Sweet Dreams (Sunset Dreams Series Book 1) (17 page)

I look up into his eyes and reel at how close we really are standing to each other. The pupils of his eyes dilate as he focuses on me and I feel like a deer trapped in headlights.

So, so green…

“Here, I brought you these. They should fit. Sorry it took so long. After my shower I was looking for something that would fit you and had a hard time coming up with something.” The words come out of his mouth like silk, and he’s still so close, I feel his breath against my forehead when he speaks.

He clears his throat and the blood rushes to my face. The sound startles me, bringing me slightly back to my senses, and I breathe out and whisper, “Thanks.” Gently, he takes my wet clothes from me and places a dry change of clothes in my arms.

“I’ll see you downstairs in a few.” Turning, he walks back around the corner he came from and I let go the air that I was holding out through my mouth in a shaky breath.

I head back to the room I showered in and close the door behind me.

This is too much.

I feel like I’m going to explode any second.

The fact that I didn’t clobber him in that hallway is a flipping miracle.

Placing the clothes he gave me on the bed, I sift through them. He brought me a pair of sweats with a draw string, a wife beater undershirt and a black T-shirt along with a clean pair of white socks. I start to get dressed, making sure to put on the undershirt, hoping it will help my obvious lack of bra, and as I slip on the T-shirt I smell him again.

This is his T-shirt and it smells like him.

Oh heaven.

I try to figure out how I can steal it if I have the chance.

I’m so pathetic.

Sitting on the end of the bed, I put on the soft white socks he gave me then braid my semi tangled towel dried hair over one shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, I make my way back downstairs and find Jake in gray sweats and a white T-shirt throwing back a shot of something in the kitchen. He looks up when I walk in and smiles.

“Do you want a Limoncello to help warm you up? It’s delicious.”

“No, I’m good.” Drinking around Jake could be very dangerous.

“How about some tea?”

“That sounds good, thanks. Sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to take you down with me.” I feel ridiculous now and really embarrassed.

“My pleasure. I’m happy to come to the rescue when diabolical insects are lurking.” We both chuckle a little at that and Jake makes me a cup of Earl Grey, just the way I like it. “Come on, let’s go sit in the living room.”

I follow Jake and he motions for me to sit on the sofa. Taking a seat in the corner, I curl my feet under me and sip my tea. Jake sits down at the opposite end with a glass of water. Grabbing a remote off the table, he turns on a stereo system and soft music starts to play. We exchange smiles between sips of tea and water and I feel more relaxed now that I’m warm inside and out, and now that Jake is fully clothed.

“Ho Hey” by the Lumineers starts playing and I mumble how much I like the song.

“Wait here.” Jake disappears into another room that adjoins this one and comes back with a guitar in hand. “I could teach you to play it. It’s really only three chords.”

“How many guitars do you have?”

“Four. The one we used down by the pool, this one, and two others. Okay, hear the notes in the song? That’s C, F, C, then A minor, G, C, with a progression in the bridge to F, G.”

“I told you before, I’m no good at barre chords.”

“Maybe you need to figure out a different fingering. Here, watch.” Jake pauses the song with the remote and plays the three chords for me a couple times through. “See, easy.”

“Yeah, for you,” I scoff.

“Let me see you try.”

“I can’t do it.”

“Let me see.” He hands me the guitar.

I try the first progression, but can’t get the F to sound. Looking up at him I give him my “see, told ya” shrug.

“I see the problem. Your fingers can’t reach across the neck. Wait a second.” He pops up from the sofa, goes back into the other room, and comes out with yet another guitar. “Try this one, it has a smaller neck.” He hands me a pretty black guitar. It’s a little smaller than mine and the other two he has.

I try to play the F chord by itself and this time it comes out slightly muted. I look up at him with a surprised smile.

“That’s pretty good, but try holding your wrist like this and only barre the first two strings.” Jake turns his wrist and I try to mirror him, but the hold feels awkward. “No, the other way. No, the other, other way.”

“Like this?” I show Jake my hold and he shakes his head no.

“Here, let me show you. Scoot forward.”

I sit on the edge of the sofa and Jake slips in behind me.

I freeze.

Is he doing this on purpose? My face must be the color of a tomato right now.

Thank God my back is to him.

Jake slides each one of his legs on either side of mine and I feel him slowly scoot in closer to me from behind.

Oh, sugar.

Sitting ramrod straight now, on the edge of the cushion, I try not to move a muscle as his left arm comes around my waist and grabs onto the neck of the guitar as I let go. His right arm comes around from the other side and he places his hand in front of the guitar on the strings. Jake now has me trapped between him and the guitar with his face leaning over my left shoulder against my neck.

“Like this. Watch my wrist and how I adjust it and my thumb to reach the barre.”

He plays the F and B chords a couple of times and I look down and watch how his fingers move over the frets. Desperately, I try not to hyperventilate at his nearness and the feel of his breath against my neck. After a few times through, he holds the guitar up for me to take. I try the progression as Jake watches over my shoulder, adjusting my wrist while I play. All of a sudden it becomes easy and I focus on repeating the three notes over and over. Jake is still behind me and he inhales deeply and then exhales against my neck causing my skin to heat.

“Again,” Jake says, his voice husky in my ear.

I play the chords again, taking in a shaky breath.

