medical alert necklace on him, which acts as both a device he can press if he falls, but also has a tracker in it,” Nurse Jablonski said, once we got my dad back to the care home and tucked away in his bed.
Detective Cosgrove nodded. “Yes, and we’d like added security put on the premises as well, please. We have reason to believe Mr. Lapierre might be in some danger.”
“Danger?” Her eyes bugged out. “What kind of danger?”
He shook his head. “I’ll send out an officer in the morning to discuss things with your supervisor. But in the meantime, please keep the doors locked. I see you have an intercom system to allow people entry. Use it.”
I signed the waiver that allowed for my father to have the alert necklace on, once again the taste of betrayal foul on my tongue as I scratched my name on the paper. If my dad knew what I was doing, he’d be so disappointed in me. Not trusting him, putting a tracker on him like some wild animal we could now watch bebop across a screen as a little red dot, like some kind of sea turtle.
I wandered into my dad’s room after signing the papers and just watched him sleep, peaceful and probably dreaming of my mother or teaching, completely unaware of the turmoil and panic he’d just caused. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead, letting out a contented sigh and smiling as his nose twitched and he lifted his hand up to rub it.
“See you tomorrow, Dad,” I whispered, looking up to find Jake waiting in the doorway for me.
“Ready to go?” he asked, his hand finding its way to the small of my back and leading me out the door to the SUV.
“I need to see him every day,” I said, climbing back in to the big, fully decked out, unmarked cop car, but this time sitting in the back seat. “I have to. I don’t know how much longer he has.”
“Okay,” he replied. “We can make that happen.” He scooted in beside me, taking up the middle seat and wrapping a protective arm around my shoulder. I leaned into him and closed my eyes, the homey smell of cinnamon and fresh linen along with his warmth and presence a boon of comfort on such a horribly frightful night.
Detective Cosgrove dropped us back off at James’s and Emma’s with more instructions and the assurance that he’d be in touch. He gave me his cell phone number and told me to call, no matter what the time, if I heard from Yanni or his lackey again. We wandered inside and quickly debriefed James and Emma, even though all I wanted to do was have a shower and crawl into bed. The realization that it wouldn’t even be my own bed hit me like a ton of bricks, and before I knew it, I was a crying mess in front of my friends.
“Shh,” Emma cooed, coming up and wrapping her arms around me. “Let’s get you cleaned up. You brought clothes?” I nodded. “Okay, let’s go run you a bath.” She placed a protective arm around my shoulder and led me through the garage and out and around the back of the house to a wooden staircase that led up to a big white door.
Inside it looked like anything but an “apartment.” It was fully furnished with top-of-the-line everything, state-of-the-art appliances, a big flat-screen television on the wall, leather La-Z-Boy furniture and two giant bedrooms, one with its own bathroom. I could sense Emma’s hand at decorating immediately. There were homey touches here and there, and the soft sky-blue walls and camel-hued accents made the place feel big and airy.
“You and James seem better.” I sniffed as I wandered into what appeared to be Jake’s room and started stripping off my clothes. Emma went to work running me a bath in the big soaker tub. I needed a distraction, and making sure that my friend and her husband were no longer at each other’s throats seemed like a good one.
I wrapped a big towel around my body and joined her in the bathroom. She shrugged. “Yeah, we made up. We always do. Our problem seemed quite small considering ... ”
Rolling my eyes, I gave her a reluctant smile. “I’m sorry I brought all this into your family.”
She rested a hand on my shoulder and squared herself to me, her hazel eyes smiling along with the rest of her. “It’s not your fault. It’s going to be okay. Now hop in. I’ll send Jake in with some food.” Then she spun around and closed the door.
Hanging my towel on the hook, I slid into the warm bubbles, letting the heat and steam embrace me, soothing my aches and pains and washing away the debacle and absolute nightmare of the last twenty-four hours. I pulled out my ponytail and sank into the water further so only my face was visible, allowing the water to seep into my ears and drown out the din of the day.
I closed my eyes and lay there, I’m not sure for how long. But when I finally did work up the strength to pop open my eyes, I found Jake sitting on the edge of the tub looking at me.
“Hi,” he said quietly. “You okay?”
I sat up and wiped the bubbles from my face. “I’ll be okay. It’s just been a trying twenty-four hours. I’m exhausted.”
“I bet.” He grimaced. “Here.” He handed me a glass of wine. I took it willingly and drained half the glass in one sip. “Easy. You need to eat something if you’re going to drink like that.”
“I’m not hungry,” I grumbled, studying the glass and then shrugging before I tipped it up and finished it.
He chuckled low and then reached for something on the floor. “Well, now, you definitely need to eat, you little lush. Here.” He picked up a strawberry by the stem and held it to my lips. “Eat!”
I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to feed me.”
“I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do,” he affirmed with a small and satisfied smirk. “I’m a grown-up. Now eat.”
Snorting and giving him one last eye roll, I opened my mouth and accepted the strawberry. The sweet and tangy juice dribbled down my chin and into the water. It was an amuse-bouche of summer, fresh and earthy. You could practically taste the sun.
“And we can’t forget this,” he purred, grabbing what could only have been the biggest hunk of gouda off the plate. “Cheese for my little mouse.”
“Is that smoked gouda?” I licked my lips, inhaling the smoky aroma.
“Yeah, one of your faves?”
“Mhmm,” I hummed, biting off a big piece and chewing it happily. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” His lips twisted as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure he should.
“What?” I probed.
