First Love

by Lena Hart

  It took a not-so-discreet cough from Adam to pull Jake from his trance and Sabrina hid her smile. She quickly introduced him to Dee, who thankfully had decided to shelve her attitude and be pleasant.

  “I’m glad you guys came,” Jake said. “What took so long?”

  “We got lost,” Sabrina replied sheepishly. As long as she’d been living in Chicago, she was embarrassed that she still could get lost. Between her and Dee, it was a wonder they managed to make it anywhere.

  “Why didn’t you pick up your phone?” Jake asked. “I called you twice.”

  Dee made a sound with her teeth and flipped her long, kinky twists behind her shoulders. Sabrina shot her a look before turning back to Jake.

  “I forgot it at home.” Gratefully, Adam came to her rescue before she had to explain how nervous she’d been about coming out to see him that she’d accidentally left it behind. Not that she would have told him any of that, anyway.

  “Stop grilling the poor girl, Jake. She and her friend look hungry and bored, and that’s unacceptable.”

  The two guys led them to the kitchen to find a box of leftover pepperoni pizza and a few scraps of wings swimming in buffalo sauce. Sabrina fought hard not to wrinkle her nose when Adam handed her a paper plate.

  “Actually, I don’t—”

  “Don’t start,” Dee interrupted quietly behind her.

  Sabrina got the message and shook her head. “I’m not hungry, but thank you.”

  Dee took the paper plate from Adam and proceeded to place two slices of pizza on it. Her best friend knew she was hungry. They both hadn’t eaten before they left, and after the calories they’d burned walking here, Sabrina was starving. But Dee’s curt words reminded her that now wasn’t the time to get into why she didn’t eat pepperoni and couldn’t stand Buffalo wings, so Sabrina took the beer Adam handed her instead and cradled it between her palms.

  They lingered in the kitchen as Adam popped Deidra’s cold slices into the microwave. The rest of them nursed their beers, but Sabrina knew to pace herself. She didn’t plan on embarrassing herself because of an empty stomach and a half bottle of beer.

  “So, how did you two meet, again?” Adam asked, staring at her curiously.

  “Me and Jake? We work together. Or rather, we work for the same company,” Sabrina explained.

  Adam nodded as if he was recalling that bit of info, then he looked over at Jake, a sly grin curving his full lips. “Jake didn’t tell me you had such pretty, dark eyes.” Adam’s own dark eyes gleamed. “I don’t think I’ve seen him date…dark-eyed women.”

  Sabrina frowned and glanced over at Jake, who was glaring at his friend.

  “We’ve been friends long enough for you to know that shit doesn’t matter to me,” Jake snapped.

  Adam threw his hands up defensively. “Hey, man. I’m not judging. I think it’s kinda cool.”

  From the hard set of Jake’s jaw, it suddenly dawned on Sabrina what Adam was really referring to and she rolled her eyes. “Adam, it’s the twenty-first century. I don’t think people care about that stuff anymore. And if they do, then their lost. Us dark-eyed girls are pretty fun.”

  Adam stared at her for a moment, brows lifted, then he burst out laughing. “Jake, I like her. You better not screw this up.”

  “Ditto, Sabrina.” Deidra glanced over at Jake as she took the freshly nuked pizzas from the microwave, a small grin on her pretty, brown face.

  “We’re just friends, guys.” Sabrina looked to Jake for support, wanting to dispel the knowing looks they were getting from their friends.

  “Right. Friends.” Jake leaned against the counter and tilted the bottle to his lips. His stance was casual. His gaze was anything but.

  “Alrighty then,” Adam said, breaking the sudden awkward silence among them. “Why don’t we take the party somewhere else? Dee? How good are you with words?”

  “Well, I’m working on my Ph.D. in English composition and rhetoric,” Deidra boasted. “So I would say I’m pretty dexterous when it comes to words.”

  Adam whistled. “In that case…” He placed his bottle on the counter and held his hand out to her. “Care to join me in a game of Scrabble?”

