Music of the Soul (5 page)

As we waved goodbye to the last guest, Jake peeked at his watch. “Wow, I’m impressed.

Everyone ate, danced, and drank and were outta here by eleven thirty.”

“That’s because there weren’t many Italians or Mexicans here,” AJ commented with a grin. “We

party until the sun comes up. Don’t we, Mia?”

Mia nodded. “Yep, it’s true.”

I laughed. “Then I better start training for your wedding.”

“Oh, it’s going to be epic for sure,” AJ remarked.

“Well, considering we have a slammed day tomorrow, I’m kinda glad that everyone decided to

go home a little early,” I said.

“It was a nice party though, wasn’t it?” Jake remarked, as we started up the porch steps.

“It was beautiful—everything I hoped it would be,” I said.

With a smile, Jake said, “Best of all, we get to party more tomorrow.”

Mia glanced down at Bella, who was sound asleep in her arms. “I better get this pumpkin to

bed.” When AJ started to ease down on the sofa, Mia grabbed his shirt sleeve. “I could use a little

help.”

AJ grinned. “Is that code for you want me to come downstairs so you can have your way with

me?”

At Mia’s laugh, Bella stirred, so Mia quickly covered her mouth with her free hand. “Yeah, Mr.

Latin Lover, that’s exactly what I was thinking,” she replied softly.

“Mmm, good deal.” With a wave of his hand to us, he added, “Night bitches,” before following

Mia to the basement stairs. Glancing over her shoulder at me, Mia winked, causing a flush to enter my

cheeks.

Trying to recover before Jake got suspicious, I asked, “Think our house guests will think we’re

poor hosts if we go on to bed?”

Jake shook his head. “I think your parents and brothers understand. And from the sound of it, AJ

and Mia are covered.”

“I think so,” I replied with a smile.

“So I guess this is goodnight, huh?”

I nodded. “Yep, the last night we’ll ever spend as single people.”

Cocking his head, Jake asked, “Remind me again why I didn’t have a swinging bachelor party?”

I smacked his arm playfully. “Because you’re marrying an insecure, overbearing shrew who

couldn’t stand the thought of some fake-breasted, plastic Barbie giving you a lap dance?”

A wicked gleam burned in Jake’s blue eyes. “Actually, I think it was more that I was a caveman

who didn’t want some oiled dude in a banana hammock dry humping you.”

“Ew!” I cried while wrinkling my nose.

“I’m sure that with some hot, cute little number like yourself, all the Magic Mike douchebags

would have wanted to rub up on you.”

“I would have totally declined since I’m very happy having you, and only you, rub up on me.”

Jake’s amused expression grew serious as he traced my cheekbone with his thumb. “Are you

sure?”

My eyes widened. “Excuse me? Am I sure about gross, oily male strippers?”

He laughed. “No, I meant about me and only me.”

“Considering we’re getting married tomorrow, I think that shows I’m pretty damn sure.”

“But are you sure you’re okay with me being the only man you’ve ever slept with.” His brows

furrowed in thought. “I mean, do you think you’ll look back one day and wish you’d had more

experience?”

I shook my head furiously from side to side. “Never, ever.” Sliding my arms around his neck, I

smiled. “I can’t ever imagine anyone being a better lover than you.”

“And since you have no one else to judge that by, I don’t—”

Bringing my hand to his chest, I silenced him. “Don’t go there, Jake. I know what I’ve felt with

you, and I don’t want anyone else. I’m fully satisfied that you will be the only man I sleep with for the

rest of my life.”

Although I wasn’t entirely sure he believed me, a pleased smile curved on his lips. “I’m

satisfied that you’re the last woman I’ll ever sleep with for the rest of my life.”

“I sure hope so.”

“Give me a goodnight kiss, future ball and chain,” he teased.

I leaned up on my tiptoes to bring my mouth to his. He snaked his arms around my waist,

drawing me flush against him. As I deepened the kiss by thrusting my tongue against his, Jake’s

fingers came to tangle in the bottom strands of my hair. He tasted sweet like the chocolate cake we

had fed each other for dessert.

