Waiting for Him (Waiting Series Book 3) (15 page)

      “What the hell Jake? You scared me half to death. Next time give a girl some warning.” He doesn’t say anything he just tugs on my wrist and pulls me into his arms. He has me turned around and up against the bedroom wall before I can get my bearings. My hands are on his chest trying to keep a modicum of space between us. His lips are poised tauntingly above mine and I’m not sure whether I want to kiss him passionately or run screaming from the room.

      This is one of those moments when I know I’m poised on the edge of something big, something that could change everything for me and I’m paralyzed with indecision. If I rise up and connect my lips with his, it’s going to place us on a path that I’ve tried to avoid. If I don’t kiss him and I push him away, I’m going to wonder what it would be like to have his lips on me, his tongue tangling with mine. I slowly lift my gaze to meet his and I’m not prepared for what I see. Stark hunger. He looks like he wants to eat me for breakfast, lunch and dinner and maybe even dessert. I bite my lower lip as I think about the interesting predicament I’m currently in. I can think of worse places to be, that’s for sure. I wish I could be carefree and just go for it, but I have to think about the best friend’s older brother line...no crossing that line, ever!

      That’s the last coherent thought I have before Jake lays a kiss of epic proportions on me. He cups my cheeks in his hands and sucks on my bottom lip, making it tingle. I gasp when he bites it and he takes our kiss deeper, touching his tongue to mine. I grip his hair as I give in to his kiss, our tongues dueling with each other. His pelvis presses into mine and I wrap one of my legs around his hip to try and gain some friction through my jeans. I pull him tighter to me with my foot and he growls deeply. Holy wet panties, that growl sounded so feral and passionate. I want to hear him make that same noise as thrusts his cock inside me. My head drops back against the wall and my teeth gnash with need as he begins to suck and lick up and down my neck. He picks me up, wrapping my other leg around him. My back is against the cold wall, but I don’t notice the coolness because all I can feel is the heat of Jake as he continues to devour my neck. His hard cock is grinding against my core in the most delicious way possible. He makes an art form out of dry humping and he has me on the verge of an orgasm with not much effort. Of course, just his hand on my thigh earlier had me primed and ready to go. My breaths are leaving me in harsh gasps as he rolls his hips into mine.

      “I want you to come for me Shell, and I want my name on your lips when you do.” He whispers in a deep, husky sex tone. I want to hear that voice in my ear over and over again as he fucks me into oblivion, but I know that can’t happen right now. What can happen is I can get some relief from the lack of sex I’ve had and from all the dirty thoughts I’ve been having about him. I squeeze his hips with my thighs as I meet his grinding pelvis. It only takes me a minute longer until I’m shaking through my first Jake driven orgasm. I cry out his name as I fall over the edge of bliss.

      He carries me over to the bed and sits down with me still wrapped around him. He caresses my head and gently kisses my lips as I calm down.
I can’t believe I just did that. Oh my God.
Jake must sense my inner turmoil because he lifts my chin until I’m forced to look into his beautiful blue eyes.

      “That was the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t even explain to you how badly I want to throw you on this bed and bury my cock inside you. I’m not going to do that though because when I finally do take you it won’t be gentle and I don’t want a houseful of people around. I’m going to make you scream and cry out my name over and over again as I do unspeakable things to your body. Things you’ve only dreamed about. You’re going to give up control to me and let yourself get lost in the pleasure I can give you. If I have to tie you up to get you to let go, I will.”

Yes, please.
I’ve never been tied up and I’ve always wanted to be. Jake is the kind of guy that can make all my sexual fantasies come true. Why do I deny myself the opportunity to have earth shattering no strings sex?

Chapter Twenty-Two

Jake

      Shelby Tyler is going to be the death of me. I knew she wouldn’t accept my offer of no-strings sex, but I had to ask. It was all part of my “finally get the girl plan” that I’ve put into action. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to be with Shelby for years now. I think the moment she graduated high school, I realized how much I wanted her. But, I’m seven years older than her and up until now the timing has never seemed to be working in our favor. What she doesn’t realize is that I want so much more from her than what she believes. If she knew I plan on making her fall in love with me, she’d run as fast as she could. I have to make her think that I only want a friendship type relationship and then once I get her to agree to that, we can spend more time together. Somewhere along the line my girl has forgotten how to let loose and have fun. I plan on being the one to bring that impulsive side of her back and before she knows it, she’ll realize she’s in love with me.
Now if only it were that simple.

