Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
I’m finally back at the penthouse at Aces. I told my father I came here to work and to restart my life. I can’t do that if he continues to lock me away. He reluctantly agreed to me moving back to the casino. With the condition I keep security around me all the time.
Right now, there are four men on each floor of the building by the elevators.
They look like attendants, but I know they’re not.
I do feel safer knowing the place is secure.
I’m walking around the apartment, wondering what I can do to make it more…
personalized. Maybe I need to go shopping, get some frames and hang some of my own pictures.
Antonia placed some small family photos around the living room, but I don’t think she wanted to overdecorate the place. Giving me the space to make it truly mine.
As if thoughts of Antonia conjured her up, she walks into my foyer. “Hey,” she greets me with a huge smile.
“Miss me already?” I joke.
“Terribly. You have no idea how horrible it is to be surrounded by males day in and day out.” She sighs. “And your brothers are messy little shits.”
“They’re also not kids anymore, Antonia. You can tell them to clean up after themselves.” I laugh.
“What? And have them need me for nothing? I couldn’t.” She shakes her head.
My stepmother was groomed by her Italian mobster father to be the perfect wife, and she really is.
Never faulting my father for any of the horrible things he has to do for his “job.” Always being there to support him, no matter what.
I do think that’s more to do with how much she loves him though, not just how she was raised.
“I brought you lunch,” Antonia says.
“What is it?” I ask, peering at the container. My stomach growls.
“Lasagna. Let me pop it into the oven. You can set the table.”
After setting the table, I find a bottle of red wine and fill two glasses, handing one to Antonia. We move to the living room and sit on the sofa.
“So, tell me everything. How’s Jake?” she asks.
“I haven’t seen him since the reading of the will,” I admit. That was two days ago.
“He does have a lot on his plate at the moment. It can’t be easy taking over an empire at such a young age,” Antonia says.
“We’re almost thirty, not that young,” I remind her.
“You’re still babies. What is happening between the two of you? Is it an official thing? Because CJ told me something I’d much rather hear from you.” Antonia quirks a brow.
I roll my eyes. “Jake thinks we’re engaged. That, after everything settles down, we’re going to get married and live happily ever after.” I sigh.
“Is that what you want?”
“I’d like him to actually ask me first, not tell me like some caveman. I am happy when I’m with him, though.”
“You can’t rely on a man for your happiness, Jasmine.
You need to find it within yourself first. Own it.
And then, and only then, let a man in to share your inner joy.
That way, if shit hits the fan and you end up without that man, he doesn’t get to take your happiness with him.
Because you own it, and you put an iron-clad prenup on that shit. ”
I process my stepmother’s words. “Would you be happy without Daddy?”
“Absolutely not, but I’d be okay. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because I have you and your brothers. And you kids are the best part of your father.” She smiles. “You most of all,” she says as she reaches out and tucks my hair behind my ear. “You want to know what I think?”
“Always.” I smile.
“I think you and Jake are soul mates. You always have been. I saw it the moment you met. When you were only six years old,” she says. “I think everything is going to work out the way it’s meant to be, and I know that you’re going to get everything you ever wanted.”
“I’ve only ever wanted him,” I admit.
“I know.”
“Does Daddy know? About this engagement Jake is so set on being a thing?” I ask.
“No, your brother knows better than to say anything. But I’ve seen the change in your father’s attitude towards the boy lately. He’s beginning to like him.”
“I doubt that.” I laugh. “Daddy never likes anyone I date.”
“True. But he’s not as… opposed to the idea of you being with Jacob,” Antonia clarifies. The buzzer for the oven goes off. “You refill these glasses. I’ll serve up the food.”
“Deal.”
After Antonia left, I slept. A food coma will do that to you. I want to believe her when she tells me that everything is going to be okay. But it’s hard to push back the doubt…
My phone buzzes. Picking it up off the nightstand, I see Jake’s name and smile. I’m not even sure how his number got into my phone. I never put it there.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Jazzy, how are you?”
“Good, you?”
“Were you sleeping?”
“I just woke up. Antonia came over with lasagna for lunch. I ate way too much.”
“I miss her lasagna,” he says.
“There are leftovers in the fridge,” I suggest.
