Josalyn noticed it was only Jake and herself in the condo. But Jake’s housekeeper and cook were often there until after dinner. But tonight, Jake set the table and called her for dinner. Josalyn could see the effort he’d put into setting the table. The first meal showcased flowers and candles. Now she knew something was up. Jake was trying to offer her a romantic dinner. “Initially, I considered taking you out for dinner, but then I remembered our past food-related disasters. I aimed to maximize our time. Want to have a seat?” “Yes, thanks.” Jake held her chair for her while she sat. “Where is everyone?” “I wanted a private moment with you. So, I granted them the night off. “Okay, is there a problem?” “No, not at all. I want this time for us. Is that bad?” “No, I don’t think so. You just had me a little worried. The other shoe dropping makes has me uneasy.” “No shoe is looming or imminent,
Josalyn could feel Jake’s excitement and see it in his eyes as he slid the ring on her finger. Then he kissed with a hunger that took her breath away. If nothing else, she’d never become tired with his ability to sweep her off her feet and lay her down in a haze of pleasure and happiness. The man learned everything about her that would set her on the wild path of sexual satisfaction. Josalyn didn’t notice when he scooped her up to move before the burning fireplace and settled them on the plush nest of blankets, pillows, and furs. Their clothes fell away in swift motions, forgotten, and scattered. His hot lips were everywhere, alighting her now bare flesh is a tingling sensation of desire. She wanted to explore him and tried. “Later love. Right now, I need to remind myself you’re here and not another illusion.” Jake said. He took her hands and held them so he could see his ring on her finger as he reminded her why she could no longer resist him.
“I knew I wanted you back in my life. Now there’s no question about it. You’re perfect love. Perfect for me.” He’d found completion, but Jake must have enjoyed their encounter because he didn’t leave her body. Instead, he pressed his hips into her as though he couldn’t get enough of what he felt while he was inside her. “Fuck, I think I’m getting hard again.” He looked down at Josalyn and she saw the look of wonderment mixed with pleasure. Then she felt it. Jake didn’t lie. Josalyn didn’t know it was possible for a man to respond this way. He heard Josalyn gasp softly as he tried a few tentative thrusts. She was still ready from their first round of lovemaking. This time the rush and excitement from her agreeing to marry him was muted. He didn’t toy with her too much. He could see her swollen nipples and clit. It all made him greedy for more. “See what you do to me love? Daddy needs a second go around because he doesn’t want it to end so soon. Fuck, you’re perf
The next morning, Jake answered his phone to the concierge at the main entrance to the building, calling him to inform him there were police officers there to see him and Ms. Jones. He allowed them to enter the building, and it wasn’t long before two officers sat at his dining table. “Now, how can I help you, gentlemen?” “My records say Ms. Jones is staying here with you?” “After her hospital departure, we deemed this a safer place for her stay.” “I thought the security staff at the club where her attack happened captured the perpetrator of her assault.” “However, caution is necessary. Some individuals bring out their worst in this business. If that fan made bail, or they have friends. I’m sorry, I feel I should be able to trust you’ll keep this quiet. We’re engaged to marry, and the plans are almost complete for it. But please, I don’t want to talk about it. She doesn’t know the wedding plans are this far along.
“Jake, what the hell? I can’t tell anyone about being in the witness protection. They won’t confirm or deny that I’m involved with the program, but they would kick me out if those officers poked around at the files or asked questions. Oh, god, this will force me to call them and speak to them about this. I don’t want to do that. I departed to avoid following their instructions. “Flipping burgers for a living is aberrant to me,” Josalyn expressed. As the elevator door closed, she turned against him. Her glare revealed everything to Jake. He could see them. “I secured permission for us to leave and have some time away. It also gave them a reason to rule you out of being involved. But what about your father? Could he know who you are and be happy to watch you from afar? He might have taken exception to Gena’s interview. If his people are having problems with the Kelso family. He might become more inclined to attack someone if he could do it without being caught.”
