Fever Pitch (7 page)

We’re far beyond hand jobs now, aren’t we, Aly?

“What’cha thinkin’?”

His voice made me jump. “Guess.”

“Stop thinking so much.” He voice strained slightly as he crouched in front of the fireplace, moving the logs around.

“I can’t help myself.” I sat up, watching him and the muscles on his back flex around. I stared back at the ring on my finger, so badly wanting to put it on my left hand. Finally Jake got the fire roaring, lighting up the room in a soft orange glow. I stared out the window, and it’d gotten really dark. The cloud cover was a deep gray. It was about to rain. I glanced around, looking up at the exposed beamed ceiling and down over the dark red walls, at last realizing the faint paint smell in air. I felt around the bed and grabbed one of the pillows, taking a closer look under the pillowcase. The pillow appeared to be new.

Everything is new.

“Jake did you just move in here?” He stood from his bent position.

“You want more wine?”

Uh, evade much?

“Sure.” I blinked.
Did he just ignore me?
“Did you hear me?”

“I did just move in here, a week ago,” he stated flatly, and vanished behind the black drape that separated the living area and his bedroom. I could hear the clinking of the glasses.

My stomach sank and I wasn’t sure why. My mind began going to a crazy place, and I heard the voices of Nadine and Nicole about his
girlfriend
Sophia. Was he living with her? Is that why he had to move in here? I reminded myself that he’d just asked me to marry him, but for some stupid reason, I just needed to know.

“What, were you living with someone?”

He took a sip of wine and smirked at me. “Aly, who would I be living with?”

Should I say her name? Ugh, then he’d know I’d been a stalker, a lurking lame ass. “Oh, I don’t know. One of the guys in your band.” I shrugged, now feeling stupid.

He looked at me carefully and my eyes bounced all over his face. “Aly, I wasn’t living with a girl.”

Oh my god, he knows me so well.

“I wasn’t thinking that.” I tried to play it off, squirming around in the bed.

“Yes you were.” He laughed and sighed, taking a final gulp from his glass. It was getting dark; we were now completely lit up by only the soft golden hue of the fireplace. “I wanted to start fresh, with you. I didn’t want any reminders of anything else. So I sold everything and moved upstairs, here.”

             
I so badly want to ask about Sophia.
Ugh. There I go again, wanting to know about another chick. What the hell?

              I smiled at him and finished off my wine, handing him the glass. I felt so grown up. I needed to stop with all the insecurities. I pulled at his arm, and he crawled under the blanket with me, still wearing his towel. I tugged at the towel and threw it to the end of the bed, getting as close to him as possible.

              “I’m a little nervous,” I admitted, taking into his chest, stroking it as I listened to his heart beating. My head rose and fell with each breath he took, and he finally spoke words that surprised me.

              “Me too.”

              I looked up and him. “Why?”

              He looked at me tenderly and I reached up, rubbing the stubble on his cheek. “For so many reasons.”

9

              We didn’t say any other words to each other. Everything just faded into a warm, delicious depth of slow, deliberate kisses and gentle, pleasing touches. Gone were the cold kind of goosebumps; those were replaced with the yearning kind. Even though he was at my fingertips, I wanted him closer. The ache coursing through me made me more eager. I pulled him closer, grinding into him.

He unhooked my bra, slipping it off as he traced my neck with warm, wet kisses, taking my nipple into his mouth. I wove my fingers through his hair, clinching tightly. His other hand made its way between my legs, and underneath my panties. I lost all control over myself.

              I gasped and moaned. “Oh my god, Jake…” I was breathless with pleasure.

              “God you feel good,” he whispered. “You’re on the pill?”

              “Yes…” I gasped. “I love you.” I was in a state of ecstasy.

              “I love you, Aly,” he rasped. He kissed my stomach, moving downward. The warm wetness of his mouth moved over my thighs, and he removed my panties. “You sure about this?”

              I lifted my head from the pillow and gazed at him with longing as he rested his head against my thigh. I could have peaked right there, just staring at him as he gently fondled me. I threw my head, back laughing softly.
He is kidding, right?
“Come here.” I reached down, grabbing his face with both hands, tugging him gently upward to meet my lips. I caressed his face and stared at him in the eyes. “I want all of you,” I panted, “I could cry, I want this so bad.”

