CHAPTER EIGHT
I couldn't stop staring at my ring. It was breathtaking, and Jack seemed to know me better than most in the short time we'd been together.
"Are you inspecting that again," Jack asked me with a chuckle in his voice.
"I can't help myself. It's just perfect."
Jack was behind me and slid his arms around my waist. I was a petite person, to begin with, but his massive arms – and body – made me feel even smaller. He pressed his lips to my neck, then looked over my shoulder at the ring as the sunlight from the window hit it just right, sending thousands of colors of light out like a disco ball.
"I'm glad you like it," he whispered in my ear.
He really needs to stop doing that; it drives me wild. But I turned in his arms and kissed him very tenderly. "I love it. How long ago did you buy it?"
Jack stared down at me with that deer-caught-in-a-headlight look.
"Jack, when did you buy this?"
"Over three years ago."
My heart stopped. I mean, literally stopped. My chest ached, and I forced myself to take a breath. "What?"
Jack took my hand and led me into the living room and to the couch. As we faced each other, he held my hands between his and slowly rubbed his thumb across them. "I bought it just before Christmas and was planning to give it to you as soon as my divorce was final. My lawyer had informed me that since they couldn't find JoAnn, they would be able to take my case in front of a judge to get it taken care of. But then..."
"But then JoAnn showed up."
"Yes, she showed up, and my world walked out of my life."
I felt my eyes begin to sting as tears started forming. Three years we will never get back. Three years lost of being husband and wife. Three years of time to add to our family.
"And you saved it all these years?"
"Of course. I never stopped loving you, Beth. I would wait for an eternity for you."
"I'm so sorry I didn't stay and listen to you back then, but I was so angry."
"I know. And you had every right to walk away from me. I will never hold that against you. I might have done the same thing if I had been in your shoes. I should have picked up on the fact that you weren't listening to me at the beginning. But I guess I was so enamored by you I couldn't see past my own thoughts."
"Your own thoughts? About what? About me?"
"Baby, you have no idea what was running through my mind that first day I saw you."
"Then tell me." I was grinning and couldn't wait to hear what he'd say.
"I had been sitting on a bench across the playground from you. But from the moment I saw you sit down, I had to speak to you. So, I drummed up all the courage I had, marched across that playground, and sat on your bench."
"And I shot you down when you tried to talk to me." Guilt was stabbing me in the gut again.
"Well, I was sitting there for five minutes before I even spoke."
"Really? I hadn't even...sorry."
"I know your attention was buried in your work. I had no problem with that. Although, you were also quite busy trying to ignore me and get me to leave." Jack winked and grinned, causing my guilt to subside a bit.
"So, what was going through your mind?"
"First, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever met. Your long brown hair, those gorgeous blue eyes that make my heart skip every time you look at me, your lips." Jack licked his as he stared at mine. "I just wanted to kiss you right then and there. But then, when you spoke, the sound of your voice drew me in even more. I wanted to learn everything there was to know about you. And..." Jack stopped as his cheeks darkened slightly.
"And what?"
"Beth, it had been a very long time since I had been with a woman. A very...long...time."
"And?" I was grinning now, knowing exactly what he was about to say, but I wanted to hear him say the words."
"I wanted to take you to my house, walk you into my bedroom, remove all your clothing, and kiss you from head to toe. I wanted to inspect every inch of your skin and make the sweetest love to you that you've ever had. I wanted it to last all night and wake with you in my arms the next morning."
My heart pounded in my ears as he spoke. That is precisely what we had done that first evening we were together. Except for the part about the clothes, they never made it to the bedroom.
"Where are the kids?" I asked him.
"Outside."
"What are they doing?"
"Building a fort out of the moving boxes."
"Do they have plenty of tape and supplies?"
"Yes."
Jack saw the look in my eyes, grabbed my hand, and jerked me to my feet. We rushed up the steps and into our bedroom, and before he could get the door closed and locked, I was already removing my clothes. He spun around, pulled his shirt over his head, and pushed his jeans just off his hips. My pants and underwear were already off, so Jack turned me around to face the bed and pushed me forward until my chest was on the mattress. I don't know where Jack learned to do everything he did, but that man could make my body feel as if it would explode from head to toe. And sometimes, I swear it did.
One evening, while we were unpacking boxes, I stumbled across an old photo album. I opened the front cover, and Maxwell's face was staring at me. I still missed him and wished Max, Jr. had met his father.
