Falling Sweetly (Starling Falls #2) (22 page)

“You had a little icing sugar just there,” he said smearing more onto my bottom lip before he took the lip into his mouth and licked the sugar off slowly.

The swooping in my stomach returned as he threw away the empty wrapper and rested both hand on my hips, pulling me closer to him.

I tiptoed to meet Jake halfway as he bent down to kiss me, and I realised at this rate, I was going to have some seriously well-defined calf muscles.

As his hands started to wander, I felt a churning in my stomach that I didn’t think had anything to do with Jake’s kisses. I pulled away from Jake as the feeling intensified.

“Oh no,” I muttered and turned, walking as fast as I could away from the lights of the fair and towards the grass on the edge of the fair.

“Niki?” Jake asked alarmed as followed me. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t feel so good.”

He took me by the wrist and gently pulled me to a halt. Realising that I wasn’t going to make it to the trees that surrounded the fair, I turned and looked for the nearest trash can, and proceeded to empty the contents of my stomach into it with a noise so awful I could feel people around me cringe.

“Fuck,” Jake cursed as he ran a hand down my back, “It’s okay, Niki. Let it all out.”

I groaned at his words and did exactly that. After what felt like a lifetime, I finally straightened and accepted a bottle of water from a guilt ridden Jake.

“Come on, let’s get you home,” he said pulling me into him gently, and I nodded, resting my tired head against his chest.

Well, I think you found a new contender for the award of ‘Worst Date Ever’.

Jacob

Josh and Alex were lounging on the couch when I got home. After glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, Josh looked at me incredulously.

“You’re home already?”

The look I sent him let him know exactly how the date had gone, and Josh grimaced sympathetically.

Alex looked between us confused. “So? How was the date?”

“I made her get on a Ferris Wheel, not knowing she has a fear of heights. We ended up getting stuck up there for half an hour, and she had a mini panic attack. So, to distract her I asked about her tattoo, which then got her talking about her dead parents which made her start crying.

Then she had an allergic reaction to the prize I won her. The hot dog she ate gave her food poisoning, so she was barfing on the ride home. Niki finally stopped throwing up by the time we got back to her house. Even though she was exhausted, she refused to let me in to look after her. She said ‘goodnight’ and practically slammed the door in my face.”

There was a long silent pause as Josh and Alex exchanged a look of disbelief and then looked back at me amused.

“So it was a good date then?” Alex said sarcastically, and I flipped him off before heading towards the stairs.

“I’m just saying, if you ever need dating advice, my rates are very reasonable,” Josh called out from the living room.

As I climbed the stairs, I wondered how much his rates were and if I could get a family discount.

Fuck. You must be desperate to actually be considering taking advice from Josh.

Nate was right. You are screwed.

CHAPTER 19

Annika

“Niki,” a soft voice said gently as a hand smoothed back my hair. “How are you feeling, cutie?”

“Debbie?” I croaked from under my bedspread. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard you weren’t feeling too good. Liya had to work, but she asked me to come check on you, seeing as you wouldn’t let anyone come check on you last night,” she said in a concerned tone. “I brought crackers and broth for when you feel like you can handle eating something.”

The thought of eating anything made my stomach clench unpleasantly.

“No food yet, thanks. I think I just need to rest… I feel awful, and I bet I look like a hot mess,” I groaned, trying to bury myself further into my mattress.

I’d eventually stopped throwing up some time after midnight, but I felt as if my midsection had been run over by a small car.

“Oh, cutie. No one cares about that. We’re just worried about you,” she murmured gently. “I gather you and Jake had a rather rough start to your relationship.”

I finally pulled the bedspread down, and reluctantly emerged from the comfy burrow I’d created to look at Debbie. Her warm and concerned expression felt so maternal and loving that I felt a pang of longing for my own mother.

“I was an idiot last night,” I whispered staring into her warm light brown eyes.

Her hand resumed stroking my hair. “Jake told me what happened; I think he’s feeling the same way about himself.”

