By Rachel Kenley
Lindsay Venak was tying her sneakers before her walk along the Boston Esplanade when a pathetic mewling sound made her stop and look around. Up a nearby tree she saw a small black cat, stuck on a high branch. Sympathetic human eyes met scared feline ones.
“Poor baby. I’ll help you down.” Lindsay tried to coax the little guy to jump, but no luck. She attempted climbing the tree to get the animal, but after a few tries she could tell it wouldn’t work. When another jogger came running by, she called to him, “Excuse me, could you help me.”
“What’s the problem, little lady?” he asked, out of breath. Lindsay couldn’t remember the last time anyone called her little. True, the man stood nearly a foot taller than she did, but her ample curves, which weren’t at all hidden by her oversized T-shirt and leggings, didn’t qualify her as little.
“There’s a cat stuck on a high branch, and I need help―and height―getting her down.”
He looked up. “I don’t think I can reach it either.” His blue eyes met hers and she forgot about the cat. “How about I give you a lift?”
She liked the intensity of his deep voice, and she realized her heart was beating fast even though she hadn’t started her walk. But still, she wasn’t the kind of delicate woman a man offered to pick up. “A lift?”
“Sure. If I boost you up, you should be able to reach the fuzz ball.”
The cat meowed again, drawing her attention back to the tree. “I suppose it might work. That is if you think you ca...” Before she could finish her sentence his large hands clasped her hips and hoisted her upward. She reached out and tucked her hand under the cat’s belly. “Got you!”
She slid down his body with the cat, her shirt sliding the other way and exposing her stomach. He held her in place, her feet dangling, her face level with his. How is it possible to feel safe and off-balance at the same time? She didn’t know his name but moments after meeting him she found herself pressed against him more intimately than she allowed herself to be with most men after a month of dating.
“So here’s our little trouble maker,” he said looking at the cat. “I don’t see a collar. Must be a stray. Will you bring her or him to a shelter now?”
“No,” she answered without hesitation, surprising herself. “I’m going to take this sweet little her or him home.” The cat rubbed herself under Lindsay’s chin and purred as if to thank Lindsay for the offered hospitality.
The man lowered her to the ground. With the cat still in her hands, she could do nothing about the shirt bunched up under her bra, not while his eyes stared into hers.
“Well, it appears this is her lucky day.”
“I appreciate your help Mr...”
“I’m Jack. And you are?”
“Lindsay. Thanks again. It’s nice to know chivalry isn’t dead.”
He pretended to tip an invisible hat to her and smiled. “A pleasure, my lady.”
Lindsay looked at the beautiful black cat in her arms and could have sworn the feline smiled in a way that said, “Yes, it will be.”
* * *
18 months later
The doorman’s voice rang loud and clearly over the intercom. “Mrs. Calloway, the car is ready to take you to your lunch appointment.”
Mrs. Calloway. How strange the name still sounded, but then why wouldn’t it? She’d only been married for five months. She’d met Jack in the park a year ago, and now they were married, living an opulent lifestyle which unnerved her.
Lindsay couldn’t remember the purpose of today’s luncheon. It could be any number of things—save the violinists, offer support to homeless liberal arts’ graduates, it didn’t matter. She dreaded attending. From the day The Boston Globe announced their engagement, she’d become social enemy number one. Half the women in the city envied her due to Jack’s financial status, the other half hated her for corralling the most eligible bachelor less than three years after his divorce had become final. And she knew they were all shocked that a woman of her size could interest him.
When Fenway jumped onto her desk, she ran her hand through the cat’s midnight black fur. As one of the few things Lindsay brought with her from her old home, the cat’s presence calmed her. He, as it turns out, was the reason Lindsay had met Jack in the first place. “Well, Fenway, I’m off to the shark tank for another fun-filled day.” She’d named him after the baseball park. The night she brought the cat home to her one bedroom apartment, she’d snuggled up with the creature on the couch during a report on the Red Sox. Nine innings... nine lives. It seemed appropriate, and Fenway responded instantly to the catchy name.
