Chapter 3
Nora
Jake’s house is located down a dead-end road lined with oak trees. At the end, there’s a nice two-story brick house with a large front porch. Everything is surprisingly neat. The lawn is freshly mowed and the flower beds flanking the front porch are full and beautiful. I can see it all because the porch light is on. Jake even has a detached garage. I can barely see the silhouette of a motorcycle sitting off to the side, while he’s not a biker, I guess he likes to ride. Probably one of those weekend riders my father makes fun of.
He pulls into his driveway and switches off the engine. We sit there for an awkward moment before he asks, “Are you sure about staying? There’s no pressure. If you want, I can drop you off at your house or anywhere else you want to go.”
I don’t hesitate. “If the offer is still open, I’d really like to stay the night with you.”
“Are you kiddin’ me? It’s all I can do not to haul you out of this SUV, throw you over my shoulder and run off with you.”
I chuckle, staring at his playful expression. “Best leash the inner caveman for now. He might come in handy later though.”
“I’m glad you decided to stay. Let’s get you out of the cold before you change your mind.”
Climbing out of the driver’s seat, he comes around and opens my door. I follow him up the walk and onto his frontporch. Jake wastes no time unlocking the door and ushering me into his warm home.
The interior is all dark colors and masculine decor. It’s not exactly a man cave but it doesn’t have a woman’s touch anywhere that I can see. Considering his age, I would have thought he might have been married at one time.
We sit on his sofa and drift around for a conversation starter. “Your house is nice,” I comment. “Did you decorate it yourself?”
He nods. “Yeah, I bought it when I came out of the military. It’s always just been me. My old man lived in town to be closer to his medical providers. My mom passed when I was ten.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I never knew my mom. She ran off when I was a baby. It was always just my dad, my two brothers and me.”
“That must have been hard, being raised in a house of men.”
I shrug and say nothing, because the problem didn’t have anything to do with them being men. It was hard because they were assholes.
“Do you want a drink? I can get you a coffee or a hot chocolate?”
I can’t believe this guy. He’s rough on the outside but soft as a marshmallow on the inside. “No, I’m fine,” I tell him.
We talk about nothing for a while. Jake makes me laugh. I watch his hands while he talks. He has good hands. They’rebig and his knuckles have been broken at some point. I’ve been around outlaw bikers enough to know what that looks like. There’s a small burn scar on the back of one. The silver ring on his right ring finger catches the light when he moves. I realize, at one point, that it’s been handcrafted.
I reach out and take his hand to have a closer look. “Did you make this?” I ask.
“Yeah, I make rings from old silver coins and spoon handles. I have a little setup at the parts store. It gives me something to do in my downtime. I can’t stand sitting around and doing nothin’.”
“Well, I don’t even know why I’m surprised. You’re clearly a talented man, Jake.”
He waggles his eyebrows. “And good with my hands.”
“I don’t doubt it,” I tell him. Leaning closer, I add, “However, I’m more interested in how talented your lips are.”
His face lights up. “I thought you’d never fuckin’ ask.”
When his lips ghost over mine, it’s totally different from anything I’ve experienced in the world of kissing before. This man can kiss.
He slides one hand through my hair and tilts my head back, deepening the kiss. When his tongue slips into my mouth, it’s everything I thought it would be and more.
When his hand slides to my hip, I freeze up. He notices right away and pulls back. “Are you okay? Are we movin’ too fast?”
I shake my head, unable to easily find the words for what I need to say.
One rough hand comes up to cup my cheek, and his thumb rubs my skin. “Tell me what’s on your mind. No matter what it is, I won’t be mad. If you don’t wanna do this, we’re fine. I can take you home or you can stay in my guest room.”
I push the words out. “It’s not that. It’s just I haven’t done this before,” I say.
