Romance Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Away ❯ Meeting Jake ( Chapter 9 )

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Chapter 9

Meeting Jake

 

 

 

 

The next week held much the same pattern with Naomi staying in her room unless Jake was not in the house. That was when Naomi had free range. There had been a couple of close encounters when Jake had come back early and she had sworn he'd seen her before she'd had a chance to hide entirely.

 

Just the day before last Naomi was sitting with Breagan in his room talking with him when Jake called Breagan's name from the hallway, announcing his arrival home. Naomi jumped up from her position in a chair by his window and raced to the armoire. Her dress barely fit and Breagan had barely closed the doors on it when Jake appeared at his doorway. Naomi felt like a child being caught playing in the mud. She heard Breagan speaking to his father from inside the armoire through the clothes that, though clean, carried Breagan's scent. Her eyes closed in reverence as she breathed him in.

 

Though Naomi could tell Breagan was trying to be nonchalant and was pretending that he didn't have a woman hiding in his clothes closet, Jake must not have noticed anything unusual about his son's demeanor. She heard Jake's voice trail away with the expectation that Breagan was right behind him when the armoire doors creaked open and she saw Breagan motion her to her room, then quietly trot after his father. When she could hear neither one of them anymore, she did as Breagan had motioned her to do. Naomi didn't leave her room again that day.

 

Today, with Jake on a lengthy errand, Naomi left her room to wander the house. Breagan had invited her to come and see his newest work-in-progress on paper when she got the chance, and she was in his study with him doing just that when Jake walked into the house unexpectedly very soon after he'd left. Breagan and Naomi looked at each other with matching looks of panic on their faces when they heard him coming their way. Breagan directed Naomi to a door to her right and she ran through it, closing the door behind her in time for Jake to walk into the study to find Breagan alone.

 

Jake was still confused why Minna had sent him on an errand, only to find that it had already been done. The old girl must be loosing it. He saw his son in his study, facing away from his desk and staring at the door leading to the library.

 

“Breagan, I thought I'd find you here. I thought I might see if we should see to the progress on the new…”

 

Jake's invitation was cut short when a loud, shrill scream came from the library next door. A sudden look of terror shot across Breagan's face as he shot up and ran through the doorway leading toward the scream. Jake was following close behind.

 

Immediately after clearing the doorway, Breagan began scanning the room for any sign of Naomi when he spotted her on the floor staring wide-eyed at the family cockatoo that resided in the library. The cockatoo promptly repeated the scream that Naomi had just let out when it said hello to her.

 

`Damn...forgot to mention him to Noami,' Breagan chastised himself.

 

Breagan looked at the bird, already imagining the times he would now run looking for Naomi every time the bird decided to practice his newest skill.

 

Breagan turned to Naomi and helped her off the floor. She stood up while glaring at the bird that had effectively blown the secret being kept from Breagan's father. She turned her head to Breagan who was looking at his father, so she did the same.

 

Jake saw this breathtaking woman that Breagan was treating with such care and addressed his son hopefully, “Breagan, who is this lovely creature by your side?” clearly intrigued. Naomi briefly wondered if the poor man would crack his face in half with the wide grin on it.

 

“Don't get too excited, father. This woman's name is Naomi Foster, and she will be staying with us quietly for a while until we can figure out a way to free her ties with one Caldwell Cokrain,” Breagan hurried with his explanation. Never had he felt so much like a child in his adult life; explaining the woman to his father.

 

A pained look ran crossed Jake's face before he suppressed it and turned to Naomi, “Goodness, hon, how did you ever come to be acquainted with that man? Well, never mind, I can guess,” then to Breagan, “May I ask what these ties would be?” he asked.

 

“Well, to put it simply, Naomi was sent from overseas by her uncle to Cokrain as payment for some kind of favor, I think. Her uncle works at Cokrain's furniture manufacturing warehouse in England. When she came to be in his possession, you can pretty well guess why she ran away from him. She ended up here on the night of that party you threw, and Minna hid her from her pursuer, Hank,” Breagan explained.

 

“So you're going to hide her here, five blocks from him?” he sounded incredulous.

 

“Yes, right under his nose. I initially meant to send her to Hamdell, but I think the house is being watched now, so that wouldn't work. If they were to know where she was anyway, I would rather she were here where I can protect her easier from being `reclaimed', if you will,” he answered Jake. Turning to Naomi, he introduced his father, “Naomi, I'd like you to meet my father, Jake Tyler.”

