Falling Sweetly (Starling Falls #2) (28 page)

I didn’t answer but sucked lightly on the curved of her neck in response. “Jake!” she hissed lightly. “We’re in public!”

“You should have thought about that before you put this dress on.” I ran my free hand up her calf, but she stopped me as I reached her thigh.

“Behave!” Niki chastised, smacking the back of my hand. “Or there’ll be no dessert later,” she added playfully.

I chuckled as the credits started playing. I leaned back against the trunk of the tree, and pulled her firmly against me. “I’ll behave,” I grumbled. “I really want dessert.”

Her body relaxed into mine as the movie started playing, and Niki rested her head on my shoulder. She nibbled on a strawberry before feeding one to me. I sucked lightly on the tip of her finger.

As the evening progressed, the scent and feel of her soft body against mine made it increasingly hard to focus on the movie, and I began wondering how long until it ended and I could get her into bed.

Niki must have felt my restlessness as she began wiggling in my lap again.

“You doing okay back there?” she asked mischievously.

“Tease,” I growled in her ear. “You can feel just how
okay
I am.”

This fucking movie needs to end like a couple of hours ago.

She bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from laughing out loud. I was about to roll her over onto her back when my phone rang. The caller ID told me that it was Martina calling, and I frowned. I had told her that I would be on a date, so I knew she wouldn’t be calling unless there was an urgent problem.

Niki glanced back at the phone. “It’s Martina? Take it, Jake. It might be important,” she urged, shifting off my lap.

I gave her a brief kiss as I pressed the
answer call
button and walked away to take the call, so I wouldn’t disturb the other people watching the movie.

“Martina?”

Annika

I rested against the tree trunk, watching Jake walk away with a smile. Just when I thought he couldn’t do anything else to surprise me, he manages to plan something like this.

Shifting my focus back to the movie, I was distracted by a shadow falling over the blanket. I looked up to see a tall lean man standing in front on me, blocking my view.

He was handsome in the traditional sense with his brown eyes, short light brown hair and trimmed goatee, but something about his friendly expression felt forced, and made me feel uncomfortable.

“Hey there.” He grinned smugly at me.

“Hi?” I paused and he continued to stare at me. Unsure what to say next, I shifted on the picnic blanket, wrapping my arms around myself. “Do I know you?”

“We’ve not had the pleasure of meeting, sweetheart. Just wanted to know what a beautiful woman like you is doing here by yourself?”

My jaw dropped at how forward the stranger was being. “I’m not here by myself. I’m just waiting for my date.”

“He must be an idiot to have left you all alone,” his smile turned slightly predatory, and I glanced over to where Jake stood with his back to me on the phone.

I bristled at the stranger’s insult of Jake. “It’s none of your business where my date is, or what he’s doing,” I said firmly. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m trying to watch the movie.”

Instead of moving away, the sleazy man moved closer and crouched in front of me. I shifted back further on the picnic blanket.

“What’s your name, cupcake?”

“I don’t see how that is any of your business either.” I frowned at the man. “I would like you to leave now.”

The tool chuckled, but the sound raised the hairs on the back of my neck. “Well shit,” he rubbed his hand over his goatee. “That has to be the politest rejection I’ve ever gotten. You sure you don’t want to join me?”

I’d been so engrossed in the weird conversation, I hadn’t even realised that Jake had made his way back over until the strange man was pulled up by the scruff of his neck.

“Jake! What are you doing?” I asked alarmed as I stood up from the blanket. “Let him go!”

Well this is déjà vu.

Jake ignored me, and I saw several of the couples switch their attention from the movie to us. “What the fuck are you doing here, Dillon?”

Oh my God. The sleazeball is Dillon?

“I’m allowed to be in the park, Chef… or I supposed I should just call you Jacob now, right?” he taunted, a cruel smile spreading across his face before Jake let go of him with a sound of disgust.

“Was it you, asshole?” Jake asked, his fists clenched at his sides. “Hmm? Did you do it?”

“What are you talking about, Jake?” I asked, placing an arm on his bicep, trying to calm him down.