  Deidra returned his smile and placed her free hand on his. Sabrina hadn’t seen that look on her friend’s face in a while and was happy that she was letting down her guard enough to enjoy herself.

  Sabrina watched as their friends made their way out of the kitchen then turned to Jake only to find him watching her in a way that was both exhilarating and unnerving. “Should we go join them?”

  Jake set his beer down, took her hand and pulled her to him. “In a minute.”

  The same tingling sensation tickled her palm just as it had yesterday when he’d grabbed her hand in the elevator. She’d been on the verge of a panic attack when the elevator had suddenly filled with people, but the distraction of his warm hand clasped around hers had helped tamper down her sudden anxiety.

  He rested his other hand lightly on her waist, and she barely contained a tremor. There it was again. Another of his small touches—the ones she was growing dangerously accustomed to whenever he was near. Now if only her body would stop reacting to his every touch…

  “You look really nice tonight.”

  Sabrina blushed. “Thanks. You don’t look too shabby yourself,” she teased, though he looked great in anything. Even in simple jeans and a t-shirt.

  “I’m really glad you came. I was starting to think you wouldn’t show.”

  Sabrina smiled, happy to know he was as anxious to see her as she had been to see him. But before she could respond, a loud grumbling came from her stomach.

  Sabrina snatched her hand from his and placed it over her belly, her cheeks growing warmer. “Oh, wow. How embarrassing.”

  Jake didn’t bother to hide his amusement. “Don’t be.” He removed her hand from her abdomen. “I thought you said you weren’t hungry.”

  She glanced at the half empty pizza box on the counter and shook her head. “Not for pizza.”

  He followed her gaze. “Why not? I promise there’s no iceberg lettuce in it,” he teased.

  “But there’s pepperoni.”

  “You have a thing against pepperoni, too?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not a fan.”

  “I can pick them off for you. Unless you’re one of those who don’t like it when their foods touch.”

  Sabrina narrowed her gaze at him, though she found his teasing smile contagious. “Whatever. Not funny. And don’t look at me like that. I’m not weird. I just have…preferences.”

  He laughed. “A lot of them, I see.”

  She rolled her eyes and turned to leave him standing there in the kitchen alone to fully enjoy himself at her expense.

  “Wait.” He took her hand again and pulled her to a stop. “I can’t let you go out there with your stomach making all that noise. What kind of knight-errant would that make me?”

  “Not a very good one.”

  Jake held her gaze as intimately as he held her hand. “Nope, not at all.”

  Sabrina glanced around the large kitchen, breaking the trance she found herself in. “Well, unless you know your way around this kitchen, I don’t have a choice but to wait until I get home to eat.”

  “I have a better idea,” he offered. “How do you feel about Thai?”

  He got her interest. “I love Thai. Don’t tell me you have some stashed away here.”

  He chuckled. “No, but there’s a restaurant a few blocks from here. We could run out and grab a quick bite.”

  “Okay. Let me see if Dee wants to come.”

  Jake nodded stiffly and Sabrina tried to ignore the obvious disappointment on his face.

  ****

  As they entered the dimly lit restaurant, Jake made a mental note to thank Dee for her polite decline of Sabrina’s invitation. At least her friend understood what he’d been trying to do, even if Sabrina hadn’t. Thanks to Dee, he would have Sabrina all to himself for a little
while tonight.

  Jake followed closely behind her as the petite Asian hostess led them to their table. He pulled out a seat for her, but to his mild exasperation and amusement, she pulled out the seat across from him and fell into it.

  Sabrina exhaled heavily. “Oh, man, it really feels good to sit down.”

  Jake shook his head and sat down. “I see.” He watched as she briefly closed her eyes and leaned back against her seat. The small action tightened her top against her breasts and his gaze was immediately directed there. He imagined those full breasts pushing against his naked chest and his jaw clenched—among other things—and he forced his attention elsewhere. Jake tried to busy his mind with mundane thoughts but images of her lovely body pressed against his wouldn’t go away.

