by Hope Ford
“Fuck that.” His voice is gruff. “This isn’t goodbye. Give me your phone.”
I blink up at him. “Phone?” he asks again.
I dig my phone out of my purse and hand it to him. He punches in a few numbers and his phone starts ringing in his pocket. “I’m saving my number in your phone. I’ll call you later. As soon as I can.”
When Jason walks out of the church, Jack hands me the phone and kisses me briefly on the lips. “I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
I watch him walk off and when he gets to his brother, he turns back to me with a smile on his face and waves. I sit down in my car and rest my head on the steering wheel.
What am I thinking? He would be so easy to get attached to. He’s gruff, maybe a little rough around the edges, but damn, he makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. I have to remind myself that he’ll be leaving soon. I remember Chelsey saying he worked on an oil rig, so I’m sure he’s never home. Hell, he probably has a different woman every time he takes leave.
I make a promise to myself to not get lost in this. I will guard my heart, no matter how much he tempts me.
Chapter 4
Jack
I text Emily a few times throughout the day, but she doesn’t respond to me. I kick myself. I still don’t know anything about her. Is she at work, at school, what does she do?
When Jason finds out that Chelsey went on their honeymoon without him, he has me take him to the airport. It’s obvious how crazy he is for her. I hope they can work out whatever it is they have going on. Once I see him off, I get back into my car and pick up the phone, choosing Emily’s name from my contacts and hitting the dial button.
When she answers on the third ring, I finally release the breath I’ve been holding.
As soon as she says hello, I ask her, “Where are you?”
She laughs. “Hello to you, too.”
I huskily say her name into the phone. “Emily… where are you?”
She sighs. “Why?”
I throw my rental car into park, realizing this might take a little longer than I thought. “I just dropped Jason off at the airport. He thinks Chelsey went on the honeymoon without him. Now, where are you? I’m coming to you.”
“No!” she exclaims. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Fuck that, honey. Where are you?”
She’s silent for a few seconds and when I think she’s not going to answer me, I start to speak again. “Please… please Emily, I want to see you.”
“I just don’t think this is a good idea. You’re only here for a short time. Heck, I don’t even know how long you’re here for. There’s really no reason to see each other.” Her voice cracks at the end and that is the only indication that I might even have a chance with her.
“One week. I have one week and I want to spend every second of it with you. Tell me where you’re at, Emily.”
“But…” she starts.
“I want to get to know you. I can’t stop thinking of you. Please, just tell me where you are.”
She hesitates and then mutters into the phone, “I’ll text you my address.”
She hangs up the phone, and I stare at it, waiting on her text. When it finally dings and an address comes across the screen, I stretch my shoulders out like a weight has been lifted off them.
Emily
I walk the room, trying to straighten up the already clean house. I live alone, so it’s always only my mess I have to deal with.
Only fifteen minutes goes by before I hear a swift knock on the door.
I swing the door open and step back to let him in. His big body towers over me and he looks even bigger in the small entryway of my house.
“Hey,” I say, leading him into the living room.
He’s looking around and takes off his jacket, laying it across the back of a chair. He holds his arms open to me.
I should resist him. I should tell him to leave. I can already feel my heart beating double-time for him. My plan to keep my distance is folding as I stand here and look at him. I want this man, more than anything. And right now, if a week is all I have with him, it’s going to have to be good enough.
His arms open wider and he takes a step toward me. I think about staying where I am. But who am I kidding? I want to be in his arms, but instead of hugging him or kissing him, I grab a pillow off the back of the couch and saunter over to him. I toss the pillow to the floor in front of him and then drop to my knees on top of it.
He pushes the hair off my face and lifts my chin. “I didn’t come here for that.”
I pull the belt from his loop and undo the button, pulling down his zipper. I tug his pants and underwear down in one quick swoop. His cock springs up, only inches from my face.
A smile lifts the corner of my lips and I look up into his eyes. “So you want me to stop?”
He shakes his head side to side.
I cup his balls, sticking my tongue out to his tip.
His hips flex and he pulls back from me. I smile up at him and when he groans, I wrap my arms around him, putting my hands on his bare ass and pulling him back to me. I open my mouth, taking him inside until he hits the back of my throat.
I groan around his fullness and pull back, sliding my tongue across his length. He’s fucking my face with abandon and I take him completely in, thankful that he’s letting loose. I want him at my mercy. I want him to give me complete control. He leans backward with the wall at his back, and I focus all my efforts on pleasing him.
I suck him until he’s about to lose control. His balls tighten up and his hand on my hair tries to pull me away. I moan around him, shaking my head no. He comes then, shooting his hot seed down my throat. I don’t stop until I have all of him and he’s pulling me up by lifting me under my arms.
When I’m standing before him, he takes off his shoes and tugs his pants the rest of the way off. He makes quick work of undressing me, then lifts me in his arms. His cock is already hard again.
“There’s no way… how?” I ask him.
“I’ve been hard since I met you yesterday. I’m hard just thinking about you. And nothing is going to stop me until I’m buried deep in that pussy again.” I wrap my legs around him and he leans me against the wall.