"Is that Maxwell?"
I looked up, and Jack was standing behind me. He knelt and looked over my shoulder.
"Max looks just like him."
"Yes, he does."
"That must have been very difficult for you to see your late husband in your son's face every day."
The things this man considered and said to me were baffling. Most men would not have thought of that. "It was at first."
I ran my fingers across the photo, remembering a few special things about him. Jack's hand was on my back, rubbing it, soothing me as he always does. This year would mark ten years without Max, though it seemed like only yesterday we were sitting in the doctor's office hearing the news that would change my life forever.
"Thank you for being so understanding and not jealous."
"Beth, you loved him, and I know that. I would never do or say anything to diminish your feelings. He's the father of your son and always will be."
I placed my hand on his cheek and looked into those soulful eyes. I had never met a man with so much depth in just a glance. He moved onto his butt on the floor in front of me and held my hand in his. He played with my ring, flipping it one way, then the other.
"What kind of wedding do you want? Small? Big like last time?"
"I didn't have a big wedding."
"What? I assumed you and Max had a big, elaborate, wedding-of-your-dreams wedding."
"No. We didn't have much money, and I was not about to ask my parents to pay for it. Neither of us cared about all that at the time, and we were in a hurry to get married."
"Why were you in a hurry? Oh, I know," he grinned.
"Yeah. We'd come close a few times. But both of us had wanted to wait until the wedding night. I must say, that was not easy to do."
"I can imagine." Jack was running his hand down my hair and pushed it back from my shoulders. "I don't think I could have waited if you were the one in front of me," he winked.
"That's kind of where Max and I were. So, we ran down to the justice of the peace and took care of it."
"And then...you took care of it," Jack winked again.
"Jack Thornton." I slapped his arm, and...geez, that man.
"What? Didn't you?" His grin was more than I could take, and I pushed him back and laid on him. We were in the midst of a very hot make-out session when we heard little voices.
"Mom?"
"Dad?"
I rose up, looking down at Jack into those eyes that would draw me back every time. If you have ever seen a show or movie where the two leads have that insane chemistry, and you want a man to look at you in the way he looks at her – that's how Jack looked at me. There was an intensity in his eyes that I just can't describe.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned my head to find Alex staring at us.
"Hello, sweetheart," Jack said. He was lying flat on his back, and my body covered his as much as it could. And it's a good thing. Jack was gripping my hips, not allowing me to move off him for a very obvious reason.
"What are you guys doing?" Alexandria asked.
"Well, we were unpacking, then decided we needed a break," Jack answered.
The kids couldn't see my face, and I was thankful for that because my lips were pinched together in a desperate effort not to laugh. Jack's facial expressions were not helping me, and I tried to push up from him, but his body still wasn't...relaxed...and he tightened his hold on my hips.
"Is your break over?" Alex asked.
"Yep, almost." Jack pinched his eyes closed when he answered her.
It took everything in me not to burst out in laughter. I felt sorry for Jack because he was trying so hard to take his mind off things, but my body was shaking slightly, causing a...delay...in his recovery. When I finally felt his fingers release, I pushed against his shoulders and got up.
"I love it here, Mom." Max wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tighter than he'd ever done.
"So do I, Max. Very much," I told him.
"Me, too," Alex said as she jumped onto Jack.
Jack grunted from the weight of his now nine-year-old daughter landing on his stomach. She curled into his arms as he held her, still lying on the floor, then I heard him begin to hum for her. Partway through, Alex began to hum along with her dad. It was a sight to be seen. Jack was a wonderful father – one more reason I loved him so much. As I watched him, I could imagine him holding our baby and humming to them.
We celebrated Alex's ninth birthday the week prior. She returned Max's taunting by reminding him they were again the same age. Those kids have so much fun together; it just blows my mind. My parents, Jack's parents, my sister and her family, and Jack's aunt and uncle came to Jack's house for her party. We had cake and ice cream, and the kids played a few games.
My sister, Julie, and her husband, Mark, have three children, with one more on the way. They lived in Ames, which was over two hours away. Julie and I had always been close growing up, but my older sister, Viola, and I never were. She lives in Indiana with her husband and two children, and we don't see each other except on major holidays. She's four years older than me, and Julie is two years younger. I think the age gap had a lot to do with it. Which worried me about our kids and our baby, if we have another one. Even if I got pregnant right then, which we weren't trying, they would be nine years apart. Most likely, they'll be ten years apart as long as Jack and I are blessed enough to have a child together.