  “Long day?”

  She shook her head. “No. The walk to Adam’s apartment was no joke. My feet are killing me.”

  Jake stared at her, not bothering to hide his surprise. He’d suspected her feet were hurting her, but he hadn’t expected her to be straightforward about it. He was used to women masking their discomfort in the name of fashion. Sabrina hadn’t said anything when he’d mentioned the walk to the restaurant so he assumed she’d be okay with it. The small, neighborhood Thai restaurant was only a ten minute walk away, but the sound of her thin heels clicking on the pavement had left him feeling sorry for her soles.

  When the waitress came to take their order, Jake was in awe at how Sabrina made ordering a simple chicken Pad Thai dish into an ordeal.

  “Can you make it without egg and put the peanuts and the chili sauce on the side?” The waitress nodded and took up their menus. Jake continued staring at Sabrina even after the woman walked away. “What?”

  He shook his head then laughed. “Nothing. Just taking notes.”

  “And what do you have so far?”

  He leaned forward on the table and held her gaze. “That you’re smart and ambitious, but don’t like taking risks.” Unless it matters to you. Apparently he wasn’t worth a risk, but he had no plans to give up yet. “You’re also sweet and sexy and apparently a very picky eater.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Hey, what happened to having preferences? Anyway, since you think you’ve got me figured out, it’s your turn to share.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  She shrugged. “Why don’t you tell me about your family? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “Nope, I’m an only child,” Jake said smoothly.

  “Me too. Though Dee is like a sister to me. We pretty much grew up together since we were five and were inseparable back then. We still call each other’s parents Mom and Dad, even now.”

  Jake found himself smiling at the delight on her face. It was nice to hear the pleasure in her voice when she spoke of her best friend and her family He’d never had that close of a relationship with anyone, not even with his parents. He’d been a kid when his mother left him behind with his father—and a series of replaceable stepmoms—he couldn’t be sure if she had gone on to have any more children after him.

  Sabrina went on to talk about her family and her life growing up in Chicago. He found out that they had more in common than just being the only child. They were both Illinois natives, were both fall babies—with their birthdays exactly a month apart—and neither of them had middle names.

  “Jacob Landon?” She looked thoughtful. “Hmm, I like it. But Jacob doesn’t sound very Irish.”

  The corner of his lips curved up slightly. “It’s biblical.”

  She flashed him a teasing smile. “And are you very religious, Jacob?”

  He sat back in his seat and thought about it seriously. He could remember going to Sunday school as a kid, but the memory was too vague for him to pinpoint when. He imagined his mother must had been very religious herself, thus his name and the memory, but that had been a conversation he’d never been able to have with her. Or his father.

  “I’m sorry,” Sabrina rushed out. “I didn’t mean to—”

  “No, it’s fine.” He gave her a quick smile to ease her worry. “Let’s just say I do believe in God.”

  Silence fell between them for the first time that evening and he racked his mind, trying to think of something to ask her next that would once again lighten the mood.

  “What about your parents?” she suddenly asked. “Won’t they miss their only son when you move away?”

  Jake tensed. He never really liked talking about his family, usually because there wasn’t much to tell. His mother was basically a stranger to him, and he and his father weren’t any closer. Not even after his father had been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease three years ago. What the insurance didn’t cover for his dialysis, Jake paid for out-of-pocket, and that was the extent of their relationship.

  “It’s just me and my dad, and he lives about two hours outside of the city, so we don’t see each other much anyway,” Jake explained. He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t push. While Matt Landon had been a decent father, he’d been an awful husband, and Jake blamed him for driving his mother away. And since he shared his father’s temper, Jake had learned over the years that things were bearable between them when he kept his distance. So he did.

