Falling Sweetly (Starling Falls #2)

by Aidan Willows

  “Liya. No.”

  “I’m totally doing it. I’m embracing my inner Godfather,” she said as she dodged around me quickly and hurried down the hallway.

  “For goodness sake, Liya.” I started to hurry after her when I remembered I didn’t have anything on my feet.

  Yeah, shoes would be a good idea.

  Pulling a pair of black pumps from my closet, I slipped them on quickly. I applied a final coat of red lipstick, grabbed my clutch and my coat only stopping briefly to pet Shadow.

  “Be good,” I whispered to him as I hurried down the stairs, hoping that Liya hadn’t succeeded in scaring Jake off.

  Standing at the top of the stairs, but still out of sight, I took a moment to look Jake over. He looked very handsome in a dark blue dress shirt stretched across his broad shoulders tucked into black slacks. I felt my heart start to beat a little faster.

  “…and that’s how I would dispose of your body after I had finished disembowelling you. In summary, if she cries, you cry. Do we have an understanding?”

  Jake looked slightly pale as he nodded. “Jeez, Liya. Did you have to be so descriptive? I don’t think it’s even possible for a human body to do half the things you said.”

  “Hurt her, and we’ll soon find out,” Liya said, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to look dangerous to the man who towered over her.

  I rolled my eyes, the clattering of my shoes on the wooden stairs alerting both of them to my presence. “I’m sorry about her, Jake. She’s obviously not been taking her meds. I hope I’m not overdressed.”

  From the expression on his face, it was obvious that Jake hadn’t heard a word I had said to him. His jaw had dropped, and Liya was smiling smugly next to him.

  “Fuck. Me.” His words were whispered loud enough for me to hear as his eyes ran over my body.

  “You might want to pick your jaw up off the floor. You’re drooling,” Liya said with a small chuckle.

  Liya’s words woke Jake from his dazed state. He walked towards me and held out a bouquet of pink tulips.

  “These are lovely, thank you,” I told him gratefully, taking the flowers from him.

  Jake just shook his head. “Sorry,” he clipped out.

  “Sorry? For wha-” Before I could finish my question, he pulled me towards him roughly, one hand on the curve of my hip, the other sinking into my hair as his mouth found mine. His tongue took advantage of my open mouth, making me moan loudly.

  “Sorry for messing up your lipstick, baby,” he panted before pulling back to look me directly in the eyes. “I can’t believe I get to call you mine,” he said in a hoarse whisper, “I’m the luckiest bastard ever.”

  He placed a softer peck on my lips. “You ready to go?”

  Nodding, I silently cursed my face for always being so quick to blush and snorted when I saw he had my lipstick smeared on his mouth and chin.

  “I think you may need a tissue, Jake. That shade really isn’t your colour.” I pulled a tissue from the holder on the side table and started to wipe the colour off, all the while feeling his eyes on me.

  “All done.”

  He brought my right hand up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “Thank you.”

  Liya walked past us looking smug. “I’ll put these in water for you. Off you go, you crazy kids. And, Jacob, remember what I said.” Liya made a cutting motion across her throat and threw Jake a final threatening look before she walked to the kitchen to find a vase.

  Jake entwined our hands as we walked out of the door. “She was kidding about all the mutilation stuff, right?”

  “Umm, I wouldn’t put it past her. Liya can be slightly unhinged at times.”

  “Right. I’ll definitely be a good boy on my best behaviour then.”

  Feeling bold, I stepped closer to him and pressed my body into his. “Not too good I hope. That would seriously suck when we come back for coffee and dessert later.”

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Coffee and dessert? Miss Abbott, are you trying to seduce with caffeinated beverages and cake? Because, it’s working.”

  I smiled, loving how at ease he was able to make me feel around him. “Jake, I’m serious. I want tonight-”

  “I know, sweetness. Believe me, I’ve not been able to think of much else the whole day. Tisha came close to throwing a pot at my head because I was so distracted. But I promised you a date where shit doesn’t go wrong, so that is what we are going to have.”