“What?” I turned over to look at her properly, “Why on earth would he think that? He tried so hard, and I-”

“From what I gathered it was just a run of bad luck.”

When I sent her a look of disbelief, Debbie snorted.

“Okay…
really
bad luck. The next date will be smoother.”

I sighed and closed my eyes relishing the feel of her cool hand against my heated skin.

“Why is this so hard for me?” I asked her quietly.

“Each rose blooms in its own time, cutie.”

My expression turned desperate. “What if I never bloom?”

“You will, Niki. Believe me, you will. I’m guessing you’ve spent a long time hiding in your own insecurities, it’s going to take time for you to stop thinking so much and just relax.”

Debbie’s head tilted to one side as she assessed me. She touched my cheek gently and smiled. “Don’t let one bad night affect what you and Jake are starting.”

I nodded, knowing that she was right.

“I should probably call him, huh?” I asked as I played with a loose thread on the hem of a sleeve.

“You could. Or you could just invite him upstairs and talk to him while I go make you some tea.”

My eyes widened in alarm, and I sat up clutching the bedspread to my chest. “Jake’s here?”

“Boy wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’s been waiting downstairs for an hour.” Debbie’s eyes held a mischievous twinkle. “I heard him talking to your fish. Should I be worried?”

I shook my head and laughed softly. “No. I think they’re bonding.”

Debbie’s smile warmed me, and she resumed stroking my hair.

“My nephew cares for you, cutie. Now, I’m not one to interfere in other people’s lives…” I made a noise of disbelief at the blatant lie. “But I think you could both make each other happy.”

Her face turned soft as she looked like she was reminiscing. “You know, amongst my kids, Jake’s always been the worrier.”

I frowned at her puzzled. “But he’s always seemed so laidback to me.”

“He hides his fears well. He’s constantly worried that he’s going to disappoint us. I always used to think that Josh got all the happy-go-lucky genes and left Jake with all the worrywart genes.

“I’m sure you know what their lives were before they found their home with us? Well, that rocky start affected all my babies in different ways.

“Nate has always been the serious one, Caleb was a reliable little soldier, Josh was always my little clown, and Addie and Alex were the babies of the family. Jake always seemed to feel sort of lost in the middle.

“I love my talented boy, but he’s the cautious one. Always has been, ever since they came to live with us.”

Debbie paused, smiling at her memories. “He was the cutest little thing with his blond hair and big blue eyes. He used to come home with an 85 on his math test and think that it wasn’t good enough.

He’s been working himself ragged since he was eighteen. I’ve always told him that he needs to focus less on what he thinks other people want him to be, and just do what’s right for him.

Told him to go after what makes him happy. And he never really did... well, not until you came along.” Debbie smiled at me fondly, as she stroked my hair and tucked a strand behind my ear.

“You make him happy, and you manage to make him believe in himself… that is when you’re not driving him crazy by running away from him.” She sent me a knowing look that had me blushing.

“I don’t mean to, I just…”

“I know, cutie. You’ve got your demons too. I think you both could bring out the best in each other. And in this crazy world that’s all we can hope to find; someone that we care about who supports us and loves us for who we are, flaws and all.”

Debbie pushed back a longer strand of my fringe behind my ear as there was a long moment of silence between us.

“So? What’s it going to be?”

“I’ll take a quick shower and meet you both downstairs.”

“Atta girl.”

* * * * *

Jacob

“Hi,” a small voice said from somewhere behind me. I turned off the stove, and covered the soup I had been reheating.

I turned to see Niki in an oversized grey shirt and black leggings wringing her hands at the entrance of the kitchen. Her body language made me anxious that she may have been having second thoughts about us.

Moving towards her I held out my arms tentatively and breathed a loud sigh of relief when she walked into them and returned my hug.

“How you feeling?” I kept my hands around her waist as I pulled back from the hug to take in her appearance.

She still looked paler than usual. She looked tired, and there were dark circles under her eyes, but apart from that she was still as gorgeous as ever.

