20. Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Jake
I wasted no time booking a place for Vi and I. A week and a half after our office escapade, I drove us three hours to a location I had found online. We chatted and laughed on the road and, for a third of it, we had listened to her audiobook. Just like I had imagined, I had enjoyed the story well enough. If nothing else, it taught me more of what Vi herself enjoyed, and I wanted to learn as much as I could about that.
No smutty scenes this time, but that was okay. I had plans in that regard for later that day.
I drove into the small town with an excited smile on my face.
"Where did you bring me, Jake?"
"To a quaint little town in the middle of nowhere. I looked for a place that had a vibe like Laguna Island. I liked it when we went to visit Max there but, since we can't go there as a couple, I thought something similar might work."
"This place has already been revitalized, though. Look at this beautiful main street!"
I placed a hand on her thigh. "Yeah. The goal was to make it into a country escape for city folk— people like us, essentially."
"It's gorgeous. I can't wait to walk down the street with you, maybe for dinner. All the PDA, all the time, because we don't have to care about who might see us."
"If anyone we know happens to be here this weekend and catches us, then it was destiny."
"I would take it as a sign that the universe wants us to spill the beans." She put her hand on mine and squeezed.
I followed the GPS's directions until we left the urban area, and got to farmland. The roads got narrower and narrower, until we reached an area of green pastures where horses roamed. Within fifteen minutes, we arrived at a charming, renovated cabin overlooking a small lake.
"This place is amazing." Vi got out of the car and did a full circle looking around. "How did you find it?"
Out of the car as well, I crossed my arms on its roof and gazed at her profile. Wind played with her hair, and her smile was wide and free and it lit me up from inside.
So long, knowing her smiles, but not having them directed at me. Finally, I had them again.
I grinned, too. "I found a community online for the best underappreciated weekend cabins in the country. They wouldn't let me in at the beginning, but I told them I really wanted to impress a lady I'd been half in love with for a decade, and who was giving me a chance at last. They let me in after that."
She turned her head to me, her light brown fingers and bright tiffany blue nails clearing a strand of hair from her face. Her smile turned flirty, and it pulled from me with the gravity of interstellar objects. I rounded the car and didn't stop until I could press her against the metal door.
I put my hands on her soft hips. She put her hands on my chest, and dragged them up my torso until they touched the skin of my neck.
"Half in love for a decade?" she asked.
I nodded. "They recommended this cabin as it was one of the few available on short notice. Told me the owners raise and care for horses— the ones we saw on the way in. This was the original house, but they built a bigger one at the other end of the pastures. Renovated this one and rent it out sometimes. I promised to let them know if you were properly impressed."
She laughed. "I think I will be, but let's wait until Sunday. Just to make sure."
"Fair." I chuckled and gave her a quick kiss. "I suppose. For now, let me tell you the plan."
Her eyes were unfocused on me, as she gazed at my hair, my cheeks, my lips.
"I love the faint freckles on your face." She ran soft fingers over them. "Your eyelashes are silver at the root. I love those, too."
"Mmh. Now I'm wondering if I should bother to tell you the plan. If you want to list the things you love about me, I'm happy to be spontaneous instead."
"Yeah. Unless there's something critical I should know, why don't you surprise me?"
"Okay." I kissed her forehead, her temple, her cheek. "There's only one thing I want to say now. I'd like us not to mention the fact we're keeping our relationship private. Let's not mention your family or our friends. Let's make this weekend about us alone."
Her bright brown eyes settled on mine, and a soft smile tilted her lips. "I'd like that."
With no more words, I gave her a long, deep kiss, until the night had almost fallen on us.
Vi
We found our bearings in the homey cabin, and left our bags in what would be our bedroom for the two nights we'd spend there.
The cabin was a one-bedroom little thing, with a bathroom Jake didn't let me check for some reason. A small kitchen overlooked a four-place breakfast nook tucked in a bow window, and a medium-sized living room. Some of the furniture looked old but reupholstered, with a blanket on top of the large sofa that seemed crocheted by hand. The couch was placed overlooking the largest window in the place, inviting us to read a book cuddled under the blanket. In the corner, a closed-combustion fireplace, the kind you could place an old kettle on top to make tea on a cozy evening; and eclectic paints and art on the walls.
The view out of that side of the house painted a glorious landscape portrait; the back door opened to a small patio with basic outdoor furniture, and a trail to a grassy patch and a short dock. The lake itself stole the view, lifting one's eyes to a distant opposite shore, a few sparse old trees, and rolling hills into the horizon.
I found Jake in the small kitchen, pouring white wine into a glass.
"Just one?" I put a hand on his shoulder and went up to kiss his cheek. "What are you drinking?"
"Nothing yet." He passed the glass to me. "This glass is part of what I have planned for right now."
We both had taken the afternoon off from work, and it was still early in the evening. I sipped my wine— delicious— and stared up at him.
"What are we going to do?" I asked.
