8. Jake
Eight
Jake
The conversation over lunch swings back to relaxed and easy, which is probably just as well given the sexual tension that’s been building between us has me ready to drag her into the bathroom and fuck her senseless.
But it’s becoming more and more clear to me that that’s not what Taylor wants. At least right now, anyway. Because even though it’s obvious we’re attracted to each other, she’s holding back, stopping herself from going too far with me or just letting go completely.
It’s almost as though she’s scared about something.
“So, had enough?” Elise asks as she wanders back over to the table.
I glance at the almost empty board, laughing. “Yeah, I’m good. Taylor?”
She nods as she licks her lips and I swear, just that one movement has me ready to say fuck it and just reach over and grab her, haul her against me so I can kiss those goddamn lips for hours.
“How much longer are you here for?” Elise asks, nudging my shoulder.
“We leave tomorrow,” I say, smiling when she pouts. “But I’ll be back, promise.”
“Next time, make sure you let me know,” she says. “You guys are always welcome to come and stay with us. I know Charlotte and Oliver would love to see you.”
“My niece and nephew,” I explain to Taylor as I nod and say, “Okay, okay,” to my sister. “Tell Tessa I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to catch up,” I add, knowing my other sister will be pissed I didn’t call.
After I slip some cash into Elise’s pocket and kiss her goodbye, I reach out a hand to Taylor. She slides hers into mine and follows me out of the restaurant. For once, she doesn’t ask any questions about where we’re going, and I can’t help but smile as I start up the car.
We drive in silence until we reach our next destination. Parking the car, I watch as Taylor’s eyes widen, her head falling back as she stares up at the huge structure in front of us.
“Feel like working that late lunch off?” I ask.
She turns to me, a brow raised in question and a sexy smirk on her face.
I chuckle. “Filthy girl,” I whisper, shaking my head. “I mean, we can do that if you want…” I suggest, watching as she swallows hard now, her eyes widening. Smiling, I reach over and run my finger gently down her nose. “You ever climbed it?” I murmur, changing the subject as I nod my head toward the bridge.
“No,” she says, shaking her head.
I grin. “Well, you’re about to.”
I get out of the car and walk around to her side, opening the door for her. Taylor steps out but I don’t move, our bodies now close as she looks up at me. I tuck strands of hair behind her ear, my eyes dropping to her mouth, hungry to taste her.
I don’t know what it is about her, but I’ve never wanted anyone like I want Taylor Patterson. She’s like a drug, addictive and all-consuming and I haven’t even had a taste yet. I know when I do, though, I’m not going to be able to stop at just one taste.
“You up for it?” I whisper, a part of me not just talking about the bridge climb. She nods, not saying anything. Grabbing her hand, I smile. “Then let’s do it,” I say with a wink.
After I grab the tickets I’d booked for us last night, the guide takes us through the safety talk and all the dos and don’ts for the trip up and back. We’re given a jumpsuit to put on and then all of us are tethered together, a second cable hanging from our waist that will connect each of us to the bridge.
As soon as we’re all locked in, the guide starts to take us up, all of us walking in single file, with Taylor in front of me.
“You’re not afraid of heights, are you?” I ask teasingly.
She shoots me a glance over her shoulder. “I am a pilot, remember?” she replies. “Thirty-eight thousand feet and all?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, but that’s different.”
“How?”
I shrug. “Enclosed space, in control,” I say, grinning at her. “Out here,” I add, indicating out to the city as we start to get higher. “It’s a whole different ball game.”
Taylor shakes her head as she turns away. “I’m not afraid,” she says.
“Okay,” I say, taking a couple of quick steps so I’m right behind her now. “So what are you afraid of?”
I watch as her hand tightens on the railing, her knuckles white as though it’s my question that scares her the most.
“Sharks,” she eventually says, turning to the side so she’s not quite looking at me.
I laugh. “Well, clearly not that afraid that you won’t get in the ocean,” I say. “What else?”
The guide stops our group, preventing Taylor from answering as she tells us some random facts about the bridge that I’m only half listening to. Instead, I study Taylor and the way she focuses intently on the guide and all the things she’s pointing out, almost as though she’s deliberately trying to ignore me.
I don’t care, taking advantage of the moment by openly staring at her. She’s already tanned from just the two trips we’ve made to the beach, a smattering of freckles across her perfect little nose. Her long blond hair that I’m dying to wrap around my fist is pulled back into a low ponytail, strands of it already coming loose in the wind.
