The next day, she realized the text message hadn’t gone through…she’d been too tipsy to effectively hit Send. She pouted he hadn’t received her sweet message and also because he hadn’t bothered to call or send her a text, either.
Hungover, tired, and more than a little grouchy, she dragged herself out of bed to get to the filming on time.
While swirling blush on Diana Gardner’s perfect, high cheekbones, Grace was only half listening to the actresses’ conversation with the other star, Gabrielle. After they finished gossiping, the young blonde changed the subject to someone Grace knew personally.
“So, Grace,” Gabrielle asked in her delicately snobbish tone, “How is that husband of yours? Jack, was it?”
Only giving the actress a quick glance, Grace smiled and wondered why she was bringing him up. “He’s well, thank you.” And continued making Diana rosy.
Gabrielle smiled wickedly as the hairdresser fluffed her thick hair. “How long have you been married?”
“Three years.” She counted the months they spent apart. Technically, they had been married the whole time.
“Ohhh.” Gabrielle watched Grace as she went about powdering Mrs. Gardner’s face to a porcelain finish.
Grace wondered where the heck she was going with this inquisition.
“I don’t mean to sound like a nosy Rosie but I’ve been wondering how someone….” She looked around as if trying to think of the word, then shrugged. “Well, how someone like you got a man like that.”
Grace paused.
“Oh Gabrielle, leave her alone,” Mrs. Gardner said. “How can you be so catty?”
Gabrielle put out a helpless hand. “I said I wasn’t trying to be nosy. I’m super-curious.”
“What do you mean someone like me?” Grace couldn’t help but ask, though she knew by asking such a question she would only be offended by the answer.
“He’s a bit out of your league,” Gabrielle continued, “and from what I heard, he’s quite the catch. Successful and all that. I just want to know how you were able to rope him into marrying you.” She turned her eyes to Diana as if pretending Grace wasn’t there at all. “I mean, a super-hot bachelor marrying a makeup girl? Must’ve been a dream come true for her.”
Wow, the nerve. Grace wanted nothing more than to kick the snotty actress’ chair over. But that would get her nowhere…except a huge lawsuit.
She had to remind herself that although Gabrielle Winthrop was a very pretty actress on a popular television show with men falling at her feet, she was never happy, had no one genuine in her life. Deep down, she must’ve been a lonely, sad girl who envied what she could easily have had—if she weren’t such a bitch.
Grace swallowed the nasty retort she could only dare to sneer and remained cool-headed. “It was a dream come true,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I didn’t do anything special to ‘rope’ Jack except be myself. A quality not all of us are confident enough to use….”
“Whatever.” Gabrielle flipped up a hand. “If I wanted your husband, Grace, all I’d have to do is show up.” She laughed.
Grace steeled herself. She calmly walked over to Gabrielle’s chair, cocking her head with a look of condescension, feeling sorry for the beauty queen. “You know, Gabrielle….” She lifted her chin and held her hands out. “As my mother-in-law would say, jealousy is a sickness.” She patted Gabrielle’s knee. “Get well soon.”
As Grace walked away, smiling, she could hear Mrs. Gardner’s laughter mixed in with Gabrielle’s vehement, empty comeback.
Shelby was coming toward them to dress Gabrielle for a scene and saw the actress fuming. “What did you say to her?”
Grace closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply. “She’ll probably have me fired.”
Shelby gave a short laugh. “Do you care?”
Opening her eyes, her tone light, Grace shrugged. “Not at all.”
***
It was Tuesday afternoon and Jack hadn’t heard from Grace since he’d dropped her off at the airport. They had a shared a long, sensual kiss in the car before he’d watched her walk away and disappear behind the automatic doors. Well, in reality that had been only yesterday morning, even though it felt much, much longer. He had received a text message after her flight landed, but nothing more. He didn’t want to exchange texts, anyway; he wanted to hear her voice.
Work kept him busy as it always did, but he found the office stifling, so he went home early that afternoon. He’d happily canceled his lease with the corporate apartment and planned to get the rest of his things that evening. He was looking through some contracts on the patio, with his feet propped up, when the doorbell rang.
He pushed out of the chair and headed to the front door.
It was the mailman. He smiled and handed Jack a thick envelope addressed to Grace. “Certified letter. I need a signature, please.”
“Sure, no problem.” Jack scribbled his name. The mailman thanked him, handed him the receipt, and went on his way.
Closing the door, Jack glanced at the sender.
Max Shelton, Attorney at Law.
Also on the face of the envelope, stamped in red, was “Please Sign Immediately.”
What the hell?
Jack’s heart pounded. The weight and thickness of the envelope definitely indicated whatever was in there was substantial, important.
Could it be…?
No. No way in hell. That wouldn’t make sense.
But his head and heart warred with each other as the words “divorce papers” circled around in his head.
As he stared down at the envelope, he had to allow himself the possibility. Maybe she’d filed these before he moved back in and this was all just a misunderstanding now that they were back together.
Still, the question wouldn’t go away, and it took all of Jack’s self-control not to call Grace up and demand an explanation.
