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Ch16:Misery & Wanting to Wallow in It

The entire week at work Leah felt like she was moving in slow motion. Jake still hadn't come to see her so they could talk. She wasn't even anywhere close to mad at him anymore. And she was beginning to think that she had blown it big time with him. The pencil to the thigh must have done its job—that and Jake's threats, no doubt—because Sam had stopped being a jerk for the most part. So that was one saving grace.

Another saving grace was that her brother, Seth had put the fear into Paul when he had shown up at her condo more than a little tipsy begging her to take him back. Keilani, Seth and the kids had come over to help her decorate her Christmas tree. They had all decorated Sue's tree the week before. And they were going to have a big tree trimming party at Seth and Keilani's mansion.

When they were all at her condo, Paul had shown up and Seth took a little walk with him. Leah normally would have felt sorry for Paul and told Seth to go easy on him. But she didn't have it in her that day. Her next step was a restraining order. When Seth came back and told her that Paul wouldn't be bothering her again, her only response was, "You didn't kill him or anything, right?"

When Seth gave her a funny look and said no, she was cool with whatever he had done and didn't need any more explanation.

But Seth sure did want more enlightenment about the mark on her neck. He crossed his arms over his chest and said one word, "Explain."

So Leah ended up telling her brother as much of the story as she could excluding Jake's name—it hurt too much to do so— and she definitely didn't go into detail about the sexual acts. Seth didn't buy it, so he said they would talk more about it after Christmas, just the two of them, and he wanted more specifics than she had given him.

Her family's all-consuming holiday preparations kicked into high gear with Christmas right around the corner. Seth and their mom were making more demands on her time. And even though she was feeling more than a little antisocial, she relished having something to focus on besides the fact that Jake had professed his love for her when he threatened Sam, and then didn't talk to her about it at all.

So, she took the Christmas shopping trips and the Christmas baking that her family demanded of her in stride. At least if she kept busy, she thought, she wouldn't have a spare moment to think about Jacob.

Keeping herself busy didn't seem to do the trick of making Leah forget about him, though. She told herself that she was a Clearwater and she was tough enough to handle it. But what did she make of the fact that Jake was leaving Mainstay in the New Year and the job that she wanted, the job that she thought he had stolen, was going to be hers, after all?

She had believed she had everything under control, but there was the little problem of not being able to sleep because she missed Jake so much and the stupid mark throbbed painfully the more they stayed away from one another.

Miserable and wanting to wallow in it, Leah was the last person folks should have wanted at any holiday tree trimming party. She wasn't in the mood to party. But she couldn't very well take another island trip the way she had done the week of Thanksgiving. And somehow the idea of an island getaway without Jake by her side held very little appeal.

She was committed to drinking eggnog and trying to have fun in spite of not having heard from Jake yet. Feeling like a confused Mrs. Scrooge, she gathered the Christmas spirit to go on.

She knew an evening with her niece and nephews would ground her at least for the evening, but what was she going to do with Jake's declaration of love, especially since she hadn't heard from him since then? Could she trust in it and risk her heart for more than a fling? Could she take the chance that what she and Jake had was the real thing?

When her mark caused a slight shiver to go through her heated body, Leah rolled her eyes wishing the damn thing could be taken off or something. And after catching a hint of Jake's scent she knew she was partly going insane.

After a few moments of trying to get herself together, she rang the doorbell to her brother and sister in law's mansion fully expecting their long time maid to answer the door. But instead, Jake answered the door.

Surprised and also a little giddy, she took a small step back, "Jake? What are you doing at my brother's house?"

Jake grinned, his sexy little grin and looked up. She followed his gaze and noticed the mistletoe and gently coaxed her lips open. He kissed her with a pent up desire that amazed her as his hand automatically went to the mark at her neck.

When he finally pulled his mouth away, he moved his hand and inhaled her scent as if he were taking everything into memory. Leah had no idea how long they stood out there before he took her hand and walked inside, closing the door behind him.

He led her to the downstairs sitting room and kneeled in front of her when she sat down on the Queen Anne sofa. He took her hand in his and she felt her heart stop and start again.

