Take a Breath (Take #1) - Jaimie Roberts Page 0,123

gasp, Jake lets go of me and makes an excuse to leave.

After he retreats, I am so horny that I seriously consider sleeping with someone just to release the tension between my legs. It was just all too much. The one and only problem is that I still only want Jake.

As I come back from my memory, I glance at a photo of a man and a woman who look close to their sixties. Both have white hair and happy, smiling faces.

“That’s my mom and dad. They’re not here anymore, but this was theirs, and they left it to me. They wanted me to raise some grandchildren for them. I intend to fulfill their wishes.” He comes closer to my body and embraces me. My heart starts its full-scale war in my chest. Please don’t tell me he wants to start making babies right now! He’ll want to touch me at some point, and I’m afraid I might vomit just from the thought.

He inhales the scent of my hair, making me stiffen. “You smell so beautiful.” He strokes my hair and traces a finger down my shoulder towards my back. I start to tremble.

“Don’t worry. I’m patient. I have waited this long. I can wait a little longer for when you’re ready.”

Looking into his soulless eyes, I smile my relief. “Thank you. It’s just a little sudden and overwhelming. I need a little time to adjust.” I don’t know why I said that, but it seems necessary. How does one tame a completely psychotic maniac?

“I know. It’s hard, though. I am a man after all, and you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Try not to think too long about it, my English rose.” He smells my hair again, making me shudder.

Oh, fuck. Now what do I do?

I inhale a deep breath, smile, and turn to him. “Show me the rest of the house, please.”

He happily obliges, but I mainly want to see it all just so that I can get my bearings. I need to find out where all these rooms lead. My urge to escape is mounting rapidly.

He shows me four bedrooms which are all about the same size—two with double beds and two with single beds. As soon as we’re at the master bedroom, Tony touches my shoulder. “This is where we will be sleeping.” I cringe at the thought of Tony laying next to me, breathing all over me, and expecting sex. I really need to get out.

One of the rooms looks like a child’s room painted in yellow. It’s rather beautiful with the last remaining hours of the sun shining through. It has two white, metal framed single beds and a big teddy bear propped up on yet another rocking chair.

“This could be the nursery. I could just picture you here, breastfeeding our children.”

I close my eyes. This is just too much. I don’t think I can stomach much more. “It was a long drive. I really need to use the bathroom.”

He smiles and leads the way. “Should I go make us something to eat while you freshen up?”

If it gets you away from me, then yes.

“Please. I’m starving.”

He laughs a little and starts his way down the stairs. Is he really leaving me alone up here? Should I make a run for the stairs once he’s in the kitchen? No, I can’t do that; I noticed that the steps creaked when we came up. He would know before I got to the bottom that I wasn’t up here anymore. I have to see if I can climb out the window. It seems to be the only way.

I get to the master bathroom and lock the door. I switch the faucet on to make some noise while I try to lift the small window. It’s a little stiff, but I manage to get it open about halfway. It’s just enough for me to crawl through.

As I stick my head out, I notice there’s a climbing vine to my left. I reach out to see if I can grab a hold of it. To my amazement, it works. My heart suddenly soars, beating violently in my chest as the adrenaline kicks in. Can I do this? I have to try. I also have no time to waste.

With one boost of energy, I push my foot up onto the windowsill and pull myself up. I lift with one hand while grabbing the plant with the other. I lose my footing a bit and swing