She fought the smile that threatened to break free, tried to ignore the growing puddles in her eyes.
“Ah hell. I’m no good at this.” He dropped his hand, but she reached out and caught it, sliding her fingers around his. “You’re not supposed to cry.”
“You’re doing fine, Jake.”
He smiled, averting his eyes, then rubbed his free hand over his hair, messing it up as she’d wanted to. Perfect. He brought his eyes back to hers and smiled. “Come with me? I have something to show you.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” He moved his hand so his fingers could twine with hers, then gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry, but I know I’m no good with words.” He searched her face, inhaling a visibly deep breath. “I hope you can hear what I’m about to show you.” He gave a curt nod, then tugged her forward, leading her back outside into the night. “Close your eyes.”
Tamryn narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she looked up at him.
“Just do it, TB.”
He led her next door and stopped in front of the empty building. The space that was once almost hers, but was now under construction for someone else, for someone else’s dream.
But now, standing in front of it, Jake’s hand very lightly resting on her lower back, hope surged within her and she knew.
Anticipation began a dizzying dance in her chest.
She finally closed her eyes.
“I really fucked up.”
Tamryn smiled.
“I’m sorry, TB. I…I just never realized. Or, I guess I never let myself realize. I was so hung up on taking care of you, of honoring my promise to Colby. Shit.”
She didn’t open her eyes, but she imagined him frantically rubbing the top of his head, messing his dark hair further, a nervous habit he’d had as long as she could remember. Tamryn focused on her breathing, waiting for what he’d say next, biting the inside of her bottom lip to keep from grinning.
“Damn, TB, I can’t do this with your eyes closed. Please look at me.”
She opened her eyes, and the brightness in his stare stole her breath. Eyes crinkled around the edges, his smile lines appearing far deeper than she remembered, his eyebrows bunched together, he chewed on his bottom lip. She’d never seen him nervous. Jake didn’t do nervous. Jake was the embodiment of confidence and composure. He searched her gaze, then sighed, and she fought the urge to wrap her arms around him and save him from the torment of trying to find the words to say how he felt.
No, he owed her this much. An explanation, an apology, and maybe something more.
His heart would be a good start, but she didn’t want to hold out for that. Hoping for her love to be returned was what had gotten them into this mess in the first place.
He ran his hand through his hair, and Tamryn reached up to grab it without thinking. His fingers squeezed around hers, and he brought her hand to his chest. “I really screwed things up.” He shook his head, mouth opening and closing as he searched for his next words.
Tamryn held her breath.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I’ve been a real shit.”
She smiled, just barely, but didn’t say anything for fear of halting his apology.
“I didn’t realize it then, and it took me a good long while, I admit, but you’ve always been the one for me. Everyone knew it. You knew it.” He paused, glancing up at the sky. “Colby knew it.”
Tamryn drew in a shaky breath, eyes tickling as tears formed again, but still, she dared not speak.
“Ah, hell, I don’t want to make you cry.” He dropped her hand, then ran his hands down his face. “This isn’t going how I planned at all.”
“Jake.” She reached up, sliding her hands into his and pulling them away from his beautiful face. “Keep going.”
He brought his eyes to hers, then smiled, revealing that perfect, single dimple. “I love you, TB. I’ve never loved anyone but you.”
“You broke my heart, Jake.” She inhaled a shallow breath as he pressed closer.
“I know, TB, and I’ll spend forever showing you just how sorry I am, if you’ll let me. I want to be the man you deserve, the man…the man your brother wanted me to be. I want to be…hell, TB, I just want you. All of you, some of you, whatever you’re willing to give. I know I fucked up, and I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’ll do whatever it takes. I’m yours, Tamryn Lynn Baker, without a doubt, completely yours.”
“Kiss her already!”
Tamryn jumped at the sound of Luce’s voice behind her. She quickly glanced over her shoulders but couldn’t see anything in the shadows cloaking the building. “What’s going on, Jake?” She squinted up at him, her lips twitching on a grin.
