Morgan, Nicole - Sweet Redemption [Sweet Awakenings 1] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Неизвестный

  Jack stopped tickling her, stopped laughing. He was suddenly very aware of what he had said. He didn’t tell her that he did love her. He was joking around and had said that he loved every minute of their time together. So why did it feel like he’d had some sort of an epiphany?

  Tamara’s laughing slowed, and she looked up at him. She looked so serious. Sometimes she would get that look in her eyes, like she was thinking something, but wasn’t sure if she should say anything. He wanted to ask her what it was she was holding back, but for some reason, he couldn’t ask.

  She smiled at him and placed her hands on his chest. The glimmer in her eyes told him that she loved his chest. He worked hard to look good and was glad to see her admire him. Sometimes after they made love, she looked as though she just wanted to bury herself there and snuggle up for all eternity.

  Slowly, Tamara trailed her fingers down his chest to brush lightly across his washboard abs..

  Finally, Jack spoke. “Tamara, I…did you know that…I…”

  She couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Jack, please tell me.” Her voice was a quiet murmur. She was pleading for him to open up to her.

  He froze. He couldn’t do it. Did he really love her? He’d never been in love before. Was this what it felt like? He couldn’t say it, not unless he was sure. “Did you know I was in the Navy SEALs?”

  Tamara looked stunned. That obviously wasn’t what she had thought he was going to say, and he didn’t like the disappointment he saw in her eyes.

  “Oh, ah, no, I didn’t. I knew you were discharged from the Navy because you told me. But that’s all I knew. You never talked about it much.”

  Jack rolled off of her and sat up on the couch. Facing her again, he asked, “How come you never asked me about my tattoo?”

  “Honestly, Jack, I don’t know. I noticed it the first night we were together and didn’t want to be nosy. I guess that since then you’ve kept me pretty preoccupied, if you know what I mean.”

  “Do you want to know what it stands for?” Jack was curious if she even cared.

  She answered with hesitation in her voice. “Of course I do. It has to do with you, so of course I’m interested.”

  Jack expelled a big breath. For some reason, that last statement had him reading into things. Was he important to her? Did he matter to her? He hoped so.

  “Well, SEALs are known as ‘frog men,’ so I got a tattoo of a frog swimming in the ocean carrying the American flag. It’s supposed to symbolize the SEALs protecting America at all costs.” He shrugged, trying not to sound too sentimental about it.

  “I think that’s a beautiful expression of your loyalty to your country. Jack, why did you leave the Navy?”

  His face changed. “You know what we should do? Let’s get cleaned up and go get some dinner.” Jack jumped off the couch quickly.

  He was changing the subject, and he could tell by her stare that she knew. Why? He wasn’t sure. He thought about opening up to her. What had changed? He didn’t want to push his luck. Things were going good with her. Why jinx it, he thought.

  Tamara rolled off the couch and started to adjust her clothing as she walked to the bathroom. Maybe someday he would open up to her. Hopefully someday soon, because one thing was for sure, Jack Peyton was falling very hard and completely in love with her.

  Chapter 10

  Tamara walked into Flannagan’s with Jack following closely behind her. It wasn’t the typical sports bar. It had the feel of an old neighborhood type of bar, as if everyone knew everyone else and this was their home away from home. There were different sizes of large TVs hanging wherever there wasn’t already sports memorabilia. Patrons were seated in dark red leather padded booths and sat their drinks on dark wood tables. The bar was a very large rectangle centered right in the middle of the huge establishment. The bar was loud but still had a sense of friendliness to it. She liked it here.

  Jack had his hand placed in the small of her back guiding her towards the table where his friend, the infamous Rex, sat. She loved the feel of his hand on her back. It was like letting everyone in the bar know that they were together. They stopped in front of a tall round table where a large, muscular man with the shortest black hair she had ever seen was flirting with a waitress.

  “Hey, ignore this guy. He’s a loser. Still lives with his mom,” Jack said to the waitress.

