I was losing the warehouse.

This time tomorrow it would be gone, and although Jake had been right that my memories would always stay with me, it didn’t make me feel any better. Dreaming about it, seeing it in my head, wasn’t the same as actually being there. It was the only place I could be myself. The only place that really felt like home. I knew Bessy felt the same. She adored that place as much as I did. And Harry? He’d have nowhere to go. No one to leave a bowl of Frosties out for him. Would he even survive without the shelter we provided? What if they tore it down with him still inside, eating his bowl of cereal? No, I couldn’t think about that. Harry was sensible. He’d find a loving home someplace else. Someplace that wouldn’t be destroyed. The thought of the warehouse no longer being there hurt. It was as if my childhood had been taken from me and there was no way of getting it back.

I did as Jake told me to do and I went back to work. Leanne hadn’t been happy about me running out of the store, but when I told her I had a family emergency, she seemed to soften a little. Okay, so she still had me staying behind an extra hour and a half to make up for the time I was away, but it was better than being fired like she’d previously threatened to do.

My mum had called me just as I finished work to let me know that they would be back late. My father had an important dinner to attend and had roped her into joining him. My mum hated my father’s social events as much as I did. Growing up, we had a lot of functions going on throughout the year. Any excuse to talk business and get absolutely plastered. It was torture.

I had just gotten out of the shower when the doorbell rang. I quickly threw on a pair of pyjamas and jogged down the stairs to answer it. My smile was wide as I pulled back the door, revealing Jake. His lopsided grin was adorable and he took the few steps towards me, cupped my face in his hands and pressed his lips against mine. I almost melted on the spot, the feel of his kiss sending tingles all the way down to my toes.

He pulled back with a throaty groan, his eyes shining brightly. “Hey, you.”

“Hey, yourself.”

“So, I got you something,” he said, a smug grin spreading across his face.

“Gummies?” I asked hopefully. God, I could easily demolish a bag right now.

“Not today, no.” He shook his head. When I pouted, Jake laughed lightly and pointed his thumb behind him. “It’s in the boot. Go check it out.”

I frowned and looked behind him. “What is it?”

Jake rolled his eyes playfully. “Go and see for yourself.” Then he stepped aside so I could get past him.

Just as I approached the boot, it sprang open, revealing a large brown box that took up most of the boot. I looked to Jake who was now at my side, and waited for permission to open it. I could feel my cheeks heat and I pushed the backs of my hands to my face to cool down. Jake nodded and waved a hand out impatiently. He looked as nervous as I felt, which didn’t make me feel any better.

“Mel, open the damn box,” he breathed out.

I drew in a breath and released it before I peeled back the brown tape that held the two sides in place. When I lifted the flaps, I instantly knew what it was. My hands started to shake as I covered my mouth. “You didn’t?” I asked, flickering my eyes to his.

Jake nodded and came up behind me as I peered down into the box. His fingers curled around my shoulder blades and began to massage my tense muscles. I tipped my head back and moaned at how good it felt as he worked through the knots, and I closed my eyes, inhaling another breath.

He’d bought me a sewing machine to replace the one that had been destroyed.

Jake’s mouth pressed against my ear. “Do you like it?” he asked, snapping me back to reality.

I nodded as best I could. “It’s perfect.” I smiled. “But it’s too much,” I said as I turned in his arms to face him.

“Just say thank you and kiss me.”

“But…”

“Mel…” he said in warning, and I bit my lip.

Reaching up on my tiptoes, I pressed my lips against his and sighed. “Thank you, Jake.”

His arms went around my waist, bringing me closer, and I breathed him in, wondering how the hell I’d gotten so lucky.

“I don’t know how good it is. I had no idea what I was looking for. They all looked the damn same.” He grinned. “The owner of the store said you’d like it, though.”

“It’s perfect, really. I know how much that thing costs. At least let me pay you back?”

Jake shook his head. “I don’t want your money, I just want you to be happy. I know this stuff with the warehouse has upset you. I wanted you to have something that you could use for your designs.”

My heart skipped a beat at his thoughtful gesture. I would have settled for a bag of gummies, though. “I love it, Jake. Really I do. And I love you for thinking about me.”

Jake’s eyes widened just as I realised my mistake. I quickly shook my head and slipped out of his embrace. “I didn’t mean… I meant…”

“It’s okay, Mel.” He chuckled. “I’m just pleased you like it.”

“I do.” I nodded repeatedly. “I honestly do.”

“Good. I’ll help you get this inside but I won’t be able to stay,” he told me. I couldn’t hide my disappointment but I understood his reasons.

“Big game tomorrow.” I grinned.

Jake leant into the boot and pulled out the box. “Yep. You’re still coming, right?” he asked as he carefully carried the sewing machine inside. Once he was through the door and had lowered the box to the table, he pulled me in for a hug.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” I assured him, looping my arms around his neck.