“You’ll see.”
She pressed up on her toes. “You should probably do what she says.”
Jake flashed a bright smile, then brought his lips to hers in a flash, wrapping his arms around her and crushing her against his hard chest, threatening to knock the breath from her lungs. She opened up to him, and he plunged his tongue inside her mouth, gliding along the length of her tongue with a need so wild she felt the ache all the way in her toes.
He slid his arms tighter around her waist, lifting her off the ground, his tongue doing magical things to hers, sending shivers throughout her body, down each limb until every inch of her buzzed with lustful excitement. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight as they shared a kiss that finally said in unison, I’m yours.
When he pulled his lips away and set her feet back on the ground, her legs were so weak she gripped his forearms for balance.
“Ready?”
“For what,” she breathed.
“Your surprise.”
“That wasn’t it?” She bit her lip, dropping her gaze to his mouth and loving the way she could still feel the pressure of his tongue against hers.
Jake grinned, then whistled. “What, that kiss? Please.” He dipped in and gently tugged her bottom lip in between his for a brief second. “That kiss was only the beginning, little Baker, I plan on kissing you until you can’t catch your breath, every damn day for the rest of your life.” He paused. “If that’s okay with you, of course.”
Tamryn’s response came in the form of half laugh, half snort, then she blushed, embarrassed by such a ridiculous noise. Couldn’t he just kiss her until she couldn’t breathe right now? What surprise could be better than Jake finally admitting he loved her?
Jake’s eyes sparkled as he watched her internal debate. He winked, then turned her in his arms to face the storefront beside The Bar.
Reed and Randy emerged from the shadows, slipping out to the porch through drop cloth curtains hanging over the door.
Tamryn watched them step to either side of the doorway. “Where’s Lu—?”
“Shhh,” Jake whispered, his lips so close to her ear that her skin vibrated beneath his hush and her chest warmed. She leaned back into him, and he wrapped his arms around her small frame, holding her tight against his chest. Damn, that felt good.
“Finally,” Luce whispered as she stepped up beside Reed. “I’d about given up on you two.” She and Reed grabbed onto a rope that dangled from the roof. Randy did the same on the other side, and together, the three of them stepped backward, away from the building, pulling the drop cloths with them.
Tamryn gasped and she brought her hand to her mouth.
Neon so bright it was blinding. The Bakery.
Right next to The Bar.
His and Hers. She laughed on a sob, a sound so awful she figured it made her recent laugh-snort almost adorable. She turned in his arms, shaking her head because words eluded her. There was too much joy, too much relief, too much love to speak.
Jake’s eyes glistened. “You like it?”
She nodded, swallowing the thickness of emotion in her throat.
“You love it?” A lone tear escaped his eye. Just one, but enough.
She pushed up on her toes, and gr
asped his face. “I love it.” She paused, searching his gaze. “I love you, Jake.”
Jake’s grin spread wide across his face. “I love you, too.”
His lips closed over hers in a crushing kiss as he lifted her up into the air, holding her pressed firmly against his body.
Right where she belonged.
Chapter
Thirty-Five
“All right, all right,” Reed said. “I don’t want to break up this love fest, but let’s get this show on the road!”
Randy whooped, and Jake pulled back, looking down into hungry blue eyes. He groaned low in his throat; he’d put that thirst in those baby blues, and he was beyond ready to quench it. He needed to be alone with her.
“You promised to steal my breath.” TB smiled and Jake’s groin tightened in response to the soft huskiness of her voice.
“Oh, I will. Right before I make you scream my name so loud the earth quakes in response.”
She sucked in a breath, her pale chest rising visibly.
“Mmm,” he moaned, dipping in for another kiss. He looked over her shoulder at The Bakery. “Guys, I think I need some time alone with Tamryn.”
“Right after the Five Cent Tour, Johnson. We had a deal.”
“A deal?” TB asked.