After a moment spent with the children, they returned to their playing, and Jack and I returned to the boxes. Twenty minutes in, I was halted again. The box I had just opened held Jack's surprise Christmas present. He saw my face, rushed to my side, and took the box from my hands.
"Beth, please, let me take care of this."
"No!" I shouted at him because I thought he was going to throw it out, and I didn't want to let it go.
"I'm just going to put it in my dresser or somewhere you won't keep coming across it."
"Okay." I wanted to open the box and look at the onesie once more, but I knew what it would do to me. So instead, I watched Jack as he jogged up the steps, taking two at a time, and walked toward our bedroom.
Our bedroom. The sound of that simple phrase was glorious. I can't explain how it felt for all of us to be under one roof. Alex had her room, Max had his, and Jack and I were moved into ours. And a fourth room would hopefully, sometime in the not-so-far-off future, be the place our child would sleep. But for now, it was the spare with our extra bed.
When Jack returned, I was in the kitchen unloading the final box. He placed the items on the top shelves of the cupboards that I couldn't reach while I put a few things in the pantry. I loved this kitchen. It was spacious and open, with a window overlooking the backyard. Off the kitchen, on the other side of the peninsula, was the dining room that led out into the gorgeous sunroom.
I was very excited about the sunroom. Jack had me write up a list of things I wanted in a house, and a sunroom was not on my list. But now that we have this, it will be from now on. It quickly became my favorite spot in the house, and I would have my morning coffee, do some reading, and watch the sunrise. On the mornings Jack was home, he would join me with his own book. That is something else we had in common; we both loved to read. There is a large built-in shelving unit in the living room, and it is filled from end to end with books we've read. I was now working through Jack's, while he tried some of mine.
Jack's taste in reading included westerns, thrillers, and cop stories, which I did find myself enjoying. Most of mine consisted of love stories and a few thrillers. One morning, as Jack was reading a Nicolas Sparks novel, A Walk to Remember, I caught him wiping a tear from his cheek. If you've never read that one or seen the movie, you should. Heartbreaking. And with my past, it hits home like no other. Look what it did to my tough police officer.
With the kitchen complete and the living room mostly done, Jack and I decided to take a break and take the kids outside. We stepped down from the porch onto our large lawn that sprawled out toward the highway. A row of Norway spruces lined the edge of the property, blocking the sound of passing cars, making it feel more like we were out in the country. It was perfect.
Jack tossed a baseball back and forth with Max, and the elation in that little boy's eyes could be seen from across the yard. He loves sports and so does Jack, and Max had always wanted someone to play catch with. I would have myself, but Max would want the ball to actually reach him when it was thrown. I was not the man for that job. Instead, I sat on the top step with Alex in front of me between my legs and braided her hair.
My life felt completely perfect at that moment, and I prayed it wouldn't change, other than adding to the family, that is. But we don't always get what we wish for, and that story is for another time.
I was meeting Rosemary for lunch and couldn't wait to share my exciting news. I was already at the table when she arrived, and she didn't hug me as she usually did. Once seated, she picked up the menu, gave the waiter her order, then laid it down. I made certain my ring was showing as I held the glass in my hand, waiting for her to notice.
"Rhett left me."
This was not how I thought this lunch would go. I had no idea that Rosie and Rhett were having problems. They seemed so happy. I slowly pulled my hand down and hid it under the table.
"What? Why?"
"He said that he's in love with someone else."
"Who?"
"Apparently, he's been seeing a woman from his office for over a year."
That lying, cheating sack of shit. How dare he do this to Rosie? "Are you serious?"
"He told me last night. He said that he really wanted a family, and Kara could give him one."
Oh, my God. Rosie hadn't been able to conceive, and Rhett threw that in her face, then left her. I'm going to kill him if I see him. "I'm so sorry, Rosie. He's a jerk, and you don't need him."
"That's what I keep trying to convince myself, but it's not working."
I reached across the table and laid my hand on top of hers. "What do you need? Anything, you just tell me."
"Thank you, Beth." She placed her hand over mine, and I instantly regretted using my left hand. "What is this?" She held my hand up and looked at the ring.
"Jack asked me to marry him this past weekend."
