I was in the process of putting the final touches on the portrait of the sunrise I’d experienced on Jake’s yacht when I heard a knock at the door. I brushed my hands over the smock I wore, smearing any wet pet I might have had on them away.
It has to be Jake, I thought, looking at the clock. It was ten-thirty at night, but it was also Saturday, so what the hell was happening?
I crossed the living room and peeped through the hole to see Jim standing out front. I quickly unlocked the deadbolt, keeping it quiet because everyone but I was sound asleep.
“Jim?” I questioned.
His lips rose on one side. “Sorry, I’m not the brother you—”
“Were hoping to see for the first time in three weeks?” I chuckled and stepped back. “Come inside.”
We sat on the couch, and the expression on Jim’s face made me more concerned about Jake than the random texts he’d been sending me.
“What’s wrong with Jake?” I went straight to the point.
Jim ran his hand through his onyx hair. “I think it would help if you visited him. He’s functioning fine, but I can tell John’s death is hanging over his head.”
I bit the tip of my fingernail. “I don’t want to be a nuisance to him if he needs his space.”
Jim leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “You’d be far from that.” He smiled over at me. “Jake’s not used to being in a relationship, and the fact that the woman he’s fallen for would help him, he—” Jim looked at me, his emerald green eyes seemingly begging me to catch on to what he was saying.
“He doesn’t realize I might be able to help him through this?” I suggested.
“Exactly,” Jim said with a sigh. “We’ve all tried to get him to shake this out of his system. He blames himself for not having the right words as John’s cardiologist to help the man prevent his death.”
“From what you all have said about Mr. Brooks, I would assume that Jake would understand there was no getting through to him.”
“Yes, but Jake losing him on that table to multiple complications—not just the lack of a heart or kidney transplant—he’s shouldering all of it. Perhaps being with you may help him. I’ve never seen my brother harness this much guilt over losing someone.”
“He mentioned that he became a heart surgeon after losing your dad. Maybe grieving that loss and the fact that he feels defeated is what’s holding him down.”
“Yes.” Jim nodded, and he reached for my hand. “Ash,” he said in some pleading tone, “I know it’s a lot to ask of you, and I’ll understand if you can’t, but Jake needs you more than he needs us or using work as a distraction.”
“You don’t have to ask. I’ll leave tonight, but if he’s at his house in the Hills, I have no idea how to get there.”
“He’s at the beach house. I’ll have my driver take you there.”
“You think he’s still up?”
Jim laughed. “I would be shocked if the man had fallen asleep in the last three weeks.”
“Got it,” I said, getting up. “Let me pack a bag, and I’ll be out in a sec.”
This entire time, I’d forced insecurities about Jake moving on from me out of my head. I pointedly ignored all stories from the media, knowing I might see Jake and someone else. He did text me, but it was mainly vague texts about how busy he was. I’d believed they were all excuses to move on, and he was trying to break it to me gently after all the excitement we’d shared on the yacht.
Now, I knew the man was in trouble. He was mentally struggling, and if his brother was showing up, I could accept it wasn’t him just going over the edge in lust with some chick he had fun sex with. I hated that I couldn’t easily accept that he was in love with me, but Jesus, we were moving fast, and I had been fighting my feelings.
Now that I knew the extent of his distress, I felt horrible. My heart was shattered that I didn’t put my selfish thoughts aside and see through the texts. I was more worried about keeping up my guard than I was about letting the man in and helping him when he needed it most. As I sat in the back of this Bentley with Jim, I knew that I was in love with Jake and would do everything I could to help him.
“God,” I said as the freeway exit came into view, and Jim ended the conversation he’d been having on the phone since we left my house.
“Sorry about that,” Jim said, resting his head against the headrest. “I swear my job has me by the throat at times.” He laughed. “And in the act of looking like a complete douchebag while riding with my driver, it’s these damn phone calls that keep me from actually enjoying driving myself around.”
“You don’t have to explain all of that to me.” I laughed. “But do you ever get a break from it all?”
“Never,” he said with a laugh. “Well, sometimes I’ll push the work down to Alex, but he’s occupied with some other nonsense at the moment. It can be annoying when we’re in a position with a client that can’t be avoided.”
“So, your love life is well, then?”
He smiled at me. “It’s a dreamy one.” He held up his phone. “This baby and I never leave each other’s sides.”
I rolled my eyes. “God forbid.”
“I can see how my brother has taken to you as he has. I’m sure you give him snarky responses even worse than this.”
“We play around some,” I answered, enjoying this side of Jim. The arrogant businessman I’d seen in him before was exhausted and stressed, which was easy to understand, but I could also sense his concern for his brother had grown, and now here he was with me of all people.
“It’s good for his crazy ass,” he said. “You’re good for him.”
“Thanks for telling me that. I try not to let all the shit that’s going around about him being the world’s sexiest player get to me, but I’ll be honest, I have. I just don’t want to put myself out there and get smacked in the face for it.”
Jim nodded. “Completely understandable. Jake was the wildest of us all, and yet,” he grinned at me, “he met a lovely young woman who he was smart enough to appreciate when she came into his life. I doubt we’ll ever encounter the Jake you read about or see on television again. I’m glad for that.”
I pursed my lips as we turned into Jake’s driveway. “I’m sorta nervous.”
Jim opened the door. “Don’t be. I’ll let you in. Have a nice evening, and I’ll be praying you can get through to him.” Jim helped me out of the car. “Don’t let him close off to you or play you like a fool.” His eyes locked onto mine. “I’ve heard you both in conversation. You are wise to him, so stay that way.”
“Got it.”