  When their food finally arrived, they fell silent, though Jake enjoyed watching the fastidious way she dipped her fork into the chili sauce before she stabbed it into her noodles. He tried not to laugh. Sabrina Monroe was something kind of special and the thought of moving away, of leaving Chicago and her behind, became increasingly less appealing to him. If anything—or anyone—was worth waiting for, she was.

  “Okay, so I have to ask,” Sabrina began, amusement softening her chocolate brown eyes. “What’s up with this game party? Do you guys really meet every month and do this?”

  “Yep. Adam started it when he went to law school. We all got so busy that we once went a year without speaking or hanging out.”

  “A year? I think the longest I’ve gone without talking with Dee is a week. Even when we’re mad at each other, we still meet up for our weekly brunch.”

  Jake laughed. “This is better then breakfast for lunch. And Adam foots the bill for the food and half of the beer so his place is always packed. He figured this would be a great way for us to stay connected and have fun without leaving his apartment.”

  “Smart move. How long have two been friends?”

  Jake had to think about it. “A little over ten years. We both went to the same high school, but it wasn’t until after we graduated, when we happened to start working for the same electronics store, that we became friends. I guess it took leaving high school to realize we actually had a lot in common.”

  They spent the next half hour at the restaurant, talking about everything and nothing and Jake couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself so much. He didn’t even mind her scolding him when he paid their bill while she was in the restroom.

  They left the restaurant shortly after, and he slowed to match her hesitant steps as they made the ten minute walk back to Adam’s place.

  “We should have taken a cab back,” Sabrina mumbled.

  Jake glanced over at her. She looked so miserable, he could only sympathize. From her slow gait, he could tell her feet were still hurting.

  “I won’t judge if you decide to take them off.”

  “My shoes? And walk on these streets barefoot?” She scoffed. “No, thank you.”

  Jake glanced at her again. She had her arms wrapped around herself as the night air cooled around them. They weren’t far from Adam’s apartment, but he couldn’t stand to see her so miserable. Not when the night had gone so well.

  “I could carry you,” he blurted.

  This time she snorted. He grinned. Before she could protest, he scooped her up in his arms.

  “Jake!”

  Her arms instantly wrapped around his neck and he held her close, enjoying the feeling of her softness pressed against him.

  “Better?”

  She sput
tered and tightened her arms around him. “Jake, what are you doing? Put me down!”

  He chuckled. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m being chivalrous.”

  Her grip around his neck was unrelenting. Sabrina buried her face in his neck as he continued the short walk toward the brick building at the end of the street. Her soft breath against his skin was alluring. And she smelled nice, too. He resisted the urge to nuzzle her neck.

  “Jake, this isn’t funny. Please don’t drop me.”

  He tightened his hold on her. “Never.”

  Chapter Five

  It was quickly getting late, but no one seemed to notice—or care.

  Sabrina laughed and joined in on the cheering along with the crowd that had gathered around Jake’s side of the table. The crowd had began to diminish in Adam’s apartment, but the few remaining were either lounging around or cheering on the poker game being played.

  When the last player folded, he became the proud winner of two packs of gum, three chocolate bars, and a pack of sour gummy bears. Jake gathered his winnings and swiped them into a brown paper bag. He turned and handed it to her.

  “Here, baby. We’re rich.”

  Sabrina grabbed the bag from him, a little taken aback by the endearment. She knew guys threw that word out arbitrarily, even to women they weren’t dating. But there was nothing casual in the way Jake called her baby. And, if she was honest with herself, she kind of liked it.

  When Jake rose from his seat, the men at the table protested, calling for one more game. At the friendly heckling, Jake stopped. “Okay, you punks. Last game.” He turned to her. “Is that cool?”

  “Yeah, sure. Go for it.” His consideration warmed her heart. He’d already played two hands and probably believed she was getting bored standing on the sidelines. Not that she wasn’t interested but she had no clue how the game was played and could only guess at what was going on. “I’ll just go see what Dee’s up to.”

  “Don’t leave without saying ’bye.”