Dare to Love by user (read dune TXT) 📗

cookies? Believe me, I’m the world’s expert on overindulgence. I’ve just learned my

limits.”

She stared at the liquid swirling in her glass. “Obviously something I haven’t done yet. I don’t drink very often, and I guess I was so nervous last night I didn’t realize how

much wine I’d consumed until it was too late.”

“Famous last words.”

“Either way, I still feel I need to apologize. My behavior was appalling.” Jake leaned back in the chair and stretched his legs. “Maybe to those uppity people

you associate with it would be. To someone like me, no big deal. Happens to a lot of

people I know, myself included. Quit beating yourself up about it.”

“So, did I do anything else, um, inappropriate last night?” Her face held such a worried frown he didn’t have the heart to laugh at her.

“Inappropriate, how?”

Biting in her lower lip and then releasing it, she said, “I don’t know, like streaking naked through your neighborhood or something equally horrendous?” Jake crossed his arms and nodded, watching her eyes widen. “It was spectacular.” Her eyes widened. “I didn’t.”

“Truly, amazing feats of contortionism. I could go get the digital camera and show you the pictures I took, if you’d like.” He made to stand.

She grasped his arm. “Jake, stop. I did no such thing. Did I?” He laughed, and so did she.

“I should go,” she said.

“Let me fix you breakfast, first. You need something in your stomach.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I ever want to eat again. I need a shower and a

toothbrush.”

He inclined his head toward the hallway. “Go ahead. Extra toothbrush is in a package in the left hand drawer in the bathroom. By the time you get out I’ll have breakfast ready.”

She shook her head. “No, Jake. I appreciate it, but really, I think I’ve already overstayed my welcome.”

He stepped toward her and rested his hands on her shoulders. Knowing she was this

close, knowing the only thing separating him from her naked body was a thin, gray Tshirt, had him hard in an instant.

“Go. Shower. No arguments.” And quickly. He had to get her out of there before she

figured out he had ulterior motives. The physical evidence was becoming quite obvious.

“Fine,” she said with a curving smile and turned quickly, padding down the hall.

He

watched her progress, bare feet shuffling along the carpet and backside swinging in a

naturally provocative way.

With a groan, he plopped down in the kitchen chair and laid his head in his hands.

Chivalry. What idiot thought that one up?

Lucy stood under the pulsating heat of the glass blocked shower, luxuriating in the cleansing sensation of rinsing away the horror from last night. She felt one hundred

percent better. Almost human, in fact.

Her mind was still a little unclear. Fortunately, the things she’d forgotten were the unpleasant moments, after she had gotten sick. She remembered quite clearly being

cradled in Jake’s arms and sharing some intensely hot kisses.

He’d touched her, caressed her skin with his bare hands. She’d wanted more. A lot

more. But then he’d stopped.

At least one of them had some common sense, and it hadn’t been her. She’d gone into this so-called relationship with Jake intending to do nothing more than parade him

around as her boyfriend of the moment so that she could get her father to mind his own

business and maybe let her make her own choices for once.

Instead, she’d been taking this whole thing way too seriously. Like she really was having a romance with Jake. Which was ludicrous.

Wasn’t it?

Reluctantly she turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing an oversized bath

towel and tucking it around her. Her nipples tightened at the thought of Jake’s body

wrapped in this very towel. Apparently she was feeling better since her thoughts ran

rampant with visions of a naked Jake in the bathroom.

Now what? First things first. She needed to find her things. A vague recollection of flinging her clothes while ill last night came back to her. She glanced at her mortified

face in the mirror.

She’d stripped in front of Jake.

Dear God, why couldn’t episodes of idiocy be wiped from one’s memory forever?

Instead, the bits and pieces were coming back to her in all their horridly vivid glory.

He’d held back her hair while she’d thrown up. No one had ever done that for her, not even her father when she was a child. When she’d been sick, he’d sent servants to

deal with her illnesses.

The sudden welling of tears caught her off guard, and she leaned against the counter,

feeling for all the world like Jake was the first person to ever care for her.

Except he didn’t care for her. Yes, he had proved himself to be a gentleman, much more than she could have expected considering her behavior last night. But his actions

belied the impression she’d had of a rough, didn’t give a fig about anybody, type of man.

Preconceived notions again. Just because he wasn’t from her social world didn’t mean he couldn’t care. He had shown her more heart in the week she’d known him than

most people she’d known her entire life.

In less than a half hour she had found her clothes, combed through her wild nest of

hair, and at least felt presentable enough to exit the bathroom. Jake was in the kitchen.

The smell of coffee and bacon got the hunger juices flowing in her stomach.

Jake was right. She did need to eat.

“Smells wonderful.”

“Sit down, it’s ready.” He carried two plates filled with eggs, bacon and toast to the

table, where coffee and juice had already been poured.

“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.” She felt guilty that she hadn’t even helped.

“It’s no trouble. I have to eat, too.”

She dove into the food, her appetite returning with a vengeance. After they finished,

she jumped up and cleared the table, ran some water and washed the dishes. At least that

made her feel somewhat useful.

“Wow. You know how to clean up,” he said behind her.

She turned, ready to throw the dishrag in his face when she caught his lifted brow and casual