by Hazel Parker
I thought I had prepared myself for seeing him again, but being face to face with him, I realized nothing would have properly prepared me. A powerful flood of emotions washed over me—passion, regret, guilt. I couldn’t stop myself from letting my eyes soak him in. He was in what remained of his dark suit. His jacket was off, tie discarded, shirt sleeves rolled at the elbows. His silky, dark hair was tousled as if he had been running his hands through it. I smiled to myself as I recognized this look, as I had seen it many times. The signs of Jack Lawson in panic mode.
“Marie.” Jack’s voice was soft, and he too seemed to be taking me in. He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to my cheek. It was the most innocent gesture, but my skin ignited under his touch. “I can’t decide if it’s a surprise to see you or if it seems like it was inevitable.”
“I guess I know what you mean. Sorry to just show up like this. If I caught you in the middle of something, we can always get together some other time.”
“No, not busy. Come in.” Jack’s appearance told me he was lying, but he stepped back and allowed me in.
The suite was huge, with a large common area, kitchenette, and doors leading to four rooms. I did a slow circle as I took it all in. Jack watched me, amused.
“This place is unreal. It sure beats the dives we had to stay at back in the day. I guess you’ve made it to the big leagues.”
“Not quite.” He smirked. “I usually stay in one of the smaller suites when I’m in town, but since I’m going to be here more permanently, I needed something with more space. One of those rooms is a meeting room, so my campaign manager, Greg, can be sure I have no excuse to leave.”
I looked around again and realized there was no staff in sight.
“Where is everyone? Judging by your dismantled suit I would say you were knee deep in a hectic day.”
He laughed, “Am I that obvious?”
“Absolutely. Don’t forget that I’ve seen this look on you many times before.”
Jack’s voice was low and his eyes skimmed down the length of my body, “I haven’t forgotten.”
The intensity of his stare sent warmth surging through me, making my stomach quiver. I met that reaction with the mixed feelings of earlier. I couldn’t forget the reason I was here.
“Really, though, if you’re busy I can go.”
“No, stay. I sent my staff away.”
“Everyone? Why?”
Jack didn’t answer. Instead he gestured to the large sitting area near the window on the far side of the room.
“Let’s sit down.” Jack led us to two chairs nearest the bar.
“Drink?”
It was only 2:00, but I nodded. That may be just what I needed to get through this. Jack fixed our drinks, then came to sit in the chair adjacent to me.
“Why are you here?”
That was direct. But I shouldn’t have been surprised, Jack had always been one to cut to the chase. He could dance around a topic like any other politician could, but if he wanted to know something, he didn’t mince words. I cut my eyes from him, looking out the window while I answered.
“I read that you were back in town. I thought we should catch up.”
“You thought we ‘should’ catch up? Like an obligation?”
“Don’t do that,” I said flatly.
“Do what?”
“Interrogate me. I’m not your opposition. I came here to see you. To talk to you. If you want to know more than that, you can drop the act.”
Jack ran his hand through his hair and slouched back in his chair.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ve been working crazy hours and I guess it’s starting to show.” Jack picked up his drink and took a sip. He smiled. “You know, not many people talk to me like that these days.”
“Well don’t expect me to be one of them. I quit kissing your ass the day you fired me.” I returned his smile, our easy bantering returning effortlessly.
“You still remember the time you did that?” he grinned.
I reached across and gave him a playful slap on his arm. “You and your dirty mind.”
“And I didn’t fire you. You refused to move.”
“Seems like you’ve been getting by without me just fine since then.”
“Yeah, I guess so. But let’s not get into all that. I let my staff have the rest of the afternoon off; I think I’m entitled to getting it off too. What about you, who are you working for now?”
“Not who, where. I work at Vinny’s,” I said, cringing at what he was going to say about that.
“Never heard of them. What sector is it in?”
“Food industry. Vinny’s Diner on 54th. Best onion rings in town.” I faked a bright smile.
His eyebrows furrowed. “You’re working as a waitress?”
“Yep.”
“I thought you liked working in the public sector. The way things were going, you could have had an executive position by now.”
“I needed something with better hours. Stable hours. Eventually I would like to get back into politics, but this works for now.” Not to mention that I couldn’t look for another position with one of his colleagues after he left because it would have drawn attention to my situation. Our situation.
When someone’s unwed assistant gets pregnant, it doesn’t take too long for the rumors to start swirling. By the time I was ready to go back to work after having Will, I realized that working the long hours required wasn’t conducive to having a baby at home. But I didn’t feel as though Jack needed to know that part just yet. “But if you get to veto talking about work, then so do I.”
“Fair enough. You wanted to catch up, so let’s talk about another subject you love instead. How’s your family?”
I rolled my eyes. “Still crazy. I haven’t talked to them in years. How’s your mother?”
