Take a Breath (Take #1) - Jaimie Roberts Page 0,122
here to start a family for ages, but I never found the right woman,” he pauses and smiles as he says, “until I met you, that is. All other women seem to be after just one thing. Compared to your innocence, those women and their twisted priorities sicken me. You exude purity from your every pore. You have a beautiful soul, and it makes people want to look after you. Unfortunately, the wrong sort of people live to take advantage of anyone with those attributes. I won’t ever allow my delicate rose to be crushed by anyone like that.”
He looks like he’s getting angry again, so I try to calm him and the situation, especially since we have finally stopped, and the car is now in park. I gently place one hand on his knee. “It’s okay. We’re both here now, and that’s what matters. I would really like for you to show me around the house.” I give him my most winning smile, and he visibly relaxes at my touch.
“Let’s go then. I have been waiting a very long time for this.”
As I get out of the car, he comes running to my side. I don’t know if it’s because he wants to be close to me or if he’s afraid I’m going to run off. How could I possibly run off when he has a gun, and I have nothing?
We climb the three stairs necessary to reach the porch. Off to the left, I see a table and chairs. Towards the right, there are two rocking chairs. The scene looks like something straight out of a movie. Everything is meant to be perfectly placed, perfectly romantic, and perfectly relaxing. In reality, however, this setting isn’t any of those things.
Tony retrieves a key from his pocket and unlocks the front door. We walk in, and the smell of stale air hits me immediately. It isn’t an oppressive scent. I think the house has just been vacant for too long.
The stairs are in front, and there’s a door to the right that leads to the living room. The kitchen, I assume, is down the hall at the end of the house. It looks cozy while simultaneously managing to appear modern. I feel anything but cozy, though.
As I glance around, I notice a display cabinet with pictures. In the center is the biggest photograph. My blood runs cold when I see that the picture is of me and Tony at the Christmas party last year. We’re smiling like a happy couple, with his arm wrapped tightly around me. I pick it up.
I feel his presence behind me. “This is my favorite photo. You look beautiful, but then again, you always do.”
Placing it back down again, I smile. “It’s lovely.” I remember that night all too well.
The drinks are flowing, and Jessie and I are dancing the night away when Tom decides to cut in and dance with me. He immediately makes me feel uncomfortable because I know damn well that he wants to gyrate against my backside—both on the dance floor and off. Luckily for me, Jake notices the expression on my face and decides to rescue me. I welcome it, and the two of us begin to dance instead. Just as we begin, however, the music changes, and Rihanna’s “Russian Roulette” starts to play. To this day, I believe that has to be one of the most sensual, seductive songs I have ever heard or danced to—despite the meaning behind it.
As we dance, it’s quite clear that we are both turned on and disturbed by both the song and our movements. To call what we are feeling “uncomfortable” would be a massive understatement. I am hyperaware of just how amazing it feels to have him so close to me every second of the dance. Just like the girl in the song, I wonder if Jake can see my heart beating through my chest. It is kind of ironic, really.
We lock our arms and dance slowly. The proximity of his body pressed against mine is way too much of a distraction. I can’t stop looking into his eyes and touching the monstrous shoulders that my small hands work so hard to wrap themselves around. Without doing so intentionally, I squeeze one shoulder ever-so-lightly, and Jake inadvertently presses his hand into the crevice of my back. This leads to a gasp escaping my lips despite my attempts at control.
The song and the alcohol are all too much to bear. Soon after my