Chasing Rainbows
Part Twenty

Jacob was stroking her hair, she could feel every single one of his fingers, her head rested on his shoulder, his scent in her nostrils, and it was like a sensory overload. When she moaned, Emma heard Jacob chuckle, the sound rumbling in his chest. She wanted to say something, in reality she wanted to run away, but Jacob must have sensed her becoming unsettled because a finger found her lips and silenced her.

“Don’t speak, not yet!” He breathed, and his hands continued to stroke her gently, holding her close to him. He was right, why spoil the moment with arguing and recrimination? And his hands felt SO good!

Jacob knew she was flighty, that she was over thinking everything; he on the other hand was still coming back down to earth from that amazing event. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so...he couldn’t put it into words; needless to say he was now convinced that there was no way they’d consummated their marriage in Vegas. He’d have remembered the earth moving like this no matter how drunk he was. And he wasn’t disappointed, he didn’t feel trapped into this marriage, in fact for the first time in a long time he felt he had purpose, direction. He couldn’t wait to see Andy’s face when he knew that! Smiling to himself, he pushed thoughts of his best friend away, and wrapped his arms around Emma pulling her tight to him; her breasts squashed against his chest, her thigh lifted over his and his whole body took in all of hers. Perfect!

Emma was in a quandary, she needed to get away, but Jacob was holding her, she could feel his body start to respond to her being there, hardening against her thigh, and the thought of a repeat made her feel dizzy. For the moment nothing mattered but this man who she couldn’t get enough of. He’d told her not to speak, a wise move as she was full of conflict, and she couldn’t stop her mind racing.

He must have been wise to how she was feeling, as he started to kiss her, cheek first, the raising her jaw so he could replace her lips. And boom! Once again they were losing control. Like striking a match, within seconds they were on fire, unable to get enough of each other. Emma could only gasp as he over powered her; she’d never known anything like it.

“I need a shower.” Jacob mumbled at her ear, his hand still lazily stroking her thigh, their bodies still entwined. His comment didn’t raise even a flicker, her eyes were closed but he knew she wasn’t asleep. “Join me?”

Her eyes popped open and she stared at him for a moment, shocked. Laughing he jumped out of bed, and pulled her across the bedroom and out to the bathroom. Not giving her a second to process anything, he pushed her under the vigorous hot jets of water. When she gasped, he laughed diving under the spray with her, his hands covered every inch of her, soaping her clean,

Emma would eventually rate the shower as the most erotic and exciting experience of her life, but first she’d had to get over her insecurities and awkwardness. But Jacob was so keen to please, so happy to worship her, that pleasure replaced all other emotions by the time he dried her lovingly with a fluffy towel. Back in the bed, she finally fell asleep protected in his arms, his lips attached to her forehead in the ultimate gesture of affection.

Jacob looked down at her, so idyllic in sleep, that he didn’t want to move, but then he needed to get breakfast, and his favourite patisserie was only a few minutes away. So he slipped out of the bed without waking her, and dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, then snuck out to get her some special breakfast treats. He knew JUST what he was going to get her.

Emma stretched, her arms moving over the cool sheets, the bed was empty, and it surprised her that she hadn’t felt Jacob stir, she was usually such a light sleeper. But you don’t have an exhausting night like you’ve just had very often, a voice in her head offered. She listened out for the bathroom, expecting to hear the flush or maybe the shower. But the house was silent. Rolling on to her tummy she looked around the room, there was no sign of Jacob, his wallet had moved from the side table, so she wondered if he’d gone out.

From her position she took in the room, the definitively male room, dark bed, dark bedding and minimalist furniture, she sighed, could she imagine living here? At some point during the night, he’d assured her that their marriage could work. She could stay with him whilst she worked out of LA, living in California she’d have far better luck in replaceing another part than if she was back in London, after all London hadn’t yielded much in the way of success to date. It all sounded so easy, so simple, but Emma didn’t think anything could be so straight forward.

Sitting up, she reached for her clothes, sliding the pyjamas back on before replaceing her bag in the spare room and dressed ready for her journey home.

Downstairs there was a note from Jacob,

“Gone to get breakfast...need food after last night! BRB, Jacob.”

In the fridge Emma found some orange juice and filled a glass, then she tried to work the rather complicated coffee machine.

As she was filling the jug with water, convinced she’d loaded the grounds correctly, the phone started to ring. Would she ever be answering a call here? Would this ever be a place she classed as home?

