“Remember that,” Waren breathed pulling away from her resting his forehead against hers before he slowly unlocked his arms. “Now, let’s go see if we created a miracle.”
Jassi recalled the words she used when he told her about Craig and Delilah’s baby, and she smiled her eyes still cloudy from their kiss.
“Okay,” she finally muttered unaware of the smile on Waren’s face although she felt him sliding an arm around her waist as they headed inside.
Two hours later, they exited with a smug look on Waren’s face while Jassi was fluctuating between excitement and anguish glancing at Waren from the corner of her eye.
She didn’t say a word on the way back to her apartment, which Waren noted, and riding the elevator up to her apartment with her, Waren watched her nibble on her lower lip.
“Jassi,” he said just as the elevator stopped and the doors opened.
Jassi didn’t respond as she stepped off and started for her door pulling her key out of her purse, and Waren added, “We should’ve stopped off at a pharmacy to get your prescription filled.”
“I will do it tomorrow,” Jassi murmured unlocking her door and going inside knowing Waren would follow her.
Waren closed the door quietly behind him and followed her much slower to stop when he saw her standing in the middle of her living room.
“I didn’t know,” she said suddenly anguish in her voice running a hand through her hair knocking out the hair tie. “I swear, Waren, I didn’t know but I should’ve thought about the possibilities…”
She stopped shaking her head and Waren walked over to her putting a hand on her arm turning her around to him.
“Jassi, why are you making excuses,” he asked his voice low.
Jassi whispered in a tearful voice. “You were just about to get your life back and now this happens.”
Waren stared at her in shock seeing the tears drip off her face before asking in a hushed voice. “Are you upset about the baby?”
“What,” Jassi’s head snapped up her face filled with bewilderment until what he meant swept through her. “NO!”
Jassi’s voice was firm with confidence and conviction with that one word. “I told you before a baby is a miracle,” she put a hand low on her abdomen, “and this one is a gift from you.”
Waren’s loud relieved sigh filled the apartment before he yanked her tightly to him muttering in her hair. “I thought maybe you were thinking that my baby was…”
Jassi pulled back lifting a hand to his mouth stopping his words her eyes staring at him intently. “Did you read my letter?”
Waren nodded her head kissing the tips of her fingertips and Jassi chuckled slightly but there was a shadow in her eyes.
“I know that you had feelings for Pricilla and I don’t want to stand in the way if you want to renew those…” Jassi began only to be cut off when Waren leaned down to kiss her sweetly.
“About two years ago,” Waren started pulling his head away making sure to hold Jassi’s stare. “I met with a few friends in a small, but nice a little restaurant. A few tables away from us there seemed to be some celebration although at the time I didn’t know what for.”
He saw Jassi’s eyes widen and her body still as he continued. “There was one woman there who caught my attention with her cheerful laugh and shining eyes, but now that I think about it there was a shadow behind them that she kept well hidden. I had wanted to meet that woman, and even had a plan too, but I got a phone call from my brother and I had to leave the table for a few minutes. In those few minutes, she left with her friends and I never even learned her name until the day of our wedding.”
Waren saw the convulsive working of Jassi’s slender throat before she asked huskily, “And why were interested in this woman?”
“Because since Pricilla decided to leave me, I never had another woman catch my attention so much with just a laugh and a look in her eyes which I found to be quite beautiful,” Waren charmed in a low husky tone running a fingertip down her face watching Jassi’s eyes darken with passion at his touch. “I never forgot that woman and I was still thinking about her on our wedding day.”
“And,” Jassi whispered in a low passion filled voice.
“Then I saw you,” Waren told her with eyes that darkened at the memory, “and my world fell apart.”
Jassi shook her head commenting. “You didn’t look at me.”
“I did,” Waren contradicted with a slight grin, “but I was able to hide it well. Here it was that I was getting married to the woman who had haunted my dreams for a year, and she was my ‘debt’ bride.”
Jassi flinched at the term and she would’ve turned away if Waren hadn’t grabbed her chin forcing her face up to him.
“I tried so hard to stay away from you not wanting to upset my father thinking that he had some vendetta against your family only to learn in the last month that…”
“My grandmother was the one who suggested the wedding idea,” Jassi interjected with a slight frown. “I’m sorry, Waren, I thought I was helping to clear a debt nothing else.”
“Shh,” Waren coaxed with a simple and light kiss on the corner of her mouth. “I know, honey, so you don’t have to tell me. I read your letter, remember, and also,” he hesitated here seeing Jassi’s eyes look at him in confusion, “I heard the conversation between you and your family that night.”
Jassi sagged against him at his words stammering out. “You…heard…”
“I had arrived home early to spend some time with you especially since our anniversary was coming up fast,” Waren lifted her lightly walking over to the couch and sat down arranging her across his lap.
Jassi groaned leaning her forehead on his shoulder muttering, “Why didn’t you say anything when you came home?”
“And why didn’t you mention that she had called when I came home,” Waren shot back in a voice that was brimming with anger.
