by Traci Sek
I had never done this with a man before but now I knew what it felt like when I read about it in romance books. I was thrown back into reality as his fingers found their way to the buttons on my shirt. With every flick of his fingers, another button popped open, leaving me vulnerable, scared, apprehensive. Can I do this? Should I be doing this?
Momentarily I hesitated. He seemed to sense this as his fingers left my shirt and his body backed away.
“I’m sorry, I’ve never done anything like this before. This is happening really fast.” I paced back and forth in front of him with one hand stuck on the top of my head.
"Shit! I'm sorry." His hands dropped to his sides. “I want to take you out first before this happens.”
A strange wave of disappointment hit my chest.
Did I want this? Wait. What is happening? It’s just a kiss, right? No! Even though my mind was a clouded mess, my heart knew what it wanted. My heart also wanted to take this slow. He was right, we needed to go on a date first.
“Yes first date then see where this goes?”
“Yes.” We stared at each other in silence, my lips aching for just one more kiss. I had to stay strong and the only way I could do that was to leave.
“I’m glad you are doing better. I should go now.”
“Right. Thanks for checking up on me.” I smiled at him and turned to leave. Just as I grabbed the door handle he called out my name making me turn around again.
“Tomorrow six p.m.”
“Ok,” I timidly replied before exiting out of his door.
As promised Jake showed up at the pool house right at six in a pair of khaki pants and a dark blue dress shirt.
“Hey,'' he said as he held up a bouquet of red roses.
“Oh my God, Jake they are gorgeous.” I grabbed them and took a small sniff. The sweet scent filled my nostrils which slightly eased the nerves that had been plaguing my body throughout the day.
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yes.”
Once out in the front, we entered the limo and for the first time we sat close to each other. He immediately grabbed my hand and once again the heat from his hand radiated throughout my whole body.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he smirked.
The limo came to a stop inside a parking lot that was filled with cars. A medium sized brick building stood in the distance, with a few people standing outside smoking. We walked hand in hand and entered in through one of the many doors at the entrance. We walked up to a counter with a man standing looking at a computer screen. He glanced up at us before greeting us with a huge smile.
“Hi guys, welcome to Minnie’s ice rink…”
Ice rink? Shit. I couldn’t ice skate! I couldn’t even rollerblade. come to think of it I really couldn’t do much thanks to my childhood.
“What size shoe are you?”
“I’m an eight and a half,” I hesitantly replied.
“Ok so an eight and a half and a ten for me,” Jake said to the guy eyeing us expectantly.
He turned around towards what I had noticed was a big wall of ice skates in small cubby-like boxes with sizes underneath. He grabbed two pairs from each box and plopped them down onto the counter.
“There you go. How many hours?”
“Just one please.”
“Great that’ll be twenty seven dollars.”
Jake handed him a credit card and handed me my pair of skates. We walked through another set of wooden doors which opened into a large ice rink. Loud music blared from the speakers and I could instantly see my breath. I was in awe of my surroundings. People were everywhere, some skated together holding hands, while others skated alone or with tiny children.
“Come on.” His hand nudges my shoulder blade gently as we walk over to a set of bleachers and sit down. Jake started to put on his skates but paused when I didn’t.
“What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know how to skate. I’ve never skated in my life.”
“It’s alright, I’ll hold your hand and teach you.”
I gulped my anxiety down and took a deep breath. Putting on ice skates was a lot harder than it looked. After struggling for a few minutes and gaining my balance, Jake slowly pulled me out onto the ice. Immediately my feet went every direction possible as I gripped tight to his shoulders. Of course he laughed at me the entire time but I was too nervous to care.
“Keep your feet and your back straight and follow my lead.”
I did what I was told and kept my eyes focused on his. Slowly he started to skate backwards pulling me with him. The nervous feeling in my stomach transferred into giggles. I looked like a stiff dummy, not wanting to move an inch in fear of falling. This went on for a good ten minutes before he let go of one of my hands to skate next to me. My heart nearly lept out of my mouth but I managed to hold myself up and continued skating.
“See, you got this! You are doing great.”
“I’m doing ok,” I corrected him.
Once our hour was up, we got off the ice and took off our skates, returning them to the front and heading back out to the limo.
“Are you hungry?”
“A little.”
“Alright time to go eat at one of my favorite restaurants.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Emily
The dinner was amazing. I had my all time favorite spaghetti and meatballs while Jake had a chicken parm meal. We laughed and talked about the good times we had in our pasts, getting to know each other just a little bit deeper. We enjoyed a whole bottle of merlot which had become my favorite wine even though I hadn’t tried many. Feeling a bit tipsy he helped me back to the pool house but we didn’t enter.
“Did you have a good time?” He asked me.
“Yes, it was amazing. Thank you.”
His eyes became intense as he stared at me in the dark.
“Have you thought about my question?”
Even the amount of wine I had couldn’t take away the nerves that suddenly surfaced. I needed to shut my thoughts off and just listen to my heart.
“I did.”
“And..”
“Yes. I will be your girlfriend.”
A smile instantly found its way onto his face. He stepped up close to me, our lips nearly touching as he whispered another question.
