by S. E. Rose
“Nice try, kittyman, but no cats on this voyage,” I scold him as I pick him out of my bag for the tenth time. I am finally packed and Jack tosses our bags in my car and then looks at his car in the woods. It is clearly visible from in front of the cottage, but nowhere else. I can tell he’s contemplating what to do about it.
“Just leave it there, Jack. They won’t be looking out here for you,” I say, encouraging him to get in my rental car. He shakes his head and starts to get in and then immediately gets back out and walks to his car.
“I’m just going to pull it a little deeper into the woods,” he says. Now I’m shaking my head, but he does and now even from the front of the cottage you really have to be looking for it to see it.
We head off to the spa, and by the time Jack pulls up to it, I can feel myself start to relax. Once we get checked in, we are led to our room. It is beautiful and serene. I flop onto the bed and gaze out the window at the beautiful countryside.
“What shall we do first?” I ask as I grab a booklet from the bedside table and start scrolling through the many spa options. Jack sits down next to me, running his hands through my hair as I peruse our options.
“I don’t know,” he says. “What do you suggest?”
I look at him. “You’ve not been to a spa before?” I get a blank stare followed by a shake of his head.
“I don’t know if I’m the spa type.” He grins. “Is there a men’s section where we can watch sports on the tele?”
I roll my eyes and flip over so I’m lying on my back. “No, but there is a couples’ spa day.” I point to the spa menu and hold it up for him to read. He shrugs.
“When you are in Rome…”
“Hey, what is it with men and spas. Sean thought the same, but I changed his mind and I’m going to change yours.” I poke him in the chest and start to get up, but he whips me around and tosses me back down on the bed, pinning me by sitting on my waist. I grin up at him.
“Oh really?” he says, his eyes flashing dark as he leans in toward my face.
“Yes, really,” I say with determination.
“Well, I can think of something that might change my mind,” he whispers as he bites my earlobe.
“And what would that be?” I whisper, trying to feign innocence.
“I think you know,” he says. I get out from under his hold and pull my shirt off, dangling it from my hand.
“This?” I ask as I let the shirt fall to the bed. I unbutton my jeans slowly and stand on the bed pushing them down before I fall back to my knees. “Or this?” I can see his eyes moving down my body as I unhook my bra. “Or…”
“All of it!” he growls and rips his shirt off while pushing me down. I let out a yelp as his mouth finds my breast and then my nipple. His fingers push aside the lace of my panties and he runs them between my folds feeling my wetness. I unbutton his jeans and free his erection so that I can run my hand up his length. Jesus, he feels so good in my hand. Before I can remove his jeans, he tugs my panties down and then trails wet kisses up the inside of my leg as he comes back up my body. I spread my legs inviting him into me and he obliges, running his tongue over me and lapping up my arousal. He pushes two fingers inside of me before pushing his jeans down. I am glad that I had managed to secure the pill from the pharmacy the other day, I think, as I look down at him knowing I don’t want anything separating our contact. I can feel his hardness teasing me as he slides back and forth between my wet folds. I moan and he pushes all the way into me as I let out a cry.
“God, you feel good,” he groans as he begins thrusting inside of me. His rhythm is increasing as he pounds faster and harder bringing me to the edge and then I’m lost, my only focus is on the movement between us. As I start to come back down, I feel him explode inside of me and he cries out my name before collapsing on me. We lie steadying ourselves. Our breathing slowly goes back to normal. I run my fingers through his hair as he kisses my breast.
“How did you like your first spa treatment?” I ask as I try to contain my grin.
“Well, it had the happy ending I was hoping for, so I guess if the rest of the treatments go like that…”
“Jack!” I say, faking shock. He laughs and then looks into my eyes with a very serious face.
“I only want to do that with you. Only you, love.” My eyes start to well from the sincerity of his voice and I let out a breath. He pulls me up while still deep inside of me so that I am sitting on his lap with one leg on either side of him. He slowly places a hand on each side of my face and looks deeply into my eyes.