Idly, Lindsay wondered what happened to that couch as she looked around the living room. She’d left her furniture behind, and everything she saw reflected Jack’s tastes. Unless, of course, his first wife had selected the furnishings. Jack told Lindsay she could change whatever she wanted to, but she’d been too intimidated to take him up on the offer. Not that the apartment wasn’t beautiful, but it didn’t reflect her style. She preferred brownstones to a glass and chrome penthouse.
She kissed Fenway’s pink nose, received a bump to the chin in return, and grabbed her planner as she headed for the door. She hoped it contained all the information she needed about today’s event.
When she arrived she was greeted by a loud and enthusiastic, “Lindsay, you’re here!” Normally, having attention directed at her made Lindsay uncomfortable, but this was Carol Fennington, her long-time best friend, and she was relieved to see a familiar face. They had been college roommates their freshman year at Boston University and friends from the day they met.
People didn’t understand their closeness since they were opposite in every way. While Lindsay was grounded and shy, Carol was the epitome of manic and bold. Carol was also the societal regulation size two, while Lindsay had worn sizes with double digits for over 20 years. Her friend kissed Lindsay on the cheek, then gave her a huge hug before guiding her to a table with rows of neatly arranged place cards. Lindsay automatically looked for hers near the latter part of the alphabet since her maiden name had started with a V.
Carol found her card mingled between the C’s. “Here you are, Mrs. Lindsay V. Calloway.”
She sighed thinking about another piece of her identity, which had quietly slipped away when she married him. “At least I have my first name back. At the last event they listed me as Mrs. Jackson Calloway.”
“Come, you’re at my table,” Carol said. “I made sure the worst vultures and vampires are seated elsewhere. There are advantages to serving on the planning committee.” This world of charities and significant last names was familiar to Carol. It was the world she grew up in. In fact, Carol knew Jack long before Lindsay did. It hadn’t mattered in their friendship, but now Lindsay was grateful for Carol’s knowledge and understanding.
“Thank you, this has been harder than I anticipated. I wanted to be Jack’s wife, but I didn’t realize a job description of responsibilities and obligations arrived with my new title.”
“I know, sweetie. You’ve jumped directly into the fire, bypassing the pot.”
“You’re so right.”
“Of course I am,” said Carol without a hint of sarcasm. Thankfully, Carol understood her fears and seemed willing, whenever possible, to act as a shield. Carol was completely at ease in all situations. Lindsay envied her that ability. There was a time when Lindsay had been more flirty and outgoing but an old relationship as well as several other heartbreaks had made her more cautious.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have quit my job,” Lindsay said as they wound their way through the crowd. She was aware of every pair of eyes on her as well as every extra inch of her body as she tried not to touch any chairs as they passed.
“Are you kidding? You hated your job and your boss was an absolute jerk. He was never going to let you advance or give you a good reference. Now you can go back to school, get your design degree and start creating clothes of your own instead of trying to come up with ad campaigns for someone else’s hideous outfits. Besides, you get to spend the next few months with me. You deserve a little time off.”
“I suppose I shouldn’t be upset about the oppor-tunity to be a part of Jack’s charitable roles,” she said settling into her chair. “It’s what brought us together.”
As the conversation flew around them, Lindsay’s mind drifted into the past. Only a few weeks after Jack helped her rescue Fenway, they’d met again at a fundraiser for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The evening remained vivid in her mind. She’d gone to the event with her brother when her sister-in-law had to stay home with their sick daughter. Lindsay offered to babysit so her sister-in-law could come to the event, but it was the child’s first major cold and her mother was worried. Normally Lindsay avoided events like this at all costs, but Ian had pleaded with her to accompany him so he could make new contacts. A sucker when it came to helping others, she had agreed.
A 12-piece chamber orchestra performed at the fundraiser, and Lindsay sat listening to the beautiful music and watching people dance while her brother went in search of an acquaintance he wanted as a client.
Lost in the melody, she barely heard the low-pitched voice. “Meow.”