     
I didn’t plan for things to get so out of control the other night and letting her walk away from me after our dry humping session was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Speaking of hard, I don’t think my dick has ever been as steel like as it was then. I went home and had to jerk it twice just to get my erection to go away. I was starting to get concerned that I was going to have to seek medical help to get it to go down. Even after taking care of myself before I went to bed I woke up in the morning with come on my stomach from the erotic dream I had about her. She’s perfection in every way. I love her from the top of her gorgeous curly blond head to the tips of her tiny little toes. Yes, I’ve even lusted after her perfect little toes. There isn’t any part of her that I don’t find enticing. I even adore her neurotic over thinking. It’s so cute when she’s in one of those moments where she’s weighing her options, I can practically see the gears turning in her mind. As adorable as that is, it has to be exhausting to live like that. I’m going to show her that it’s okay to cut loose and live a little.

      I know that Garrett and Jeff have really done a job on her and she’s afraid to let anyone in again. I’m going to have my hands full proving my love to her. All of the hard work will be worth it if I get to spend the rest of my life with her by my side.

      Now that the first step has been taken I have to move on to step two, which is to bump into her somewhere. I’ve already enlisted the help of my sister. Apparently the girls are going to be at J.J.’s on Saturday night and now, so will I. I had to fill Hailey in on my true intentions where Shelby is concerned. She threatened bodily harm if I didn’t. Once she heard about my plan she offered to help me in any way I needed. She was literally jumping up and down with excitement at the thought that she and Shelby could end up related to one another if my plan works out the way I hope.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jeff

     
The last couple of months have been filled with long work hours and traveling with the football team. I’m finally settling in and I’m feeling satisfied with my work. This is my dream job and I’m thankful to have it. My personal life hasn’t been as fulfilling. I still miss Shelby, but my heart doesn’t ache with the intensity it used to when I think about her or wonder what she’s doing. I can actually go a whole day or two without thinking of her at all and for me, that’s a huge step in the right direction.

      Samantha and I have forged some sort of friendship…well, I don’t know if I can even call it that. Basically, she says hi to me and she acknowledges my presence. I’d like to get to know her better and see if I can catch a glimpse of the girl I saw the night her car wouldn’t start. She seemed like the antithesis of who she was the night she gave me head.

      This weekend is the team’s last regular season game and we’re traveling to Virginia for it. I’m presently shuffling along in line to board the plane. When I get to my designated seat, I notice that Samantha is in the one next to me.
Nice.
Now maybe I can get to know her better. She can’t really avoid conversing with me if she’s stuck sitting next to me. I put my carry-on in the overhead compartment.

      “Hey, do you need me to put anything up here for you?” She smiles and shakes her head. I sit down in my designated seat and notice that our arms are touching on the arm rest. I also happen to notice that she doesn’t move hers away. Maybe she’s not so bothered by my company after all. We don’t speak until we’re airborne, but the silence between us feels natural and not at all awkward.

      “Are you from Florida originally?” I ask her.

      “No, I’m actually from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.”

      “I didn’t think anyone actually lived there. I thought people just went there on vacation.” I wink at her to let her know I’m kidding.
      “I know right. It’s a great place to grow up, though. There’s always tons to do. What about you? Where are you from?”

      “I’m from Massachusetts. I grew up there, went to college there and worked as the head physical therapist for all the sports teams at the university I graduated from. I’d still be there if they hadn’t offered me this job.”

      “So what’s your story? You seem like a bit of a loner.” She says as she tucks one leg under her other, angling her upper body toward mine.