“Can I kiss you?” My eyes moved to his lips as I nodded my head. In a flash his lips are on mine.
I grabbed his hands and placed them on my sides. My body fit right in his hands like a glove, as my heart thumped vigorously in my chest and ears. If my mind was working properly, it would have sent me a million alerts. Yet, instead, my heart took the reins, and I didn't want it to stop. He pulled apart for a minute reaching behind me to open up my door. Once inside he kicked the door closed and crashed his lips back on mine. My legs inched back with every peck he placed before they hit the edge of the bed.
Once again he stopped and looked at me.
"I won't do anything you don't want me to." He whispered.
His eyes were full of emotion and my brain failed to process any words. I simply kissed him back giving him permission to continue. His fingers expertly pulled my shirt up over my head as it dropped to the floor, leaving me in only my bra. My fingers latched onto the bottom of his search lightly pulling it up. His arms rose in the air as I continued to pull it up over his head. His bulging muscles in his right arm hook around to my back unhooking my bra exposing my breasts. A sense of embarrassment filled my chest making me wrap my arms around myself but Jake stopped me.
“You're beautiful, don’t be ashamed.”
My arms instinctively wrapped around him instead as his lips found my neck, placing feather-like kisses down to the tip of my shoulder. His fingers grasp the waistband of my pants tugging them down till they hit my ankles.
I told myself not to worry. I knew he wouldn't hurt me and I could trust him. The courage I lacked before and the overwhelming endorphins I felt at that moment to
ok hold as I slid his boxers off. He gently laid me down on the bed, reached in his pants pocket, and pulled out a red foiled packet. He rolled on the contents before positioning himself next to me. His fingers caressed my skin making it light up with fire. I lied still taking in every swipe of his finger before they landed underneath my chin. The soft impact made me look up into his eyes. I kissed him with need this time enjoying every sense that rippled through my body. This feels so right. His lips parted from mine and roamed down, starting from my cheek, to my collarbone, and all the way down to my belly button. More butterflies erupted into my stomach, a mixture of nerves and excitement.
Spreading my legs apart, I felt his wet lips trail down the insides of my thighs, before kissing my most sensitive area. His warm tongue started to explore, sucking and licking what seemed to be every inch of me, the feeling was out of this world. Out of instinct I arched my back and moaned as his tongue slipped in and out. It only lasted for a few minutes before he kissed the sides of my thighs again and came back to my stomach, slowly, agonizingly. All I wanted was for him to embrace me with his warm body and feel him inside of me. I wanted to finally know what it felt like.
Our bodies melt together by tragedy. By loss, sadness, and a pain not many people feel in their lifetime. We needed each other and fate knew this. Sometimes fate could be cruel and sometimes it could be a blessing in disguise.
I moaned again. The warm butterflies scattered everywhere as my skin lit up with chills. He looked deep into my eyes, silently asking for me to continue. I cupped his cheeks with my hands and bit my bottom lip. He kissed me once more before positioning himself, delving in slow and gentle. A small shooting pain rippled up my abdomen but it only lasted for a split second as his thrusts became more and more steady.
He felt so good inside of me as if we were made for each other. I never thought sex would be this amazing, or this passionate. He began to thrust faster and harder as my breath hitched in my throat. I arched my back even higher as his scorching hand held me in place. His swollen lips suck on mine as he let out a little moan deep in his throat. As much as I tried to fight it I couldn't, a little moan escaped my throat that sent him into overdrive. I wasn’t even sure if I was doing this right but I pushed that thought to the farthest part of my brain and followed his every move. Finally, I felt my core clench as he stiffened. Both of our bodies melting in a much needed release. He slowly pulled out as he rolled onto his back panting.
“Are you ok?” He asked once he caught his breath.
I couldn’t deny that I was indeed sore but the experience outweighed any pain. I nodded my head unable to form coherent words as my mind buzzed.
We lay in silence for what felt like hours, but in reality, it had only been minutes. It was a comfortable feeling. Feeling a chill run through my body, I shivered. Jake noticed like he always did, and put his arm around my waist, pulling me towards him where he could cradle me. Instantly, I was filled with warmth. An indescribable warmth that spread from my core to my chest just like it did earlier. No words needed to be spoken at that moment. I felt as if we were communicating through our minds. We had this connection between us which was forming into a bond and I believed that we were the only ones that could fix each other.
I felt him bury his face into the crook of my neck and I smiled ever so slightly. I wanted to stay like this forever. Unfortunately, when the sun rose, we would have to part and face reality head on, whatever that would be. Shoving those thoughts aside, I let my eyes close and drift into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of a beeping and a knocking almost in rhythm with each other. My eyes fluttered painfully open from the sun that was attacking the window. I tried to move but realized Jake was still tightly wrapped around me as if I were a teddy bear. I gently unclamped his arm and turned towards him as the beeping and knocking continued.
"Jake." I whispered in his ear while shaking him slightly. He was even more gorgeous asleep, his hair was slightly hanging in his face and his skin was glowing from the sun. He looked so peaceful I almost didn't want to wake him up. My hand touched his face as I glided my hand over his cheek. His eyes started to open and he let out a groan.
