Chapter Six

 

 

Jacob woke up before Harper on Christmas morning. They’d barely slept, making love all night—touching, talking—mostly kissing, bodies connected. His soul was connected to his Angel, as if they could only truly communicate fully naked.

They’d drowsed off and on, feet entwined, toes touching, he spooning her or she spooning him, his hand wrapped in the silken strands of her hair.

He crept out of bed, grabbing sleep pants as quietly as possible, to make lattes and warm up the homemade coffee cake like last year—only this was way better because he knew her name now. Harper Philips.

Knew that she wouldn’t be disappearing today to leave him with an aching hole in his heart the way she had before.

The cranberry apple crumble gave his apartment a warm, cozy Christmas feel and classic holiday music still played from when he’d turned it on last night. The cinnamon candle in a jar had melted down to just the metal disk, the wick charred black.

He’d bought a gift for her that he’d put under the tree in hopes that she would be here Christmas morning. How sad it would be if she hadn’t shown up. But she had, if only for one more day.

One. More. Day.

He found his phone in his slacks in the bathroom and turned the volume off.  Jane had texted him ten times last night and at first he was alarmed—how could he have forgotten to check in on her—but then calmed as he realized she was asking about his angel.

He sent off a Merry Christmas text with a big red heart saying that he’d be busy today with a certain Harper Philips from London.

Despite the early hour, Jane immediately replied with a thumbs up emoji followed by a series of hearts. Just today?

She goes home tomorrow.

Jacob needed a plan to keep her here longer. Maybe another week? Maybe…

He texted Aunt Nancy and her husband Rick, then a few of his buddies a Merry Christmas before putting the phone aside.

He peeked in on Harper, who stretched languidly, naked beneath a thin sheet, on the bed. Her gaze settled on him and she blinked as if to see if she was dreaming.

He understood that feeling very well.

“What is that heavenly smell?” She shifted on the mattress.

“Breakfast—wait here and I will bring it to you.”

“Breakfast in bed and multiple orgasms? Happy Christmas to me.” She winked, her mascara smudged like a sex kitten.

And he would never look at those rose lips quite the same way. “Santa said that you’ve been very, very good.” He held up his finger and rushed back to the kitchen for two mugs of steamed latte with nutmeg and the warmed cake on two small plates.

No sprinkles. How could he have forgotten the sprinkles?

He balanced it all on a tray and brought it back to the bedroom where she had piled his pillows behind her and smoothed his blankets to make room for him.

She took the tray while he got under the covers next to her, their wiggling toes immediately finding one another.

“Is this Aunt Nancy’s cranberry coffee cake?”

“Last year was hers that she’d sent in a gift box—this year, she gave me the recipe, so I could make it for you—and the coffee shop.”

 “This smells amazing,” she said, lifting the plate to her nose before taking a bite. Jacob tried to not get distracted by the brown sugar on her lip.

They needed sustenance, if they were going to stay in bed all day, which sounded just right to him.

“You have made this the best Christmas of my life,” he said to her.

Harper leaned over the tray to kiss him. “Happy Christmas,” she murmured, looking into his eyes. “It has been my pleasure to meet you, Jacob Orman.” She ran a finger down his forearm and settled at his wrist. “You danced with me a year ago, you danced with me last night, and I hope we can dance again today.”

“I don’t have sprinkles for our lattes. Remember that?” Red and green stars on foam.

“Let’s make new memories,” she suggested. “Last year we never had a second day. What a perfect Christmas gift.”

“Time?” His hopes lifted.

“To spend with people we care about.” He noticed something flash in her eyes but she blinked it away.

He tipped her chin up and kissed her softly, tasting the sweet brown sugar. He wanted her to think about him—Jacob Orman, man falling in love with an angel.

 

 

Harper moved her leg beneath the sheet, her sensitive skin aroused by the fabric of Jacob’s pajama bottoms. She had been insatiable last night, and already wanted him again. Knowing that they had one more day together allowed her to relax enough to enjoy her breakfast.

He was a considerate man, thoughtful, generous. Kind—and what a lover! He was everything that she’d remembered and more.

