24. Jake
Pulling into the underground parking of the building where Mac and Lexi currently live, I feel lighter than I have in a long while. Today had gone better than expected, even though it had taken a turn I hadn’t imagined when I decided to show Cherry my future home. One I hope I’ll share with her one day, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Today had been about forging new connections and, instead, I’d spilled my guts about my biggest shame, or at least one of them. Seeing her cry tears for me gutted me, twisting me up inside. When we were younger she confided she couldn’t cry. Not that she didn’t feel, just that losing her dad somehow had choked that act of releasing grief through crying.
Now, though, she seems to be able to, and I wonder what had triggered it, but suspect it’s something to do with the way I’d hurt her. Rubbing my chest, I try to erase the heaviness of regret. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, but maybe losing Blossom is one I can fix, even if I can’t go back and undo what I did, maybe I can heal her and perhaps myself in the process.
“Jake, I’m so glad you’re here. ”
Lexi greets me at the door, looking relaxed and happier than I’ve ever seen her. The woman is a warrior.
“Thanks for the invite.” I handed over the flowers I’d bought for her and the brandy for after dinner, which I know is a favorite of Mac’s, and drop a kiss on her cheek. Lexi is gracious and welcoming, which is more than I deserve.
“These are beautiful. Thank you.”
Mac walks toward me as we move into the lounge, Theo strapped to a carrier around his chest. I grin at him as we share an awkward man hug, careful not to wake the sleeping baby.
“You buy my wife flowers?”
“Yes, but I bought you brandy, so don’t get all jealous. I still love you, too, Mac, but she’s way prettier than you are.”
Mac punches my arm. “Agreed.”
I subtly look around, seeing if I can spot Cherry, but I know she hasn’t arrived yet.
“She’s running late.”
“I didn’t say anything,” I snap as Mac hands me a beer.
His smirk says it all and I shake my head.
“You and Cherry.”
He chuckles and I give him a dead stare. “What about us?”
“I just can’t believe I didn’t see it before.”
“Yeah, well, you had a lot going on.”
Mac tips his beer back and then bobs his head in agreement. “It’s been one hell of a year. But if changing it meant I didn’t get them for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t change a damn thing.”
I watch my best friend stroke his son’s downy soft hair and gaze at Lexi, who is fussing over something in the kitchen.
“So you think every decision we take leads us to where we are now and even the slightest deviation can change everything?”
“I do believe that.”
“Hmm.”
“I spoke to Dad about what we discussed. ”
My body stiffens, my hand gripping the beer bottle tighter. “And?”
“He’s going to make some calls. Turns out he and the elder Mancini are somewhat friends. If you can call it that.”
“Really? I didn’t see that coming.”
“Me either. Apparently, they met when they were both young and starting their careers.”
Hank is such an enigma sometimes. He’s the ultimate family man, and his love and devotion to them is evident for anyone to witness. Yet he’s also the hardnosed businessman who puts the fear of God into his competitors. A more ferocious and calculating businessman I’ve never met. Yet he’s kind. The way he’d treated Lexi is further proof of that. Not that I, of all people, need it. Without Hank and Vivian, I don’t know what would have become of me.
“I should call him. I’m sure he’s disappointed in me.”
“He said you’d say that. He also said you should go to the house tomorrow for Sunday lunch, but he isn’t disappointed, just worried about you. Truth is, so am I, Jake.”
“Why?”
Mac turns to me and places a hand on my shoulder. “You’re so worried about letting people down that you make horrible decisions to try and protect them, and you always become the collateral damage.”
“Not true.”
“Yes, my friend, it is.”
Before I can retort, the buzzer announces a guest and I focus on the door where Lexi is ushering Cherry inside. She looks delicious in a pale pink playsuit, with a deep V-neckline and a lace see-through waistline that I know is going to torture me all night. Her hair is up in a messy ponytail, giving me a glimpse of her long elegant neck, which fits perfectly in my hand.
