Page 9 of Embrace
Jake took the book out of my hands and put it into my purse. “Out of sight, out of mind.” He winked. “And the answer to your question is, I don’t have the test results. Therefore, I can’t confirm that you’re not Randolph’s daughter. However, I just have a hunch you’re not.”
I folded my arms. “Why not?”
“Because…” he started then stopped.
“Because?”
He shifted to stand closer. To those passing by, we appeared as if we were two people on the verge of kissing.
“Here’s what you won’t discover by reading the book,” he said. “And remember what I said about my grandparents.” He flicked his eyebrows up twice.
I jerked my head back as if his words had physically shocked me. “What are you insinuating? You and I both know the dangers of first-degree incest, like severe birth defects, schizophrenia, blindness…”
Jake held up a hand to stop me. “I was joking, Penina.”
I shook my head emphatically. “Well, I’m not joking, Jake, or whatever your name is.” I wasn’t going to say Asher out loud, especially after the bookshop clerk knew who he was. “We had sex,” I whispered. “We fucked, and now we’re fucked.”
After a long pause, Jake took a deep breath. “Let’s just have a good time. We’ll wait for the results. And we’ll figure out our next steps.”
I crossed my arms, shaking my head continuously. It was as if he didn’t get the gravity of what was happening between us. “You know, you alluded to the fact that we’ll figure it out three times already. What the hell does that even mean?”
Jake rubbed the back of his head again. “I don’t know, Penina. You’re beautiful, that’s for certain.” He swallowed, and his gaze seemed to swallow my face appreciatively. “You don’t look anything like my father, though I’m very certain you’re Valentine’s daughter, and I’m sorry about that, because he’s still alive. He’s in prison, thanks to my brother, but he’s still alive.”
My eyes grew wide. “In prison?”
“Yes. He was my father’s accomplice.”
“Accomplice in what?”
“It’s in the book.”
Frowning, I glanced down at my purse. “And I look like this guy?”
“His daughter, Julia.”
My mouth was caught open. I blinked hard, and my eyes got stuck closed. “Daughter?”
“Penina…” He said my name so beautifully. “I’ve been waiting to make love to you because I know you need confirmation that we’re not related. I already figured it out, so if you’re not going to let me kiss you or take you to bed, then please, let’s go fucking dance and have some fun.”
* * *
It waswhen Jake and I danced to the second song the band played that I realized we were out in public together and not that far from the hospital. Anyone who knew us could see us together, though I hadn’t spotted anyone I knew, and when Jake dipped me and brought me up, narrowly avoiding tonguing me passionately, I understood why he felt it was safe enough for us to enjoy the festival. Most people who worked at the hospital would avoid a touristy event on a Friday afternoon.
Jake was a great dancer, though. He was naturally smooth, very much aware of how his body bent, curved, and gyrated to the musical notes. It was sexy how he moved his hips. I was hoping to God we weren’t related, especially since his dick was hard each time he rubbed it against me. Apparently, he was sure we had no blood ties. If only I could take his supposition and run with it.
Then I remembered something and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Jake, tonight’s Courtney’s party!” I shouted above the music. That was another reason hardly anyone from the hospital would be at the music festival, especially those from our ward. They were all getting ready for the highly anticipated soiree of the summer.
Jake slapped himself on the forehead then took me by the hand, leading me through the crowd. When we made it through the gate and were walking quickly along the river, he drew me close. Without a word, his tongue was in my mouth. As our lips pushed against each other with fire and desire, I decided he was right. My father was a monstrous man locked up in prison for being Jake’s father’s partner in crime, which in turn made him a letch. Our tongues whirled around each other without restraint. My head climbed toward the darkening sky. His mouth tasted so good. With each stroke of the tongue, I found it harder to stop kissing him. We were winded and not at all concerned about who was watching us as his mouth broke from mine. Then we pressed our foreheads together.
“So… I imagine you don’t want to go public until we have the results,” he said.
After that kiss, it was as if all my raw lust and yearning for Jake had risen to the surface. If I spoke, I would mug his mouth with another deep kiss. If I didn’t get control of myself, I would suggest we skip the party, head back to his penthouse without a moment to spare, and bang like rabbits, bears, and lions.
“When will you get them?” I asked breathlessly.
“Soon,” he whispered. “Si put a rush on the results.”
I immediately pictured everyone who worked in the lab. They were all headstrong. They hated rush lab orders. God forbid they worked beyond the scope of the normal protocol.
