Grace
Jacob had gotten quiet during dinner. It would’ve made me uncomfortable if I hadn’t already felt safe with him. When that happened, I had no idea. It was as if he’d snuck up on me entirely and his charm, or lack thereof, was no match for the walls I’d built up around me.
“Let’s go for a walk,” I suggested as the valet pulled his car up in front of the restaurant. “The Riverwalk’s not too far from here.”
Jacob nodded as he closed the passenger door and then rounded in front to climb into the driver’s seat.
I slid comfortably into the leather seats and sighed as I relaxed into the seat. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this comfortable in my own skin, especially with a man.
The drive to the Riverwalk was only about ten minutes, and Jacob pulled into one of the parking lots along the road, paying for parking. Minutes later we were strolling down the paved walkway that followed the Williamsport River which snaked through the city.
Before long, my body warmed as Jacob pulled me into his side, draping his long arm over my shoulders.
“Are you warm enough?”
I peered up, nodded, and just stared at him. He was so damn handsome, gorgeous even. And either he didn’t know it or didn’t care.
“Do you enjoy being a doctor?”
He pulled back to look down at me with shock but didn’t completely remove his hand from my shoulder. “Yeah,” he finally answered. “At first I thought of it as something Ihadto do. Even when I … stopped listening to my parents, I continued with med school because I’d never even thought of doing anything else. But during my first round of rotations as a med student, I knew. When I stepped into an operating room for the first time and watched an actual surgery being performed, there was no other option for me.”
I sighed because his words were so genuine. He didn’t need to say them. I’d instinctively picked up on everything he said just be watching him in the OR. The man got a natural high from performing surgery.
“It’s the same with you.” He suddenly stopped, pivoting his body so that my back was pressed against the railing that outlined the river. His hands went to either sides of my body as he brought our bodies to touch. “I don’t know what the hell you’ve done to me, and maybe I don’t want to know, but there is no option of me ignoring what’s building between us,” he growled just before dipping his head and taking my lips in a soul-awakening kiss.
I gave into the kiss almost immediately—because not doing so hadn’t even occurred to me. His lips, his tongue, and even the tiny hairs of the his five o’clock shadow all singed my skin with a burning desire. His large hands cupped my face, pulling me to him even closer. It felt like he was attempting to suck my soul directly out of my body. And if it continued to feel this damn good, I would let him without a second thought.
His capable hands trailed down the sides of my neck to the tops of my shoulders, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind them. I sighed into his mouth, feeling freer than I had in a very long time. But when his hands moved underneath my breasts, I was quickly brought back to reality. Without breaking the kiss, I guided his hands lower, to my waist. Only when they were fully planted on my hips was I comfortable enough to fully enjoy the kiss again.
And as I got into it, Jacob pulled back. His eyes were dark. I didn’t know if that was due to the lack of lighting where we stood or if it was something else.
“Let me take you home,” his deep voice insisted slightly above a whisper. He wasn’t requesting just to drop me off at my house after our date. This was his way of requesting that I let him inside once we got there.
I swallowed, and against my better judgment, nodded in agreement.
Wordlessly, we retraced our steps back to the parking lot where Jacob had parked, and after he closed the passenger side door for me and climbed in, we were headed in the direction of my house. Jacob’s right hand rested on my left knee and his thumb traced little circles on the flesh there, sending tiny electrical current throughout my body for the duration of our drive.
I wanted to tell him to hurry up and slow down at the same time. This was moving so quickly, I felt as if I couldn’t catch my breath. But when I turned and stared at his profile, as he focused on the road, any hesitation I had subsided.
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t get the opportunity to say anything because as soon as we turned into my driveway, Jacob’s headlights shone on a figure lying on the concrete step that led to my front door.
“Who is that?” I questioned, my hand going to the latch to open the door.
“Wait!” Jacob insisted sharply, freezing me in my tracks. “Don’t jump out when you don’t know who or what that is.” His voice was angry sounding.
Just then the figure moved and I recognized my sister’s face immediately, thanks to the light’s from Jacob’s Range Rover.
“Journey!” I called, moving to get out of the car.
I ran around the front of his car before stopping and squatting in front of Journey’s slouched over body. “Journey, what’s wrong?” I pleaded, taking her hand in mine. Instinctively, my hand moved to her neck to feel her pulse. I sighed in relief when I found it beating normally.
“H-He dumped m-me!” She struggled to get the three words out before slumping over.
Her eyes were glossy, and in the darkness of the night I couldn’t figure out if it was the result of tears or something else.
“You know her?”
Turning to Jacob, I told him, “She’s my sister.”