  “Now you tell me, Jack. I already agreed to have his children.” She gave him a smile and wink. Tamara instantly decided she didn’t like this waitress at all. She had bleach blonde hair that was pulled back in a sleek ponytail. Her skin was tan and flawless, and to top off the ensemble, she had the biggest boobs Tamara had ever seen.

  “Hey, man, why are you trying to run my future wife away?” Rex turned to Jack.

  “As if you would marry me. You would knock me up, visit the kid, and ignore me for the rest of my life. I’m not a fool, Rex. You are the last man in the world who would ever settle down.”

  With that, the pretty and annoyingly perky waitress sauntered off. Tamara had the sudden urge to throw her arms around Jack and claim him as hers before any other gorgeous women came around.

  “Well, well, is this the famous Tamara? My God, girl, Jack did not tell a lie. You are beautiful.” Rex leaned over the table, grabbed her hand, and whispered just loud enough for Jack to hear. “Let’s ditch this guy. I guarantee you that I am better in bed and much more fun to be around.”

  “Damn it, Rex! What did I say? Do not hit on her. Wasn’t I clear about that?”

  Tamara and Rex both laughed. Tamara knew Rex was only trying to get Jack riled up. He apparently knew his friend very well and what buttons to press.

  “Relax, man. I was just kidding. Have a seat. I already ordered some wings and nachos.” With that, Rex and Jack knocked knuckles, and they sat.

  It was halftime in the game, and the Chicago Bears were killing the Miami Dolphins. It was 28-7, and the Dolphins’ quarterback had already thrown two interceptions. Tamara had always sort of liked sports, but she could either take them or leave them. Sitting here and watching them with Jack, though, was more exciting. He was explaining things to her that she had never quite understood before. Once, when Tamara had argued with the official on TV after the Bears’ quarterback got in trouble for throwing his ball, he had laughed at her. When she asked him what was so funny, he kissed her on the cheek and explained it to her.

  “You see, hon, you’re not allowed to throw the ball away like that. It’s called intentional grounding, and he’s not ‘in trouble.’ He got a penalty.” He smiled at her naivety.

  “Well, that hardly seems fair. All of those men were coming at him. If he didn’t get rid of it, they were going to tackle him.”

  He had laughed at her some more, kissed her again, and explained it in a little more detail so she could understand. Tamara thought it was a lot of fun, and the crowd at the bar was exciting and fun to be around. She excused herself to use the restroom and gave Jack a quick peck on the cheek.

  “You win, man. I don’t blame you. If I had met Tamara, I would have blown off the entire world forever!” Rex gave Jack a little nudge and raised his brows in silent appreciation of Tamara’s ass as she walked towards the bathroom.

  “Cut it out. Stop staring at her ass.”

  “Look around, man. You think I’m the only one who’s noticed her? Hell, half the men she just walked past have their tongues hanging out of their mouths, and they’re panting like wild dogs.”

  “Well, they just better keep their hands to themselves. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

  Rex laughed. “You’re hilarious. You’re acting like a kid with a new toy, running around in circles, yelling, mine, mine, mine.”

  Tamara came back to the table trying to hide that she was upset. She smiled and tried to act normal, but she could tell by the way that Jack was looking at her that he knew something was bothering her.

  “What’s wrong, babe? Did someone bother you on the way to the bathroom?”

/>   “Not exactly. Apparently I ran into one of your ex…ah, lovers in the bathroom. She tried to warn me about you. I, of course, didn’t listen, but she was sort of relentless. She cornered me and became very explicit with explaining your previous, shall we say, encounter with her.”

  “Who was she? Where is she?” He anger was evident.

  “I bet I can guess who it was. Look over your left shoulder, man. It’s that girl from St. Patrick’s Day last year. I can’t believe she’s still hung up on you.” Rex pointed and cringed at the same time.

  Jack looked over his shoulder and glared at the woman in question. He remembered her all right. Her name was Sarah, and Jack remembered quite well how she literally stalked him for almost two weeks following their “encounter.” He motioned for the waitress, Shelly, to come to their table.