She must sense me watching because she glances up. I see surprise then pleasure wash over her face, which gives me a warm feeling in my chest. I stay silent as she greets Hunter with a hug and kiss, and leans in to dr op a kiss on Theo’s head which is way too close to my best friend’s chest in my opinion. A growl of possession slips past my lips and I see Hunter try and smother a laugh.
As if lured by an invisible force, we met in the middle of the lounge as Hunter goes off to help his fiancée. Cherry nibbles on the gloss on her bottom lip and I fist my hands to keep from reaching for her.
“So, these were your big plans.”
“You didn’t really think I’d spend the day with you and then go out with another woman, did you?”
She does this cute little shoulder shimmy. “Maybe. It’s not like we’re dating or anything.”
“No,” I agreed, “but why would I go out with another woman when I’d spend the entire time thinking about you?”
A blush creeps over her cheeks and I want to stroke it with my finger, follow it as it travels over her skin and disappears into the V of her neckline. I bend my head closer to her, noting the pulse in her neck speeds up as I do.
“You consume me, Blossom. You always have and I have a feeling you always will.”
Before she can respond, Lexi calls us in for dinner. The table is a round, nook affair where they’d usually eat breakfast, but as it was only the four of us, Lexi had suggested this. There’s no artifice about Lexi and I like that. It suits my friend and the way he looks at her as the night wears on, almost makes me feel voyeuristic. Not in a creepy way, but like I’m a witness to a love that not many people got to enjoy.
Seated beside Cherry, I can smell her scent and make it my mission to revel in the accidental touches of our arms as we eat.
“So, the gala for Funding the Future is next week.”
I chew a piece of the perfectly cooked pork loin and nod at Lexi’s statement.
“What’s that?”
I glance at Cherry, who’s watching me thoughtfully and with much less malice than she has for the last month or so. “It’s a charity to rais e funding for scholarships for children who show academic promise but don’t have the funds or the opportunity.” It was something I’d taken over from Hank and I truly believed in it. It changed my life and gave me a future I could never have imagined. Having Hank and Vivian practically adopt me hadn’t hurt either.
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
Her praise makes me sit up straighter, makes me proud of what we’d done and how many kids we’d helped in the last nine years since I took over.
“We have another one that’s similar but geared towards kids with less academic success. It focuses on trades, like construction, plumbing, electrics, etcetera, but that’s a different event.”
“I think it’s great that you’re helping kids that need a hand up. Nobody chooses the life they are born into, and money shouldn’t be the reason kids fail.”
Cherry is stunning when she’s passionate about something. I’d witnessed it in the past when she talked about architecture, and again today when she was touring the house.
“Oh my God, I have the best idea. You should take Cherry as your date for the gala. She could see firsthand how it works. We could even offer an internship with us at the shop if that’s allowed.”
I could lean over and kiss Lexi for handing me this opportunity but knew I’d get a punch in the teeth from Mac.
“No, no. I’m sure Jake has a date already.”
Twisting to face Blossom head on, I grin at her, loving the discomfort she’s feeling, and watching her try and squirm her way out of this will be fun, especially as I have no intention of letting her off the hook. “No. No date and I’d love to show you what we do and see if it’s something you’d be interested in for the future.”
Cherry grinds her jaw and glares at her friend who just smiles.
“I think I might be busy that night.”
Her sentence is said through clenched teeth and I feel my lips pull into a soft smile before hiding it. “I haven’t told you the date yet, Blossom. ”
“I have plans to work every night next week. Especially as we just landed a huge new project today. I’d hate to have to turn that down.”
“We did? You didn’t tell me.”
Cherry glances over at Lexi, who wears a slightly hurt expression.
“Honey, no.” Cherry reaches for her friend and I see the bond these two women have up close and personal once more. Cherry would go to war for Lexi and I believed Lexi would do the same in her own way.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Honestly, it’s been a day but seeing as the client is right here in the room, maybe he can tell you.”
I felt a hand on my thigh and almost smile as my dick responds to her unexpected touch, until she pinches the inside of my leg, and makes me jump and almost knock my glass of wine over.
