Take a Breath (Take 1) (27 page)

 
  He stares deep into my eyes as the tears flow and I bury my head
in his chest.  A couple of people come by and excuse themselves
when they see Jake and I interlocked in an embrace, and me with my tear
stained face.  Jake grabs my arms and pulls me out.  

 
 “Look maybe you being here today isn’t such a good idea. 
I’m not going to leave you, I said I never would until he is
caught.  I’ll take you home now.  I can get away.  The
Feds have it all under control here.”  

    I shake my head in protest, “No Jake, please not because of me I can stay, it’s ok.”  

    He stands firm, “No Ana, it’s not ok.  I’m taking you home.”  

 
  I nod my head and excuse myself so I can go to the ladies and
freshen up, so it doesn’t look too obvious I’ve been crying.  I go
back to my desk to pack up getting sympathetic stares.  This is
just what I didn’t want. 

Whilst back at my desk, I grab my bag and proceed shutting down the computer.  

   “What’s up girl?”  

 
  I sit down in front of Jessie as she turns to face me. 
“Jake’s taking me home.  I just don’t feel right being here when
all this is going on around me, because of me.  I’ll feel better
tomorrow.  I just need to get away and clear my head.”  I
place my hand on her shoulder, “I hope you have a great time
tonight.  Say hi to Jerry for me.  I can’t wait to eventually
meet him.”  She smiles brightly at me and squeezes my
hand.  

   “I’ll look forward to that.”  

    Jake comes over and hands Jessie a piece of paper.  

   “There you go Jessie.  Have a good day off tomorrow and I’ll see you Thursday.”  

    She thanks Jake and we say our goodbyes before heading off. 

The
sun outside is piercingly hot now and I can’t wait to get in the car
just to escape the heat.  We make the journey home mainly in
silence as exhaustion is finally setting in.  I plonk myself down
on the sofa as Jake heads for the kitchen.  A few moments later he
emerges with a ham and tomato sandwich on rye and hands it to
me.  

   “Ana, you have to eat please.  I’m worried about you.”  

 
  I smile and bite into the sandwich, more to appease Jake than
because I’m actually hungry.  I just want to sleep.  Sensing
my exhaustion Jake picks me up and carries me up the stairs to his
room, and lays me on the bed.  He takes my shoes off and then his
before he snuggles up behind me for a cuddle.  We don’t say
anything.  We don’t have to.  Just having him there with me
is all I need now.  I sigh aloud and close my eyes.  It’s not
long before I’m sound asleep.

Chapter 22

   “Wake up sleepyhead.”  

    I don’t want to move, I’m happy lying just where I am thank you.  

   “Ana, you have to wake up now so we can get ready for Matthew’s match.”  

    He snuggles up and trails kisses from my cheek to my neck, which suddenly spurs my attention.  

   “You were talking in your sleep.”  

 
  Now that got my attention.  I shot up, “What did I say
Jake?”  Seeing the horror on my face he starts
laughing.  

   “Whoa there tiger it was nothing bad.   You were talking about me.”  

 
  Oh god, what did I say?  I can see he looks very pleased
with himself about something.  “Jake, are you going to keep me in
suspense here all day or are you going to tell me?”  He lies on
his back, same silly grin on his face and clasps his hands together,
twiddling his thumbs.  

   “I think I’ll keep it to myself.  I
would prefer to hear you say those words when you’re not
comatose.”  

    I pull on his arm and shake him, and he starts
laughing.  I’m mortified, what on earth does he know that I
don’t?  “Don’t do this to me Jake, come on tell me?”  

    He
looks in my direction, “Nope, no can do.  I’m keeping this one
tightly zipped in here.”  He pulls his hand to his mouth and makes
a zipping motion across his lips.  

    I feel my cheeks flush with
anger, “Jake, you’re such an asshole at times.”  

    His smile fades
as he quickly snaps up, throws himself on top of me and pins my hands
to the bed.  I try to wiggle my way out from under him, but he’s
too strong.  

   “Ana, what have I told you about your filthy
mouth?  Now, not only are you using bad language, you’re using a
bad word to call me, which I cannot tolerate.”  