  “Shelly, do me a favor. Please send over a round of whatever that lady and her friends are drinking, on me.” Jack pointed to the table. “And please tell her there are no hard feelings, but I would really appreciate it if she would not upset my wife anymore. It’s not good for the baby.”

  Shelly eyed Tamara disapprovingly, knowing that she had been drinking beer all afternoon. Tamara’s eyes became wide with embarrassment, and her face turned six shades of pink.

  “I am not pregnant! Jack, are you crazy?” Tamara exclaimed as she smacked his arm.

  He laughed. “No, she’s not pregnant. But that lady over there will be too embarrassed to figure it out. From what I remember from her she’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

  “You got it, Jack.” Turning to Tamara, she shrugged. “Sorry I jumped to conclusions. I’m a mother, and I can’t stand it when people abuse their bodies when they’re pregnant.” Shelly gave Tamara a sweet smile.

  “Well, don’t worry. When I get pregnant I plan to take the very best care of the baby and myself.” Maybe Shelly wasn’t so bad. She seemed nice. She probably flirted with everyone, must be good for tips.

  Jack stared at Tamara when she said it and a tight little knot wound up inside of her. Pregnant? She knew she was falling for him, but the idea of her being pregnant and her belly swelling up with Jack’s child made her heart beat a little too fast.

  Rex watched the couple with a smile on his face. Turning to Shelly he whispered, “Look at Jack. He’s so transparent. See that look in his eye? He’s actually picturing her pregnant.” Rex tried to hide a small chuckle before finishing, “He’s a goner. I wouldn’t be surprised if in a year’s time Tamara was walking down the aisle towards him.”

  Shelly merely responded with a nod and a wink.

  “Tamara, could I talk to you for a moment?” She froze, she knew that voice. Looking up at Jack, she knew she was right. She could see the anger in his eyes as they grew darker. Brent was standing right behind her. She started to turn, and before she could complete the motion, Jack had leapt to step in front of her, effectively blocking Brent from Tamara’s line of vision.

  Tamara put her hands on Jack’s arms to try to calm him and felt the tension in his body. His body was rigid, and she could almost feel the violent urges pouring out of him.

  “Tamara has nothing to say to you. Leave now, or would you like me to show you what I like to do to men who choose to beat up on women?”

  Tamara edged to the side of Jack and felt Rex coming up to stand beside Jack as well. “Jack, please don’t get angry. Just ignore him, okay? Please?”

  Brent looked hurt by her suggestion. Perhaps she shouldn’t have said “ignored,” but she didn’t want Jack to do anything that would get him in any trouble. She had felt bad for Brent since he left the message on her machine earlier in the week, but she didn’t feel bad enough to call him back. She really just wanted to forget about him. It was an old chapter in her life. She had started a new one with Jack and didn’t want anything or anyone to interfere with it.

  “Tamara, I’m here with some friends from work. I just really wanted to say hi and make sure that you got my message. I didn’t expect a call back. I just needed to know that you had heard it.”

  “What message?” Jack spun his head and glared at Tamara. His eyes were burning a hole through her. She had considered telling Jack about the message but had thought twice about it. Jack made it no secret how he felt about Brent, and she figured if she didn’t tell him there was nothing for him to get upset about. That was obviously a mistake.

  “I, ah, I, well, earlier this week, I, um…”

  “Spit it out, Tamara. What message?” He was more than angry with her. He was furious.

  “All right, I’m sorry. He left a message earlier this week apologizing for everything that happened. He explained why things happened and wanted to at least try to make me understand. I didn’t want you getting upset. Anytime his name comes up you always become so tense. I didn’t want you getting angry, and I just didn’t think it was important. And…” She looked towards Brent and was talking to him now as much as Jack. “The truth is, it really wasn’t important. He is my past, he could leave me twenty messages, and it wouldn’t be important.”

  “Obviously I made a mistake coming over here. Mr. Peyton, I am very sorry about your window. Hopefully, one day you will find it in your heart to forgive a stupid man who was beside himself with grief over losing the love of his life. And again, my apologies to you, Tamara. Words cannot tell you how much I regret my actions, every single one of them. Good-bye.” With that said, Brent hung his head and walked away.