"I'm going to go prepare a bath for you."
The memory of us discussing my book and the hero's gesture for the heroine pushed to the forefront of my mind.
"Really? I'll take a bath while you make dinner, I assume?"
He gave me an exasperated scoff. "I'm not just going to copy a random Tristan or whatever his name was. I'm going to overshadow him, I hope."
I sipped from my wine again and spoke through a smile. "Oh? How are you going to do that?"
"We're starting with the robe I left for you on the bed. You can change into it while I fill up the tub."
I raised my eyebrows and took my glass with me to the bedroom. Jake had moved our bags to the top of the dresser, and laid a large, silk robe on the bed. Dusty blue collar and cuffs edged the garment, framing the long swaths of fabric printed with dark green leaves and white, blooming flowers. I ran my fingers along the soft material with a smile. Jake's planning for the evening pushed a warm breeze into the sails of my emotions.
The robe fit me perfectly. I entered the bathroom with nothing but the silk on my skin, and the glass in my hand.
Jake bent toward the huge soaking tub, a brushed copper beauty that could have been stolen from a historical romance. The walls were painted in a deep blue-green tone that contrasted beautifully with the copper, with wainscotting giving them texture. The standing shower had tiles in the same shades, but all these rich colors were broken down by white trim in the window over the tub, the ornamental crown moldings, white stone countertops, and an antique radiator.
"Wow. This is beautiful," I said.
The bathroom smelled delicious; two small oil bottles stood uncapped on the white stone counter. Jake placed a bigger bottle next to them; the water in the tub had started to bubble up.
He smiled and came to me. His eyes glinted as he took my chin in two fingers, and dropped a long, soft kiss on my lips. "You are beautiful."
The three simple words melted my limbs, my insides turning to instant goo.
I breathed through the warm, glowing orb in my chest. "You've said that before, but it feels different this time."
"Different, how?" He raked his fingers through my loose hair, his thumb trailing a path on the skin within his reach.
"Now I know you mean it."
"I've always meant it."
"But I didn't know if you saw me beautiful like a sunset, or pretty like something you could rationalize. I didn't know if you felt it."
The kiss he gave me, gentle but firm, a tease and a promise, it filled every corner inside with golden light.
He rested his forehead on mine. "Your beauty has always left me aching with awe."
"Tell me more." I closed my eyes and smiled. "Leave every hero in my books in the dust."
"Soon." He grinned and stepped away.
He took my hand, kissed it, and guided me closer to the tub. With his free hand, he checked the water's temperature; satisfied, he turned off the faucet.
"Is there a book you'd like to read?" he asked. "I'll bring it for you while you get in."
"My paperback is in my bag."
I undid the belt keeping the robe closed around me. His eyes trailed the movement. He licked his bottom lip and took a deliberate step back.
His gaze found mine. "I'll give you a couple of minutes. I'll bring the book."
I hung the robe from a wall hook and got into the tub. Heat prickled on my skin, sending shivers up my spine. A moan escaped me as I settled in the water. With foam up to my chest, I closed my eyes and waited for Jake, taking in the warmth liquefying my limbs.
His deep voice warmed me up further. "You look mellow. Good."
I opened one eye to watch Jake sit on a stool by the feet of the tub. He held my book in his big hands.
"I don't think I can read my book now," I said. "I may take a nap."
"You won't have to read it. I will."
Both my eyes opened at that. "What? You're reading it to me?"
"Yes. I'll be your narrator this evening." With unaffected movements, he opened the pages to the bookmark I used. He read it and chuckled. "Coffee on ice and books with spice." His gaze on me shone with humor. "I bet I can find better ones for your birthday."
"Excellent. I collect them."
"Perfect. Now, what have I missed in the story?"
"Ash and Maia. He's coaching her on how to seduce the guy she's had a crush on for years. He's falling fast for her, but she's in utter denial."
"Sounds fun. Okay. You relax now. Ready?"
I closed my eyes. "Ready."
He took the job seriously. His deep voice showed emotion where needed; he made the sounds described on the text. Once every several minutes, I would watch him read the book to me; a concentration frown wrinkled his brow, while his lips danced around every word. Then I would close my eyes again, and get lost in the moment.
The water or the bliss of the moment of both, they had me floating in space and time as he read one chapter, two.
He stopped for a moment and took a sip of my wine. "I need some of this, if you don't mind."
"It's okay. I'm too comfy to move and have some myself."
"We can't have that." He closed the book and helped me have some of the wine. "There you go."
"You're really trying to make me forget about every book boyfriend I've ever had."
"Am I succeeding?"
"You're very close to success."
He let me have another sip of the wine, before kissing me and putting the glass on the counter.
He sat back on the stool and arched an eyebrow my way. "Are you challenging me, Vi?"
"Depends. Is it working?"
He opened the book with a smirk on his lips. "I'm too easy, I think. So maybe I'll do another chapter, then I'll go make us a meal. See if that gives me the prize."