"Beth, this is wonderful. Oh, my goodness. That's why you wanted to have lunch today. You wanted to share your wonderful news, and I walked in and crapped all over it."
"It's fine, Rosie. Your news was much more pressing."
"Nonsense." Rosemary raised her hand and called the waiter to our table. "We need two glasses of your best wine. We've got some celebrating to do."
Once the waiter walked away, I leaned over the table toward Rosie. "We still have half a day's work to get through."
She didn't care and said it was only one glass. So, we sipped and talked, laughed and cried. Have I mentioned what a great friend Rosie's been? She was there for me after getting the news about Maxwell, again when Max was born, and every day I needed her in between.
Now, it was my time to be there for her. Rhett had been cheating on her for over a year, and I knew she was crushed. We made plans to go out that weekend, just the two of us, so I could help her forget about him. At least for a night.
"Why can't I go with Max?"
I heard Alex ask this of her father as we watched Max leave with Maxwell's parents for the weekend. Jack took his daughter's hand, and the pair moved to the swing on our porch.
"Do you remember how Max's dad is gone?"
"Yes, he died before Max was born."
"That's right. Well, Joy and Steve are Max's daddy's parents. So, they like to take Max to the farm once in a while and spend time with him."
"But Grandpa and Grandma Thornton aren't Max's real grandparents, and they let him come over when I go."
"Yes, sweetheart. But that's a little different. Beth and I are a couple, and you and Max and our family. So, Grandma and Grandpa Thornton and Thatcher are part of this family because they are my and Elizabeth's parents. We're all connected."
Jack had a gentle way with his daughter. He was amazing to watch with the kids and had always been so kindhearted. He tucked Alex's hair behind her ear as she sat on his lap, and the swing moved just slightly.
"The situation with Max's grandparents is a little different because you and I don't have that connection with his daddy. Does that make sense?"
"I think so."
"It would be like if Mommy's parents were alive, they would most definitely want to see you all the time. But Max wouldn't go because it would be...well, it would be a little weird for everyone."
"Yeah, I understand." Alex looked at me, then back at her dad. As soon as Jack mentioned JoAnn, I could see a change in Alex's expression. "Why doesn't my mom want me?"
My heart broke in two, as I'm certain Jack's had as well. He had always been open with Alex when it came to her mother, but I had never heard her ask this question before. And by the look on Jack's face, she never had.
"Your mother was scared. She didn't think she knew how to be a mom because she lost her mommy at such a young age. And because of that, she had difficulty connecting with you, which scared her even more. She didn't know how to comfort you or take care of you."
"Couldn't you show her how? You're really good at it."
"I did try, honey. But it just didn't work. Your mom was sad all the time because she knew you were special, and she didn't want to hurt you."
I had never heard Jack speak of JoAnn quite like this. I was pretty sure he was doing it for Alex's sake, but it was still strange to listen to him be almost...nice when talking about her.
"She didn't love me?"
I have no idea how Jack got through this conversation. I was crying now and faced the front yard so Alex wouldn't see my tears. I did not envy him. My situation was much easier to explain to Max. Though it was heartbreaking and very sad, I knew Maxwell would have loved his son and I let Max know that often when he was younger.
"I think, deep down inside, your mother loves you very much. How could she not?"
I looked at father and daughter and saw Jack wrap his arms around her. Alex laid her head against his chest, and Jack moved the swing back and forth a bit more. He looked up at me and forced a small grin. Then I had to turn my head away to keep the tsunami from returning.
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you, too, sweetheart. To the moon and back."
"Do you think my mom will ever want to see me?"
"I can't answer that, honey. I honestly don't know."
"I still have a mom, though, you know." Alexandria's voice was low, but I still heard her.
I glanced at Alex, and she was looking at me. Oh, my God. There was no way of stopping the tears now. I turned my body, looked out across the lawn, and wiped my face.
"You most definitely do. And she loves you very much."
A few seconds passed, and I didn't hear their voices anymore, but a small set of arms moved around my waist. I turned and knelt in front of Alex, and the little girl wrapped her arms around my neck so tightly she almost choked me. I didn't care, I held her, and the two of us cried together. This little girl had stolen my heart, just as her dad had done, and I already considered her my daughter. I had hoped she could think of me as her mother one day, though I didn't know it would happen this soon.
Jack stepped into the house and left us alone. The front door remained open, and I peered inside just as Jack reached up and wiped his cheeks. That big, strong cop had a heart of gold, and I loved him dearly for it.
