Pierce My Heart (Women of Willowbrook Book 1) (35 page)

There’s no way I could go out there wearing it.

It’s one thing to be nude in semi-darkness on your back or so lost in a haze of lust that you can’t even count to five, but it's a whole other ballgame to walk out there in next to nothing, upright,
and
in bright light.

Jake’s constant attention, affection, and heated looks have done miracles to help change my view of myself, but old feelings of self-consciousness flare up as my eyes continue taking in my body. Fears of not living up to expectations,
his
expectations start working through me—even though he’s already seen me nude and it makes no sense to feel any of it.

I’m not ready.

Hell, I didn’t know if I’d
ever
be ready for that.

I listen for a minute, trying to see if Jake’s moving around the bedroom. When I don’t hear anything, I fling the door open, intent on getting the shorts and tank I packed as a backup, and freeze.

Jake’s standing in the doorway to the bedroom solid as a rock, taking in every detail. When his perusal ends on my face and I see the fire rolling through his eyes, I feel it from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. I stand there fidgeting for all of thirty seconds before I bring my arms up to wrap around my stomach, halting when I hear the ragged sound of Jake’s voice.

“Don’t,” he rasps, his eyes never leaving mine as I slowly drop my arms to my side. “Never seen anything more beautiful in my whole goddamned life than you standing before me right now.”

“Holy
shit,” I whisper, grabbing onto the doorframe to hold myself up.

At the sound of my voice, he moves.

He comes at me, one hand fisting in my hair as the other arm crushes my body to his. I only have a second to gasp before his mouth is on me, his tongue diving straight in and curling with mine. My hands wrap around his back and hold on for dear life as he shows me who I belong to with his lips. I’m so lost in everything Jake, I don’t notice he’s moved us until he twists and goes down on the bed with me on top, but it’s only a second before he rolls us, pressing my body into the mattress.

His mouth leaves mine to trail down my neck; tasting and nipping as he goes.

“
Jake
,” I moan as his fingers yank down one of the cups and his mouth surrounds my nipple, sucking deep and swirling his tongue before letting it go with a pop.

After a repeat performance on my other breast, my hands grab the hem of his shirt and pull.

I
need
to feel his skin against mine.

He comes up on his knees and throws his shirt to the floor while I crunch up and go for his pants. Flicking the button and sliding down the zipper, I slip my hands inside to pull his pants and boxer briefs down far enough to free him. The second it’s in sight, my hands start stroking as I lean forward and kiss a path down his chest.

“Fuck, baby,” Jake groans, his hand tangling in my hair to hold on.

When I move far enough down to land a kiss on the tip, he pulls me back.

“As much as I love your mouth, that’s not what I want, Annie.”

Moving off the bed, he pulls the rest of his clothes off before sliding his hands up my shins, over my knees, and down my thighs to grab hold of my panties, slipping them off. When his hand moves back and strokes my core, I let out a low moan, letting him know I’m more than ready for him.

Moving between my legs, he slides a finger in, curling, as his tongue circles me. Tangling my fingers in his soft hair, I moan and wither as he takes his time tasting me. And just as I feel the beginnings of my orgasm, he pulls his fingers out. I barely have time to protest before he shoves two fingers in at a quick and punishing pace while his tongue attacks me.

It takes no time for my climax to wash over me with a shout of his name.

Boneless, I watch as he gives me one last lick before moving up, laying a kiss on my tummy, my chest, and, finally, my lips. Desire sweeps through me as I taste myself on his tongue. He settles between my thighs with one arm on the bed as I feel him nudge my entrance, my neck arching back on a whimper.

“Look at me, sweetheart.”

Righting my head, I focus on him.

“Know you’re on the pill, also know it’s been years for you. What you don’t know is it’s been a while for me. I’ve never gone ungloved before so I’m clean, but I don’t want anything between us, Annie. I wanna feel you,
all
of you, and I want you to feel all of me too. You want that?” he husks out, his eyes boring into mine.

While I never hid that I was on the pill, I’m by no means surprised he’d noted it, and it had been
years
. I know I’m clean—thanks to my doctor for always suggesting the tests during my annual (regardless if it was even possible). And most importantly…

I trust Jake.

I nod, whispering, “I’m clean.”

“Give me the words, Anna.”

My eyes close. “I want that, baby,” I breathe, knowing I never want to feel anything between us.

“I want your eyes on me while I make you mine,” he rasps out, his muscles tensing at the first feel of me. “So goddamn tight.”

