The following Monday, Kelly went shopping at the mall and then drove to New Haven to meet Jennie for lunch. Kelly pulled her car into a space in the parking garage and glanced in the rear view mirror before opening her car door to get out. Kelly had a strange feeling that the car pulling past as she got out of her car was the same one behind her earlier that day at the mall. She watched nervously as the car continued by and figured that she must be imagining things.Kelly walked through the parking garage and took the elevator down to the street level. She stepped out onto the street and went two doors down to the café where Jennie was waiting. It had been a couple of weeks since she’d seen her friend and they definitely needed to make up for lost time. She needed to fill in Jennie on her ‘married’ life with Jack and she wanted to know how Jennie’s new job was going.Kelly spotted Jennie at a table and pointed to the counter to signal that she’d grab a coffee and order lunch then join
Jack got home from work that night and slipped the panic button into Kelly’s purse in the front hallway. He’d have to remember to tell her it was there and show her how to use it but he didn’t want to mention it in front of Aunt Mabry. Kelly had started volunteering at the New Haven Legal Aid Clinic and that wasn’t located in the best part of town. Between that and the guy following her, Jack felt better knowing she’d have some way of getting help, if needed.He walked into the kitchen and found Kelly and Mrs. Poole cooking dinner together. Kelly looked up and smiled at Jack. Jack thought she was gorgeous when she smiled at him like that and he loved the sight of her in his kitchen. Hell, he loved coming home to find her anywhere in his house. The irony of having the strongest feelings he’d ever had for a woman while in a fake marriage to her were not lost on Jack. He had spent years looking for the type of connection his mom and dad had shared, and now, when he finally gave up and en
After another frustrating night of lying next to Kelly in his bed, highly aroused but unable to reach for her, Jack started his ‘Project Kelly’ to show Kelly how beautiful he thought she was. He’d woo his wife into their marriage bed in the true sense of the word, if that’s what he needed to do. After showing Kelly how to use her panic button, Jack left for work, but he stopped by a florist on the way to the office. Since Kelly didn’t believe he found her beautiful, he would show her how much he appreciated everything he saw when he looked at her.That afternoon, Kelly received two dozen deep-red roses that were so incredibly beautiful they took her breath away. The card read: Like your lips – lush and full and sensual. Have a wonderful day, beautiful.Mrs. Poole and Aunt Mabry read the card over Kelly’s shoulder. Mrs. Poole sighed at the romance of the gesture; Aunt Mabry huffed and walked away.The following day, Kelly came home to find a large bouquet of blush roses laced with baby
The thirty-minute car ride seemed to Kelly like it took forever. They rode in silence but it was a comfortable silence and she laughed at Jack as he pushed the speed limit, trying to shave off the minutes to get them home and up to their room. His hand lingered on her thigh and his thumb brushed back and forth sending small shivers through her body with each teasing movement.Kelly couldn’t believe that Jack had been telling the truth. She could feel his attraction for her as much as she could feel the pull of her attraction to him. When Jack had her in his arms, she felt beautiful, desirable and wanted – beyond words.Jack pulled his car into the driveway and came around to open Kelly’s door. He offered her his hand and pulled her into his arms for a kiss in the driveway before he turned toward the house without releasing her hand.Minutes later, they walked into their bedroom and Jack pulled Kelly into his arms.“Have I told you how incredible you look tonight?” Jack asked Kelly.Ke
Kelly smiled to herself as she realized where she was and whose arms were holding her. She could feel Jack stirring and his hands began to slide over her body as she pressed greedily up against him. Kelly stretched the length of her body against Jack, trying to feel more of him, all of him.“Good morning, beautiful,” Jack whispered as he trailed kisses along her shoulder. Kelly had no idea that sensations on her shoulders could be so erotic, so sensitive and if she were forced to pick a favorite spot at the moment, her shoulders might just be it. Jack rolled her to face him and moved down her neck to the hollow between her breasts and she thought briefly that she might need to change that assessment. When Jack took one nipple into his mouth and swirled his tongue over its peak, she knew she would never be able to choose a favorite. Everywhere Jack touched her, felt on fire.Kelly pressed against him, wanting to feel him inside her again. She ran her hands down his chest and around to h
Kelly and Jack walked into her mother’s kitchen for Sunday dinner and Jack had the odd sensation of utter belonging and acceptance, as if he had always been a member of this family. Kelly’s brother Liam was pulling a beer out of the fridge when they entered the room. Without missing a beat, he tossed one to Jack before he cracked his own beer open. Kelly’s mother kissed and hugged Kelly then turned immediately to Jack and pulled him into her embrace for kisses and hugs as if he were one of her own.Jack was surprised to find himself hugging her back as if he had been hugging her at Sunday dinners his whole life. Life with Kelly was starting to be one big revelation after another. When he told Mabry that he had been bored by every woman he had dated before Kelly, Jack had immediately realized the truth of that. His life with Kelly, despite its fake beginning, was never boring. He never had that usual let-down feeling when he realized that there was nothing under the surface of a woman.
Kelly carried a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses out to the pool, where Jennie sat sunning herself on a rare afternoon off. This was the first time Jennie had been to the house so Kelly had taken her for the grand tour before they decided to settle outside by the pool.Jack had already left for the airport, Aunt Mabry was out shopping, and Mrs. Poole was in the kitchen baking so it was just the two of them for the next couple of hours.“I still can’t get over this place. I could kick myself for not thinking of proposing to Jack myself. I mean what the hell, why didn’t I think of it?” Jennie laughed and picked up her glass of iced tea as Kelly sat down on the lounge chair next to her.Kelly laughed but suddenly realized how jealous that remark made her. God, she felt almost… possessive of Jack. Kelly suddenly realized that she wasn’t doing a very good job of keeping her emotional distance and only having fun with Jack. In fact, if she was really honest with herself, she had to admit
That night, Kelly went up to bed early and started a bubble bath to soak in. There was nothing she loved more than soaking in water so hot it almost burned and she filled the tub with bath salts that smelled of jasmine and roses. Kelly stripped off her clothes and sank down into the heavenly mixture. She sighed as she felt her tension begin to melt.She had no one to blame for it but herself. She was tense because she felt like she had betrayed Jack by checking up on him and she was angry with herself for letting Aunt Mabry get to her. She knew better than to listen to that hateful old hag.Kelly sighed as she thought about Aunt Mabry. She knew that Jack didn’t want to confront Mabry because he and Chad had this overdeveloped sense of protection where Mabry was concerned and in many ways knowing he was like that made her care for Jack all the more. It wasn’t your average man that would put his family above all else, especially when that family member was attacking him at every turn.K