Chapter Fifteen
Ande
I woke with Jake tangled around me, my body deliciously tender. He slept deeply still, his expression relaxed and peaceful. I carefully slipped out of his hold only because the sun already peeked in the window. The others would be anxious for breakfast, and I needed to check on the kids.
Guilt assailed me. I hadn't even checked to be sure the guys could babysit last night. I let myself get too carried away in Jake. I couldn't let that happen again. Mother first. Woman second. I hoped he could understand that.
I froze in the middle of brushing my teeth. How could I face them all? They would know exactly how Jake and I spent the night. Nerves rolled in my stomach. Then worse thoughts jumped into my head. What if Jake had no interest in me after last night? What if I didn't please him enough? Or if he wanted to experience other women? How could I live with that?
Because at this point, I had no doubt, that man owned me, mind, body, and soul. No going back. I prayed he felt something similar. Otherwise, I would have to leave. I couldn't bear to see him every day and not have him as my own.
I finished getting ready and left Jake sleeping in my bed as I hurried to get started on breakfast. As I chopped potatoes to fry, Johnathan came in and snagged a coffee cup.
"Morning." He regarded me with a serious expression over the edge of his mug.
I couldn't bear to look at him. "Good morning. I, uh, I'm sorry about leaving the kids with you last night. I should have asked."
He chuckled. "Ande-girl, we had a blast with those little hellions. Don't apologize for that."
I shook my head and finished up the potatoes. "I still should have checked first."
"You can next time."
My breath caught in my throat and fear jumped in. "If there is a next time." I meant to say it in my head, but somehow the words just spilled out.
Johnathan scowled. "Did my boy not treat you with respect?"
Startled, I looked him in the eye. "Of course he did."
The frown relaxed. "Then why would you think that way?"
Embarassment warmed my cheeks. I wished I could take those words back. "I'm not sure if he'll still feel the same."
He stared at me for a moment, then chuckled. "Of course he won't. That boy is crazy over you, head over heels. He's going to feel stronger about you now. You might want to go out a cut a switch so you can beat him off of you. He'll be a regular pest now."
"Oh, God." I ducked my head and turned back to cooking. "Breakfast will be ready in fifteen."
"Time enough for me to feed ol' Shep, I reckon." He left, closing the screen door softly instead of letting it slam like normal. I appreciated the effort. The bang would surely have woken Ian.
Things got busy then, and I didn't have time to think about how I felt, or worry how Jake felt about me. He came strolling in looking like the cat who ate the canary, just as the others started to dig in.
"Morning, Baby." He took the spatula out of my hand and dropped it in the skillet, then drew me tightly against him. "I missed you this morning." His mouth came down on my mine in a languorous kiss before I had a chance to object.
His touch was impossible to resist, and my body thrummed with instant need. "You looked peaceful."
"Love'll do that to a man." He winked and released me, leaving me staring wide-eyed after him. "Come on, Baby, eat your breakfast." He patted the chair beside him and waited expectantly.
Nate and Sam exchanged a significant look then went back to their conversation about cows and bulls as if nothing untoward happened. Johnathan gave me an encouraging smile and nodded toward my chair. If they could pretend nothing unusual was happening, I supposed I could too. I sat.
Several weeks passed in much the same way, except I made sure to bring the kids back to sleep in their own beds every night. Jake spent every night in my bed, and he often slipped away from his work to steal kisses or a few moments of privacy with me. Only one thing was missing, and I didn't have the courage to broach the subject.