Our future seems destined to be in capable hands. The graduating Class of 2015 has achieved exceptional accolades, perhaps too many to highlight or single out. Suffice it to say, I believe that the vast majority of pupils strove to work to their full potential, aimed high, and set and stuck to their goals, and for the most part not only achieved them, but in fact surpassed them.”
Pausing again to take another much needed breath, Jake began to wrap up his speech.
“So, ladies and gentlemen, as you face and tackle the inevitable changes, always keep true to yourself. Remember to hold on to your value system, your work ethic and most importantly, your humanity. It is these qualities that will guide you further on your journey. Today's achievements may fade, or even be forgotten. The applause may become a distant memory, and your certificates and medals may gather dust on a shelf or in a drawer. But, you will always be remembered for caring enough, for helping someone, for making someone feel special and appreciated, and for being the kind of person others enjoy spending time with. Your life is a remarkable occasion, and I have no doubt that you will rise to it!”
Jake ended his speech to a roar of applause from the crowd.
Taking a few steps back to allow the dean access to the microphone, Jake relaxed as the dean began to call out names in alphabetical order. Each graduate walked up onto the stage proudly, received their scrolls, and walked back down in the opposite direction.
Holly smiled at Jake, more than happy for him to enjoy the moment he had worked toward his entire life.
It was back to work for Holly the day after graduation. Just one more day and she was going to be free.
She struggled to concentrate on her work as the previous night’s events played through in her mind. She had to make due on her promises and gave Jake the best blow job she could. From the soft grunts coming from his lips, and by the way he grabbed her hair told her that she delivered in so many ways.
The door to reception pinged, forcing Holly to snap out of her memory and look up. The heart-throb was staring down at her, looking just as yummy as he had a couple of hours prior when he’d dropped her off at work.
She smiled, got up from her chair and gave him a soft kiss on his lips over the counter. “You want something to eat? I’m sure the restaurant can whip something up.”
He smiled and ran his tongue along the top part of his teeth. “The bathroom free?”
Holly slapped him playfully on the chest when he fiddled with her blouse. “Not that kind of meal.”
Jake chuckled as he raised his eyebrows playfully. “Then, no. I have a couple of errands I need to run. I’ll come by to pick you up and talk about dinner.”
Holly shook her head but laughed all the same.
“Have you spoken to Marabella about tomorrow?”
“What about tomorrow?” Marabella suddenly appeared around the corner, inevitably making Jake jump. She grinned mischievously.
Holly hid her giggle behind her hand.
“Geez, woman. Where did you come from?” Jake asked, one hand on his chest.
“Oh, I’m everywhere, mister. So you better be careful what you spew from those lips of yours. My bathrooms are not for your pleasure.”
Both Holly and Jake laughed.
“I’m so sorry, but c’mon.” He gestured with his hands at Holly. “She’s extremely hard to resist and you can’t blame me.”
Marabella threw her head back and laughed heartwarmingly.
Holly only shook her head gently and answered the phone, which had chosen that precise moment to start ringing. Whilst trying to concentrate on the call, she managed to overhear Jake asking Marabella if Holly could get off around twelve the following day.
She’d totally forgotten to ask Marabella, but she was sure that for all the nights she’d helped out, it wouldn’t be too much of a problem.
When the call came to an end, Jake gave her a quick kiss on the mouth and made his way to the door. He opened it and held it open for a couple who had come to discuss a function with Marabella. But before he exited, he turned to tell her that she was the best, which made the forty-something blond woman blush.
Holly greeted the couple, smiling at them both, as well as her boss, who was at that moment fanning herself with the front of her shirt. She knew exactly what was going through Marabella’s mind; she felt that same every single time Jake was anywhere near her.
At around three, Holly made her way down to the restaurant and took over Stacy’s shift. She’d started a couple of weeks ago and Holly hated every moment that she drooled over Jake. Stacy had barely graduated from school, but Marabella had felt sorry for her and gave her the morning shift at the restaurant.
Five o’clock finally came around, but no Jake. However, her phone began to ring, and the most beautiful picture of her and Jake flickered on its screen.
“Where are you?”
“What? No… hey, my love, I’ve missed you so much, but when the hell are you going to get your sexy ass over here?”
Holly laughed, shaking her head.
“To which I would’ve replied, if you got your hot little butt out of that building and through the gate, you would see me parked right across the street.”
“You’re a funny man, Jake. I’ll see you in a minute,” Holly said, disconnecting the call.
What would I do without him? That thought was still unbearable to think of, and she prayed with all her heart that she would never have to find out.
Holly gathered her purse and waved to Marabella and Jerry on her way out.
She found Jake’s BMW parked exactly where he’d said he would be. When she neared the vehicle, he opened the door for her from the inside. Smiling, she slipped into the passenger seat, leaned over and gave him the hottest kiss she could muster. When her ears started to ring again, she broke the kiss.
“Now that is a greeting I could most definitely get used to,” Jake mumbled out of breath, before starting the car.