She turned her head and met a familiar pair of blue eyes. Her heartbeat increased from the pleasant surprise. “Did you just meow at me?”
“I did.”
“A novel way of getting my attention?”
“Only because tonight you look like you need rescuing.”
“As a matter of fact...”
“Mr. Rundon,” Jack said to the man seated beside her. “Would you allow me to steal this lovely lady for a dance?”
“Of course, Jack. Young people should enjoy the music. Have fun.”
Jack held out his hand and led her to the dance floor. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d danced, and especially not close to someone, but she had little time to think about it before his arm was around her waist and she was pulled close to him—again. The warmth from his body next to hers felt good, and despite her shyness she stopped being aware of the other people in a room and saw only him.
She had no idea how long they danced, but when a waiter came by with champagne, Jack retrieved two flutes from the tray and suggested they go outside for fresh air.
Alone on the terrace moments later he turned to her. “I have to admit something to you.”
Oh-oh, she remembered thinking. Here it comes. A flippant remark about how I’m not his type and I shouldn’t get any ideas. “Go ahead,” she’d said with a timid smile.
“I dreaded attending this event. I almost didn’t come. I had a hellish week and no desire to dress up and mingle with people who most likely want something from me. Seeing you changed that, and it’s been the best part of the entire evening.”
She didn’t know how to respond. Humor seemed appropriate. “Oh, I don’t know, the chocolate and strawberry dessert I saw being passed around looks wonderful.” Maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned food.
“I think you look better than any dessert in the house, and I’d much rather taste you.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. His mouth tasted of champagne and she breathed in his scent, something spicy and distinctive. The kiss deepened, and as she responded he wrapped his arms around her and she placed her hands on his chest. She remembered wanting more. As the kiss progressed, he moved his hand to the front of her dress and traced the side of her neck, sending chills through her body. With a little encouragement she realized she’d throw caution to the wind and go home with him right then.
Finally, he broke the kiss and said, “I want to see you again. Tell me when you’re free.”
She floated home that night, reliving every moment until she fell asleep. Reality hit the next day with a mention in gossip column of The Boston Globe. More specifically, Jack’s name hit the papers with a reference that he’d spent the night dancing with an unknown curvy brunette.
Thinking back, she knew that’s when the change started. Even though she was now Jack’s wife, she could change her name to Unknown Brunette and it would still fit. In the past, she hadn’t wanted to be noticed. In fact, she liked the anonymity, but anonymity, along with her heart, was gone. Everywhere she went people recognized her―except at home.
How could her husband be the only person who didn’t want or need her attention?
* * *
After the luncheon, she’d run some errands and then had dinner with her parents. It was nearly 8:00 when she arrived home. Fenway greeted her by winding her body around Lindsay’s legs. She called out Jack’s name, but there was no answer. It appeared she’d be alone again for the evening, the hardest part of the day. She grew up having dinner every night with her family, a time for everyone to be together and reconnect at the end of the day. Instead, most nights for the last several months, she found herself sitting alone in front of the television. Eating.
She’s gained five pounds since the wedding. Was that part of the reason Jack choose to work late so many nights?
No, he’d always adored her lush body. In fact, when she’d lost weight before the wedding he seemed disappointed, reminding her how much he loved her hips, her ass and her breasts. Still, she didn’t understand why she saw less of him now that they were married.
A few hours later she was in bed reading when she heard the key turn in the front door. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. Nearly 11:00. Again. She stroked Fenway as the cat snuggled in close, the feline version of moral support. A feeling of futile hope rose in her heart as Jack walked down the hall and into their bedroom.
She glanced up. “Hey, honey.” She smiled and put the book aside. “How was your day?”
“Long, as always.” He leaned down, gave her a quick kiss, and walked into his closet to undress. “How about yours?”
“I joined Carol at the hospital fundraising lunch.” She studied him, hoping for a sign he might be listening to her. Maybe if she told him she did a table dance at the luncheon to raise money he’d perk up. Then again, maybe not. He shut the light off in the closet, and walked out wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. He looked sexy no matter what he wore, and the fact amazed and saddened her. Knowing he slept in boxers, she couldn’t help her next question. “You’re not coming to bed?”
