Someone Like You (10 page)

Chapter Ten

Jake waited
patiently, almost finding the whole thing funny. Gen had asked him to stay in
the bathroom until she was able to get Nicky out of view so he didn’t catch on
that his mother had been fooling around.

He leaned
against the wall, pushing his head back, and smiled, thinking about what he
would have done if he’d ever found his mom having sex in the bathroom. Jake put
his hand to his mouth attempting to stifle the laugh that escaped from his
lips. Knowing his mother as he did, that scenario was pure fantasy. The woman
even disliked getting undressed in front of his dad. How they’d ever managed to
produce two children was beyond him.

Gen was
definitely not like his mother. She was uninhibited and knew what she wanted.
He liked that in a woman.

Two taps on
the bathroom door. It was
Gen’s
signal that the coast
was clear. Jake reached for the knob, turned it, and left the bathroom. He
headed down the hallway toward the kitchen where Nicky sat eating the last of
the pecan cupcakes and downing a glass of milk.

“I think
those bathroom taps will be just fine,” said Jake, pulling a face at Gen,
hoping she’d catch on to his fabricated story.

“That’s
great. I thought there was something up with them, but if you say they’re okay
then that’s good news,” said Gen.

Nicky looked
at Jake and then at his mother.

“You don’t
have to pretend around me. I know it wasn’t the taps you were checking out in
the bathroom. Your pants are unzipped, and Mom’s dress isn’t buttoned up
right.” He took another bite of the cupcake. “It’s fine with me as long as you
don’t get her pregnant.”

Jake looked
at Gen, who was now red from her neck all the way to her hairline. From the
burn of his skin, he guessed he’d turned slightly crimson too.

“I think it’s
good for Mom. It’s good for me too because since she’s met you and been having
sex, she’s more laid back.”

Gen opened
her mouth to say something but didn’t.

He hoped that
was true because he liked being around Gen, and if it was beneficial for even
Nicky, then it was perfect.

Jake glanced
at the clock on the wall. “I should get going.”

“I’ll walk
you to your car,” said Gen.

She grabbed
an umbrella, and they stepped into the driveway and headed toward Jake’s car.

“Well, that
was sort of embarrassing,” said
Gen
.

“At least
it’s all out in the open, and he has no problem with it.”

“I guess. We
never got our celebratory coffee at Mabel’s.”

“Oh, I think
what we did was so much better.”

They stood by
his car, turning to face one another. He sensed she wanted him to kiss her
goodbye. It was tempting, but he couldn’t. If he did then there was no turning
back, and Jake Harris was a guy who always left himself an out. It was how he’d
survived in the Army.

“You still
want to meet up for a home cooked meal on Saturday night?” asked Gen.

“Absolutely.”

“What’s your
favorite dish?”

“Katie’s
grandmother was British and used to make Shepherd’s Pie. Since I first tried
it, I fell in love with it. Guess there’s no chance you can make one?”

“I never
have, but that doesn’t mean I can’t.”

“I’ll
remember to wear my pants with the elasticized waistband.”

Gen laughed.
She was pretty, period, but when she laughed she became beautiful. So gorgeous
that he almost forget the rule and kissed her. He leaned toward her, caught
himself in time, and gave her a peck on the cheek.

“I have my
first dog training class at 2 p.m., so how about seven?” he asked.

“Your meal
will be waiting. And good luck with the new job. I’m excited for you.”

He nodded. He
was too. Life was still far from perfect, but at least it was getting more
bearable.

Chapter Eleven

Nicky had put
up no protest whatsoever when Gen had told him he was going to spend Saturday
evening with his grandmother, and that he would stay overnight. His instant
acceptance had shocked her. Maybe he liked Jake but didn’t want to admit to it,
just in case.

 
Gen knew that Jake wouldn’t stay over in her
bed, but she hoped that he would at least accept the offer of the daybed in her
home office.

She checked
her watch. She’d managed to find an authentic Shepherd’s Pie recipe on a
British cooking site. She’d also made her famous apple and sultana pie that
five years ago she’d won a blue ribbon for at the Idaho State Fair. She glanced
over at it sitting on the countertop, along with the bread rolls she’d made a
few months ago and put in the freezer for a special occasion.

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

It was stupid
to even think about that because Jake had made it clear from the beginning that
Gen would never have his heart. His wife always would.

The sound of
a car pulling into the driveway grabbed her attention. She glanced outside to
see Jake getting out of his car with what looked like a bottle of wine and a
bunch of flowers in his hands.

Smiling, she
walked to the door and opened it just as he arrived on the doorstep.

“This is for
our dinner. I know you’re probably sick of seeing flowers, but I couldn’t
resist these. It’s a way of saying thank you for all the wonderful food you’ve
given me.”

She took the
bouquet of daisies and freesias and put her nose to the middle of the bunch. “I
never get tired of seeing flowers,” she said. “Come on in because dinner’s
almost ready.”

“Great
because I’m starving and tired after the dog training class.”

“How did that
go?”

He followed
Gen through to the kitchen. She handed him a corkscrew.

“It was fun,
but I didn’t realize the work that was involved. I mean the owners need more
training than the dogs.”

Gen laughed
as she pulled the pan containing the Shepherd’s Pie out of the oven. “But you
think you’ll like the job?”