"What time do you want me to pick you up?" Jack was our designated driver for the evening, so Rosie and I could enjoy ourselves.
"Midnight? Will you still be awake?"
"I'll be there whenever you want me to be."
"Let's go with midnight."
"Okay," Jack leaned across his Jeep and kissed me. "You two have fun, but not too much fun." He winked at me, I loved that, and I cupped my hands around his cheeks.
"I love you so much, Jack Thornton. You're an amazing man."
"You don't need to butter me up. I'm fine with you and Rosie having some fun."
He was teasing me, and I knew it, so I laughed and kissed him hard.
"Whoa. Maybe I should pick you up sooner than midnight."
I just laughed, climbed out of the Jeep, and went to find Rosemary before Jack and I started something.
I surprised Rosemary by inviting a few of our friends. Faith, Lisa, Sasha, and Allison came, and the six of us had a great time. We drank, we danced, we laughed, and not one time did Rosie bring up what's-his-face. My friends were excited over my news and bought me a couple of rounds to celebrate. As the time neared midnight, and none of us were watching the clock, we were feeling great with tears of laughter rolling down our cheeks.
I was sipping my fruity cocktail when Lisa, Allison, and Sasha stopped what they were doing and stared over my head.
"What?" I asked them.
Lisa lifted her hand from her drink and pointed at something behind me. I turned around and found myself staring into a man's crotch, then slowly raised my eyes to find Jack looking down at me, grinning.
"Hello, Baby." He used his low, sexy voice and my insides decided to play a game of hopscotch.
"Hello, Mr. Police Officer." I tried not to giggle, but it was impossible.
"Ma'am, are you drunk?"
"Me? Nope." Yes, I was, but Jack already knew that.
"Who the hell is that?" I heard Allison ask.
Rosemary must have just rejoined us because her voice boomed through the club. "That, my girls, is Beth's fiancé."
"Holy shit." I wasn't looking at them, but I'm pretty sure that exclamation came from Sasha.
"Is it midnight already?" I asked as I looked at my wrist...where there was no watch. I'm not even sure why I looked. I never wear one.
"Not quite," Jack answered, still staring down at me with that grin. "I came a little early in hopes you would dance with me."
I turned in my seat to face the women, who were all totally infatuated with the hunk standing behind me. "I think I'm going to dance with this handsome man."
"You go right ahead," Allison answered. "We'll just be right here watching."
Jack held his hand out and helped me to my feet. I was feeling terrific, but I wasn't so drunk that I couldn't walk. Not like the last time he picked me up. I try not to think about that night. He led me to the dance floor, spun me around in a circle, then jerked me into his body. Damn. That was sexy. I had only danced around the house with Jack in the past. Simple little moves, swaying to a slow song, until that day when we were looking at our home for the first time and danced in the kitchen. That Jack was the one that appeared tonight. And let me tell you, he had moves.
He propelled me away, then pulled me back in, and with our bodies so close together, as if we were one person, he slid his hands across my hips and down the outside of my thighs. I could feel the percussive thumping of the bass in my chest as the beat dropped, then Jack pushed me out into a spin once more. He ducked under our arms as he turned around, then brought me back against him. His hand on the small of my back guided me across the floor while his hips pressed into mine and rotated in a small circle. His eyes never left mine, though he always knew where the other dancers were, and he kept us within our open space. Jack was an excellent dancer, his motions mixed with elegance and harshness but melded together perfectly. His style almost seemed like a ballroom dance and dirty dancing fused together into this amazing, sexual, beautiful, alluring style Jack was doing.
At one point, with my back against him, and held one arm around my waist while the fingers of his other lifted my skirt slightly so he could feel the skin of my thigh. We moved as one as we swayed to the slow song that was now playing, and I felt Jack's lips graze across my neck. And just between you and me, that's not all I felt. This aroused Jack just as much as it was me. He pulled his hand along my stomach, and then rested it on my hip before leading me into a slow spin in front of him. But as he pulled me back, he brought us face to face and kissed me. This was the most sensual dance I have ever been a part of, and I was more than ready to get Jack home.
Finally prying my eyes away from Jack, I glanced around to find many people watching us. Who could blame them? Looking the way he does, twirling and gliding this way, Jack would draw the attention of anyone watching.
"Everyone is watching us," I told him.
"You. They're watching you," Jack had informed me. But I didn't believe him. They had to be watching him.
