Under My Skin (Shady Falls Series Book 2) (21 page)

              I pulled her into my side, her soft body molded to mine. She was all softness and curves where I was hard and unyielding. I fisted one of my hands into her soft curls while running the other hand down her side and pulling even closer.

              She was finally here with me. No more misunderstandings, but a voice in the back of my head wondered for how long.

              “Fuck, woman. I’ve wanted for you for so long,” I whispered against her mouth. “Ever since you came back, I’ve wanted you.”

              She opened her eyes slightly and looked at me. Then she shifted and straddled my lap, her mouth on mine, diving in for more.

              We weren’t leaving here for a while.

              Then our tiny world came crashing down as Cade, Jules, and Toni burst into the room. They stopped instantly, staring wide-eyed.

              Goddamnit, I shoulda locked the door.

              Mia scrambled off my lap, she looked to our friends, worry written all over her face.

              “Well, nice to see y’all gettin’ along so well,” Cade smirked. “It’s about damn time.”

              His amused comment and Toni’s smile seemed to make Mia relax.

              I sighed, we hadn’t even had a chance to talk. The last two times we were alone together, we couldn’t keep our hands off long enough to talk. I didn’t want them jumpin’ to conclusions. But I did want to talk to Mia. I wanted to find out if this could go anywhere. If not, I’d be totally okay with sex. At least that’s what I’d convince myself.

              “What’re y’all up to tonight?” Julius asked. His wide grin was annoying. “We’re goin’ to dinner if y’all wanna come along.”

              “I was gonna ask Mia if she wanted to have dinner with me tonight.”

              Mia smiled, but looked surprised. “Sure, I’m not doin’ nothin’.”

              “If y’all don’t mind waitin’ a minute before you leave, I wanted to talk to you about somethin’.” Toni looked to Julius and sucked in a deep breath. “I was wonderin’ if y’all would be willin’ to help me move next weekend.”

              “Finally,” Mia shouted. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want you to go, but it’s about damn time!”

              Cade smiled. “Sure, honey. Anything we can do.”

              “Are you sure you ain’t mad, Mia?” Toni asked.

              “Mad? Hell no!” Mia exclaimed with a smile. “I’m thrilled. It’s about time you put this poor man outta his misery.”

              They all talked and made plans, but all I could think about was that asshole following her around. With no one else there, Mia was vulnerable. Uncle Bobby couldn’t watch every time she went home.

              When the conversation was finally over and they were ready to go, Toni walked up to Mia and hugged her. “Call me tonight,” she said. Then she looked at me and narrowed her eyes. She didn’t say anything, but her message was clear.

              Don’t fuck this up.

              After Jules and Toni left, Mia stood and turned to me. “I’m gonna go home while Toni and Jules are walkin’ out,” she said quietly. “We don’t have to go anywhere, Jake. I understand you probably have work to do. I did interrupt you while you were doin’ paperwork.” She gestured toward the pile of bills I had been writing out when she came it.

              “I can finish that,” Cade said. “Go ahead and go to dinner.”

              “See,” I said, smiling. “It’s all good. We’re havin’ dinner. I’ll pick you up in about an hour or so. Okay?”

              Mia nodded and smiled before rushing out of the room, calling to Toni.

              “Wanna tell me what the hell’s goin’ on there?”

              “I honestly don’t know. We kissed after the party at her school. And I haven’t been able to get her off my mind since.”

              “Is that why we haven’t seen her around?” he asked.

              “I don’t know. All I know is she’s back and she ain’t avoidin’ me. I’m takin’ that and gettin’ her to talk to me. Maybe we’ll just be friends, but maybe …”

              “She ain’t the fuck-em and leave-em type, brother. If you’re pursuin’ somethin’ with her, you better be ready for more than a quick lay.”

              “Who the hell do you think I am?” I rumbled. “She ain’t just some chick I met in a bar somewhere. We’ve known her our entire lives.”

              “Exactly, I know she screwed your head up pretty good years ago. What makes you think it ain’t gonna be the same?”

              “It ain’t, all right? I just know it ain’t. We’re older now. We were too young back then. Even if things woulda worked out, it wouldn’t have in the long run. We had too much life to live. She needed to go off to school and I needed to live my life. But I’m done screwin’ around.”

