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Cautiously, he slid his arm around her shoulders.
The feel of his hand on her shoulder made her almost wince with the tenderness in his touch as if burying the kinetic energy that had circled them during their last few interactions. “Let’s go say hi to some friends from high school over there,” he said, his other hand pointing to two tables in the back.
“Okay, yes, that would be great.” Her voice sounded too polite, too formal. She knew it, but the ping-pong of messages she was sensing from him had her disoriented. Did he want her here? Was she suddenly a burden?
He couldn’t help but notice the constant dragging of her eye tooth over her bottom lip—it usually made him aroused, but he’d been with her enough to know the repetitive, furtiveness of it was a nervous gesture. “Hey, you.”
“Yeah, you?” She looked up at him.
He could tell she wasn’t aware of how much she bit down on her lip. Stopping, he looked at her, smiling. “You’re going to have a hole in that lip if you don’t quit biting it.” His thumb lightly grazed her lower lip, staring into her wide green eyes that were jumping skittishly around the room.
“Yeah, um, didn’t even know I was…” The truth was, she only knew that she was shaking inside, a swelling apprehension settling in her gut, clashing with an urge to lean into him, to get lost in him. She had learned to read men, but at this moment, she was unclear.Because you know what you need to tell him in a couple of days.
“Maybe a glass of wine before more introductions,” he said, leaning close to her ear because the band was loudly playing “Friends in Low Places,” and the crowd was singing along even more loudly.
She nodded, her eyes on him. “That would be nice.”
She sounded so formal, he thought, realizing that was how she acted when she was super uncomfortable. It struck him thatthey were both harboring the same dark information about her past, and they both knew it would be out in the open when the celebrations were over. It was just that she didn’t know he knew.Fuck, she’s scared,he thought. He took her hand, leading her to the back of the barn where the bar was. “Joe, can you find that good French chard back there? One of the bottles I snuck in, and give us two glasses,” Jake said to the tall and bald mid-fifties man behind the bar.
“Who you got there, Jake?” his uncle asked with a knowing nod.
Jake’s eyes jumped to Rakell. “Oh, sorry, Rakell. This is my Uncle Joe, a.k.a. family bartender. Joe, this is…um, my friend, Rakell.”
She hung on to his hesitancy, using the wordfriend.
He reached across the bar, shaking Rakell’s hand. “What are you doing messing with this loser? Actually, my favorite nephew, and he knows it.” Joe released her hand. “Jake snuck a few ‘special’ bottles in—said he wanted something good for you. Let me get you a glass,” Joe said, turning and grabbing a couple of wine glasses from a rack on the back wall.
Jake and she were both leaning against the bar when Jake turned to her. “So,” he said, “hate starting a night off on the wrong foot, but I have to admit, you were right.” His eyes scrunched a little with the wide grin on his face.
“Oh, not sure…” Her stomach rolled a little because she wasn’t sure where he was going.
“You were insistent we wait ‘til after this party to have our ‘relationship talk,’ and I get it, sorry,” he said, smiling, wanting so badly to wrap his arms around her, pull her into him, and feel her next to him, to not have this chilled air between them.
Looking at him, she let out a deep breath. “Jake, I…” she stuttered, scrambling to speak as she let the words soak in—‘relationship talk’—making the reality of what that talk, theunveiling of her life, even if she could soften it, would mean to Jake. Not just Jake, to her…She’d felt the welcome warmth of his family and friends, and that would be something she’d only have as a memory.
Instinctively, he pulled her into his chest, resting his chin on her head, absorbing her. “Think we’re both better at non-verbals,” he said, kissing the top of her head. He could feel her tremble slightly against him. “Let’s just have fun tonight, then we can chat next week when my family and friends head out. Tonight, I’m just so glad you’re here.” He pulled back, her green eyes on him, jerking at his insides. He bent his head, laying his lips on her forehead, softly puckering against her skin as his hand tucked a few long, wispy bangs behind her ear.
She couldn’t stop the shiver that went through her from the light touch of his lips on her forehead and his fingers brushing against her cheek as he tucked her hair behind her ear. That simple touch grazed over her skin, tugging at her insides.
“Here you go.” Joe placed two glasses on the bar. “Two glasses of Domain Leflave, or whatever, Grand Cru… damn those French names.” Laughing, he looked at Rakell. “Anyway,” he said, “he wanted something special back here for you.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes went to the half-empty open bottle, recognizing the wine, knowing it cost at least five hundred dollars a bottle. She looked at Jake. “Wow, really? Too much, don’t want you not making rent,” she said in a teasing whisper.
He leaned down to her ear. “Don’t tell anyone, but I just won the Super Bowl. I can afford to spoil you,” he growled, “and I want to.”
She sipped the wine. “Mmm…and I like it.” Smiling, she was finally feeling her body starting to let go of the nervous tension.
“Hey, Joe, keep that case to the side; you know the rules.” Jake nodded to his uncle.
“Got it, only this beautiful lady here, your mom and sisters, oh and Delilah, get the good stuff. So, basically, the women in your life.” Joe laughed. “And don’t tell my older brother, 'cause your dad would have your hide for spending that much money… was gonna say on wine, but…think I get the reason,” he said, his eyes scanning to Rakell. “But your dad doesn’t like you spending money, period.”
“I know, but hell, it’s the Super Bowl.” Jake grabbed Rakell’s arm. “Gonna introduce her to some friends.” He gently pulled her toward a table with several couples, introducing her to some of the guys he’d gone to high school with, and then over to another table where an older man with a big grin stood. Rakell thought she recognized him from the gym. “Mr. E,” Jake said, wrapping his arms around the older man.
“Jake, congrats again.” Pulling back from Jake, he looked toward Rakell. “Jeepers, who’s this?” A big grin blanketed his face.
Rakell jumped in before Jake could speak. “Rakell, his personal cheerleader,” she said, smiling and shaking Mr. E’s hand. “I think I’ve seen you a few times at the gym.”
“Probably. That’s my social spot now that I’ve retired from trying to straighten out the youth,” he laughed. “What are you doing messing with the likes of him?”