“No, I’m still keyed up from a stressful day. Harold talked my ear off for the last two hours about some new acquisition he wants me to consider. I swear I can still hear his nasal voice in my head. It’s not pleasant. Why the man thinks after a long day I’m able to keep figures and projections straight is beyond me.” He shrugged. “I don’t know why I didn’t stop him.”
“Because he’s worked for your family for years and you don’t want to hurt his feelings.”
Jack sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “I need to not worry about Harold’s feelings once the clock hits 8:00. Maybe 7:00.” Lindsay put her hand on his and gave it a squeeze. “I’m going to watch television for a while, try to unwind. I’ll try not to wake you when I come to bed.”
Wake me, she thought, please, but she didn’t say it out loud. They made love only a few days ago, but she missed the way he looked at her when they first got together. He gave her another quick kiss and walked from the room. Lindsay looked at the empty king sized bed and tears came to her eyes. Fenway curled next to her. She took up little room in the bed and little room in Jack’s life. There was no way to ignore the truth. The only male in this apartment that paid any attention to her was the cat.
* * *
“Coward,” Jack mumbled under his breath.
He sank into the leather sofa with a drink and searched for the remote. A few rooms away a sexy woman who loved him lay in their bed, and here he sat, channel-surfing through the news and syndicated reruns. In all aspects of his life he used fear as an indicator of movement in the right direction. He pushed through those fears and the growth in his family business proved it worked. But when it came to Lindsay, things were different.
He picked up the framed picture taken on their honeymoon from the coffee table and stared at it. She wore the black dress from the first time they danced together. A stab of regret and remembrance hit him. The skinny straps on the dress had driven him crazy. He couldn’t do anything at Symphony Hall, but in Hawaii, the moment they’d returned to the hotel room, he’d ripped the straps off in his hunger to touch her. She’d promised to fix the dress so he could do it again sometime.
He was completely in love with his wife—and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be.
Jack hadn’t thought it possible after what Gretchen put him through, but from the first night he kissed her, Lindsay felt like a part of him. He could relax with her, laugh with her, talk about anything with her. Every date with her made him want another. He loved discussing movies with her, watching her sketch dresses on nearly every piece of available paper. He couldn’t get enough of her and he was probably as surprised as she was when he proposed. He’d sworn off marriage, but Lindsay had changed that. Changed everything. And that knowledge knocked him and kept him completely off balance.
Almost as soon after they came back from their trip, he’d thrown himself into work to avoid his growing desire to be with her. He assumed that a combination of time and distance would help me get his feelings under control. So far, he’d been wrong.
He reached for the remote again and touched something furry instead. Startled, he turned to see the cat looking―no, glaring―at him.
“Hey, Fenway, want to catch up on the sports’ scores with me?” The cat jumped into his lap and walked up his chest. He expected the cat to give him a nuzzle along the jaw line in the same way he nuzzled Lindsay. Instead, Fenway reared back and slammed his head into his forehead. Hard.
“Ow! Come back here,” he yelled, reaching for him as he scooted to the other side of the couch. “Why did you do that?” The cat stared. Jack rose and tried to grab the creature, but Fenway leapt out of reach and ran down the hall. Jack gave chase. He’d be damned if he’d let a cat get the best of him after the day he’d had.
He caught up with Fenway at the entrance to the bedroom. As soon as he was close enough to grab him, Fenway slipped into the room. Jack pushed the door open and saw Lindsay asleep with the book on her chest and the light on. She looked lovely, so tempting. Fenway leapt onto the bed and snuggled in beside her. Lindsay’s hand moved to the cat’s back and Jack found himself jealous. Jack took the book, set it on the nightstand, and, having an urge to touch her, kissed her forehead. About to turn off the lamp, he looked once more at the cat.
“Fool,” the cat’s expression seemed to say, and Jack feared the little beast was right.
