by Tia Siren
I gasped, trying hard not to look at him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to bed. What are you doing? Planning on going for a run?” he quipped.
“No. This is what I’m sleeping in.”
“Uh, don’t you think you’re going to be too warm?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I’ll be fine. You need to put on some clothes. You can’t get into bed like that.”
He grinned, pulled back the covers, and got in bed. He was propped up on the pillows, still smiling at me, when he patted the empty spot next to him.
“Honey, come to bed,” he said with a cheesy grin.
I slowly made my way to the bed, removing the jacket of my tracksuit to sleep in the T-shirt and pants I had on. I climbed onto the bed and lay flat on my back, stiff as a board.
“We’re sleeping, nothing else,” I stated for at least the tenth time that night.
“I know. No hanky-panky. Got it.”
“I would prefer it if you wore some clothes to bed. I don’t like sleeping next to you when you’re basically naked,” I complained.
“Don’t look and don’t touch and you won’t have to be reminded.”
He reached out and touched my leg under the blankets.
“Stop it,” I said, jerking my leg away.
He then used his foot to run down my lower leg.
“Knock it off! No touching!” I glared at him.
“It’s not like I’m actually touching you. Your pants have you well protected.”
I turned to look at him, and he was still smiling. The man was enjoying all this far too much. I reached over and turned off the light on my side of the bed and waited for him to do the same. He didn’t. Instead, he rolled onto his side, propped his head up with his hand, and looked at me.
“What are you doing?” I said in exasperation, afraid to look directly into his eyes.
“I’m looking at you.”
“Why?”
He was quiet for so long, it worried me. I turned to look at him.
In a low voice, his eyes boring into mine, he said what I had feared the most. “I want to make love to you.”
The way he said it sent heat pooling between my legs. “No. We’re not doing that. Go to sleep, or you’re going to be sleeping on that couch.”
“Avery, I love your body. I want to taste it. I don’t think I properly ate you out our first time. Let me put my face between your legs and lick your pussy until you come.”
“Jake!” I protested, horrified and aroused by his nasty words. My legs involuntarily closed, my knees rubbing together, sending a shiver of pleasure racing through my body.
He looked down at my chest, which was heaving up and down with my sudden, rapid breathing. He met my eyes before sending his down my body in a slow, thorough perusal that made me feel as if my skin were on fire.
“I want to bury myself deep inside you, Avery. I can practically feel your body under mine, your sweet pussy tightening around my dick as you orgasm. Your tits are the perfect size for me to cup and fondle before I suck on your nipples, drawing out your orgasm.”
My mouth went dry and my body turned into a quivering pile of goo. I couldn’t believe how his words affected me. I didn’t want to feel hot and horny. I wanted to hate him. It was so much easier and safer to hate him. I could practically feel him between my legs. I closed my eyes, trying to stop the passion from coursing through my veins. My skin felt too tight for my body and overly hot. I wanted to rip off my pants and fan myself.
“Can you feel me in you?” he whispered. “I could make you feel so good. All you have to do is say the word, Avery, and I will have you screaming in pleasure. Do you want me?”
I gulped down the “yes” that threatened to cross my lips. I could not fall under his spell. I would not let myself get sucked into his smooth words. With every ounce of strength I possessed in my overheated body, I rolled to my side, giving him my back.
“Go to sleep, Jake,” I managed to get out. The instant I heard my voice, I knew he would know how much he had gotten to me.
I heard him chuckle before he turned out the light. “Suit yourself, babe. You’re missing out. I know you’re going to be dreaming of me tonight.”
“No, I’m not. This is for Iris. Nothing more.”
The ass. Such an arrogant ass.
I barely slept a wink. My body was supercharged after Jake’s little fun with words. Sunday morning, I woke up cranky and irritable, which was made worse by his chipper attitude. I couldn’t be around him all day. I ended up leaving and spending the day with Sally, not wanting to be near the man. I didn’t trust myself not to take him up on his offer to help get rid of the ache he had caused.
Thankfully, that night he didn’t tease me. We went to bed early, me fully covered in my tracksuit and him in his boxers, again. I didn’t bother pointing out his state of undress, afraid it would only encourage him. I needed sleep. I had to be at my best for the first day at my new job in the morning. Jake seemed to respect that and left things alone.
I had barely gotten to work when Jake called my phone.
“What?” I said, answering the phone.
“Good morning to you, too.”
“Jake, you know this is important to me. What do you need?”
“Don’t panic, but Janice is going to be coming by tonight.”
“What!” I shouted, obviously panicking. “Why? Already?”
He chuckled. “Yes. It will be fine. I’m going to make dinner and we will wine her and dine her. You’ll be home by six at the latest, right?”
“Yes,” I croaked out. “I’ll go straight home after work.”
“Good. See you then. And, Avery?”
“Hmm?”
“Have a great first day,” he said before hanging up.
I held the phone in my hand, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach. I did not need this. Not today. Not when I had so much riding on doing well at the job and then impressing Janice.
I took a deep breath. “You can do this,” I whispered before walking into the building where my new job was.
