Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
I kiss his neck, tracing circles across his back, and stamp out the thoughts threatening to ruin the moment. Right now, he’s mine. In this moment, he’s mine.
‘I trust you,’ I whisper.
Moving back, he kisses me with the most incredible amount of meaning injected into it. ‘Thank you,’ he breathes.
He trails his lips across my face and I smile sadly. Because no matter how much I try to fool myself, a piece of Jack isn’t what I want at all, and I know deep down that there will come a point when I can’t make do with part of him. I just hope Jack finds whatever strength he needs to leave his wife before that time comes.
Chapter 13
We made love all day. Slow, soft and meaningful love. He looked down at me, our breath mingling, our hands exploring, as he drove into me firm and exact, over and over. It was blissful. It was beyond incredible. It left me dazed and struggling to keep my eyes open. Which is a good thing, because I didn’t have the energy to disintegrate when he kissed me gently on the forehead before he left last night.
I fell into a deep slumber and dreamed of Jack. It was the most satisfying night’s sleep I’ve ever had. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have Jack wrapped around me the whole night through. But entering into this, I have to accept that that can never happen. It feels like a small price to pay after the time we’ve just spent together, full of acceptance and total devotion. Just a small price to pay. For now.
I feel full of life and energy as I shower. Strangely, there’s an overwhelming sense of relief, like a weight has been lifted from my tired shoulders. Like I have someone else to help carry the burden of my choices with me.
I’m standing in the mirror looking at myself, kitted from top to toe in sportswear. My cheeks have a healthy glow, my dark hair is glossy and my light green eyes are sparkling brightly. And I have a delicious heaviness between my thighs. I feel good, and ignorant as it may seem, I don’t question it.
I grab my iPod, load a playlist and hit the street. A run. I have no idea where the urge has come from, but I’m going to make the most of it while I have the drive. The sun is warm on my back as I make tracks towards Hyde Park, feeling fresh and rejuvenated. That may not be the case in a few miles, but for now my legs are working with little effort and my breathing is consistent and easy. It defies the fact that I haven’t worked out in over a year. And I’m smiling. Above & Beyond’s ‘Sun & Moon’ is pumping in my ear, spurring me on, as I race through the park, my focus set firmly forward. Fellow runners nod and return my smile as I continue to breathe steadily.
Jack is a constant vision in my mind, except now I’m not fighting to get him out. He’s embedded in my brain, and I like him there. His grin, his sparkling eyes. His voice, his laugh, his cheeky banter. His passion for my work and his encouragement. Everything about him. Our moments have been just stolen pieces of time, but no matter how brief, they’re still so incredibly powerful, the feelings lingering on, and I’m hoping that makes the time in between without him more manageable.
I smile and take a sharp right, running towards the Serpentine, the fresh morning air breezing across my skin. Something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye and I look across the grass to see Micky waving frantically at me. I pull the buds out of my ears and wave back.
‘What the fuck’s got into you?’ he shouts, showing the sky his palms.
‘Felt like a run!’ I call, keeping up my pace.
He laughs loudly and then turns to the woman who’s on her hands and knees in front of him, her long blonde hair skimming the grass. I smile like crazy when I see him drop to one knee and take her hips, looking over to me and fist-pumping the air. ‘Tart,’ I say to myself, following the path and heading up alongside him, watching as he manipulates the woman into various positions.
‘Morning.’
‘Shit!’ I yelp, jumping mid-stride, looking up to see Jack running next to me. I blink rapidly when his shimmering beauty hits me like a right hook to the eye. Fucking hell; he looks otherworldly. My breathing that was perfectly controlled goes to shit. I’m breathless. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I run every morning.’ He performs a quick, expert turn and starts jogging backwards a few paces in front of me. ‘But I’ve never had this amazing view before.’ He puckers his lips and kisses the air.