Heartstopper(20)

I pull back and rip off the condom when we can finally breathe again,  looking at her, and she realizes I'm looking for a trash can. "Over  there." She points. As soon as I toss it in, I realize this may have  been a mistake. We're not going to be the same at work after this.

Who gives a shit? The little voice inside me whispers as I pick up her  exhausted body and carry her toward her bedroom. I didn't even notice  before, but looking around, I can see the music posters adorning the  walls. And next to her bed sits the pile of demo CDs she told me about  earlier. You want her. She's worth breaking the rules for.

"I'm going to have to go," I whisper quietly as I stroke her angelic  face. Roxy nods and gives me a hopeful smile. "I don't think Mr. Felix  is happy with me as it is."

She smiles, looking at me with those same deep eyes. "Jake . . ."

"I know," I whisper, kissing her softly. I'm so tempted to stay, but I  have to go. It just isn't the right time yet, and Sophie will probably  wonder what the hell happened if I'm not there in the morning. "I'll see  you Monday?"

"Monday," she murmurs, dozing off. I watch her fall asleep, and I slowly  make my way out to the living room, where I grab my shirt off the floor  and shrug it back on. I let myself out quietly, a new thought coming to  my mind.

Fuck any rules. I don't care about any of that. All I'm thinking is that  she's got the talent, and she needs to rediscover her heart for it.





Chapter 14





Roxy





I come awake with a gasp, my heart hammering in my chest. For an  instant, I don't know where I am. I reach for Jake, but I moan in  disappointment when I realize he's not here.

"It was just a dream," I mutter. A dream in which Jake stayed the night,  then served me breakfast in bed. Followed by the hottest morning  cuddlefuck a girl could dream of.

"What's the saying?" I yawn, stretching out my arms above my head and  hearing my bones pop. "If it's too good to be true then . . ." An ache  runs down my side, bringing my mind back to last night.

I don't know how long it was before Hannah came back in. She'd woken me up, but I dropped off again quickly.

I've never felt anything like what Jake and I did last night. It was  amazing, the way his lips danced on my skin, the way electricity  crackled from every touch. He was powerful, tender, demanding, and  giving, all at the same time. I've never been driven so wild to demand  that a guy fuck me. I blush as I remember telling him to fuck me.

"Those eyes," I say to myself, lying back and putting my forearm over my  eyes. "The way he touched me, the way he looked at me . . . he almost  stopped my heart."

There's that nickname of his again, and as soon as the words come out of  my mouth, I feel something I haven't felt in a long time. Words and a  tune start flowing through my head like a river.

I can't stand this creep, where is my Superman?

He's late, but I don't give a damn.

One glance in his eyes, and I know what I need.

Gimme mouth to mouth, because he's a total Heartstopper.

I jump out of bed and grab a pen and notepad from my nightstand,  scribbling down some lyrics as I hum the tune that's running around in  my head. It's been a long time since I had the urge to write a song.  I've always been more of a performer than a creator. But being with Jake  seems to have inspired me.         

     



 

"What are you doing?"

The words pierce my consciousness, and I let out a cry, my pen  clattering to the table as I jump and look in the doorway. Hannah is  staring at me, clearly hungover, with her hair in a disheveled blonde  halo, looking like a crazy cave woman. "Jesus, Hannah, you scared the  shit out of me. Ever heard of knocking?"

"Sorry, I didn't expect you to be working with Mr. Rabbit," she half  jokes. She comes over and flops on my bed, throwing her arm over her  eyes and groaning melodramatically. "Shoot me, would you? I have the  worst headache."

"So much for being the responsible one," I tease, closing my notebook  after picking up my pen. "Talking shit about me, and you look like you  got fucking wasted."

Hannah's mouth pinches as she keeps her eyes covered. "I'm a grown ass  woman. I can do what I want. But it won't happen again . . ."

The door creaks open, and we both jump and let out bloodcurdling  screams. Mr. Felix stops and peers curiously back and forth between us,  padding into the room before hopping up on the bed, looking at us both  like he'd like to give us a long lecture on duties to the boss . . .  namely, him.