              The pressure I felt as he began to enter me was quickly replaced with a searing pain. I squeaked and tried to hold in my discomfort, wrapping my legs and arms around him tighter. Gone were the intense, feel-good sensations I was just having. Jake moved slowly as he lifted himself to hover over me, trying not to crush me beneath him. Our eyes met, and I tried to concentrate on the way his electric blue eyes took me in. I ran my hands over his chest and arms. I craved the pleasure I was just feeling moments prior. Then suddenly he stilled and caressed my face.

              “Don’t stop,” I begged through a whisper, my lips grazing his.

              “Are you ok?” he breathed. “God, baby, you feel so good.”

              “Yes. I’m perfect.”
It fucking hurts.

              Jake was slow moving, and as much as the pain ebbed and flowed, each thrust was laced with sensual heat. Looming right below my discomfort was that throbbing, gratifying goodness, and I wanted it so badly. I focused on his breath and matched his movement. Our breathing was rhythmic, and he slowed. He took my leg, squeezing and rubbing the inside of my thigh as he moved into me.

              “You’re so beautiful.” He released my leg, and his gorgeous face met mine, kissing and sucking at my lips tenderly.

“I love you,” I whispered. I wanted to cry out, he felt so good beneath my hands. I tried to pull him deeper inside me. I wanted to please him. I wanted to finally be everything to him.

His breathing danced. “Aly, I can’t hold on, you feel too good.” His voice rustled softly in my ear, and I kept pulling him into me, finally bringing him to climax. He moaned, sighed and gasped with his release. I clung to him.

              “Fuck, baby. I couldn’t hold on any longer.” He laid his head next to mine, caressing my stomach. “You drive me crazy. I’ve wanted you for so long.”

Heat leaked from his skin. I rubbed the perspiration that bubbled over his back and caressed his face as his forehead rested on mine. Gone were the half-assed sex acts of blowjobs and hand jobs. I was beyond content with our
first time
, but I was happy it was over. My box was on fire, in a bad way, stinging. I thought about how he didn’t use a condom and prayed that The Pill really worked. I wanted a warm wet washcloth and then a bag of ice. I squirmed underneath him. I just knew I had to have bled, right? I mean, that’s what happened to Nicole and Nadine.

“You ok?” he said, sliding off of me. Our legs remained entwined.

“Yes.” I smiled, playing with his hair. “Well, I am a little sore, and I’m worried that I’ve probably bled all over your sheets,” I admitted. I sat up and slid to the side, and lo and behold, pink and red wet spots dotted the white bed linen beneath us. I was mortified, even though I expected it.

I covered my face with my hands. “I ruined your sheets. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, stop it. They’re not ruined,” he said sympathetically and sat up.

He kissed my forehead before he got out of bed and reached for the white towel, wrapping it around him. The room would have been dark if it hadn’t been for the fire, which had retreated to a crackling ember glow. The reach of its light no longer filled the room, but it danced around as happily as my mood. I scooted farther away from the wet spots, lying on my side.
Gross.
There are so many things wonderful about sex, but the soggy aftermath is disgusting
, I thought.

Warmth swelled inside me, thinking about how into it we were.
I did it
, I thought, and it was everything I’d dreamed it would be. I thought back to all those intimate times Jake and I were together when we were younger and how he’d held back, even when I’d begged him to take me. It made me love him more, knowing what that meant. A light flicked on, casting around the black drape, taking me away from my thoughts of triumph. I heard water begin to run. I should probably clean myself up too, I thought. Then as if Jake read my mind, he came back with a wet hand towel, and it was hot.

“This might make you feel better down there.” I was embarrassed, though I knew I shouldn’t have been.

“Thanks,” I said, taking it into my hand, waving it around to cool it off. I then placed the warm wet fabric carefully between my legs. I was afraid to rub. It stung. “Holy shit,” I whimpered.

“I’m sorry,” he said sheepishly, and then his lips curled into a sexy grin. “You want me to kiss it and make it feel better?”

I sighed and smiled. I so still wanted him. “Maybe later,” I replied sweetly, and reached over, stroking the hair away from his forehead. “Mmm,” I quietly moaned, thinking about him taking me to that place of ecstasy that I’d missed out on because I was too eager to have him inside me. The body amazed me. Here I was, throbbing and hurting, and I still yearned for satisfaction. What was it?  “Maybe sooner than later,” I purred.

