by Magan Vernon
“Thank you, Jack. You didn’t have to, and I swear I’ll pay you back every penny for this and Jane’s bills.”
Though I didn’t know how I’d ever get the money for that.
“Don’t worry about any of it. The books are a gift. You’ve been doing great work at the office.”
I’m not sure I could handle him being so nice.
I let out a deep breath, my shoulders falling.
“You okay?” he asked with a frown.
I nodded. “Yeah, just all day in the sun, I guess. Kind of have a stomach ache.”
I winced for good measure.
“I’ll get you home.” Deep down I knew I should just say goodbye, but my heart wasn’t listening.
“Do you still want to come up and give Janey her bone?”
“Definitely.”
I laughed. “I’m sure you’re going to be her favorite after you give it to her.”
He took my hand. I should have let go and told him I didn’t want to go there. That I shouldn’t have even held onto him at the market. But once our fingers intertwined, all resolve left me and I guided him up the stairs to my flat.
As soon as we opened the door, Jane Pawsten whined from her cage.
“I’m coming girl,” I said as we walked to her little crate.
I released his hand and, as soon as I opened the door, she bolted out and right into Jack’s arms. “Hey, girl, good to see you missed me.”
She snorted, rubbing her face in his trouser pockets which made Jack laugh. “Ah, I take it you smell the surprise I got for you.”
“Wait,” I yelled, grabbing onto his hand and ignoring the jolt every time my fingers grazed his.
“Yes?” he asked, slowly titlting his head.
I grabbed Jane’s leash from the rack on the wall. “I need to walk her first. She’s been inside all day and if she gets too excited, she’ll piss all over the floor.”
He nodded, his lips forming a thin line that I wasn’t sure if it meant he was disappointed or just deep in thought. “Then I guess we’re going on a walk.”
“We?” I asked.
“Unless you plan on kicking me out, I want to see if you have this dog mastered to not chase after every leaf.”
I shook my head but my heart still warmed at the thought.
As much as I should have probably ran and kicked the guy out right there or made excuses, instead I put Jane’s leash on and took Jack’s hand, leading him out of the flat with me.
Maybe it was the summer air, or the fact that Jack laughed as much as I did, watching my little dog think she was tough stuff by barking at every other passing puppy, but I was starting to see the man before me in a different light.
One that I was desperately trying to avoid but couldn’t.
Once we got back to my flat and let Janey go to her water bowl, I thought this was the time I could tell him it was time for the day to end.
But I didn’t want to. In this moment I could forget everything and give in to what I wanted with this sweet, caring man. Throw caution to the wind and just kiss him.
So instead, I did what any person would do and offered food instead of making out. “You know it’s been a while since we’ve eaten and its past lunch. There aren’t many delivery places around here, but I could get Chinese if you’re hungry.”
“I can order it,” he said, already pulling out his phone. “Should I order rice for Jane as well?”
Blast, why did he have to flash those damn dimples and bring up my dog?
“Yeah. Plain white, though. And I’ll grab some notes from my pocketbook,” I said, mentally calculating how much I actually had in my wallet.
But Jack waved me off and ordered for both of us and the dog.
When the order arrived, we were in the middle of a game of tug of war with Jane and I almost frowned, not wanting this to be another sign that the day needed to end. That we shouldn’t be getting comfortable.
“Do you have a lot of takeaway locations in London? From my trips to America it seems like they’re on every corner. Something Connor and Fallon still won’t stop talking about,” Jack said, plating us each a portion of sesame chicken and rice. Then, of course, getting Janey a plate.
“Yes, but nothing like America. Did you know they have pizza trattoria’s that are open and deliver until four in the morning?” I asked, taking my plate as Jack sat down next to me in at the little table by the window.
He nodded. “Connor told me about those. He and Fallon seemed to bond over all things American.”
I took a bite of my food, trying not to think about how I was also slowly forming a tie with Sean’s older brother. Even so much that I told Sean I had dinner plans with a friend from work. He didn’t need to know that friend was Jack.
“Late night food would have been grand in uni, hell even when we were at Le Instuit. Could you imagine if we could order pizza in the middle of the night? The headmaster would have had a fit,” I said, shaking my head.
Jack laughed. “I could just see him now, and that forehead vein popping as he stood in his office, yelling on and on about handing out pepperoni demerits.”
“Pepperoni demerits?” I asked with a laugh.
“Would you prefer cheese expulsion?”
I wrinkled my nose but couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. “That sounds even worse.”
He tilted his head back and laughed, his whole body shaking. “Okay. You’re right about that one.”
“That sounds like some of the items I’ve had to cut out of the romance novels I’ve worked on lately. One woman had that the hero growled no less than twenty times and even used the phrase ‘heaving bosom.’”
Jack erupted in laughter, covering his mouth as he cleared his throat before speaking again. “I thought that was just a myth and no one actually wrote like that.”
“Well, no one does. Or talks like that. Thus, I told her she could never utter that phrase again and only got two ‘he growled’ per book.”
