Sweet Dreams (Sunset Dreams Series Book 1) (15 page)

“I know a place where we can grab a sandwich. It’s not too far from here, is that okay?”

“Yeah, that sounds perfect.” Jake takes a left at the next road and we drive up into the hills. It doesn’t seem like we are headed in the direction of any town and all these roads seem to lead to private villas. He pulls up to a gate and punches in a code.

“I thought we were going to a café or deli or something?”

“Nah, too many people. This is better.” The gate opens and Jake pulls down one of the longest driveways I have ever seen. He stops in front of a villa and cuts the engine.

“And where are we exactly?” I ask, stepping off the bike.

“My place.” Jake smiles and jogs up the front steps.

“Shut the front door, this is your house?”

Wow, it’s huge.

“Villa actually and yes.” Jake opens the door with another code and walks in. I’m still standing on the stairs gaping as he pokes his head out and asks, “You coming?”

“Yeah, sorry.”

I quickly walk up the steps and into the foyer. Everything is tile and wrought iron, and in the distance a set of glass doors on the far side of the living room overlook the ocean. The décor is very classic, keeping with the style of the home and the location. He has masculine touches everywhere and I love it. I wouldn’t change a thing.

“You have a house on the Amalfi Coast? I can’t believe it.”

Well I guess maybe I can.

Jake moves across the living room with ease, looking so right in this place. “I thought we could eat some sandwiches out on the deck by the pool. There’s a great view of the water from out there.”

“Okay.” I follow Jake into the kitchen and he takes off his jacket and lays it on the back of a stool. Placing my bag on the same stool, I take a seat.

“On the other side of the counter now,” Jake taunts.

“This is beautiful. How did you find this place?”

He starts to take different items out of the refrigerator and places them on the counter. “Well, I came here ten years ago for the first time and I fell in love. In love with Italy. I knew if I ever had enough money I would get a house here. Five years ago I bought this place. It needed work, and I got it for a really good price. I renovated it over the last few years with my brother’s help and it has come along nicely. I really like being close to the water. It’s not the best place for surfing, but I can take the boat out and spend the day on the water. Back here it’s secluded enough that I have my privacy. Plus, it’s Italy. What’s not to love? I come here as often as possible.”

I smile up at him. “This place really suits you. I love it.”

“It’s way too big for me, but really great for entertaining guests.”

I smile. “Do you mind if I use the restroom?” It has been a long day and I really have to pee.

“Oh, sure, I’ll show you where it is.” Jake walks me to a guest bathroom on the other side of the foyer and opens the door for me, leaning over my shoulder to turn on the light. He’s really close and he inhales deeply while I hold my breath, trying my best not to attack.

He backs up and I turn to close the door, looking up at him. “Thanks, Jake.”

I do my business and when I wash my hands, I splash some cold water on my face.

You are two friends having lunch together.

It doesn’t mean anything.

Get a grip, Jenna.

Drying my face on one of the hand towels, I take a deep breath, appraising myself in the mirror. I attempt to fix my windblown hair and rinse my mouth out with some water. Turning back and forth in front of the mirror, I try to see my best angle.

Why am I always dressed either in sweats or jeans when I run into Jake?

Why can’t I be in a dress and have my makeup and hair done?

I guess because I rarely wear makeup or dresses.

Oh well. This is the best it’s going to get for now.

On my way back to the kitchen, I check my phone and see I have three missed calls from my dad. I call him quickly from the foyer so that he doesn’t worry.

“Hey, it’s me. Yes, I’m fine. I’m in Amalfi. I didn’t hear my phone. It’s beautiful here. I will. I will. I know. Okay. Yes. No. Yes, I miss you too. I love you too. Talk to you soon.”

Looking up, I catch Jake retreating around the corner. He must have heard me talking.

Retracing my steps, I find Jake in the kitchen gathering some bread, cheese, olives, and some other items together. “Sorry, I need to check in or he gets worried.”

“No problem.” Jake points to the food he has assembled on the counter. “So, I have salami, prosciutto, cheese, some olives, and bread.”

“Sounds good.” My stomach growls, I’m so hungry. Hopefully Jake can’t hear it.

“What do you want to drink? I have some good Chianti or some Italian beer?”

“Do you have any iced tea or lemonade?” I don’t want to drink. I want to be perfectly clear headed every second we are together.

“Yeah, sure. Take these and I’ll grab some lemonade and we can walk down.”

I take the two bags he has packed the food in and Jake grabs a bottle of sparkling Italian lemonade, napkins, and a blanket. I follow him through the glass doors leading to the back and stop to take in the yard. The garden is breathtaking.

He must have one heck of a gardener.

From what I can see, it’s multi-tiered with a long wood table and chairs on the top deck for eating. Seating areas with big white cushions surround two fire pits and there’s a large grass area with a hammock lazily swinging between two fruit trees. Vines of beautiful flowers climb on the overhang above my head. With the smell of lemon blossoms in the air, I follow Jake down a path to a lower level where there’s a pool and a Jacuzzi. The pool is a regular rectangle in shape, but it flows right to the edge of the hill where it appears to drop off the side. There are lounge chairs on each end of the pool where I assume we’ll sit, but Jake sets a blanket down on the ground in front of the pool so we face the ocean view. He grabs three cushions off the chairs on the far side of the pool and brings them to where I stand, placing them on the ground just behind the blanket.

I set the bags on the ground and help smooth out the blanket.

It seems we are going to have a little picnic here in his backyard.

