A Winter Awakening (12 page)

"Here. Scooch forward," she demanded.

Sarina remained kneeling in front of him, but straightened at the hip. Her torso was now above the water line, and her face was even with his. She reached her arms around his waist and pulled him toward her. He let her slide him forward, his knees parting so that her hips would fit between his legs. With her bare chest pressed against his, she slid her arms around his back and began massaging the muscles on either side of his spine. At first, his body was tense, probably because their naked proximity to one another. She could feel his shaft against her and her nipples had become hard in the cold air. But after a moment, she could feel him relax in her quasi embrace.

"See, Jacob? This is what pampering feels like," she whispered into his ear.

His shaft grew with tension and desire and pushed into her abdomen. With satisfaction, she let the nature of her touch to his back change from a massage to a caress. 

After a few moments of this, he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her away from him, just enough so that their bodies no longer made contact. Just enough so that he could look into her eyes. 

"It does feel good. But, what feels even better is how you make me feel. You make me feel like I am important to you."  He paused, almost as if he was just realizing what he was saying.

"I like spending time with you, very much," he said.

And with this, his face grew distant. He quickly got out of the tub, trying to cover himself with his hands. He grabbed his clothing and scurried through the door. She chuckled as she watched his very cute ass disappear from view.

She sank back into the hot tub and listened for his truck.  With satisfaction, she knew she was winning. He had strong will power, but she had what he needed, and she knew it was only a matter of time.

By the time Ellie returned home, it was 2:00 AM. Jacob was sound asleep. Ellie slipped out of her dress and tucked it into the corner of her closet. She would take it to the cleaners and surprise Jacob with it another day. She fished her body jewelry out of her bag and tucked those into a secret compartment in her jewelry box. 

He doesn't need to see these just yet either,
she thought.

Satisfied that her sexy treasures would remain secret for now, she slipped into bed next to him. He was out cold.  He didn't even shift his weight when she got into bed. She gave him a light peck on the back of his shoulder. Sleep consumed her before she even had a chance to roll over.

  Despite arriving home at such a late hour, Ellie was the first to wake up the next morning. Jacob still slumbered in bed. After wandering the quiet house for a few minutes, she decided to return to bed with a hot cup of coffee and her journal.

He must have had quite a bit to drink last night,
she thought to herself as she slipped back under the covers. The only thing that ever caused Jacob to sleep late was too much booze.

Ellie picked up her journal and began to lay out the options she had with her uncle's estate. It wasn't a long list of options.

1)  Liquidate his assets.

2)  Keep his businesses and convince Nick to help.

Ellie stared at the list for what felt like ages. On the one hand, she yearned for children. On the other, her trip to Phoenix, and the idea of running Uncle Emery's businesses had awoken in her a desire to be a career woman. She yearned to honor her uncle, and live up to the woman he believed she could be. Perhaps she would never become pregnant, and this was an amazing opportunity.

I wonder if there is a way to do both,
she mused. 
 

Ellie slipped out of bed and went into the other room to call Henry, the man that had been so helpful and kind to her when she was in Phoenix.

"Henry. I'm so glad you picked up. Hey, can you do me a favor?"

Moments later, Ellie stood in front of Jacob's home office fax machine, watching page after page of financial data emerge from the machine. Once she was satisfied that Henry had sent all she had requested, she returned to bed with her stack of papers.

Jacob still slumbered next to her. She tried to stir him by patting his shoulder, but he was dead to the world. Before her trip to Phoenix, she would have been preparing him breakfast and offering to rub his feet. Somehow, she was feeling a little less domesticated now that she had a possible career path laid out in front of her. 

She returned her attention to the financial information. 

How can I do both? How can I do both,
she mused over and over again.

After an hour, she decided it was time to actually leave her bed for the day. She was anxious to see Jacob. Well, she was anxious to see Jacob when he was conscious. After her shower she decided to run the vacuum.
Maybe that will wake him up,
she chuckled to herself.

Eventually, he emerged from their room, red eyed and groggy. When Ellie saw him come in, she placed her cleaning supplies on the counter and approached him for a hug. Though she had not seen him for days, it felt like it had been months. 

"Jacob, I've missed you," she said warmly and she pulled him into her.

Though he hugged her back, she could sense the distance between them. He ended the hug after just a few seconds, and went to the kitchen in search of coffee.

"Jacob, I have so much to tell you about the trip, and the inheritance! Would you believe I stayed in a penthouse?" she said.

Jacob looked at her blankly. 

"A Penthouse!" she repeated it with more enthusiasm this time, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of him. 

"Where were you last night?" was his only reply.

Ellie let out a sigh. "Oh Jacob. What a nightmare. Can you believe someone took all that money?"

"You didn't answer my question," Jacob persisted.

Apparently he is still pissed about the Phoenix trip,
thought Ellie.

"Jacob, what has gotten into you? Why are you acting this way? I sent you texts all night long." Ellie took a deep breath to try and calm her annoyance. She started again. 

"I'm sorry. I must still be tired from the travel. I texted you. I was at the Burlesque show, but then everything happened and I had to go to the police station," Ellie explained.

"Then why did Sarina say she saw you rushing off with your ass hanging out of your dress?" Jacob fired back. His voice was intense with anger. 

"Ass hanging out? Jacob. I don't know what you are talking about." Ellie plunked into the nearest chair, to try and steady herself. 

