Falling Sweetly (Starling Falls #2) (18 page)

CHAPTER 15

Jacob

The sounds of soft snarling woke me the next morning, and when I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw were bright green orbs in black fur hovering over my face.

Gasping in horror, I moved back quickly, which resulted in me rolling out of bed and landing painfully on the floor.

“Son of a bitch,” I groaned from the floor.

Shadow let out a very mocking meow from where he sat perched at the end of the bed, still staring at me with unblinking eyes.

What the hell is wrong with this cat?

Apart from the creepy cat, the bed was empty. I looked over to the clock on the wall which told me it was eight thirty.

Damn it, I didn’t mean to sleep that long.

I groaned as I stood, stretching the aching muscles in my back, feeling the effects of the awkward position I’d slept in when Niki had rolled over to my side of the bed sometime after midnight and entwined herself around me.

It was an issue I certainly wasn’t complaining about, though feeling her soft warm body pressed against me had certainly made it hard to fall back asleep.

Where the hell is she?

Picking my jeans off the floor, I went through the pockets and found my phone. I frowned when I saw there were several messages from Niki.

Niki:
Morning! Thanks for staying with me last night. I felt fine this morning, so I decided to go help out at the bakery. I called Mitch, and he drove me to the bar, so I could pick up my car.

Niki:
Don’t be mad! You looked so tired last night, I didn’t want to wake you. Come to the bakery for breakfast?

Niki:
Everyone else is at Trudy’s, too. I owe you a cinnamon bun or two for staying with me last night. We can talk about whatever you wanted to here.

Niki:
Oh gosh! Could you do me a favour? I totally forgot to feed Freddy and Ginger. Could you please feed them before you leave?

Who the hell are Freddy and Ginger?

Niki:
Oops. It would help if I told you who they are, wouldn’t it? Freddy and Ginger are the fishes. Their tank is in the living room. The fish food is in the cupboard under the fish stand. Just a small sprinkling of the flakes should be enough.

Niki:
By the way, I made coffee. It’s in the kitchen. Help yourself! Sugar is in the first cabinet on the right. Milk and creamer is in the fridge.

Niki:
Obviously… I’m not going to keep the coffee and milk in the bathroom now, am I?

Niki:
That last message was odd. Sorry… Thanks so much, Jake. See you soon!

Despite the annoyance that ran through me from her leaving, I couldn’t help but chuckle at her messages.

I was frustrated that my plans to talk with Niki this morning had been ruined by her running away yet again. I knew she wasn’t supposed to be working today, and especially after last night, she should be home resting.

At least she’s back to sending me rambling texts again.

As I began to pull on my clothes, the cat’s unwavering stare was still fixed on me.

“What do you want?” I asked the cat, only to be met with silence and more disturbing, threatening stares. “You’re a weird cat, you know that?”

Shadow hissed at me as he jumped of the bed, flicked his tail in my direction, and stalked out of the room haughtily.

Walking downstairs, I went into the living room and saw a fish tank that I definitely didn’t notice when I had been at Niki’s before.

I remembered that Caleb had mentioned something about a weird fish at Liya and Niki’s house, but looking at the tank I didn’t see anything odd about the two fish floating serenely in the water.

The bigger one was ugly as sin, with its huge bulging eyes, but as I watched them swimming in circles, I began to feel oddly calm. 

I found the fish flakes and sprinkled some over the surface of the water.

“There you go little guys.” I watched as they both swam up to the top of the tank and began nibbling at the food sinking slowly to the bottom of the tank.

I sighed and sat in the armchair next to the tank. “You have it easy. I bet it didn’t take you months to win over your lady did it, Freddy?”

“So tell me, how’d you do it? You win Ginger over with your winning looks or charming personality?” Several bubbles escaped Freddy’s mouth.

“You’re right. That was a stupid question. Of course it was your winning looks; just look at those fins.”

“I suppose it was easier for you, big guy. Your lady is literally trapped in the same space as you. She can’t escape. Trapping Niki in a room until she talks to me would be borderline psychotic…right?”

I took Freddy swimming to the bottom of the tank as a confirmation of his disapproval at that plan.

“Okay, no imprisoning or abducting the object of my affections.”

I’d always thought of myself as a laidback guy, but this situation with Niki had me feeling off kilter and tense. Liya’s advice from last night replayed in my mind.

“You think telling Niki that I’m into her would scare her off?” The fish pecked at the food on the stones. “No? Do you think I should show her instead?” Freddy swam back to the front of the tank.

“Okay. The straightforward actions-speak-louder-than-words approach it is. Good talk, Freddy.” I stretched as I stood from the chair. “See you around, Ginger.”

As I left the room, I checked my pockets to make sure I had my keys and wallet.

I glanced at the time on my phone to make sure I wouldn’t be late to the appointment at the bank if I detoured to the bakery, and then reread the last message I’d received from Niki.

Yeah, baby. You’re definitely going to be seeing me soon.

* * * * *

After going home for the fastest shower I’d ever taken, I drove to the bakery.