Jake smiled, seeming pleased with my answer, and pulled my mouth to his. The kiss was soft and gentle as he teased me with his tongue, then he pulled away with a groan. “God, I really wish I could stay.”

“Me, too,” I admitted. “But you have a big day tomorrow and I have a pile of laundry to do because my parents gave Alice the week off.”

“You? Doing the laundry?” He gasped in shock.

“Hey,” I whined, smacking his arm playfully. “I can do the laundry.”

“Fine,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Just don’t break a nail, okay?”

Folding my arms across my chest, I frowned. Jake chuckled again and pressed a kiss to the tip of my nose. “I’m kidding, babe. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.” I nodded.

“Goodnight, Mel.”

“Night, Jake,” I said softly, closing the door behind him. My eyes went straight to the sewing machine. The really expensive sewing machine. It was too much. I would have to find a way to pay him back without him knowing. I just had to figure out how.

My phone pinged in my trouser pocket and I pulled it out.

The competition? My mind had been so focused on what would be happening tomorrow that I had completely forgotten about the competition. He was right, though; there wasn’t an excuse to not enter now. Sure, I could’ve asked my mum if she had a spare machine lurking around somewhere, but then I’d have to explain about the warehouse and I couldn’t. Mum had no idea that I continued to go to the warehouse and I needed to keep it that way. Thanks to Jake, I now had a fully functioning, beautiful machine to finish my designs on. He really was my knight in shining armour.

I hadn’t been to a football game since college. And even then, I never really paid attention to what was going on. Sure, I understood the game. I was brought up in a household where football was their religion, so it was hard not to get involved when football was all anyone ever spoke about. Well that, and politics, which was something I made absolutely certain to avoid engaging in. I never understood it and I never would. My dad being the town mayor had no reflection on my views whatsoever. He accepted from a young age that I wouldn’t be the one to follow in his footsteps, and actually, he didn’t seem to mind so much. I would watch him come home every night, head to the kitchen and come back in with a tumbler filled with whiskey and a frown that showed how much the stress was getting to him. It used to annoy the hell out of me when my dad and Shawn would throw themselves into a debate at the kitchen table. Mum had always been the one to put an end to the conversation, insisting that family mealtimes weren’t the appropriate occasions to have those kinds of conversations.

It was midday by the time Jake came bouncing out of the tunnel. The red and blue striped shirt he had on clung to his taut muscles, showing every inch of the man that he was. Whilst I never really listened to what was going on around me, I always made sure to appreciate the men that charged across the field with only one purpose in mind. To score a goal and go on to win the game.

I never realised how big football was until I started college. Like at home, it was all anyone talked about. And that only intensified when I went to college. Girls seemed to gravitate towards the guys on the team, shunning anyone who wasn’t a footballer. I never really understood why dirty knees and grubby tees were such a turn on, but I quickly learned that it had nothing to do with looks, or whether the guy was on the pitch or watching on from the subs bench. It had everything to do with their popularity and social status. The girls thought that dating a football player gave them bragging rights. A way to climb the social ladder without caring what they looked like in the process.

I didn’t follow the guys around, desperate to be their next bit of skirt. I didn’t care for any of that. When Taylor had come along, everyone just assumed that I was like the rest of them. Hungry for attention and the social status I would receive from being on his arm. Whether Taylor was on the team or not, I still would have wanted him. I was drawn in by his confidence and the way he carried himself as though he was so sure of everything. I was far from confident, yet strangely, when I was with him, I felt it. But then he’d do something to remind me that I would never be that girl and I soon learned that Taylor—although he appeared confident—wasn’t confident at all. He was just like the rest of us. And that attracted me to him more than the false version of him had. I had never been in love with him. It was all just a phase to make me feel better about myself. And it would’ve been fine if it actually worked. But it hadn’t. A year later and I was back in the stands, watching from afar as his brother tore up the field like it was his last game.

Resting my chin on my hands and my elbows on my knees, I leaned forward, my eyes shut tightly as I prayed the game would end soon. Jake assured me before the match had started that he was feeling good, but I struggled to hide the fact that I was scared for him. I hated knowing that one mistake or wrong turn could end the game for him forever.

But I hadn’t needed to worry at all.

The stadium around me erupted as three-thousand people cheered in their seats. Jake had the ball, dodging left and right as he passed three defenders. I watched in anticipation as he lifted his eyes, slid the ball onto his left foot and shot ahead. It felt like minutes had passed until the ball hit the back of the net and only when the score-line flashed across the big screen did I’d release the breath I’d be holding.

He’d won.

Jake won, and my heart beat wildly in my chest as player after player bundled him to the ground. I was gripping my knees tightly when the huddle of players cleared away, leaving Jake room to see the buzz that surrounded him. When he pushed himself up from the ground, his eyes went in search of mine, and when they found me, a brilliant smile spread across his face. He pressed the tips of his fingers to his mouth and pointed them at me. Then he pushed them high in the sky before he knelt down and touched the ground. I sat back with a sigh, smiling at the small gesture he had given me. Then I blew him a kiss of my very own.

