Page 25 of Journey to Love

Lana nodded in understanding, her arms dropping to her sides as she absorbed my words. With a silent gesture, she indicated to Jacob that she was keeping a watchful eye on him.

I cleared my throat, breaking the moment. "Forgetting something?" I said, crossing my arms and giving Lana a playful, stern look, nodding towards Jacob. She let out a dramatic sigh, "Sorry, Jacob," she muttered with the attitude of a toddler.

"Thank you. Now go get ready," I instructed her, adopting a mock authoritative tone. "Yes, mother," she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she exited the room.

Turning back to Jacob, I sat down beside him, rubbing his back gently. "Are you okay?" I asked, concern evident in my voice.

He grumbled in response, leaning into me until his weight forced me to fall back onto the bed. I couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Aww, poor baby," I teased, continuing to rub his back as I chuckled.

"I am a baby," he playfully admitted, looking up at me.

"What happened to the big, strong man, huh?" I teased him further, enjoying the playful banter.

"Okay, that's it," he declared, suddenly launching into a tickling attack.

I shrieked and laughed, squirming in a futile attempt to escape his tickling fingers. But soon, he pinned me down on the bed, ending up on top of me. My laughter faded, and I found myself staring up at him, my hand resting on his chest, his face mere inches from mine.

My gaze dropped to his lips, and I instinctively bit my own. It was a new experience for me, one I hadn't encountered since Paul. Normally, I would have panicked with a man in such close proximity, but with Jacob, it felt different. With him, both my mind and body knew I was safe.

Jacob arms cage my face and he uses his hand to move my hair from my face. It wasn’t until just now that I remembered I am still in my bikini that Lana made me buy. Which means I’m practically naked lying under him. That just increases my arousal and I can see he is attracted to me just as much as I am attracted to him. My breathing picks up the same time his does, the air between us heating up. I feel myself getting wet just from the way he is staring at me. He strokes my cheek then drags his thumb over my lips. His finger moves over my jawline and down the side my neck, he slowly moves his finger across my chest. This man is heating me up from just touching my skin, I can only imagine what it would feel like to kiss him and have his hand between my legs. Jacob continues to glide his finger down between my breast and I don’t know if I can hold it any longer. I wanna taste him, I wanna feel him inside me. He lowers his head and his lips just barely touch mine.

“Okay, I’m rea – Oh shit! Fuck! I am sorry!” Lana screeches and covers her eyes. The sound of her voice forces us apart and Jacob jolts right up. Our breathing is still heavy. Lana hurries out of the room, Jacob and I look at one another and I burst out laughing. I guess that eases his tension because he starts laughing too. I stand up and to my surprise, I hug him. He wraps his arms around me and leans his chin on my head. I don’t know why I love that, but I do. I look up at him and smile. “Thank you for finding me and talking to me,” I say and I turn around to head out the door. He grabs my wrist and pulls me toward him. “Yes?” I say with a flirty smile. He smiles back and kisses my temple. “I just wanted to walk out with you, oh, and do this” and he pats my ass. I squeal and playfully hit him in the chest. We laugh and he puts his arm around me and we walk out the door.

As Jacob and I waited for the elevator, I noticed Lana was nowhere in sight, probably already downstairs. Jacob pressed the button, and as we waited, he inquired, "Where are you two off to?"

"The beach," I replied casually, to which he responded with gleeful surprise, "Seriously?"

I chuckled, confirming, "Yes, seriously."

"I'm heading to the beach too! Just need to change and grab my sister and her husband," he exclaimed excitedly. "We should go together," he suggested.

I hesitated for a moment, offering a polite smile. "Uhh..."

"Or not," he said calmly, sensing my reservation.

"It's not that, it's just..." I trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

He looked at me expectantly, encouraging me to continue. "Well, look at me. I can't meet your family looking like a trashy hooker," I admitted, pleadingly.

Jacob squeezed my hand reassuringly. "You don't look like a hooker, but I understand," he said sincerely.

"Thank you, but you can ride with me to the main deck," I suggested hopefully.

As the elevator doors opened, we stepped inside. Jacob bowed playfully and exclaimed, "As you wish, my queen."

"Oh my god, stop!" I laughed, playfully hitting him on the arm. Was this guy for real? Memories of Paul's sweetness flashed through my mind, but something told me Jacob was different. Still, I couldn't shake off my doubts.

The elevator stopped at the next floor, and a man entered. I gave him a flat smile and nod, then shifted aside. But his lingering gaze made me feel uneasy. Sensing my discomfort, Jacob moved me to his other side and wrapped his arm around me protectively, shielding me from the intrusive stare of the stranger.

"Yeah, he's definitely not Paul," I thought to myself, reflecting on how different Jacob was from my toxic past. Paul would have berated me for even accepting this bikini as a gift, let alone wearing it. He would've hurled insults, accusing me of being a whore, and threatened to treat me as such. The memory sent a shiver down my spine, but I pushed it aside, determined not to let it ruin the moment.

Feeling Jacob's arms around me, I was jolted back to reality. "You cold?" he asked, rubbing my arms gently.

Not wanting to delve into my painful past, I simply nodded. "Yeah," I lied, "a bit."

"Well, soon you'll be out in the sun and warming up," he reassured me with a smile.

Despite his comforting words, the echoes of Paul's cruel remarks still lingered in my mind, haunting me like a ghost. But as Jacob's warmth enveloped me, I found solace in his presence, a stark contrast to the toxicity I had endured before.

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