the kitchen walls.
He leans closer to the phone, his blue eyes swimming in glee as he lowers his voice.
“Tell me everything. I can only imagine he’s incredible to watch.
I like watching Blaine when he works out, but there’s something about Ethan that’s so…
” He snaps his fingers. “What’s the word? ”
“Potent? Sexy? Commanding?”
Alex nods. “Yeah, all of that! What did he do when he caught you?”
I shiver at the memory of the carnal look in his eyes and how his shorts tightened over his groin. There was no hiding my erection either. My lacy jockstrap did nothing to disguise the swelling, and the material of my pajama shorts was so thin that I might as well have been wearing nothing.
Did I put them on in hopes he might notice them? Maybe.
I can’t deny it crossed my mind, knowing the straps beneath my ass cheeks would be visible if I bent over slightly.
I got the reaction I was hoping for, too.
“He asked if I liked what I saw. I couldn’t reply, though; I just stuttered like a fumbling mess and ran away.
” I lay back on the blanket, holding the phone above me.
“I don’t know how to be around him, Alex.
My natural instinct is to flirt and tease and see where it leads us, but what if I do and it messes everything up?
We’ve finally got the bakery in a good place, and I feel like I can finally breathe…
I don’t want to mess it up by acting on a crush. ”
“It won’t mess it up, Jake. You’re both adults.
You have a conversation, and if he’s on the same page, you set boundaries.
For example, if you want it to be some summer fling, then you draw a line in the sand when you come home.
There’s no need to make it more complicated than it needs to be. ” He shrugs.
I sigh. “I know, but let’s be real here—he’s not interested in me. He was probably just teasing because he caught me looking. I need to get over this thing I have for him and just focus on why I’m here, which is to help him.”
“No, you’re there to pretend you’re his boyfriend , and in order to make that convincing, you need to have chemistry. What better way to build up chemistry than to flirt? Explore this underlying connection you have, and if you end up getting a little hot and sweaty in the process, then bonus!”
“I hate how logical you can be sometimes.” Although he can’t see, I roll my eyes behind my sunglasses.
“Hear me out,” Alex pleads, his voice taking on a more sincere tone.
“Ethan is serious most of the time, but I’ll bet he has a hidden side to him.
You’re supposed to be in the honeymoon phase of the relationship.
The time when there’s plenty of sexual energy, so use it.
Tease him. Flirt with him. If you decide to pursue it, that’s when you set your ground rules. You’ve got nothing to lose.”
Except for the contract , I want to argue.
But I know Ethan’s better than that.
If we did what Alex is suggesting, explored this connection we have, and things went south, he wouldn’t pull the deal out from under my feet because it’s not in his nature. He’s already given me his word.
But his friendship is also important to me, and we all know that sex can blur the lines of friendship.
“I don’t know how I feel about getting sex advice from my baby brother,” I admit, scrunching up my nose.
“Be lucky it’s not Blaine giving you the advice.”
We both burst out laughing.
“Why don’t you treat tomorrow like a real date?” he suggests .
“I’ll think about it. Now stop talking about me and tell me about the shop.”
I listen as he goes into detail about how things are going, the orders we’ve received, and how well Daniel and Aria have been doing. It fills my chest with joy that I’m finally in a position where I can entrust the business to the capable hands of someone else.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ethan walking toward me.
He’s wearing nothing but a pair of tight black compression shorts that do nothing to disguise every ridge and groove of muscle or the impressive package between his legs.
His arms flex as he runs a hand over his naked chest, and the closer he gets, the more my jaw drops open.
Am I drooling? I’m pretty sure I’m drooling.
The sweat coating his skin glistens under the sun, and when he rakes his fingers through his hair, I can’t control the small noise that escapes me.
“Jake?” Alex’s voice filters through the phone. “Are you okay?”
I manage a shaky nod, tearing my eyes away from the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on, and quickly sit up. “I’ve gotta go. Can I call you later?”
Clearly confused, Alex nods but, thankfully, doesn’t question me. We say our goodbyes, and I drop my phone next to my book just as Ethan comes to a stop, his sneakers touching the edge of the blanket.
“You look like you’re enjoying yourself,” Ethan says as he smiles, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand.
I wet my lips and swallow, trying to clear my throat before I speak. “Y-yeah. I thought I would enjoy the sunshine. Alex just called, too. ”
“Yeah? Is he all right?” He toes off his sneakers and sits down beside me. His large body takes up most of the blanket, his wide-set shoulders brushing against mine as he leans back on his elbows.
My eyes follow a bead of sweat as it travels down the side of his neck, between his incredibly sculpted pecs that are dusted with dark hair. It glides down over the plains of his abs before disappearing under the waistband of his workout shorts.
My tongue unconsciously darts out to lick my bottom lip again.
What would it be like to follow all that muscle with my tongue? Would those flat, brown nipples be sensitive if I sucked on them?
By the time my eyes meet his again, he’s smirking. A brow arched in question. I’ve been caught red-handed yet again, ogling the guy who bailed me out of one of the hardest times of my life.
“He…umm…” I shake my head, clearing the filthy fantasies from my mind. “He’s good. They’re managing well, which means I can stop worrying now.”
“Good. I knew they would be fine.” He smiles, then tilts his head back and closes his eyes.
I take the moment to really take him in. Sure, I’ve checked him out about a million times whenever he’s visited the bakery or anytime he’s been over at Alex and Blaine's apartment, but I’ve never been able to see all of him.
His dark hair has a slight wave to it, and there’s a few strands of gray at his temples, which only adds to his distinguished look, along with the fine lines at the corners of his eyes.
Long, dark lashes shadow the top of his cheeks, and day-old stubble lines a razor-sharp jawline.
A crooked nose, no doubt from playing hockey, and frown lines crease his forehead and between his brows, but when I look closely, I can see a small crease in his cheek beneath the stubble. The kind of crease that comes with…
“You have dimples,” I blurt out, then slap my hand over my mouth.
Did I really just say that?
Ethan opens one eye, those full lips tipping in a grin, making said dimples pop. “Are you checking me out again, Jacob? Should I be worried about you objectifying me whenever I’m not wearing a shirt?”
I fucking love how he says my name in that deep, growly voice.
“No! Yes. Ugh!” I cover my face with my hands, groaning.
“I mean, how can I not when you look like that?” I wave my hand at his bare chest. “You’ve just come out of the gym looking like some kind of superhero, all sweaty and ready to rip apart a tree stump with your bare hands.
” I flop back against the blanket and cross my arms over my face, mumbling under my breath before I have the chance to stop myself, “I wish I was a tree stump.”
“A tree stump, eh?” Ethan snickers, and I hear him move just as I feel a shadow cast over me. I open my eyes, peering behind the safety of my sunglasses.
He’s leaning on one arm, his big body partially covering mine as he comes closer. His chocolate brown eyes slowly roam my body, leaving a path of fire in their wake.
“And you think you’re not a tease, Jacob?
” His voice takes on a deep, husky tone.
“The only thing I want to be ripping apart right now are those fucking indecent shorts you wore yesterday. Did you think that coming downstairs yesterday and bending over the way you did wasn’t a tease?
Did you think I wouldn’t notice that lacy little jockstrap you were wearing and be left wondering whether you’d let me tear it off you with my hands? Or my teeth?”
I gulp. Please do all of that on the tip of my tongue.
“You’re playing with fire, J. I’m just here, ready to stoke the flame.” He winks, then gets up and heads back into the house.