Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology) (19 page)

Chapter 22

They pulled up to the small bistro and Jake got out of the truck, his body aching, his palms starting to sweat. Damned if she wasn't as straightforward as he was, and here he thought she was shy or at least a bit introverted. Hadn't she said she was introverted? No, he was making that up, right? He opened her door, moving back as she stepped out, the perfect fit of her jeans on her nice sized rear not helping at all.

He reached for her hand, wrapping his around hers and walking toward the restaurant. Friends didn't hold hands, but he figured their ruse to try and take things slow was a joke in the making. He hadn't felt physical chemistry with someone like this ever. He and Bethany had been together since they were kids, so the passion wasn't explosive, but more an adolescent curiosity that morphed into something comfortable. He figured this burning desire with Kari would start to fade a little too, which would be great. It was killing him from the inside out. He couldn't go sporting an erection everywhere they went together. He stifled a growl and opened the door for her, letting her hand go and moving back.

They sat themselves as a lady came up to take their order.

"What can I get you two?"

Jake nodded at Kari. "What do you want?"

"I'll take a Coke to start. I need to look at the menu for a few minutes." She smiled up at the lady and he couldn't help but watch her.

"And you, sir?"

"I'll take a glass of water and we'll take some fried mushrooms to start." He looked over at Kari. "You like those?"

"Love them."

"Good."

The waitress moved away from the table as Jake pulled his napkin in his lap, truly unsure of where to start. He wanted to know everything about her, wanted to dig into the sadness that sat on her features most days, wanted to talk until the night drew in.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, leaning forward as her forearms pressed to the table. His eyes moved from her face toward her breasts, wondering what they looked like underneath her Bar Harbor T-shirt. He smirked, knowing that he couldn't tell her that.

"I'm honestly trying to decide where to start the conversation. I feel like we've been on the edge of getting to know each other for a month and it's only been a week." He chuckled, pulling his attention to her lovely face, the smile on her lips begging him to lean over and kiss her.

"Let's start with the hard stuff."

"Okay. What would that be?"

She sat back and looked down at her lap as her hands fiddled unnecessarily. "Why I'm in Bar Harbor and why you are, too."

He stifled a flinch. He didn't want to talk about Bethany, but he knew that the beautiful girl across from him wanted to get her own situation off her chest. Time to 'man up' as Bob would say.

"You first." He smiled and laughed as she gave him a look his mom might be proud of.

"Fine." She sat up straighter as if preparing herself for a speech. She paused only to allow the waitress to drop off their drinks. They ordered two club sandwiches and then she continued.

"I met a guy in college and we dated for four years. He proposed about a year ago." She paused, reaching to take a sip of her drink, her hand shaking slightly. He wanted to reach out to comfort her, the start of the story already telling him that this was going to be bad.

"He wasn't exactly my type, and I didn't dig too much into his past because I figured that the future was open to us and we'd figure everything out - together." She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes filling with pain as she glanced across the table. Jake had to hold himself in place as he wanted to get up and go to her.

"So, long story short, the night before the wedding Sicily, Lisa, and I went to the main club in downtown New York to have my bachelorette party and he was there, fucking someone in one of the more adventurous rooms." She paused, reaching to move her napkin to her face, blotting at the small tears that filled her eyes. He felt his blood go cold.

She'd seen that? Her fiancé with another woman - in public? He reached across the small table, cursing himself for not getting a booth so he could sit beside her. He brushed his fingers along her forearm and squeezed softly.

"I'm sorry, Kari. People can be so careless with another's heart. Let me tell you mine, okay?"

She finished wiping her face and put her napkin in her lap, her cheeks splotchy with emotion. He smiled at her, unable to help himself.

"What?" she asked, her voice a little harsh.

He didn't let it faze him. "You have to be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

She huffed and wiped at her eyes again. "Yeah, I'm sure I look great."

"You do to me."

Kari hated that she'd gotten emotional. She'd only shared her situation with Frank so she could hear his story. Something was holding him back from being completely real around her, something had given him pause from just going to lunch a few days back. Only heartbreak could do that. She wanted to understand what his was to make sure that she never crossed those lines or reminded him of his previous girlfriend.

They would try to start a friendship, but the passion between them would have it moving beyond that quickly. She needed to know if he was willing to move in that direction with her. Friends with benefits wouldn't work. Her heart was already getting involved and it had only been a week.

She pushed away his compliment, taking a drink of her soda and nodding at him. "Tell me about your situation."

He bit at his lip as he moved back, his arms crossing over his chest as if protecting his heart from what was about to happen. Knowing how bad it hurt to bring up the shit from the past, she almost told him to forget it. To have tragedy hit you in a way that caused you to uproot yourself and start somewhere totally new was deeply private.

"I met her in sixth grade." He paused and chuckled, his eyes taking on a faraway look. "She wasn't my type either, blond hair and big blue eyes. She would play basketball for hours with me though, and she was persistent as hell. She wanted me and she just wouldn't accept no for an answer, so we started a friendship. It turned into adolescent curiosity, her being my first and me being hers. We just really grew up together."

He paused and Kari felt the weight of that type of relationship. Jake wasn't over the girl and probably would never fully be. Her four years paled in comparison to his ten plus years with this girl. He reached up and rubbed his mouth, a long sigh coming from him.

"I figured we'd eventually get married, my mom and dad close friends to her family. How could you not be after all of those years?" He laughed, but the sound fell flat. "Anyway, long story short, we went to college and she slept with my roommate a few times. I found them one morning when I came back into town from a tournament - together in our room, wrapped up in his bed."