Jake stared at her intently. His gaze had purpose. She held her breath and then let it go nervously about three times before he opened his mouth to speak.

"As it turns out, Leah, a friend of mine from the 100 Successful Businesspeople of Seattle group that I belong to has been trying to get me to come and work for her family-owned import-export company for years. But I could never give up the thrill of corporate raiding to work importing and exporting petroleum from the Bahamas to the states. When I finally left corporate raiding for a kinder, gentler job, she came at me again wanting me to join her company. This time I took her seriously. And given your no fraternizing rules…" he slanted his eye at her playfully. "We have to do something about all your rules, by the way…"

She giggled softly and let out the breath she had been holding, only to start holding it again. She actually really giggled and Leah Clearwater had never done that.

If Jake was going where she thought he was going…

She exhaled again and then inhaled deeply, holding it until she couldn't any longer, and started the process again and again. It seemed to help a little with her nerves.

"Anyway, given your rules about dating in the workplace, I knew I had to find another job. So I finally told this friend of mine that I would join her company. And she was very happy. But then she started going on and on about this sister in law of hers that she wanted to try and arrange for me to 'casually' meet so she wouldn't think she was trying to set her up. She had been trying to get me to meet this elusive sister in law of hers ever since I had met her years ago, and since I had had no desire to settle down and valued my friendship with this woman, I had always respectfully declined. But this time she went on and on about this sister in law who was sweet but had some odd obsession with lame men that couldn't handle her and whose latest loser boyfriend had the nerve to cheat on her. And her story sounded so familiar that I had to ask her what her sister in law's name was."

Leah exhaled then. Her heart burst with so much love and joy it made her stomach ache. She clutched her free hand over her mouth.

"I'd never asked before, and now I'm sorry because as it turns out her sister in law is the woman of my dreams." Jake pulled a ring box out of his pocket.

"Say yes, Aunt Lee Lee, say yes!" Her little niece was jumping up and down with glee.

"Shhhh," Keilani placed her finger in front of her mouth to quiet her rambunctious daughter.

Surprised, Leah looked up. Her senses seemed to be all out of wack with Jake talking to her the way he was. She was shocked to see Seth and Keilani standing in the sitting room with the little terror Evie and their sons Seth II and Harry. Her mom and the maid were also standing there waiting with soft smiles on their faces also.

She turned her gaze back to Jake and she let herself believe what she was almost too scared to believe.

Jake opened the ring box and the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen was inside. It was a princess cut diamond with small round diamonds around the band.

She opened her mouth and closed it again. She couldn't speak. She didn't know what to say. She felt a tear coming down her cheek, and Jake wiped it away.

"Now keep in mind, if you say yes, we are going to have to reenact this entire thing for my mom, dad and all the patrons of Sarah's Rum Shack."

She nodded and Jake laughed.

"And also keep in mind that if you say yes, you are forever barred from coming up with any rules or ground rules meant to limit my time with you. You'll be stuck with me forever, Leah."

Leah closed her eyes and nodded as her heart melted with pure and unmitigated relief and belief.

He said forever, and forever meant happily ever after.

"Leah Clearwater, I love you. Will you marry me?"

Leah hit him pretty hard on his chest as she narrowed her eyes, "You had me going crazy for a freaking week."

He didn't even flinch, deciding to smirk instead as he remained silent.

"But I love you more than words could ever say, so I guess being your wife wouldn't be too bad." Leah grinned and everyone began to laugh in the room.

"She would be the only person who wouldn't just say yes."Keilani muttered as she finished laughing.

"I'm taking that as a yes." Jake leaned in to kiss her then, sweetly and completely.

They then trimmed the tree and took advantage stealing kisses of every single mistletoe hanging in the mansion- that is, whenever Keilani and Seth weren't taking advantage of it.

I was considering having Leah lash out on Jake but she couldn't really be mad at him with the miscommunication...

I'll probably only update one of my stories tomorrow because my birthday is Sunday and I'll finally be the big 21 :D

Cheers to the Freakin' Weekend :)

Review loves!