“Let’s go to the bedroom,” I tell him.
“No. I want you right here, right now… I’m clean. I want to be inside you with nothing between us.” He nuzzles my neck and I feel his cock lengthening against me.
“I’m clean too, and I’m on the pill,” I whisper against his throat.
He grunts something I don’t understand and then he positions my body until I’m sitting on his cock and he rears in and out of me until I’m screaming his name.
Chapter 5
Jack
I’m insatiable when it comes to Emily. She rolled over in the middle of the night and I had to have her again. Afterwards, I went and made us grilled cheese sandwiches and then we lay in bed and talked. I found out that she’s going to school online to become a nurse. She doesn’t work. She is able to live off an inheritance that her grandmother left her.
Now, I’m lying with her wrapped in my arms and the sun is just coming up.
My phone dings and I grab it off the table next to the bed. I rub at my eyes and realize that my brother Jason is texting me. Did you kiss a girl under the gazebo at my wedding?
I text him back. Yes. Why?
Immediately, the three little dots appear. Can you come to Miami?
WTF? I ask him.
I can almost hear the desperation in the text. My marriage depends on it!!!!
I don’t even hesitate. I’ll be there.
I start to set my phone back down when it dings again. Any chance you can bring the girl?
I look over at Emily next to me. That’s not even a question. I’ll see what I can do.
I scan my phone and find a flight that leaves in three hours. Setting my phone down, I roll toward Emily, kiss her cheek and she nuzzles into me.
I caress
her butt, pulling her into me. “Wake up, babe, we have to go.”
She mumbles something, but her face is buried against my chest and I can’t make it out.
I squeeze her cheek before giving her a little swat. “C’mon, honey, I need you to get up and get ready. We have to go to the hotel and we have a plane to catch.”
She pulls back and looks at me through hooded eyes. “Huh?”
I climb out of bed, hating to leave her warmth but knowing that I have to get going. “We’re going to Miami. Pack a bag.”
When I come back from the bathroom, she’s sitting on the edge of the bed. She looks at me and I realize I probably shouldn’t have woken her up that third time last night.
“I’m not going to Miami,” she mutters, patting my chest as she walks by to the bathroom.
I wrap my hand around her wrist. “Yes, you are, honey. Jason and Chelsey need us.” I fill her in on what I think is going on and her face flushes, knowing that she had something to do with the wedding not happening as planned.
“I can’t just leave. I have classes this week. I’m sure you can fix it without me being there.”
I lead her to the bathroom and pat her on the butt. “You don’t go, I don’t go.”
She walks into the bathroom and turns around to face me with disbelief on her face. “You’re lying. You have to go.”
I shrug my shoulders. “I’m only off for a week. I plan on spending that week with you. I’m not going without you.”
Emily
I try to buck him on it, but he convinces me that if I don’t go, he’s not going. Reluctantly, I start packing. I email my professors. Luckily, I only have three classes this week and since I’ve never missed, I think they’ll take it easy on me. Once I’m ready, we go to the hotel so he can shower and get his things together. We go online and buy our tickets. I try to convince him that I can get my own, but he’s not having it.
As soon as we get through security, my stomach starts turning. I probably should have mentioned to him that I’m afraid to fly.
We don’t have to sit around long before we’re boarding a plan. He notices my death grip on the handrest and covers my hand with his. “You okay, honey?”
I don’t look at him. I merely nod my head.
He leans over me, lifts my chin and what he sees in my eyes must terrify him. “Oh my God, what is it? Why didn’t you tell me?”
I bite my lower lip, trying to calm myself, but it doesn’t work. Nothing ever works.
“My, uh, parents died in a plane crash. I sort of freak out when I get on a plane now,” I tell him honestly with tears forming in my eyes.
He grips each side of my face and brushes my cheeks with his thumbs. The plane lurches and the cabin is making all kinds of noises. If anything, I freak out a little more.
Jack wraps his arms around me and pulls me against him as much as he can with the seatbelt holding me in. He presses his lips to mine, stroking me until I open to him. When I do, he devours me until all I feel, all I’m thinking about is him. I don’t know how long the kiss goes on, but when we finally pull apart, the people around us are staring and we are both gasping for breath.
He kisses my cheek and leans his head against mine. “We’ll drive back home.”
“No, no, I’ll be fine,” I assure him, but he shakes his head at me, anguish filling his face. “I’m sorry, Em. I shouldn’t have forced you into this. I’ll drive us back home. No more planes, not until you’re ready.”
The flight is only an hour and a half and Jack preoccupies me the whole way. When we land, we go straight to the hotel and drop off our luggage before we do a little sightseeing. Jack holds my hand everywhere we go. We end up at the beach and the image of him in his board shorts and nothing else will forever be ingrained in my head. We make it back to the hotel in just enough time to get changed and head to the lobby for dinner.
When we walk into the restaurant, Jack stops me on our way to the table. He leans down and catches my lips with his. I open my mouth to him and his tongue touches mine. Deepening the kiss, I don’t pull away until I finally realize that we’re standing in the middle of the restaurant and everyone is looking at us. “Why?” I ask him.
