Popping the Cherry (36 page)

Jeez, did I have it stamped on my forehead or something?

Jake gave my hand a squeeze and I jumped. ‘You ready to go?’ he asked.

Go.

Back to his house.

Now.

A stampede of centipedes wearing tap shoes launched into the
Riverdance
inside my gut.

‘Sure …’ I said, sticking to one-word answers—I didn’t trust myself with anything more complex—but, in my bid not to squeak, I’d gone too far past normal and ended up at grumpy instead.

Gah!

Jake knew something was up with me, but he hadn’t figured out what—yet—so I should be thankful for small mercies. I was the worst secret-keeper ever, on course to be a nervous wreck before the day was out. We got on the road after what felt like an hour of goodbyes. The journey was made even trickier with Jake shooting worried glances at me all the way back to his house. I tried to smile, to relax, but I couldn’t. My tension rubbed off on Jake so that his smile had vanished by the time I pulled my little Ka onto the drive behind his van for the night—for the first time ever, and something I hoped to be doing a lot more of from now on.

‘Why don’t you go on ahead and get the door open?’ I said, staring straight ahead. ‘I’ll just be a minute.’

Jake’s shoulders drooped lower still. ‘You don’t have to come in. It’s OK if you want to head off.’

‘No,’ I shrieked. ‘I mean, no,’ I said, reining in my sudden panic. ‘I’d like to come in. I won’t be long.’

‘Fine.’ He sounded so forlorn.

He got out of my car and stomped to get the front door open, dragging the keys from his pocket. And, yeah, I was checking out his arse. As soon as he disappeared from view, I snatched up my bag from behind my seat, then sprinted out of my car and into the house, leaving the front door open behind me. I tiptoed up the stairs, freezing every time Jake made a sound, and was out of breath by the time I made it to his room.

My hands shook as I unhooked my bag from my shoulder—the same bag I’d left in the car while I was at the Saunders house, so there was no chance of anybody peeking inside—and started getting out my supplies. Candles, matches, rose petals, the
Twilight
soundtrack, my toiletry bag with a spare toothbrush to leave over, my pretty nightdress, and, of course, Jake’s birthday present.

Come on, Lena, keep moving …

First, I tucked my nightie under the pillow, then smoothed the duvet and scattered the petals on top. Next, I set the candles around the room, then went back around lighting them with the matches before closing the curtains. I popped my
Twilight
CD in the stereo and hit play. Jake’s present lay in the middle of the bed. All that was left to do was put my toiletry bag in the bathroom, which I could do on my way downstairs.

Tiptoeing my way back down, I peeped through the crack in the living room door and caught Jake staring at the blank screen of the television and gnawing on his thumbnail. I closed the front door, hoping Jake would believe I’d only just come in. He startled when I walked into the living room, and practically leaped out of his seat to meet me in the middle of the room, reaching for my hands.

‘Lena …’—he was having a hard time meeting my gaze—’Tink …’ he said, in his serious I-think-we-need-to-talk tone.

Omigod!

I knew I’d been acting weird all day, but surely he didn’t think I was going to dump him, on his birthday of all days? I climbed up onto my tiptoes and looped my arms over his head, pulling him down to kiss him before he could say another word. His tentative response only drove me on, but I had to come up for air eventually; plus, I didn’t want to leave the candles unattended for too long. Burning his house down would not go down well.

‘Are you ready for your birthday present?’

His expression brightened even more, splashes of pink chasing away the bulk of the grey vampire look. ‘But I told you not to bother.’

‘And since when have I ever done as I was told?’

‘True.’ He was full-on smiling now, and his grip wasn’t trying to break my ribs. ‘OK, go on, then.’

‘Umm …’ The tap-dancing centipedes launched into their encore. ‘It’s upstairs. You’ll have to come with me.’ I unhooked my arms and grabbed his hand. He had to be able to feel how much it was trembling but he didn’t say anything as I led him up the stairs to his bedroom, coming to a halt at the closed door. ‘Your present is in there,’ I said, my voice strained. ‘After you …’

The door creaked open and Jake crossed over the threshold, his head turning left and right as he took it all in. ‘Tink?’ He spun back to look at me. ‘What’s all this?’

I couldn’t help it, my gaze zoomed on his present and a rush of warmth covered me head to toe, more efficient than my old electric blanket. Jake followed my gaze and spotted the wrapped parcel on his bed. He’d crossed the room in three strides and picked it up.

‘Happy birthday, Jake.’

Jake’s long fingers deftly pulled open the wrapping paper and his jaw dropped. He raked his hand through his hair, his eyes like saucers, darting glances between me and the box of condoms in his hand, and then he sank onto the bed as though his legs had given way. Oh, well, I’d come this far and hadn’t dropped dead from a heart attack yet.