“Mhm. If they helped me with this, they could be here for the big reveal.” Jake looked back into Tamryn’s eyes. “I’m not sure I can wait to be alone with you, though.”
“I know the feeling.” She ran her hands over his chest and Jake shook his head.
“Come on, guys”—Randy burped—“It ain’t like you two haven’t already done it.”
“Randy,” Luce chided.
Jake closed his eyes. Fucking Randy.
“You told them?”
He dared a peek to see her expression. “Maybe? You mad?”
She shook her head and smiled. “Nah. A lady never tells, but you are no lady.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Come on. They’ll never leave us alone if I renege on my promise.” He released her and slid his hand into hers. “All right, on with the surprise. But after this, you all should know I’m going to need her to myself for at least three-to-five days.”
“Days?” TB squeaked, her eyebrows flying up.
Jake paused, considering. He let go of her hand to slide his palm over her perfect ass, then watched the blood rush to her cheeks, her chest. He shook his head. He’d need at least a few weeks to properly apologize to this woman the way she deserved. “Ready for the Five Cent Tour, Miss Baker?”
She bit her lip, then looked ahead at The Bakery, her smile spreading from ear to ear. Sliding her hand back into his, she started forward. “Come on,” she urged, the excitement in her voice bringing his focus back to the gift he was about to give her, his grand gesture.
“So,” he began, bracing for her wrath. “About that twenty-five grand I owe you…”
TB stopped dead in her tracks and looked back at him. “I told you no, Jake.”
“Here we go,” Randy mumbled.
Luce shushed him.
“Just give me a chance to explain.” He walked with her to the wooden porch, then up the three steps, stopping in front of the door. The lights were off, so she couldn’t see anything, but he couldn’t help but smile as she peered into the darkness, hoping for a glimpse. “Were you one of those kids who opened presents before Christmas, then rewrapped them so no one would know?”
Tamryn looked back up at him, her smile sheepish. “No. Maybe.”
“Listen.” He took both of her hands in his. “I’ve been saving every dollar you’ve made, every cent, and matching it. It wasn’t something I decided to do after I thought I’d lost you, TB, it’s something I’ve done since Day One.”
“Okay,” she said, tentatively.
“There was also an account on the side, something that Colby had started, that the rest of us would contribute to when we had a little extra—”
Tamryn looked past him to Reed and Randy. “What? Seriously? Why would you guys do that?” She shook her head, disbelief all over her face.
“Colby was our best friend.” Randy shrugged.
“We love you, kid.” Reed chuckled. “What can we say; we’re all suckers for the Bakers.”
Tamryn frowned. “I don’t want you guys thinking you need to take care of me. I’m not a kid.”
“God, Thelma, they get it.”
Tamryn shot her friend a glare, and Jake sighed, then bent at the knees enough to bring his eyes level with hers. “No one thinks you’re a kid, Tamryn. We want to take care of you because we love you. You’re one of us.”
She focused on the floor. “I just don’t want you guys to look at me like a little sister for the rest of my life.”
“Hey,” Jake said, reaching for her chin to tilt it back up. “Trust me,” he whispered for only her to hear, “the things I’m going to do to you are completely illegal in all fifty states—”
“Christ on a cracker,” Luce shrieked. “TMI.”
“—if we were siblings.” Jake smiled, holding TB’s gaze. “I’ll spend my life showing you just how much you are not my sister.”
Tamryn’s eyes widened on a flash of something hungry and heat flooded her cheeks with the palest of pink.
Jake’s dick swelled in his pants. “You gotta stop looking at me like that in front of our friends, though, baby.”
“Okay, okay.” Reed stepped up beside them. “Long story short, Tam, Jake took that money and put it into this.” He waved his arm toward The Bakery doors, now open, and Randy flipped the interior lights on.
