“Holy fuck,” she screams as the orgasm barrels through her.
I don’t let up. Continuing to feast upon her as she rides out every second of the orgasm, wanting to prolong it as much as possible. Once she begins to relax, I withdraw my fingers and mouth, gazing up at the gorgeous woman spread out on the island of our kitchen.
“Best fucking meal ever.”
She chuckles, covering her face with her hands. “That was… Holy fuck… Incredible.”
“I could tell. Told you it would be worth the wait,” I say with a smirk.
Her eyes meet mine as an overwhelming feeling of love hits me square in the chest. I love this woman with my whole fucking soul. Nothing else in life matters except her.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
kate
After I come backto my senses from the jaw-dropping orgasm and get dressed, I check my phone to see a missed call and voicemail from a vaguely familiar number. I listen to the voicemail and almost drop the phone when I hear my dad’s voice. I quickly stop the voicemail from playing and start spiraling, wondering what he said.
“Are you okay?” Jake asks from across the kitchen. “You look spooked.”
I shake my head, fighting back tears. “My dad… He called and left a message.”
Jake rushes to my side and wraps his arm around me before leading me to the couch. I curl into his body as I let the wave of emotions out. Although I haven’t listened to the voicemail, I know it likely contains at least a partial answer to my question about whether he wants me in his life.
And I’m terrified to find out.
“Do you want to listen to the voicemail now? Or another time?” Jake runs his fingers through my hair in an effort to soothe me. “I can listen to it first if that would help.”
I sigh and snuggle into his chest. “I don’t know. I’ve spent twenty-five years wanting answers, and now they’re in front of me.”
He tilts my chin up with his fingers and stares into my eyes. “No matter what he says, do not forget how amazing you are. You’re an enormous blessing to everyone who hasthe privilegeof having you in their life. If he can’t see that, it’s his loss. Not yours.” He leans down and kisses my lips softly. “You’ll always be the center of my world.”
The unease and tension begin to fade away, allowing me to take a deep breath for the first time since hearing my dad’s voice. “I love you, Jake.”
“I love you, Kate. You’re my everything.”
A small smile spreads across my face as the weight of his love wraps around me like a warm blanket. I exhale deeply and adjust my position until I’m sitting next to him with his arm around me. “Okay. I’m going to listen to it because if I don’t, I’ll spend all evening worrying about it.”
“I support whatever you want to do,” he replies, squeezing my shoulder.
“Here goes nothing.”
I hold the phone in my hand and play the voicemail on speakerphone.
“Hey Kate. It’s…your dad. I was glad to get your call the other day. Sorry, it took me a few days to call back. I’d like an opportunity to talk to you and explain where I’ve been and what’s going on in my life. It’d be nice to get to know you again, if you’re open to it. Give me a call whenever you have a chance.”
We sit in silence for a couple of minutes after the voicemail ends. I know Jake’s waiting for me to say something, but I can’t find the words to describe how I feel. On the surface, it looks like I’m getting what I wanted because my dad wants to talk to me, at least. Though I can’t help but feel this overwhelming pang ofsadness deep in my chest because he had decades to reach out to me and didn’t. Why is he only making an effort after I reached out?
I swallow hard at the realization the timing might be because of the man sitting next to me. It wouldn’t take more than a quick Google search to see I’m dating country music superstar, Chase Elliott. And my name has been plastered over social media and the tabloids for weeks. Anna warned me about the people who would come out of the woodwork once they found out about us. Now, I’m wondering if my dad might be one of them.
I close my eyes and focus on my breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. I do this until my insecurities stop rising and a calmness takes over. I open my eyes and turn to Jake.
“Is it crazy that I’m questioning why he’s returning my call? I know it’s supposed to be what I want, but I have this pent-up anger. I don’t understand why he’s waited so long. He could’ve reached out years ago. Decades ago.”
“I’m not making any excuses for him because what he did, cutting you out of his life as a child, is completely inexcusable. But I can relate to how it feels to lose contact with someone and not know how to restart the conversation after too much time has passed.” He pulls on the back of his neck as his brows furrow deeper. “The shame you feel when you know the distance physically and emotionally is all your fault, and you can’t figure out how to fix it. In some ways, it becomes less painful to keep the distance rather than try to address it and potentially be rebuffed.”
I cup his face, stroking the slight stubble on his cheek. “Don’t compare what happened between us years ago to what my dad did. He was an adult. A parent. You were barely twenty, and you made a mistake. We’re well past that.”
He sighs and leans into my touch. “I know. It doesn’t mean I can’t relate to what he might be feeling and still be fucking pissed at him at the same time.”
