41. Jake
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
jake
T his has been the best week of my life.
It might seem a little pathetic saying that, but it’s true.
After I made love to Amber on Sunday, I wrapped her in my sheets and sat on the little balcony outside my bedroom with her snuggled in my arms. We laughed about the fact that I make furniture for a living yet have none out there.
I don’t care though. Bare ass on the old wood wasn’t going to stop me from enjoying a quiet moment with my girl, even if I got a horribly placed splinter.
She told me how much she loves the woods and the quiet of the cabin.
How if she ever leaves her apartment, she wants it to be for a little cabin like this, filled with love.
I love that about her; the fact the things she wants aren’t things at all.
She wants friends that feel like family, to bring Socks with her everywhere she goes, to love someone the way her aunt loved her store.
The minute she left that afternoon, I ran over to Thoren and Lily’s and asked if I could buy the cabin from them.
Lily squealed and said it was mine as long as I promised to move Amber into it with me.
Michele dropped the papers off to me the next day, with a bill of sale for twenty dollars.
Twenty fucking dollars . Apparently, they were always planning to give me the place, Thoren just wanted to buy a case of beer out of the deal since I’m always stealing his. I love that prick.
To top it off, Amber and I have been spending every free moment we have together.
We eat dinner together nightly, bring each other coffee, and have been alternating whose house we stay at every night.
Socks, of course, made himself right at home when she brought him over Tuesday.
I felt a weird sense of pride when he climbed right into the little cat tree I bought for him.
The two of them fit so seamlessly into my life, but I feel Amber is still holding back.
I don’t know what it is, but I’m determined to figure it out.
All this has only elevated my excitement for our date. I have everything planned out, and thank God the weather has decided to cooperate. August can be miserably hot, but when the weather app said a warm seventy-two, I felt like Jana was giving me her approval.
Like promised, I pull my bike into the alleyway right at two, catching Amber bounding down the stairs through the glass door. Her eyes light up when she sees me, eyeing up my bike.
“Are you taking me for a real ride?” she asks, a huge smile on her face.
“Yeah, baby, I am. But I need you to put these on first.” From my backpack, I take out the leather jacket, hoping it fits.
I guessed her size when I picked it up on Monday.
She’s practically vibrating with excitement as she slips it on.
It hugs her curves perfectly, and she runs her hands down the front of it, grinning.
“What’s this?”
Her fingers splay over the little emblem I had my mom sew over her heart.
It’s a small x, one line made from a cedar leaf, and the other a simple plank of cedar wood.
I thought it was fitting, but seeing her quizzical gaze now, I’m a little embarrassed.
“Something to make you think of me. The cedar leaf from your store logo, and the cedar wood for my company. ”
The heat in my cheeks spreads as her eyes soften, and she places both hands over it. “I love it, Jake.”
“Good.” My voice cracks, so I clear my throat, pulling her closer by the flaps of the jacket so I can put my helmet on her head. I want her to pick out her own, so for now, she gets to wear mine.
“It’s going to mess up my hair,” she pouts. When I tug the buckle under her chin tight, she lets out a small squeak.
“Too tight?”
“No, I just prefer your hand choking me.”
My forehead drops forward and thunks on the helmet as I let out a groan. Taking a deep breath, I try to will the blood away from my quickly thickening cock. “And I’m wearing the blue,” she says, giggling when my fingers fist in her jacket.
Without my help, she grabs my shoulder and hops onto the back of my bike. One time on this thing and she thinks she’s a pro. It’s so fucking cute. “Closer, baby.” Her chest hits my backpack, and I hate that barrier between us.
“Give me your backpack. It’s in my way.” I preen at the thought that she doesn’t want it between us either.
It’s not like it’s heavy; only filled with some snacks, water, and a small blanket.
She tightens it on her shoulders, then presses herself to me, her small hands wrapping tight around my waist.
“Hold on and lean with me. If you need to get my attention, tap my leg twice.” I turn to look over my shoulder to see the smile still plastered on her face under the visor of the helmet. “You ready?”
With a nod, she squeezes tighter, and the bike rumbles to life beneath us.
I love this feeling, the power thrumming through me, the wind blowing past me.
It’s freeing and grounding all at once. With Amber on the back, I’m more cautious than normal, making this a leisure ride farther up the mountain.
On every straight stretch of road, my hands find a way to her thighs, holding them tighter, rubbing over them.
Knowing she’s here with me, safe with me, brings on a sense of peace.
The longer we ride, the more relaxed she feels against me.
Her hands wander from their spot on my stomach, rubbing up and down my chest, even down my thighs.
Her nails scratch over my jeans, wandering closer to my dick with every upward stroke.
When her soft hands finally connect with my now throbbing cock, I rev the engine, causing her to grip it tight. Her laughter rumbles against my back as I let loose a chuckle. With an extra squeeze, she lets it go, throwing her hands out to the side.
Her little whoop of delight as the warm summer wind flows around her outstretched arms fills me with satisfaction.
She remains that way for a few moments, and I don’t have to look behind me to know what I’ll see—her arms out wide, her face tilted up to the bright sun, eyes shut as she just feels. Truly feels.
Thirty minutes later, I pull off to the lookout spot.
It’s not a well-known spot, but it’s magical all the same, with a field of wildflowers leading to a drop-off overlooking our small town.
The perfect spot for a quiet picnic with my girl.
Amber hops off the back, heading straight for the cliff edge.
She removes the helmet as she walks, and I’m rooted to the spot, still straddling my bike.
The early afternoon sun reflects off her leather jacket, her hair an adorable rumpled mess from the helmet, and that damn little stud in her nose sparkling. But the look on her face truly has me stuck. It’s calm, relaxed, and dare I say, happy. Truly happy.
Kicking the stand out, I step off my bike and join her.
After taking the backpack and helmet from her, I drop them to the ground and pull her back to my chest, resting my chin on her head.
She places her arms around mine, hugging her waist, and we stand there, taking in the sights below us.
I will never take this for granted, being able to hold her in the way she deserves.
“It’s perfect.” Her voice is subdued, almost reverent. “This place. The ride up here. Being with you. The way it all makes me feel alive after months of feeling nothing.”
I have a lot of things I’m proud of. My business I’ve built from the ground up.
Taking care of my parents. Being a man I can look at in the mirror every day.
None of it compares to knowing I had a hand in helping her heal.
With two fingers under her chin, I tip it to the side, giving me access.
Her lips are soft and warm against mine, the intended quick kiss turning into more as she turns in my arms. Like most times we kiss, my hand spears into her hair at the base of her neck, needing that hold to know I have her.
That she’s mine, and she’s right where she’s meant to be.
My cock swells again, and I pull back. This is supposed to be a proper date, not a fuck in the woods … not that I would complain about that. I wonder how she would feel about a little primal play. Shut it down, Jake, shut it down.
“I brought food. I thought we could sit out here and watch the sunset,” I say, picking up our discarded things. There’s a thin blanket folded in the backpack that I spread out in a grassy spot where we won’t crush too many flowers.
Amber’s watching it all with an amused and awed expression. “I didn’t know you were a romantic,” she says, biting her bottom lip before climbing onto the blanket. She undoes her boots, setting them at the end, and stretches her legs out in front of her, so I do the same.
“There’s a lot you still don’t know about me,” I admit. “I would like to change that.”