Pierce My Heart (Women of Willowbrook Book 1) (24 page)

Guess I hadn’t needed to worry about the loveseat being too intimate.

I’m not sure when it happened but at some point we’d changed positions from sitting upright, to him slouched with an arm thrown over my shoulders, hand resting on my hip with his other on his stomach; I’d gone from one leg tucked under me and the other resting on the floor to both legs pulled in and my body sideways with my face planted in his chest, hence the wall of black I saw when I woke up.

Once I realize where I am, my whole body locks up. I don’t want to move and risk him waking up only to find me half on top of him. I let myself relish in the feel of him for a moment before I tense what little ab muscles I have (I really need to start adding more crunches into my day) to move when I feel his fingers give my hip a squeeze.

Again, my body locks and my eyes blink as I hope it’s a reaction from sleep.

No such luck.

His hand slides over his stomach and up to my chin gently lifting so he can see my face.

I thought he was beautiful normally, but that normal has
nothing on the sexy, sleepy look he has.

A look he’s directing my way.

His hair is a little rumpled and his eyes half-mast, dark with something I can't be sure of.

“Hi,” I whisper, unable to think of anything else to say.

He gives me a smile, and I feel my stomach dip. Pulling my face closer, he lowers his to lay a soft kiss on my lips before pulling back.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he replies, his voice scratchy and rough with sleep, sending my stomach into an even deeper dip while I feel myself clench.

“We fell asleep,” I tell him, unnecessarily since it’s obvious we both had.

Feeling his ab muscles contract I push myself backwards, dislodging his hand from my chin in the process. He moves, getting up and heading towards my bathroom, my head following him the entire time.

I kept my eyes pointed at the hallway thinking that even if it was on my couch, I liked waking up with him close.

A whole heck of a lot.

Shaking my head to rid the thoughts of waking up with him in a different capacity, I stand.

Scooping up the empties, I round the couch and head for the garbage to dump the bottles and rinse out my glass. When I hear the back door open, looking over my shoulder I see Jake letting Juliet out, him following behind her.

Finished with drying the glass, I set it to the side and turn, catching sight of the time on the microwave. It’s well past midnight. So far past, it was five till one. I couldn’t believe we’d fallen asleep, me
on
him, for over two hours.

Walking back into the living room, I expect to see Jake grabbing his shoes or shrugging on the jacket he’d moved to the couch when we sat down to eat. But, if the cold breeze is anything to go by, he's still outside. I wander over and out the door to see him standing on the small porch, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his head tilted towards the starry night sky.

That is until he hears my feet hit the wood.

He swings his head to look at me, and even though it's too dark to see clearly, I know he's staring right at me. Hyperaware and unsure of what to do, I take a couple steps forward before I stop and fold my arms over my chest to try to ward off some of the chill from the night, my eyes squinting in search of Juliet.

I'm so focused on looking, I don’t realize Jake has moved until I suddenly feel his heat hit my back and his strong arms surround me. A shiver slithers through me and goosebumps prickle my skin, but I know the cold isn’t the cause of either of them.

Jake pulls me closer, his lips dropping near my ear as he asks, “Cold, sweetheart?”

I stupidly shake my head, giving away that
he
no doubt is the cause for my reaction.

He drops a kiss to my neck. “Go on inside, I’ve got her. No reason for you to be out here and get cold.”

My body melts into him at his care, but I shake my head again.

“I’m good out here, Jake. Juliet’s my dog and if anyone should be out here, it should be me,” I tell him, not unkindly.

He doesn't respond, just gives me a squeeze and starts to very slowly sway with me in his arms while we wait for my girl to finish doing her thing.

Finally, (since my nose is starting to get numb), Juliet runs up the steps, not even stopping near us, and rushes inside. Each of us lets out a sound of amusement before we move inside.

When I turn back around after flipping the lock, I see Jake on the loveseat with Juliet sitting between his legs, showering her with attention, instead of with his jacket on and headed for the door.

That makes me pause.

“Where’s Romeo?” I ask from my spot by the door.

He tilts his eyes up to mine. “Dropped him off at Grace’s before I came over. Was a miracle the food made it here. Rome loves beef and broccoli, but I didn’t want to punish Grace for doing me a favor.”

My face scrunches with confusion and he lets out a chuckle.

“Broccoli gives Rome some fucking ripe gas. Grace would be calling me not ten minutes later to come get him.”

I blink, then burst out laughing.

Walking over to the loveseat, I intend to take my previous spot. But then I find myself pulled onto Jake's lap with my back against the armrest and my legs hanging over the side of his. Juliet harrumphs (well, the doggy version which is more like a puff of air) for taking the attention away from her then meanders over to her dog bed, doing her required five turns before plopping down.

My head turns towards Jake. “Um…” I trail off.

“Have a good night, Annie?” Jake asks, with an almost earnest look on his face as his hand drops onto my thigh and his other arm wraps around my back.

Man, the man loves to touch me. Not that I’m complaining, it’s just weird that he’s so touchy with
me.

I nod my head. “But, um, Jake? I can’t sit here.”

“Why not?”

He’s going to make me say it.

“Um, hello? I’m too heavy. I might crush your legs. Girls like me aren’t meant to be sitting on people’s laps,” I toss out, my voice showing attitude to hide my embarrassment.

“Girls like you?” he asks, frowning.