When I pulled away, Jake groaned. “Yeah, guess we better cut that out for tonight.”

I bit my lip to keep from smiling since I knew what I was going to do as soon as the house was

quiet, and I was sure everyone was asleep. “See you tomorrow then,” I said.

“Night, Angel. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Jake gave me a chaste kiss on the lips before heading out the front door. Fighting the butterflies

in my stomach, I made my way down the hall to the bedroom. Although I slipped out of my dress and

into my pajamas, I had no intention of going to sleep. Instead, I lay in bed, listening to the sounds

around me. Long after the last footsteps could be heard pattering down the hall or the sound of

water in the pipes, I finally threw back the covers and hopped out of bed.

I knew exactly what I wanted to wear, and it only took two seconds to pull it out of my suitcase.

I then slipped into the bathroom and got dressed. As soon as I was done, I crept out of the bedroom

and down the hall. I could hear my dad snoring in the guest bedroom, while the sound of muted TV

came from the office where Eli and Gabe were sleeping on an air mattress and the pullout couch.

Grabbing a flashlight out of the hall closet, I then snuck out the front door. I jogged as fast as I could

in my robe and slippers across the front lawn and down the hill. Thankfully, Angel had actually

listened to me when I told her to stay on the porch. The last thing I needed was for her to start a

barking marathon and alert everyone that I was running around half-naked outside.

When I got to the barn, I reached under one of the potted plants to get out the hide-a-key. Gently,

I unlocked the door and stepped inside. When I closed the door behind me, I heard rustling in the bed

upstairs. Without hesitation, I made my way across the living room toward the stairs. Of course, I

didn’t expect Jake to have left his shoes in the middle of the floor, causing me to trip and bang into the

ladder.

“Ow!” I cried before I could bite down on my lip.

“Abby?” Jake questioned. Within a few seconds, he was peering over the railing of the loft.

Gazing up at him, I teased, “Yes, it’s me. Were you expecting someone else?”

His brows furrowed. “I wasn’t expecting anyone, especially you.”

“Well…surprise!”

Jake gave me a funny look as I started climbing the stairs. When I got to the top rung of the

ladder, he helped me off. “What are you doing here?”

To answer his question, I undid the tie on my robe. I then shimmied it off my shoulders and let it

fall to the floor. Jake’s eyes widened while his mouth gaped open at my skimpy lingerie. “Abby…”

“Do you remember this?” I asked, running my hand over the silky material.

As the revelation washed over him, desire burned in his eyes. “You were wearing that the night

we made love for the first time.”

“Yes, I was.” Stepping forward, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I want you to finish what

you started earlier this afternoon. But most of all, I want you to make love to me again on our wedding

eve in the same place we first came together.”

Jake’s gaze left mine to momentarily flicker over to the clock on the nightstand. “But it’s after

midnight. That means it’s our wedding day. What about the bad luck?”

“We make our own luck. But more than anything, we make our own memories, and I want to

make one with you tonight.”

As his arms wrapped tighter around me, he cocked his head at me. “Trust me, Angel, I certainly

don’t want to argue with you. I just don’t want you to regret it later.”

“There hasn’t been a single moment I’ve regretted with you.”

Jake’s brows rose in surprise. “Really?”

“I promise.”

He smiled. “I’m really glad to hear that.”

“So are you down with my plan?”

“Oh, hell yeah,” he said, as he backed us over to the bed.

“Since when do you wear T-shirts to sleep in?” I asked.

He grinned. “I found the more clothes I had on, the better I reigned myself in.”

“Oh no, has our abstaining caused you to spend a little extra time with your hand?” I teased.

“I refused to rub one out, which is why I’m wearing the clothes, instead of sleeping naked.”

“Poor baby,” I murmured. Taking the hem of his T-shirt, I had to stand on tiptoes to whisk it over

his head. Once I tossed it onto the floor, I went for the waistband of his boxers. As my fingers

skimmed along his abdomen, I glanced up. His hands remained at his sides, rather than ripping off my

clothes like he usually did. “Is this how we’re playing it? You naked and me in my lingerie?”