 

Naomi looked up at her savior's father, Wow, he does look like an older Breagan, “I've heard a lot about you, sir, and I am pleased to meet you,” Naomi said to the older man in front of her.

 

“I promise I'm not that bad, even though my son seemed to have found it necessary to hide you from me, too,” he said, eyeing his son, then to both of them, “So, how do we intend to get that bloodhound off her trail, then? I hate to admit it out loud, but not much gets past him.” Breagan shook his head once at what his father said, and took a deep breath.

 

“Don't know, but he came by the other day after she ram from his estate to ask if I had seen her. Of course I had, and she was, in fact, upstairs at the time, but I thought I had done a good job of heading him off that with my responses. He doesn't like us, anyway, and probably wants to suspect us of hiding her. That and the fact she disappeared around here makes me his best probability,” Breagan didn't mention the fact that Cokrain was right.

 

“Doesn't surprise me,” Jake said. Then he turned back to Naomi and grasped her hand, “I am pleased that you ran into the arms of my son, if I may say so. You are a very sweet and lovely girl, and I loathe the idea that you ever met Caldwell Cokrain. I hope you get to stay with us for a while,” he finished with a wink.

 

“Thank you, Mr. Tyler. I feel that I should also thank you for the use of the lovely gowns I have been loaned, since I had only a torn night dress when I came here.” Naomi said to him, charmed by this older version of Breagan.

 

Jake blinked; confused for a second, before he looked down at the dress she was wearing only to discover that it was one of the gowns his wife used to wear. He took note, then nodded; no one could have done a better job of displaying his late wife's gowns than this perfect creation before him. He was definitely going to have to do a little matchmaking if his son didn't catch on to her charm, which he probably already had. His son wasn't blind, after all. A deceptively benign smile broke on Jake's face as he looked at his future daughter-in-law, “I would be honored if you would call me Jake.”

 

The rest of the day was filled with getting acquainted with Jake Tyler. He was a charming man, and he obviously had a very close relationship with his son. There was no formality between them. By dinnertime, he had indeed dropped a more than a few hints. Naomi didn't mind in the least. In fact, finding that she was quite flattered by them. They all sat around the dinner table eating a dinner of chicken and rice, and Naomi found herself almost hoping that they never resolved her issues with Cokrain if that was the only thing keeping her here. It was nice to be at a family table with fun, playful banter among people who actually cared for one another. Aside from the occasional reminder of how she had come to be here, she hadn't been this happy in a long time.

 

A loud sigh coming from Jake broke Naomi's content thoughts, “So, Naomi, how long have you been in the states?” he asked, having just finished with his meal.

 

“Not very long at all. I've only been here a little over two weeks.”

 

“And you've been in this house for how many days out of that?” he asked, turning slowly to his son with `shame-on-you' written all over his face.

 

Suppressing a smile for that look, Naomi replied to Jake, “I have been a guest here for a week.”

 

Looking back at Naomi with a laugh, Jake complimented Naomi on her stealth, “I must say, my dear, you were very good at hiding yourself from me. I only suspected something just last eve, when I realized that these two have been doing a lot of `talking to themselves' lately,” he said, pointing to Minna and Breagan with his fork, “Which room did Minna put you in anyway?” Jake asked nonchalantly, though Minna and Breagan knew better.

 

Pausing for a moment, Naomi found herself embarrassed that she was in the room adjoined to Breagan's. It just seemed so intimate to her.

 

Naomi was about to answer him when Breagan answered instead, having noticed her trouble, “Minna put her in the room adjoined to mine so that I may protect her better. Although I don't see Cokrain trying anything that might harm his reputation, such as breaking and entering.”

 

“I agree with you, there,” Jake was ecstatic about the sleeping arrangements that Minna had administered. Bravo, Minna, he thought. He should see grandchildren sometime in the near future.

 

"That was delicious chicken, Minna,” Naomi said hoping to change the subject.

 

“Thank ye, Naomi. At least someone `as th' courtesy ta let me know t'was good,” she said, looking to the men in the room. Both men looked at Minna with chagrin.

 

“It was good, Minna,” Breagan offered.

 

Minna laughed, cleaning plates off of the table, “I know.” She headed back to the kitchen with plates in hand, and Jake suggested they move to the kitchen to aid Minna in the cleaning of the night's dishes. When Minna saw them coming into the kitchen to join her in the clean-up, she was delighted.

 

And so the night went with the four of them talking until Breagan reluctantly mentioned the late hour. Everyone said goodnight to each other and they all went to their respective rooms.