The next morning, Holly was running extremely late for work. They had packed for their holiday until late the previous evening. And when Holly, tired and sweaty decided to take a shower, Jake had joined her, trapping her within its walls. What took place thereafter was a fucking session like no other.
Holly couldn’t help blushing every time she thought about his body rubbing up against hers, his shaft filling her up to the hilt, and his mouth and hands devouring every inch of her body. The sound of her screaming like a pig being slaughtered hadn’t vanished, either.
The past week was everything she’d ever dreamed of. She wondered what his internship year was going to be like. He had said that it was either a morning shift or a night shift, and she hoped with all her heart that it wasn’t the latter.
When they were done showering, she quickly dressed in a beautiful short skirt, a satin blouse, and stepped into her wedges before she ran down to the kitchen where all of Jake’s room mates were having breakfast and waiting for her to make a fresh pot of coffee.
It was one of the things she hadn’t gotten used to that past week. Their coffee was way too strong and she missed her own blend, the one she’d been making ever since she fell in love with coffee.
Two of the guys smiled broadly as she entered the kitchen.
Why she couldn’t remember their names was beyond her knowledge, but they were much easier to talk to than the girls who constantly glared at her, or had that look on their faces, the one that constantly wondered what Jake Peters saw in her.
“I am running late, but simply need your coffee. What on earth do you put in there?” Tony, or Richard—she couldn’t remember the tall, skinny, blond guy’s name—asked.
“That is my secret.” She chuckled, reaching for her Starbucks house blend in the cabinet and pouring it into the percolator.
She then took out her own syrup, made from nut essence, vanilla syrup, and a hint of chili, and squirted it into the coffee jug. A heap of hot chocolate joined the rest of the contents. That done, she then switched on the perco
lator and watched how the coffee dripped into the jug.
She started thinking about Jake’s body again, pushing against hers in the shower. How he’d pressed her hard up against the cold, shower wall and fucked her the way only he could.
Holly snapped out of her naughty thoughts when the coffee stopped dripping. She also noticed Robin staring at her as she grabbed a slice of toast, handing her an empty cup.
She blushed, looked away, and began filling Robin’s cup, as well as one for herself and Jake who at that moment walked into the kitchen.
“You know some of us still have a day’s class right?” One of the girls, Molly—Holly thought that that was her name—asked while staring at Jake.
“And how is that my problem?”
“The way the two of you carry on each night, it’s extremely hard to concentrate, Jake.”
One of the guys laughed.
Jake chuckled and threw in a shrug for good measure.
Holly, on the other hand, burned with shame from deep within.
“Uh-huh,” Robin mumbled, still staring at Holly.
“Shut up,” Holly whispered, bending over to give Jake a quick kiss on the cheek. Just as she was about to leave, Jake pulled her back gently and gave her his Bimmer’s keys.
“What is this?” Holly looked perplexed.
“That Beetle of yours is running by a miracle. Take mine, I don’t need it for today.”
“Excuse me!” Robin stated with a surprised look.
“It’s no big deal. Quinton,” Jake said the guy’s name in a not-so-pleased tone, “let’s you borrow his Jeep all the time.”
“He’s not that bad, Jake.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Really?” Robin asked, sounding hurt and angry at the same time.
Holly knew what that was all about; they’d told her how they trusted their brother when it came to approving their boyfriends.
She hadn’t witnessed the lip yet, but the look on his face at that moment was beautiful.
“Okay, see you then later,” Holly said, kissing him on his cheek.
Robyn was still waiting for an explanation from her brother as to why he didn’t approve of Quinton.
Holly didn’t hang around any longer and ran out to Jake’s car, still shocked that he’d let her borrow it for the day. She couldn’t believe her luck, and by the almost choking sound that had escaped Robin, Holly knew it was a first for Jake as well. At least he trusts me, she thought.
She yanked her heels off and chucked them, along with her handbag onto the passenger seat. She adjusted the seat in order to reach the pedals, but jumped when she found Jake, who was still wearing his PJs and a robe, standing at the window. She rolled it down and received a passionate goodbye kiss.
“Don’t scratch my baby,” he growled.
Holly rolled her eyes. “I’ll try my best,” she joked.
Jake took a step back and gave her a stern look.
“I’m joking, relax,” she said, putting one hand up. “I know how to drive. Actually, women are better drivers, I think.” On hearing Jake’s snort, she turned the key with a flick of her wrist and the engine roared to life.
Winking at Jake, she shifted into reverse and backed out down the driveway and through the gate Jake had opened with the remote in his hand. She honked twice as she drove down the street, feeling like an absolute diva. Never in a million years had she thought that she would ever find herself behind the steering wheel of a BMW.
Work was hectic as usual, but at noon Holly bid her goodbyes excitedly. She had a couple of weeks off, which she’d be spending with Jake, her two best friends, and their beautiful little boy at his family’s beach house. It was going to be a super amazing holiday, and the best part was that she wouldn’t have to say goodbye to Jake in the mornings, or just see him only over weekends again.