He grinned. “Maybe.” His hand came to cup my breasts through the lacy fabric. “Maybe seeing

you in this number gets me so hot that I want to enjoy it as long as possible.”

“Hmm, that’s nice.” After I shoved the fabric over his hips, I was rewarded with a sight of how

ready he was for me. Dropping to my knees, I leaned forward to bestow a kiss on the crown of his

head. His abdominal muscles clenched. As I pushed his boxers down to the floor, I kissed a slow,

tedious trail over his calves and thighs. “Angel,” Jake pleaded.

Deciding to put him out of his misery, I took his length in my hand. At his sharp intake of breath,

I slid my fingers up and down his erection. Jake sucked in a breath as he stared down at me with

hooded eyes. Licking my lips, I brought my mouth to him and sucked his length inside. Jake’s deep

groan reverberated around the bedroom. He swept my hair aside to watch what I was doing to him.

“Fuck, you drive me wild,” he murmured. I kept sucking him harder and deeper while pumping my

hand up and down.

Just as I felt him begin tensing up, he jerked away from me, and his erection fell free of my

mouth. With gentle hands, he lifted me off my knees. His hands went to the hem of my nightie, and he

lifted it over my head. As one hand came to cup my breast, the other went to jerk down my thong.

“Easy now. Don’t rip it, caveman,” I admonished him with a smile.

“You’d like it if I did.”

“Oh I would?”

His head bobbed up and down. “You like it when I take control.” His thumb flicked over my

nipple, causing me to gasp.

“Not bad,” I murmured.

When both of his hands came to pinch my nipples, moisture flooded my core, and I couldn’t help

moaning. He then eased onto his back on the bed. Taking my hand, he jerked me over to where I was

straddling him. He then pulled me further up his body until his mouth connected with my core. “Oh

God,” I moaned, as Jake’s tongue dipped inside me. With his hands clamped tight to my thighs, his

mouth continued a steady assault. My breathing became erratic, and I pitched forward to grab hold of

the headboard. My hips moved in time with the thrusting of his tongue inside me. Unable to grip the

headboard for long, my hands felt blindly along the side of the bed. Jake’s grip on my thighs released,

and his hands clasped with mine. As I squeezed his fingers with my own, I continued riding his face

and tongue. A powerful orgasm rippled through me, causing me to throw my head back and scream his

name.

I was still riding the pulsing waves of my orgasm when Jake slid me down the length of his body

and then impaled me on his erection. With his hands gripping my hips, he began working me on and

off of him. Each time I came back down, he thrust his hips up to meet me. I splayed my palms flat

across his pecs, but his hands seemed to be everywhere. Tangling through the strands of my hair,

cupping my breasts, sliding up and down my back—his touch was all over me, and it drove me

deliciously wild into sensory overload.

He pushed himself into a sitting position and wrapped his arms around me. We were now chest

to chest, face to face and eye to eye. I shivered with pleasure at the feel of more of his skin brushing

against mine. The fine, dark hairs on his chest tweaked and teased my nipples as we rubbed against

each other. As he brought his mouth to mine, his tongue plunged in and out in the same rhythm. After

sliding a hand between us, his fingers stroked my swollen clit, and I came again, shouting his name

and clinging desperately to his broad shoulders. As I started coming down, Jake continued pumping in

and out of me. When I sensed he was getting close, I pulled back. I wanted to be looking into his eyes

when he went over the edge.

“Abby,” he moaned, as his hips jerked, and his body shuddered in release. When he was

finished, he remained buried inside me. He lay back on the bed, taking me with him.

As I snuggled into his side, I sighed with contentment. “That was…”

“Amazing. As always.”

I grinned as I propped my head up on my elbow. “Do you think it’ll always be like this?”

“You mean, after we’ve been married for twenty years and you’ve popped out a kid or two, will

we still be having sex as hot as this?”