Take a Breath (Take 1) (10 page)

 
 “You look so beautiful Ana.  I wish you would accept my
invitations to spoil you.  I want nothing more than to be with
you, you know that?  If there is anything you want to speak with
me about or anything I can do for you, I am here.”  

 
  He is so sweet but he could never make me as happy as Jake
would.  “Thanks Tony, I’m fine.  Really I am,” I
reply.  

   “Can I ask are you seeing someone?”  

 
  What do I say to that?  “No, Tony.  It’s complicated
that’s all.  I have things going on in my head that I need to sort
out first before entering any kind of relationship.  I’m just not
ready, that’s all.”  He looks disappointed but he seems to
understand.  

 
  He is about to answer when a voice in the kitchen interrupts us,
“Well, you can always have lots of meaningless sex with me babes if you
want something uncomplicated I’m your man.”  

 
  I whip round to find James standing there with a devilish grin
on his face.  I was about to make a sarcastic retort when I felt
Tony stiffen against me.  

   “Don’t you fucking talk about her like that.”  

    James winces and throws me an apologetic grin.  “Sorry Tony didn’t mean to offend.”  

    Tony was about to say something when I turned to face him.  

 
 “Tony, calm down it was a joke, James was just being silly. 
Please don’t spoil it.”  I look up at him and flash my eyelashes
in his direction.  He giggles and softens his stance.  

 
 “I’m sorry Ana.  I just don’t like it when people talk about
you that way.  You’re like a delicate flower Ana and deserved to
be treated with care.”  

    He strokes my cheek and I’m a bit taken aback by his words.  

   “Ana, can you help me with something please?”  

 
  I jump at the sound of his voice and flick my head around to
find Jake standing there looking like a rather pissed off alpha
male.  I walk over to him and as I do, I look round to find Tony
and James staring.  I give them a tentative smile and I pass Jake
as I walk through the door to the garden.  I’m about to turn round
and ask him how I could help when I am yanked round to the side of the
house out of everyone’s view. 

 
  I’m startled by the force of nature that is Jake hovering over
me.  He pins me up against the wall and I’ve barely been given
enough time to breathe and take in what exactly has happened, when he
suddenly speaks.

   “What the fuck are you doing Ana?”  

 
  I can’t believe he’s yelling at me again.  One minute he
doesn’t want to know me, next minute he can’t keep his hands off me and
then the next he’s blowing me off again and now this.  “What do
you mean Jake, fuck you.”  I don’t normally like to swear but he
has my anger suddenly at boiling point.  How dare he behave this
way towards me.  His face hardens as he leans closer to my ear and
I can feel his hot breath on the side of my neck.  

   “Don’t fucking talk to me like that Ana.  What the fuck were you doing with Tony?”  

 
  I’m barely managing to breathe from this close proximity with
him, as he pushes himself deeper into me.  My pulse quickens and
I’m trying desperately to focus before I pass out.  Anger at him
is quickly married with lust, but I’m determined not to back
down.  “What do you care asshole, get off me now before I
scream.”  I don’t really want him off me at all, what I really
want is for him to take me now up against this wall.  Hard. 
I will have him however and whenever he wants me.  I don’t ever
want him to know this but I feel my body is giving me away.  As if
reading my mind Jake suddenly answers that question. 

 
 “You’re telling me you want me off of you but your quivering body
is telling me otherwise Ana.  I don’t think I can let you go
now.”  

 
  I’m trying desperately to process what he’s actually
saying.  Does he mean now or in general?  This man is like a
yo-yo I’m not sure what to think anymore.  He presses even deeper
into me and I can feel how hard he is.  I gasp releasing all the
air in my lungs that I didn’t realise I had been keeping hold of all
this time.  He smiles seeing my reaction to him and reaches his
hand up to touch my face.  My breathing quickens as he trails his
hand across my cheek and down towards my neck.

   “Does Tony do this to you when he touches you Ana?”  

    He knows not.  He slides his hand down my chest and places it on my heart.

   “Does Tony make your heart beat the way yours is pounding through your chest right now?”  

 
  I’m dripping wet for him and he knows it.  No one will ever
be able to make me feel the way that he does every time.  He
trails his hand further down to cup my breast and squeezes it gently,
his face inches away from mine.  

   “Does anyone make your nipples as hard as they are for me now?”  

 
  His face brushes ever so slightly against mine as he leans in
further to whisper in my ear, “Well, do they?”  

 
  I moan again as he squeezes my nipple and caresses my breast
again.  This is just too delicious, my body is screaming out for
more.  “No one,” I manage to gasp.  My body is now shaking
from the sweet anticipation of his next touch.  He needs to touch
me again, and soon before I explode.  He runs his hand down from
my breast and grips firmly to my curves.  An incoherent squeal
seems to leave my lips.  My god does he know exactly what buttons
to press.  

   “Do you want me to take you Ana?  Do you want to feel me inside you?”  

 
  Oh my god yes please, my body yells.  I manage to gasp out
a ‘yes,’ as he trails kisses down the side of my neck.  He’s
managing to hit erogenous zones on my body I never knew
existed.  