* * *
A week later, Lindsay ate dinner in front of the television for the third night in a row. She thought her days of eating alone were over once she got married. On the positive side, she didn’t need to watch her budget so she could cook to her heart’s content or order in whatever she wanted, and she could watch the shows of her choice. No one was trying to take the remote. If Jack preferred not eating at home, she’d at least find a way to enjoy herself.
Tonight, she was enjoying fresh grilled salmon with vegetables and saffron rice, occasionally reaching down to toss a few pieces of fish to Fenway. She ate dessert, a pretty confection purchased from the local bakery, while watching a steamy love scene on some drama. The scene pitched her into a depression.
As if sensing her sadness, Fenway walked over, sat behind her on the couch and placed his head on Lindsay’s shoulder. “Thanks, sweetie,” she said, “but you’re not the one I want nipping my neck. I want passion—and I want it with my husband.” Recently sex with Jack lacked the connection they shared at the beginning. She was beginning to think she might as well be a piece of workout equipment.
She knew his distance stemmed in part from the scars left by his ex-wife—dubbed Gretch the Wretch by the local tabloids. The way the woman dismissed him made headlines. Lindsay remembered wincing while reading the gossip columns, and she didn’t even know Jack at the time. He hadn’t hidden the pain she caused him, but it wasn’t something they talked about after the first time he brought it up.
Scratching Fenway’s ears, she said, “I’m not her. I’m not going to hurt him or leave him the way she did. I have to find a way to get him to see that. See it and believe it.”
Fenway jumped from his perch and landed on the remote, accidentally switching the channel to a talk show she’d never seen before.
“Have you ever considered seducing your husband?” the female host asked her guest. The woman and Lindsay blushed. “He needs to know you’re not a piece of equipment. You’re a flesh and blood woman with passion to share. He deserves to see that.”
It startled Lindsay to hear her words repeated, but she took it as a sign and kept watching.
“You have it in you to be the woman of his dreams.”
An idea popped into her head, but the moment she thought of it, nasty comments from past relationships flooded her memory. For the first time, the memories angered her. She’d downplayed her more passionate and flirtatious side ever since her senior year in college when the man she’d been dating for nearly a year made her feel wrong for possessing those attributes. Carol had been trying to get Lindsay to reconnect with this part of herself for ages, but she’d brushed aside the suggestion.
Well, her marriage deserved better than that. She deserved better than that.
There would be no more hiding from the man she loved.
The host spoke again. “I know you don’t think you understand your man. The local library is full of books pretending to help us think we understand why men do what they do in relationships. It doesn’t matter what his reasons are. You’re going to prove to him you’re worth the risk.”
Lindsay sighed and took another bite of dessert. She’d do anything to give their marriage a real chance. She wanted Jack to accept her love and receive his love in return. Regardless of what had happened to her in college or him with his ex-wife, their future could not be held back by her past. Determination soon replaced fear, and she knew the time had come to take the power back.
But how?
She scratched Fenway between the ears, and the cat rolled over, changing the channel again, this time to a music video station. A scantily-clad woman shook her hips and shimmied to the music while singing. The signer was undeniably sexy, and Lindsay couldn’t help but smile. Several years ago she’d allowed Carol to convince her to take a belly dancing class at the Boston Center for Adult Education. It had been fun and surprisingly liberating but she’d never thought to dance like that for anyone—until now.
“Fenway, you’re a genius,” she said, picking up the cat and kissing his pink nose.
The cat gave her an agreeable look as if to say, “I know.”
She’d have to get everything together and practice for what she had in mind. Her nights wouldn’t be so lonely knowing she worked at this for them.
It didn’t take long. There were some good videos online to help her create her routine and plenty of places to order the right outfit. When she was ready, she checked and double-checked with his assistant until she found a night he had nothing planned and would arrive home relatively early. When she heard him enter the apartment, she counted to 10, and pressed play on the sound system.
* * *
Jack stepped into the penthouse, dropped his keys and nearly tripped over the cat. “Fenway, are you trying to kill me? I know I haven’t been around much, but that’s no reason to make me fall on my face.”