              Cade smiled. “It’s about time you grow up. I’m glad it’s Mia and not some whore you met in one of those clubs. One night stand is no way to start a relationship.”

              “Whatever, man. I need to get the hell outta here.”

              “Where’re you takin’ her?”

              “My place. I’m cookin’,” I said as if he asked a stupid question.

              Cade’s eyes widened and his mouth was slack for just a moment. His shock was priceless. “Your place? You don’t take anyone to your little cabin in the woods.”

              “That’s the point. She’s different.”

              “Well, if you’re cookin’, I’m comin’ to dinner too. You haven’t cooked much lately. What’re you makin’?”

              “I’m makin’ spaghetti. And you better not show up, I’ll kick your ass. Go to dinner with Toni and Jules, I’ll save you some.”

              “You better, or we’ll be fightin’. I’ll get Toni after your ass,” Cade laughed.

              “Whatever.” But he knew he had me. If Toni found out I made pasta sauce and didn’t save her any, she’d be pissed.

Chapter Eighteen

Mia

“You look beautiful,” Jake whispered as he opened the car door for me.

             
Dinner with Jake …
It had been so long since I was excited about going out with anyone, but with Jake I couldn’t stop the trembling in my limbs. The very idea had me racing home to get ready before he arrived to pick me up.

              His scent washed over me as he helped me climb into his jeep. He closed the door and ran around the front of the car. I couldn’t remember the last time a man opened a door or helped me into a vehicle. It was such a gentlemanly thing for him to do, but that was Jake. He was always a gentleman, even when we were kids.

              Sinking into the comfortable seat and breathing in deeply, I instantly relaxed. Jake still smelled exactly like I remembered. It was like outdoors in autumn – crisp and spicy and musky. The interior of his car smelled like him. I could get drunk on his smell.

              We drove quietly through town. The familiar streets brought a calm to my raging nervousness. Then I realized we had moved from the familiar Mooresville streets to the outskirts of town, I had no idea where we were going. I also had no idea what to say, so the silence stretched.

              “How’s Molly doin’?” Jake’s deep rumbling voice broke the silence.

              I couldn’t believe he remembered her name. She was like his little shadow at the Thanksgiving party, but she was shy and wouldn’t tell him her name on her own. Since Thanksgiving, Molly constantly talked about Jake. Her crush was adorable. “Molly’s great. She’s been doin’ exceptionally well actually.” Molly had a lot of medical problems and motor development issues, making it difficult for her run and play like other kids. She also had an intellectual disability that hindered her speech and made her behave much younger than her age.

              “If it’d be okay, I’d love to come around and see her and the other kids one day. She was sweet.”

             
I think my heart just melted
. Pressing my hand to my chest, I felt for the steady beat of my heart. It was still there, but definitely turned to mush. No way was any man this perfect. Could he actually see what I saw when I looked at those kids? Was he truly this kind?

              I turned my head and smiled. I’d been smiling much more since Jake reentered my life. “She would love that. Molly hasn’t stopped talkin’ about ‘her ‘ake’.”

              Laughing, he glanced at me. “Her ‘ake?” he asked.

              “That’s how she says your name. She asks when you’ll come back and play with her.” I paused. Most people weren’t interested in hearing about my students, but Jake seemed interested. So I thought I’d share some things about Molly with him. Sharing things about them was like sharing things about me. I loved my job and my students. “You know, that was the most she’s run around and played all year. She usually just grumbles and refuses to play. Jen, Steve, and I have to make her play. But with you, she just played, and the best part was she loved it.”

              His face lit up with a smile. “Well, I’d love to come and play with her again. Maybe I’ll come in one day during gym time. Gage’ll be able to tell me what time, right?”

              “Yeah, Molly would love that. All the kids would.” I felt tears building in my eyes. No one I dated had ever taken an interest in my students. Most guys didn’t even ask about my job, they only talked about how nice it must be to be off all summer and to be able to go home at three-thirty in the afternoon and not have anything to do all day. It pissed me off.