He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Jake …”
“Fine. I think you should get your blood sugars checked. Your highs and lows are quite severe. I kept thinking you were going to pass out somewhere on campus as we searched for your dad. And then we’d have two people to look for.”
I swallowed the rest of my cheese. “Yeah, maybe.”
“I’m worried about you. You don’t eat enough and your stress level is through the roof.” His turquoise eyes were pleading and as much as I wanted to dismiss his idea, I didn’t have the heart. Nobody had cared this much for me in a long time, and it felt really good.
“I’ll try to get to the doctor.”
He nodded. “Good. Thank you.” His eyes traveled the length of my submerged body and back again.
I hesitated for a second. “Y-you want to join me?” Realizing that the thing I wanted, the thing I needed the most at that moment, more than food or wine or warm water, was Jake.
He shook his head and held the cheese to my lips. “I’m not expecting anything tonight. You’ve been through a lot.”
I pulled away. “I have, but right now I want to forget it. And you do a really great job of helping me live in the now. Feel in the moment and forget my problems.” I reached for the hem of his shirt, exposing my breasts, which were slick and soapy. “Please?” I turned my head and took another big bite of the cheese with a sassy grin.
A low growl escaped him before he stood up and shucked his clothes, his erection hard and eager, slapping against his belly as he peeled off his boxers. He slid in behind me, cradling me against his hardness. “Is this what you wanted?”
“This is exactly what I wanted.” I sighed, melting into him. “Exactly.”
Grabbing the plate, he continued to feed me, dangling grapes and berries, cheese and more cheese into my mouth until my belly, along with my heart, were both full and satisfied.
“More wine?”
“There’s more?” I asked, craning my neck around to try to find my empty glass.
He motioned for me to sit up a bit, and he leaned over the side and brought up the bottle. “We’ll have to drink it like—” But I was way ahead of him. I grabbed the bottle and chugged it from the neck. “Hillbillies,” he finished. “Which apparently is something you’re totally cool with.”
“After a day like today … ” I giggled, handing him the bottle. “I’d be drinking scotch from the bottle if you’d brought any.”
“I can go raid James’s stash if you’d like. The man is a big scotch guy. Got some primo stuff.”
I took the bottle back. “Thanks, but I think this’ll be enough.” I rested my back against his chest and closed my eyes. “Thank you for everything. You’ve been ... ” I swallowed. “You’ve been a better man to me in these few short weeks than Ted was in nearly seven years. So, thank you.”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tighter against him, his still very noticeable erection lying like an iron rod against my lower back. “I’m crazy about you, if you haven’t already figured that out.”
“I’m starting to.” I sighed. “Um … ”
“Um?”
“You um … you wanna?” I opened my eyes and tilted my head up to look at him. His eyes were big and dark and full of promise.
“Always,” he said softly, with zero humor in his tone. “But only if you want to.”
“I do.”
Taking the bottle from my hand, he emptied the last sip before resting it on the floor, then he helped me spin around and straddle him. His arms came up and encircled my waist, positioning me over his waiting hardness. “You’re sure?”
I nodded. “I am. I need this. I need you.” I sank down low, sheathing him to the hilt and throwing my head back from the impact. “Oh God.”
“Take what you need,” he groaned, his fingers digging into my hips. He bucked up to meet me. “Use me.” His mouth found one of my nipples and clamped down, biting and flicking with his tongue, making me cry out and push into his relentless efforts, eager for more. Reaching up, I shamelessly pulled and pinched on the neglected other nipple myself. I’d never been so brazen before, heightening my own pleasure. But Jake made me do it. He made me feel free to take and not feel bad or ashamed about it.
“Jake,” I whimpered as water sloshed all around us, spilling out onto the floor.
I rose up so that only the tip of him remained inside, churning my hips to tease and torment us both. I loved the feeling of once again having him at my mercy, toying with his pleasure, being in control. He snarled and tried to shove me back down, but I resisted, smiling as I bent my head low and nipped at his ear. “Just wait.”
I swirled my hips again.
“Doesn’t this feel good?” I asked.
“It … does,” he ground out. “But being deep inside you feels even better.”
“Yeah?”
“Baby … you’re playing with fire.”
I traced my tongue around the shell of his ear. “Maybe I feel like getting burned.”
Then I slammed home.
“Wicked woman.” He chuckled low. “Two can play.” A curious hand traveled down my body and between my legs. His fingers found my clit, and I sighed, loving the extra attention, but instead of delightful little circles, he pinched.
“Ow!”
“Good ow? Or bad ow?” he asked, stopping his play and looking up at me.
I had to think about it for a second. “Do it again.” He did. I closed my eyes and pushed into him involuntarily. “Good ow.”
I was so close as I continued to ride him, taking, taking all the pleasure Jake could give me. Taking it all as he had told me to and loving every second of it. I felt wanton and sexy, powerful and confident, a budding seductress, an emerging tigress. It was only a matter of seconds before the climax that had been building and brewing in my belly erupted like a volcano of pure pleasure. It took hold of my body and my being, ripples and surges of blissful sensations cascading through me. I’d never had sex in the bathtub before, and there was something very appealing about it. We were doing dirty things while getting clean. A beautiful paradox if ever there was one.
Jake stilled and moaned, digging his fingers into my hips while his others continued to pinch and rub my clit, prolonging and heightening my orgasm. I felt him pulse and release inside of me, clinging to my body and burying his head in the crook of my neck.
“Oh, Freya,” he hummed, our bodies still connected as we sat there in the cooling water. He dropped warm and wet kisses along my neck and shoulder. “You’ve got me. Completely. I’m yours.”