Kindly remember to vote with Gems for my book. Thanks
Jack and Kelly drove to Hamden for her parents’ weekly Sunday dinner. They were in Jack’s Jaguar and she couldn’t help but appreciate the buttery softness of the leather as she melted down into the seat.“Are you close to your family, Kelly?” Jack asked as he turned off of the highway at the sign for Hamden.“Uh huh. I don’t make it for dinner every Sunday but I try to get there two or three times a month. My mom is a great cook so it’s not a hardship,” she said, with a small smile at Jack.Jack made a left turn onto a tree-lined residential street. “Tell me again how many of you there are?” Kelly had told Jack about her brothers and sisters before and she suspected that in his line of work, he remembered names and details with very little effort. Kelly had a feeling that he wanted to keep her talking to calm her nerves and she was thankful to him.“There are four of us. My sister Jessica who’s two years older than I am, and our older brothers Liam and David. My sister and my mom and
Kelly was sitting next to Jack at the dinner table but he couldn’t read her face as they all passed around bowls and platters, filling plates with her mom’s homemade chicken, macaroni and cheese, salad, and green beans. It was comfort food at its finest and Jack wouldn’t mind coming to more Sunday dinners if her mom’s cooking tasted as good as it looked.“So, Kelly, Jack tells us you met at his office?” Kelly’s father’s question sent Kelly’s iced tea down the wrong pipe so that she coughed and sputtered. Jack laughed and patted her on the back while she tried to catch her breath.“Um, yes, Dad. We met at Jack’s office,” she finally managed to spit out. “Oh, what do you do, Jack?” asked Kelly’s mother.“I’m in venture capital,” Jack answered. “My company identifies companies at various stages of development that we think are good risks to invest in. Sometimes they need seed money, sometimes growth or expansion. We invest and we get a share of the company if they’re a success.”When Kel
Kelly had finished her registration for Yale and Jack sent the tuition in as promised so she was all set to start school in September. Over the next week, Jack, Kelly, and Mrs. Poole fell into a comfortable routine around the house. Jack left for work before Kelly got up in the morning so they didn’t see each other before work, but Jack started coming home for dinner in the evenings. He was surprised to find he liked the time with Kelly at night, liked talking to her and having someone at home waiting for him at the end of the day.Mrs. Poole often sat down and ate with them, instead of leaving a plate warming in the oven for him like she had before Kelly arrived. Then, Mrs. Poole headed back to her room and Jack and Kelly went into the den to watch a movie or T.V. together. After a movie, Jack would go into his office to work and Kelly would read a book before heading up to her room.After a week of falling comfortably into their newfound life together, Kelly happened to get up earlie
Kelly stood with Mrs. Poole and Aunt Mabry in the kitchen when Jack came in from work that evening. Kelly had poured a glass of wine for herself and Aunt Mabry and turned to ask Mrs. Poole if she wanted one. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aunt Mabry’s eyebrows shoot up but chose to ignore the look. Apparently, in Aunt Mabry’s world, Mrs. Poole was paid help, and one didn’t ask the help if they want a glass of wine. Wait until she sees Mrs. Poole sit down to dinner with us. Kelly smiled.Jack walked into the room and said ‘hello’ to Mrs. Poole and planted a peck on Aunt Mabry’s cheek before turning to take Kelly into his arms. “Hello, beautiful,” he said before he ducked his head to kiss her. It was a warm, gentle kiss but Kelly could feel the arousal bubbling just under the surface and knew that if either one of them moved to deepen the kiss, the passion would rise to the surface quickly. Damn, I’m going to make a fool of myself if he keeps kissing me like this!As Mrs. Poole s
The morning after her first night in Jack’s bed, Kelly woke to find that Jack had already left their bed. She had heard him come into the room the night before and held her breath as she listened to him get ready for bed. She feigned sleep as he brushed his teeth and slipped out of his clothes. When he slipped between the sheets in nothing but boxer shorts, Kelly thought she would burst but she focused on keeping her breath steady so she wouldn’t have to face Jack.With a sigh, Kelly slipped from the bed and showered and dressed, and headed downstairs for breakfast. She found Jack, Aunt Mabry, and Mrs. Poole in the kitchen.“Good morning, dear,” Mrs. Poole called out cheerfully, making Kelly smile. Jack and Aunt Mabry looked up and Kelly wished for a moment that the smile that came to Jack’s face as he looked at her was genuine and not for Aunt Mabry’s sake.“Good morning, sweetheart,” Jack said as Kelly joined them at the breakfast nook with her coffee.“Morning,” Kelly smiled shyly
The following Monday, Kelly went shopping at the mall and then drove to New Haven to meet Jennie for lunch. Kelly pulled her car into a space in the parking garage and glanced in the rear view mirror before opening her car door to get out. Kelly had a strange feeling that the car pulling past as she got out of her car was the same one behind her earlier that day at the mall. She watched nervously as the car continued by and figured that she must be imagining things.Kelly walked through the parking garage and took the elevator down to the street level. She stepped out onto the street and went two doors down to the café where Jennie was waiting. It had been a couple of weeks since she’d seen her friend and they definitely needed to make up for lost time. She needed to fill in Jennie on her ‘married’ life with Jack and she wanted to know how Jennie’s new job was going.Kelly spotted Jennie at a table and pointed to the counter to signal that she’d grab a coffee and order lunch then join
Jack got home from work that night and slipped the panic button into Kelly’s purse in the front hallway. He’d have to remember to tell her it was there and show her how to use it but he didn’t want to mention it in front of Aunt Mabry. Kelly had started volunteering at the New Haven Legal Aid Clinic and that wasn’t located in the best part of town. Between that and the guy following her, Jack felt better knowing she’d have some way of getting help, if needed.He walked into the kitchen and found Kelly and Mrs. Poole cooking dinner together. Kelly looked up and smiled at Jack. Jack thought she was gorgeous when she smiled at him like that and he loved the sight of her in his kitchen. Hell, he loved coming home to find her anywhere in his house. The irony of having the strongest feelings he’d ever had for a woman while in a fake marriage to her were not lost on Jack. He had spent years looking for the type of connection his mom and dad had shared, and now, when he finally gave up and en
After another frustrating night of lying next to Kelly in his bed, highly aroused but unable to reach for her, Jack started his ‘Project Kelly’ to show Kelly how beautiful he thought she was. He’d woo his wife into their marriage bed in the true sense of the word, if that’s what he needed to do. After showing Kelly how to use her panic button, Jack left for work, but he stopped by a florist on the way to the office. Since Kelly didn’t believe he found her beautiful, he would show her how much he appreciated everything he saw when he looked at her.That afternoon, Kelly received two dozen deep-red roses that were so incredibly beautiful they took her breath away. The card read: Like your lips – lush and full and sensual. Have a wonderful day, beautiful.Mrs. Poole and Aunt Mabry read the card over Kelly’s shoulder. Mrs. Poole sighed at the romance of the gesture; Aunt Mabry huffed and walked away.The following day, Kelly came home to find a large bouquet of blush roses laced with baby