Scanning the mostly full bakery, I saw all of my family sitting at a couple of tables that had been pulled together. Aunt Deb waved and looked at me curiously when I didn’t go over to greet her like I usually would have.

Sorry, Aunt Deb. I have a mission to focus on today.

My whole body hummed in anticipation when I saw Niki. She laughed at something Alex said and placed a cup in front of Addie before walking away with an empty tray in her hand. As she turned around and saw me, her eyes widened when she noticed my serious expression.

I strode over to her, grabbed the empty plastic tray from her hands and dropped it to the floor.

She looked adorably shocked as I wound an arm around her waist loosely. “Jake! What-”

Pulling her into me, I sank my hand into her inky black hair and tilted her head back far enough for me to take her mouth.

I groaned when my lips touched hers. When she gasped I took advantage of her surprise and slipped my tongue into her open mouth, deepening the kiss.

Niki stiffened for a moment before relaxing in my arms, her hands trailed up my body and settled around my neck.

I pulled her even closer by tightening my arm around her waist. She gasped and broke off the kiss when I pressed my hard cock against her. She tried to pull back, but my grip around her didn’t allow her to escape.

“Look at me, Niki,” I said gruffly. When her beautiful chocolate coloured eyes looked up at me dazed, a streak of satisfaction ran through me.

“That was me telling you that I like you, baby. I
really
like you. I’ve wanted you for a long fucking time. No more hiding from me, no more running away. We’re going out tonight on a proper date, I’m picking you up at 8. You good with that?”

Niki nodded mutely, still staring at me slightly stunned.

“Good,” I said softly, my eyes dropping to her tempting mouth. Cupping the back of her head, my mouth found hers again.

When I felt the tip of her tongue move tentatively against mine, I moaned and ran my hands over the curve of her hips as the frustration of the last six months surfaced.

Damn, this feels so fucking right.

When I finally pulled back she was gasping for air, her dark pink lips were swollen, and she looked pleasantly dishevelled. 

I pressed my forehead to hers, and reminded myself that we were still in the middle of the bakery; as much as I wanted to drag her to her office and bury my face between her legs, that probably wouldn’t be the best idea.

“I have to go, Niki.” Taking a deep breath, I tried to regain control. “Tonight,” I said resolutely, placing one last firm kiss on her mouth.

I reluctantly let her go and turned to leave the bakery, noting with amusement the silence that had fallen over the whole shop, and the shocked expressions most of the customers and my family were wearing

Yeah. That had felt damn good.

* * * * *

Annika

What the hell just happened?

I tried to move from the spot where I stood frozen, but couldn’t.

I think my brain is short-circuiting.

My right hand touched my swollen lips.

Nope, that wasn’t a dream. It actually happened.

I turned to where Liya sat with the rest of the Jamesons and wondered if my expression resembled the startled expressions they wore as they looked between me and the door Jake had just walked out of.

All the customers had stopped talking. Gloria and Mitch stood behind the counter, wearing identical expressions of amusement mingled with shock, completely distracted from the tasks they had been doing before Jake had walked in.

The silence in the bakery was finally broken by Debbie squealing happily and clapping her hands. “I’m definitely getting some grandbabies.”

Oh my God.

* * * * *

“Niki…. Niki… Annika!” Liya jostled me gently.

“Yeah?” I asked, staring at Liya with wide eyes.

“You okay?” she asked, looking much too amused, “You’ve not moved or spoken in a while. People are starting to get concerned.”

“I don’t… understand what just happened.” I, unsuccessfully, tried to clear my foggy mind by gently shaking my head.

“Really? I think that message was pretty clear,” Liya said, trying to suppress a smile. “Come on, why don’t you go home for the day?” She handed me my bag and led me out of the bakery.

“Jake, he…” I trailed off, pointing back to the bakery weakly, not sure how to finish my sentence.

“I think he made his intentions pretty clear. No one turns up at a bakery at seven in the morning just to ‘get the freshest cinnamon bun.’ That was him trying to let you know he was interested, Little Bug.”

My jaw dropped as various memories over the past couple of months started coming back to me.

The early morning conversations, the movie nights at my house, Jake randomly showing up at the bakery with food during lunch, the compliments he’d given me that I had thought were just him being a nice guy.

All of the many text messages asking me to dinner, which I had assumed were just platonic friendly requests, and how angry he’d been when he saw me on the date with Douglas.

Oh…

So that’s what he’d wanted to talk about this morning.

“Oh my God.” I turned and stared at Liya in despair. “Why am I so dumb?”

“I may have dropped you once or twice when you were younger,” she laughed as she reached into my bag and pulled out my car keys.

I frowned at Liya, not finding the situation humorous at all. “You’re not funny.” I started chewing on my bottom lip.

“Jake… likes me? He asked me out.” I turned back to look at the bakery, as if the building could somehow help me. “He asked me out! On a date!”

I cringed internally at how much I sounded like a teenager who had just been asked to prom.

“Yeah, I know,” Liya said slowly. “Everyone knows. We were all there, Niki.”