‘Don’t you want to unwrap the rest of your present?’ I asked.

‘The rest?’ He quickly scanned the room, then looked back towards me, confused.

‘Yes, the main part.’ I boldly walked into the room, closing the door with my heel, then stalked towards him.

Jake swallowed. Twice. I reached for his hands and raised them to the hem of my top, lifting it enough to reveal several inches of skin. Jake stared up at me, his blue irises darkening right before my eyes.

‘Do you mean—’ His voice cut off with a wild strangled sound when I nodded.

He buried his face into my exposed stomach, setting the entire damn nature reserve free to show off their acrobatic skills. Jake pulled back again to look up at me, so I met his gaze and smiled nervously back at him. Needing no further encouragement, he stood and lifted my top high over my head, his hands grazing my skin, triggering shockwaves wherever he touched. He reached behind me and unclipped my bra, pausing to give me time to change my mind, but instead I reached for the buttons on his shirt until we were both naked from the waist up.

Jake pulled me into a tight embrace, and I noticed his heart rate was all over the place, not even beating to any kind of rhythm, fast gaps, short gaps, clusters … He was even more nervous than I was, which only egged me on even further. He gasped when my fingers brushed his abdomen, undoing the belt of his jeans and then the button fly. I stepped back so he could do the same to mine and our remaining clothes were soon discarded. We faced each other, both out of breath and hesitant.

‘You are so beautiful, Tink,’ Jake said, his breath rasping in his throat as his gaze ravaged my body, so fierce, so hungry I swore I could feel it brushing over my bare flesh.

Speaking was beyond me, the rock in my throat cutting off any words, so I raised my arms, inviting Jake to hold me. He gathered me up in his eyes and lifted me, carrying me to the bed and laying me down among the rose petals. I sucked in a ragged breath and tried to tell him how much I loved him using only my eyes. His breath left him in a rush, forceful enough to disturb the petals around me, one landing in the centre of my stomach.

Jake reached for it, stroking it tenderly across my oversensitised skin. The petal left a trail of goosebumps in its wake as it travelled the length of my body with Jake’s help, before returning to where it started, only to go again. This time Jake’s lips followed the same path and I almost shot off the bed, mewling like a cat. The petal made it as far as my lips this time, and I welcomed Jake’s kiss.

Desperate for more, I grabbed his head and held him there, kissing him as if my life depended on it. His moan echoed inside my chest, spurring me to hook my legs around his hips and drag the rest of him on top of me too. The moan became a growl and I bucked beneath him. Except it did the exact opposite of what I’d hoped. Jake leaped off me and pulled up to a kneeling position, sitting between my legs.

‘W-wh-what’s wrong?’ I stammered.

‘Wrong? Nothing’s wrong.’ Jake fought for breath, his voice husky, and his face crumpling as he tried to find the words. ‘This is like all of my dreams coming true. Never in my life had I imagined I could be this … this turned on.’ He raked his hand through his hair, engaging the muscles in his chest and arms. ‘It’s a bit of a shock to the system.’

‘Oh.’ I grinned. ‘That’s OK, then. So is now a good time to ask if I can stay with you tonight?’

‘All night? What about—’

‘Sorted.’

‘Fuck … I mean, wow.’

‘Yes, please, to both, if that’s OK with you,’ I teased, laughing out loud at the deliciously wicked grin that stole over Jake’s face. ‘But don’t you need to put something on first?’ I pushed up onto my elbows and reached for the box of condoms, tossing it towards him.

All mirth disappeared from his face and left me floundering.

‘Tink, this is already the best night of my whole damn life, you don’t have to—’

‘I know,’ I said, cutting him off. ‘But it’s what I want, too.’

Jake nodded. He ripped open the box and took out a foil packet, opening it with his teeth, before rolling the condom on. He eased back on top of me, supporting the bulk of his weight in his arms, and I gasped as his skin brushed over mine. His touch electrified me, rekindling the fire burning deep inside me.

‘I love you, Jake.’ I slid my fingers into his hair and pulled him down, meshing my lips and tongue with his.

Jake’s body trembled and he pulled back.

‘I love you, too, Tink. But are you sure? There’s no going back from this. Just say the word and I’ll stop, because I’m not strong enough to resist you on my own. Not any more.’

I stared back into his eyes, so dark with desire they were completely black. My pulse was racing so hard, my body seemed to be humming. I’d surely die if he stopped now. There was nothing I’d ever wanted more. I wanted to tell him exactly that but only one word spilled out of my mouth, nothing more than a whisper. No, not even a whisper: a breath.

‘Please.’

Jake whimpered, feathering my face with kisses.

And then we became one.