Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 82010 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82010 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“Don’t string him along, Sawyer. I ask as his mother. I love him and I’ve watched him hurt over you for too long. Please, don’t hurt my boy.”
“Wow.” Jake’s voice came out of nowhere and I turned around, startled, and saw him standing in the doorway. “I didn’t know you were a such a domestic god,” he teased, winking at me. Shit. How long had he been standing there? His expression was oblivious so I hoped that meant he hadn’t overheard our conversation.
“I have many hidden talents,” I replied with a smile.
“I have no doubt. Hey, Mum, we really need to get going now.”
Emma removed her hands from the soapy water, drying them off on a towel. She walked over to Jake and wrapped her arms around him.
“Okay, sweetheart,” she said, squeezing him a little tighter before letting him go. “Make sure you come back here before you leave.”
“Of course I will. We’re here for another week yet. Possibly longer. I’ll go and say goodbye to Dad.”
Jake left the kitchen to find his father, leaving me and Emma alone, drowning in a pool of awkward silence. My heart stuttered when Emma approached me, putting her hands on my shoulders.
“For what it’s worth, I believe you. I’ve seen the way you look at him. You love him. I don’t doubt it. Just…try, Sawyer. Be brave. Be honest. Be proud of who you are. You deserve that as much as Jake does.”
“I will,” I sighed. “Believe me when I say I just want to make him as happy as he makes me.”
“Then you know what you need to do.”
“Thank you, Emma. I really have missed you.”
“Let’s not leave it too long again, hmm?”
“No. Definitely not.” Without even thinking, I hugged her. I squeezed all the love, respect and gratefulness I held onto her and then I let her go, kissing her cheek. “Thank you,” I whispered. In those two simple words I was thanking her for everything. Thanking her for being a mother to me when I was young, thanking her for forgiving me for the way I treated Jake all those years ago, for accepting me, for letting me back into her life, for creating Jake… for making me feel like I might just have the courage I need so badly right now if I look deep inside myself.
In that moment Jake and Martin walked into the kitchen.
“You ready?”
“Yeah,” I said, giving Emma one last grateful smile. “Goodbye, Martin.” I proffered my hand, which he accepted.
“Come back soon, boys,” he said, and something inside me began to warm. The way he referred to us as ‘boys’, something in his tone made it sound so endearing. I’d never really felt like part of a family until tonight and as Jake and I left his parents home, I spent the entire time praying for the strength not to let them down.
“Where are you going?” I asked, puzzled when I noticed Jake driving in the wrong direction for the hotel.
“I booked us into a different hotel for the night. Told everyone we were staying at my parents.”
Wow.
“And don’t worry, babe. They all know we grew up together, so wanting to catch up with my family doesn’t look suspicious.”
“I-I wasn’t going to say that.”
“But you were thinking it. I know you, remember? Better than anyone.”
He was right of course. The second the surprise registered my first thought was what would the guys thinking of us spending the night away together. How am I supposed to do this?
“I’m sorry, Jake. I’m sorry I’m putting you through all this shit.”
“You’re not putting me through anything,” he assured, keeping his eyes on the road as he took hold of my hand on top of my knee. “I’ve told you, I’ll wait forever if that’s what it takes.”
“I just want to be what you deserve.”
And right now, I’m not.
“You already are.”
I didn’t reply because I couldn’t agree with him. Instead, I leaned my head against the cool glass window of the car and stared out of the window, absorbing the beautiful Australian scenery with my eyes. When we reached the hotel I shrugged on my jacket, despite already sweating from the heat. The leather would hide any tattoos that might make me recognisable. Slipping my sunglasses on, I kept my head down as we walked into the hotel. Jake dealt with check-in and then we made our way up to our room alone, with no one giving us a second glance.
There were champagne and strawberries waiting for us in the room, sitting proudly in a silver ice bucket on the walnut table next to the king sized bed.
“Did you arrange these?” I asked, swirling my finger around the rim of one of the champagne flutes.
“Yes,” he confirmed. Closing the space between us, he wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his forehead against mine. “I’ve missed you. You’ve been by my side for days but you couldn’t have been further away. I need you, Sawyer. I need to hold you, feel you, love you.”
“God, I’ve missed you too,” I moaned into his mouth. I teased his lips with my tongue, our chins grazing each other’s as I angled my head to the side. “So fucking much.”
As my dick started to swell all traces of tenderness disappeared, replaced by some kind of pure animalistic urge. I didn’t want savouring or teasing. I wanted fucking. Hard. Now. Popping open the buttons down Jake’s crisp white shirt, I pushed him back until he fell onto the mattress. He smiled up at me with pure hunger in his eyes and I bit my lip, working his zipper. Jake arched his ass off the bed while I tugged his pants down and the second his hard cock sprung free I leaned down to kiss the swollen head.
“Oh fuck, Sawyer,” he groaned, fisting the sheets. I drew him into my mouth, moving my lips up and down along his shaft and tracing his thick veins with my tongue. I released him just long enough to pull my t-shirt over my head, then I sucked him again while I shuffled out of my jeans, throwing them to the floor. “Climb on top of me, baby,” Jake said. “And turn around.”