“Same here,” James said, looking at Lisa.
“I’m going to go check on Andrew, and let Mom know we’re getting ready to watch a movie. I’m sure she won’t mind the extra time with him. She acts like she never sees him,” Lisa said, shaking her head as she headed out the door.
“Okay, what do we want to watch?” Mark asked, walking over to the DVDs.
“I think it should be newlywed’s choice,” Luke said with a grin. “Let’s see how hard it is for you two to agree on a movie.”
Jenny just shook her head at Luke and walked up behind Mark, then done something she had never done before in her life, to him or anyone else. She smacked him right on the butt. That caused his head to pop up and his eyes to get huge. He turned around and looked at her, a look of surprise on his face. “What was that for?” he asked, giving James a dirty look when he heard him laughing.
“I don’t know. I just wanted to. What are you in the mood to watch?” Jenny asked, like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
“I don’t know. Action?” Mark asked, acting like he didn’t know her answer already. Jenny loved action movies.
“Of course. I’m always in the mood for action. Bruce?” she asked with a grin.
“Definitely,” Mark said, winking at her.
She grabbed a case off the shelf, showing it to him. “This one good for you? I know it’s one of your favorites,” she added, still grinning at him.
“Sounds good. I haven’t watched that one in a while,” Mark answered, trying not to laugh when he heard Luke groan.
“I forgot they were both big Bruce fans. We should have known,” Luke said, stifling a laugh.
“You can’t complain. You’re the one that said it should be newlywed’s choice,” Mark said with a smirk.
“I don’t have a problem with the movie. I just don’t figure you two will ever fight much on what you want to watch,” Luke said, shaking his head. “That one’s always going to be pretty easy. The most you’ll ever argue over is which Bruce movie.”
“Before we start this movie, I have a question,” Jenny said, walking over in front of the TV just as Lisa came back in the room. She turned and looked first at Mindi, then at Lisa. “Did you two tell Mark what we had been talking about?”
Mindi and Lisa both looked at each other, then back at their other sister, and said together, “Yes.”
“I told him you had told me you wanted to marry him. If you’re going to be mad, fine. But just remember, you are where you want to be,” Mindi said, giving her sister a belligerent stare.
“I’m not mad. I was just curious. I’m actually kind of grateful.” Mark wasn’t the only one in the room experiencing shock. Everyone else in the room, except for Luke, looked like their eyes were going to fall out of their head. He just shook his head and laughed.
******
By the time they left her mom and dad’s house it was nearly nine and they still had to go by the apartment to get her some clothes. He followed her over and went in with her to help her get as much stuff as they could. She was wondering if he was afraid if he left her alone, she might change her mind and try to run. The thought had crossed her mind a time or two. He was right, she did want to be with him, but she was still terrified. He had said the hard part was over. She wasn’t so sure about that.
She knew Mark. She knew he would have to be certain she wanted him to, before he’d make love to her. He wasn’t the kind of man to put his needs above hers. Not to mention, he was kind of stubborn. That meant she was going to have to find the strength to tell him how she really felt. Dang him! She still wasn’t sure she was going to be able to do that anytime soon.
By the time they reached his house she was a nervous wreck. When she climbed out of the car at his house, she was shaking.
He came around the end of his truck and helped her get her bags out of the back seat of her car and gave her an encouraging smile. “It’ll be alright, I promise. I’m not going to do anything you don’t want.”
“I know that,” she whispered back.
When they made it in the house, he took her stuff to his bedroom. That done, he came back to the living room to find her still standing in the same place she had been when he walked out of the room just a minute earlier.
“Do you want to take a bath?” Mark asked, in attempt at conversation. He grinned and pulled her in for a hug. He could tell she was really nervous. “It might help you relax.”
Jenny didn’t think she was ever going to be able to relax again. She knew she would have to ask him before he would make love to her, but she was so keyed up thinking about it, she felt like she was vibrating. “I don’t think it will help.”
“I’m not going to attack you. This isn’t all about sex. There are other things that are more important. I told you, I’ll wait till you ask me to make love to you. I can be patient,” he said grinning at her. He seemed to understand what was wrong. “Granted, when we get to that, I’m sure it will be completely earth shattering.” She could feel the heat running up her neck and over her face.
He was still standing so close, she could feel the heat coming off him as well. He reached his hand up and brushed her cheek with his thumb. She felt a tremor run through her body. “Go on. Go take a bath. You’re wound way too tight. Use the bathroom in my room.” He shook his head and chuckled at himself. “I mean, our room. That’s going to take a while for me to get used to,” he said, grinning at her.
She couldn’t help herself, she ended up grinning back at him. “I know what you mean.”
When she got to the bathroom, she discovered that he had already started the water and added bubbles. Her bag that had her shampoo and similar items was sitting on the counter. She got out the stuff she needed and sat it on the edge of the tub and got undressed.
After taking care of the necessary parts of her bath, she reached over and turned on the jets. She’d had a difficult weekend and the stress had exhausted her. The water was very warm and soothing, and she needed a few minutes alone before dealing with Mark some more. When he’d said this wasn’t all about sex, she had felt a twinge of disappointment. Then the bit about earth shattering had made her want to crawl under something. She could admit to herself that she didn’t want a divorce, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to tell him that.