  Rex eyed the man as he walked away and turned to the couple. “Jack, that guy’s no fool. I have a sneaking suspicion that he knew exactly what he was doing when he came over here. Many men, when they lost a woman, would go to any lengths to get her back. You know that’s true. What? He just coincidentally happened to be at the same bar as his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. Come on man, you know I don’t believe in coincidences one bit. They’re too damn…well, coincidental.”

  Tamara knew what Rex as trying to do. She was thankful for it, but Jack was still staring at her, his eyes boring a hole through her. She didn’t like it when he was angry normally, but she especially didn’t like being the object of his anger. “Jack, I’m sorry. I didn’t think…”

  He put his hand up to cut her off. “No, you didn’t think, did you? Perhaps you would like it if I kept secrets from you that involved my ex, shall we say, encounters.” If he had been a dog, he would have been growling at her, and his eyes went dark, like black ice.

  “Jack, look, man. Let’s order another round and relax a little. We’re supposed to be having a good time.”

  Tamara swallowed the fear rising up inside of her. The anger she saw on his face was breaking her heart.

  Rex must have sensed her anxiety because he continued to try to calm his friend. “I know that look, man. Relax. There’s no reason to get all worked up.”

  “No thanks! I’m suddenly not feeling so well. Rex, be a pal, would you? Would you drive my date home? I’m out of here.” Jack was seething. He turned to leave when Tamara grabbed onto his arm.

  “Jack, please don’t leave. I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t think it was important. I will never keep you in the dark about anything ever again. Just stay, or we can leave together. I’ll come with you now. Let’s talk about this.” She couldn’t stand the way he was looking at her.

  “I don’t think so, sweetheart. Hey, it was fun while it lasted anyway. You know, if you’re worried you’ll be lonely, I could have Rex here take a crack at you.” His voice dropped to but a whisper as he leaned into her. “I could tell him all of the things you like, all of the things that make you dripping wet.” Turning to Rex, Jack added, “What do you say, Rex? You want a couple rounds with her? She’s a great fuck and has a tight little pussy!”

  Whap! Tamara smacked him so hard nearly everyone in the bar turned and looked at them. Even over the roar of the game and the people talking, it was a very loud smack. Tears came out of nowhere and rolled down her face.

  “Go to hell, Jack Peyton. I can’
t believe I was actually falling in love with you.” She tried her best to muster a laugh. “Well, I guess the joke is on me. Obviously that girl Sarah wasn’t that far off the mark, was she?”

  She was sobbing now and couldn’t control the tears streaming down her face. She grabbed her purse and ran towards the door, oblivious to the crowd of people staring at her. Running out the front door of the bar, she got into a cab that was patiently waiting for the next drunk patron who needed a ride home.

  Brent watched her from his car. He knew her better than she knew herself. He’d known she wasn’t going to tell that asshole about his phone call. Tamara always hated confrontations. It was one of the reasons he knew she would make a good wife. She would always be willing to bend and compromise rather than argue a point. By following them here and innocently mentioning his phone message, he had effectively driven a wedge between Tamara and her testosterone-overload of a boyfriend. Brent smiled. He was very pleased with himself.

  “Are you nuts? What the hell has gotten into you? You were afraid to introduce me to her because you didn’t want anything to screw up your relationship with her. Well, great job, asshole. It looks like you didn’t need my help to do that. You screwed it up all on your own.

  Jack dropped on a stool. The red hand mark that Tamara left on his cheek was still very evident and very painful. She must have put everything she had into it, Jack thought, as he rubbed his face.

  Every time he was with a woman he always made it clear from the beginning that he didn’t want anything serious. But once in a while he would meet a woman that would think she could make him change. They would become clingy and possessive. They were only fooling themselves. He never wanted a relationship, well at least not until Tamara came along. What had me done?

  “Are you listening to me? Go after her. You shouldn’t have said those things. Hell, I’m a jerk, and even I know that.”