After Jim walked me through all the security of the house, he practically growled when another call came in. “Fuck, it’s Saturday night, and my phone is blowing up with business calls like it’s Monday morning!” He looked at me. “Sorry about the language.” He sighed. “I have to go. You comfortable hunting him down?”
“I love this house. I can find my way around it. If he’s asleep, I’ll wake him up with a kiss.” I laughed.
“A sleeping beauty recreation.” He winked. “I’ll give Jake a ring in the morning. He can thank me then.”
“Hey, Jim,” I said, stopping him. “Thanks for this. I would’ve never known he was in trouble if you didn’t show up.”
He arched his eyebrow and nodded in response, looking just like Jake with the gesture. “Talk to you later, Ash.”
I walked through the house, and as I glanced out at the back patio, I saw Jake hunched over in swim trunks, intently studying the water.
“Hey,” I said, startling him. “Someone told me the sexiest bachelor lived here.”
Jake leapt from his lounge chair, and the next thing I knew, I was in his arms. “How in the hell did you find your way into this place?” I felt his lips press against my hair. “God, I’ve missed you.” His hands roamed over my face. “I’m sorry I blew you off. I just didn’t want you around me while I was in this state.”
I took his face in mine, and at that moment, our lips found each other in desperation. I reluctantly pulled away. “Jim sent out the SOS for you and brought me here.”
“Looks like I owe my brother more than a beer.” He smiled, but I could see the pain in his eyes.
“You do,” I said, taking his hand in mine. “Mind if I join you out here?”
“I would like that a lot.”
We sat together, and he instantly stood again. “Let me get us some wine or food or something.”
“Relax.” I laughed. “I’ll take a beer.” I peered around him. “Looks like you have a cooler?”
Jake chuckled. “Yeah, pretty fucking stupid since my outdoor kitchen is right over there and stocked with these things.”
“But you’re drinking water?” I eyed the glass bottle on the table.
He shrugged. “I won’t go anywhere near liquor when I’m feeling like this.”
“How are you feeling, Jake?” I asked, taking the beer he’d handed me after he popped off the top.
“Like hell, if I’m honest.” His eyes pooled. “I should be moved on by now, but the guilt won’t leave me.”
“Guilt of not keeping Mr. Brooks alive?”
“It’s everything really, I guess. The media that backfired on us isn’t helping either. I’ve watched my interview and sort of wondered who the hell that man was that was speaking. The shit that seemed to be so important for people like John—to help people like John—it’s all a waste with my personal life taking precedence over everything. The media’s obsession with that is beyond me.”
I took a sip of my beer. “My dad has watched the documentary. You convinced that stubborn man to go through with the transplant. I know it’s me just speaking about him, but trust me, Carmen was ready to throw a pot of albondigas soup at him one night, she was that frustrated with him.”
Jake smiled. “I could only imagine how those two are getting along.”
“I think they’re kind of a secret item. I’ve caught them more than once.”
Jake’s eyes widened. “Doing?”
“Whatever it is that couples do when they sneak into each other’s rooms like teenagers hiding from parents.” I laughed.
“Oh, shit,” Jake said, picking up a beer and taking a sip of it. “That has to suck.”
“Thank God I was in the process of sneaking off to hotels with you during their little rendezvous.”
“Damn.” He curled his lips after another sip of beer. His eyes sparkled under the enchanting lighting of his island-getaway backyard. “I would give anything to go back to those days.”
“Go back?” I questioned with a laugh. “Did we break up, and I’m just now finding out about it?”
Jake’s face was humored, and I could see him softening up the longer we talked. “Break up?” He scoffed. “After seeing you tonight, and how being in your presence is making me feel, I’d marry you now and never let you leave.”
“Marriage talk again?” I arched an eyebrow while tipping my head back and taking a gulp of beer. “You are all over the place, Jacob Mitchell.”
“I’m solid,” he said, his face serious. “Come here.”
We both stood, and he pulled me in close. He had music playing in the background, or I’d have thought he’d gone off the rails when he pulled my body close to his and began to sway to the softly playing music. His lips were on my neck, but it was nothing like before. Everything Jake was doing was making me coming undone. We slowly fell into a dancing rhythm while we held each other silently, and I absorbed this closeness that I’d needed longer than I realized.
Jake kissed my cheek and twirled me away from him and then back into his arms. “You’re a fantastic dancer,” I said as he dipped me backward and kissed me.
He let me up and pulled me close. “And so are you. I recall a night where I danced with a beautiful woman, believing I would marry her one day. Never once did I believe those thoughts would be more profound than they are now.”
“Getting soft again?” I nervously asked.
“Never,” he said, pulling me back, his knuckles brushing across my jawline. “I’ll wait until it seems rational, of course. Until I know you are comfortable with me. I’ll wait.” His eyes raptly studied mine. “But I promise you this: you will be my wife one day.”
Something happened at that exact moment. Both of us switched some gear in our heads, and instead of moving into the crazed and wild sex we loved having, we slowed down in a way I didn’t think was possible.
“I love you, Jacob,” I said after we walked into my favorite room of his house, the master suite with views that went on forever. “God.” I shook my head and felt my eyes sting with tears. “I really do love you.”
He smiled and ran his hands over my shoulders. “I truly hope you mean that because I’m about to show you how I treasure you in ways I haven’t before.” He touched his lips to my bare shoulders. “You are the other part of my soul, Ash.”
I would have naturally fought those words off, but I understood exactly what he was talking about. I felt the same, though I had no idea he experienced it too.
I was helplessly in love with this man, who was successfully undressing me and laying me back on his bed. His lips drifted up my knees, to my thighs, hips, my stomach, and my lips. Jake and I had never had sex like this. This was a different Jake, and the look in his hungry eyes made me fall deep into this moment with him.