Jassi sat in silence before she whispered so quietly that Waren almost didn’t catch it. “Because I didn’t want you to think that I was involved in their plot and I thought you were waiting for the day it would end so you could…”
“I do believe that we have already covered that,” Waren cut her off squeezing her tightly. “But back to what you were saying, I left after hanging up the phone going over to my father’s house finally finding out the truth. When I arrived home to you being sweet and nice, I had a moment of doubt but it was too late.”
“Too late,” Jassi repeated trying to understand what he meant.
“I was already in love with you that I may not have cared even if you did follow your grandmother’s plan,” Waren admitted in a husky whisper.
Jassi’s mouth opened and closed in shock staring at him with her beautiful eyes wide before she finally whispered. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
Waren kissed her without hesitation before whispering against her lips. “I learned that the hard way when you disappeared from my life. Not too long after that, my father called me to the house and when I arrived, your family was there.”
“Oh, no,” Jassi groaned out a pained looking flashing across her face.
“It was interesting conversation, if I do say so myself,” Waren added in a lightly mocking tone, “and they left with the money that you never used along with an inheritance that I was given.”
“Waren,” Jassi began only for Waren to shake his head at her.
“I want you in my life, no,” Waren amended with a slow growing smile, “I need you in my life along with the little one that you are carrying, but first I needed to make sure that they stayed far away from us.”
“My…grandmother agreed to that,” Jassi asked hesitantly.
Waren grinned ruefully explaining how much she actually received and Jassi almost fainted from the amount unable to comprehend so much money.
“It won’t take them long to go through that,” Jassi suggested warily.
“Probably not,” Waren agreed on a laugh. “But that’s not our concern u
nless they decide to come back and bother us.”
He gave her a stern look before he said, “Now what are we going to do about you and our unborn child?”
Before she could even open her mouth, Waren shook his head telling her shortly. “And no, I’m not going to get out of your life, or my child’s, because of some misperceived idea that I love Pricilla. Before I met you, yes, I will admit that I had strong feelings for her but it wasn’t love. I was attracted to her and that attraction is what drew us together although I thought about asking her to marry me because of it.”
Jassi frowned at his words a look in her eyes that Waren read accurately, and he sighed heavily before pulling her down onto his chest.
“Now, let’s talk about us,” he whispered in a low husky voice.
“I don’t understand you,” Jassi suddenly burst out springing from his lap and started to pace in front of him. “You don’t bother with me for almost ten months in our marriage then suddenly you want to get to know me coming to my work, asking me to go with you to your friend’s house, being nice and charming to me…” this last was said condescending throwing him a hard look.
“Ask me,” Waren told her sitting forward putting his elbows on his knees and staring up at Jassi. “I’ve told you that I need you in my life and yet for some reason, I don’t think you believe me.”
Jassi snorted turning away putting her hands on her hips staring hard at the wall before she sighed and hung her head.
“I don’t know, I just don’t know,” Jassi admitted in a resigned voice. “You confuse me and at the same time, you make me believe it’s possible that you care for me. I don’t know if I should believe you or not.”
Waren stood up fluidly and walked behind her wrapping his arms around her waist whispering in her ear. “Believe that I love you and for this last month, it’s been hell not seeing or touching you. I miss walking into the apartment and hearing you answer when I call out. I love going through the closet and seeing your clothes hanging neatly next to my own, and I miss you curling up to me at night before and after we make love.”
Jassi stilled when he began to speak and now she turned slowly to stare up at him her eyes bright with tears.
“I love you, Jassi,” Waren told her again unwrapping one arm from her waist to lift a hand wiping away the tears that slipped down her cheeks. “Although I never actively sought you out at the house, I came mostly to catch a glimpse of you just wanting to see you and yet those times you were out. I left frustrated and upset, and the night of the party I didn’t know that you weren’t invited because I never asked my father about it since I was already upset that I hadn’t seen you thinking that you were on a date. It wasn’t until you helped father’s friend that something seemed off so the next morning after a sleepless night, I asked to speak with you only to be told that you had gone to work.” Seeing the look of confusion in her eyes at his words, he confided. “It was the first night since our marriage that I stayed at my father’s house.”
Waren frowned at his words speaking aloud his thoughts missing the look of astonishment that swept across Jassi’s face. “I wonder why your grandmother told us where you work if…”
Jassi shook her head stepping a little closer to Waren and lifting her arms around his neck allowing her fingers to nestle in his short hair at the back. “Grandmother is very cunning I’ve discovered so she probably let that slip knowing the state of our marriage which wasn’t falling into the plan she had wanted.”
Waren scowled eyes going bright with anger before he shook his head finally understanding. “She wanted to get my attention.”
Jassi didn’t comment but nodded her head in agreement watching Waren glance at her with a wicked smile that lurked on his face.
“She wouldn’t know that I’ve been interested for a long time now,” he winked at her.
Jassi giggled her eyes still bright with unshed tears but Waren loved how her eyes shimmered even if he didn’t like the fact that it was due to her crying.