As she contemplated that, Jacob’s voice echoed around the room.

“Hi this is Jacob, can’t take your call, leave a message.”

His voice, husky and strong caused goose bumps to erupt all over her, it elicited more than a few very good memories. She knew at that moment that Jacob Coren was getting under her skin.

“Coren, it’s Andy, you’ve had me working ALL weekend, but I think I might have a bit of good news. Been on to my contact in Nevada...think he can wangle you an annulment without the usual stipulations. Could be legal within a couple of weeks, as long as you don’t do anything stupid - like consummate! Anyway, it all means your half a million is safe from gold digging hands, and you can concentrate on other things! Call me! And don’t do anything stupid. OK?”

Emma was frozen in her position, glass half way to her mouth. There was SO much in that message that made her want to explode...cry. There was an easy way out of this marriage? She hadn’t needed to come here, to be wooed by him; last night...she gulped at the memories, it had all been unnecessary. And they HAD consummated their marriage, what did that mean? She wanted rid of him as much as he obviously wanted rid of her. Despite how amazing the previous night had been. She had no idea who Andy was, but it seemed that Jacob had employed him to protect his assets! And he’d just referred to her as a gold digger! She wanted to explode at the mere suggestion. All that sweet talking and romance? What the hell was he trying to do? Was he just keeping her sweet until he could work out a way to escape unscathed?

Her bag was virtually packed, but by the time she heard the back door open, by the time Jacob appeared in front of her, she was ready for him...and ready to leave.

“You sleep well?”

Jacob had missed her for every moment that he’d been out in his hunter-gatherer role. All he wanted after one of her amazing kisses, was to see her smile as he produced an amazing breakfast. Suddenly providing for this woman had become his life’s goal! That was until he’d seen the trash mag at the checkout, ‘Who is Theo Samuel’s mystery woman?’ It was accompanied by an admittedly blurry photo of the actor entering a romantic and very desirable woman on his arm, a woman who was so obviously his wife. The two dined together before taking a romantic stroll on the beach. Diners at the restaurant reported that Samuel was smitten. So who is the exotic stranger that seems to have tamed the untameable?

The words and the images cut into him like a knife, but he already trusted her. He knew Samuel was a big opportunity to catapult to the big time. That’s all this was. But it hadn’t stopped him buying the magazine; it was currently hidden under their breakfast.

Now he saw her face, the soft lines hardened by a scowl, and that anger and hatred all back and aimed at him.

“What’s wrong?”

Her responding laugh was the harshest ugliest sound he’d ever heard. “Nothing. I want to go to the airport. Can you drive me?”

Jacob struggled to understand where all this went wrong. He’d left her content, happy, hell in the night she’d agreed to move in with him. Now she was here all anger and aggression...he shook his head for a moment ruing fickle women, fighting the pain that gripped his chest as he watched his perfect dream crumple around him.

“I don’t have a car Emma, so I can’t drive you.”

She shook her head, “you said the nearest shop was a few miles away, you expect me to believe you walked?”

He shook his head then opened the back door to show her his mode of transport.

“A bike! You only use a bike!” Any chance of escape was diminishing, and she didn’t want this slimy man getting his claws into her again, cajoling into doing things his way. “That’s what you offer me? A kid’s bike?” She shook her head. All this about money, about gold-digging and he brought NOTHING to the table. “Do you own this house?”

He shook his head, “it was my grandmother’s...”

She stared at him for second, “so everything you told me, everything is overinflated lies! I’d rather walk to the airport than spend another moment here!”

“What and this isn’t a lie? YOU aren’t a lie?”

He was hurt, and it was that that made him retaliate so childishly. He tossed the magazine down on the counter in front of her and watched her visibly pale. Her eyes flicked from the photo, to him, back to the photo, then she reached for her bags.

Jacob watched her storm out the door, still stunned by the turn of events. And she’d slated his bike! His vintage well loved BMX was worth more than a lot of cars, and the fact that he had documentation proving that it originally belonged to Mat Hoffman probably trebled that value. It was his baby, and far more practical than a car in this city.

Shaking his head he reached for the phone, he’d phone her a cab, it was the least he could do. It was then he noticed the blinking light on the answer machine, and as Andy’s voice boomed out of the speaker, he suddenly realised exactly WHAT had gone wrong.