“That was much better. Now, here is the other one: F, G. I’ll show you first so you can see how I adjust my grip between the chords.”

He places his hands on mine to take the guitar from me and I slip my hands out from under his. Jake’s cheek rests against my neck as he plays the notes and instead of paying attention to his fingering, I close my eyes and lean ever so slightly back into him. Feeling the tiniest bit of stubble on his jaw against my neck, my flesh erupts in goose bumps. Unaware of my internal battle, he continues to play, and I only hope he can’t feel my heart fluttering like a hummingbird through my back as I take deep breaths to calm my frayed nerves.

God, he smells so good and his chest is so solid.

His body is so warm.

Mmm…Jake.

This impromptu lesson has turned into the most erotic encounter of my life.

After he plays the notes a few times, I open my eyes and find Jake holding the guitar back out to me. When I take the guitar from him, he lets my fingers linger on his for a couple of seconds before he removes his hands from under mine.

I could turn around, sit on his lap and kiss the heck out of him.

Do it, just do it.

Tears start to form in the corners of my eyes with the frustration of being this close to Jake and not really touching him. After I play through the second set of chords, Jake lets out another breath against my neck and climbs up over me, sitting down on the other side of the sofa.

Why is he so far away now?

I feel the loss of his body heat behind me and wish I could go back to a few seconds ago.

“Now, all the way through from the top.”

The moment has passed and frustrated, I tuck the memory of it away for later. I play slowly through the two progressions while Jake looks on. He nods at me to continue, picks up the other guitar, joins in with me, smiling, as we play through the progressions together.

Putting down his guitar Jake says, “You’ve got it.”

“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it.” Aside from everything, Jake’s wrist technique paired with the smaller guitar makes a huge difference.

Jake picks up the remote. “Now let’s try it with the song, ready?”

“Ready.”

Jake hits play and starts strumming with the rhythm and I follow along. We play through together once and the song repeats on a loop. This time, I play more confidently and concentrate on my rhythm. The third time through, we play in sync and sing along as well. At the end of the third time through the song, Jake picks up the remote and stops the song.

“I did it!”

“Yep, I told you it was easy.” Jake beams, obviously proud of his teaching skills.

“That was so much fun. Jer isn’t going to believe it,” I say in awe, looking over the instrument in my hands.

Looking up, I find Jake frowning. He’s about to say something when someone enters the room over his shoulder.

Is that…Amy Warren?

“So this is why you didn’t return my call,” she says, motioning to me.

Wow, she’s really beautiful.

What a nightmare.

Jake turns and smiles at Amy over his shoulder. “Where have you been?”

Very uncomfortable, and very intimidated, I stand up. “Maybe I should be going?”

Amy looks me up and down and turns to Jake. “Well hello. Jake, aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“Sorry. Jen, Amy. Amy, Jen.”

I look over at the goddess standing by the sofa and try to smile sincerely. “Nice to meet you.” I don’t know how successful I was.

“You too. Jake, I’m tired and going to head up to bed.” She looks me up and down once more, I’m sure figuring she has nothing to worry about. Amy waves at me with a smile and turns and walks out of the room.

“Okay, goodnight.” Jake calls back to her and then turns to face me again.

I stand there, not sure what to do while Jake sits on the sofa looking up at me.

“Oh, Amy, how did your mom take the news?” Jake calls out as an afterthought.

“Good. Really good. I’ll tell you about it later,” Amy sings out from the stairs.

Is this what the text on Jake’s phone was about?

What news I wonder?

Amy comes back into the room less than a minute later. “Oh, by the way, your bike has a flat. Good night.”

Jake jumps up. “What? No, it was fine earlier.”

Over her shoulder in the distance she answers, “Yeah, well it’s not fine now.”

Jake grabs the back of his neck in frustration and lets out a huff. “Great. I’ll be right back.” Jake says, leaving the room.

I hear him open the front door and I sink down onto the sofa.

This is so bad.

How can I compete with her? There’s no way. I feel so self-conscious.

Why would Jake want me when he has her?

Jake comes back into the room a moment later. “It does have a flat. Sorry, I need to make a call.”

“All right.”

Grabbing his cell from the table, he walks out onto the front steps to call someone.

Looking at the clock on the stereo system I see that it’s close to 11 p.m.

It’s time for me to go. I’ve been here too long already.

Jake finally comes back inside and before he has a chance to say anything, I exclaim, “Oh, I didn’t realize it was so late.”

“I called my local mechanic and they can’t come out until tomorrow afternoon, but I can change the tire myself in the morning when there’s more light. I have a spare in the garage. Then I can drive you home if that’s okay?”

I feel bad, I don’t want to leave him, but I definitely don’t want to be in a house with Jake and Amy together. “Don’t you have a car here?”

What do I do?

“No, only the bike. Amy must have taken a taxi or gotten a ride back.”

“Can’t we call another taxi?” I’m desperate to leave now.

How did it get so late?

Jake looks disappointed. “Well, we could, but if they show up, it’s going to be very late by the time you get home from here. Why don’t you spend the night and I’ll take you in the morning?”

“I don’t want to impose.” I guess I don’t really have a choice.

“Not at all. Besides, by then your clothes will be nice and dry.”

Looking down, I ask, “Are you sure Amy won’t mind?”

“Why would she mind?”

I guess there’s no reason she would mind.

Sighing, I give in. “Where do I sleep?”