Jassi nodded her head in bemusement a little stunned at her reaction to his rough kiss feeling a heat ignite low within her belly and a sharp ache in her chest.
After another peck on the lips, Waren left the apartment just as the deliveryman arrived and Jassi watched him walk away after talking to him.
“Thank you,” the deliveryman said when Jassi tipped him and Jassi nodded her head shifting the bags to her other hand while she closed the door.
Walking hesitantly to the kitchen, Jassi bit her lip feeling how sensitive it was due to Waren’s kisses and she groaned putting the bags on the table.
“Stupid, stupid,” she muttered to herself. “Don’t start having feelings for your husband, not when you are only two months away from a divorce.”
She sunk down onto one of the kitchen table chairs and put her head in her hands closing her eyes tightly, but the feeling in her chest wasn’t going away and her body was still throbbing from the feeling that Waren had aroused with his kiss.
Jassi clenched her jaw tightly squeezing her hands into tight fists but she had a feeling that it was already too late and she was falling for her own husband even though from the first time she saw him, he had stirred something inside her, and now she was having a hard time ignoring it as she had done then.
“Damn,” she moaned loudly in the kitchen hearing the echo of her voice around the empty apartment.
Jassi flinched at the sound and she sighed before opening her eyes which landed on their dinner, and her stomach grumbled at her.
“Well, I am hungry,” she whispered in a low voice before making a decision.
Getting up from the table, Jassi searched the kitchen finding the plates and silverware including an insulated plate which had her shaking her head.
“You really don’t cook much, do you, Waren,” Jassi asked the empty room turning back to the table.
She filled her plate and ate everything wondered how he knew exactly what she liked before she considered that he merely ordered what he liked, and hoped for the best.
Thinking about that last thought, Jassi chuckled aloud finishing her food. After making sure to fix a plate for Waren, Jassi put aware the leftovers in the refrigerator before cleaning the few dishes.
Then she decided to explore since Waren gave her permission.
“Well, he did say that I could get a book or watch TV,” Jassi told herself going around the living room seeing how sporadic it was.
“Waren,” she murmured shaking her head allowing her hands to graze the mantle only to discover the absence of dust. “Well, at least someone keeps it clean.”
Moving out of the living room, Jassi checked the rest of the apartment bypassing the bathroom since she had already seen it. She found his office which from the look of it actually was more often used than any other room in the place except maybe the bedroom, Jassi surmised.
She noticed the disarray of the office and decided to straighten up a little without moving anything at of place. After she finished, Jassi took a quick look around before nodding her head and leaving the office closing the door.
Next, she found an extra bedroom that Jassi noted didn’t seem to get a lot of use.
“You don’t invite many people over,” she muttered closing the door before going to the next room.
She hesitated slightly before opening the door and she was shocked to notice how neat Waren’s bedroom looked. Striding into the room, Jassi looked around noting the made bed before walking over to the closet whistling when she opened the door and realized that it was a small walk-in closet although Waren didn’t seem to have a lot of clothes.
Closing the door, she toured the rest of the room surprised not to find any pictures of Pricilla although she waved the thought away.
Going back to the living room, Jassi yawned into her hand settling down on the couch and turned on the TV.
Finding a movie that she had seen many times before, Jassi made herself comfortable on the couch grabbing the small quilt that Waren kept over the back of the couch. Placing it over her legs, Jassi nestled her head against the back of the couch and got into the movie.
The credits were rolling on the scene about twenty minutes later and Jassi was sound asleep on the couch.
Chapter 5
Waren walked into the apartment around midnight with a weary sound and closing the door behind him, he frowned starting down the hallway.
“Jassi,” he called out quietly not wanting to wake her if she fell asleep. Yet, Waren had to admit that he was worried Jassi left remembering the look on her face when he left.
He almost went past the living room with a brief glance when he froze staring inside the room and then he entered quietly eyes reverted on the couch.
There Jassi laid curled up under the small quilt he kept over the back, and Waren shook his head walking over to her quietly.
“You could’ve used the bedroom,” he muttered reaching out a hand to lightly brush away the loose strands of hair from her face.
He stilled when she moved not wanting to wake her up knowing that if she did, then she would ask him to take her home or suggest someone to come get her.
He didn’t want Jassi to leave, Waren realized, wanting to prolong her visit for as long as possible. He carefully stepped back from the couch frowning slightly when she shivered under the quilt and he put down the briefcase that he held going to his room. He took the extra blanket that he kept in the closet and went back to the living room where he quickly removed the quilt to replace it with the blanket, and he watched as Jassi snuggled under it letting her body relax.
He nodded his head and picking up his briefcase he started out of the room before he hesitated and changing his mind, he set his briefcase on the table in front of the chair that matched the couch. He went into the kitchen hungry, but not wanting to make himself something this late when he saw the note on the table.
“Dinner is in the microwave,” he read a stunned look crossing his face before he walked over to the microwave.
Opening it, he saw the insulated plate that his housekeeper used when she made dinner for him on occasion and he smiled ruefully taking the plate out to go sit down at the table after grabbing a beer.