“What?” I ask as I realize I am holding my breath. I can feel the intensity between us and it is almost too much.
“I am falling for you, Laura,” he says in a barely audible whisper. And before I can answer, his lips are on mine. His kiss has such passion and depth that I get lost in it and don’t even remember what we were discussing. “I need you, baby. Don’t leave me,” he whispers against my mouth with such desperation it tugs at my heart.
I pull back, but for a second, and give him a serious look. “I’m not going to leave you…I…I can’t leave you,” I manage to whisper back to him. “Because I think I’m in love with you.” My hand shoots up to quickly cover my mouth. Did I just say that out loud?
His eyes widen slightly, and he leans in towards me and whispers, “I love you too, Laura. Jesus, I love you so fucking much!” And then we are lost again in a kiss that would end all kisses. I don’t know how long we stay like this, but I’m fairly certain his legs must be asleep from my weight. He’s still inside of me and I can feel him harden again and begin to move, slowly this time. He lays me back down and we make love, slow passionate love, exploring each other and savoring each other. I want to cry from the happiness of this moment.
It’s almost 8:00 p.m. before we shower and emerge from our room to get food. I book us a full couples’ spa treatment for the next day and we spend the evening eating an amazing meal and sipping wine on a heated outdoor patio, a wood-burning fire pit warming us as we laugh and share stories of our childhoods.
Considering all that is going on in our lives at the moment, I am shocked and, well, fairly amused when a very nervous Jack clutches my hand as we walk into the spa the next morning.
“We do all this together, right?” he asks as a receptionist gives us some forms to fill out.
I can’t help myself, as I look up at him with my most serious face. “Oh no, sorry, I thought you understood that we will be in separate rooms all day. But don’t worry I requested their largest and most powerful male masseuse to work on you.” And then just to mess with him some more, I add in a whisper, “And I requested one too.”
He looks like he is going to die and it literally takes him a full minute before I can tell he knows I am just kidding. “Seriously, woman, how did you talk me into doing this?”
I bat my eyes and give him my best innocent princess look. “You would deny me a day of relaxation?”
“Oh, I can give you a day of relaxation,” he says, leaning into me.
“Oh really?” I reply with a roll of my eyes.
And before our conversation can continue, a middle-aged woman comes out to get us. We spend the day getting massages, facials, mud baths, and then we soak in a grotto-like hot tub. It’s delightful, and for a few hours, I am finally able to push the stress out of my head. By the time they are serving us water with lemon and cucumbers, and chocolate truffles, I can tell he is enjoying himself. It makes me smile.
“Torturous, isn’t it?” I smirk.
“Terrible…completely terrible,” he says as he lies back in a heated lounge chair, a hot, aromatherapy pad, lying around his neck.
I burst into a fit of giggles. “I wish I had my phone so I could Memorex this moment. You look ridiculous and adorable.”
“Feed me my truffles, wench,” he orders, trying to do his best Henry VIII impersonation. This only forces my giggle fit to worsen as I toss a truffle at him. “Off with your head. My mistress can’t b
e having bad aim when I am in need of chocolate decadence!”
I playfully slap his leg. “Let’s go relax before dinner.” He arches an eyebrow.
“Relax?” he asks, raising his eyebrow even farther. “Does that mean I will finally get that happy ending you promised me?”
I stand shaking my ass at him through my very posh spa robe and wander off toward our room. He’s not far behind. “Don’t want to keep my lady waiting,” he says as he scoops me up and carries me back to our room.
After another great dinner, we end up back in bed for what Jack describes as his second dessert. I snuggle around him basking in his beauty and listening to his heart beating as I make small hearts on his chest with my finger.
I hear my phone buzz from inside my bag, but I choose to ignore. Whatever it is, it can wait. I’m on my Private Jack Island and I don’t want to be rescued. It buzzes again. Damn it, I’m comfortable.
“You going to check that?” he asks.