    He smiles down at
me and I stick my tongue out at him.  

   “Do you realise how much I
could take you right now?”  He pushes his groin into me and I feel
how hard he is.  “I can’t get enough, and for some reason having
you under my will like this with you unable to move, is quite the turn
on I must say.  I can do what I like to you and get away with
it.  Maybe my handcuffs could come in handy one day.”  

    I
wiggle about from underneath him trying to free myself, but getting
seriously turned on at the same time from this bulk of a man on top of
me.  

   “Like that is helping the situation Ana.  You wriggling
like that is only making me want to take you more.”  

    I frown up at
him, “So why don’t you then?”  

    He smiles, “Because you have been
asleep for three hours and we only have an hour to get ready before
Matthew’s practice.  Besides, Matthew is only down the
hall.”  

    I snap up and look at the time and Jake starts
laughing.  “Jake, get off me we have to get ready.”  He
releases me and watches me practically hopping around the room.  

   “I did try to tell you Ana.”  He lies there on his side watching
my every move with mild amusement.  

    I say a choice few words under
my breath as I scramble into the bathroom to run a shower.  I need
a good wash.  Jake enters the bathroom and brushes his teeth
whilst he waits for me to finish. 

The
shower again feels welcome but Jake’s showers always feel that way
especially when he is in it with me.  I toy with the idea to ask
him to join me, but then I knew that was going to be a non event. 
I turn off the shower and Jake passes me a towel.  

   “Matthew wanted
to know if I would let him go out with a few friends after the match
for a couple of hours.”  

   “Ok, what did you say?”  I
ask.  

   “I said yes, but told him as it’s a school night he must be
back by 11:30 at the latest.”  

   “I take it they expect to win this
match so they are planning their celebrations already?”  

   “I expect
so yes.  I think they’re quietly confident they’ll kick ass. 
I’m looking forward to it.”  

    I smile, “So am I.”  I start
towelling myself dry.  

   “Do you want some help with that?”  

    I
take the towel away and spank him with it.  “If you carry on
anymore we will never get moving.”  I walk over to the drawers and
put some white lace panties on.  Jake is watching my every
move.  I look and notice that there is something twitching in his
trousers.  He finds me staring.

   “You see what you do to me? 
You’re as sexy as hell.  I’ve never seen breasts that
phenomenal.”  

    I blush and turn to find a dress in the
wardrobe.  After hunting through them all I finally settle for a
white fitted halter neck dress, that hangs just above the knee.  I
ask Jake to zip me up which he complies.  

   “You’re seriously going
to kill me in that dress.  I just want to push you over that bed,
lift your dress up, rip your lovely lace panties off and have you over
my bed, like the animal I’m feeling.”  

    He gently traces my bare
shoulders with his fingers and I shudder.  I’m as wet and horny as
hell, but I know we can’t do anything.  I think the thought makes
the situation even worse.  I can’t help it.  I turn around,
“Why don’t you?”  He growls under his breath, shakes his head and
moves away from me.  

   “I don’t want to have a fumbled quickie over
my bed Ana when I can have you all to myself later on.”  

    I raise
an eyebrow at him and try to calm the burning sensation between my
legs.  The need for him still hasn’t eased one little bit. 
In fact I think it’s getting stronger.

We
all leave at 6pm knowing it is a very short drive to the school and
Matthew should have plenty of time to get ready.  When we get
there the crowds of teenage pheromones hits you between the nostrils,
as we try to make it through the gates and into the stands. 
Matthew says his farewells and we wish him good luck as he rushes off
to get changed.  It is packed with people waving Waverly high
school red and white flags and cheers are filling the stadium as we
search for somewhere to sit.  Finally we manage to spot a couple
of places on the fourth row. 

     Moments
later Jake disappears and comes back with a bag filled with sandwiches
and it is then I realise just how hungry I am.  “You think of
everything don’t you?”  

    His face guilty he admits, “Well because I
didn’t want to leave you, I asked Matthew to make them for us, so I
can’t be blamed for how they’ve turned out.”  