Refusing to ruin the day with thoughts of the future, she focused on the now and licked a crumb of caramelized pecan from her thumb. Perhaps her drunk self had recognized talent because this was delicious. “Best coffee cake ever,” she said with meaning.

He blushed red with pleasure and that did a funny thing to her heart.

Jacob had been beyond brave in selling his house to build his own business here by the sea and while she wanted to see what he’d accomplished she cautioned herself against getting too involved.

“I was so smart,” she said with a shake of her head, “to bring a toothbrush, but I don’t have clothes for the day. And I’m too old for the walk of shame.”

“What’s that?” His mouth curved in a half-smile.

“Going home the morning after in your little black dress.”

Laughing, Jacob moved the tray and got out of bed, his sleep pants low on his hips. His strong back was tan, the bare bum white as milk. He crossed to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer to toss her sweat pants and a t-shirt. “Will this save your reputation, Ms. Philips?”

“Ta. But let’s go back to my hotel. Why don’t we spend tonight there?” She shrugged. “I’ve already paid for it and it has a great view.”

He sat on the end of his bed and looked at her, his brown hair rumpled sensually. “Whatever you want.”

She felt the hours ticking away now, chipping a minute at a time from their day. Harper handed him the tray and waited until he was facing her again before leaping into his arms to kiss him senseless.

She had to make sure to create memories to last because she was leaving tomorrow. He’d been such an unexpected wonderful surprise, but she’d been on the receiving end of not so great surprises too.

“I want you,” she said, and set about proving it.

 

Later, they both dozed, and this time Harper woke before Jacob. She took the opportunity to memorize the shape of his jaw, the exact ebony shade of his eyelashes. Her heart expanded with warmth and emotion that she wouldn’t try to name. It was something she’d only felt with Jacob.

She slipped from the bed and showered, her body deliciously sore, and changed into Jacob’s clothes—folding up the loose jersey pants at the hem.

She went into the kitchen to get a glass of water, and then searched for her purse. Finding it on the edge of the couch, she took her phone and texted Felicity a Happy Christmas, letting her know that things were fine—better than fine, and then she dug the small gift she’d bought for her mysterious stranger on the off chance that he a) showed up and b) was wonderful and c) was with her in the morning—a snow globe of London with her address on the bottom.

He had a passport. He could possibly visit. Maybe. She tried to imagine him in London, in the home she’d shared with her husband, and her mind blanked.

Jacob shuffled down the hall as she was placing her gift beneath his small tree.

She rose with a grin. “Sleepyhead!”

He wrapped his arms around her, as if even that time apart sleeping for half an hour had been too much, and he needed a physical connection. “You wore me out,” he said happily.

His chin rested on top of her head as she snuggled into him. It felt good to be held so warmly.

“Coffee? Breakfast?” He walked with her toward the kitchen and read the time on the stove. “Never mind. How about lunch?”

“I’m hungry. I can cook for you.” So long as it was simple, she could manage.

“I’m prepared,” he said. “I told you I would feed you, if you let me. I’ve got everything in the fridge from hamburger fixings to lasagna, or pizza. Fried rice and chicken dumplings? Or we can bake a chicken. And I bought salad stuff.”

“Wow!”

“I didn’t know what you might like,” he said with an adorable shrug.

“Let’s put the chicken in the oven,” she said. “It will make your flat smell delicious.”

They worked together in the small space as if they’d been doing it for years. Peeling and slicing potatoes and carrots, and boiling eggs for deviled eggs—chopping and slicing for a green salad. By the time the chicken was ready, they had his coffee table set with two plates, wine glasses and paper towels for napkins.

“You know I was married before—what about you?” She didn’t think she’d get tired of watching the fluid way he moved his body—lanky and easy.

“Never married, but I lived with Jennifer for three years. Then she transferred to Atlanta for a promotion and we tried to do the long distance thing but it just didn’t work—she broke it off, doing us both a favor, really, the month before I lost my job.”

She watched him for signs of heartache but he seemed all right. “Are you still friends?”