“Growling and bosoms. Seems like you have your hands full with editing. And yet you left the freelance work to come to Murphy’s. Maybe I’ll sneak some of those in memos and see if you notice.” He nodded and a hint of a smile played on his lips.
I shook my head. “What if I didn’t catch those?”
He laughed. “Well, you’re pretty damn good at your job, so I know you would unless you were doing it out of spite. Then I’d have to explain to the board why all of a sudden our franchise owners growl and have heaving bosoms.”
I covered my mouth to hide an unladylike snort that I was sure would have come out of my mouth.
But he didn’t comment on that and just continued with stories, making me laugh more than I had in ages while we finished up our dinner and then cleaned up.
As he slowly went to the door, I didn’t want him to leave, but also didn’t want to appear desperate.
“Oh. Almost forgot this,” he said, pulling out the bone from his pocket and kneeling down to the whining dog at his feet.
She didn’t want him to leave either but forgot all about her protesting when he gave her the little treat. She happily took it then pranced over to her bed near the couch, chomping down on it.
“I need to head out now. Need to get some stuff together for contacting the sellers on Monday,” Jack said, his gaze on the dog instead of meeting mine.
I nodded. “Oh. Yeah. I understand.”
I didn’t know if this situation warranted a hug, or a handshake, or what. But, without thinking, I stood up straighter and pressed my lips to his for a light goodbye kiss.
But his touch was anything but light as his arms wrapped around my waist and I melted against him.
I told myself I couldn’t get too close. That I had to ignore how blasted sweet the man had been to all of the sellers and to me and Janey.
But instead I gasped when his tongue met mine, his mouth savoring me as if he couldn’t get enough, and his hands roamed to my hips.
I tried to protest, but my br
ain couldn’t process the words. I could only moan as he trailed his mouth down my neck. Everything inside of me said I should be saying “no,” but when I opened my mouth only breathless whispers escaped.
I ran my hands through his hair, down his neck, wanting to ingrain every part of him in my memory. My body moved without conscious effort, as I fisted his shirt, pulling him backward toward the living room.
“Mo gra,” he whispered, his lips by my ear as I pulled him down to the couch. He hovered over me as I leaned back, relishing the feel of his warm mouth on my neck, trailing to my collarbone and back up.
I worked the buttons of his shirt; my hands landed on his bare chest, roaming wherever I could reach as we kissed. As fine a specimen as the man was in his tailored suits, shirtless Jack was reminiscent of a Greek God. I ran my hands over every dip and curve of his hard chest and abs, committing his form to memory.
Soon he would be gone and this moment I would have to pretend didn’t exist. But while I had him above me, I wanted to imbed every part of this man into my memory.
Not the arsehole from school or my boss or my best mate’s brother. But the sexy man who made me weak in the knees and I couldn’t get enough of.
His fingers continued their dance, skirting along the edges of my thighs and when his thumb moved between us, swiping along my damp panties, I gasped, pressing deeper into him as our kisses drowned out my moan.
It had been so long since any man had touched me like this. Even so, there was never this slow buildup in my chest either. The one that was tying me to Jack. The man I shouldn’t hbe falling for when he needed a wife.
But with each kiss and moan, I was becoming more and more attached to him. Walking away from him just wasn’t going to happen.
He may need something more than me, but I had to give in to what my pounding heart and every fiber of my body was aching for.
I gently broke the kiss, my eyes locked on his as I peeled off my dress and sweater.
I should have been embarrassed that I was lying there in my strapless bra that barely contained my chest or that I was wearing a tiny swatch of fabric for undies.
But the way Jack’s eyes roamed over me, biting his bottom lip before he looked back into my eyes, had my entire body on fire.
“You’re so fecking beautiful,” he murmured, his fingers trailing down my collarbone and over the swell of my breasts before his lips were back on mine, his kisses hungry with need.
No one had ever called me beautiful. I’d never heard a man speak to me in that breathy, husky tone that curled my toes.
“You know it isn’t fair that you’re still dressed.” I whimpered as he pressed his lips to my neck.
What was I saying?
I should have listened to my head and not gotten wrapped up in this man, but my heart and aching core were saying so much more.
“I’m not here to shag you, mo gra. Right now, I’m just enjoying the feel of you,” he whispered, his lips trailing down my collar bone again and then continuing their way down the dips and curves of my body.
His hot breath landed on my panties and I arched my back without thinking, willing him to continue.
But there was no controlling a man like Jack Murphy, and instead of putting his hand or mouth exactly where I wanted him to, his lips trailed to the apex of my thighs, nuzzling the sensitive nerves of my skin.
Blast, this man knew just how to turn a woman on.
But more than being a puddle of goo at his touch, he was becoming a part of me. A part of me I wanted to keep.
I ran my hands through his hair again, tousling the usually meticulously styled locks. He rested his chin on my thigh, looking up at me with hooded blue eyes.
“Ever since I first saw you at the gala, I’ve been dying to savor you.”
“So this is about my looks then?” I asked in a whisper, wanting to kick myself for blurting that out.