Around nine o’clock, his cell phone finally rang and she was on the other line. He swallowed a bitter tone and answered, “Hey there.”
“Hi. You busy?” Was it him or did she sound reluctant to call? God, he couldn’t believe he thought that after three short words.
“No, I’m just going over some work stuff. How is it in San Francisco?” He sounded way too insincere. Are you leaving me, Grace? Was last weekend just a last hoorah for you?
“It’s nice, I guess. How are you?”
I miss you like crazy and want you to come home. Yes, he should say that, be romantic. “Everything’s cool.” Cool? Ha.
“Good…good….” She sounded disconnected. Maybe she was just tired after a long day. Or maybe she’d realized she wanted nothing to do with him.
Jack touched the wall with a light fist, curbing his paranoia. “Is everything okay?”
She sighed over the airwaves. “Yeah, I just…I don’t want to get into it now. We need to talk when I get home. That’s all.”
Silenced stretched between them. Jack closed his eyes in frustration. What could he say right now?
“Jack, I’m sorry I’m not really up for much conversation tonight. I’m beat. I just wanted to say hi.”
And he wanted to yell out, Are we over? Are we through? Just tell me now so I can start getting you back again! Instead, he gave a resigned, “Sure, I understand. I’ll see you when I pick you up at the airport on Friday.”
“No, don’t worry about it,” she told him. “I have to stop by the studio and pick up some things. Shelby will drop me off.”
He couldn’t win. “Fine. See you then.”
“Good night.”
He hung up without saying the same, whipping his phone into the chair.
Chapter Ten
Friday came at a slug’s pace.
Jack did his best not to bite people’s heads off at work and drove home fast, making sure he was there before Grace. Over the past two days, he’d tried to keep an open mind about the post-office envelope that sat on the kitchen counter, haunting him. He’d been tempted many times to open it and see
for himself, but afraid to have his fears confirmed. Besides, he wanted to hear it from her own lips.
Yes. His plan, he thought as he paced the living room floor, was to talk to his wife and straighten things out. No need to get worked up over something that could be taken back. They were just papers.
He heard the key turn in the lock.
Yes, he was going to sit her down and have a calm, rational conversation.
She walked in and closed the door. His stomach clenched at the sight of her. She looked stunning and fresh in her fitted yellow dress, hair down to her back.
“Don’t do this,” he barked without warning, surprising himself and Grace at the same time. So much for calm.
Keys in hand, bewilderment etched on her pretty face, Grace set her things on a table in the foyer. “Don’t do what?”
Hands on hips, he opened his mouth to speak but only the compounding feelings of losing her raced in his blood. So much for rational.
He gestured with his hand as he attempted to get his point across with a sensible, evenhanded tone. “I know things aren’t perfect, Grace. All you ever asked for was me. Not material things or status. All you wanted was to spend time with me and I…I….” His voice caught in his throat. Damn. How could make sense while she looked at him like that? He searched her blue-green, mystified eyes, trying to keep from throwing himself on his knees at her feet. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. “No, listen to me, damn it. I turned down the Denver contract.” Hope spurred him on as he noted the quick astonishment in her eyes. “Aside from the occasional trips for my branches, I’ll be here. Right where you need me. I know I’ve been holding back from giving you what you really need. I kept thinking I always had time….after everything was in place, I could…be the man you wanted me to be.” He took a step forward with an anxious air. “I know you don’t need me. In fact, I know I could give you what you want right now and instantly make your life simpler, but—I need you. I’m sorry if it’s selfish and unreasonable and immature of me, but….” He marched to her, gripping her arms for emphasis so she would have some depth of his beseeching, if his words alone weren’t enough. “I need you. I need us. I’ll do whatever you ask. Whatever it takes! All you have to do is ask it out loud. Otherwise, I’m so damn clueless—”
Grace shrugged under his grip. “Jack, I don’t—”
He kissed her. Hard. He would use every advantage he could to change her mind. Cupping her face, he pulled back and said, “I’m not good at words and speeches, and I’m probably not saying enough….but I know what I am good at. Let me show you.” He touched his forehead to hers. “Oh baby, let me show you how much I love you. I’ll make love to you—”
“Jack, stop.” She lightly gripped his forearms and pulled his hands down. “I don’t understand. Why are you saying all this?”
Damn, he really sucked at this stuff. He could persuade shrewd businessmen into investing millions and talk his way out of all kinds of hell, but he couldn’t even explain his feelings to his own wife. He shrugged, not knowing what else he could say. “I don’t want to lose you.”
She looked at him for a moment and shook her head, still confused. “You’re not losing me.”
His head turned to the kitchen counter. Releasing her, he marched to the stack of mail and pulled out the large USPS envelope and held it up. “You get a thick envelope from your attorney marked with ‘please sign immediately’ on it. You act weird and distant for days and tell me over the phone we need to talk, without an explanation or clue what it’s about.” He tossed the package on the floor. “Divorce papers?” His pulse pounded in his ears as he waited.
Realization dawned on her features, and Jack couldn’t tell if she looked guilty or defensive. Well, he was ready to fight as long as it took. He’d burn the papers in the fireplace just so her attorney would have to print them out and resend them all over again, if it would buy him some more time.