  He pressed a brief, but sinfully sensual, kiss onto my lips. “Prepare to be wooed like you’ve never been wooed before.”

  CHAPTER 25

  Jacob

  I held the car door open and couldn’t resist sneaking another kiss as she got in. How the hell I was supposed to behave and keep my hands to myself, when she looked like that, I had no fucking clue.

  “You smell good,” she murmured as I broke away. Her words made me smile at the memory of the last time Niki said she liked how I smelled.

  “Déjà vu, baby. That’s what you said to me New Year’s Eve before passing out,” I chuckled.

  She cringed and made a face at her vague memories of that night. Not allowing her to dwell on the past, I kissed her again and whispered, “But this time when I get you into bed, there’s going to be a very different ending.”

  Hearing the excited hitch in her breath made me grin like a mad man, and I resisted the strong urge to drag her back upstairs. Reluctantly, I pulled myself away and walked around the car to get into the driver’s seat.

  “Where are we going?” Niki asked, buckling her seatbelt.

  “It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you now, would it?”

  She bit her lip nervously. “I may have mentioned before that I hate surprises. Surprises don’t usually end well for me.”

  I snickered as I pulled out of the driveway. “Patience, grasshopper. This is a surprise I think you’ll like.”

  As I drove toward the park, the conversation between us flowed easily. Comparing it to the first time I’d had Niki in my car when we went to The Saloon, I felt a lightness in my chest at how far we’d come in a short space of time.

  The drive to the park was short, and Niki furrowed her brow. “We’re having dinner at the park?”

  I grinned but said nothing, opening my door while Niki followed suit, meeting me at the trunk of the car. I pulled out a large, picnic basket, filled to the brim and covered by a big, chequered picnic blanket. I hooked the basket over one hand and took Niki’s hand in the other.

  She smiled coyly. “A picnic? Why how romantic of you, Mr Jameson.”

  “Not just a picnic.” I gestured towards a movie poster and the arrows leading the way to the outdoor screening of a movie.

  “A screening of Casablanca,” she squealed and threw her arms around me. “But how? When I checked, they had a different movie showing tonight.”

  “I know a guy. Well, technically Josh knows a guy.”

  During a movie evening at Niki’s house, before the great freeze out after New Year’s Eve incident, she had mentioned that Casablanca was her favourite movie. I owed Josh’s big time for convincing his friend to switch the movie being screened, but it was worth it to see Niki so excited.

  “Come on!” She tugged on my hand, practically bouncing up and down as we joined the other people entering the gates. “I want to get a good spot.”

  Laughing at her enthusiasm, I allowed her to lead me into the park, and we found a more secluded spot to sit under a tree. I laid out the blanket and she began to unpack the picnic basket.

  Once we sat down, I popped open the bottle of champagne I’d brought, poured it into two flutes, and handed one to Niki.

  “Cheers, baby.”

  The smile she gave me as she clinked her glass against mine made my heart thud just a little bit faster.

  “Cheers,” she said as she leant over and kissed my jaw. “Thank you for this, Jake. It’s perfect.”

  “You’re welcome, baby.” I moved her gently so she
was practically sitting in my lap, leaning against me.

  “This is going to get uncomfortable for you.” She wiggled in my lap, and the sound of her light laughter went straight to my cock. “Let me go!”

  I tightened my arms around her. “If you don’t want to get fucked behind the tree, you need to stop moving,” I whispered roughly in her ear, my lips moving down her neck.

  Niki stiffened, and despite her back being to me, I could feel her roll her eyes. She shook her head at my stubbornness and settled on my lap. “Fine, but don’t blame me when you get a dead leg.”

  I didn’t answer but sucked lightly on the curved of her neck in response. “Jake!” she hissed lightly. “We’re in public!”

  “You should have thought about that before you put this dress on.” I ran my free hand up her calf, but she stopped me as I reached her thigh.

  “Behave!” Niki chastised, smacking the back of my hand. “Or there’ll be no dessert later,” she added playfully.