The water and jets were more relaxing than she had realized they were going to be, and she soon dozed off. The next thing she knew she was being lifted out of the water. When Mark realized she had woke up, he sat her down on the edge of the tub. He grabbed a towel and started drying her off. When she tried to take the towel to do it herself, he pushed her hand out of the way. “No, I want to do this for you. Where are your night clothes? Which bag?”
That woke her up. “I don’t think we packed them. I don’t normally need them,” she said, looking terrified.
“Well, I didn’t think you would be ready, but you can sleep naked if you want. I promise, I won’t mind,” he said with a grin. “But, if you rather, you can use one of my old t-shirts.”
Belatedly, she realized he could see every inch of her. She grabbed for the towel, and when she kept tugging he let her have it. He finally seemed to realize it was about more than drying off.
“T-shirt, please,” she croaked out in embarrassment that she could hear in her own voice and used the towel to cover herself up.
He just grinned and turned back to the bedroom. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”
******
Jenny rolled over and glanced at the digital clock on the night stand. It was just a little past midnight, and all she had done for the last two hours was toss and turn. She knew she was never going to get any sleep lying beside Mark, wound so tight with sexual tension the way she was. She knew she was going to have to make the first move to do anything about it, though. She just prayed she could.
She rolled back over and watched him, lying there so peacefully, wondering how he could sleep. Maybe I can try to start something now.
&nbs
p; She sat up, taking several deep, fortifying breaths. “Okay, I can do this,” she whispered to herself, pulling Mark’s t-shirt off over her head and chucking it to the floor. She took another deep breath before tossing the covers toward the end of the bed, sucking in a very sharp breath at what she discovered. She had always known he worked out but being close enough to touch his finely-honed body was making it hard for her to breathe. Instead of bulky, over pumped muscle, he was leaner and harder. He was definitely one sexy specimen of manhood.
She struggled to take a deep breath to calm herself. When she started to crawl over him to straddle his waist, she noticed her hands were shaking. She leaned over, pressing her lips to his neck, praying she didn’t faint as her head began to swim from the heat and scent of his skin. She started running open mouthed kisses up his neck while running her hand up his arm to his shoulder. When her hand started over his chest she felt him stir and his breath hitch. She panicked and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
“Jenny, you need to wake up. Please,” he said, begging. He sounded strangled to his own ears. She had been kissing him across his shoulder and was now making her way down his chest. He tried again, getting a little louder. “Jenny, wake up.” She was still working herself lower down his body, and he was starting to feel a little panicky. There was no way he was going to take advantage of this situation. He had to get her awake. So, he grabbed her and rolled her to the other side of the bed. That did it. She came awake instantly, grabbing for the covers.
“What happened? Where did my t-shirt go?” she asked, sounding a little shocked.
“I don’t know. What did you do with it?” He still sounded like he was strangling, but there was nothing he could do.
“Would you help me find it, please,” she sounded like she was about to cry. If he’d had any idea it was because she was thinking he really didn’t want her, he would have pulled her back into his arms and started over. As it was, he thought she was just angry.
“Fine, yeah,” he said turning to put his feet on the floor.
He walked across the room to flip the light on. It took him a little longer before he could turn around. He had to get himself back under control, and he was trying to mentally prepare himself for her to be angry at him. He knew somehow this was going to be his fault.
Sure enough, when he turned around her eyes were snapping at him. He looked down at the floor by the bed and seen the missing t-shirt. He walked over and picked it up and handed it to her, doing his best not to look at her too closely. He walked back over and turned the light off before going back to crawl in bed.
“What happened?” She sounded embarrassed.
“I woke up with you on top of me, naked. You were also kissing me. Beyond that, I don’t know,” he said, sounding frustrated.
She groaned and pressed on, “Why did you stop me? Do you not want to...?”
“Oh yeah, I want to. But only when you’re aware of what is going on. From the beginning. You’re not going to be asleep,” he said, his eyes roving over her body. She still hadn’t put the t-shirt back on. He sat there waiting to see what she would do. “You have to make a conscious decision. I couldn’t handle it if you regretted it later. This is very important to me.”
She turned her back to him, so she could pull the t-shirt on over her head. She scooted back over in bed and laid down. She covered up, keeping her back to him. There was no way she was going to be able to start over, now. He may have said he wanted her to make a conscious decision, but her confidence was still shaken.
He laid back down and reached over and pulled her up against him. He wasn’t going to take advantage of her, but he sure wasn’t going to let her keep so much distance between them. He waited to see if she was going to fight. When she didn’t he decided he could relax and go back to sleep. Maybe.
Chapter 5
Sunday, July 7
In the morning when Mark woke up, Jenny was already out of bed. He rolled over and looked at the clock. It was already eight thirty and he needed a shower bad, if he was even going to be able to consider functioning for the day. After his and Jenny’s midnight make-out session, he’d had a really difficult time getting back to sleep.