The cat curved his way around Jack’s legs, making it impossible for him to move. Before he could grab the cat, music distracted him, not the soft strains of classical or chamber music Lindsay favored, but a heavy beat, a grinding pulsing sound coming from the bedroom.
Fenway moved a few paces in front of him as if leading him to the source of the song. When he opened the bedroom door, he blinked, certain his eyes deceived him.
In the flickering candlelight in the room, Lindsay stood against the end of their four-poster bed. He blinked again. The image stayed. His wife stood before him decked out in an outfit that looked as though it was made of nothing but scarves. The long skirt hugged her hips and every time she rotated them, a belt of gold coins chimed in with the sultry music. Hypnotized, he could only stare.
Jack’s eyes traveled up to the jewel in her belly button, which made her rounded stomach even sexier, and then to the tiny top barely covering her ample breasts. It, too, jingled with gold coins. Her long dark hair, interspersed with beads, flowed around her shoulders and sparkled beneath the candlelight as she swayed. She held a long scarf in her hands and waved it through the air as she danced, accentuating her grace and beauty. He’d never seen anything so breathtaking in his life.
Recognizing Shakira’s Whenever, Wherever, his gaze followed her every movement as she danced closer. She stopped inches from him, turned around and shimmied her gorgeous ass. He longed to grab it, but before he could, she bent forward, and brushed against his throbbing cock. Before he had a chance to react, she slid away from him, teasing him with the scarf and her sensuality. As he stepped toward her, she danced away again, driving him mindless with need.
He’d never seen this side of Lindsay. Although responsive in bed, she’d never exhibited or expressed her sexuality in such an evocative manner. Watching her move, seeing her in a different light, his body responded of its own volition. She looked free and beautiful as she danced, and he found himself longing to experience the same freedom in her arms.
She swirled in a circle as the song ended, and ended up before him, breathless from her exertions. Another song kicked in, but he couldn’t take any more. He grabbed her and kissed her roughly, bruising her lips with his hunger. She melted into his kiss displaying her desire for him. It was all he needed.
Lifting her in his arms, he carried her to the bed. As his hands ran over the skimpy top he couldn’t figure out how to remove the piece from her lovely body.
As if reading his mind, she said, “I’ll do it.”
She reached behind her back and unfastened the hooks. The moment it fell loose, he removed it from her creamy skin and feasted on her breasts, licking the skin between them before sucking on her nipples. A gasp fell from her lips, and she arched her body into his.
Her fingers fumbled with the buttons on his starched shirt and teased a path down to the waistband of his pants before she shoved it off his shoulders. He moaned when she raked her nails down his back, loving the intense sensation.
He captured her lips again before inching his way down her body. As she responded to their desire, the charms on the skirt chimed, pitching him into a maelstrom of heat.
“I need to take this off of you, but I don’t want to ruin it.”
“It’s not that delicate.”
“Good, because I want to see you wear it again. For now, though, I need to have you naked.”
She smiled, raised her hips and rolled the skirt down to her legs. He pulled it off the rest of the way, and gasped when he noticed a lack of underwear on her luscious body. All that remained now was the red jewel in her navel. A good place to start, he thought, as he circled the soft skin of her belly with his tongue. A whimper fell from her lips, and she ran her hands through his hair.
“So, my pretty dancer likes this attention?”
“Very much.”
“Then how do you like this?” Without warning, he moved lower and licked her pussy. She moaned his name. “I take it you like it,” he whispered against her skin, breathing in her scent.
“More than words can say.”
* * *
Jack had pleased her with oral sex before, but nothing compared to what he did to her tonight. His lips and tongue moved in an amazing rhythm, and when he slid a finger inside, Lindsay feared she’d stopped breathing. As the air rushed back into her lungs, pleasure swelled and flowed through her.
Between strokes she heard him say, “I love the taste of you. You were meant for me to enjoy.”
“God, yes,” she sighed.