"Mr. Williams, wake up! You will be late for your board meeting," Aida shouted from the other side of the door. It only took a moment before Jake realized what she had just said as he shot up into a sitting position and grabbed his beeping phone. His glorious abs on full display as the sheet slid down into his lap.
"Shit,” he cursed. Turning to look at me with his glistening eyes, he smiled at me.
"Good morning beautiful." He kissed me on the cheek as I blushed at the compliment.
"Mr. Jake are you awake?" Aida yelled as she continued to bang on the door.
"Yes! I'm up getting in the shower!"
"Praise the lord!" She yelled back exasperated making both of us laugh.
"I'm going to be so late. I'm sorry. I wish I could stay with you more."
"It's ok. Go get your butt in that shower," I smirked at him and he laughed. He threw the sheet off and got up, jogging straight to the bathroom closing it behind him. Blush made its way to my cheeks when I saw him in all of his glory. I resisted the urge to want to shower with him. Thanking the heavens, he couldn't see all my scars, I hurried and got my pajamas on from last night and headed to my room.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Emily
After cleaning up and getting dressed, I headed downstairs to the dining room. I felt almost new with a sense of peace that washed over me. To my surprise, Jake was still home and he was eating ridiculously fast. I stifled my laugh behind my hand as I placed myself next to him. I had this urge to be close to him as flashes of last night took over my mind. He looked over at me and winked as if he just read my mind. The doorbell rang suddenly, putting a frown on his face. He glanced at the clock that read eleven a.m.
The Butler, Mr. George, appeared at the dining room door.
"Miss Emily, you have a visitor." I stared at him for a minute confused and then looked at Jake who had stopped eating and was looking at me.
I shrugged my shoulders as my heart started to increase. That warm fuzzy feeling quickly drained out of me. Who could it be? Nobody knew where I was. Nobody except Jake’s family. Maybe it was his sister wanting to take me to lunch to talk about the job. I wondered if Jake even remembered she made me an offer.
I stood up slowly praying that it was in fact his sister and not someone bad from my past. Jake stood up with me and walked me to the door. I froze in my tracks as soon as I saw a tall woman wearing a brown jumpsuit. Her graying hair is pinned up into a perfect bun. Her glasses were hanging slightly at the tip of her nose and her hands held my suitcase. My social worker. How in the hell did she find me?
" Hello Emily," she said with a concerned look on her face. "I've been so worried about you!" She looked me up and down and then landed on my interlocked hand with Jake’s.
"Mrs. Stanfield," she said as she held her hand out towards Jake. He shook her hand and introduced himself.
"Mr. Williams. It's nice to meet you," he replied, confusion written all over. She smiled.
“Jake, this is my social worker. She was in charge of placing me in wonderful foster homes.” I couldn’t help the sarcasm that dripped from my mouth.
"How are you Emily?" I was still paralyzed and unable to comprehend what was going on.
"How did you know I was here?" I finally asked. Her smile turned into a frown.
"I got a random phone call last night from a man who remained anonymous. He said he had found you and this was your address. So, I came straight over. I was so relieved someone had found you. Why didn't you call me? What happened that day? You never showed up to the job interview."
My throat was like parchment paper and my breath hitched in my chest. The little joy I had been feeling was now completely flushed out. I felt as if I could faint.
"Mrs. Stanfield, why don't you come in and have a seat." Jake offered
. His demeanor had also changed.
She obliged, slowly entering into the big foyer. Her eyes grew wide as she skimmed the room before landing her beady eyes back on me. He gestured for her to sit on the big sofa near the fireplace and as she sat down, he turned to me.
"Are you ok? If you're not, I'll cancel the board meeting." I shook my head.
"No. I'll be ok." I said hesitantly. He stared at me for a moment as if he was having an internal battle on whether to leave or not. I gave him a faint smile which seemed to help win the war.
"Ok if you need me. Call me. Don't hesitate." I nodded and looked towards Mrs. Stanfield. She was staring at us with curiosity. He gave me a small kiss on my cheek making my heart flutter before leaving me. I wrapped my arms around myself and slowly walked sitting on the opposite couch facing her.
"I brought the rest of your stuff.” She pushed the bag over towards me and I grabbed it.
“So, are you going to tell me what happened? You seem to have just vanished and now I see you are living here and are obviously very, um, cozy with that man.” She raised her left eyebrow infinitesimally making my blood boil.
Miss Aida came in and sat down on a chair in the corner, pulling out a magazine. It made me smile inwardly as I knew Jake sent her to watch over me.
"I didn't run away if that's what you're implying." I said in a snarky attitude. I couldn't help it. How dare she all of a sudden show up here unannounced pretending as if she really cared.
"I'm not implying anything Emily. I just came to make sure you are ok. I was shocked to hear you didn't show up to the interview, you seemed so excited."
"I was. Why didn't you come to drive me? If you did, I would have made it to my interview. I say as my voice rose a little more than intended. Her eyes grew wide.
"Did something happen to you?"
"Of course, it did! I was hit by a car.”
She gasped placing the folders down next to her. She reached out her hand towards me but I leaned back.
“Oh Emily why didn't you contact me? How did you end up here?”