My eyes open lazily, watching as he slowly enters me. Filling me almost to the point of pain. He grabs hold of one leg and wraps it around his back, pushing himself even deeper inside of me and I can’t help the small wince. After giving me a few moments to adjust to the size, he starts to move. Slowly at first, building a rhythm before picking up speed. My eyes close and my head shoots back on a stroke that hits something deep inside of me I’ve never felt before.

“Eyes, Annie. Gimme ‘em,” he growls.

I blink and try to focus on him.

His eyes are heated as he watches me. Only taking them away when his hand moves to my breast where his thumb and forefinger pluck and roll my nipple, dragging moan after moan from me as I rake my nails down his back.  He brings his eyes back to my face as his hand creeps lower and his thumb starts circling. My moans grow in volume and my walls start tightening as I feel the build of another climax.

“Don’t stop, Jake,” I beg, reaching for it.

He drops his head down and kisses me hard, nipping my bottom lip before pulling back and looking into my eyes, thrusting harder. “Never, Anna. Never gonna stop.”

I feel my breath stick at his words and the fierce look in his eyes.

Possessive.

Protective.

Tender.

So goddamn tender, it’s a miracle I didn’t burst out in tears.

It’s only the fact that it keeps building, so strong I fear it might shatter me, that the tears don’t fall. And when his head dips and his tongue swirls around my nipple, I hit my peak and lose it moaning his name.

He rears up watching me, his rhythm going erratic at the feel of my walls squeezing him.

“Fuck,” he groans.

I tuck both knees close to his side and ride out the wave of my own pleasure watching him. His eyes go half-mast as his hand clutches my hip, adding power to his thrusts, and I see the fire in his eyes flare right before he throws his head back and comes on a roar of my name.

Jake drops his head, watching me, and continues to glide in and out as we both come down. His hand skimming along over my hip where he’d held tight, soothing it before planting himself deep and laying a short, sweet one on me.

When he slides out, I mewl at the loss of him, which in turn earns me another kiss and a grin before he goes to the bathroom to clean up. What I didn’t know was that he was also getting a washcloth to clean me up. He comes back to bed and takes his time; moving the warm washcloth over me, almost reverently, making my body warm in a completely different way.  

No man has ever,
never ever
, taken care of me the way he does.

Never talked to me the way he does.

Never held me the way he does.

Never kissed me the way he does.

Never touched me the way he does.

Never
looked
at me the way he does.

And it’s when he gets back into bed, pulls me to his chest so I’m draped over him, cradles my face so he can lay another sweet kiss on me, says a goodnight with a name no one’s used since my Nana Jean, and watches me with that possessive, tender look on his face, with
that
emotion in his eyes, that I know.

I know and it freaking terrifies me at the same time it excites me.

I’m in love with Jake Taylor.

Good Woman

Five days later

“Did you pick up the wine?”

I heave out a sigh.

“Yes, Mom, I picked up the wine. And before you even ask, I grabbed extra beer too.”

“What time do you think you two will show up?” she asks, her voice rising so I can hear her over the noise in the background.

My eyes flick over to the clock on the end table.

“We should be over within the next hour or so. Is that alright?” I ask as I swing my gaze back to Jake’s bare chest.

He’s lounging on the bed, back to the headboard with one arm behind his head while the other rests on his stomach, coffee cup in hand, and eyes pointed to the TV.

My eyes follow the smattering of hair on his chest all the way down to the happy trail that disappears underneath the sheet at his hips.

“That’s fine, my girl,” she says, her voice jolting me back to the conversation at hand.

Looking up, I see Jake’s eyes on me and his lips tipped up in a grin.

I feel my body flush and flash him a quick smile—a little embarrassed at being caught ogling him.

Judging by the widening of his grin, he’s getting a kick out of it.

I roll my eyes, putting my focus back on the conversation.

“Okey dokey, Mom. We’ll see you in a little bit. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” she replies before hanging up.

I twist, drop my phone on the end table, then turn back. Jake’s eyes come to me as he takes a sip of his coffee.

“Need to hop in the shower so I can get ready,” I tell him.

His eyes follow me as I move to get up, but he doesn’t say anything.

Walking into the bathroom, I head straight for the shower and flip the nozzle over to hot, leaving the glass door open while I wait. Once I deem the water warm enough, I pull off Jake’s t-shirt and step into the shower, immediately tilting my head back to let the water run over me.

I was in the process of soaping up my loofah (that I brought over with a bunch of my other stuff after last Saturday) when I feel him step in behind me.