              But here was this man, this perfect man who just got it. He was interested in my students and he wanted to spend more time with them. They would love it, and so would I.

              “Great,” he said, seeming not to notice the tears in my eyes or the fact that I was struggling to keep from sobbing.

              Turning my head, I looked out the window and tried to calm my nerves. But instead of calming myself, I noticed we were on a residential street. Confused about what he had planned, I suddenly felt self-conscious in my skirt, tights, and knee boots. Maybe I was over dressed. Maybe I misunderstood this entire thing.

              He pulled onto a long, dark, tree-lined, one lane road that seemed to weave through the woods. After a few minutes we entered a clearing where a small, ranch style cabin with large windows and shutters sat alone. The enormous front lawn was well manicured. There were flower beds across the front of the house and a tree log bench swing on the large deck-like porch. I’d love to see it in the spring and summer with flowers and bushes in bloom. I bet it was an extraordinarily serene place to live.

              Jake quieted the rumbling engine and climbed out of the jeep without a word. He quickly came around to my side, opened my door and helped me climb down.

              Adjusting my clothes, I looked around. The little cabin sat on a couple acres of cleared land while nothing but the forest surrounded everything. No neighbors, no artificial lights, no city noises could be heard. The only thing to show our way were the light of the moon and small path lights installed along the stone path to the front door. The only sound for miles was of the cry of unseen nocturnal animals, who scurried through the woods, and the whistling of the wind through the leafless trees. It was the perfect mountain paradise.

              I breathed in the fresh cold air of the early December evening. The crisp air was so pure compared to what I was used to closer to the city. “Where are we?” I asked, looking around. “This place is gorgeous. I’ve always wanted a house like this.” I loved it. A place off the beaten path. Somewhere I could lose myself completely until I had to return to work the next morning.

              He just smiled, took my hand and pulled me to the front door where he used his keys to unlock and open the house wide. “I wanna talk,” he said quietly. “I didn’t wanna be interrupted all night by waiters.” We walked into the house and immediately I was assaulted by wonderful scents; garlic, tomatoes, and other spices permeated the air. I’d know that smell anywhere, his mother’s spaghetti sauce. I always loved her spaghetti when we were kids. Every time we ate at Dotti’s diner, I ordered a huge bowl. It had been years since I was able to enjoy my favorite food.

              “Is your momma here?” I asked, taking a deep whiff of the delicious smells.

              Frowning he shook his head. “No,” he said, his scowl deepening. “What, can’t a guy know how to cook?”

              Giggling at his expression, I questioned, “You know how to make your momma’s sauce?” Of course, I knew the answer to this. Jake and Cade always had to help their parents at their diner when we were kids. But Jake had a gift. He was an amazing chef.

              “Of course I do,” he huffed. “Where do you think I spent my high school years? If I wasn’t on the football field or in the gym, I was in the kitchen learnin’ to cook. Momma wasn’t havin’ her sons not know how to cook.”

              I always knew where he was in high school. I spent every possible moment in the stands at football practices and in that diner; first to get his attention, then later in hopes of finding the nerve to apologize to him. I always watched him, even after … everything, I still paid attention to what he was doing and where he was. I’d watch him practice while the cheerleaders practiced near the field. I’d run the track while he was in the weight room. I’d eat at that damn diner every day just so I could see glimpses of him.

              His mother used to brag to the customers about how he was surpassing her with his chef abilities. I smiled, remembering how I used to watch him with his ‘Dottie’s Diner’ apron tied around his narrow hips, moving around the huge kitchen. To see this big, strong man cooking the delicious meals that came out of that diner was sexy as hell.

              “Is it ready?” I asked, ready to drool. I was starving suddenly, but I also loved the idea of watching him in the kitchen again.

              He took my hand and smiled. A huge and genuine grin split his face. I hadn’t seen that smile in so long, especially directed at me.

              He pulled me through the foyer, not giving me any time to appreciate the welcoming and warm atmosphere of his home. We passed by the living room and what appeared to be a formal dining room as he led me down the hall.

