Only Mine novel Chapter 17

Monday morning I walk into the office and I'm sent right away to the office of my boss Elena, realizing all hell broke loose. We've almost lost one of our biggest clients, because of some newbie error (that thankfully wasn't made by me) and now we'll have to work twice as fast and for less money on their new project for them to not leave our firm.

As soon as I enter her office, she starts barking orders at me from all directions, so I barely have time to pull out my iPad and start making notes for all the things we'll require.

It's not until 1 p.m. that I manage to breathe and steal away for a quick bite before we return back to work. Luckily I don't have classes today, so I can devote my time and be the best PA my boss can get. And hoping she won't forget it when it's time for promotion.

I walk down to the coffee shop and when I finally manage to sit down with my cup of coffee and a sandwich, I let myself breathe and relax from the hectic morning.

My lips curve upwards when memories of the previous day flood my mind.

It was a spectacular day. Jake took us to a cute little restaurant for one of the best Benedict Eggs I've ever eaten and we've spent the entire meal talking and laughing at the stories of me and Becca, wedding preparations, and what he and Brian were up to in earlier age. I could see women falling in line for both of them if they were so charming. They still do for Jake, obviously.

After that we were driving in his comfortable car for almost an hour to the secret destination that he mentioned was his favourite place around here.

To my surprise we stopped next to a medium-sized cottage that I, later on, found out was his parents', but they don't use it much since they live in England now. The place looked so warm and homey with its light brown wood shell and rustic interior with just the right amount of luxury apparatus to make it look sophisticated yet not intimidating.

What took my breath away, however, was the winter garden surrounded by tall glass windows that overlook a big lake. It looked out of this world with noon sun shining on the water, appearing as the surface of the deep green lake is bathed in diamonds.

I stopped in front of the glass doors, looking out in awe without uttering a single word. It was the most serene and peaceful moment I had in a long time.

His big hands pulled me back and hug my waist from behind, letting me take in the view with his warm breath on my neck. He didn't interrupt my gazing, just pressed a small kiss to the top of my head, and held me tight. We stood like that for a few minutes before I turned around in his arms, giving him a long lazy kiss.

"I take it you like the place?"

"'Like' is an understatement of the year. I can see why this is your getaway."

We kept on standing there, my hands around his neck and his resting on my hips, smiling at each other.

"There isn't a lot of things I use that are from my parents. But this place... I think I mostly cherish it because it has one of the few good memories I have of my childhood."

The conversation took a serious turn and I was dying to find out what's the story behind it.

"You don't have a good relationship with them?"

He sighed and slowly led us to a nearby sofa to sit down.

"It's not that they are bad parents. There were no domestic issues if you are thinking something like that. It's just that they didn't want kids in particular and my mother getting pregnant was more of an accident than a planned occurrence. They provided me with everything I needed, materialistically speaking, but if they had an option between spending time with me during my summer holidays or go travel to Caribbean's, well let's just say... I wasn't their top priority."

It broke my heart hearing him say this, but he didn't let me dwell on it too much.

"Hey, you don't have to feel sorry for me. I had Brian and his parents. They took me in all the time and I felt more part of their family than my own. This is why I have a special bond with Brian, even though I didn't see him as much the past 4 years that I had a job in London and was living there."

Mhm, it makes sense now why I haven't met Jake before the engagement party.

"But I'm happy I'm here now for his wedding and I'm even happier to be able to meet you. And since Brian knows me since I was a kid, he is aware of my relationship with women and it isn't something he's proud of or even agrees with. But he realizes it's something it works for me, so he doesn't interfere much."

He laughs lightly when continuing, "This will probably change if he hears who is my new woman."

"And that is why you want to keep a low-profile about us?"

"Also, yes. You know I didn't want to pursue this at first because he would never forgive me for messing with you. And I was on the same page with him, I knew you deserved more. No, I know you deserve more. But I'm a selfish bastard, and since it seemed I couldn't stay away from you no matter how much I tried, I got involved with you anyway."

There was remorse in his eyes and I really didn't like it. I wanted him to enjoy his time with me without regrets or thinking about 'what ifs'.

"Jake, it's not like you forced me into anything. If anyone, it was me who tried to make you cave. Stop feeling bad for it. We both agreed this is not a relationship, there is no pressure and we'll just go with the flow.

So, what do you want to do here?"

He gave me a small smile at my attempt to change the topic and pulled me in for a kiss, his mouth capturing mine and our tongues intertwining until we were both panting. He broke the kiss and his eyes were slightly glazed from lust.

"If we continue like this, there won't be time to show you the best part of this place."

With his eyes twinkling, he continues, "I was planning to take you out on a boat and show you around the lake. Most likely it will be chilly out on the lake, but I brought some warm blankets and a prepared thermos of hot coffee. Are you are up for it?"

He was a bit unsure when asking, but I loved the idea.

"Of course, it sounds like a plan."

We've spent a good 2 hours out on the lake, cruising around, talking about everything and nothing, drinking coffee and snuggling under warm blankets. It was a beautiful day and I found about Jake more things than I hoped for.

Nevertheless, the story about him not wanting any kind of relationship was still intact. And I was almost scared of finding out what I was up against. Because quite frankly, I wanted him. The whole him, not just at night for a mind-blowing sex.

Phone beeping in my purse startled me from daydreaming in the middle of taking a sip of my coffee and I almost spilled myself with the cup's content. Seriously, what is it with me and coffee?

Considering the name of my boss was flashing on my phone I picked my takeaway cup and scurried out of the place before picking up. The day wasn't over yet.

--

The next few weeks passed pretty the same. I worked, studied a lot, preparing for midterm exams, and juggle all my free time between family and Jake.

And Jake took a lot of my free time. Not that I minded. We ended up together almost every night, except on the weekend when he was busy at the club. However, he always made sure the lines didn't get too blurry. We mostly hung out at my place and every night after crazy perfect sex, he stayed with me in bed until I fell asleep and then snuck out before morning, letting me wake up every time to an empty bed.

I knew what was our agreement and precisely that was the reason I didn't push on the subject, but I can't say it didn't hurt every morning a bit more waking up this way. The subject never opened during our conversations and he never offered an explanation. So, I let it be, feeling too big of a coward, afraid to scare him away.