    It makes my heart
flutter at his thoughtfulness and I eagerly take a bite of the ham and
cheese sandwich with tomato on rye.  It is actually pretty
good.  I nod my approval at Jake who takes a bite and is about to
say something when the crowd cheers at all our players heading on the
pitch.  It is hard to tell which one is Matthew until I remember
he has the number 7, which I manage to quickly pick out amongst them.
Matthew is a valued quarterback in his team and has been doing this
ever since he was able to walk, once Jake taught him.  Jake was
also a quarterback in high school so I guess it runs in families. 
I don’t really follow American football too much but I will know the
gist of what is happening.  I look across at the board which has
‘The Waverly Giants,’ against the Roosevelt Revels.’  Blimey what
a tongue twister that would be when you’ve had a few. 

They
all take their positions on the field and as the whistle blows the
crowd goes wild.  The ball is then thrown back and caught with
ease.  Everything seems to be going super fast.  It is thrown
to Matthew and he then sprints to the other side of the pitch. 
Within moments he has the other team on his tail and he is thrown to
the floor, just as he gets over the first line.  I shoot up
without thinking and shout out Matthew’s name.  Lots of people
around me stare and Jake is tugging at my dress.  My face turns
bright red and sit down as quickly as I can.  

   “Shit, now I have
other dad’s to worry about now.”  

    I turn to Jake, “What do you
mean?”  

   “Well, you’ve certainly made yourself noticeable now,
haven’t you?  I’ll be fending off more wolves.”  

    I wave him
off, “Don’t be silly Jake.  I did kind of cause a scene didn’t
I?”  I think I worry too much.  

   “You’d make a great mother,
do you know that?”  The shock on my face was evident.  “I’m
just saying.”  

    He smiles at me gently, not knowing if he has made a
mistake coming out with something like that, or whether I will treat it
as the compliment he was trying to convey.  I smile back at him,
“Thank you.”  The awkwardness pulls us back into the game as
Matthew is yet again running the field, getting closer and closer to
the end line.  He manages to bump out the way a member of the
other team as he races on.  The crowd is going wild and Jake and I
stand up cheering him on.  He makes it just in time with a
touchdown.  Everyone screams and Jake and I hug each other. 
I see the cheerleaders in the distance dancing away waving their
pom-poms and the thought gives me an idea for later.  I quickly
start planning it out in my head.  The game plays on and the
Waverly Giants are kicking ass.  The results in the end with two
touchdowns from Matthew were 28-14.

The
crowd dissipated as we made our way towards Matthew.  His face is
beaming as we give him a big hug.  

   “See I told you I’d kick
ass.”  

    Jake pulled a face but I patted his head.  “So you did
Matthew, so you did.”  

    Clive comes sprinting over towards us, “Hey
Mr Bennett, hey Ana.”  

    He looks on at me with a shy expression as
a girl suddenly appears beside him, and reaches up to kiss him on the
cheek.  This little blonde moppet did not like me at all.  If
looks could kill.  Oh dear, don’t tell me she knows about
me.  

   “Guys this is Stephanie, Stephanie this is Matthew’s dad Jake
and Matthew’s…”  He scratches his head not knowing what to call
me.  “This is Ana,” he finally manages.  We say hi and she
immediately starts drooling over Jake.  

    A feeling comes over me I
have never felt before and an overwhelming desire to claim him takes
over.  Without thinking, I grab Jake’s hand and pull him towards
me.  He looks at me like I’ve grown two heads, but takes my hand
anyway.  Everyone notices, of course.  Clive’s face scowls
whilst his friend Stephanie looks at me bringing a smirk to her
face.  I immediately blush as I realise just how high school I am
behaving.  I’ve just never had to deal with this sort of thing in
my life before.  I’m supposed to be a little more mature than
this, but I couldn’t help it.  Just as I’m mentally chastising
myself another girl appears squealing towards Matthew.  This girl
seems a lot nicer than Stephanie, slim with hazelnut brown hair and
sparkling blue eyes.  She really is very pretty.  She gives
Matthew a big hug and Jake and I look at one another.