He shrugs his shoulders. “Because we’re having dinner with my brother and his fiancée and I’d rather be alone with you.”
He walks me over to Chelsey and Jason’s table.
“You must be Chelsey,” Jack says as we approach.
I’m standing behind Jack, but I hear Chelsey mumbling “Oh my God” and “What have I done?”
I walk out from behind Jack. “Hey, Chels.”
She jumps up from the table and circles it, putting her arms around me. She pulls back from me with surprise on her face. “What are you doing here? Wait, it was you? You were kissing Jack at the wedding?”
I jut out my hip and point up to Jack. “The big lug won’t keep his lips to himself. I was kidnapped and brought to Miami.”
We sit down and are about to order dinner when Chelsey grabs Jason’s hand. She turns to Jack and me. “How long are you here for?”
“The rest of the week,” Jack answers.
At the same time, I say, “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
She laughs and pulls Jason from his chair. “Will you guys excuse us? We have so much to talk about. We’ll meet you for breakfast in the morning.”
We watch as they almost run from the restaurant. Jack opens the menu. “So, it looks like they have things to talk about. Do you know what you want to eat?”
I look down at the menu, but can’t read a thing.
Jack puts his hand on my menu and lowers it so he can see my face. “Emily?”
I raise my eyes to his and I know he can see the lust in them. “Uh, what I want… yeah, I’m not really hungry. Why don’t we go back to the room? We can order room service later.”
He doesn’t even question me. He helps me out of my seat and we rush back to the room.
Chapter 6
Jack
I’m one hundred percent committed to her. I’m making it through these next few days, but I am working every way I can to figure out how to keep her. She’s young, smart and beautiful. I know I can’t just leave her.
I wake her up the next morning, sending her to get Chelsey and spend the day getting pampered. Jason has asked me to help him pull off the wedding. So I’ve been busy all day trying to get everything organized and people where they need to be.
My thoughts keep straying to Emily. Thinking of her at the spa about has me storming into the place, throwing her over my shoulder and taking her back to our room. At least I don’t have to worry about another man touching her. I made sure to check it out and asked for only women to do the pampering on her. I’m sure Jason did the same.
I don’t see her again until she’s walking down the aisle, and shortly afterward, Chelsey follows in her wedding gown. Every eye is on Chelsey and Jason. Except mine. I can’t take mine off of Emily. All these images are racing through my mind; her in her wedding dress and her pregnant with our child.
She looks over at me and I can see the heat in her eyes. I can’t help but wonder what she would think if she knew where my thoughts are going. When Chelsey and Jason say their vows, Emily and I stare at each other the whole time. All I can imagine is saying those exact words to her.
No sooner does Jason kiss his bride than I have Emily in my arms again. I don’t let her leave my side again.
Later, after dinner with all of the family, we start to leave, but Jared stops us. He has his hand in Krissy’s, the photographer for the wedding. I have to admit I’m a little surprised. Jared was a late bloomer and I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve ever seen him with a woman. He pulls me in for a hug. “We have to leave in the morning, so I wanted to tell you bye, big brother.”
“Bye, bub. I have a feeling you’ll be seeing more of me,” I tell him.
“Really?” he asks, looking between Emily and me. “That’s good. Real good.” Emily hu
gs Krissy and then we go back to the room.
Emily
Jack spends the rest of the week absolutely spoiling me. If I even mention something, we are doing it. We’ve spent the days on the beach, and most of the evenings we go out to dinner and then back to our room. I shake the thoughts from my head. I better not go there. We only have a few more days.
I swear it’s almost like we are on our own honeymoon. His family has left and although Chelsey and Jason are still here, they have kept busy doing their own thing. We do agree to meet one night for dinner. Seeing how happy they are together makes me happy that they were able to work it out. I still can’t believe that she cancelled the wedding because she thought Jason was kissing another woman. However, I have tried to put myself in her shoes, and even though I have nothing tying me to Jack, it would kill me to see him with another woman.
Chelsey and I go to the ladies’ room together after dinner. As we are washing our hands, I tell her how happy I am for her.
“Me too. I never dreamed I could be this happy,” she exclaims with a wistful look on her face.
She meets my eyes in the mirror while I’m reapplying my lipstick. I don’t know why I bother, because Jack is going to kiss it off as soon as I get out of here.
“So what about you and Jack?” I can hear the hesitation in her voice.
“I dunno. It just sort of happened,” I tell her honestly.
Her forehead creases. “I’m just, uh, worried about you. I only know Jack from what Jason has told me. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
I shrug my shoulders and assure her that we are just having fun, but her comment leaves a heavy weight on me. In the beginning, we were just having fun. But now, I know I want more.
I grab her arm and we walk out of the bathroom to our men waiting for us.
I make a point to remain carefree. There are so many times I almost ask him about the future, but I don’t. I sort of already know the answer and I don’t want to face it before I have to.
The day we are supposed to leave, I pack our bags and he carries them to the rental car. I try to prepare myself for the plane ride, but when he drives by the airport, I ask him about it.