Eating the Chinese food he ordered for the two of them, he couldn’t help but chuckle wondering if Jassi would do that every time he came home late.
He shook his head finishing his food and getting up to wash the plate throwing the bottle away before grabbing another, and heading back out to the living room where he sat down on the chair watching Jassi sleep.
He found her presence in his home relaxing, he concluded, settling back in his chair. Even sleeping, she made the atmosphere in his apartment pleasant and for the first time, he liked having someone in his home.
With a gentle look at Jassi, Waren set his beer on the table beside him and reached for his briefcase pulling out some files that he had to work on before tomorrow’s meeting.
He sighed rolling his neck on his shoulders before he went to work frowning as he began to read each file making notes on a notepad that he had placed on the arm of the chair. He yawned lightly checking the time before going back to work knowing that sleep would be coming soon.
Almost four hours later, Jassi stretched on the couch pushing down the blanket only to freeze when her hand came into contact with it. Blinking open sleepy eyes, she frowned staring at the blanket before her eyes roamed the room coming to rest on Waren fast asleep in the chair adjacent to the couch.
“Waren,” she called out softly pushing the blanket off her and sliding her feet to the floor. “Waren.”
She called him again sliding to the edge of the couch running a hand through her tousled hair grimacing at the stickiness of her skin.
She opened her mouth to call out to her husband one more time when the file that was sitting on his lap began to slide off and Jassi moved quickly to catch it.
“Ouch,” she muttered when the corner of the table dug into her hip as she knelt on the f
loor the file in her hand.
She glanced up into brown eyes a little blurry from sleep and she winced using the table to push herself to her feet only to be shocked when Waren reached over pulling her down into his lap.
“Good morning,” he greeted in a raspy voice nestling his prickly beard into her neck causing Jassi to giggle.
“Good morning,” she said on a breathless chuckle glancing at her wristwatch causing a frown to settle on her face.
“What’s wrong?” Waren asked catching the frown and the tensing of her body letting him know that the moment was gone.
“I have to be at work in two hours and I don’t have any change of clothes here,” Jassi admitted glancing over at him.
Waren tilted his head to catch a glance at her watch and he sighed heavily. “I have a meeting around the same time,” he revealed placing his chin on her shoulder feeling at ease with her sitting in his lap.
Although it shocked him, he decided that he was tired of fighting what he was feeling. “Do you need a uniform or just a change of clothes until you get to the hospital?”
Jassi winced. “I actually need my uniform. The one I had in my locker is at my friend’s house since she said that she would wash it for me.”
Waren nodded his head although his chin was still resting on her shoulder suggesting, “Can you call her and see if she could bring it over here for you?”
Jassi stared at him in surprise shaking her head. “I think it would easier if I just went to her place and she could take me to work.”
Before she even finished speaking, Waren was already shaking his head giving her a scowl before telling her in a rough voice. “Call her and then go take a shower. When she arrives with your uniform, I’ll bring it in to you.”
“But…” Jassi began only to be stalled when Waren put a finger to her lips.
“No arguing, please,” he asked giving her a pleading look although there was a glint in his eyes that elicited a laugh from Jassi before she elbowed him.
“All right,” she conceded stifling her laughter not seeing the satisfied glint in Waren’s eyes.
He squeezed her tightly for a moment before he let her get up so she could make her phone call and he got up stretching his back heading to the kitchen for coffee.
“She said that she will be here in about twenty minutes,” Jassi related to him coming in to the kitchen her eyes sparkling when she saw the coffee. “Oh, coffee, please.”
Waren sent her a laughing look before he grabbed another coffee mug down from the cabinet. “Go ahead and take your shower. By the time you are done, she should be here. I hope that you didn’t forget to ask for…”
“No, I didn’t,” Jassi told him in a rush her cheeks stained with red from the blush that she couldn’t hide sending him a glare before leaving the room.
“How do you take your coffee,” he called out.
“Two sugars, two creams,” she responded back. “Thank you, Waren.”
“My pleasure,” Waren said softer hearing her go down the hall to the bathroom and then the click of the door closing behind her.
He closed his eyes a brief mental image of his wife naked in the shower and he clenched his fists on top of the counter at how aroused he became just from his imagination having never seen his wife naked.
“That’s something I need to rectify,” he muttered opening his eyes when the coffee began to brew and he doctored both coffee mugs.
He heard the shower go off about fifteen minutes later, which had his eyebrows rising questioningly when he noted the time, and he headed out of the kitchen just as the doorbell sounded.
“Hello,” he replied when he opened the door to meet the narrowed gaze of Jassi’s friend from work.
“Hello,” she stated woodenly walking into the apartment at his invitation.
“Jassi is in the shower,” Waren admitted watching the woman scowl at him. “The bathroom is at the end of the hall if you would like to take the clothes to her. She just finished her shower if I’m not mistaken.”