“Are you coming home with me,” Waren asked in a low worried voice while his eyes grew serious.
Jassi tilted her head to look at him giving a soft bewitching smile. “Do I get to see the house you are having built?”
Waren grinned even as his hand tightened on her waist. “Oh, honey, you will be doing more than just seeing it and I hope that we can fill it up with children someday.”
He allowed his hand to drift down from her face and lightly caress her still flat stomach remarking with a roguish grin. “We are already on our way.”
Jassi gasped her mouth falling open and Waren took the opportunity to kiss her without restraint pulling her so close to his body that neither knew where the other began not that either cared.
The following day, Jassi walked into the hospital with her eyes shining and a soft smile still lingering on her lips.
“Something good must’ve happened to you,” a fellow nurse said when she walked behind the nurse’s station, and Jassi’s smile widened as she checked the patients’ files.
It was a busy shift with new patients coming to the floor that Jassi and the other nurses had to get them settled in while dealing with their other patients who still were on the floor.
It was well past the time for her shift to end when Jassi worked out of the hospital tired and hungry. She hadn’t eaten since she had gone on break a little late and used it to talk to her supervisor about leaving even though she had only been working for a month.
“Jassi,” Waren called standing next to his car still in his suit minus his jacket and tie.
She smiled at him wearily walking over to him slowly and Waren laughed wrapping his arms around her so she could lean against him.
“It has been a long day,” she told him quietly enjoying the way he lightly held her and how comfortable she was after her tiring shift.
“Did you eat anything today,” Waren asked kissing her temple frowning when Jassi shook her head.
“Jassi,” Waren stressed her name pulling back to glare down at her.
Jassi winced feeling her stomach turn over and she felt nauseous something she had felt early but was able to push away with a pack of crackers that one of the other nurses gave her.
“Let’s get something to eat,” Waren told her shaking his head escorting Jassi over to her car although there was a tight look on his face.
Waren didn’t like the idea of Jassi driving when she was that tired, and yet he knew that she had done it plenty of times before now. It still worried him though as he shut her inside the car before going back to his own, and following her out of the parking lot.
Once they were inside her place, the worry eased but it didn’t go away especially when Jassi swayed after coming out of the kitchen with two glasses of lemonade.
“Did you talk with your supervisor,” he urged helping her to sit down.
Jassi nodded her head putting a hand to her head feeling a headache beginning to form from not eating anything except for crackers and her belly clenched letting her know, in her opinion, that they were upset with her.
“Your baby isn’t very happy with me right now,” she mentioned to Waren who chuckled with concerned eyes.
“They are not the only one,” he agreed sitting next to her. “First, let’s get you something to eat and then we can talk about…”
“We can do both,” Jassi broke in with a wince before she started to her feet pushing up from the couch.
Waren beat her to it, and he said, “So tell me” as they headed for the kitchen.
Jassi shook her head but explained once they entered the kitchen, and she started taking things out of the cabinets for a quick meal. “She asked if I could work until the end of next month so she can fill the position. I didn’t think that it would be a problem so I told her that I would work until then.”
Waren nodded his head even though he wasn’t very happy about it, and Jassi saw the look on his face as she heated the butter in the frying pan.
“I
know that it puts a strain on you traveling back and forward so if you want to…” Jassi began only for Waren to come up behind her letting his hands settle on her waist.
“I can deal with it until you are back home where you belong,” Waren told her a stern note in his voice. “From there, we can see if you want to get your old job back at the hospital or maybe wait until we move into our house.”
Jassi turned her head to beam at him and he kissed the tip of her nose before she turned back to the stove. After a light squeeze at her waist, Waren let go to help while talking with Jassi about how she would like to decorate their house not going to mention that the bedroom set he had already bought.
Jassi was hesitant to offer any suggestions at first, but eventually she became more vocal and Waren hid his smile as they sat down to dinner.
“So what is for dessert,” Waren asked once they had finished and Jassi was relaxed in her seat.
When a blush came to her face, Waren laughed heartily but anticipation flared in his eyes even as he remarked with a touch of wickedness in his tone. “I suggest we clean up and then take a shower…together works for me.”
A light of excitement flashed in Jassi’s eyes but she scowled at him getting up from the table to begin cleaning up and Waren watched her with heated eyes getting up to help her.
Once done, Waren walked over and spun Jassi around catching her gasp before he swung her up into his arms.
“Bath time,” he uttered with a wink at her heading out of the kitchen.
“I thought you said shower,” Jassi reminded him with a giggle relaxing in his hold and staring up at him.
“Hmm,” Waren mumbled heading for the bathroom his body for the first time since Jassi left, tense free. “I think a bath would be…”
His words dropped off when they entered the bathroom and he saw the size of her tub, and Jassi catching his crestfallen look, shifted her eyes to where he was staring.
“Well, that would be a tight fit,” she joked turning back to Waren only to still at the look of disappointment in his eyes.
Arranged Marriage, Wanted Wife Page 18