“Martina just called to tell me. The Saloon has been vandalised.” He never took his eyes of Dillon as he spoke, the anger radiating off him in waves.

“Oh, Jake.” I wrapped my arms around his waist in an attempt to offer him, and I was relieved when I felt some of the tension leave his body and his arms wrap around me. “I’m so sorry.”

With me still in his arms, he looked back to Dillon. “Was. It. You?”

Dillon’s smarmy grin infuriated me. “Dunno what you’re talking about, Jakie. I’ve been here all evening having a lovely time. I came over to talk to this sweet little thing when you accosted me.”

I didn’t believe that he wasn’t responsible, and judging from the way Jake was grinding his jaw, neither did he.

“It’s stops now, Dillon. The tampering with orders, the messing with the restaurant. All of it ends
now
.”

Dillon smirked arrogantly. “Still don’t know what you’re talking about, Jameson. Sounds like someone needs to get their shit together. I heard about your pathetic little bar project. I never understood what Marco saw in you to have made you Head Chef, I had way more talent than you ever did.”

“Marco didn’t promote you because he could see through your act. He never trusted you and he was fucking right not to. You’re a snake,” Jake grunted. “Walk away before I lose my temper, asshole, and you find yourself with my fist in your face.”

“Come find me if you ever change your mind, cupcake.” Dillon winked at me as he walked away, and I tightened my arms around Jake to prevent him from lunging after the disgusting man.

“Jake, don’t. He’s trying to bait you. Don’t fall for it,” I pleaded and put both hands on his face, turning his attention back to me.

“What the hell did he say to you?” Jake huffed.

“Nothing important, he was just being a creep.” I stroked slowly along his jaw. “He doesn’t matter, love. Do we need to go check on The Saloon?”

“No.” Jake sighed heavily. “Martina said there’s no point. Sherriff Turner is there, but he said he’ll come back tomorrow and get my statement. No one saw anything, and because we haven’t had the CCTV cameras installed yet, there‘s nothing he can do.”

“I’m so sorry, Jake. What do you want to do?”

“Try and salvage this date?” he suggested with a half-hearted shrug. “Or do you want to just leave now, gorgeous?”

I smiled widely at him. “I’m with you. We still have half a bottle of champagne and a whole load of food.” I pressed my body closer to his. “Nothing is going to spoil our date, okay?” I said firmly as I felt I large raindrop splatter on my head.

“Well, nothing apart from the rain maybe,” I giggled as the heavens opened, and everyone around us scrambled for their belongings, either seeking shelter or heading for their cars.

Jake looked up at the sky. “You have got to be freaking kidding me,” he exploded. “There was no fucking rain in the forecast for today. I think we’re doomed to never have a date go as planned.”

As we stood in the pouring rain we looked at each and laughed. He circled my hips with his long arms, taking my mouth in a brief but deep kiss. I shivered lightly as the heavy rain soaked through my dress.

“This isn’t anywhere near as romantic as the movies make it out to be,” Jake grumbled.

“What kind of movies have you been watching where people kiss in the rain?”

He grinned, droplets of water falling off his eyelashes. “I may have done some research before our first disastrous date.”

I bit my lip as I confessed, “Me too… though my research involved some pretty acrobatic positions, a lot of moaning, fewer clothes and a cringe-worthy conversation with my sister and Addie.”

Jake’s eyes darkened as he realised the meaning behind my words. “Baby…”

I tiptoed and whispered in his ear, “Take me home, Jake.”

CHAPTER 26

Annika

I felt the heat of his body at my back as I slid the key into the lock. Jake gently tilted my head to the side, as he started placing kisses along the curve of my neck, before gently sucking at a spot just under my ear that made me sigh happily.

I pressed my body back into his, thrusting my hips backwards into his crotch, making him groan.

“Inside now, gorgeous,” he whispered harshly, his hand covering my other hand, which had frozen on the handle, and pushed the door open.

As we entered the house, he spun me around, and his mouth found mine with an urgency that made everything in me clench in excitement.

Our mouths fused in a wickedly intense kiss as he guided me to the stairs. I squealed when he swung me into his arms, carrying me upstairs.

“What happened to coffee and dessert?” I grinned, playing with five o’clock shadow on his jaw.