I step closer, so I’m standing right behind her, only an inch of space separating us as I slide my hand along the rail so my fingers are resting against hers. I see them tighten again, but she doesn’t move away, and I grin.
When we start moving, I stick close, reaching forward and pinching her side as I say, “You didn’t answer my question.”
She glances back at me again, eyes meeting mine quickly before she looks away. “I’m not really afraid of much,” she says.
I laugh. “Bullshit, everyone’s afraid of something.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“Uh uh,” I say, shaking my head, grinning. “I asked you first.” She glances back, rolling her eyes at me before looking away. I chuckle because she’s totally adorable when she’s annoyed. “Come on,” I say, sliding a hand onto her hip. “There must be something?”
She keeps walking, her eyes facing forward as the climb starts to get a little steeper. Finally, she glances to the side, her eyes on the city as she murmurs, “Dangerous men.”
I look up at her, silently begging her to turn around so I can see what she means by that comment. But she doesn’t, instead saying, “And you, what are you afraid of?” before turning back to the front.
I don’t answer right away, my eyes instead traveling from the back of her head all the way down her body to her arse. I watch, mesmerized as she climbs the steps in front of me.
“Jake?” she prompts, glancing back at me.
I lift my eyes to hers, meeting her stare. “Getting my heart broken,” I eventually say.
It takes almost two hours, but we finally get to the top just as the sun is starting to set. The view is spectacular, three-hundred-and-sixty-degree panoramic views of Sydney and the Harbour.
I watch as Taylor turns to stare out at the city I grew up in, both hands on the rail, and her face now bathed in dusky sunlight. I can’t resist stepping closer, standing behind her as I bracket her against the railing, an arm on either side of her.
“What do you think?” I whisper, my mouth at her ear.
Her body stiffens a little before relaxing. “It’s absolutely amazing,” she says, clearly in awe. “I…I’ve never seen anything like it.”
I smile, my mouth still at her ear. “Neither have I.”
We stand in silence, both of us ignoring the guide as she points out all the Sydney landmarks to the group. It’s windy and colder up here, and I step even closer as Taylor shivers in the breeze, my front practically pressed against her back now.
I watch as she closes her eyes, her face turning up to the sky as she takes a deep breath, letting it out in one long slow exhale.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me, Taylor,” I whisper, my mouth at her ear as I stare out at the city.
“Don’t I?” she whispers back, lowering her head and opening her eyes.
I turn my face to her, lean closer as I brush my nose against her cheek. “No,” I murmur. “I’m not that kind of guy.”
She swallows hard, her tongue poking out to lick her lips and causing me to let out a low groan that I know she hears. “You feel very dangerous to me,” she says, her words barely audible.
I chuckle softly, running my nose along the shell of her ear this time. “And you could easily take my heart and crush it,” I tell her, reminding her of the thing I’m afraid of. “The difference is, I’m willing to risk it.” Her hands tighten on the railing again as her eyes close in a slow blink. “Are you?” I add in a whisper.
She doesn’t answer, just continues to stare out at the dusky sky. I stay where I am, not saying anymore.
Our time at the top comes to an end and the guide tells us we need to start our descent. I step back from Taylor, my body immediately missing the warmth of hers. We head back the way we came, which means this time Taylor is behind me. She still hasn’t answered my last question, but I let it go, knowing that’s what really scares her as we climb down in silence.
When we get to the bottom, I take our gear back to the tour office, my eyes roving over the photos they took of everyone up on the bridge. They never asked us directly, but I still notice one of us. In it, I’m standing behind her, my arms on either side of her body as she stares out at the city. My eyes are ignoring the view though and are instead focused intently on her.
Without thinking too much about what it means, I buy the photo, slipping it into my backpack before Taylor notices. When I walk back out, she’s waiting for me, a nervous look on her face.
“Dinner?” I ask, smiling. “I know this great kebab place.”
She nods. “Sure, sounds great.”
We leave the car where it is, and I grab her hand and lead her into the Rocks tourist area. She lets me, but she’s quiet on the walk and I don’t ask her any more questions, having already spilled my guts to her enough at the top of the bridge.
Despite having spent the better part of two days with her, trying to get her to open up and just give up control and let go, she’s still a mystery to me. An intriguing one for sure, but a mystery nonetheless.
I want to know what it is that makes her tick. What it is that makes her smile, makes her laugh and makes her mad. I want to know what drives her crazy too, and I really, really want to know what she feels like beneath me, what she sounds like as I fuck her and what she looks like when I make her come.