 

In her bedroom, Naomi reflected on her eventful day and Jake's joy at seeing her in the company of Breagan earlier that afternoon. She had no reason to believe that Jake should be in any hurry to get grandchildren for fear of not having some before he died. Minna was right, he looked to be a very fit man. As fit as his son, she might say. A knock sounded on the door adjoining her and Breagan's rooms, jarring her back to the present. Naomi went and opened the door to Breagan standing there with an apologetic smile on his face.

 

“I'm sorry that you had to be subjected to my father. He can be pretty forward sometimes,” he said, leaning on the door frame.

 

“No, I quite enjoyed meeting your father,” Naomi giggled, “He is very single-minded, though, isn't he?” she confirmed, not knowing what to do with her hands while Breagan was so close to her.

 

“Yes, very. But this time, he had a woman present to fuel the fire. I didn't mean to put you in that position.”

 

“Don't apologize to me about your father again,” she said, pointing her finger at him, “I had a very pleasant night tonight.”

 

Breagan knew he had been getting tired earlier that night when he caught himself closely watching for Naomi's reaction every time Jake mentioned marriage or children. Even now that he was away from his father's meddling, he was still thinking to himself that a life with her was not so alarming. Breagan stood in his place in the doorway, his eyes locked with Naomi. She seemed nervous, and...eager? When she took a step closer to him, Breagan made up his mind and leaned in for that kiss he could no longer hold back.

 

Naomi's heart jumped when she realized Breagan's intent. She wasn't going to back away from the kiss that she knew was coming. She didn't want to; she had been thinking of the same thing, he just beat her to it. Eagerly, she put her hands on his chest to steady herself when she stood on her toes to reach him, and their lips finally met. Naomi sighed when she felt his warm mouth move over hers and she began to feel that liquid warmth inside her again. As she fingered the hard muscles under her his cream-colored shirt, the warmth inside her grew to a fire that spread throughout her to pool where it was most pleasurable. He put his hands over hers where they rested on his chest as he continued enjoying her warmth.

 

Several slow moments went by before the kiss deepened with a gasp on her part and a groan on his. Breagan's hands moved up Naomi's arms to rest on her face as they explored each other's taste. They began to move together in the direction of the bed, and once there began to sink onto it as one, trapped under the spell of one another. The rush of pleasure nearly overwhelmed her when she began to feel his weight on top of her as they lay down, encasing her in his warmth and that familiar smell of him.

 

As they became horizontal, he began realizing through the fog of what he was so close to doing to her. Breagan called on all of his willpower and broke off the contact from Naomi, backing up from her to avoid reaching out for her again.

 

He tried catching his breath as he watched her do the same, his willpower faltering a bit when he saw the passion still swimming in her green-gold eyes, “Lest we grant my father's wish for grandchildren, we should probably avoid doing that again,” Breagan said, not liking the cold, empty feeling that backing away from her had caused. Why didn't we want children again? his passion-fogged brain asked him heatedly.

 

Naomi stood up from where the two of them were just lying and felt that same emptiness that Breagan did, “Yes, I do believe we got a little carried away,” she replied to him, reeling from the sensation that one kiss introduced to her, and wondering why she hadn't been the one to stop them. Her hand went to her chest where she tried to will her heart to slow its pace.

 

“Okay, well, I should go to bed, now. Even though I don't feel very tired anymore,” Breagan said under his breath on the way to his door. He stopped before going through the door to turn back to her, “Good night, Naomi,” he said to her.

 

“Good night, Breagan,” she said back to gorgeous man who was just being so tender with her. Naomi watched his fit frame wistfully as he exited her room. She'd known it was a dangerous to do something like that, how could she have been so careless? They would have to be more careful around each other. Being alone with him was most definitely a danger to her virtue. She knew she would not stop them if that happened again.

 

Safely behind the door, Breagan heaved a long sigh while looking over at his huge, empty bed. That was not easy to do, he thought, reliving the moment he let go of Naomi's fit, eager body. Every fiber in his body wanted to go back in Naomi's room and drag her to that bed to continue what he had broken off just moments ago. He believed that he could already be lost to her, and if his father knew that, he'd be done for. What his father didn't know, though, was that Breagan had actually begun envisioning little blonde children with Naomi's rich curls running around his house.

 

Breagan had been shocked at himself the first time he thought of a little girl helping Minna mixing baked goods. He hadn't thought he was ready for a family, but those thoughts of his and Naomi's children had been shocking him less and less every time they came. Standing there on the opposite side of the door that Naomi was behind, Breagan began to think to himself that maybe he was ready for wife and a family, as long as she was a part of it.