3
Jake woke the next morning, momentarily disoriented as he took in his surroundings. Instead of beige-painted walls and a small bedroom full of photos—memories and memorabilia of a life not lived—he found himself this morning in an off-white room that was large and open, bare except for the boxes stacked against the wall to his left.
A blank slate.
He rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. This room, this house and everything that came with it, offered him a fresh start. The possibilities filled him with a sense of energy and purpose he hadn’t felt in…too long to remember.
One thing was the same here as it had been in his old bedroom, though. His cock tented the sheet at his waist, hard as it was every morning, much more optimistic about the possibility of seeing some action than Jake himself. Often, he ignored it. He was so damned tired of his own hand. It never brought anything like the pleasure he remembered experiencing when he and Alana fooled around all those years ago.
So, he began running through his daily schedule in his head, waiting for his cock to get the message and accept defeat. Today, he needed to get down to the barn to care for the horses and turn them out to enjoy Rosemont Castle’s pastures for the first time. Then, he needed to unpack. Things would pick up in a day or two once the new horse he was going to train arrived, so he needed to get the house put to order in the meantime.
His cock was not taking the hint this morning, though. As soon as he acknowledged the thought, a vision of Megan formed in his head, the way her hair had brushed against his arm when they stood beside each other in the barn yesterday, the way her brown eyes seemed to spark with energy every time she smiled. His cock surged, throbbing urgently beneath the sheet.
He reached down and gripped himself, stroking hard and fast, allowing himself the fantasy of Megan’s fingers wrapped around his cock. From somewhere in the room, his phone rang, interrupting the frantic movement of his fist. He paused. Few people called him. Even fewer might call at this hour.
Reluctantly, he sat up and looked around, trying to remember where he’d left his phone last night. He followed the sound to one of the boxes stacked along the wall. Tina Robertson’s name showed on the screen, and his cock promptly withered at the sight. A call from his mother-in-law was one surefire way to tame his morning wood.
Technically, she was his former mother-in-law now, but Alana’s death didn’t stop her parents from feeling like family to him. He hoped that never changed.
“Morning, Tina,” he said as he connected the call.
“Good morning, Jake. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“Nope. You know me, always up early.”
“I do know,” she said with a laugh. “I wanted to catch you before you headed down to the barn, see how you were settling in and if you need anything. I thought I might bake that broccoli cheddar chicken casserole that you like so much, and Walt and I could bring you supper tonight.”
“I’d like that, Tina,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips. “I am a total sucker for that casserole, and I’d appreciate the company too. Thanks a lot.”
While he’d rather have a few more days to settle in before he invited his in-laws over, he knew Tina needed to fuss over him. She and Walt were probably already missing him, and he missed them too. For the last ten years, he’d lived in the little cabin on their property that had been their wedding gift to him and Alana. At times, he’d felt smothered, having them so close, especially without Alana at his side. But mostly, he was fiercely grateful for their love and support and for the steady presence they’d become in his life.
“Oh, honey, you can count on us anytime,” Tina said in his ear. “Is there anything else you need? I could stop at the store on our way over.”
“No, no. I’ve got to go shopping myself today and stock up the new kitchen.”
“Okay, then,” Tina said. “I know you’ve got a million things to do, so I’ll let you go, but we’ll see you tonight. Around six?”
“That sounds perfect. Thanks again.”
He disconnected the call and crossed the room to the adjoining bathroom. Five minutes later, he was on his way to the kitchen for coffee and to rummage through his bare pantry for something to eat before heading to the barn. And cursing himself for leaving his phone on a box last night instead of on the charger. He only had twenty percent left on his battery. And where was the charger? Damned if he knew.
At least he’d had the sense to leave the coffee maker on the counter yesterday. He plugged it in now and got it started before rummaging through the box of random stuff he’d brought over from his old pantry. Seasonings, odds and ends, half a loaf of bread.
Pathetic.
There was a light knock at the door, and he turned toward it in confusion. Walt and Tina had often knocked at his cabin, making various excuses for conversation, Tina bringing food or Walt asking for a hand with a woodworking project. But Jake hadn’t expected anyone to knock on his door here at Rosemont Castle.
He glanced down at his jeans and T-shirt, making sure he was presentable, before he pulled open the door. Megan stood there wearing a purple jacket and a warm smile, a white paper bag in her hands. The sight of her sent a punch of lust through his gut stronger—and hotter—than anything he could remember experiencing in recent years. It also brought a wide smile to his face.
“Hi,” she said, ducking her head slightly. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” It was a good one now that she’d become a part of it.
“I brought you one of Beatrice’s muffins. I figured your pantry was still bare.”
“It is, and you have no idea how good a muffin sounds right now,” he said. “But I can’t let you keep feeding me like this.”
Dinner last night had been nice, relaxed and casual as she’d promised. It felt good to have friends to share a meal with, although he didn’t want to take advantage of their hospitality. He was renting the barn, and food service was definitely not part of the package.