Holly had thought about a lot of things lately. Especially in regards to his mom being overly protective, or it could be said, possessive of him. He was twenty-seven years old, and for him to still follow her rules was a bit on the crazy side. But, Holly figured that it was better to have someone care like that, than have no one care at all. So, in the end she tried to not put much thought into it.
The thing that worried her the most, though, was that Jake would be starting with his internship soon, and that entailed shifts. With her luck, it would probably be the night shift and she would never see him at all.
All kinds of fears emerged with that, too. Number one on her list was the biggest, that Jake would find someone else who wouldn’t be a hassle to see or spend whatever limited time he had with.
She wasn’t a complete idiot; she’d watched Grey’s Anatomy plenty of times to know exactly what took place in those sleeping quarters at hospitals. What if Jake bonded with another blond-haired bimbo and told Holly to take a hike?
She hated feeling insecure, but it was something she just had to get used to. The conclusion Holly came to was simple; if she wanted to be in his life, she would have to trust him and hope for the best.
He wasn’t a Brandon Morgan and if she were honest, she didn’t really know who Jake was. Not really. The only side she’d seen of him was this beautiful, sweet guy whose personality clashed with his looks. Men who usually looked like Jake were womanizers—most of the time, and had no qualms about jumping into bed with any number of women, especially those who looked like models.
But those very women on the other hand, were her other worry. They would do anything to get into his pants. She’d seen the looks many gave him, the smiles, the drool that literally ran down the side of their mouths, and the lust in their eyes. This would all disappear in a heartbeat the second they’d see her touching his arm, or giving him a kiss. But the want never disappeared. That much she knew.
It was never hard to figure out what they’d been thinking: What the fuck was he doing with someone like her? But Holly made peace with this, too, deciding to let the next month be and just enjoy what was left of this one.
On her way to Jake’s house from work, her thoughts had been so all-consuming she’d almost driven past. Slowing down, she picked up her phone and dialed his number.
“Hey,” he answered in a seductive voice.
Holly smiled. “A tree jumped in front of me and I think I wrecked your car.” She bit hard on her lips to keep from laughing.
Her reply was dead silence.
“Jake?”
“Are you okay?” That was all he asked and bless his heart, he really sounded worried about her.
“I’m joking! Sorry. I’m right in front of the gate. Open up, pretty please.”
“Damn it, Holly, you need a hiding!”
“Oooh… you going to give me one?” she flirted.
Jake uttered not one word, and that was followed by the phone’s dead tone as she watched the gates open. She drove in and saw Leo’s SUV parked in front of the garage. She parked next to him and turned the engine off. She slipped her feet into her high heels and adjusted the seat to its original position. Climbing out, she began to laugh when she saw Jake emerge from the house.
“That was not funny. You have no idea how my heart dropped. It’s still lodged somewhere inside of my stomach.”
“Your car is fine, Jake. Really. Stupid joke, I know. I’m sorry.”
“Are you serious? Do you honestly believe that I’d worry over a piece of metal?” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tightly against him. “I had this insane visual of you bleeding somewhere, alone.”
Holly’s heart melted. “Nice comeback.”
“It’s not a comeback, Holly, it’s simply the truth.” He kissed her hard on the lips, and squeezed her ass just as hard.
Holly blushed. “You really missed me that much?”
“Baby, I always miss you.”
This pleased Holly no end, but not wanting to show how much, she replied, “I miss you, too. On occasion.”
Jake faked being hurt by holding both hands over his heart, which only served to make
Holly giggle. Chuckling, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the house.
Sam ran straight to Holly as soon as she stepped over the threshold. Bernie and Leo had arrived earlier.
“Hello, baby. You’ve gotten so big, and it’s only been five days, wow.” Holly praised, picking Sam up and giving him a huge hug, while waving at Leo and Bernie.
Sam babbled something, but the only word Holly could understand was ‘home’. “Soon, I promise.” She kissed him a couple of times on both of his cheeks and then put him down. She needed to change into more comfortable clothes.
Shortly thereafter, they left for the beach house in one car. It wasn’t a particularly long drive, and only took them about half and hour to get there.
They ended up listening to all the children’s songs that ever existed, laughing on occasion when Leo and Jake imitated animal noises every time ‘Old McDonald Had a Farm’ played. The ones Jake didn’t know, he quickly learned, and by the fifth time they played he sang along with them. He really loved Sam, and Holly doubted there wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for that boy.
Veering sharply, Jake took a road hidden within a tunnel of trees.
Holly gasped as he pulled into the grounds of a beautiful mansion. It had soft, sandy colored walls, and a huge veranda that circled the entire house—simply breathtaking. Every room on the upper level had a balcony. Glancing around at the grounds, Holly noticed an old woman playing ball with a gorgeous black lab.
The woman stopped, bent ever so slightly and stroked the lab. She immediately smiled when Jake climbed out of the SUV.
Jake wasted no time in making introductions. “Dani, this is Holly.”
“Holly?” She looked at Jake in a teasing manner.
Imperfect Love Page 21
