Page 124 of A Dark Fall
“How do you know? It could happen. I mean, won’t he wonder who this strange woman is with his father? The one whoisn’this mother?” I point out. “I mean, what’s happened in the past when you’ve introduced women to him? How does he normally cope with them?”
He shakes his head, frowning. “I’ve never introduced any woman to him.”
Oh.No woman ever meant anything to me before you.
“But I know for a fact he’ll love you,” he says.
“Oh, you do, do you? How is that?” I smile as I trace my finger over the large eye he has tattooed here.
“Because he takes after his dad.” He gives me a bright, boxy smile, and I practically melt. How does he do that? Make me love him more than I thought possible? “You’ll be amazing with him, I know you will,” he says. “But we’ll take it slow. For his sake as well as yours. I don’t want to freak either of you out.”
I nod and reach a hand up to brush my fingers across his jaw, enjoying the feel of the thick, wiry hair under my fingers. “Okay. Lay the groundwork for me then. Talk me up to him, okay?”
Jake laughs and leans in to kiss me. It’s slow and deep, and it kindles my blood again. I want him again.
He groans as he peels his mouth away. “I should go shower. Said I’d get him at twelve. But can I come back for another sleepover later? Happy to spend the whole night on your stairs this time.”
“I’d like that.” I nod. “The sleepover, not the stairs. Bad for the spine.”
He tuts. “Okay, bed it is then. I also think it might be about time you cooked for me. Have my dinner on the table when I get in, yeah?”
“Hammering home the gender roles already, are we?”
He gives me a light peck on the nose and pats my head in condescension before lifting me off him and climbing out of the bed. The sight of his perfect naked backside makes my mouth water.
“Damn right, baby. I’ll bring some of my shirts over for you to iron too,” he says, throwing a cheeky wink over his shoulder.
As I flop back down on the bed, I think about what I could cook for him. I’m not that great at anything in all honesty. First, I give him the impression I’m terrified of children, and tonight, I get to underwhelm him with my cooking skills. He’ll probably leave me first thing in the morning.
From the en suite, I hear the sound of the shower being turned on.
“Oh, and I’ll be expecting you to get in here with me and wash my back as well,” he says as he comes strutting back into the bedroom.
My body prickles with heat, and I kick the covers off. Out of bed, I stop in front of him and lean up to nip softly at his mouth as I wrap my hand around his length. He groans, and his eyes close over.
“Let’s go get you wet then,” I whisper as I stroke him gently.
“Oh, I won’t be the only one getting wet, Doctor. Trust me on that.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have too much work to do. I might be about halfway there already.”
After he leaves to go get Caleb, I strip and wash the bedsheets—because they have sex and marmalade on them—and hang them out on the line in the garden to dry. With some reluctance, I decide to use today to do the thing I’ve been putting off for what seems like forever: bloody grocery shopping.
Waitrose is always busy on a Sunday afternoon, and because of that—and because I’m a million miles away thinking about tattoos, Sunday breakfast in bed, and four-letter words—I bang the trolley more than once into the ankles of unsuspecting shoppers. I debate over what to make him for dinner and decide finally on homemade lasagna. Mum has a great recipe, and he likes Italian, so I know he’ll eat it at least. How bad can it turn out? Except, what if he’s allergic to dairy or something? He never puts milk in his coffee, and I’ve never seen him eat anything I’d class as dairy ... Christ, maybe he is.
As I wander down the vegetable aisle, I text to ask how the zoo is and if he’s allergic to anything, i.e. dairy.
Jake: Allergic to dairy? You’re fucking filthy, doctor
I giggle. Then my phone vibrates again.
Jake: Nah, I’m not allergic to anything except bad cooking. He loves the zoo but was terrified of the lions. Wish you were here. See you tonight x
I’m smiling like a schoolgirl as I head toward the tomatoes, and the shopping cart stops dead in front of me. Or, more accurately, I ram it into the back of an older gentleman’s ankles. Quite rightly, he turns around to glare at me.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! The wheel on this thing is completely buckled. I’ve been fighting with it all the way around.” I glare accusingly down at the innocent wheel. “I’m really sorry.” I give him my sweetest smile, and he nods and turns back to inspect the cucumber basket.
Okay. I really have to focus.