Nothing seemed as intimate as him licking her, and Jack knew how to thrill her. Every time she moaned, he continued to lavish her with attention, increase his tempo and rhythm, intensifying her passion. She surrendered to her needs and allowed him to cater to her every desire. Dancing for him had been exhilarating, but paled next to this.
When he focused on her clitoris she knew her orgasm would soon follow. After teasing her with his tongue, he closed his lips over her swollen bud and sucked deeply. Pleasure gathered and polled at her core and her hips arched off the bed. He slid his hands under her ass, bringer her closer to his mouth.
She could take no more. Her climax exploded through her and she screamed out his name. He moaned against her hot skin as the second wave crashed through her. She’d never felt such an intense orgasm. He kissed and licked her through the last throes of bliss while she shivered with contentment and a sudden urge for more.
“Inside me,” she panted. “I want you inside me.”
Grateful she took birth control pills so that she didn’t have to wait for him to put a condom on, she spread her legs. Wet, and ready for him, he drove his thick cock into her with ease. She lifted her hips and took him in deeply, reaching around to grab his ass to pull him closer still.
“God, you feel good,” he said, kissing her.
She poured her love into the embrace, opened her heart and gave all she could to show him how much she cared for him. To add to his pleasure, she tightened her muscles around him and heard him gasp.
“What did you just do?”
She couldn’t stop the chuckle. “You mean this?”
She gripped him again and he moaned. “That’s amazing, I feel you all around my cock.”
“So you like it?” She asked playfully.
“Beyond like,” he said and plunged into her again, bringing her off the sheets with the power of this thrust. “Can’t you tell?”
“Yes, definitely.”
He reached between their bodies and found her clit again, massaging it as he increased the pace of his strokes. For the first time in her life, a second orgasm blossomed inside her. She reveled in the sensations, making certain he knew by her cries of ecstasy. Her hands moved along the length of his back, and she delighted in his moans of bliss.
He pounded into her hard and fast, and she knew within moments he would come. She clutched his ass tight and met him stroke for stroke. He called out her name on a roar and the sound, coupled with his touch, caused another climax to rip through her. She lifted her head and captured his lips, allowing him to devour hers in return. This raw act of lovemaking went beyond anything she’d ever fantasized about—intimacy and passion, beautifully combined.
He stayed within her until his cock slid from her body, and when he rolled from her, he brought her with him.
Holding one another close, Jack broke the silence long minutes later. “You did this for me,” he said, looking into her eyes with so much love she could hardly breathe.
“I did it for us. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to be truly open to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve realized recently that some issues in my past have kept me from giving myself to you completely, from telling you how I feel about you. You’re not the only one who’s been hurt.”
She watched as her words sunk in. He kissed her tenderly. “I’ve been holding back, but you knew that.” She nodded, not trusting herself to speak nor wanting to interrupt him. “Everything about you amazes me, thrills me, but once we were married, I didn’t know what to do with that. And clearly, you were going through your own challenges.”
“I’ve been feeling as though everyone looks at me like I’m not good enough for you since I don’t have the ‘right’ background and I don’t wear a size 2. But that didn’t matter when you looked at me as though I was the most precious woman in the world. When you stopped, I withdrew as well and that was a bad combination for a new marriage.”
“Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“For taking a risk. For being willing open up to me and help me see where I need to do that as well. And for that very sexy performance.”
“You’re very welcome. It was my pleasure.”
“Mine as well. Will you do it again?” he said.
She could hear the smile in his voice and she couldn’t stop a laugh “Absolutely, and I may even think of something new.”
He didn’t respond at first. She propped herself up on an elbow and looked into his eyes. She was beginning to worry when he said, “You’re amazing.”
“I’m glad you think so, even more glad to hear you say it,” she said, grateful the dim light in the room hid her blush.
“I love you, Lindsay, and I want to love you forever. Even when that feels challenging.”
Her heart melted. She kissed him, and then whispered against his mouth. “I love you too. And those challenges won’t be as difficult if we face them together.”
His kiss was his answer, and it was the best he could have given her.