“Thought we talked about this,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver through my body.

My eyes catch his over my shoulder when he presses a kiss there and my mouth goes dry.

“Told you, Annie. We’re together, we shower together. And when we shower together,
I
get to wash you.”

He pulls the loofah from my hand, his eyes not leaving mine.

“I, um, forgot.”

My voice is so breathy I’m not sure he hears me.

“Guess I’ll have to show you so you won’t forget again.”

I have to bite my lip to hold back the small moan.

The hand holding the loofah starts moving while his other trails behind it, the feeling of his rough fingers gliding along my skin only heightening things. When he makes a swipe over my breasts my breath gets ragged and I lean back into him.

“You gonna forget again?” he asks, nipping my ear.

His hand makes another swipe and my reply dies on a moan.

When his hand moves south between my legs I drop my head back and whimper. My body, already warm, catches fire when he drops the loofah and his fingers dive in, circling.

“Jake, please,” I beg, unsure of what I’m even begging for.

“I got you, sweetheart. Just let go,” he says against my neck before he twists my head back further and captures my mouth in a fierce, wet kiss, his fingers strumming my body.

My hand seeks out the hardness I feels pressing into my bottom. Gripping it tightly, I start stroking, my hand moving in time with Jake’s fingers. I find myself turned and shoved against the wall as Jake grabs my thighs, yanking me up his body.

“Hold on, Annie.”

Following his directions, I wrap my arms around his neck, hanging on for dear life as I feel him prodding my entrance. My legs in the crook of his elbows pulled high, my back flush against the cool tile wall, and when he finally sinks inside me, my entire body is set ablaze.

“
Jake
,” I cry out.

His movements are slow, but firm and I feel the tightening in my core already start building again. The slapping of skin, the sound of his grunts and my moans fill the shower as he loves my body; pushing me higher and higher, closer and closer to my peak.

“Wrap your legs, baby,” he grunts, his breathing harsh.

Squeezing tight while he swings my legs around, his thrusts get shorter as his speed increases. One of his hands dips between my thighs, circling me while his other wraps around my waist, anchoring me to him. The feeling of him so close, so
powerful
, is doing insane things to my body (and my heart).

I’m caged in, surrounded by everything Jake Taylor and there is not one ounce of me that doesn’t love it.

A few minutes and some deep thrusts later, I fly over the edge on a moan of his name. My body tightening around him while I can do nothing but
feel
as his movements get jerky. And when I feel Jake’s teeth bite down on the crook of my neck, another spasm rocks through my body as he comes on a groan of my name.

By the time we finish, my entire body feels like jelly and I have no choice but to let Jake finish washing my body and hair.

Guess he proved his point.

I definitely won’t be forgetting again, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to pretend from time to time.  

*              *              *

“Annie, relax.”

“We’re late,” I tell him, something he was well aware of since it was all
his
fault.

“So? You’re always late.”

I stop in the middle of the walkway of my parents’ house and whirl.

“I am not always late. And even if I am, you don’t point that out. That’s like asking a woman her age. It’s
rude
,” I inform him, something he should know (if he wants to live to see his next birthday) before turning back and marching forward.

He catches up to me, his arm circling my waist as he chuckles.

Miraculously, I don’t shove Dad’s pecan pie in his face.

The front door swings open before we reach it with Nate standing in the center, arms crossed, and a smirk on his face.

“You’re late.”

My eyes slice to Jake with a glare but all he does is kiss my forehead and give my bottom a small swat to keep me moving forward.

I huff out a breath and walk towards Nate, going up on tiptoes to land a kiss to his cheek.

“Everyone already here?” I ask while shoving the pie into his arms so I can take my jacket off.

His eyes are focused on the pie, a pout on his face.

“Yeah. Mom, Maddy, Aunt Sarah, Payton, Mia, and Gran are all in the kitchen gossiping.”

I roll my eyes at the whine in his voice, grab the pie and head for the kitchen.

“Anna.”

I turn my head towards Jake and blink, not understanding the look on his face.

“What?”

Nate’s eyes volley between the two of us before turning on his boot and heading for the living room.

“Jake? I need to go so I don’t get bitched at even more for not being here earlier to peel a hundred different things.”

He moves forward, hand gliding over my cheek and bends, taking my mouth in a slow, sweet, but altogether too short, kiss.

I blink, trying to focus.

“What was that for?”

He doesn’t say anything, just looks at me a beat, I mean
really
looks at me, before giving me another short kiss, a smile, and then following after Nate.