      “I’m not really a loner. Moving down here was a big adjustment and there’s been a lot of changes in my life lately. I’ve had a lot to deal with.” My eyes lock with hers and I notice they’re more green than brown like I originally thought. My gaze travels over the contours of her well-defined cheekbones and her pert little nose before landing on her full lips. I wonder what it would be like to leisurely kiss those soft lips. The kiss we shared at the bar was rushed and I can’t really remember what she tasted like. I want to lean forward and lick her bottom lip in the worst way and learn her flavor.

      “Is that code for a bad breakup?” She asks me, interrupting my fantasy of tasting her mouth.

      “That’s part of it, but not all of it.” She nibbles on her bottle lip with her toothpaste white teeth, and I’m jealous. I want to be the one to bite her lip.

      “So are you over this girl or are you still hung up on her?” I think about her question and how I want to answer it. I’d like to be truthful, but I have to give it some thought. Am I over Shelby? I’m not sure if I’ll ever be one-hundred percent over her, but I’d say I’m well on my way. For the first time in months, I don’t get a nauseous stomach when I think about her.

      “I’m not completely over her...I may never be. We haven’t lived together since March though so the time and distance have definitely helped. What about you?”

      “What about me?” She asks flirtatiously. Maybe now that she knows more about me, she’ll feel more comfortable. I want to get to know this girl and I think she wants the same. Our start was a bit backward, but we can talk about that another time. Right now I have a pressing question I need to know the answer to.

      “Any boyfriends I need to know about before I ask you out?”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Shelby

      Hailey talked me into going out to J.J.’s with her tonight. I guess Cory and his buddy Lee are getting together also. She and I haven’t been out for a girl’s night for a couple months now. The last time was when Jake unexpectedly showed up.
Don’t think about him...GAH.
I haven’t done much but think about him this past week. It’s been nine days since Thanksgiving and there’s a not so small part of me that wishes I’d taken him up on his offer. I know I made the right decision, but after that epic orgasm, he gave me, I can’t stop thinking about him. I really need to get laid, maybe then my brain can function fully again. Maybe tonight there’ll be someone interesting for me to go home with. I’ve never had a one night stand before, but at this point I’m desperate. Maybe I should just sleep with Garrett. I know he’d be on board with that idea. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that might mess up the great thing that we’ve got going right now and it’s not worth taking the chance. After all, we do need to get along for the next eighteen years.

      I’m running late, as usual, these days. When I get to the bar, Hailey’s already seated and I notice that Angie’s not working. Bummer, I was really hoping to see her. There’s a bartender I don’t know, mixing drinks and he’s a looker for sure. He has shoulder length blonde hair and sparkling eyes. I can’t tell what color they are in this dim lighting. His arms are tattoo free and golden in color. I wonder if he’s been away on vacation or if his skin is naturally that color?

      “Hey, Boo,” I say in Hailey’s ear. She turns and throws her arms around me.

      “I’m so happy to see you.” She says, squeezing me tight.

We throw back some shots and hit the dance floor. A few guys have come over and tried to dance with us, but I keep sending them on their way. We’re having fun, just the two of us, who needs men?

      I try to remind myself of that sentiment when Jake shows up an hour later with Cory and Lee. He looks positively lickable and the four tequila shots I’ve done are screwing with my plan to stay away from him. He currently has me caged in with my back against the bar. He’s standing in front of me, not close enough for our bodies to touch, but near enough that I want them to.
Fuck.
The draw I feel toward him seems stronger than ever and I want to give in to it so badly. The way he keeps touching me isn’t helping the situation any. He’s run his hand down my bare arm a few times and twisted my hair around his finger. Both things seem innocent enough, but I know he’s toying with me. I’m sure he knows I’m regretting my decision to not sleep with him and he’s trying to make me cave. I’m not going to give in, though.
At least, I don’t think I am.

     
Somehow I’ve ended up on the dance floor with Jake. It all happened so fast, I can’t exactly remember, but I think he pretty much carried me out here. I didn’t really have a choice.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
He’s currently grinding against my backside with his hands holding onto my hips. I’m caught between horror that I’m in this position right now and intense sexual desire for his hard body. The way his steel like cock is rubbing the center of my ass is maddening. I’m having an urge to turn around and hump his thigh until I get myself off, but I’m fighting it with every fiber of my being.
Show some restraint.