“Still crazy, but unlike you, I talk to her more often than I want.”
“It’s good to know some things don’t change. And your brother?”
“He’s finishing up law school. He still asks about you. He told me if I ever saw you again to give you his number.” I smiled at the thought of Jack’s little brother. David had spent the summer working on Jack’s campaign staff the year I worked as his assistant. David and I were the same age and had lots in common, and over the course of the summer, our feelings for each other developed.
But whereas his turned romantic, my feelings for him were like a brother. I couldn’t fall for him when I already loved his brother.
I smiled. “David is sweet. I always liked him. I lost track of how many times he asked me on a date. He even asked me out the day he came down here to help you move.”
“He did? That little shit. And did you ever take him up on it?”
“No.”
“Why not?” Jack’s eyes focused in on mine, their intensity burning into me.
I cut my eyes away from him. If he didn’t already know why, I wasn’t going to tell him; the time to confess my feelings was long gone. I could feel his eyes still on me. Neither of us spoke for a moment. When Jack finally did speak, the humor had left his voice, leaving only the deep rumble.
“You know, if you need a job I’m sure I can find you something on my staff.”
I turned to look at him again, finding a familiar unrestrained heat in his eyes. “That’s not why I came here. I don’t want anything from you.”
“That’s too bad,” Jack leaned forward in his chair, our knees touching, “because I was really hoping that’s exactly why you came here.”
He licked his lips and my body recognized the gesture. It recognized that predatory look. The way my body responded was as if no time had passed. When Jack reached out and his hand ran up the bare skin of my leg, I forgot all about the reason I had come here. My skin tingled with the anticipation of what was to come and all I could think about was Jack’s hands on my body.
Still sitting, Jack reached for my hands and pulled me up. I came to him willingly. He positioned me in front of him far eno
ugh away that we were no longer touching. Letting go of my hands, Jack sat back in his chair again.
“Do you remember that little, shithole motel we stayed at in Iowa?” I nodded. I remembered it well. We were stuck there during a storm on our way to a rally. We had two days to kill and we did so in the most creative ways. “Good girl. So do I, very well, and there’s one part that my mind keeps going back to.” One more lick of his lips. “Shirt.”
He commanded, a smile playing on his lips. He watched, understanding fill my eyes. He meant the part when he made me strip for him in the deserted lobby, the eagerness to please him spurring me on. The thrill of getting caught turning us both on. Under his gaze and with shaky fingers, I readily unbuttoned my top and let it fall down my arms, still eager to please him.
“Bra,” he said next. I obeyed his order, reaching back and unclasping my bra. It too fell to the floor. His eyes burned a path over my exposed flesh. Liquid heat began pooling at my core.
“Skirt,” His voice was quieter now, eyes focused. I obliged, watching him watch my hands drag my skirt down. I left it in a puddle on the floor. I straightened and let him rake his eyes over my body while my flesh pulsed.
Jack raised an eyebrow at me, “I see you’ve forgotten the rule.” I smiled at him, remembering the no-underwear-at-work rule we had created.
“It’s been a long time. I wasn’t sure if it still applied.”
Jack leaned forward in his chair and let his fingers dance up my thighs until they reached the scrap of silk. He tugged on them, bringing me close to him. “Always.”
Jack pulled them down my legs and pressed a kiss to the skin he had revealed. His slipped a finger past my swollen folds, smiling up at me when he was met with my wet heat. Gripping my hips, he guided me to his chair, my legs straddling him. His strong hands wrapped around my back and his mouth found its way to my breasts.
His teeth tugged at my engorged nipples. I arched into his touch, welcoming the nip of his teeth. I ground down onto his growing erection, my flesh aching to feel him in me. I wanted to finally feel him filling me after many agonizing months of only imagining it, but my needy clit only found minimal relief.
His teeth tugged one last time before pulling back. Jack reached down between us and slipped the button from his pants. I grabbed the back of the chair and lifted my hips, letting Jack move his pants down enough to pull out his thick erection. A ripple of desire quivered through by body and without waiting for further invitation, I sat back down, letting the smooth tip of his cock push against my center. Easing forward, I inched his cock further in. I took my time, letting myself savor the ache of him filling me. Jack captured my lips, his teeth pulling at my lower lip. His tongue lapped into my mouth, tasting, devouring.
The bite of his fingers in my hips urged me on, driving my actions into a frenzy. I began a fast rhythm, grinding into him hard, pulling the full length of him into me. My fingers dug into the back of the chair. The room filled with the sounds of our breathing. Jack bucked his hip up in time with me. From deep inside, I could feel my release building.
