Page 71 of Long Story Short

Those words lit up a fire inside me. I didn’t want to talk any more. I wanted to lose myself in him. ‘Kiss me, please,’ I pleaded, arching into him desperately. Jake cupped my face with his hands, leaning in to me, giving me what I wanted so much. When our lips met, we both murmured contently and the passion that had been between us in New York reignited instantly.

Then I pulled back sharply.

‘What’s wrong?’ Jake asked.

‘I need to tell you…’ I clung on to him but kept a couple of inches back from his lips, even though I needed them back on mine so much. ‘I think I wanted you from the first time I read one of your books. Your words have always meant so much to me. And when I met you, I couldn’t get over how handsome you were. But I didn’t think you’d ever look twice at me. You’re older, successful, wiser…’

Jake shook his head like he disagreed with how I’d described him, but I ignored that and kept on talking. ‘And often, you pissed me off, frankly. But when I got to know you, I quickly found out that cool, calm demeanour was just a front and I liked getting to know the real you. I was so attracted to you but I thought I irritated you. When you kissed me, I’d never been kissed like that. The way we were in bed together…’ I felt myself blush but made myself keep going. ‘It was like the sex I’d read about but never experienced in real life. But it was also the way you held me in your arms…’

‘It was a wrench to let you go,’ Jake said softly.

I nodded. ‘Same.’

‘So, we both didn’t think that the other one would be interested, then we were and it…’ Jake seemed to struggle to find the words.

‘Freaked us both out?’ I suggested. ‘I’m not as eloquent as you are.’

‘Freaked us out is the perfect way to describe it,’ he assured me. ‘I should have told you how I felt, that I wanted us to carry on what we had started when we got back to London, but I got in my head when I saw you and Davis. I guess it made me think about my mum and dad. How she had trusted him, and how he’d hurt her. I thought maybe I was making the same mistake.’

I touched his lips with my fingertips this time. ‘I never had any attraction towards Davis Mulberry. In fact, the opposite. He’s probably the last man I’d ever want to kiss. I’m getting to see a slightly better side to him now I’m working with him but that’s as far as it will ever go. You do believe me, right?’

‘I do, baby. I think I knew deep down that was true but maybe I was scared and it was easy to blame that, to blame you two when it was me that wanted to run.’

‘What about when you said you thought I’d been with you to help my career?’

‘That was so wrong of me. I knew you’d never do that. As soon as I said it, and saw your face drop, I hated myself.’ Jake reached out and brushed my hair back off my shoulder. ‘Can you forgive me for that? And you don’t believe what Davis said about me and relationships, do you?’

‘It never made sense with how you were with me. And he admitted he said it to wind you up. I do trust you.’

‘Even after what my father has done?’ he asked me quietly.

‘I told you, you’re not your father, okay?’

‘God, I want to hold you and never let you go.’

‘Hmm, sounds good to me.’

I leaned in and our lips met eagerly. Jake’s hands moved to my waist and he pulled me into his chest while I rubbed his shoulders with my hands, enjoying the way our tongues explored one another. I pulled back and Jake made a protesting sound. ‘I haven’t had the full flat tour. Can I see your room?’ I asked boldly but I wanted to be back in his arms properly.

‘You want to?’ Jake asked me, his eyes dropping to my lips in a hungry way. I liked that look.

‘How can I get a proper feel of the place otherwise?’ I asked him playfully.

‘You’re right. It was very remiss of me not to give you the full tour.’ Jake picked up our two wine glasses. ‘Let me show you.’

I followed him across the living-room floor. He pointed out the doors to the spare bedroom and bathroom and then, at the end of the corridor, opened the door through to the primary bedroom. I walked in behind him and stood there, stunned. It was almost the size of my whole flat. It was a huge room with an en suite. There was a stunning window with an armchair underneath what looked like another cosy reading spot, a four-poster bed in the middle of the room and an ornate fireplace in the corner. The colours were deep greens and creams. It felt serene and calm and looked incredibly comfortable, like a luxury hotel. I wondered what the bed would feel like to lie down on. I couldn’t help it.

Turning, I could see the en suite had a large shower and a free-standing bath. I suddenly longed to be there under bubbles with Jake, steaming up the bathroom together.

‘What do you think?’ he asked. I realised he had been watching me anxiously as I stayed silent.

‘Trying to not feel intimidated all over again…’ I joked.

‘All that matters is how we feel about each other, okay? Nothing else.’ He put our glasses of wine down on his bedside table then came over and picked up my hand, kissing the back of it. ‘I will have to fight the urge to want to take care of you, and look after you, though I’ll be honest. I’ll try not to beg you to move in here with me and leave your flat share,’ he added with a rueful smile.

‘Well, I can’t be angry about you wanting to do that,’ I said with a laugh. ‘One step at a time though, right?’

‘Yeah, do you want to go out for dinner or I can take you home or?—’

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