Little minx.
Entirely unaware of our position, Lexi looks at me with wide eyes and a huge smile. “You’re the client, Jake?”
“I sure am.”
Sliding my hand under the table, I grip Cherry’s wrist as she tries to remove her hand and hold it against my thigh. As I explain in detail to Lexi about the house and what I want, I skate her hand up and over the erection she’s caused. My dick pulses under her touch and I swear I hear her breathing change as her hand begins a slow exploration of my cock.
My ability to focus on two things at once is severely tested as I let my hand skim over her soft thigh, and up the pant leg of the play suit she’s wearing. Her thighs tighten and she goes to close them, but I give her a squeeze and she relaxes.
She’s still my good girl.
Sliding my fingers higher, I expect to find panties but instead find hot, wet flesh. My dick jumps and I glance sideways as Cherry coughs to cover the snort she’d made at my reaction to her bare form.
My index finger skims her slit, gathering her juices on the tip before I begin to rub firm, slow circles on her clit. Her breathing picks up as I work her until she’s fighting to stay still under my touch. My cock is throbbing with the need to feel her hands on me, but this isn’t about me. Pulling away, I inch my finger down, and push my middle finger inside her tight cunt. I almost groan at how good she feels. Her pussy is home to me, it’s where my cock, my tongue, and my fingers belong. My mouth floods with saliva and the memory of her taste in the shop a few days ago.
Her hand wraps around my covered cock and inches toward my zip but I stop her with a firm hand on her wrist. If she touches me, I know I won’t be able to hold back, and hauling her out of my best friend’s home halfway through dinner so I can fuck her, won’t go over well with Cherry.
My fingers curl as I use my thumb on the sensitive bundle of nerves that is so responsive to my touch. I feel her hips move and she fights the urge to ride my hand. I know I’ll jack my cock to this scene later and cover my belly with cum meant for her pussy.
I feel her leg begin to shake as she grips my wrist, not sure if she wants me to finish her or stop, but I already know I’m not going to let her finish. Tonight I want her either riding my cock, or going to bed so desperate for the climax only I can give her that she dreams of me like I do her.
Just as Cherry gets close, her fist clenching around the wineglass like it’s her lifeline, I stop and withdraw my touch. I want to suck her juices from my fingers, to savor every drop but with Hunter watching me with a suspicious tilt of his head, I know I can’t. I turn to my Blossom as I surreptitiously wipe my fingers on my napkin. Her glare is like liquid fire as she hits me with her flushed gaze.
God, she’s something else when she’s pissed. Alive, wild, untamable, and I fucking love every inch of her.
“So, Cherry, what do you say to going with Jake to the event?”
“Huh?”
My girl is completely discombobulated and, truth be told, the effect she has on me is just as strong. Only years of practice in the boardroom and inside a c ourtroom keep me from being a blithering idiot.
“The gala.” Lexi frowns at her friend. “Are you okay, Cher? You look a little flushed.”
“I’m fine. Just drank the wine too fast.”
I smirk knowingly and she stomps on my foot under the table, making me chuckle into my napkin. “So, Cherry Blossom, are you going to be my date?”
“I don’t have anything to wear to a function like that.”
“No problem, I’ll handle it.”
Cherry wrinkles her nose. “I’m not letting you choose a dress for me.”
“Even better, I’ll take you shopping.”
Lexi claps her hands. “Yes! This is perfect. I can cover the store for a few hours on Monday if that works, Jake.”
“You’re the best, Lex.”
I see Mac grumble something under his breath, but don’t hear what it is, but guess it’s about her overdoing it.
“I guess you have it all worked out, then.”
Arms crossed, Cherry glares at me but I’m pretty sure most of it is from sexual frustration. “I guess I do.”
I didn’t, far from it, but I seem to have a guardian angel working in my favor and I’m not going to be fool enough not to take advantage. I’m finally making headway with Cherry and I intend to push my advantage any way I can.