"Jesus." We both laugh. "Can we get any jumpier?"

Hannah lies back on the bed, still shading her eyes. "So how did you get home last night?"

She knows damn well how I got home. That's not what she's asking. "Jake drove me home, remember?"

Hannah lifts her arm, peering at me suspiciously. "And that's all that happened?"

I do my best to keep a straight face. "Yes, what did you think might happen?"

Hannah grins painfully. "I don't know, maybe you screwed him and  actually killed him this time with that hungry pussy of yours? Is his  body in the closet?" She gets up off my bed and goes over, yanking the  door open and taking a look. "Yoo-hoo! Jake? You in here?" she calls.  "If you're alive, tap your foot. I'll rescue you!"

"Oh, stop it!" I laugh. "He's not here." I grin, deciding to turn the  tables on Hannah. "Speaking of getting hot and heavy, did you get down  with Nathan?"

Hannah closes my closet, turning to look at me like I'm crazy. "You must  be out of your damn mind. He's cute and all, but he's not my type."

"Mmmhmm," I say, unconvinced. "I don't know, you were giving him a few looks like you were more than ready to ride his pony."

Hannah growls. "I'm gonna kill you." She starts toward the bed, then  stops, nodding at my notebook. "What were you doing, anyway?"

"Writing a song."

Hannah gawks in surprise. "A song? Now I know something's really going on. It's Jake, isn't it? He's got you seeing stars."

"No," I reply, even as I blush. I'm a terrible liar when it comes to Hannah.

"Come on, spill it. No teasing, no bullshit."

I look at Hannah, who's got her arms crossed, then roll my eyes. "Okay,  maybe he is the reason, but singing at the club last night awakened  something in me that I didn't think was there anymore. Something I  buried, and I want to find it again."

I expect Hannah to laugh at me, to call me silly or something. Instead,  she bites her lip then gives me a sad smile. "Okay, babe. If you need  it, then I've got your back. Just . . ."

"What?"

Hannah sighs. "Don't fall in love with Jake, okay? I could see it in  your eyes, in the way you performed. You weren't there for the crowd.  You were cock teasing him and loving it. But more than that . . . I saw  the way you looked at him. Just, be careful."

"I am," I reply, and Hannah sighs again. "What?"

"Nothing. I've got your back."

I bite my lip. "I know."



At work the following Monday, I try to avoid Jake whenever I can. I  don't know why I'm doing it. I want to see him. I want to talk to him. I  want to be with him.

Even though I try not to, I find myself stealing glances at him when  he's in his office. As he talks, as he gestures, everything he does,  he's sexy. He commands the room like he owns it. His confidence is pure  arousal, and I can't help but rub my thighs together as I try to get  work done.

Also, I can't get the song out of my head, and I find myself scribbling  lyrics whenever Jake is around. Not all of them fit in this song, but  there are some that do.

"Keeping a diary over there?" Matt asks out of the blue while I'm in the midst of trying to write the song instead of working.         

     



 

"What's it to you?" I growl, snapping the notebook closed.

"You keep looking off into space lately, scribbling in that book. Got  someone on your mind?" He raises his eyebrows toward Jake's office, and  it unsettles me. I'm sure he's just fishing. How the hell could he know  anything?

"Why don't you mind your own damn business?"

Matt walks away, grumbling under his breath about moody bitches, and I'm  pissed off. But more importantly, I'm wondering if he's actually picked  up on something. If he has, other people probably have also.

After lunch, I get up and go knock on Jake's door. Elena's still out at  lunch, but Jake just came back from downstairs, and if I'm going to have  any private moments with him, this is the time.

"Come in!"

I step inside, closing the door quietly behind me. "Hey."

"Hey," he says back, giving me a smile that makes the warmth between my  legs rise to a deep burn. I do my best to reserve myself, but it's hard.  He looks so handsome with his tie loosened and his hair ruffled from a  fresh shower. He just finished his lunchtime workout. Watching his  biceps flex as he fixes his shirt and tie, I remember how his lips and  hands felt all over my body. The tension is so thick, I want to run and  jump into his arms, sweep the stuff off his desk, and have him take me  right here on top of his blotter.