Fever Pitch by Ann Marie Frohoff Read Free Book Online

townhomes in Jake’s Notting Hill neighborhood. Most of the residential streets would have looked like carbon copies if it weren’t for the different colored facades differentiating each residence, some looking like the Starburst candy rainbow. We pulled up in front of a more lightly hued bundle of homes—violet, yellow, green and blue. As soon as Jake turned off the engine, a force swelled inside me and my heart began to race. This was it. I was here and we were about to truly be alone for the first time in ages.
                  “Why so quiet?” Jake inquired, reaching over shaking my leg.
                  I smiled. “I just can’t believe I’m here, with you.” I couldn’t help but look at him longingly. I’d worried how I would feel about him when I saw him again, and clearly I was more in love with him than ever. I only hoped he felt it as strongly as I did.
                  He exhaled, heavily. “Aly, I’m happy your here. I’m totally stoked on it.”
                  There was something on his mind, I could tell. “But what?”
                  He shook his head, grabbing the top of it. Uh oh , I thought. This was his agitated-something’s-on-his-mind maneuver. “Nothing.” He smiled and leaned over, kissing me hard on the lips. “I’m just really happy with how this feels right now, because I have something for you, so let’s go.”
                  My stomach flipped. What could it be? I hated and loved surprises all at the same time. I was so excited, I could have exploded. I trembled inside and wondered if he could tell my limbs were shaking as I stepped onto the curb. Jake had my luggage in his hand, and he grabbed mine with his free one, taking me toward the steps of the green painted abode.
                  “I live on the top floor. There’s an elevator, an old one, but it works,” he said, dropping my hand. He pointed toward the brushed copper metal door at the end of the foyer. I slowly walked toward it with my heart clattering in my chest. I took slow, deliberate breaths, trying to steady my nerves. I sighed softly, telling myself to stop it. I knew what was going to happen. This was what I wanted, right? I just wondered how it would go down. Would he instantly throw me on his bed? Or what? Would he wait for me to make the first move? Ugh. I needed a drink. I thought of my mother and her drinking her glasses of wine to relax. That’s what I needed. I needed to relax, and Jake did too, apparently. I noticed a shift in his demeanor as soon as we pulled up in front of his house.
                  The sound of mechanical parts grinding and rubbing together filled the air. I unbuttoned my coat and finally untied the scarf around my neck as I looked around at the old fixtures and carved ceiling above me. Jake placed my bag on the floor while we waited. This was an old building, and I thought of how many people had stood where we stood. I stepped behind Jake and wrapped my arms around his waist. I wanted to be as close to him as I could, for as long as possible. His cool hands rubbed the tops of mine, and I slipped them under his jacket, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my hands. An ache pulsed through me, and it made me sigh. My head moved back and forth as it pressed against his back, and he sighed deeply too.
                  “I really hope you’re ok with this. Sometimes I think you’re just being nice because of everything that’s happened.”
                  He chuckled. “Don’t be silly.” His arms dropped. He took my hips into his hands and he sighed again. His thumbs massaged my hipbones. “I swear, I couldn’t want this more.”
                  My heart swelled at hearing his words. I couldn’t want this more either.
                  Finally, we arrived at his front door, and he placed my bag on the floor. He fumbled with the keys