I chuckled, and let him read me more.
"No, Maia. Kissing isn't supposed to feel strange . You're not supposed to be thinking of how weird his tongue feels on yours. That means you were in your head and, if he were doing a good job, you would not be in your head." If I were kissing her, I would make sure she forgot her name. "That's not real, is it?" she asked. "I don't think a kiss could have the power to shut off my brain. I always thought that was an exaggeration." I ground my teeth. "Oh, it can have that power. Believe me. A good kiss makes you weak in the knees. It makes you forget to breathe." "I find that hard to believe, to be honest." Her face twisted in real confusion, and it only made me more irritated by the second. "Look. You touch yourself, right?" I asked. Her eyes opened wide. "Uh…" "You masturbate. Right?" I insisted. I didn't mean to take a step closer to her, but I did. We stood face-to-face, close enough for me to see the way her pupils dilated. She nodded. My nostrils flared. "You orgasm from it, don't you?" She nodded again. Blood rushed south at the mere thought of Maia coming undone. I wasn't supposed to feel this way. I wasn't supposed to want to erase every word in the dictionary, only so I had no other choice but to show her.
My breath quickened. Jake's voice deepened. I opened my eyes to watch him as he read for me. A soft blush tinted his white face and, if he looked at me as closely as Ash looked at Maia, he would see that I did, too.
"When you touch yourself," I said. "When you put your fingertips on your clit and rub and pull— when you tease a nipple with your free hand and gasp— I'd wager you're not thinking about the mess you're making in your underwear." Her lips opened in a slack, sensual O, and my dick twitched at the sight.
Jake leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, blocking the view of his cock. I strained my eyes anyway, because all I wanted to know was if he was getting hard as he read those words for me. The water had cooled down and half the bubbles had died. My own nipples touched nothing but fading foam, and they pebbled in a mix of cold and arousal.
When he gave voice to my book again, the words rasped from his throat.
"Kissing can feel like touching myself?" Maia's eyes searched my face, as if I held the answers to the questions of the universe. "No," I growled. "Kissing can kidnap your brain, like touching yourself does. But it's even better because when it happens with the right person, it's like sex with the right person. Touching the right person. Lips aren't lips, and hands aren't hands, because you forget where you end and the other person begins. All that matters is that fleeting feeling of ecstasy and connection. Until it's done, and you want to do it all over again." "Have you felt like that, Ash?"
I put my hand around my breast. The book's description of a good kiss was apt, and accurate to what kissing Jake felt like. Maybe we didn't have to wait until it was time to sleep, to know if I sex would feel like that, too.
"I don't know," I confessed. "There have been times when I thought that maybe, yes… but it's a feeling I'm still chasing." "So you've been closer to it, but it's still no more than a mirage. And yet you feel you can guide me? Teach me?" "I can teach you." I dropped my eyes to her mouth. I lowered my head slowly, letting her react, but she didn't. I closed my teeth gently on her lips. "I can show you." She gasped, like I knew she would. It ruptured my awareness and I broke— I kissed her. My mouth stayed on hers on a suspended breath.
"Put the book aside." I gulped. His eyes locked on mine and he did as told, forgetting all about the bookmark. I couldn't care less. "Kiss me."
As if in a trance, he laid the book on the counter and kneeled by the tub. He crossed his arms over the copper edge, and let his eyes roam over my exposed skin.
In the next breath, he pressed his lips to mine. He kissed me, languid moves of his tongue and mouth, and incredibly sweet. Reverent.
I lost myself in it.
Many heartbeats later, he retreated, and I took a deep breath with my eyes closed.
"Better than a kiss in one of my books," I said. "I always knew it would be like that with you."
I opened my eyes to find his adoring sight on me. Electric red energy buzzed in my veins, to have his complete attention on me like that.
"You cherish me." I lifted a wet hand to his face.
He kissed the palm of my hand. "I do. I can hardly believe you're here, naked in the tub, and want me close."
His words burrowed into my tender heart. Any resistance I'd ever had to us thawed into the bath water. A thousand butterfly wings blew air into my chest; it lightened and lifted me up in fluid motion.
I stood in front of him in the tub, suds and rivulets cascading down my body. The resulting waves splashed onto the tiled floor.
Jake remained crouching, his eyes cruising on the hills of my flesh, his mouth open in abject admiration.
"It's fitting that I'm on my knees." He blinked like my form was too bright to stare at directly. "I could pray to this view of you."
I offered him a hand; he gave me his and stood. Even with me standing in the tub, he was taller than me.
"I want you close, Jake." I took his face in my hands and gave him a small, simple kiss. "I want you as close as you can get."
"Violeta."
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me again, this time with fire in it. In a show of strength that left me dizzy, he lifted me up and placed me on the firm ground.
"I'll be as close as you'll let me." He gave me another kiss. "For as long as you let me."