“Are you inviting me over for leftovers?” He chuckles.
“Are you too fancy to eat leftovers, Mr. Westmead?”
“With you, I’d eat anything.”
“Anything?” I hum into the phone. “Even pancakes for breakfast instead of muesli?”
“Is that an invitation to stay over and have breakfast with you?” Jake’s voice is low, gravelly. Hot.
“I wouldn’t say that you couldn’t stay over,” I tell him.
“Good, because I’ve just walked through the lobby. I’m on my way up.”
“What?” I shriek and jump out of bed. “Shit!”
“What’s wrong?” Jake asks.
“You’re on your way up? Jake, I’ve been lazing around in bed all afternoon. I look like a slob,” I groan as I run into my bathroom and pull off my old band shirt and sleep shorts. Squirting some toothpaste onto my toothbrush, I then scrub at my teeth as quick as I can before rinsing out my mouth.
“Jazzy, you know I’ve seen you in all states. And every single one of them is beautiful. Even when you look like a slob.” He chuckles again.
“It’s not funny, Jacob,” I growl.
“Jasmine, relax. I don’t care what you look like.”
“I care! You look like a damn Calvin Klein model all the time. I look like a hot mess at the best of times.”
“You never look like a hot mess,” he says. I hear footsteps in my foyer. “Where are you?”
“Wait there. I’ll be right out,” I reply and quickly cut the call.
I walk out, stopping in the center of my room when Jake appears in my doorway. “Fuck me, if this is what you call looking like a hot mess, I want you to look like a hot mess all the time.” His gaze travels up and down my body, my very naked body, other than the white lace panties I’m wearing.
“Ah… I was changing,” I say, suddenly nervous that I’m on full display for him. My arms shoot up to cover my breasts.
Jake sets an overnight bag on the floor. Was he really planning on staying over?
He approaches me with large strides. He pulls at my arms, holding them down at my sides. “So fucking gorgeous,” he says, looking at my body. One finger brushes over my right nipple, the bud pebbling under his touch, and I shiver. “Are you cold?”
I shake my head, goose bumps continuing to erupt all over my skin, as his fingertips start exploring. Down the sides of my arms, over my hips.
Jake looks me dead in the eye. “You should tell me to stop. To leave,” he says.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because if you don’t, I’m going to have you sprawled out on that bed, and I’m going to take my time reacquainting myself with every single inch of your body.”
I smile. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”
Before I know it, my feet are lifted off the ground and I’m flying through the air, my back landing on the mattress. Jake is on top of me in an instant. He’s still completely dressed in a custom-fitted suit. There’s something erotic about being practically naked while he’s fully clothed.
“I’ve dreamt about this so many times I almost don’t believe it’s real,” he says, his words quiet. His lips trail across my collarbone, his tongue licks down my shoulder, and then he’s kissing his way towards my wrist. Nibbling every now and then.
I squirm beneath him, my core needing something. Attention, friction. Him.
Jake drops my arm and focuses on my other shoulder, repeating the torturously slow process until he reaches my left hand. Sucking my fingers into his mouth one at a time. He frowns. “They’re lacking flavor.”
“Um… sorry?” I frown. What did he think my fingers would taste like?
“Don’t be. We’re going to season them, get them real tasty.” He smirks as he shifts his body until he’s sitting on his haunches between my legs. Taking hold of the side of my panties, Jake tears right through the lace.
“Those were expensive,” I scold.
“I’ll buy you the whole fucking store.” Jake takes my hand and guides my fingers to my pussy.
“What are you doing?” I ask him.
“I already told you… we’re seasoning them.” He then guides my fingers through my wet folds. “Push them in,” he tells me, and I do. “Good girl.”
Jake grabs my hand again and raises it to his face. My fingers are now glistening with my juices. His tongue pokes out and he licks up the side of my hand. He groans and sucks both digits into his mouth. “Fucking delicious,” he says when he plops them out. “Do it again.”
“Do what again?”
“Get those fingers nice and wet for me, Jazzy.”
This time, I do it without him guiding me. I’m so wet, dripping. I pump in and out, my back arching off the bed before Jake snatches my hand and sucks those same fingers into his mouth again.
“So damn good,” he says.