Chapter 22
DANI
My mind wandered as Ben rambled about the song he played tonight. With half an ear, I monitored the crowd to ensure everything ran smoothly. I made mental notes of tables I needed to check on once I escaped.
My eyes strayed towards where Shayla and Jake were in serious conversation. When I first saw them together, my heart spasmed. They’d be a gorgeous couple, and Shayla was nice and funny, which Jake deserved.
“What do you think?”
“What?”
Ben’s nostrils flared, and a muscle in his jaw flexed.
“I asked if you wanted to get a drink sometime.”
I sighed and stepped away from him.
“Ben, I’m at work, and we’re really busy. You’re a nice guy, but I already told you I’m not dating right now.”
His eyes flashed.
“Your loss.”
He stomped away, and I exhaled my frustration. When I turned around, I almost ran into Jake.
“Everything okay?” he asked, his expression worried.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I rolled my eyes. “He won’t take the hint.”
“Are you interested in him?”
I scoffed.
“No, but he thinks I’m playing hard to get.”
Jake’s brow wrinkled the way I adored, and I patted his chest to console him. Damn, I shouldn’t have done that. Now my fingers wanted to explore all that delicious muscle.
“It’s fine. Eventually he’ll move on to someone else and forget about me.”
His expression remained troubled, but I didn’t have time to reassure him.
“I gotta run. You still hanging out with Shayla?”
“Yeah, she’s terrifying. She tries to guess the lines men are going to use on her, and she’s right more often than not.”
His disgusted expression made me giggle.
“I want to hear all about it, but if I don’t get back to work, Neil and Bethany are going to kick my ass.”
His lips lifted in that half-smile I wanted to kiss, and I fled before I gave in.
Later, I ran into Shayla in the bathroom. She was freshening her lipstick in the mirror when I came out to wash my hands.
“Your friend is fun to tease,” she said. “Too bad he’s not available.”
My heart beat faster. Of course she’s interested in Jake.
“He just got out of a long-term relationship,” I mumbled.
“Yeah, he told me.”
“He did?”
“I wore him down,” she said with a sultry laugh I liked a lot more when it wasn’t about Jake. “I’ve got my sights set on one of the artists who’s in town for the weekend. He seems like he’d be fun.”
Relief made me weak, but I frowned.
“Be careful.”
She eyed me in the mirror.
“You should be a little less so.”
She blew me a kiss and sashayed out of the bathroom, but I was rooted to the floor. Does she know I’m interested in Jake? Does he know?
When a group of twenty-somethings pushed into the bathroom, I jerked out of my stupor, finished my business, and returned to work.
Shayla left with a silver fox and a jaunty wave, and I grilled Jake about her date.
“Shayla’s a grown adult who can leave with whomever she wants,” he said. “If makes you feel any better, she texted a photo of his driver’s license to her sister.”
“It could be fake.”
Jake’s mouth quirked.
“He’s one of the special guest artists at the festival. I recognized him.”
Disgruntled, I returned to work. The night dragged, but finally, we kicked everyone out, and the dishes were loaded. I slogged through cleanup, grateful when Jake took out the trash. It had been a long day, and all I wanted was a hot bath and sleep.
Once we locked up, I climbed into Big Blue, and a yawn ripped through me.
“Thanks for helping tonight. You didn’t have to.”
“I don’t mind.”
“And thanks for picking me up. Neil would have dropped me off.”
He shrugged dismissively. I settled back against the bench seat. The next thing I knew, Jake shook me awake.
“I’m so sorry I fell asleep,” I said on another yawn.
“It was a long day, and you’ve been blowing and going for weeks.”
“I had so much fun with you today,” I said. “Thanks for going with me.”
“It was my pleasure. I’m not just saying that. It was really cool.”
I beamed at him and followed him into the house. Miss Priss materialized, demanding treats and affection in equal measure. With a laugh, I scooped her up and carried her to the cabinet Jake stocked with cat bribes. Once I set her down with her treats, I spied a little black bag on the counter.
“What’s that?” I pointed.
Jake’s ears turned red.
“Um, uh, well,” he stammered.
Jake wasn’t the stammering type. I watched him with raised eyebrows until he slumped against the kitchen cabinets in defeat.
“It’s for you. Go ahead and open it.”
My exhaustion forgotten, I attacked the bag. When I cracked open the small box and recognized the beautiful rose ring from earlier, I gasped.
“It suits you, and it doesn’t have to mean anything,” he murmured.
I looked at Jake, really looked at him. My grumpy, dear Jake, who was miserable as he explained that the romantic gesture he made wasn’t romantic.
I couldn’t wait anymore. With the ring in my hand, I marched up to him.
“I love it.”
I went up on my tiptoes and kissed first one cheek and then the other.