“I feel better, thanks.” Niki gave me a small smile.

“You feel like eating something?”

“Sure,” she said. As I turned to get her a bowl, Niki stopped me by tugging on my hand. “Hold on. Last night didn’t go quite how we planned, huh?”

“Yeah.” I frowned. “Sorry, Niki. Perhaps the fair wasn’t a good idea.” I rubbed the back of my neck.

“The fair was a great idea.” She placed a hand on my chest. “It was just…”

“A tough break?”

She nodded. “Yeah.” Niki looked in every direction but mine. “Where’d Debbie go?” she asked staring at the pot on the stove.

I placed a finger on her chin and turned her face gently so her gaze was back on me. I chuckled at how swiftly my aunt left after announcing that Niki was “taking a shower and should be coming down soon”.

“She said she had to go see Uncle Jeremy about an ‘
an emergency’
.  A load of lies if you ask me… unless giving him updates about us, which he doesn’t actually want, counts as ‘an emergency’. She’s not the most subtle person.”

Niki smiled fondly. “No, she’s not. But I love her for it.”

“You know, she loves you too, Niki. You’re part of the family now.” My heart warmed at how effortlessly Niki fit in with the crazy brood.

“I know,” she said quietly, and a heavy silence I didn’t understand filled the space between us.

I looked at her questioningly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said with a fake smile and tried to change the subject, “Time for soup now?” Niki tried to move to the side and walk past me.

“Not so quick. I told you last night, no more lies. That goes both ways, Niki.” My hands on her shoulders stopped her from moving away. “What caused that look in your eyes?”

She started wringing her hands. “I’m just nervous… and worried,” she murmured quietly staring at the floor adamantly. “I don’t have the best track record with relationships… and if this doesn’t work out between us…”

I frowned when I realised what her concern was. “You’re worried if it doesn’t work out between us that you’re going to lose the new family you’ve got.”

I scoffed at the thought of that ever happening, and the fact that she was already thinking about things potentially ending between us, before anything had even started, frustrated me.

“It’s taken me eight months to get you where I want you. You think that I would let you go now? Not a chance,” I told her firmly, but my tone softened when her eyes widened comically.

“Anyway, I’m pretty sure they all like you more than me. If we were to break up, I know who they would choose to keep around,” I snorted, trying to lighten the mood, “and it wouldn’t be me.”

Her small smile and laugh eased the tension. Niki’s small hands reached up to cup either side of my jaw. “I’m going to really try, Jake,” she said in a promising tone, and I understood the meaning behind her vague words.

She was going to work on her self-doubt because what we were starting meant something to her too. I refrained from telling her that she wouldn’t have to fight them alone.

I knew with every fibre of my being that she was it for me, and I would do whatever it took to make it work between us.

I kissed her firmly. “That’s all I can ask for, baby.” Her hands fell from my face.

“You know… I didn’t get to give you the goodbye I wanted to last night.” Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pulled her into me, and was thrilled by the soft curves pressed against my body.

Niki tilted her head back allowing me to press a kiss to her pouty lips. She tasted of mint toothpaste. She sighed and sunk into the kiss. I loved that she was becoming more comfortable with me holding her.

Feeling bolder, my hands slid from her waist, down to the small of her back. I waited to see if she’d protest, and when she didn’t, I slid them lower to cup her ass and drew her even closer.

The kiss turned from soft and sweet to feverish in seconds. Squeezing her ass cheeks I lifted her, smiling when she squeaked. Turning, I placed her on the kitchen counter. Pushing her legs apart I stepped between them, so her thighs rested on either side of my hips.

Her spread legs put her pussy at the same level as the noticeable bulge in my jeans, and I wasted no time in grinding myself against her.  A hand snaked under her t-shirt and drew slow circles on her back.

One of Niki’s hands were digging into my shoulders, the other was tracing very distracting shapes dangerously close to the waistband of my jeans. I pulled away with a shudder when I heard her gasps turn needy.