      How pathetic is it that it’s come to me internally scolding myself for wanting Jake’s dick? My social life is so lacking that the first hot guy who shows me some attention has me all worked up. Maybe I need to get back out there in the dating pool and broaden my prospects? It can’t hurt. In the meantime, I’ll make the most of dancing with him and when I get home, I’ll take the edge off with my battery operated friend. It won’t be nearly as satisfying as having Jake’s help would be, but it’ll have to suffice for now.

      We dance for about twenty more minutes when I tell him that I need a drink. Jesus, I’m not sure how I lasted that long out there with him. He’s dangerous to my self-control. When we get to the bar, the blonde hottie that’s working leans on the wooden top and asks me what I want? His tone is flirtatious and I know he’s offering up more than just a drink. Hmm, he’s really attractive and I bet he knows what he’s doing in bed. I’m tempted to see where this can go, but for now, I’m just going to have a drink.

      “I’ll have a margarita on the rocks with salt please,” I say leaning closer to him.

      “Sure thing sweetheart.” He smiles at me and winks before walking away to make my drink. He looks just as good from the back in the ass hugging jeans he has on. He’s not on the same level of attractiveness as Jake, but he’s also not my best friend’s older brother and that counts for a lot. As he places my drink in front of me, Jake’s arms wrap around my waist from behind and his lips slide against the bottom of my ear before he nuzzles the skin on my neck with his nose. A shiver moves through me and I try to suppress it so he won’t notice.

He straightens up and places a ten-dollar bill on the bar, but he doesn’t remove his other arm from around my waist. It’s almost as if he’s staking his claim, but I know that he only wants no string sex so why would he be acting possessive?

                                                                 ***

      Somehow Jake got me to agree to go to the movies with him today. I didn’t have anything else to drink after that margarita, so I can’t even blame it on the alcohol. I guess I’ll chalk it up to his excellent powers of persuasion and also that I genuinely enjoy being with him. I’ve always had fun with Jake, and I can certainly use some laughter in my life right now.

      Garrett agreed to keep Liam until six tonight so Jake and I can go to a matinee movie and then grab a bite to eat after. I didn’t mention who I was going with, only that it’s a friend. I’m not going to invite Garrett’s personal opinion into my private life. I don’t know who he spends his time with and he doesn’t need to know who I choose to be around either.

      As I walk into the main entrance of the building, my eyes scan the lobby for Jake’s large form. It only takes me a moment to notice him surrounded by a group of ladies. They all look to be in their early thirties and one of them, in particular, seems enamored with him. I can’t say I blame her. He is panty melting to look at. Her hand keeps resting on his arm and she’s doing the whole--press your boobs up against his arm thing. Jake smiles at her--at them all. He seems to be enjoying all the attention.
I think I’ll go ruin his fun.
I sway my hips as I make my way toward him. I wish I were wearing something that was more enticing than skinny jeans, converse, and a Beacon University hoodie, but I can’t do anything about that now. My hair is loose and curly so that’s a plus and I did take the time to put on some makeup. When I’m about ten steps from them, Jake notices me. A smile breaks out over his face as I get closer and closer. His eyes wander lazily down my body before rising back up to meet mine. I walk through the middle of his little fan club and stop close to the front of him.

      “Hi, honey. I’m sorry I’m late.” I pat his chest with one hand and put my other one on his lower back. He doesn’t answer me with words, he just pounces on me, taking my lips unexpectedly and passionately. His tongue is seeking out mine and he has my hips in his hands, pulling me in for a tighter connection. One of his hands grips into the hair at the bottom of my head and he uses it to control me and our kiss. Oh hell, I don’t know what’s sexier, his tight grip on my head or the husky growls he keeps emitting as our mouths stay connected. By the time we part the ladies have all disappeared and so have all the people that were in line to purchase tickets. It makes me wonder how long were we kissing for.  