With a nod of his head, he headed back to the kitchen feeling her watchful gaze and he ignored it having a feeling that Jassi revealed the truth about their marriage.
He frowned lightly picking up the two mugs even though it was the truth, he didn’t particularly care that others knew about it.
Carrying the two mugs, he walked out of the kitchen heading for the hallway just as Jassi walked out of the bedroom with her friend hair pulled up into a ponytail and her uniform nicely encasing her figure.
“Here is your coffee,” Waren spoke roughly walking over to them watching two pairs eyes warily look at him.
He handed Jassi the coffee mug asking politely, “Do you have to work today, Miss…”
“Dana Mathews,” she promptly answered getting a side look from Jassi who took a sip of the hot coffee. “And no, I don’t work today. It’s my shift off and I’m not like Jassi who offers to cover another’s shift when it’s her birthday.”
“Thank you for bringing my clothes,” Jassi intervened almost spilling her coffee and ushering Dana to the door. “Didn’t you tell me that you planned on meeting your boyfriend today? I think you will be late if you don’t…”
Before Jassi even finished her sentence, Dana glanced at her wristwatch muttering an exclamation under her breath before she waved and hurried away from the apartment pulling her phone out of her back pocket.
Jassi chuckled watching her walk away before she turned to meet the questioningly look from Waren.
“Shouldn’t we be going,” Jassi suggested gulping the rest of her coffee burning her tongue in the process before heading to the kitchen where she rinsed out her mug and placed it in the drainer. “You have a meeting and I have to be on shift in forty-five minutes.”
“Jassi,” Waren started to say but Jassi merely gave him a look and then walked out of the kitchen.
He sighed before shaking his head although a brief smile crossed his face as he followed her. “Let me take a quick shower and get dressed, then we will leave.”
Jassi nodded her head clothes in her hands from the bedroom where she had changed once her friend arrived.
Waren lifted a hand to her face briefly touching her cheek before he went into the bathroom shutting the door behind him. Jassi stared at the door with hooded eyes before she mumbled under her breath turning for the living room.
Ten minutes later, Waren walked into the living room straightening his tie noting that the living room didn’t look as if anyone had slept in there at all.
Jassi came out of the kitchen rolling down the sleeves of her shirt seeing him standing in the middle of the room.
“I straightened up,” she said defensively watching a hard look pass over Waren’s face before he took two steps toward her and grabbed her upper arms pulling her up against him.
“Leave your clothes here,” he breathed over her face watching Jassi’s pupils dilate at his nearness. “Also, for the next week, I want you to stay here until we leave. I want my friends to believe that we have a good married relationship.”
Jassi shook her head and opened her mouth to say something when the ringing of Waren’s cell phone forestalled her.
“Saved by the ring,” Waren joked watching a reluctant smile cross Jassi’s face and he leaned down to kiss her briefly before answering it.
Jassi listened to his end of the conversation and she had a feeling he wasn’t happy with what he was hearing so she placed a hesitant hand on his bicep only for him to cover it with his own even though he continued to talk on his cell.
A few minutes later, they were walking out of the apartment Jassi carrying her purse while Waren carried his briefcase with a hand riding low on Jassi’s back and she didn’t comment seeing how distracted Waren was after his phone call.
“Here,” Waren handed her a key when he pulled up to the hospital staff entrance after a silent ride, “just in case I can’t pick you up this evening. Tomorrow we will go get your car and your clothes.
“I have to get going, my meeting is in twenty minutes,” Waren reminded her.
Jassi sighed throwing him a beseeching look which Waren ignored giving her a wink. Shaking her head, Jassi shut the door after a quick ‘goodbye’ and she waved before heading inside the hospital.
Waren watched her leave with a smug smile on his face before he pulled away heading to his office building.
Jassi went to the nurses’ break room first shaking her head wondering how she allowed Waren to talk her into staying with him although she had to admit, it wasn’t so much as he talked her into anything. Circumstances seemed to work in his favor at the moment, she admitted silently.
She sighed quietly putting her things in her locker and heading out to begin her shift knowing that it was going to be a long one especially since her mind wasn’t fully focused on her job. Once on her assigned floor, she forced her mind away from the man who seemed to be settling in comfortably and focused on her work, which needed her undivided attention.
The evening was long with a couple of new admittance patients that took up most of Jassi’s time getting them settled in and talking with their family members worried about them.
By the end of shift, Jassi was worn out that she didn’t even think about calling Waren although it didn’t seem a problem anyway because when she left, he was waiting for her.
“Long shift,” he asked ushering her into the passenger side of his car.
“So to say,” Jassi murmured closing her eyes once settled against the leather of the seat her seatbelt in place.
“I was going to suggest something to eat but I think a nap would do you better first,” he suggested putting the car in gear and driving away.
“Thank you,” Jassi whispered a soft smile gracing her lips even though her eyes were still closed.
“My pleasure,” Waren admitted sincerely glancing over at her before he returned his focus to the road although he reached out a hand and lightly folded it around hers lying in her lap.
Arranged Marriage, Wanted Wife Page 7