“Nope,” I say. “I’m not leaving our island yet.” But a moment after the words leave my mouth, I get up and walk over to get my phone. The mom instinct in me can’t help checking. I see two messages from Oliver.
Oliver: Friday morning—London—2 p.m.—Speakers’ Corner Hyde Park. Agent Banks will meet you there.
I shiver and not because I’m standing in the room naked.
Oliver: Laura, be careful. Text me back so I know you got this.
I type a reply and hit send and compose myself before I turn back to Jack.
“Kids?” he asks, but then his eyes meet my face and his smile dissipates. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say. I pause briefly as I try to come up with a plan. “I need to be in London on Friday for work. My agent is going to be in town and wants to see me.”
“Oh…well…I suppose we could, but I don’t want to stay at my flat. Maybe we can get a hotel room?” he says, thinking it through.
“Sure,” I say, trying to sound cheerful about this. My stomach is suddenly in knots and the tension that was released earlier from my shoulders has now quadrupled. I crawl back into bed with Jack and hug him. I can feel his heart beating faster and I know he is nervous to go to London. He’s about to exponentially multiply the likelihood of running into Simon and Leo.
We lie in bed holding each other. Both of us seem lost in our thoughts. I have a hard time thinking this is reality. I can’t imagine what will happen next. Isn’t that what I get paid to do? I seriously doubt I could ever come up with a story this crazy. My mind can’t keep still. Tomorrow’s Thursday and we will leave straight from here and drive to London.
Chapter 22
Laura’s Playlist: “Other Side of the World” by KT Tunstall
The next morning, we get packed, and on the way out of town, we stop and replenish some supplies before getting on the A-1 and heading south. It takes us a good chunk of the day to get there and we arrive mid-afternoon at a hotel just north of Hyde Park. We check in under my name and Jack suggests we grab an early dinner at a nearby pub. I’m antsy and I can’t sit still as evening approaches.
“Can we go for a walk?” I ask Jack after we finish our dinner.
“Sure,” he says. I can tell he’d rather be anywhere but in London at the moment. As we walk through Hyde Park and over toward Buckingham Palace, I can feel him tensing and his eyes scan the crowds of people on the streets. We find a park bench in St. James’s Park near the water and sit. I lean my head on Jack’s shoulder and lace my arm through his. He kisses the top of my head. We haven’t said a word since leaving the pub. I rub my ankle. It’s a bit sore, but I’ve been boot-free since we left for the spa and it is starting to feel better, although I’m pretty sure it will be sore tomorrow after all this walking. At least my head is finally feeling better, I think to myself as I gaze out at the water.
“Laura, what’s wrong?” Jack says as he finally breaks the silence.
“Nothing,” I answer, letting out too much air and knowing that he has heard my sigh. He raises his hand and lifts my chin so that he can look into my eyes.
“I know you are hiding something,” he says quietly. The sad look in his eyes is killing me and I want to tell him everything, but I know he’ll stop me from going tomorrow and I have to do this for him.
“I’m just nervous about my agent seeing my book,” I say, trying to sound convincing.
He shakes his head. “What is really wrong?”
“I’m just worried about you,” I say, my voice barely an audible whisper. It’s true and I know he won’t pry any further. He nods and kisses me gently on my lips, his hand cups my cheek and I lean into it.
“It’ll be OK,” he says. “You’ll see. I’ll figure something out.”
“How?” I press.
“I don’t know yet, but I’m thinking,” he replies softly. “Let’s head back. It’s getting late.”
We walk back to the hotel in silence. I go to take a shower and I feel him behind me as I wash my hair. His strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me back to his chest.
“Let me,” he says and he takes over massaging the shampoo into my scalp. He rinses my hair and then puts in conditioner. He washes me last taking his time to massage every crevice of my body. By the time he finishes, all I want to do is have him take me right there in the shower. I reach up and kiss him. My fingers run through his hair as I feel his tongue tease my bottom lip. I part my lips and our tongues meet and dance as his one hand twists in my hair and the other gently cups my breast. He rubs his thumb back and forth across my nipple.