              Entering the kitchen, I stopped in the doorway, immediately overcome by amazing smells from the past. Aromas that brought back so many joyful memories from when we were kids and didn’t have a single care in the world. Happiness and fun were all we were concerned about; a time when life seemed perfect and I had my best friends by my side. It smelled like everything that ever made me happy. And the feeling I got from being this happy was unmatched.

              After appreciating how the kitchen smelled, I focused on the room itself. There was an island with a black granite top standing in the middle of the huge open kitchen. The granite countertops and dark wooden cabinets contrasted with the stainless steel appliances which shined bright in the overhead lights which lit up the room. It was a chef’s kitchen. The perfect place to create wonderful tasting meals.

              Jake led me from the doorway to the island and pulling out a high-back stool, he gestured for me to sit. “Relax. I need to finish gettin’ this together.” He paused, then opened the refrigerator door and smiled. “Want somethin’ to drink? I have cola, beer, wine, and water.”

              “Beer would be great,” I said, smiling. I ran my fingers across the smooth granite countertop, marveling in its perfection. 

              “Woman after my own heart,” he mumbled before pulling out two beers. He twisted off the tops and turned to a cabinet, pulling out a glass.

              “I don’t need a glass, Jake. Thanks though.” I said, taking a pull of the bottle. I wasn’t sure if it was too unladylike, but I wasn’t going to pretend to be something I wasn’t. Especially with Jake. I was done pretending to be someone I wasn’t. I hadn’t acted like myself for so long and I was sick of the charade. I didn’t have to pretend with Jake, he knew me before I knew myself.

              He just stared at me for a few moments before he turned and started preparing plates of deliciousness.

***

After an amazing dinner and small talk, I helped him clean up the dishes before he led us through the house and into the living room. Much like the masculine feel of the kitchen, the living room was dark but warm and inviting. The dark brown leather furniture, the deep cherry of the end tables and coffee table, and the interesting accessories, were warm and inviting, and screamed masculinity. It was beautiful.

              I couldn’t help but think about how many women he’d cooked for and how many women had sat on this furniture or been in this house. Constant reminders of how much I screwed up before I even knew what I had. But maybe I could get it back.

              “I must admit, I’m a little outta my element here,” he said, surprising me. “I don’t bring anyone to my house. Hell, the only women that have ever been here are my momma, Toni, and Monique.” Ugh, Monique. She turned out to be incredibly nice, but I didn’t want to like her. Then again, she’s the one who told me Jake still loved me. It was Monique that insisted I do something about it. She insisted there was nothing between them anymore. Jake must have seen me cringe at the mention of Monique because he chuckled.

              “There ain’t anythin’ between Moni and me, Mia. She’s a friend, that’s all.”

              “She’s an extremely beautiful friend,” I mumbled quietly. I didn’t want him to hear me, but my muttering was loud enough for Jake to hear.

              “Mia,” he sighed. I looked up at him and he looked frustrated if not kind of annoyed. “Yeah, Moni is gorgeous, but so are you. Moni and I truly are just friends. Don’t you trust me?”

              Sighing, I searched within myself and found something incredibly surprising. I did trust him. I had no idea why, but I trusted that there was nothing but what he told me. “Yeah, I trust you.”

              “Then relax and trust that Moni and I are just good friends. Besides if I wanted to be here with another woman, I’d be with another woman. I want to be here with you. I don’t cook for just anyone, you know.”

              “Yeah.” I smiled, remembering him cooking in the diner. He always was choosy about which orders he filled. He passed off the meals he didn’t want to make to the other cooks. There were certain meals, certain orders that he refused to make. I never knew why.

              “But I always cooked for you, no matter what. I always made sure I was the one that filled your orders.”

              I had no idea what that meant. I wanted to believe he felt something for me, even when we weren’t friends. Did he truly take care of me when we weren’t talking anymore? I wanted to ask him about it, but dwelling in the past seemed pointless. We would never get that time back.

              “You have a beautiful house, Jake.”

              “My momma helped decorate it. Don’t even ask me what the hell those pictures are all about.” He laughed out, gesturing to the images on the wall above the fireplace. “She just showed up here one day and hung them up. She does the same thing at Cade’s place. She was so freaked out when we bought separate houses, she’d show up and just start decoratin’.”