“I think we both know it’s more than that,” he murmured.
His mischievous eyes stayed on mine as he placed a soft kiss on my thigh. “You’re smart.”
Another kiss. “Witty.”
“Sexy.”
Another kiss.
And with that, any resolve I had was completely gone. My body vibrated with need. Screw inheritance clauses and forced marriages. All I could think about was him touching me and teetering on the brink of orgasm just from a few kisses.
“Jack…don’t make me beg…I want you.” I barely got the words out before his mouth was back on mine. I moaned into his mouth as our tongues tangled together.
The rest of our clothes seemed to melt away, coming off piece by piece as we kissed and explored each other’s bodies.
As if we had just made a silent agreement, he pulled a foil packet out of his trousers and slipped it over his impressive length before guiding himself inside me.
I let out a low moan, relishing each exquisite inch.
“You feel so feckin good, mi stolin,” he murmured, rocking his body against mine.
The accent alone was enough to make my body hum. Combined with his hard body and the way he moved, every part of me sang.
Was there anything this man wasn’t good at?
We moved slowly in a rhythm, him pulling completely out of me, then slamming back in, each time making me gasp and throw my head back in ecstasy.
“Ah,” I moaned. Everything I’d tried to keep down for so long boiled to the surface. Whether we moved fast or slow, every inch of him filled me, and a new sense of pleasure coursed through me.
There was nothing else at that moment. Just Jack and me.
Gripping his shoulders, I rode out the waves of pleasure coursing through me, a moment that made me see stars and electricity pulse through my body.
His lips were back on mine, savoring me. This moment. Unspoken words between us.
He moaned into my mouth as he rocked into me, his heavy breathing meeting the rapid beat of my own heart as he shuddered, laying his rock-hard body against mine.
We kissed a few minutes longer, still connected, his body covering mine. Then he gazed up at me, pushing a fallen strand of hair behind my ear and whispered, “I’ve been waiting a long time for that.”
“Me too,” I admitted in a whisper. I knew that we were playing a very dangerous game. And at the end of the day, I wasn’t sure either of us would win.
Chapter Fourteen
Jack
I wanted to fall asleep with Grace in my arms. To wake her up with my cock buried deep inside of her so she would only think of me and smell me on her skin for days.
How could I think like that? My priority was the company.
A wife.
Jane interrupted my thoughts, pawing at the bed, whimpering as she stared up at us with beady black eyes.
“I should probably get her a water refill. I think she downed that bone,” Grace whispered.
Lifting my head, I looked into Grace’s eyes, but she kept her stare downward. This was more than just about the dog. “Do you really need to get her some water or are you just saying that so you can kick me out of your bed?”
She got up slowly, grabbing her dress and sliding it on over her head before she grabbed the dog’s bowl, filling it with water.
“Do you want the truth or a lie?”
I wasn’t sure.
“Never lie, it’s not who you are.”
My brothers would surely kill me if they knew what I was doing.
But the thought of all of this going south, for her, for the company, riddled my stomach with guilt.
“I don’t regret this. And I know what you need is a wife,” she murmured. “So it’s really not something we should repeat.”
The air whooshed from my lungs.
I didn’t know if I could change her mind.
The part of me that wanted what was best for the company was yelling at my brain that I needed to end this now.
But my heart, the blasted thing, wasn’t going to listen.
I leaned in and kissed h
er slowly. “Okay.”
“Okay?” she asked hestitantly, wincing slightly.
“Okay. We won’t talk marriage. We won’t talk anything further than this moment.”
For now.
…
I didn’t see Grace on Sunday, though I ached to see her. To have her again. I couldn’t get the damn woman out of my head.
On my way to the office on Monday morning, I spotted a stand selling different candies and one caught my eye. Magic Stars. I didn’t spend much time with Grace in our school days, but I did remember that she had Magic Stars in her bag when she came for the summers. This was ingrained in my memory since most of the other girls I knew wouldn’t be caught dead with sweets.
When I got to the office, Grace was on the phone and barely looked up from the computer. But there was something different about her today. Instead of the stiff white oxfords and long black skirts that she tended to wear at the office, she wore a light floral dress that I remembered from the meeting at the café.
Her face also had more color, and that was probably because she had finally been thoroughly shagged. The thought of her spread across that desk with my cock buried deep inside her flashed across my mind. I had to get a grip, especially at the office.
I did the gentlemanly thing, placing the sweets and coffee on her desk and whispering, “Come see me in my office when you’re done.”
She nodded, her gaze briefly flitting to mine before she returned to her call.
I smiled and then closed the door behind me.
I’d barely opened my emails and taken my first sip of coffee when a knock came at the door.
“Why did you put these on my desk?” she asked.
I frowned. “If my memory serves me, you loved those when we were younger. I may not have recognized you without the curly hair and braces, but I do remember a little bit of the girl who always carried these sweets.”
Her shoulders slumped. “These candy bars were half the reason girls gave me hell in school. I acted like I didn’t give a rip, but when every twig bitch starts making comments during fencing, it takes a toll.”