I gripped onto Jack’s shoulders as my muscles contracted, stiffening in anticipation. Hands on my hips, holding me in place above him, Jack pumped into me. The relentless drive overwhelmed me and I cried out in pleasure, rocking into his motions. Below me, Jack continued to thrust into my trembling flesh until he too came, a rough cry tearing from him.
Damp with sweat, I rested my head on his shoulder until my breathing started to slow. I eased him out of me, wishing I didn’t feel so empty already. With a delirious smile on his lips, he kissed me once more and brushed the hair from my face. I crawled from his lap and he followed me up.
“I need to change, and then we can finish our catching up. You can use that bathroom if you want.” Jack indicated the one just off the common area. I nodded and watched him leave for his room.
I grabbed my purse and headed for the bathroom. I quickly cleaned up and pulled on a robe I found in the bathroom. Rifling through my purse and pulling out my phone I dialed Meg.
“Hey, honey, I’ve been thinking of you. How did Jack take it?”
“I, uh, haven’t told him yet,” I said in a hushed voice.
Meg was quiet for a minute, then a burst of laughter made me pull the phone away from my ear. When the cackling sounds subsided, I held the phone back to my head.
“What’s so funny?”
“You slept with him, didn’t you, you hussy?”
“I may have.”
“I don’t know why I didn’t see that coming. You two could never keep your hands off each other. Don’t worry about Will. He’s having a great time here torturing Kitty McGilly, so stay as long as you want.”
With a promise to try and be home tonight, I ended my call with Meg and headed back to the living room. Not finding Jack there, I went to the bedroom in search of him. The water was still running in the en suite bathroom, so I shed the robe and crawled into his bed. Snuggling deep under the covers, I enjoyed the feel of the plush sheets against my naked body—two things I couldn’t do in my own bed.
So comfortable and delirious with sleep, I let my eyes drift closed. In a sleepy haze, I felt Jack cozying in behind me. His hands wandered my body and I relaxed into him. Jack ran smooth hands over my breasts, pausing to brush his fingers over my nipples until they were hard. When he was satisfied with his efforts, he caressed his hands over my ribcage and over my stomach. His fingers stopped on the irregularity of the scar he found there and I stilled.
That scar was the reminder of my baby. Of when he grew inside me. Of when I loved him when no one else knew he existed. I loved that scar. Of all the scenarios I anticipated Jack finding out, in none of them was I quite as vulnerable as I was right now. I waited for Jack to say something.
“I noticed this earlier. It wasn’t there last time I saw you.” His voice was rough, gravelly.
“No.” He was quiet for a beat.
“What is it from?”
I turned in his arms. I needed to see him when I told him. In a mere whisper I said, “From when I had my son.”
“You have a child.” Another beat passed. “How old?”
“Two.” His eyes calculated.
“Mine?”
“Yes.”
The moment I had dreaded all these years was upon me, and that moment of truth was an ugly one. Jack didn’t smile, he didn’t look all weepy eyed like in the movies. He looked like he was going to be sick. I saw the panic flash through his features.
The hotel phone on the nightstand chose that moment to start to ring. Jack ignored it. I wasn’t even sure if he heard it.
In that moment, I felt I had to get away from here before more damage was done. The memories I had with Jack were perfect in my mind and the life I created with Will was perfect too. Merging the two could tarnish them both and I couldn’t bear that. I couldn’t seem to recall any of the reasons why I thought this was a good idea. Jack’s arms were slack around me, and so I rolled away from his body and off the other side of the bed.
Jack sat up, the shock on his face still evident. I left his room for the living room. I began to gather up my clothes and Jack followed behind.
“What are you doing?” he asked, despondent.
“Getting dressed. I have to go home,” I said distractedly, pulling my skirt up.
“You can’t leave now. We aren’t done talking.” His words were indignant but his voice was flat.
“I’ve said all I came here to say.” The hotel phone stopped ringing just as his cell phone on the kitchen counter started. “Sounds like someone is trying to reach you. You should take that.”
“Screw that. We’re not done here,” Jack said with a little more feeling this time.
I buttoned my shirt and grabbed my purse from off the coffee table. Jack’s phone was ringing again and this time he looked at the screen. He ran a hand through his hair.
“Shit. That’s Greg. I forgot I’m supposed to be at a meeting in half an hou
r. He’s probably calling to see where I am.” He frowned at the screen then back up at me.
“Don’t worry about it. I can show myself out.” I crossed the room to the door.
“No, Marie. I want to stay. I want you to stay.” I could almost pick up a trace of emotion ringing through.
“But you can’t and neither can I.” I paused with my hand on the knob. Turning back to Jack I said, “Listen, I know this is the last thing you need right now. That’s the exact reason I didn’t tell you in the first place. But now that we’re in the same city, I figured it would be best to tell you before you found out in some other, more embarrassing way. So now you know and we can both carry on with our lives.”