An Indecent Marriage (22 page)
Jessica returned to him and climbed into his lap. “Jack, I know you’re sorry,“she whispered. “Let’s put it behind us and start over, now, today.”
He stroked her hair, his voice rumbling in his chest as he said, “Jesse, I never touched Daphne after you came back to town. I swear it.”
“Shush, darling, don’t worry about that. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It does to me.”
Jessica lifted her head and looked into his face. “Come back to bed and get a couple of hours’ sleep before you go to work,” she said.
“I can’t sleep,” he said tiredly. “I tried.”
“Then just come lay down and rest,” she coaxed, getting up and taking his hand, pulling him after her. He allowed her to lead him and then stretched out on the bed with a grateful sigh as she curled up next to him.
“I won’t sleep,” he said drowsily, his eyes closing.
“I know,” Jessica agreed, smiling to herself. She waited until he was breathing evenly, and then relaxed into slumber as well, her arm flung protectively across his chest.
* * * *
They both slept until noon. After lunch Jack dressed sheepishly to go to his office, knotting his tie before the bedroom mirror as Jessica hovered in the background, grinning at him.
“Kind of a late start for the boss to be getting, isn’t it?” she asked, tapping him on the shoulder.
“Very funny. You were the one who shut off the alarm, as I recall,” he replied, meeting her eyes in the glass.
“You didn’t even hear it!” she hooted, laughing.
“Well, if I had,” he observed piously, “I certainly wouldn’t have shut it off.” He turned and grabbed her, nuzzling her neck. “I will be home at precisely five-thirty,” he announced. “What’s for dinner?”
“You just had lunch.”
“I believe in planning ahead.”
“You don’t even know if I can cook.”
“You told me you could.”
“Oh. Well, how does veal marsala sound?”
“It sounds great. What is it?”
“Veal.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, that’s all it is, with a few extras thrown in.”
“I see,” he said equably, unbuttoning her blouse.
“Jack.”
“Yes?”
“You’ll never get to the office this way.”
“You’re right,” he said, holding both of his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender. She stepped away from him as he picked up his jacket and coat and said, “Five-thirty.”
She nodded.
He kissed her forehead. “Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
He turned in the doorway and said, “Veal marsala, huh?”
“You bet.”
“Make it five o’clock,” he amended, and went through the door.
Jessica spent the afternoon in a fever of preparations, running around to the stores to get all the things for dinner, humming and talking to herself like a bag lady. When she arrived back at the apartment, staggering under a load of paper sacks, the light was blinking on the answering machine. She pressed the button and Jack’s voice announced, “I love you.”
There were four more messages with the same content. She chuckled, turned off the machine and went to the kitchen to begin preparing the meal.
By the time Jack was due to arrive the apartment was filled with the heavenly aroma of veal sautéed in wine, and Jessica was bustling about, putting the finishing touches on the table. She couldn’t help comparing this occasion with the first time she had planned such a dinner, but then dismissed the recollection. Today she only had room for happy thoughts.
When she heard Jack coming she whipped off her apron and stationed herself in the hallway to wait. The door opened, and a gigantic bunch of red roses preceded Jack into the room.
“For me?” she said, relieving him of the gaudy, fragrant burden.
“Yes, for you,” he replied, kissing her and taking off his coat. “The florist was delighted. I bought out his stock.” He sniffed enthusiastically. “Smells terrific.”
“It’s just about ready,” Jessica said, putting the flowers in a vase. As she turned to face him he slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her deeply, running his hand up her thigh under her skirt. There was silence for about half a minute and then he said thickly,“Do you think it can wait?”
“What? The food?”
“Um-hmm.” He was pulling her blouse loose from her waistband with his other hand.
“Jack, I don’t know,” she began, and then he slipped his fingers into the cup of her bra and stroked her breast.
“I guess so,” she amended breathlessly.
An hour later Jessica rolled over in bed, remembered the congealing veal, and mentally said the hell with it. Jack was dozing with the sheet curled down to his waist, exposing the muscular expanse of his torso.
“Hey, Jacques,” she said softly, nudging his bare shoulder. “Still here?”
He opened one eye. “Yup.”
“Going anywhere?”
“Nope,” he said, closing the eye again.
“Good.” She sighed, settling down contentedly. He kissed her hair as he pulled her tight against him, and they both went back to sleep.
– THE END –
I am Doreen Owens Malek, author of over forty books and lifelong fan of romantic fiction. I live in PA with my husband and college student daughter, a mini dachshund and a sun conyer parrot. I would like to tell you a little about myself.
I came to writing by a circuitous route, starting out as an avid reader of
Jane Eyre
and
Wuthering Heights
and
Gone With the Wind
and
Rebecca
, and any other similarly themed books I could find. I first worked as a teacher and then graduated from law school when I desired a more lucrative and independent career. I had always been discouraged from pursuing a writing career by the volatile nature of the business and the relatively poor chance for success. But the realization that I needed a focus for the future encouraged me to do what I had always wanted to do. I sold my fledgling novel to the first editor who read it, and I have been writing ever since. I have written all types of books for all types of people, but my favorite literary pursuit is and always has been romance. Nothing is as rewarding as hearing from my readers, so please use my website to communicate your thoughts and criticisms, as I am always eager to learn from you.
A romance novel rarely disappoints me: in an uncertain world filled with tragedy and sadness, reading about an appealing woman finding a strong man to love her and share her life is the perfect escape. I like to read and write stories in which the main characters overcome obstacles to get together, and then stay together because their mutual devotion cannot be denied no matter what else is happening around them. They always HELP each other and reinforce the quaint but enduring notion that love conquers all—at least in the fictional universe of my imagination. So pull up a chair and take down a book—or pick up a Kindle—and join me in a world where the heroes are tough and headstrong but never boorish and the heroines are feminine and sympathetic but never helpless.
Happy reading!
— Doreen Owens Malek
See all of
Doreen Owens Malek’s
Kindle eBooks on
Amazon.com
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