What in the hell is going on,
she thought to herself.

Sarina, that is what
, said Inner Diva.

Ellie was startled at this thought. 

Where did that come from,
she wondered.

Ellie wrapped her fingers around her coffee cup, trying to soak in the warmth. The room was suddenly so cold. She drew in as much oxygen as she could, trying to figure out what to say next, trying to figure out how to make it better. Thankfully, Jacob was doing his stewing in silence as well. She needed the space to think.

All she had wanted was to come home, mend fences, and spark her deep desire for a connection with Jacob. Why was he so distant?

They sat in silence, each seemingly lost in thoughts of their own. Eventually, she thought she was ready to give it another shot.

She rose from her chair and walked over to him. 

Placing her hand on his arm, she said, "Jacob, can we try again?" 

She kept her voice as soft as she could. "I missed you when I was gone, and I missed you last night. I..." she slid her arm around his torso, "well, I had something fun planned for us. The theft got in my way, but I'd like to give it another go... sometime soon."

Jacob didn't respond right away. He seemed to be puzzling through something. 

Finally, he said, "Is that why your ass was hanging out?"

His attempt at a joke. He never was very funny,
said the inner sarcastic goddess. She was apparently still awake.

"No Jacob. I have no idea why Sarina would say that.  Though, it did show a little cleavage,” she said with a wink. 

"Jacob, I did have a new dress. I wore it for you and only you. I was so disappointed when I wasn't able to show it to you. Come, let’s sit down and catch up. I have so much to tell you!" 

She grabbed him by the hand and led him to the sofa. Once they were seated, she swung her legs up and over his lap, draping them lazily across him. She used her heels to pull him closer. 

Jacob seemed to relax, and allowed her to pull him in closer.

"
Speaking of Sarina," Ellie continued, "I wonder what happened to her last night. One moment she was there, and the next she was gone." 

Ellie tried to think back to the night's events, and remember if she ever saw any sign of Sarina after she left her at the bathroom.

Jacob sucked in a deep breathe, then changed the subject, "Okay, babe. I'm ready to hear about your trip."

"You wouldn't believe it! I stayed in a penthouse. There was a, well, I guess you could call him a butler, which practically catered to my every need." Ellie began speaking more quickly, trying to remember all the details. 

"He arranged for me to do some clothes shopping, right there in the penthouse!"

"Those things actually happen?" asked Jacob. "I thought that was only in the movies. Uncle Emery must have been pretty rich, then. How much did you get?" he asked.

Now he is interested,
said the goddess.

Oh, shut up,
replied Ellie.

Ellie's eyebrows pushed together, causing her forehead to wrinkle up. 

"I, uh. I don't even know how to answer that," she said.

"Well, it's not hard! It's just a number. Just tell me the number." His anger was swelling again, though she didn't understand why.

"Jacob, I just mean that, they didn't give an exact number.  It is a complicated estate, and there are a few choices that need to be made." 

Ellie once again took a deep breath, hoping that if she stayed calm, it was bring him back to a state of calmness too.

Jacob was back on his feet, pacing. "What kind of choices?" he asked.

"Jacob, honey. This is an important decision. I don't want to fight. Why are you so angry with me?"

Ellie patted the seat next to her, hoping he would come and sit, maybe let her rub his back.

Jacob stopped pacing and turned to her. His eyes were still red from the night before. Ellie noted a hint of sadness in them.

She continued, "Well, as it turns out, Uncle Emery owned several businesses. He was in the middle of a big expansion to some resorts, so it isn't a great time to sell. I... errr... we have a choice. We can either liquidate everything now, or keep them, with help of the current CEO." 

Ellie bit her lower lip at the memory of Nick in the elevator.
Did he take advantage of me, or was it my imagination running away with me,
Ellie wondered. 

And, should I tell Jacob what happened in the elevator?

Jacob's voice interrupted her thoughts, "You don't know how to run a business. You are my wife, and future mother to my children. I can't believe you are even thinking this way. Here it is, 10:00 in the morning and you haven't made breakfast.  What's next? Fast Food? You need to start acting like yourself again. You are usually so devoted to our family... to having a family..." Jacob's voice trailed off.

He grabbed his Stetson and stormed out the door.

Ellie sank to the floor where she stood, and drew her knees up to her chest. 

Doesn't he know me at all? After all these years, he thinks I am selfish? 

Her view of the trees in her backyard blurred as she tried to blink back the tears. She only brought up the money and the penthouse to break the ice. 

After a while, Inner Goddess woke up.
Time to wipe your tears, chica. Get up and do something for yourself.

"Maybe your right," she said as she grabbed the financial documents about her uncle's holdings.

After pouring over the documents for hours, she thought she had found a way to keep the businesses and maybe even have the time to become a mom too. She just had get Jacob to come around. But, the more immediate challenge was to get Nick to agree to her plan. Considering how they left things that would be no easy feat. What was it he had said last time they saw each other? 

'Miss Sanderson, you were capable of running your little life back in Logan, but this is not the same world. You don't have what it takes to do this.'
Ellie slumped into a chair at this memory. Was she crazy to think she could do it?

Working with him, while keeping your paws off him may prove to be difficult too,
chimed in Miss Sensibility.

But Ellie knew she had to try. It was time to live her life, on her terms. She wanted it all: Jacob, motherhood, and business ownership too.