  I chuckled as the credits started playing. I leaned back against the trunk of the tree, and pulled her firmly against me. “I’ll behave,” I grumbled. “I really want dessert.”

  Her body relaxed into mine as the movie started playing, and Niki rested her head on my shoulder. She nibbled on a strawberry before feeding one to me. I sucked lightly on the tip of her finger.

  As the evening progressed, the scent and feel of her soft body against mine made it increasingly hard to focus on the movie, and I began wondering how long until it ended and I could get her into bed.

  Niki must have felt my restlessness as she began wiggling in my lap again.

  “You doing okay back there?” she asked mischievously.

  “Tease,” I growled in her ear. “You can feel just how okay I am.”

  This fucking movie needs to end like a couple of hours ago.

  She bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from laughing out loud. I was about to roll her over onto her back when my phone rang. The caller ID told me that it was Martina calling, and I frowned. I had told her that I would be on a date, so I knew she wouldn’t be calling unless there was an urgent problem.

  Niki glanced back at the phone. “It’s Martina? Take it, Jake. It might be important,” she urged, shifting off my lap.

  I gave her a brief kiss as I pressed the answer call button and walked away to take the call, so I wouldn’t disturb the other people watching the movie.

  “Martina?”

  Annika

  I rested against the tree trunk, watching Jake walk away with a smile. Just when I thought he couldn’t do anything else to surprise me, he manages to plan something like this.

  Shifting my focus back to the movie, I was distracted by a shadow falling over the blanket. I looked up to see a tall lean man standing in front on me, blocking my view.

  He was handsome in the traditional sense with his brown eyes, short light brown hair and trimmed goatee, but something about his friendly expression felt forced, and made me feel uncomfortable.

  “Hey there.” He grinned smugly at me.

  “Hi?” I paused and he continued to stare at me. Unsure what to say next, I shifted on the picnic blanket, wrapping my arms around myself. “Do I know you?”

  “We’ve not had the pleasure of meeting, sweetheart. Just wanted to know what a beautiful woman like you is doing here by yourself?”

  My jaw dropped at how forward the stranger was being. “I’m not here by myself. I’m just waiting for my date.”

  “He must be an idiot to have left you all alone,” his smile turned slightly predatory, and I glanced over to where Jake stood with his back to me on the phone.

  I bristled at the stranger’s insult of Jake. “It’s none of your business where my date is, or what he’s doing,” I said firmly. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m trying to watch the movie.”

  Instead of moving away, the sleazy man moved closer and crouched in front of me. I shifted back further on the picnic blanket.

  “What’s your name, cupcake?”

  “I don’t see how that is any of your business either.” I frowned at the man. “I would like you to leave now.”

  The tool chuckled, but the sound raised the hairs on the back of my neck. “Well shit,” he rubbed his hand over his goatee. “That has to be the politest rejection I’ve ever gotten. You sure you don’t want to join me?”

  I’d been so engrossed in the weird conversation, I hadn’t even realised that Jake had made his way back over until the strange man was pulled up by the scruff of his neck.

  “Jake! What are you doing?” I asked alarmed as I stood up from the blanket. “Let him go!”

  Well this is déjà vu.

  Jake ignored me, and I saw several of the couples switch their attention from the movie to us. “What the fuck are you doing here, Dillon?”

  Oh my God. The sleazeball is Dillon?

  “I’m allowed to be in the park, Chef… or I supposed I should just call you Jacob now, right?” he taunted, a cruel smile spreading across his face before Jake let go of him with a sound of disgust.

  “Was it you, asshole?” Jake asked, his fists clenched at his sides. “Hmm? Did you do it?”

  “What are you talking about, Jake?” I asked, placing an arm on his bicep, trying to calm him down.

  “Martina just called to tell me. The Saloon has been vandalised.” He never took his eyes of Dillon as he spoke, the anger radiating off him in waves.

  “Oh, Jake.” I wrapped my arms around his waist in an attempt to offer him, and I was relieved when I felt some of the tension leave his body and his arms wrap around me. “I’m so sorry.”

