Chapter 25 JAKE
JAKE
Crystal Clear
Ican feel Talia retreating into herself on the drive back.
And this is Talia we’re talking about. The most open, unguarded person I know.
She gives away affection and smiles like she has bucketfuls of them.
When she finally mumbles about missing me once we’re divorced, I don’t know what to say.
Is this about what I think it is?
I don’t want to give away too much.
I don’t want to assume and make a fool of myself.
But the idea of her not being part of my life makes something inside me go cold.
“Forget it,” she says finally, waving a hand like she can erase the last few minutes. “I know how you feel. That’s fine. I was just being silly. We both knew this wasn’t permanent.”
Okay. Enough.
I pull into the driveway and cut the engine.
I’ll be damned if I let her walk away like this.
Before she can open her door, I’m out of the car and walking around to the passenger side.
I open the door for her.
She looks up at me, confusion and hurt warring in her eyes.
I hold out my hand. She takes it automatically.
Her hand is small in mine, and it feels right there.
She straightens, and I don’t let go.
I step closer, closing the small distance between us.
Then I cup her face in both hands.
Her skin is warm beneath my palms.
Her eyes go wide.
My breath feels tight in my chest.
“Don’t,” I say quietly.
“Don’t what?” she whispers.
“Don’t decide what I feel without asking me.”
My heart is pounding now, loud and relentless.
I lean down and kiss her.
The kiss is sweet and certain, and I try to pour everything I feel into it.
I’m not sure she understands.
So when I pull back, I rest my forehead against hers.
“So ask me,” I murmur.
Her fingers curl into my shirt.
“Ask you what?”
“What I feel.”
“Okay then,” she whispers. “What do you feel?”
“I feel happy when I’m around you,” I say. “And I can’t stop thinking about you when I'm not. Seeing you smile when I come home at night is the best part of my day.”
I keep going before she can interrupt.
“I feel… calmer when you’re there,” I admit. “Like the noise in my head goes quiet when you walk into a room. Like I don’t have to brace for something.”
Her eyes shine, but she doesn’t speak.
“When you’re upset, it messes with me. When you’re happy, it does too. I don’t like the idea of you not being in my life.”
I swallow.
“The house wouldn’t feel the same without you,” I continue. “I don’t want to go back to before. To coming home and not finding you there with paint on your hands and music playing.”
Her lips part slightly.
“So don’t ever assume you know how I’m feeling or what I want,” I say, my voice steady now. “Because you have no idea how much I want you.”
She’s gone quiet.
“Are we clear?” I ask, not breaking eye contact.
“Yes,” she whispers.
But she doesn’t move.
She just stands there, eyes locked on mine like she’s still trying to process what I just said.
I lean in and kiss her again.
My hands slide from her face to her waist, pulling her closer until there’s no space left between us. She makes a soft sound against my mouth, her hands sliding up into my hair this time, holding on like she’s afraid I’ll disappear if she loosens her grip.
I kiss her even slower. Deeper.
My tongue sweeps past her lips, the soft moan she makes sends blood rushing straight to my cock.
My fingers tighten on her waist, digging into the soft fabric of her shirt, feeling the warm skin beneath.
When I finally pull back, she looks dazed.
Her lips are swollen and pink, her blonde hair slightly mussed where my hands have tangled in it. She's breathing hard, her pupils blown wide.
"Come on," I murmur against her lips. Then I take her hand and guide her up the short path to the front door.
Bear starts barking the second we step inside, tail thudding against the hallway wall like he's personally offended we left him out of something.
Talia laughs softly, the sound shaky but happy.
I close the door behind us and don't let go of her hand. Instead, I pull her through the hallway, past the kitchen, up the stairs and toward my bedroom.
Bear's barking fades as we move deeper into the house, until I'm closing the bedroom door and it's just the two of us.
I step closer, crowding her until the back of her knees hits the edge of the mattress. She falls back with a small gasp, her blonde hair fanning across the comforter.
"Fuck," I breathe. "You have no idea how long I've thought about this."
I reach down and grip the hem of her shirt, pulling it up slowly. She lifts her arms to help, and I toss it aside, leaving her in a simple white bra.
Her skin is warm and luminous. Delicate collarbones. Her chest rises and falls with each steady breath.