Kneeling down on one of the cushions, I take items out and place them on the blanket between us. “Jake, it really is beautiful here.”

Unpacking the other containers he comments, “Yes, it is. I love it. I come here to get away.”

We eat with our hands, smiling at one another between bites under the afternoon sun as it moves across the sky. I’m in awe of everything. Of Jake, that we are together having lunch in Italy, the beautiful view and this house.

Getting thirsty, I grab the bottle of lemonade from between us and look around for a cup. “Umm?”

“Oh shoot, I forgot the cups.” He starts to get up, but it’s a long walk back so I stop him.

“It’s okay, not like I have cooties or anything. We can drink from the bottle.” I take a big gulp, not waiting for an answer, and a little spills down my chin. “Ahh. That is so good. I didn’t realize how thirsty I was.”

Jake looks at me with his mouth open and I think I may have grossed him out a little. I flush and look back out toward the water.

Maybe I should have let him get the cups.

Thank God I didn’t burp.

“So…” I wonder if we are going to talk about the elephant in the room, or on the deck, so to speak.

“So, I’m really glad you were able to get away from the café and come back to Italy like you wanted. Who’s running the business while you’re gone?”

“Oh, I left Jerry in charge.”

There’s a hesitant look on Jake’s face as he asks, “How have you been, Jen? It’s been a while since we’ve talked.”

“Good, I’ve been good. Busy with work. You?” I want to know what he has been up to. I thought I didn’t, but now I don’t really understand how I could have gone so long without talking to him.

Why didn’t I call him?

Why didn’t he call me?

“Yeah, me too,” he says looking down at his hands.

I study Jake as he nervously glances up at me from under his lashes. Wondering what he could be nervous about, I’m taken by surprise when he says, “I’ve missed you, Jen.”

Oh boy. Breathe.

My heart thumps in my chest and I want to tell him I missed him too, but for some reason I hesitate. He’s waiting for me to respond and I don’t want to ruin our time together by getting into how or why we lost contact now, so I decide to leave it alone and change the subject.

“I bet it’s great having this place to retreat to. It must be hard finding a place to relax.”

Jake seems relieved I’ve changed the subject and smiles softly. “Sometimes I get lucky, like when I was with you in Maple Grove. No one seemed to recognize me there, so I never had to wrangle with a mob or the paparazzi. I thought you didn’t recognize me for the longest time.”

My eyebrows go up in surprise. Smiling I ask, “Why, because I didn’t ask for your autograph?”

“Well, yeah,” Jake says and then takes a swig of lemonade. Watching him lick his lips is a little distracting.

“I knew who you were from the first time I saw you in the elevator.”

“You remember that day in the elevator?” he asks with a surprised smile.

“Yes, I remember. I said have a beautiful day and you were rude and didn’t respond.”

I can’t believe he remembers me.

Tearing off a hunk of bread, I look around at all the food on the blanket as I continue to recount that day. “I went home and watched
Secret Protocol
on DVD that night.”

I’m so hungry.

Salami, check.

“Really, what did you think?” Jake asks shyly.

Cheese, check. Ooh, marinated peppers, check.

“I was thinking that you were really hot.”

Tomato, check.

“Really?”

One olive in the mouth, check.

“Oh, yeah,” I answer putting the finishing touches on my sandwich. “Especially in that scene with your shirt off.”

Wait, what are you saying Jenna?

“I was thinking you looked really good half naked.”

Stop talking! Eat! You’re hungry and not thinking clearly.

“Yep, I was leaning in really close to the screen to get a good look at you in that scene in the hotel room.”

Jenna, stick that sandwich in your mouth right now! You are saying all this out loud and Jake is starting to blush!

Huh…

Looking up from my sandwich at Jake, it hits me.

Oh my God!

He is indeed blushing and I realize I wasn’t just thinking all those things. That word vomit actually happened. Avoiding his eyes and picking up my sandwich, I take the biggest bite I can before I can embarrass myself any further.

“Umm, thanks. Yeah… that day was so funny. Here I’m waiting for the elevator and I hear this voice singing in Spanish. When the doors opened you were not what I was expecting. You were trying so hard not to dance, I could see your foot taping and the slightest sway of your hips along to the music you were listening to. I was afraid you would go all fangirl on me if I said anything.”

I swallow. “No I wouldn’t have. Except for my teenage boy band days, I have never been that way with a celebrity.”

“So, I’m not the first famous person you’ve met, huh?” Teasing, Jake bumps my shoulder with his and the awkwardness from a moment ago is gone.

“Nope. I told you. I grew up in San Francisco and we used to run into a few here and there. It’s not like L.A., but we have our fair share. My mom used to say that celebrities were just normal people and to be polite. She always felt bad for the ones who get mobbed or can never go out.”

“Smart lady.”

“Yes, she was,” I say, popping an olive in my mouth. I feel so much better now that I’ve eaten something.

I can’t believe I told him I thought he looked hot half naked.

Getting up on his feet he says, “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Jake jogs back up the steps the way we came and I take another swig of lemonade.

His lips were on this.

Fantasizing a little, I jump when I feel a buzz next to me. I check my phone, but it’s coming from Jake’s phone, which he left on the blanket. I lean over and see a text message on the screen.

Where r u, I thought we were going 2 have dinner?-Amy

I frown down at his phone and take another sip of lemonade. Thirty seconds later another message pops onto the screen.

By the way, I told my mom!-Amy

Told her mom what?