  With me still in his arms, he looked back to Dillon. “Was. It. You?”

  Dillon’s smarmy grin infuriated me. “Dunno what you’re talking about, Jakie. I’ve been here all evening having a lovely time. I came over to talk to this sweet little thing when you accosted me.”

  I didn’t believe that he wasn’t responsible, and judging from the way Jake was grinding his jaw, neither did he.

  “It’s stops now, Dillon. The tampering with orders, the messing with the restaurant. All of it ends now.”

  Dillon smirked arrogantly. “Still don’t know what you’re talking about, Jameson. Sounds like someone needs to get their shit together. I heard about your pathetic little bar project. I never understood what Marco saw in you to have made you Head Chef, I had way more talent than you ever did.”

  “Marco didn’t promote you because he could see through your act. He never trusted you and he was fucking right not to. You’re a snake,” Jake grunted. “Walk away before I lose my temper, asshole, and you find yourself with my fist in your face.”

  “Come find me if you ever change your mind, cupcake.” Dillon winked at me as he walked away, and I tightened my arms around Jake to prevent him from lunging after the disgusting man.

  “Jake, don’t. He’s trying to bait you. Don’t fall for it,” I pleaded and put both hands on his face, turning his attention back to me.

  “What the hell did he say to you?” Jake huffed.

  “Nothing important, he was just being a creep.” I stroked slowly along his jaw. “He doesn’t matter, love. Do we need to go check on The Saloon?”

  “No.” Jake sighed heavily. “Martina said there’s no point. Sherriff Turner is there, but he said he’ll come back tomorrow and get my statement. No one saw anything, and because we haven’t had the CCTV cameras installed yet, there‘s nothing he can do.”

  “I’m so sorry, Jake. What do you want to do?”

  “Try and salvage this date?” he suggested with a half-hearted shrug. “Or do you want to just leave now, gorgeous?”

  I smiled widely at him. “I’m with you. We still have half a bottle of champagne and a whole load of food.” I pressed my body closer to his. “Nothing is going to spoil our date, okay?” I said firmly as I felt I large raindrop splatter on my head.

  “Well, nothing apart from the rain maybe,” I giggled as the heavens open
ed, and everyone around us scrambled for their belongings, either seeking shelter or heading for their cars.

  Jake looked up at the sky. “You have got to be freaking kidding me,” he exploded. “There was no fucking rain in the forecast for today. I think we’re doomed to never have a date go as planned.”

  As we stood in the pouring rain we looked at each and laughed. He circled my hips with his long arms, taking my mouth in a brief but deep kiss. I shivered lightly as the heavy rain soaked through my dress.

  “This isn’t anywhere near as romantic as the movies make it out to be,” Jake grumbled.

  “What kind of movies have you been watching where people kiss in the rain?”

  He grinned, droplets of water falling off his eyelashes. “I may have done some research before our first disastrous date.”

  I bit my lip as I confessed, “Me too… though my research involved some pretty acrobatic positions, a lot of moaning, fewer clothes and a cringe-worthy conversation with my sister and Addie.”

  Jake’s eyes darkened as he realised the meaning behind my words. “Baby…”

  I tiptoed and whispered in his ear, “Take me home, Jake.”

  CHAPTER 26

  Annika

  I felt the heat of his body at my back as I slid the key into the lock. Jake gently tilted my head to the side, as he started placing kisses along the curve of my neck, before gently sucking at a spot just under my ear that made me sigh happily.

  I pressed my body back into his, thrusting my hips backwards into his crotch, making him groan.

  “Inside now, gorgeous,” he whispered harshly, his hand covering my other hand, which had frozen on the handle, and pushed the door open.

  As we entered the house, he spun me around, and his mouth found mine with an urgency that made everything in me clench in excitement.

  Our mouths fused in a wickedly intense kiss as he guided me to the stairs. I squealed when he swung me into his arms, carrying me upstairs.

  “What happened to coffee and dessert?” I grinned, playing with five o’clock shadow on his jaw.