When we reach the hole-in-the-wall shop that sells the best kebabs in Sydney, I drop her hand. “What’ll it be?” I ask.
She stares up at the menu, her eyes roaming over it before she looks back at me and says, “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
Grinning, I turn and place an order for two lamb kebabs. When they’re ready, we take them with us, both of us peeling back the paper and eating them as we slowly walk back toward the car.
“You looking forward to going back home tomorrow?” I ask.
Taylor shrugs. “I’m looking forward to flying again,” she says.
I nod. “Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s a rush, huh?” She nods, taking a huge bite of her kebab as she does. “You based in LA?” I ask, wondering whether I’ll only ever see her when we fly together or if there’s a chance we can catch up when we’re off too.
“Yeah,” she says. “Santa Monica. I moved back a few years ago after living overseas.”
I smile. “Manhattan Beach for me. We’re practically neighbors,” I add, turning to look at her. She glances up at me and I wink, reaching over to wipe some sauce off her cheek.
By the time we finish our kebabs and make our way back to the car, it’s nearly ten o’clock. After we’ve dropped the car off, we grab an Uber and head back to the hotel, neither of us saying anything as we sit in the back seat of the car.
It almost feels like something is ending tonight, as though this little bubble we’ve been living in for the past two days is about to burst. And as much as I love flying, there’s a part of me that wishes we could stay here, just the two of us, in the city I love.
We eventually reach the hotel and get out. Neither of us heads inside straightaway, even though we can both see the whole crew and several other airline crews in the hotel bar, making the most of their last night off.
“You heading in there?” I ask, gesturing toward them. None of them have noticed us standing in the shadows outside.
Taylor turns to look at them, her face unreadable as she shakes her head. “I think I’m just going to go to bed,” she whispers.
I nod. “Me too.”
We walk inside, both of us hurrying past the bar and straight toward the elevators. When the doors open, we step inside, the two of us the only people in the car.
I reach across her and hit the button for floor fourteen before asking, “Which floor?”
“Same,” she says quietly.
I nod and pull back, standing silently beside her as the elevator starts its climb. Neither of us says a word as an electric charge starts to slowly build, surrounding us and filling the confined space. It feels as though the whole space is thick with tension and desire and unanswered questions about what happens next. What happens when we reach the fourteenth floor?
I know what I want to happen. It’s what I’ve wanted since the second I stepped into that cockpit with her back at LAX. But I know that it’s not up to me now. That despite her reputation, something has changed with Taylor and if anything is going to happen between us, it has to be on her terms.
I feel like I’ve made my feelings clear and that the ball is well and truly in her court now.
When the bell dings and the elevator slows on our floor, I signal for Taylor to walk out first. I follow behind her, both of us walking slowly down the corridor.
“This is me,” she says, stopping in front of a door.
I glance up at the number before lowering my eyes to hers. She stares back at me, eyes wide, bottom lip between her teeth again. I step closer, sliding one hand onto her hip as I reach up with my other hand, cupping her jaw as my thumb pulls her lip out.
I watch her throat move as she swallows, her breathing hitching as I step even closer, our chests almost touching, only the barest sliver of space between us.
“I know you’re afraid,” I whisper, my eyes locked on hers. I brush my thumb across her mouth now, leaving it there as she parts her lips to speak. “You don’t need to be afraid of me,” I add, my fingers curling around her jaw. “I want you, Taylor,” I whisper, my eyes dropping to her mouth. “So. Fucking. Much.”
“Jake,” she breathes out.
I drag my thumb down her mouth, pulling at her bottom lip. “God, I wanna kiss this mouth,” I groan, leaning closer.
I can see the hard pulse of her pounding heart in the vein at the side of her neck, her breathing coming out in ragged breaths now as her chest pumps against mine. She doesn’t move though, not coming any closer despite the want I can see in her eyes.
She’s not quite there yet. Not quite ready to take a risk and give in to what I know she wants, what I can see written all over her face.
And as much as I might want her, as desperate as I feel for her right now, I’m not pushing it. This is her call. It has to be her choice to let go, to lose control and give in to what we both know is happening here.
“Good night, Taylor,” I murmur, tilting my head and pressing a kiss to the side of her neck. I linger against her skin, my mouth curving into a smile as I hear a low moan fall from hers. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Then, I step back, turning and walking away before I have a chance to change my mind or question why I’m walking away from this woman right now.