He opens it once he pulls the pants on and stops to talk to whoever is on the outside, keeping it closed enough to conceal the bedroom, conceal me in stages of undress. I can only hear mumbles. I wait with my towel around me, unsure if I should dress, unsure if he’ll come back to what we were doing. My body feels like liquid, I’m sure if I look in the mirror I’ll be glowing and flushed and showing signs of having been ravaged. I’m breathless as hell and overheated.

He laughs, and it catches my attention. I love his laugh, it’s so deep and carefree and male, yet there’s a hint of boyishness to his normally husky tone when he laughs. I could close my eyes and listen to it forever.

He shuts the door and turns around to see where I’ve gone, his gaze returning to lust when he catches me still draped in my skimpy covering. I’m surveying my clothes in the open cupboard in a bid to decide if I’m to get dressed or get back on the bed. He inhales deeply as though trying to calm his inner libido with a hint of disappointment on his face.

“We need to continue this later … I forgot Daniel was here.” He grins, and I flush with embarrassment.

Oh, my god, how loud was I? Did he hear that?

I’m beyond mortified.

“He’s coming to LA with me, bella … Seeing as you won’t.” He throws me a wary look but I only nod. Trying to ignore that remark. I don’t like Daniel much right now, I don’t like his influence over Jake, well the influence he had in the past, before us, and I don’t like the fact he’s just royally hurt my friend. We still have to talk about that.

I need to show Jake that I’m capable of trusting him; up until now it’s been easy, we’ve been together every second, there hasn’t been a need to test the limits of my trust. Going to LA with Daniel is going to be a test and it terrifies me. I don’t want my inner doubts and anxiety to affect my relationship with him, my mind acting as my own worst enemy and obsessing over the man-whore he used to be, especially when he’s going to see her.

“When will you get back?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation to neutral territory, to avoid any subject that may let jealous Emma rear her head and show her full ugliness.

He walks over to me pulling out a red dress from my wardrobe, one he chose for me to wear the first time we ever went to his father’s boat as friends. “Here … I like this on you.” He hands it to me and kisses me on the cheek with a look that says ‘please’. He knows better than to make demands on my choices, but I don’t mind a gentle nudge if it makes him happy. It’s a knee length summer dress with a floaty over skirt, a bit formal for lounging around the

He’s a little jealous that you get to have all of this.” He gestures down his naked torso with a wink and I just roll

to remember every detail of my

purchase on Jake’s expense account, his personal shopper for all things Emma-related, it seems. It’ll take some of

his stubble

shorter wavy hair is it requires no maintenance, it styles itself. I throw on the

to his mouth, gently kissing my knuckles in a very gentlemanly fashion. “Have you got everything?” His eyes focus on mine, today they look hazy, softer green with hints of silver flecks, relaxed and happy.

we have a little bit of imitation

pretty neat, despite having a housekeeper that I rarely see. It annoys him that when Daniel comes over,

him as he leads the way to the door; I catch Daniel looking me up and down and recoil at that

do things to me, be with me in so many ways. I’ve learned that he’s the exception. Men still make

down, she has

as Daniel gets extremely close to my rear nearing the door, so close he’s almost spooning me from behind. His phone in hand, he’s focused on the screen and walking faster than I am so isn’t really paying attention to his proximity.

heard of personal space?” Jake pushes him in the shoulder playfully, knocking him backward and pulls me to his

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