I was escorted to my small office and given a stack of paperwork to fill out. My jumbled emotions ranged from pure joy at finally having the job I had gone to school for to complete terror about the dinner with Janice.
I had no idea how I was going to lie straight to Janice’s face. I sucked at faking anything. My face tended to say what I was feeling. I wasn’t as smooth as Jake. I hoped he could handle most of the talking. I could smile and nod. That had to be enough.
The paperwork blurred in front of my face as my mind kept drifting to the meeting with Janice. I couldn’t afford to screw up. I had to pull it together for long enough if I wanted to get Iris. A young woman with a lunch cart stopped at the open door of my office.
“Would you like a sandwich? Soda? Iced coffee?” she asked cheerily.
“Yes!” I practically shouted the word. “Soda, coffee, and a sandwich.”
She smiled. “You’re going to be my new favorite customer.”
I laughed. “Thank you. It’s my first day, and I was too nervous to eat this morning and need a pick-me-up.”
She nodded her head. “You’ll like it here. The people who work on this floor are the best. Accountants tend to be stuffy people, but not here.”
“Thank you,” I said with a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Damn straight you will!”
I laughed and took my goodies and sat back at my desk. I slammed the iced coffee, ate my turkey sandwich, and then drank the caffeine-loaded pop. I felt human once again and managed to breeze through the rest of the day.
At five minutes to five, I shut down my computer, grabbed my purse, and waited. I didn’t want to leave early on the first day, but I couldn’t afford to stay even a minute late. Tomorrow I would make up for it and work later if that was what was needed. When the clock hit five, I bolted out the door, waving to my new coworkers and racing to my car in the parking garage.
<
br /> I managed to get to the house in record time, thanking my lucky stars there hadn’t been much traffic. The moment I opened the door, I was greeted with a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Jake was making dinner, and it smelled divine. It still blew my mind that the man was such a good cook.
I set my purse on the entryway table and headed for the kitchen, excited to see what he was making tonight.
“Hi,” I greeted.
He turned away from the stove and grinned. “Hi yourself. Did you have a good first day?”
I nodded. “It was okay. Boring first-day paperwork stuff. Dinner smells so good. What did you make?”
“Stuffed chicken breasts, wild rice, and some steamed veggies.”
“Wow. That sounds amazing. I can’t wait.”
I watched him move around the kitchen with graceful ease. He was completely in his element. He poured a glass of wine and handed it to me.
“Thank you.”
I sipped the wine and took a seat on one of the barstools to watch him work. It was mesmerizing to see him move about, stirring one pot and sliding on pot holders to remove the chicken from the oven.
There was music playing softly overhead. I looked up and, for the first time since we had moved in, noticed the speakers in the ceiling.
“What are you listening to?” I asked.
“The Piano Guys. Do you like it?”
I nodded. “It’s different. I don’t think I’ve heard it before.”
He smiled. “I saw them in concert. I was surprised I liked it. I’m not a big classical music fan, but I like how they play regular songs and add their own twist.”
I was about to reply when the doorbell rang. My head shot up, and I looked at him, suddenly terrified of what was about to come. I had been lulled into a false sense of security with the music, the delicious aroma, and the wine.
“Relax,” he said in that soothing tone of his. “We got this. Be yourself and remember you’re madly in love with me.”
I gulped down the last bit of wine in my glass before realizing that had probably been a mistake. Why had he given me wine before our first home visit? Alcohol was probably not a good idea. I watched him wipe his hands on a towel as if there was nothing big about to happen.
I hated how calm he was. I was jealous of how calm he was and hoped some of it would wear off on me.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jake
Once again, I watched her shut down when she realized Janice had arrived. It was a replay of the courtroom situation. I knew how to refocus her energy. I walked around the bar and kissed her quickly on the lips.
She looked up at me, irritation all over her face. It didn’t take much to get a reaction from Avery. I had a feeling I was going to be using my secret weapon quite a bit over the next four weeks. I wasn’t going to mind giving her quick kisses here and there. Maybe, eventually, I would get her to kiss me back.
"Jake, dammit,” she said, scowling at me.
I smirked and left the kitchen to go answer the door. Avery was giving Janice way too much power. I wasn’t quite so easy to intimidate. Oddly enough, I felt protective of Avery. I wasn’t going to let Janice make my wife feel inadequate. She had done enough of that already.
I took a deep breath and pulled open the door.
“Good evening, Janice,” I said, doing my best to sound friendly.
She stood looking at me, judging me with that familiar scowl on her face. She had a briefcase in her hand and looked serious about her visit.
“Good evening,” she said, her voice clipped.
“Come in, please. Dinner will be done in about five minutes. Avery just got home from work,” I said, leading the way to the kitchen and hoping Avery was back to normal.
When we walked through the large archway into the kitchen, I was pleasantly surprised to see Avery pulling plates out of the cupboard as if she had done it a hundred times.
“Hey, babe. Janice is here,” I said, walking toward her and putting a hand on her waist, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Hi, Janice,” she said with a smile. “I think dinner is about ready. You would have to ask the chef, but it certainly smells done.”