“Deal.” He smiled, satisfied with the plan.

I gently rubbed between my legs and then sat up. I began to rub at the blood-tinged bed cover.

“Hey, stop it.” He grabbed the towel from my hand. “I’ll have Emily come clean tomorrow while we’re out.”

I pouted. “I can’t lay on this.”
Duh.

“Here,” he said and stood. “Get up.”

I did as he’d asked and got up, pulling the quilted blanket with me. I wrapped myself in it as I shivered from the cold air radiating from the window next to me. It was dark outside, and the night was lit up by the streetlights and neighboring homes. I stepped closer to the window. I noticed moisture darting quickly through the air outside, whipping around, reflecting off the light from a window across the way. It looked like it was raining with the dampness pooling at the bottom of the window. I glanced at Jake, and he’d pulled the blankets down on the bed, exposing the white sheets beneath it. I looked back out the window and realized it was snow swirling around in the air. It was snowing.
SNOWING
!

“Jake!” I squealed. “Is it snowing?” I couldn’t believe my own eyes. I’d never seen it snow. I’d been to the snow, but it never had actually snowed while I was there.

He stood next to me, peering out the window and smiled. “Yep. It’s snowing.”

I exhaled heavily and clapped my hands. “I’ve never seen it snow.” I threw the blanket on the bed. “I have to go outside. I have to see it.”

“Aly, you can see it through the window. It’s dark and it’s freezing.”

I trotted my naked body out to the front room and wheeled my luggage in next to the bed. “Come on. It’ll only be for a minute,” I begged.

“No, it won’t.” He swept me up into his arms and tossed my bare ass back onto bed.

I yelped with laughter. “Hey! Don’t forget I’m tender and need to be handled with care!”

“Oh really?” He dropped down next to me, covering me up snug. “How much care? You know I’ll take care of you. Just say when.”

I shoved playfully at him. “I want to see the snow. I want to feel it.”

“I know what you wanna feel,” he sang softly into my ear, giving me the chills.

“Stop it.” I tapped him away and he bit his bottom lip, looking at me, too sexy for words. If my vag weren’t swollen shut, I would have climbed on top of him and tried a new position. I was eager to explore our new sexual terrain.

He sniggered.
God, if he only knew what I’m thinking.
“There’s not enough snow on the ground, Aly. By morning it’ll be covered.” He pulled me close. “Are you hungry?

Yeah, for you.
I sighed and thought about it. “Yes. I could eat.”

“I had Emily stock the place. She cooked all sorts of shit. All we have to do is warm whatever it is, up.”

Emily. Hmm, I need to know more about Emily
. “Emily is your…?”

“She is my housekeeper, cook, errand girl,” he stated, matter-of-fact.

I nodded, trying not to be jealous of some British girl taking care of my boyfriend. “Hmm.” I pursed my lips together.

“You’ll meet her tomorrow, so stop those wheels turning.” He tapped his index finger to the tip of my nose and got out of bed. “I’ll bring you dinner in bed.” He bowed and disappeared behind the curtain.

10

A melody filled the loft. Jake had turned on music, and the jazzy beat got me out of bed. As I tiptoed to the black drape, I noticed that it was on a runner. I peeked around the velvet fabric, and Jake was pulling containers out of the fridge. I began to slide open the drape and Jake turned to watch me, smiling. The space was now one big open room.

“You’re supposed to stay in bed.” His eyes twinkled.
              “My curiosity is getting the better of me.” Cold chills ran over me. “Brrr! It’s cold in here.” I went to my luggage and pulled out a pair of cozy grey sweats and my favorite grey cashmere sweater.

Next thing I knew, Jake was beside the fireplace restarting the fire. “Don’t get too used to those clothes. I wanna make it so warm in here you’ll wanna be naked.”

“Go for it,” I challenged, beaming as I walked into the kitchen. I was nosey to see what
Emily
had prepared for us.

I opened each container. Emily had gone all out; baked chicken, a rice dish, mashed potatoes, several different vegetarian dishes, and even lasagna. My mouth watered. I decided to make an executive decision and warm up the tray of lasagna. I turned on the oven and slid the clear glass-baking dish in. When I turned to put the other containers back in the fridge, Jake was leaning against the counter, staring at me with a pleased look stamped on his face. Just seeing him standing there, staring at me, made my hands tingle.