It was starting to get dark while I waited for Jake in the carpark. The last few stragglers had already left, which meant I was alone. My gaze lingered on the double doors, and I watched him push through them, out into the carpark. Jake said goodbye to a few guys on the team, and then his eyes flicked to mine. A brilliant smile lit up his face as he started towards me, and when Jake pulled me tightly against his chest and nuzzled into my neck, I giggled.

“That was insane,” he practically shouted. He was like a kid at Christmas. And I decided right there and then that it was my favourite look of his. Happiness, excitement, bewilderment…

“You did it!” I squealed, smiling brightly up at him.

“No,” he shook his head. “We did it. I would never have played if it wasn’t for you talking me into it. I’m glad you did.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course you would have. You just needed someone to tell that you could do it.”

“Exactly. And you were that person.” Jake tipped my chin between his fingers and gazed down at me. “Thank you. For being you.” Then his mouth was on mine, hard and hot. I moaned against him as his tongue slipped past my lips and entered my mouth. The warmth of his tongue caressed mine enough to set off the swarm of butterflies that had been caged inside of me and soon our kiss became too much.

Jake’s fingers dug into my skin as he fought to keep control of himself, but I was already long gone. When his mouth travelled across my jawline, peppering my skin until he reached my neck, I breathed him in. He smelt of oranges and the musky scent of his aftershave had me pressing harder against him. His erection pressed against my centre, and he let out an animalistic growl before his hands pushed underneath my vest and he cupped my breasts.

He nipped at my neck and then captured my mouth with his again. Tugging on my lip, he let it go and gazed at me with nothing short of desperation. I was still grappling at his waist, seeking the hard ridges of his chest when he lowered his mouth to my ear and groaned. “I need you. Now.” He growled again and released my breasts before cupping my most sensitive parts. I nodded because, God, did I need him, too, and he took that as permission to carry on.

Jake tugged at the button on my shorts while I fumbled with the waistband on his joggers. I needed to feel him. All of him. It was a desperate urge inside of me that had me pushing inside the material of his trousers and taking his erection in my hand. He groaned when I squeezed his length and clumsily moved us to the other side of the car, out of sight, all the while his hands shoving against my jean-clad butt as he tried to push them down.

“Fuck!” he roared, twisting me around and shoving me against the back of the car. I gasped at his roughness which was oddly erotic, and rested my arms against the cool red metal. I felt the material that covered my arse slide down to my feet as Jake ran his palms flat across my skin. “God, I wish you could see how fuckin’ hot you look right now,” he said, squeezing my butt cheeks. I was soaked, waiting for his greedy hands to touch me, and just when I thought they never would, a jolt of pent up electricity shot straight through me as he pulled my underwear to the side and lowered himself to his knees. A cold breeze swept across my bare arse and I shivered. Jake’s fingers curled into my hip as he guided me backwards ever so slightly, then his mouth was on me. His tongue ran back and forth as I chucked my head back, revelling in the sensation I felt as he dipped inside me. He kept at me, over and over and over, until I was panting with a need so strong, I found myself gripping the smooth edges of the spoiler for support.

Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly take any more, he finally pushed to his feet and began fumbling with the waistband of his trousers. Within seconds he was back, gripping my waist with one hand and fisting his dick that was now pressed at my entrance with the other.

“I can’t wait any longer. I need to be inside you.” I tried to tell him that I wanted that, too, but it was no use. I couldn’t speak even if I’d wanted to and Jake didn’t give me a chance. He was inside of me, filling me up in seconds, and fuck if it didn’t feel good.

“Fuck, babe, you feel… fuck. Nothing is better than this,” he praised me, thrusting back and forth. I loved how turned on I made him. It gave me a sense of power I’d never really felt before. Knowing that someone needed me as much as I needed them was something I wasn’t used to feeling. But Jake did that. He made me feel like I was the only girl for him. It took all the strength I had not to confess how much he meant to me. With his dick buried deep and his hands massaging my breasts, I knew no one would ever make me feel the way that Jake did.

No one.

It was a few moments later that I came apart in his arms, fighting for breath and the strength to stay upright until he followed right behind me, chanting my name over and over again. When Jake dropped his forehead to my back, I dropped my hands to the side of me and threaded my fingers through his. And we stayed that way, pressed against one another, staring up into the sky as the stars shone above us, knowing that this was just the start for us.

Jake was back playing football, and I now had the ability to make something of myself. Jake believed in me. Me.

I sighed contentedly and squeezed his hand.

Because of this man, I no longer needed to run. If Jake believed that I could make something of myself here in Winslow then I had every faith that I could, too.