Finally managing to convince himself to roll the rest of the way out of bed, he headed toward the bathroom, stripping his underwear off to toss them in the hamper along the way. He was already under the warm spray when he heard her walk in. He closed his eyes, trying to think. He wasn’t sure he was in the right state of mind to interact with her just yet. Especially with his current, vulnerable position.
The rush of cool air inside the steamy shower was the first thing that alerted him that she was standing there staring at him. He groaned, bracing his hands against the tile and dipped his head under the spray, waiting for her to either speak, or leave. It was taking her a while to decide which.
She figured he had seen her completely naked, so she might as well pay him the favor back. She should have thought a little longer on that. She had seen him in nothing but his underwear, and a towel once, and figured she could take it. She had been wrong.
She sucked in a sharp breath of air, wishing she had the guts to really join him in there, but she couldn’t move. All she could do was stare, her pulse racing.
He opened his eyes and looked over at her. She seemed to be checking him over, from head-to-toe. When her eyes met his, she flushed pink, embarrassed to be caught staring.
He chuckled and winked at her. “Do I pass inspection?” He couldn’t help but tease her. Unbelievably, she nodded her head really slowly, and swallowed, trying to find the voice to speak.
He thought about pulling her the rest of the way in with him, fully dressed. It wouldn’t take long for him to get her to forget her embarrassment. He had to remind himself, he wanted her to make the decision to take their relationship to the next level. She stood there frozen, her lips parted, and her cheeks flushed. He was going to have to get her out of his shower before he gave in and grabbed her anyway.
He stepped back out of the spray, holding his hands out at his sides, not at all embarrassed to be caught in the all-together. “Would you like to join me in the shower? That’s one of the good things about a walk-in shower this size.” He took a step toward her. “It’s big enough for two,” he said, giving her a devilish grin. She took a step backwards, just then realizing she had gotten too close.
He seen it. She almost nodded yes before she stopped herself and shook her head no, vigorously. He had to work hard not to laugh. That wasn’t to say she wasn’t stirring him up. The woman made is blood boil without trying. They were liable to set the place on fire when she decided to put some effort into it.
He swallowed, shaking his head clear, and gave her a reassuring smile. “Jenny, I’m assuming you joined me in here for a reason.”
If it was possible, her cheeks got even pinker. “I hope you’re hungry. I cooked breakfast,” she managed to stammer out.
“Yeah, I always eat breakfast.” He was hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt, but she was staring at him like she was thinking of having him for breakfast, instead of sausage and eggs. His body was starting to react, and if she didn’t get out of the shower soon, he was going to be giving her a whole other show.
“Okay, well, it’s ready when you get out,” she mumbled, finally dropping her eyes. When she stepped back out, she stumbled and almost fell. He reached out to steady her, and watched her cheeks grow pink all over again.
He laughed, shaking his head. “I’ll be out in a few more minutes.”
******
Five minutes later, Mark was out and dressed in blue jeans, only. Wandering down the hall, he found Jenny in the kitchen, sitting at the table waiting on him. “Hey, Angel, you could have started without me.”
When she looked up at him, her breath caught in her throat. She had been about to say something, but never managed to get it out. She just sat there staring at him. “Angel, are you okay?”
“Yes, I was
just a little stunned, but I’m good now.” She looked back down at the table, struggling to catch her breath. She was remembering how he’d looked in the shower, and thinking he needed to stop wandering around the house only half dressed. It wasn’t could for her composure.
She should never have gone into the bathroom with him still in the shower. She had been trying to throw him off balance a little. Instead, she had managed to throw herself farther off balance.
He found himself unable to stop grinning at her bent head. He decided it was going to be a lot of fun persuading his beautiful wife to stay married to him. She was far more affected by him than she wanted him to believe.
They ate in silence, passing things back and forth without talking. She was having to work hard to suppress the images from the shower. Especially with him sitting there without his shirt. The food tasted good, but she was unable to eat a whole lot of it. Her stomach was too tied in knots. She could tell he wasn’t suffering from the same issues. He had managed to eat two helpings of everything before he was done.
She shook her head in wonder. “Do you always eat so much for breakfast.”
“Yeah, breakfast is always my biggest meal, but hopefully I don’t have to eat at the Sapphire Café as much now.”
“Did you just marry me for my cooking?” she smirked.
“Ha-ha. You’re so funny,” he grinned back. “I know you know me better than that.”
When they finished eating, he helped her clean up and put the dishes in the dishwasher. She was standing at the sink washing the skillet that she had cooked the eggs in when he walked up behind her and kissed her on top of the head and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m very tempted to drag you back to bed, even if all you let me do is hold you. So, if you want to go to church this morning, we need to get going.”
She had to grab hold of the counter with both hands when he walked away to keep herself on her feet. She wanted to follow after him and beg him to drag her off to bed, but she’d be begging him to do far more than just hold her. She just couldn’t seem to get her feet to carry her that way. She still wasn’t quite ready to face her feelings.
Married in Vegas (The Townsends Book 3) Page 6