She walked toward him with slow, precise steps, an almost annoyed look in her eyes. What was she doing?
Stopping in front of him, her eyes looking directly into his, she spoke with soft sincerity. “Now you listen to me, Jack Crandall. I fell in love with, and married, the man that you are. The woman in me must have him, not some version of him you think I need. It’s as simple as that.”
Now it was his turn to be confused.
She touched the side of his face, her eyes glittering with emotion. “I need you, too. There’s no part of me that doesn’t, even if all of those parts don’t show every single day. I love you more than anything.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “You’ll never lose me.”
He shook his head to clear the clouds. “But the papers….”
Bending down, she picked up the envelope. “This is me canceling my contract with the show once the season has finished. I had my attorney draw them up on Monday.”
His stomach dropped. “Are you serious?”
“You think I’m making this up? Here, I’ll show you.” She tore open the envelope, but he snatched it from her and dropped it on the coffee table.
“I believe you,” he said before pulling her into his arms, his relief immeasurable. “But I won’t let you do it. Not for me.”
“I’m doing it for us. It’s not what I want anymore. I only took the job because you weren’t…here.”
He sighed with regret. “I was so stupid to leave in the first place. I should’ve fought for you a long time ago. I thought I was being so damn cooperative.”
“I’m not blaming you, Jack. I’m simply saying the reality show was an opportunity that was available and convenient at the time, so I took it. Now things are different.”
He felt like the biggest idiot. “This is what you wanted to talk about, isn’t it?”
She laughed. “Yes, but you didn’t even let me get in the door without your….” Her mouth twisted in amusement. “Quite passionate speech.”
“Yeah, well, it just sort of came out.”
“And I needed that, Jack. More than you’ll ever know. A woman needs to hear those things once in a while. But if you had given me a chance, I would’ve explained to you I decided to cancel my contract so I could go rogue. On my own. Start freelancing from home. Catering to the public again….” She bit her lip, looking at him for a reaction. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s brilliant but….are you sure that’s what you want?”
She cocked her head and linked her arms around his neck. “Am I sure I want the freedom to run my own business? Make my own schedule? Be able to eat regular meals with my husband and go on vacation without worrying about my job? Um, check yes.”
Jack laughed, marveling at his beautiful and completely wonderful wife. “If anyone can do it, you can.”
“I will need some help, though,” she said. “Perhaps you could refer me to a consultant.”
He held her tighter against his body, crooning as he ran a hand over that incredible ass, coming in to kiss her. “I could think of someone very close to home.”
Slowly, she pushed out of his embrace, walking backward as she kicked off her shoes. She took off her earrings and tossed them, along with her bracelet, to the floor.
He walked after her, the blood racing in his ears, his voice low and carnal. “If you don’t come back right now….”
“You’ll what?” she challenged him, unzipping the side of her dress, letting it fall on her hips to reveal half of that sumptuous, glorious body. Those breasts straining in the white lace bra, that hourglass torso, those hips wide beneath the matching lace panties, protecting that delicate part of her he yearned to be—
Her dress dropped to the floor as she stood in the doorway of their bedroom.
His dick responded with instant alertness, begging for the release only his wife could ever give him. He started unbuttoning his shirt and abandoned it in the living room, followed by his shoes and pants in the hallway, hearing her laugh softly in the bedroom, fueling his desire even more.
He
entered the room and saw her completely naked, lying on her side, head resting in her hand, posing like the goddess she was. He really didn’t deserve this woman. Not in this lifetime or the next.
She laid down on her back, raising her arms up to welcome him, and he spread her knees open to fit his body between her legs.
He entered her slick center with one swift motion and she gasped, tensing for the sweetest moment, clenching her hands in his hair.
He bent down to kiss her and she opened her mouth, their tongues meeting sensually, softly, in no rush…. He sucked on her lower lip as he pumped inside her with slow, circular movements, watching Grace’s expressive face convey the absolute bliss it gave her. His hard cock pushed in and out of her with deliberately gentle thrusts, a technique he knew made her crazy if he did it too long and made him come instantly if he didn’t focus elsewhere.
Her gasps were quiet as he rocked her, bending down to suck on her nipple, cupping the back of her knee and raising it up. Her hand grasped his ass, encouraging him to go faster, but he refused to comply. Her climax would take longer, but would be that much finer.
She placed heated, openmouthed kisses on his chest, flicking a tongue over his nipple, trailing her sweet lips to his shoulder, taking a gentle bite.
He groaned loud, squeezing his eyes shut, forcing his climax to the end of the line. He wouldn’t last much longer. She moaned her own ecstasy, lightly scraping her fingers down his back. She grabbed his ass, lifted her hips, and pumped greedily.
“Grace,” he begged through gritted teeth.
The sight of breasts crushed together, the wanton, hooded gaze in her eyes, how good she felt all over, were more than he could bear. Overcome with emotion, he slid his hand beneath her neck and lifted her lips to his, attempting to show a fraction of his love for her through a single, simple kiss.
All Said and Undone Page 10
