Page 68 of Barefoot Lake

“Ace, fuck!”

I’d grin if I could.

He eases me back before sliding into my mouth again, but he pauses, holding back. Still keeping eye contact, I nod, trying to urge him on with my minimal range of movement.

He sides out and back into my mouth, again and again, finding a rhythm. I move one hand to the front of his hips and scrape my nails over the sensitive skin while I twist the other around his length.

He jerks forward and picks up the pace. I repeat the movement. He hits the back of my throat, and my eyes start to water. I move my hand from his hip to cup his balls and walk the delicate line between perfect pressure and pain. I read Jake right because he begins driving into my mouth now. He’s breathing hard, and he squeezes his eyes shut.

“Ace, I’m —”

He releases my head, but I keep moving, working my hands and head in tandem until I feel all of him clench as he releases down my throat. I’ve never swallowed before, but I feel empowered as I continue to work him, swallowing, slowing my pace, and eventually releasing him.

Jake slumps sideways against the shower wall but holds out his hand to help me up. Ever the gentleman. Once I’m standing, he pulls me against him, cradling my head in his hand.

“You’re extraordinary,” he murmurs before kissing my temple.

Jake heaves off the wall and shuffles us back under the water, softly running his fingers through my hair as he rinses out the conditioner. My hair is going to be soft as fuck tomorrow.

I see the reverence in Jake’s gaze and know this is how a partner is supposed to make me feel.

He hands me the bar of soap so I can wash myself before he efficiently does the same for himself. I turn off the water while he grabs two towels from the counter. He slings one over his shoulder and wraps the other around me, squeezing my hair out in one end. Only after I’m taken care of does he dry himself.

We silently brush our teeth and drag ourselves to bed, shutting off the light on the way. Barely dried, we fall on my bed and twist about until we’re under the covers. Jake gathers me in his arms, and I blissfully fall asleep tangled in his limbs.

CHAPTER 28

Jake

When I wake up, I’m surrounded by the smell of bacon, but that’s not what has my attention. That honor is held by the knuckle dragging slowly down my spine.

“Jake…” Alice’s voice is soft, but it sounds like it might not be the first time she’s said my name this morning.

My head is turned away from her, pressed into several pillows, so I smile even though I haven’t opened my eyes yet. I hope if I pretend to be asleep for at least another minute, she’ll keep running her finger over my skin. It’s a damn good deal, waking up to her.

I jolt when a swift smack connects with my ass, still a powerful force even through the blanket, and flip my head to glare at Alice.

“I knew you were awake!” Alice’s tone is mock accusatory, but her eyes are sparkling with delight. She’s in my flannel again. I can’t be sure, but it might be all she’s wearing.

“And if I wasn’t?”

“Well, then that should have done the trick.” She smiles, and all is forgiven. As long as she smiled at me like that, I’d help this girl bury a body.

She bends down to press a kiss to my lips like it’s something she’s been doing her whole life.

“Flip over. I brought breakfast.”

Alice jerks her head toward her dresser, where a tray stands over her scattered knickknacks. As I roll over, I notice the bright sun fighting through a crack in the window curtains. I never sleep this late, even without alarms.

“What time is it?” I ask.

“Almost nine. Do you need to go?” Alice tries to sound casual, but I can hear the disappointment in her voice.

“A benefit of owning the nursery is that I don’t. The team can open the place even if Eli and I aren’t there. I don’t need to be anywhere but here. I’m just not used to sleeping this late.”

“Yeah, I thought you were Mr. Early Bird,” Alice says as she retrieves the breakfast tray. It’s filled with three glasses of different kinds of juice, two mugs of coffee (one normal and one that looks like a glass of light brown milk), a stack of waffles, bacon, fruit, a cup of yogurt, and a couple of hard-boiled eggs. She sets it over my thighs before circling the bed to crawl in on her side and sit on her knees facing me.

“Are we expecting company?” I tease but then pointedly look across the bed as I growl, “Because there are some aspects of my life where I do not share.”