“You know, “big girls”. Girls with meat on their bones. Girls who’ve got a whole lot
more
than skin and bones going on. Fat. Girls like me.”

This time his frown, which had gotten deeper, is accompanied by narrowed eyes. That should give me some warning, but I'm oblivious.

Lost in my embarrassment.

“You’re
not
fat, Anna.”

This time I frown. “Uh, yes I am.”

“Babe, you’re not and it’s bullshit you think so.”

“Jake, hello, I am,” I tell him, pinching the part of my stomach that rolled when I sat down, making it obvious I know what I'm talking about.

Son of a nutcracker.

No wonder he’s into me.

The man is blind!

He pulls my hand away from my stomach and brings me closer, making sure I have a clear view of his face.

“What you’ve got is a great fucking body, Anna. Something which I already told you, you had.”

I shake my head, my face clearly saying I disagree and, further, think he’s crazy.

“Seriously?” he asks, his impatience coming loud and clear.

This time I keep quiet, which seems to be the wrong move.

Next thing I know, I find myself being lifted in the air and an embarrassing squeak leaves my throat as my arms cling to Jake’s neck.

He’s standing in my living room with one arm tucked underneath my knees and the other wrapped tight around my back seemingly unaffected by my weight.

No man has
ever
held me like this.

Actually, I take that back.

No man has held me like this since my dad used to put me to bed when I was a kid after I’d fallen asleep on the couch.

Part of me is a little freaked, another part of me in awe, an even bigger part of me knows Jake’s head is about to get that much bigger.

“Okay, Mr. Incredible, you can put me down now. You’ve proved you’re freakishly strong, but there’s no need to blow your back out,” I say with an eye roll.

“Once you admit you’ve got a fucking great body, I’ll put you down,” he counters.

I blink at the smirk on his face, but it’s again the intense look in his eyes that really gets my attention.

“You’re crazy,” I mutter.

“Maybe, but that doesn’t change things. Give in, sweetheart, you won’t win,” he promises.

“Jake,” I whisper, unsure of what I'm feeling.

Instead of answering, he decides to prove his point by walking around my coffee table and towards my kitchen. His steps strong, his hold unbreakable.

I try to fight it, I really do, but I can't help letting out a giggle at his antics.

A grin hits his mouth at the sound. “Give yet?”

I roll my eyes.

He's relentless.

He proves so when he starts doing curls with me
in
his arms.

And when I catch sight of the determination on his face, I know I have to make a choice.

So, I go with my gut.

A gut that’s starting to roll from the new sensations of being a barbell.

“Okay, okay, I give. I’m not fat.”

“And…” he trails off, staring at me.

“Seriously?” I ask, cocking my eyebrow.

“Seriously,” he nods.

I sigh, and give his neck a squeeze. “And I’ve got a fucking great body,” I mumble with pink tinged cheeks.

Instead of setting me on the floor, he swings me around, setting me on the counter, while slipping between my legs with both hands on either side of me and a smile on his face.

“Was that really so hard?”

I bite my lip and look down, shrugging my shoulders.

It was.

I know I'm a big girl.

I wore double digits that had left me embarrassed in the past. I had to hit a special store to find bras that actually fit me. I couldn’t wear a dress without throwing on some sort of spandex underneath.

Sure, I’ve got ass, hips, and tits in abundance, but I also have a tummy that tends to roll when I sit.

So, yeah.

It was
.

His hand comes up under my chin while the other settles on my hip.

“Look at me, Anna.”

My eyes look to his, my stomach dipping in that familiar way.

“You’re gorgeous, sweetheart. Everyone around you can see it. Manny and Roc could see it, hell, all the guys working the site can see it. They’re all just too chicken shit to do anything about it and risk losing their jobs. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m gonna get rid of that shadow that’s got you so blinded. Though, I don’t know if I want you noticing all the other guys staring at you,” he mutters and I can't help the startled laugh that slips out.

He gives me a smile in return and slides his hand over to my cheek, his thumb stroking my bottom lip as he does.

“I just…I mean…” I trail off and take a breath before continuing. “It’s not easy, Jake. Thinking one way for so long and then being expected to do a total flip and see things differently. See things in a way I haven’t before. And not all of it is because of him. A lot of it comes from being a teenage girl who was a little weird and introverted,
and
who had a seriously beautiful friend growing up. One who I couldn’t hate, even a little bit, because she was just as beautiful on the inside as she was on the out,” I say, in hopes of lightening the mood.

“You didn’t have me then, but you do now. You just gotta trust me, Annie.”

God, he makes it sound so simple. But, then to him, it is.

Trust him.

Let him in.

Turn my entire world on its head.

Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.

I roll my eyes at myself.

I’d already made the choice to let him in. Making that choice said I trusted him and, crazy as it is, I do.

And it feels right.

I slide one hand around his back while the other moves up to lay against his hand on my cheek.

Looking into his eyes, I tell him. “I trust you, baby.”

When he hears those words he wastes no time in moving forward and claiming my mouth.

And when I say he claims it, I mean he
claims
it.

My mouth opens on a gasp and he doesn't miss the opportunity to slide his tongue right in, taking control. This kiss is not slow or easy; it’s heated, wet, and full of something I can't name. His hand slides along my hip, around to my back, and up into my hair where he grabs a handful, keeping me where I am.

Right where he wants me.

He slants his head one way, directing mine in the opposite as his lips and tongue mark me. The only thing that matters in this moment is he and I.