Tamryn gasped, pulling her hands from Jake’s to place them over her chest. Jake watched her eyes as she scanned the interior, the walls a soft pink on the top half and what Reed said was called gingham decorating the bottom. Jake had done his best to finish what TB started, not changing anything and working off of what she’d told Reed about her dreams for the space beside his bar. By the awestruck expression on her face, he might have succeeded.
“Well,” he said, suddenly back to feeling hesitant and a bit uneasy. What if he’d failed? “Go inside. It’s yours.”
She turned to him and reached out, grabbing his forearms. She shook her head, disbelief and tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
Jake shook his head and pulled her close, pressing his lips to her ear. “Thank you, TB. For loving me at my most unlovable.” She shook in his arms, so he pulled back to peer into glistening eyes. “Why are you crying? Is it wrong?” Panic gripped his chest.
“No, you big idiot, it’s perfect. You’re perfect. I can’t believe this is happening.”
Jake grinned, warmth spreading across his chest. “Go on, then, go inside.”
She nodded, her grin stretching clear to her ears it seemed, then she turned and nearly ran her friend over in her haste to get inside. The two girls linked arms and raced inside the new bakery. Randy followed behind them, but Jake stayed on the porch watching TB touch each table and chair, running her fingers over each appliance, pressing the fabric of the curtains between her fingers. She laid the top half of her body over the counter beside the register, practically hugging the glass display case. She and Lucy laughed and talked a mile a minute, dodging from one side of the store, then back again, and touching every inch of the new digs.
“You did a good thing here, man.” Reed stepped up beside Jake, nudging him with his arm. “Gave her everything she ever wanted.”
Jake turned to Reed. “She gave me everything I ever wanted.”
Reed smiled, watching TB as Jake had been. “Probably more than you deserve.”
Jake looked over as his friend’s smile faded. “Don’t break her heart,” he said as he met Jake’s gaze, straight-faced.
Jake placed his hand on Reed’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Never again, old friend. Never again.” He left Reed on the porch and stepped inside, stopping just behind TB where she eyed the large canvas on the wall. This was his favorite part of the surprise, but his puls
e sped in spite of how much he loved the photograph. What if she hated it? What if it caused her too much pain?
Without even looking, she reached back for him and grabbed his hand. “Where did you find this?”
Jake’s heart sank; she hated it. “I’m sorry, I…”
She spun around, her eyes wet with tears. “Sorry? It’s perfect, Jake. I can’t even…” She turned back around, looking back up at the black and white photo of her and Colby baking together in their parents’ kitchen. Jake thought they were probably about nine and four, but he couldn’t be sure. He’d found the picture just after high school, when looking through old family photo albums with Colby. Something about it had spoken to him, something about it had made him slip it into his pocket that day and hold onto the snapshot all this time. Maybe he’d loved her even then.
Tamryn brought his hand to her lips and laid a soft kiss on his knuckles. “Thank you.”
Jake swallowed, the action difficult with the thickness in his throat.
After a few minutes, she finally turned to him again, her eyes a little less damp, but her smile no less radiant. “Have I told you that I love you today?”
Jake grinned, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers, wanting so badly to taste her again. “You have.”
“Good. ‘Cause I do.”
“I love you too.” He pulled her close, then bent to nuzzle his nose against her throat. “Now, what’s this I hear about you getting your own place?” He looked up into her eyes.
Her smile widened. “I moved into the little apartment above Syd’s.”
“So I’ve heard. Are you happy?”
She nodded. “I am now.”
“Good.” He ducked in to kiss her, groaning deep in his throat when her tongue darted out across his lips.
“Want to see it?”
Jake grinned, pulling back to look at her once more. “I showed you mine, now you show me yours?”
Mischief flashed across Tamryn’s eyes, provoking tightness in Jake’s pants. “Hopefully in more ways than one,” she whispered.
He nearly choked from her boldness. “Maybe we should just go to my place.” He glanced toward the back of the shop. “It’s so much closer.”
Whiskey Burned (Flawed Heroes Book 2) Page 19