“Jake cooked dinner?” Janice asked, one eyebrow raised.
I was going to jump in and answer, but Avery beat me to it.
“He did. He always cooks dinner. He is an excellent cook, far better than me. He was trained by the best chefs in the world.”
Janice nodded. “Interesting. Can I set this down somewhere?” she asked, holding out her briefcase.
“Of course. You can leave it here on the counter, or we can put it in the hall,” I told her.
She opened it, pulled out a yellow legal pad and a pen, then closed it and slid it to the end of the counter. I briefly wondered what was in that briefcase. Were our files stashed in there? I would love to get a glimpse at the notes she had taken after our meetings. I wondered if they had done a thorough background check and found skeletons lurking in our closets.
“I’m going to set the table,” Avery said, taking the plates and silverware into the formal dining room.
Janice followed behind her. I was anxious about them being alone together and quickly carried in the bowl of rice.
“Why don’t you have a seat?” I suggested. “Both of you. I’ll grab the rest of the food and we can eat.”
Janice took the chair at the head of the table. It was a gesture meant to irritate and offend. If she had been a man, I would have put up more of a fuss. As it was, I let her make her little power play. Avery looked over Janice’s head and smirked.
I used my head to gesture for Avery to take a seat. She hesitated but sat down.
I returned to the kitchen, grabbed the rest of the meal, and prepared myself for what was probably going to be the longest two hours of my life. I hoped Janice loosened up a little more than usual.
“How long do you plan on renting this place?” Janice asked. “And I know it’s a rental.”
“Just until we find a house,” I answered.
“You won’t be moving back to California?”
“I’m not sure. I can do my job from anywhere. I do have a private jet I can use for meetings I have to attend in person. I can fly over for the day and be back for dinner,” I said.
“What are your plans for Iris?” She looked at Avery. “You started a new full-time job and your husband will be jetting around the country. Where does Iris fall into your plans for the future?”
“We’ll hire the best nanny. Avery works a typical day job. You work. Do you have kids?” I asked, hoping she would recognize the absurdity of her question.
“This isn’t about me,” Janice shot back.
“No, it isn’t. Avery can work and still be a good mom. I can work and still be a good uncle slash father to the child. I believe you are the one who had a problem with Avery’s lack of employment,” I said coolly.
“I’d like to know more about your relationship. It all seems very sudden,” she said, once again looking at Avery. “Is he paying you to be his wife?”
Avery’s mouth dropped open. “No! Absolutely not!”
“We’ve explained that,” I answered.
“Yes, but what if you suddenly realize you made a mistake. It isn’t uncommon for people to make rash decisions after going through a tragedy,” she reasoned. “I would hate for you to get custody and realize you weren’t right for each other. Iris would be subjected to yet another custody battle.”
I forced myself to continue to smile. “We’ve acknowledged that as well. We know it was sudden, but trust me when I say it was a long time coming. I believe it was fate. Losing my sister has been devastating for both of us, but having each other to lean on has made it easier. When you go through something like this, it leaves you vulnerable. I have never felt so close to anyone in my life,” I said, injecting plenty of sincerity into my voice.
Avery was nodding her head, tears shimmering in her eyes. I didn’t know if they were
faked or real. It didn’t matter because they helped sell the story.
“Okay. Do you plan to have children of your own someday?”
“No,” Avery blurted out.
“Yes,” I said at the same time.
Janice smirked. “I guess there are a few things you haven’t discussed.”
“What I mean is, I want to adopt,” Avery added.
“I know this is a topic many couples have differing opinions about. It doesn’t mean anything. We haven’t had time to talk about it. It isn’t our priority. When we’re ready, we’ll discuss it.”
That seemed to satisfy the woman, who finally focused on the meal in front of her and stopped peppering us with questions I didn’t feel were any of her business. We managed to get through the remainder of the meal with relative ease.
Once finished, I offered to clear the table while Avery gave Janice the grand tour.
“Are you sure, hon?” Avery asked in a syrupy-sweet voice. “I can clean up while you give the tour. You cooked after all.”
I smiled and shook my head. “I’ve got this. Show her the room we have picked out for Iris.”
She glared at me before turning to face Janice with a fake smile on her face.
“Okay, well, we can start in the living room,” Avery said, leading Janice out of the kitchen.
I took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. I hadn’t realized how much energy it took to fake being happily married. I could hear Avery’s voice as they moved through the house. I knew Janice needed to get to know Avery better. Avery had spoken little during dinner, leaving the majority of the talking up to me. She wasn’t comfortable blatantly lying, but now it was up to her to show Janice she did have a voice.
After putting the dinner dishes in the dishwasher, I walked to the bottom of the stairs and listened. I didn’t hear Avery screaming, which I took to be a good sign. They began to walk down together and seemed to be getting along.
“Did you show her around?” I asked.
“I did.”
Janice had a yellow pad in her hand. As she walked by me, I could see a page full of scribbled notes. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. Avery gave me a look as she passed. I smiled. The look was one that said “help me.”