“Only on social media,” he said. “She has a new man in her life. I’m glad she’s happy. I am—having this coffee shop and living by the beach. It was worth every terrifying moment of doubt, but I kept hearing your voice in my head, encouraging me.”

He’d just said it again.

He tipped her chin for a too-quick kiss and got out silverware from a drawer by the sink.

“Which was?” She really needed to understand what had inspired him to change his life so drastically.

“Live fully, because you never know.” He set a fork and knife on each plate and then returned to the kitchen counter where she sat on a bar stool.

“That’s it? Live fully?” She perched on the round edge of the seat.

“You don’t remember saying that?” He stopped moving back and forth between the kitchen and coffee table to stare at her in disbelief.

“I do!” she said, scrambling for a memory to back it up. “On the beach. Under the stars.” She’d been free and whirling and dancing in the waves, daring the dark to come and get her and instead Jacob had arrived to dance with her. “I do,” she said again.

His shoulders relaxed.

“I think I need to remember my own advice,” she joked, thinking of how scared she’d been this past year on her own.

“How has it gone for you? All I knew was that your husband had died and that you were pretty mad about it all.” He put his hand over hers.

“It was tough. Todd was sick for two years and his loss came with such a mixed bag of emotions. We’d had plans for kids, to travel, but he was diagnosed at 33.”

“I’m so sorry,” Jacob said, his eyes warm with compassion. “No wonder you were so mad.”

“Royally pissed,” she agreed with a small smile. “And you—you made me feel so good, so cherished, that it scared me.”

“So I was encouraged to reach for the stars, and you were frightened?” He sighed.

“Don’t be like that, dahling,” she said. “When I was really low, I would remember your smile, or your kiss, and just knowing that you were out there got me through some tough nights.” She’d never considered anything more.

Jacob pulled her from the stool into his arms. “We saved each other.”

She hoped he wouldn’t say more than that and snuggled against him, her hand dropping to his superb backside. “The chicken smells delicious….do we have time?”

“The chicken is ready.” He caressed her hair. “We have as much time as you want,” Jacob said. “That is up to you.”

Harper gave his ass a pat and pulled back with a sigh. She knew he wasn’t talking about a quickie before their feast.

His voice had thickened with emotion and she blinked to keep her vision clear. Jacob was the only person in the world who knew her like this—messy hair and going with the flow rather than planning everything to the last minute.

He’d made it clear that he would be open to more, and while she had no intention of leaving a day early, like last year, she couldn’t imagine them together. She hadn’t allowed herself to do so.

They ate until they couldn’t swallow another bite and then watched Christmas movies, wrapped in one another’s arms on the couch. Their favorite was Love Actually and they both knew all of the words.

“Christmas is all around me,” Jacob sang to her in an awful British accent and she tossed one of his soft throw pillows at him.

“I have a present for you,” she said, feeling happy about the holiday for the first time in years.

“I have one for you,” he said, getting off the couch to kneel by his little tree.

“You do? But what if I hadn’t…”

“It would have been really awful not having you here.”

Her heart pinged a warning that she need to beware. “You go first,” she said. “It’s just something silly.”

He slowly unwrapped the box and lifted out the Christmas snow globe and gave it a shake. “That’s London Bridge,” she said. “I live ten minutes from there.” She rolled her finger in the air and he turned the globe over. She’d written her address in permanent marker along with her phone number.

His entire face lit up and she almost regretted her decision—what if she let him down when he realized she was no angel? Just a woman.

He leaned over the coffee table and kissed her soundly, then asked for her phone. He added her personal information into his device right then, and then sent her his info. She snapped a picture of him before his tree so that she had it for his name—he grinning like he’d won the grand prize.

“Your turn,” he said.

She unwrapped the box around the same size as her snow globe and halfway expected it to be a melted Santa snow globe.

Instead it was an actual globe that she could spin on its axis. “Bloody brilliant,” she said.

“I bought this before I realized that you’d peeked,” he said.

She laughed until tears came to her eyes. They had more in common that she would have thought, but she liked their differences too.

“Let’s walk the beach to my hotel.” She sat on his lap and hugged him tight.  “The tub is big enough for two.”