I trail my fingers from her throat down the center of her body, over her sternum, and feel her shiver beneath my touch.
"You're beautiful," I tell her. "Every fucking inch of you."
I climb onto the bed, positioning myself over her. My mouth finds her collarbone, pressing hot, open kisses along the bone.
I drag my tongue lower, to the swell of her breast above the bra, and she arches into me with a soft whimper.
My hands find the clasp at her back, and I undo it with practiced ease. The fabric falls away, baring her to my gaze.
Her nipples are already peaked, pink and perfect. I take one into my mouth, swirling my tongue around the tight bud, and she cries out—her hands flying to my hair, gripping tight.
"Oh god—Jake—"
I lavish attention on her breasts, kissing and sucking and nipping until she's writhing beneath me.
Then I start moving lower. My lips trail down her stomach, my tongue dipping into her navel, making her giggle breathlessly. But the laughter turns to a moan when I reach the button of her jeans.
I look up at her as I unbutton them. Her eyes are locked on mine, her teeth biting into her lower lip.
"Lift your hips," I command softly.
She does.
I drag her jeans down her legs, taking my time, letting my fingers trail along her soft skin. Her panties follow—a simple cotton pair, already damp at the center.
I groan at the sight, at the scent of her arousal hitting me like a fucking wave.
"Jake, please—" Her voice is ragged, desperate.
I don't make her wait.
I bury my face between her legs, dragging my tongue through her slick folds.
She cries out, her hips bucking off the mattress, but I pin her down with one arm across her pelvis. I find her clit and circle it slowly, teasingly, before sucking it into my mouth.
"Fuck!" Her hand tangles in my hair, pulling hard. The sting only makes me harder.
I eat her out like I'm starving.
Her taste floods my mouth, musky and sweet, and I groan against her flesh. I push one finger inside her, then two, curling them to find that spot that makes her scream.
Her thighs shake on either side of my head.
Her breath comes in sharp gasps and broken moans. I can feel her getting close—her walls clenching around my fingers, her hips grinding against my face.
And then she shatters with a cry, her whole body convulsing as pleasure rips through her. I work her through it, lapping at her gently as she comes down from the high.
When I finally pull back, her face is flushed, her chest heaving. She looks thoroughly wrecked, and I haven't even fucked her yet.
I stand at the edge of the bed and strip off my clothes. Shirt first. Then jeans. Then my boxer briefs, freeing my cock, which juts out hard and heavy between us.
Her breath catches.
"Like what you see?" I ask, gripping myself and stroking slowly.
She nods, licking her lips.
I climb back onto the bed, positioning myself between her thighs. She wraps her legs around my waist, pulling me closer. The head of my cock nudges against her entrance, slick and hot.
I press forward slowly.
I lean down and kiss her as I move into her, swallowing the sound she makes against my mouth.
“Talia,” I groan against her lips. “You feel incredible.”
I start to move. Slow at first, letting her adjust, pulling out almost entirely before sliding back in. Her nails rake down my back, leaving trails of fire. Her hips rise to meet each thrust, finding a rhythm with me.
“Jake, yes,” she gasps. “More. I need more—please—”
I give her what she wants.
I snap my hips forward, driving into her with force that makes the bed creak and the headboard bang against the wall. She screams, her head thrown back against the pillow, her mouth open in a perfect O of pleasure.
"This what you wanted?" I growl, pounding into her. "My cock deep inside you?"
"Yes—yes—fuck—"
I hook one of her legs over my shoulder, changing the angle, hitting deeper.
She sobs, her hands fisting the sheets so hard her knuckles go white. I lean down and bite her shoulder, marking her.
"Get ready for me again," I command. "Come on my cock."
She does.
She begins to shake and shudder, and I feel her tightening around me in a raw, instinctive rhythm.
I follow her over the edge two thrusts later, burying myself to the hilt and spilling into her with a groan that comes from somewhere deep in my chest.
"Fuck—Talia—"
I collapse beside her, pulling her close. Our bodies are slick with sweat, our breathing ragged. She curls into me, her head on my chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns on my skin.
The room is quiet except for our breathing, the distant sound of Bear padding around the house.
I brush her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She looks up at me with those blue eyes, soft and sated, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Now," I say, my voice low and teasing. "Let me ask again: are we clear?"
She smiles, slow and satisfied. "Crystal."