When the second song ended, Jack walked me back to my seat, where all five women sat staring at him, their eyes as wide as saucers.
"Where the hell did you learn to move like that?" Rosie asked him.
"My mom and dad loved to dance, so when my brother and I were little, they would teach us different styles, and we'd dance around the house. Then, when I was in my late teens, I spent a lot of time in the clubs. I guess combined what I knew with what I saw, and this happened."
"That had to have been the sexiest thing I have ever seen," Allison said with her jaw still lying on the floor.
And I had to agree with her. The way Jack's hands moved across my body, how his fingers pressed into my back to let me know which direction we were about to turn, and how he looked at me the entire time had my body in knots.
"It's all because of this one," Jack said as he put his arm across my shoulders.
I know by the looks in their eyes my friends did not agree with him on that statement. And neither did I.
"So, are you ladies ready to go?"
Allison was the most audacious one of our little group, and she stood and crossed the small space toward Jack. She stopped, looked at me, and asked, "Can I dance with your fiancé before we go?"
Grinning, I held out my hand. "Help yourself."
Jack looked at me from the corner of his eyes, stood, and took Allison's hand. He led her out to the dance floor, much like he'd done with me, and held their hands above her head and spun her around three times. I watched as they danced, and though he kept his hands in check and didn't use the same moves he'd done on me, they were still quite amazing to watch. Seeing Jack from the outside, I could definitely see the ballroom styles appear now and again. The crowd on the floor moved back slightly, giving the pair more room to move, and Jack took the opportunity to show off even more.
He was amazing. After Allison had broken down the wall to approach my man, my other friends did, too. Each one took a turn dancing with Jack, even Rosemary. We had all sworn it was a no-man evening, but I'm quite confident they were all thankful Jack had arrived and livened up our night a bit more.
Jack helped Rosemary into the house and to the spare bedroom upstairs. She'd had a couple more drinks while everyone took turns dancing and ended her night with one more shot. Like me, that had put Rosie over the edge, and I insisted she stayed with us for the night. Jack had no problem with it and immediately assisted her to his Jeep.
Once I helped her out of her dress and into an oversized shirt, I got her into the bed, and she was instantly asleep. I moved the trash can next to the bed, just in case.
I walked down the hall to the end where our bedroom was and could hear the shower running. Grinning, I pulled my short dress over my head and left a trail of clothes on my way to the bathroom. Jack was in our walk-in shower with his hand pressed on the wall as the heat rolled across his neck and down his back. He turned his head and looked at me as I opened the door and stepped inside, and before I could close the door, he turned and pinned me against the wall.
"Jack." I said his name only because he startled me. But after one look in his eyes, I was done. I moved my arms around his neck, lifted my left leg, and wrapped it around his, and he gripped the back of my thighs and picked me up. This man made so many of my fantasies come true, even ones I didn't know I had until I met him. After our first night together, my mind conjured up some crazy scenarios of us together, and Jack was willing to try anything.
After he towel dried my hair, I wrapped the towel around me and walked into the bedroom. I saw Jack's gun belt lying on the dresser and grazed my hand along it. Feeling cold metal, I turned and grinned at Jack as he stepped out of the bathroom.
"What are you grinning about now?"
I held my hands out in front of me, and upon doing so, my towel dropped to the floor. "I thought you were going to arrest me, officer."
The look on Jack's face almost put me into hysterics, and it took every ounce of me not to laugh. He had just pulled the towel around his waist, so he finished tucking in the end, then crossed the room. Without taking his eyes off mine, he unsnapped the pouch and removed the handcuffs. My heart was racing.
"Is this what you're wanting, Beth?" he asked as he held the cuffs out.
I nodded and held out my arms a little more.
Jack took a step closer, and his cologne hit me, almost knocking me off my feet. I watched as he gently placed a cuff around my right wrist, being careful not to put it on too tight. He then did the same to my left. Oh my God, this was turning me on more than I ever thought it would. Jack's eyes constantly moved from the cuffs to my face as if he was making certain I was still okay with it.
"Are you okay?" he asked me while he rubbed my arms.
"Yes."
Jack scooped me into his arms, carried me to the bed, and then eased me into the middle of it. Moving over my body, he gripped the chain between my wrist and lifted my arms above my head. As he held my hands there, he pulled the towel away and tossed it aside, then lowered his body onto mine.