The Art of Seduction

Chapter 23

Nikki's POV

"Come and sit down now, everyone!" Maria announced and we all took our seats at the table with a beautiful display of the delicious feast. Jake sat opposite me at the table when Ben and Audrey begged to both sit next to him. I felt his eyes on me and I couldn't hold in my smile at the thought.
"Nikki, do you mind if we say grace?" Maria asked.
"Oh, of course not!" I was quick to reply and we all link hands and bow our heads to pray. Maria thanks God for our health, our family and friends, and the ones who are not at the table with us. She added how thankful they are to have me join them and it made me blush. I briefly look up at Jake and around the table and I'm just struck by a feeling of pure love. Love for a family that I haven't felt in a long time or maybe never. This is how a family should be. This was a good home full of love and respect for each other. I was witnessing it first hand and it started to bring tears to my eyes as my heart ached at how much I wanted a family like this. To be a part of a family like this. To one day have a family of my own like this.

"Amen. Lets, eat everyone!"
"I don't like dis! It yucky!" Little Audrey said causing Kate to sigh in stress.
"Audrey, please. We talked about trying new foods." Kate pleaded with her four-year-old.
"If you eat all your food, Uncle Jakey will give you a BIG scoop of ice cream!" Jake chimed in and her eyes bulged.
"Two big scoops!" She bargained.
"Me too!" Ben said.
"Deal!"
Jake was so good with his niece and nephew and I was caught with a huge smile on my face by him. He smiled back and winked before we were distracted by platters of food being passed around. Halfway through dinner, baby Julia woke up crying and Jake immediately stopped Kate from getting up to tend to her.
"No, no. Keep eating Kate. I'll put her back to sleep," He said and my eyes couldn't peel away from watching him slowly pace around the family room rocking that little bundle in his arms softly while singing a quiet lullaby.
"I joke a lot but there's no denying he's so good with them." Kate must've noticed me admiring Jake. For all I know, I could've been staring for hours and wouldn't have known it. In my mind, time had stopped as my heart was fluttering uncontrollably. If I hadn't already realized I was falling for that man, this moment would have done it!
"He definitely is. You must miss him when he's not around" I replied.
"Of course! I need all the help I can get with these three and Mark gone all the time. I'm so grateful I live close and my mom can help out too."
"She's fast asleep," Jake says sitting back down at the table and rejoining the conversation while continuing to eat.
"Thanks, Jakey," Kate says with a smile before bringing her attention back to our conversation.
"So Jake says you're from Mississippi? You must miss your mom being so far from home?"
Jake's face shot up from his plate, looking at me and looking at his sister like a deer in headlights and his mouth slightly open from shock.
"Kate!" He shouted at her but she looked at him dumbfounded.
"What?" She replied cluelessly and I couldn't blame her for her comments unaware.
"It's ok Jake. Actually Kate, my mamma passed away when I was sixteen. I miss her every day. Blake, my brother lives in Virginia now with my Nanna and I miss them too. Hopefully, I'll be able to see him over Christmas."
"Oh god, I-I'm so sorry Nikki, I didn't know!"
The rest of the dinner went by without anyone asking me any more questions. I felt awkward as I know they wanted to get to know me but now they were too afraid to. Too afraid to ask questions that might be too painful for me or awkward for them. Worst of all, I felt their pity for me not growing up with a mother. That's one of the many reasons I never liked to talk about myself. Never let anyone in close enough to know about my family. What really happened, how my mother really died, what I witnessed, what I did. I would live with it over my head for the rest of my life.

After diner, I snuck out alone to the back porch to take in the cold air and help clear my head. I was looking up at the stars, realizing how much I missed seeing them so clearly. How I'd spend hours in my backyard in Mississippi catching fireflies with Blake and then laying in the grass looking up at the stars, seeing how brightly they shined down. Thinking it held limitless opportunities for my future.
I thought more about Jake, his family, and him with the kids. They welcomed me with such open arms and love. I remembered nice memories of my mother and her southern charm. She'd offer our home to anyone if need be she was so hospitable. It made me think if there was ever a time our family seemed to be as happy and loved as Jake's. But it was too distant in my memories, I couldn't tell anymore if they were actual memories or just something I dreamt of along the way, allowing myself to be able to sleep as a child. But his family is real. His parents actually loved each other and they loved their children. His mother still talks lovingly of her husband so his memory is always present.

I was taken out of my thoughts when I felt his strong warm arms come from behind and wrap around my body. His face nuzzled in my chest and that's when we both felt the wetness on my cheeks. He spun me around to look at my face and cupped my cheeks in his hands, wiping the tears away. I could see the guilt and sadness on his face like he had done something wrong.
"Shit baby, I didn't think to mention about you losing your mother. I-I just didn't think it was my place to share that and I never thought it would be brought up."
"It's ok, I'm fine, really," I tried to reassure him.
"No, you're not! I'm so fucking sorry!" He kept wiping the tears away cupping my face in his hands sweetly.
"I'm ok! It's just got me thinkin' about my mamma is all," He hugs me tightly and kisses my forehead as I bury my head in his chest.
We stood there wrapped in each other as he kept stroking my hair and planting kisses on my forehead. How can this man so easily take all the pain and sorrow away with his touch? Just his kiss takes me away, forgetting everything around me. Tingles shoot up my body and I let out a tiny shake under his arms that Jake mistook for me being cold.
"Come on, let's get you warmed up."