Darkness fluttered across his face as sadness turned to anger. Kari reached across the table and touched his arm, his eyes moving to take her in. She smiled sadly and simply stared. No wonder he wasn't willing to try. He wasn't over the girl yet. She had become a comfort, a staple in his life, and then to walk in to such deception...

"Anyway. I finished up college and moved here shortly after, leaving her and that life in the dirt. I miss my parents and my brothers, but I'll go back and visit here before too long."

"How long has it been?" Kari asked, moving back and wishing they were on a park bench or somewhere she could physically move closer to him, to offer him comfort.

"Three years." He looked up at the ceiling, his shoulders tight, his breathing almost shallow. "Three fucking years and it still feels like yesterday."

He looked back down at her and she wasn't sure what to say, so she sat quietly.

"I hesitated the other day with you because I don't want to do this again. Love feels like a game that is played by many and won by very few." He shook his head and let his arms fall from his large chest. "I just think it would be easier to be alone. To save myself from having to move again, having to fight through the pain of loss, having to man up enough to get out of bed in the morning."

Tears filled her eyes, the truth of his words finding residence with her. "I know exactly what you mean. The hardest part is thinking that you're not worth it. That if you would have been smarter or sexier, thinner or more adventurous in bed that maybe he wouldn't have cheated."

Jake nodded, standing and moving around the table. Kari looked up at him as he reached down and pulled her to her feet, his hands moving to hold her face. His eyes moved around as if trying to capture the very essence of her. A tear dropped down her cheek and his thumb caught it, wiping it away.

"I don't know what we're doing, Kari. I just know that I don't want to hurt you. I don't want you to hurt me, and the other day scared the shit outta me. It's been a week and all I've thought about is you. What does that mean?"

She shook her head slightly, whispering, "I don't know, but I want to."

He smiled as the food arrived, leaning in to brush his lips against hers as one hand dropped from her cheek and moved to press against the small of her back, bringing her flush against him. He kissed her softly, his hunger from earlier still present and yet tamed dramatically.

She slid her hands on his hips, the strong muscles of his abs contracting against her touch. He moved back and she reached up and gently pulled his head down, kissing him once more as she breathed in deeply.

If this moment could last forever.

The waitress cleared her throat and Kari moved only to have Jake stop her, kissing her softly once more. He rubbed his nose against hers. "I'm sorry for what you've been through. I understand completely, and whatever happens between us, me cheating will never happen. Ever."

She nodded and looked up at his deep gaze. "Me either."

He kissed her again and moved, a sweet smile on his mouth as he apologized to the waitress. The lady just laughed and put their food on the table.

"Honey, hush. I would love to have a handsome man talk sweet nothings to me in the middle of a restaurant, or anywhere, really." She laughed and left their sandwiches as Kari felt the heat of embarrassment cover her face.

Picking up a chip, she looked over at Jake. "Thanks for sharing that with me. I hate that we have that in common, but at least it makes your rejection a little easier from the other day."

He picked up his sandwich, commenting before biting into it. "I didn't reject you. I hesitated because you scare me. Whatever is happening between us is fucking me up. I've not felt this way - ever."

She smiled and ate another chip, watching him enjoy his sandwich, his eyes on her the entire time. The rest of lunch was spent flirting and enjoying each other’s company, the clock demanding that they get back in time for the rest of the games far before she was ready to.

He paid for the ticket after they argued about it for a few minutes and walked to the car, Jake complaining about his stomach being too full. She'd only eaten half of her lunch and he'd graciously finished it for her. She reached over and rubbed his stomach, wishing like hell his shirt was off. She'd yet to see him without it and yet the thought of his chest and abs being on display for her made her insides melt.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, smiling at her knowingly.

"I was thinking about how much I want to see you without your shirt on." She laughed, embarrassed at her own forwardness.

He smirked and opened her door. "Great minds think alike."

He shut her door and slid into the truck as she turned to him.

"You were thinking about me seeing you without your shirt on?"

He laughed and started the truck. "Um no. I was thinking about what you look like without your shirt on, too."

"Oh." Kari laughed, heat rushing up her neck and coating her cheeks again. "Something tells me it won't be long before we both get our wishes."

He reached over and took her hand, bringing it to his mouth and rubbing his nose along her fingers before kissing them softly. "Whenever you’re ready. I'll wait until you’re comfortable and then all bets are off."

Her heart ached in her chest watching him, the idea of falling in love too fast going out the window. It wouldn't be a matter of her being comfortable.

All bets were already off.

*

The afternoon was busy with basketball game after basketball game. The boys from Bar Harbor continued to win, pushing them into back-to-back activity. Kari remained on the side of the court, getting pictures when she could find a good shot. She watched Jake in action, his story washing over her and causing her heart to break all over again. Everything made so much more sense.

Relief washed over her at the fact that she had stayed. If she had left then nothing would have started between them, her life moving forward with her wondering - alone. She wasn't sure of where things would end up necessarily, but whatever was happening between them now felt right - good. Whatever pace he set for the relationship was what she was going to try to stick with.

Getting together too fast and becoming something steady felt taboo, but putting the brakes on something out of control and headed for an erotic explosion felt ignorant. She was unwilling to do either, resigning herself to whatever would be would be. She wanted him, needed him, and would have him one way or the other. He turned and looked over his shoulder at her, his gaze confirming the replication of her own emotions.