 
 “I can’t stop thinking about me burying myself in you.  Your
body seems to scream at me to touch you.  It’s so hard to say
no.  I can’t say no.”  

 
  He runs his hand over my hip and round towards my rear and
squeezes.  My leg involuntarily moves up around his waist and he
holds it there digging his hips deeper into me.  My whole body is
about to catch fire any minute, I feel so hot.  

   “No one gets to touch you Ana, no one except me.”  

 
  He pulls his head back from my ear and kisses me.  My heart
quickens and my body is about to explode.  I reach my hands up and
put my fingers through his hair squeezing him into me.  I hear a
growl escape from him as our kiss becomes so fierce it’s almost as if
we can’t seem to get quite enough.  He pulls away from me suddenly
panting, his eyes are like turquoise fire.  

 
 “I seem to forget where I am around you.  We have a barbeque
and we’re the hosts we can’t do this here, we’ll get caught.  I
will speak to you later."  

    He quickly adjusts himself and I’m still panting on the side of the wall.  

   “And don’t fucking go near Tony.”  With that he storms off. 

I
can’t believe what just happened.  I’m still clueless as to what’s
going on inside this man’s head.  He seems to want to claim me and
at the same time runs away from the situation and I’m angry at myself
for letting him see just how much of an effect he has on me. 
Suddenly feeling brave, I feel I must up the ante.  “Well Mr.
Bennett, we shall see about that won’t we?”  I gather myself
together and walk around to the back of the house where there are lots
of people talking around the pool.  

   “Ana, lovely to see you, how have you been, you look fabulous?”  

 
  Mike’s wife Alison’s sweet smile is greeting me.  “Thank
you Alison, you look lovely too.”  Alison is 54 and looks
fantastic for her age.  She has short blonde hair and lovely
sparkling light brown eyes.  

 
 “How has work been, I’ve heard it’s been pretty intense with this
killer on the loose.  Mike is really cut up about the whole thing
and doesn’t talk about it much.  Have you heard any updates at
all?”  

 
  Come to think of it I hadn’t heard a thing.  I was normally
kept up to speed on cases but this one I’m being shut out.  “I
haven’t heard anything to tell you the truth Alison.  I’ve been
dealing with a spate of burglary’s in the Roanoke and Fairfax County
areas, so that’s been keeping me busy.”  

   “Ana, do you want a burger?”  

 
  I look over to Jake holding a plate out to me.  I am
starving now.  I walk over and take it from his hand.  His
green eyes like pools of turquoise sea water, I just want to dive
in.  “Thank you.”  

 
  He smiles, “I bet this is the first you’ve eaten today isn’t
it?”  My eyes look sheepishly down.  “Ana, you have to
eat.”  

 
 Before I can determine an answer Tony decides to make his
presence known by marching over with a glass of wine.  Jake lets
out a growl which sets the butterflies off in my stomach.  

   “Ana, your glass of wine was still in the kitchen.”  

   “Thanks Tony.”  I take a sip just as Alison decides to speak. 

   “Ana dear, your back is full of dust, have you been rubbing yourself up against a wall?”  

 
  With that I choke on the wine unable to contain the horror on my
face.  I look and see Jake’s eyes widening.  My eyes are
going glassy as I’m coughing everywhere.  I feel Tony patting my
back and then wiping down my dress.  

   “Are you ok Ana?”  

    I try to compose myself, “Yes, I’m fine thanks; it just went down the wrong way.”  

   “Go and sit down and eat.  You can’t be drinking like this on an empty stomach,” Jake grumbles.  

 
  I salute him and say, “Yes sir,” as sit down on one of the sun
loungers under a parasol.  The heat is getting pretty intense now
and the pool looks more and more inviting.  Jake is eyeing me up
and also keeping a good eye on what Tony is up to.  He really
doesn’t like Tony for some reason.  I eat my burger in under a
minute and it is quickly replaced by another from Jake, determined to
see me eat.  I quickly relish that one also and before I know it a
loud burp escapes me.  I instinctively cover my mouth and blush a
deep red whilst everyone around me laughs.  

   “Well that has to be a compliment to the Chef,” Mike winks.  

   “I’m sorry guys; I didn’t mean to be rude.”  Oh god, how embarrassing.  

   “Do you want another Ana?”  

 
  I look at Jake who is trying hard not to laugh again.  “No
thanks, I think the tank is full now.”  Satisfied with my answer
he turns towards his audience.  

   “Ok, well, who else wants another?” A row of hands shoots up which everyone ceremoniously laughs at.

Chapter 12

The
party is later in full swing and I am kept busy getting the salads and
buns coming and replenishing people’s drinks, which Jake is grateful
for.  After everyone seems to be suitably filled I grab myself
another glass of wine and sit on the table and chairs outside relieved
at the thought of resting my feet.  The sun is going round now and
there is a welcoming cool breeze.  I close my eyes and let out a
contented sigh.  I open them to find Tony sat next to me staring
intently.