Illicit Craving (Bend To My Will #5) Read Online Free Page B

eating. “Mmm, this is delicious,” Vivienne said.
    “It’s a family recipe from my mom, but I think the chef has spiced it up.” Lana scooped another bite. With her hand over her mouth, she said, “So you spent the weekend with Jacob?”
    Vivienne nodded, and dabbed at her lips with a napkin. “It was kind of rocky, but we worked it out.” She saw her friend’s puzzled look. “I’m in deep, Lana. And I don’t know if it’s a healthy relationship.”
    “How does Jacob feel about you?”
    “I don’t know…exactly. He’s very reserved when it comes to sentiment or deep feelings.” Vivienne paused. “I’m not sure how to handle things sometimes.”
    Lana didn’t have much to offer. “I’m not sure what I’m doing either,” she said. “I’ve fallen for Trace, but for all I know he’s just having a good time.” She wrinkled her brow. “Can you talk to Jacob?”
    “I can try,” Vivienne said. “But he refuses to discuss some things .” Since she hadn’t told Lana about Jacob’s dark side, or his nightmares, she didn’t specify what the some things were.
    “Give him a chance.” Lana swallowed, then stabbed at another bite. “At least tell him how you feel.”
    “I don’t know. I’m not sure he wants to hear it,” Vivienne said. “He isn’t keen on falling in love .”
    “And you are in love with him, aren’t you?”
    Hearing her friend say it drove the point home. Vivienne’s heart ached. If only she could tell Jacob how she felt. “I am in love with him. He is the man I want.” She sighed. “But you can’t say anything to Trace…promise.”
    “I promise. It’s not the sort of stuff guys bring up, anyway.”
    “Jacob has been friends with Trace for a long time, and they probably share everything,” Vivienne said. “Everything there is to share, anyway. So it’s better if he doesn’t know.”
    “My lips are sealed.” Lana pushed her plate aside. “I have to run, but I’m glad you popped by. When I’m at Trace’s place so much, I don’t see you enough.”
    “Great to see you too. Aerobics tomorrow, right?”
    Lana rubbed her belly. “With the food around here, definitely. I need it…especially if I plan on keeping Trace around.” She laughed and headed for the kitchen, leaving Vivienne to finish eating at her leisure.
    With the weekend getaway coming up, Lana was excited and hadn’t mentioned anything about her acting. Vivienne assumed she was still getting auditions. Otherwise, she would have heard about it. Trying to break into the theater was a tough go, but she had faith that eventually Lana would succeed.
    She wondered what Jacob was doing, and whether he thought about her during the week. She couldn’t believe that he didn’t, and hoped he would call. Even though Vivienne had permission to call, she didn’t want to abuse the privilege or seem clingy.
    Vivienne stood up from the table and put her purse over her shoulder, already counting the days until she could see Jacob again. She was in deep, just as she’d told Lana. In fact, she was probably in over her head. But all she could do was move ahead in the relationship, and face whatever the future held.

 
    Chapter 4
    Jacob was haunted by the fear that he might be making a grave error. He had let Vivienne into his life, more than he’d intended to. His greed for her kisses, her scent, and her submission made resisting impossible. Even given the chance, she had refused to leave, and now Jacob wouldn’t abstain.
    When Vivienne wasn’t with him, Jacob turned to the whiskey bottle, but it didn’t make the nightmares go away. In the dead of night, he frequently woke up sweating and terrorized. It was frustrating that, after all this time, the past still had a hold on him.
    On Monday night, having woken from sleep, panicked with his heart pounding, Jacob reached across the bed to find it empty. It took a second for him to remember that it wasn’t the weekend, so he was alone. Pissed off that he was in