His heated gaze met mine. “You have me so wired I don’t need the coffee, and as for dessert,” he paused to gently suck on the tip of my finger which had started tracing his lips. “I’m going to have mine as soon as I get you out of that dress.”

He smiled at the nervous and excited expression on my face as he walked into my room and placed me gently onto my feet.

His gaze stayed on me as I shrugged out of the light jacket, he kept in his car and had insisted I wear to keep warm, before draping it over the armchair in my room.

I stared at him and bit my lip, unsure of what to do next. As if sensing my insecurity he pulled me closer to him.

“Slow, baby. We’ll go slow,” he murmured as he brushed my hair back and pressed a kiss to my forehead. As his hand reached for the zipper, my stomach churned.

I reached around my back and stilled his hand. “Wait, please.”

Jake looked at me with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Could we switch off the lights first?” I asked quietly, staring at the floor.

“Not a chance, gorgeous.” He cupped my jaw and forced me to meet his gaze again.

His hand trailed down my arm and he brought my hand to his mouth. Kissing the back of my hand, he entwined our fingers and placed them over his chest.

“This thing between us is real, Niki. You don’t get to hide any part of yourself from me tonight.”

My heart stuttered at his words, but the doubt and uncertainty voices in my head couldn’t be silenced. They just kept growing. I took a deep breath and tried to recall what Liya had said to me earlier.

“Hm,” Jake said before kissing me chastely. “Looks like I’m going to have to work hard to get you out of your head. It’s a challenge I look forward to.” His hungry grin made me gulp nervously, and I took a step backwards away from him, only to have him move closer to me again.

We walked backwards until the back of my knees hit the edge of the bed. I lost my balance, and landed on the soft mattress with bounce. Looking up at Jake, my mouth dried when his fingers started to undo the buttons on his shirt.

His shirt hit the floor, followed swiftly by his belt and trousers.

As he stood in front of me in just his black boxers, I swallowed the lump in my throat as I took in his broad shoulders and defined arms and chest. Jake held out a hand out his hand to pull me back to my feet.

He placed a kiss on my throat. “Your turn,” he said, his hand reaching for my zipper again.

“Jake-” He cut off my protest with a kiss so intense it made my knees weak. I was so distracted, I didn’t even realise he had managed to unzip the dress until he was pulling the damp material down my arms, and tugging it over my hips.

I felt blood rush to my face as my half-naked body was exposed to him. Unable to meet his gaze, I shut my eyes.

As the silence grew, I opened my eyes to gauge Jake’s reaction. His eyes turned a darker shade of blue, and his breathing grew heavy.

He traced the curve of my breasts with a finger, which slowly made its way down to pull down the cups of my bra, exposing a hard nipple. His warm, rough hand cupped my breast, and his hot mouth closed over a nipple, causing me to moan unexpectedly.

His mouth switched to my other breast as I unhooked and pulled the bra from my body completely. He switched between the sensitive flesh that ached for his touch, and each suck and nibble was like a live wire straight to my pussy.

I cupped the back of his head. “Oh, that feels so good.”

“Fuck.” He broke away from my flesh abruptly. His hands travelled further down my body to cup my bottom and squeezed hard making me gasp. Jake chuckled as he lifted me up, my legs instinctively wrapping around his hips.

He put a knee to the bed and gently lay me down, covering my body with his.

“I need to taste you now.” He started roughly pulling down my panties and I heard them tear as he tugged them off my hips.

All thoughts of what he would think about my thick thighs and wide hips vanished as he pried my legs apart, and his mouth descended upon the parts of me that were throbbing.

My hips bucked wildly as Jake suck my clit into his mouth before running his tongue along my folds.

“Oh, my God. Jake. What are you doing?”

“Having my dessert,” he growled as his mouth attacked my dripping slit again fervently. “And it’s one of the sweetest things I’ve ever had in my mouth.”

My laugh turned into a moan as a long, thick finger replaced the tongue that had been teasing my pussy. The pleasure was coupled with a slight burn as he stretched out the inner walls with two fingers.

His finger stayed in me as I writhed under him.