Well, okay then.

I blow out a breath and move in the opposite direction towards the kitchen.

Since it’s Thanksgiving and we have almost twice the number of people as normal—Uncle Eric and family didn’t hit up Aunt Sarah’s family for the day since they’d decided to visit her sister and her family—Mom’s going all out. And since she went all out every Thanksgiving, that meant she was going
all out
.

I hit the mouth of the kitchen and see every available space covered with something.

Rolls waiting on baking sheets.

Bowls filled with stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

Green bean
and
sweet potato casseroles.

Pies, all in different stages of being prepared.

Even her “Hawaiian” appetizer dish (not matching any of the Thanksgiving décor) is out and filled with sweet pickles, cream cheese stuffed celery, and black olives.

A smile tugs at my lips when I see the olives.

When the boys and I were little we used to take the olives and stick them on our fingers, running around and chasing everyone with them before eating them off. I never knew who started the tradition—Mom or Dad’s side—but the olives always brought back happy memories at Thanksgiving.

“Well looky who decided to grace us with her presence,” Gran calls.

If I hadn’t heard the smile in her voice, I would’ve been preparing to run. That woman was a menace with a rolling pin when she wanted to be, shaking it at you while dishing out threats of turning your “bee-hind” into pie crust.

I move towards her, dropping a kiss on Aunt Sarah and Mom’s cheeks before hers. “Sorry, Gran. We…uh, got held up,” I mutter lamely.

Her eyes pinch as she scrutinizes me.

“Mhm. I’m
sure
you did. If my Cammy looked that way I would’ve gotten held up too,” she murmurs.

My cheeks go pink as my eyes widen.

I shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Ree,” Aunt Sarah cautions while everyone else just chuckles or looks in any other direction.

“What?” she snaps. “It’s the God honest truth.”

Aunt Sarah just looks at me with sympathy.

Out of everyone in the family, Aunt Sarah was always the one rallying behind and sticking up for people. She may have given her attitude to Mia, but she gave her care and thoughtfulness to Payton.

I shrug in my what-can-you-do-it’s-Gran way and try to find a spot for the pie. Shoving some gross yams out of the way, I manage to wedge it in between the gravy boat and a bowl of cranberry sauce.

My eyes move over everyone in the kitchen as I turn back around; Payton standing with her mom at the counter cutting apples, Mom stirring something on the stove while Gran bellyaches about how she’s stirring it, and Mia and Maddy sitting at the counter, Maddy chopping away dutifully while Mia’s fingers fly over her phone.

Plopping down in the seat between them, I nudge Mia with my shoulder. “What’s so important you’re making preggers over here do all the work?” I ask, nodding to Maddy.

“What? Nothing,” she says quickly before shoving her phone in her jeans.

“Hmm.”

“What?” she asks, eyeballing me.

I can’t help the grin that moves over my face.

Little Mia either has a crush or a boyfriend.

She must’ve read something on my face because all of a sudden her look turns pleading. Deciding one of us has already been embarrassed enough (and it definitely wouldn’t be the last time today) I let it go. But, I make sure to file it away so I can ask her later about it.

“Payton, are you getting excited about graduation?” I ask.

She’s elected for early graduation since she already has all the credits she needs, but she’ll still walk with her classmates at the end of the year.

A smile lights up her face.

“Oh yeah. I mean, I’m not sure what I’m going to be doing—”

“Helping her parents at the restaurant,” her mom interrupts.

“—but I’m excited to be done,” she answers, throwing a look her mom’s way. “I know I’ve still got years to go with school, but it’s exciting that one chapter in my life will be ending and another one will be beginning.”

A wide smile breaks out on my own face at the enthusiasm in her voice but a sniffle has me looking over at Aunt Sarah.

Aunt Sarah waves her hand and gives us a watery smile. “Don’t mind me.”

“Sarah, there’s nothing to blubber about. You’ve already got one out of the house, and Pay’s growing up,” Gran throws out while hip-bumping Mom out of the way so she can take over the stirring.

“I know, but it was different with Wyatt. The boy can barely do his own laundry, I knew he’d be home all the time. Payt’s more self-sufficient.”

“Let’s just talk about me like I’m not in the room,” Payton mutters under her breath, blinking rapidly.

“That’s right, girl. Grownups are talking, you just keep chopping.”

Payton looks at Gran, blinking gone. “I thought you just said I was growing up.”

Gran nods and looks over her shoulder. “That’s right, but you’ll always be my little Payday.”