Chapter 16

Annie

I must have fallen asleep crying in his arms, because the next thing I know, there’s sunlight streaming through the partially open drapes, and Aiden is sitting up in bed, looking well rested and refreshed. He’s playing quietly with Stevie and his car.

I reach up to stroke his hair. “Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. Can I have another swimming lesson today? Jake said when I know how to swim, I can jump off the diving board by myself.”

I smile as I stretch my limbs. The idea of another day spent with Jake fills me with anticipation. I close my eyes and remember him holding me in the night while I cried ugly tears. I feel so much better this morning, as if my crying jag last night released a lot of deeply harbored pain.

There’s a quiet knock on our door.

“I’ll get it!” Aiden says, jumping off the bed and running for the door.

Aiden opens the door wide and Jake walks into the room, dressed in jeans and an Ironman T-shirt.

“Oh, wow!” Aiden says when he sees Jake’s shirt. “Can I wear my Captain America shirt, Mom?”

“Sure.” I smile sleepily at Jake. How in the world did he manage to get that T-shirt overnight?

As Aiden runs into our enormous walk-in closet to find his Captain America T-shirt, Jake comes and sits on the side of my bed.

He brushes back my messy hair. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Good morning. Yes, I did.”

He glances at the closet, making sure Aiden hasn’t made a reappearance yet. When he sees the coast is clear, he leans down to kiss me. It’s a gentle, reverent kiss that sets the butterflies loose in my belly again. “You look beautiful.”

“I’m a mess. My eyes are probably puffy after last night.”

He shakes his head. “Puffy eyes or not, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

I grab Aiden’s pillow and hit him with it, laughing. “Never admit a woman’s eyes are puffy.”

He snatches the pillow from me and tosses it aside. Then he makes a grab for my waist, tickling me mercilessly, making me squeal.

Aiden runs back into the bedroom and jumps on the bed. He frowns at Jake. “What are you doing to my mom?”

“I’m tickling her.”

I’m laughing so hard I can barely speak. “Jake, stop! You’re going to make me wet the bed!”

“That’s all part of my evil plan.” And then he makes his best attempt at an evil laugh, winking at Aiden. “Muah-ha-ha-ha.”

Aiden decides to join in the fun, tickling me too.

“Hey,” I gasp. “Two against one is not fair!”

“For God’s sake,” Charlie says from the open doorway. “You guys are making enough noise to wake the dead.”

“We’re tickling my mom!” Aiden cries.

Charlie shakes her head. “Yeah, I can see that. You people are nuts.”

“Don’t just stand there, Charlie!” I say, gasping with laughter. “Help me!”

Charlie comes to my defense, grabbing Aiden off the bed and throwing him over her shoulder. “Come on, pal. Breakfast is waiting, and I’m starving.” Then, in a voice clearly directed at the grown-ups in the room, she says, “I’m taking the young man downstairs for a very slow and thorough breakfast. And then we’ll take a walk out to the barn to see the horses. We’ll be gone for two hours at least, so make them count.”

Jake stops tickling me, and we both lie there on the bed, breathless, as Charlie’s parting words sink in.

“That’s my girl,” he says, rolling up onto an elbow so he can loom over me. “She makes a great wingman.”

“Did she just imply—”

“Yes, she did. Now, can I have my wicked way with you? We have two hours of grown-up alone time. Let’s make them count.”

“Right now? Are you serious?”

“I’m dead serious. Now’s our chance.”

It’s morning, and my room is brightly lit with sunshine. There’s no hiding in a brightly-lit room.

“What’s wrong, Elliot?” Jake frowns. “You don’t want to?”

“No, it’s not that. I do! It’s just that—”

“What?”

“I thought we’d do this at night time, you know. When it’s not so bright.”

Jake barks out a laugh as he pulls me out of bed. “You’re coming with me. My room. My bed. Now.”

“Wait! I need to brush my teeth first.” And pee.

He gives me a look. “Make it quick. You have two minutes before I strip you bare and take you where you’re standing.”

I run for the bathroom and brush my teeth and hair, doing the best I can with my disheveled hair. My eyes are indeed puffy from last night’s crying jag, but there’s no help for that right now. Then I take a quick pee, rushing as quickly as I can because I’m pretty sure Jake was serious about the two-minute warning.

Just as I’m washing my hands at the sink, I hear a brisk knock on the bathroom door. Crap! “Yes?”

The door opens and Jake waltzes in, meeting my gaze in the bathroom mirror. “Time’s up. You’re coming with me, and for the next two hours, you’re mine. Brace yourself, because I’m going to make up for lost time.”

And then he sweeps me up into his arms and carries me out of my room, across the hall to his, slamming the door shut behind us. He reaches back to lock the door. “I’m not taking any chances.”