      We decide to see an action-adventure movie. I don’t really want to be sitting next to Jake watching a romance…talk about awkward. He paid for my ticket, but I insisted on buying the snacks.
This is not a date.
The film is pretty good and the special effects are incredible. I’m totally lost in lusting after the actor that’s playing the lead role. He’s got black hair and brown eyes and his Irish accent gets me every single time he’s in a movie. I’m focused so hard on the actor that Jake jokingly pokes my side to get my attention. I’m seriously ticklish so of course I jump and shriek. I’m not sure why he decides it a good idea to tickle me in the middle of a crowded movie theater, but he does. I immediately start to wiggle around and squeal. He clasps his hand over my mouth and continues working his fingertips into my side. After about thirty seconds he finally relents and as he removes his hand from my mouth, I teasingly lick his palm. Jake looks at me with a positively wicked expression in his eyes...like he’s imagining me naked and maybe he is. I know I’ve thought about what he’d look like naked on more than one occasion lately.

      “We’re missing the movie,” I say trying to lighten up a tense moment. He winks at me and we return to enjoying the fast paced story.

      We decide to grab a bite to eat at Stan’s Stop, which is a favorite place of mine to eat. Hailey, Marcus and I used to come here all the time before he moved to California. None of us have heard from him since and I think about him from time to time and wonder how he’s doing. There was a time where I thought he and Hailey would end up together, but now I realize she and Cory were meant to be. You can’t fight who you’re destined to be with. I truly believe that fate plays a role in who we end up with. I just wonder what she has in store for me.

      As we wait for our meals, I glance around at the adorable decor of Stan’s. It’s located in an old recycled train car and decorated like you would expect most diners to be, with black and white floor tiles and red vinyl upholstered seats in all the booths.

      “I haven’t eaten here in ages.” Jake says “I think the last time I did was with you, Hailey and Marcus. I wonder what he’s up to these days?”

      “I was just thinking the same thing. No one’s heard from him. I hope he’s doing well and that he was able to get over Hailey. I hate the thought of him not finding someone.” I say as I play with my paper straw wrapper.

      “Do you believe in soul mates?” I’m surprised by his question and I have to think about it for a minute before I can answer.

      “I like to think that there’s that one person I’m supposed to be with. It makes all that I’ve been through seem less depressing. I’ve loved three guys in my life and two of them were really solid choices. If I couldn’t make it work with Jeff or Garrett, I don’t see how I’ll ever be able to have a long-lasting relationship with someone else. I don’t think I’ll ever get married. If Jeff and I didn’t last after three years together, then I must have something wrong with me. Some people aren’t cut out for relationships and they should avoid them. I think that I’m one of those people. Now that I have Liam, it’s, even more reason to avoid becoming involved with someone. I won’t be one of those single moms that have new men around her kids every few months.” I stare at the wrapper I’m currently rolling up and then straightening out as if I’ll find all the truths to life in that six-inch length of white paper. “What twenty-something guy is going to want to be saddled with a baby from another man, right from the get-go?” I shake my head and look up at Jake. His full attention is focused on me as he listens intently.

      “I’ll probably just stick to casual dating or have a sex-only arrangement with someone. Then I can work out the details of when and where and I won’t get hurt because I won’t be emotionally invested.” At this point, our waitress brings over our food. We both ordered bacon cheeseburgers and they look mouthwateringly good. She’s barely placed it down in front of me before I’m taking a large bite.

      “Mmmm,” I moan as I chew. “I forgot how delicious their food is.”  Jake nods his head as he chews.

      “We can come back here again soon.” He says, and I feel a little punch of warmth to my cold, broken heart. I like being with Jake and I’m looking forward to spending more time with him. He’s fun and he’s easy to be around. Both of those things seem like the perfect treatment for what ails my heart. I need someone to help me enjoy myself. I’m not sure at what exact point that the fun loving girl I used to be, vanished. Maybe it was when Garrett disappeared or maybe it was a compilation of things that life piled on me? The when doesn’t really matter, though, it’s the how that counts.
How can I be sure I’ll have more fun in my life?
The answer to that question is sitting across from me eating his cheeseburger.