I let out a moan as I feel his hand slide down between my legs. Suddenly he’s lifting me up and slamming me into the wall. I wrap my legs around him and he guides himself into me. My arms are wrapped tightly around his neck and he thrusts forcefully into me over and over as I cry out his name. His lips don’t leave mine and I begin to lose myself in all the sensations until I am in that place of pure concentration on just our most intimate motion. I’m shaking and my muscles are contracting around his erection. He yells my name and I can feel the heat pour from him into me as he slows and makes one final thrust.
He holds me there against the wall for a while as our breathing slows. He continues to kiss me on my lips, my throat, my cheeks, my chin, and then he stops and stares into my eyes.
“Please tell me,” he whispers against my lips.
I can’t help it as tears begin to well in my eyes. I’m so torn. I want to tell him. I don’t like hiding anything from this man, but if I tell him he’ll stop me and I can’t let him do that because this is our only chance. So I dance around the truth.
“I’m scared,” I say. It’s not a lie after all; I’m really scared.
“Oh, baby,” he coos as he turns off the shower and grabs a towel, drying us without putting me down. I wrap my legs around him even tighter. He carries me to the bed still damp in some areas and he sits us down not removing himself from within me. He puts his forehead to mine. “I wish I could change my past and be a better man for you.”
“Shhhh. Don’t say that. I love you, Jack. I love you just the way you are and I don’t care how fucked up your past is because mine is fucked up too and it doesn’t matter.” He puts a finger to my lips and I stop talking.
“I want you to go home where you are safe, but I don’t know if I can make it without you,” he whispers, looking into my eyes and I know what he says is true. I nod.
We say nothing more as he leans back and I lean forward until my head rests on his chest. And I fall asleep like this, my arms resting on his chest, my legs on either side of his waist and his semi-hard erection buried deep inside me. I feel whole, loved, completed.
I wake to his movements inside of me. I make a small noise of pleasure and I feel his hands run down my back.
“Good morning, baby,” he murmurs into my ear as he moves slowly inside of me. I don’t know if he stayed buried there all night, but I do know that he feels amazing right now and I can use the distraction.
/> I lift my head so I can see his eyes. And he makes love to me, slowly, tenderly, his hands touching me here and there, his fingers grazing the most sensitive parts of my body. Damn, he feels so good.
Afterwards, we grab a shower and head to breakfast. It’s later in the morning and I realize he hasn’t been for his morning jog since we left for the spa.
I look at him with my head cocked to one side. “You haven’t been running.”
He shrugs. “I don’t run when I’m on holiday.”
“So you’re on holiday?”
“Yes, I believe I am.” He smiles at me, taking a bite of fried egg.
“Very well, then. What should we do today?” I ask.
“Well, what time is your meeting?”
I fidget and then still myself hoping he didn’t notice. “Two o’clock, not far from here.”
“OK then, what would the lady like to see today?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
I can easily think of a million things I’d like to see in London: Ally Pally, Portrait Gallery, British Museum, London Eye, another stroll through Hyde Park. However, we only have a few hours.
“Let’s see if my cousin is available,” I suggest. My cousin Isabelle and I have been friends since we were girls and I seldom get to see her. She’s a trip and would make a perfect distraction if I can get her to take a long lunch. I send her a message and anxiously wait for a reply.
Isabelle: L- WHAT? U r here? Seriously? Meet me at the spot at 11:30. And who’s ur mystery guest, do tell?
I laugh out loud trying not to snort, but I can’t help it. I look to Jack and laugh when I see his perplexed face. “Sorry, she’s really something. You’ll see shortly.”
We finish our breakfast and then I take his hand and walk him over to Green Park. We lazily stroll through the park. I get us some coffees and we settle on a bench over near the Ritz. It isn’t long before my cousin strolls over and then nearly breaks into a run before I rise and we throw our arms around each other and start giggling like schoolgirls.