He nodded,
uncorking the bottle and pouring two glasses. “I don’t think it’s something I
see myself doing forever, but it will give me chance to think about what I
really want to do.”

“You ever
thought about being a vet?”

“I hate the
sight of blood.”

“Guess that’s
out of the question. Okay, sit down, and I’ll get the green beans and rolls.”

“I have been
checking out doing some pet therapy in nursing homes and hospitals.”

Gen put the
rest of the food on the table and sat opposite Jake.

“I do the
landscape maintenance at a local nursing home. I could ask if they ever need
any volunteers. I mean that’s probably a good way to start.”

“I think that
would be perfect.”

“Okay, help
yourself, and I hope you like the pie.”

“It looks
exactly like the one Katie’s grandmother made.”

Gen watched
as he took a portion and set it on his plate and then helped himself to
generous serving of green beans.

“What did
Katie do for a living?”

Gen hoped he
was comfortable talking about her.

“She was an
interior designer.”

“Really?
That sounds
like a whole lot of fun.”

“Yeah, she
loved her work.”

He bit into
the pie and chewed.

“Gen, you’ve
hit the mark with this. I hate to say it, but this is ten times better than
Katie’s grandmother’s recipe.”

“You don’t
have to say that.”

“I’m not just
saying it. It’s fantastic.”

Gen didn’t
know why, she’d never done it before when she’d dined with a guy, but she took
off her shoe and rubbed her toe against his shin.

Jake smiled
as her foot got higher and settled on his lap. He began rubbing it. And yes, it
was almost as good as an orgasm, almost.

“You really
do have to check out the taps in my bathroom because they’re loose all of a
sudden,” said Gen.

 
“Hey, that will teach you about holding onto
them when you climax.”

“So we’re
going to do it again?”

“You want to?”

“Maybe
after desert.”

Jake raised
his eyebrow, and then winked.

****

He shouldn’t
have because he knew he was getting so very close to giving in and being content
about spending lots of time at
Gen’s
place.
Contentment sometimes brought regret and pain when things didn’t turn out as
planned. However, for now he was enjoying her company.

He leaned his
head back on the headboard in
Gen’s
bed as they
watched her small portable TV and ate the apple pie she’d made. Like everything
else that came out of her kitchen, it was perfect. Since he’d met her he knew
he’d gained a few inches on his waistline.

“You want
some more ice cream with that?”

“Nope, I’m
almost full.”

“You ever
eaten desert and watched TV in the nude like this before?” she asked him.

“Never.
How about you?”
He licked some ice cream off the spoon.

“Never.”

“It’s really
relaxing, don’t you think?”

“I do.”

She put her
plate down on the bedside table and lay on her side looking at him. Tonight she
had a glint in her eye. He’d wondered if it had anything to do with the wine
they’d enjoyed. Not that she was drunk or anything.

He drew in
his breath when her hand went down over his cock. It took him by surprise, plus
it was cold. He went rock hard in mere seconds, followed by a tight pulling
sensation in his groin and
a heaviness
in his balls
that he couldn’t ignore.

Jake put his
plate on the bedside table and relaxed on the bed as Gen worked his dick. She
leaned over some more, her left nipple scrapping his chest. Her fingers played
piano on his shaft as she dragged her foot up his calf.

Taking
another deep breath, he looked at her, almost reading her thoughts that she
wanted to be kissed.

“You know I
can’t ever do it,” he said.

She nodded.

“That doesn’t
mean I can’t kiss every other inch of your body though.”

He took her
hand and kissed the very top of her fingertips, then made his way to its palm.
The bend of her arm was next, and then her shoulder, her breast, her belly.

Jake took in
her scent. Now it stayed in his memory even when he wasn’t with her, which he
knew was a sign that he’d crossed into the danger zone.

He pushed her
down on her back, spreading her legs and trailing his tongue down her thigh to the
calf of her left leg. He turned his attention to her right leg, first its
ankle, and then upward, taking in the beauty of her labia and opening.

His cock
twitched and pulsated. He needed to be inside her.

He’d placed
some condoms on the bedside table, sensing when they’d gotten naked that they’d
be using one very soon. He hadn’t counted on it being quite this fast though.

Jake tore
open the foil package and within minutes had sheathed
himself
.
Gen sat up slightly as he spread her legs and slid into her tightness. She
brought her body up to meet his, and their thighs slapped together. He felt
himself slipping deeper into an erotic bliss and crossing the line where there
was no turning back. If she was to tell him she never wanted to see him again,
he’d be deeply hurt.

Yeah, you’re a fool, but she’s so irresistible.

Jake. She’d
said his name as her eyelids fluttered and her head rolled back. Her fingers were
in her mouth, and she was sucking as she thrust her hips before wrapping her
legs around his hips, her feet pivoting on his butt.

The action
made him slide deeper inside her, filling her, her pussy gripping his cock like
never before. She cried out and ran her nails along the quilt, her body
quivering, and her pussy putting a vice-like grip on his dick.

That was all
it took to make him come. He cried out, feeling the sudden gush spurt out of
him. He set his body upon hers, their sweat mingling for the very first time.

“Jake,” she
said, running her fingers through his hair.

“Um.”

“You want to
stay the night?”

He did. He
really did.

“Yes.”

“I have a day
bed in my office.”