“It’s beautiful.”
Then I gripped him by the shoulders and pressed my lips to his.
Jake froze. His eyes, though, blazed with emotion.
If I walked away right now, he’d chalk it up to gratitude, but I was tired of playing it safe. With my pulse thundering in my veins, I took a deep breath.
“I want us to be more, Jake. You’re my best friend, but I want more.”
An agonized expression crossed his face, and my heart plummeted to my toes.
“I can’t,” he rasped. “I can’t be friends with benefits with you.”
“No,” I cried out. “That’s not what I mean.”
He stepped away from me, and I wanted to scream. I ruined everything.
No, I couldn’t believe that. I wouldn’t.
“Jake, talk to me.”
“It’s better if I get out of here for a while. We’ll talk later.”
He strode toward the door without a backwards glance.
I scurried as quickly as my stupid, short legs would go, and I slammed into the front door before he reached it.
“What did you think I said back there?”
“Please don’t make me repeat it.”
His pain was palpable, but something was wrong.
“Jake, you idiot, I want to date you.”
His jaw dropped, but no words came out.
“You sure know how to flatter a girl,” I huffed.
“No. You can’t mean that.” He shook his head in confusion.
I crossed my arms and glared at him.
“I’m a grown woman, and I know what I want. You.”
“But why?”
His voice held the deep-seated anguish of a man who’d been abandoned by the people who should have loved him most. I stepped closer and cupped his face. His cheek twitched, but it wasn’t suppressed anger like Beau. This was a man who felt deeply but convinced himself he was unworthy.
“Because you’re you,” I said simply. “All the ways you take care of me and show me I’m special, I want to do that but more. And kissing. I really want to kiss you.”
His laugh was watery, his eyes shiny with unshed tears. This time when I kissed him, he was a willing participant.
Jake curled my toes with that first kiss. When he cupped my face and took the kiss deeper, my knees buckled. Like something out of a movie, he scooped me up and carried me to the couch.
With our mouths still fused together, Jake sat. He tugged on my hair to align my mouth where he wanted it, and I moaned. Sparks burst everywhere he touched me, and I craved more.
We both groaned when I turned to face him and straddled his lap. I rocked against his erection and gasped when his hands tightened on my hips. Jake tore his lips away and pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses along the column of my neck.
“God, yes,” I panted.
He swallowed my moans while I dry-humped him. I cried out again when he squeezed my ass cheeks. Then he controlled my body until he rubbed my center over the ridge of his straining cock. It was unbelievable.
“That’s it, baby,” he crooned. “Grind your pussy on my cock. God, you’re so sexy. I dreamed about you like this.”
His words sent me to a higher plane of arousal. We were on the same page.
When he cupped one of my breasts, I let out a keening, high-pitched wail. Jake’s mouth closed around my nipple, and he sucked it through the material.
Starburst exploded through me when he gently bit the sensitive bud, and my head flew back in a soundless cry as I came apart.
Jake’s other hand clutched my hip to hold me in place. He thrust, and I cried out when his cock rubbed against my still-swollen clit.
Grunts and moans filled the room. Both of his hands were locked on my hips, which he used to control my movements. I was so wet, I soaked his pants, and the idea thrilled me. I love the thought of marking him with my arousal.
“God, Jake, your cock is rubbing me perfectly,” I whimpered. “You feel so good between my legs.”
He thrust harder at my words, and it gave me ideas.
“That’s it. Rub my pussy along your big, hard cock. You feel so good, baby. You’re gonna make me come again.”
Dirty talk wasn’t my thing; it made me self-conscious. However, Jake’s obvious enjoyment thrilled me. He worked me over his ridge, and I narrated my arousal. His fingers dug into my hips as he held me in place for one final thrust.
He let out the sexiest groan I’d ever heard as he came in his pants, and that was enough to send me over again. Holy shit, we dry-humped each other like a pair of teenagers, and it was so fucking hot.
“Oh my god,” I laughed once my brain worked. “If it was that good with our clothes on, I can’t wait to find out what it’ll be like once we get naked.”
“No,” he panted, “it’s too soon. We should take this slow.”
“It’s been twenty years. We’ve taken it slow enough.”
“You’re tired and should go to bed,” he said.
“You should join me in bed, and we can pick this conversation up in the morning.”
His brow crinkled, and I finally got to stroke the line between his eyebrows.
“My grumpy bear, you’re not getting rid of me that easily. I know you. If you go to bed alone, you’ll spend all night finding reasons we shouldn’t do this.”
“I don’t want you to regret anything tomorrow,” he said softly.
I stared into his dear, beautiful face and resolved to fight for him, even if he was the one I had to fight.
“Then don’t turn me away. We can sleep, but I want another chance to wake up in your arms tomorrow.”