“I’m not connected to this. Except through Gena’s weird obsession with blaming me for her perceived failures. She’s so busy obsessing about those past failures and how to punish me for it. I don’t believe she’s planning her future career moves.” Josalyn didn’t want to connect the dots. Jake got it. She felt scared of all the unknowns. He moved closer to her and put his hand out to touch her so he could comfort her. The blue silk wrapper she wore felt warm and smooth to his touch. Jake knew she’d need to get dressed so they could leave. With limited time, the conversation grew crucial. He learned so much about her he couldn’t let it go. It seemed late would be too late. “What about you Josalyn? I have heard none of your plans, either.” Jake believed her response held great importance for her life and mindset. He trusted her for a positive outlook, only he had the power. Jake only needed to see the direction they needed to go in. He felt lost, as if traveling thr
“I told them. Why do you think I boosted the security here? Why did I want you to leave the city? So, my people can control the situation. Getting married up there will have less chance of someone sabotaging it or going unnoticed if they attempt to harm you. Anyway, it’s beautiful. Can you imagine the photos? I’m sure people will be jealous for years after they see our secret getaway and we won’t tell them where it is.” Jake said. He smiled, knowing she’d always admired the grounds of the old inn for their beauty. But when they first married, they didn’t have the money to rent the inn or its grounds for their wedding. This time she’d have her dream wedding and not whatever they could scrape together. “Jake, this could harm not only me.” What about you? If you say this money is attractive to Gena. They might attempt to take it from you. Like blackmail.” They were back to her fears. He grasped her tendency to worry and its origin. Fear had consumed Josalyn’s mind
“We’ve got that love. Can I mention that our space allows for family growth? Jake tried to make it sound like a realtor trying to sell the property to her. It surpassed mere property. He desired a life to accompany it. His life before independence. “If we have a family. I’m still not sure about that. What if you decide to leave again? You did better without me around.” Josalyn wanted to go along with his perfect vision of the future, but she’d felt the smack of reality once too often for her to ignore it. She had to admit this was her desired long-term settlement. The house, though another, needed demolition before repairs. Her thoughts tangled with this. The new house won’t feel identical. Not to her. “Josalyn, stop it. I didn’t do better. I lost my father. My work was all that I had. Now I feel like my priorities have changed, and I just want us to have a second chance.” Jake couldn’t handle hearing this now. He would not leave. He lea
“I lost our first baby. It’s my fault Everett didn’t know about it. I didn’t tell him because it would’ve killed him and I feared he’d think I was using it as an excuse to cling to him. If I told him he’d want to know why it happened and then blame me for it. I was too tired from losing the baby that I’ve agreed to almost anything. Mentioning pregnancy, I indeed recall feeling the same way before. Rebecca leaned against the door jamb and gave a heavy sigh. Hopefully, this time yields better results. Can’t do it again.” “Then I’ll go call them now and see if I can catch the receptionist before she leaves for lunch. I hope it’s a baby and nothing bad.” Jill left the dressing room and the other to speak between themselves. “A baby…” Rebecca sounded like she was stunned. “Oh, good grief. I hope the doctor was correct when he told you I could still have children.” “We’ll find out soon enough.”(SEVEN MONTHS LATER- MERCY GENERAL HOSPITAL, LABOR, AND DELIVE
“Are you alright love? Should I call your doctor for an appointment?” Everett asked Rebecca when she left the bathroom of the dressing room they now shared at work. He looked at her with concern in his eyes. “I don’t know. I’m nauseous but there’s no pain. “Perhaps I’m coming down with something,” Rebecca said, her pale face lacking its usual smile. “This will pass soon too.” “Perhaps we should secure the appointment now, rather than later. We’ll play it safe and catch whatever it is early. Why don’t you go sit down and relax? I know our lunch will arrive at the set soon. Then we can enjoy it and see how you’re feeling.” “The truth is I’m a little tired and nauseous. That’s it. No headaches, no pain, or weakness. There’re no mystery rashes, and my breathing is fine. I can’t find even a simple mystery bruise, and no strange bouts of acne. My hair isn’t falling out like it was, at least not yet.” “Can we sit and list your exper
Coming out of the interview with Everett, Josalyn sat down an hour later with the man she knew was her father. She’d spent hours researching stories and coming up with questions. The writers added questions to the lists well in advance. The questions went through the Studio’s legal department and her father’s legal team went through them as well. It became a lengthy-drawn-out process because of all the legal complications. Everett insisted on staying with her for support and sat in the dark shadows off to the side, away from the cameras, watching everything. He’d become protective and a little obsessive of Rebecca, but at this point she didn’t mind so much. Rebecca still basked in his attention and his attention hadn’t become intrusive yet in her eyes. Something had changed and Rebecca knew that. Her father sat there and shifted in his seat. He didn’t appear comfortable, and she’d not hesitate to say he appeared nervous. She attributed it to his pri
(SIX WEEKS AFTER THEIR WEDDING) Everett took a seat beside Rebecca on a sound stage. He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. Then his smile changed from the genuine one he gave her to the smile he’s known for when he looked at the interviewer. This was their explanation of events. Legal advice urged them to take a preemptive measure to defend against Gena’s potential slander. “Thank you for being here Mr. Stone and Ms. Jones.” Ken Douglas said to them as he settled into his own seat after greeting them. The cameras were rolling and picking up everything. “Thank you, Mr. Douglas. But it’s Mrs. Stone now.” Everett said to Ken. He corrected the interviewer before Rebecca could. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize you changed your name.” Ken Douglas looked at his notes, already off kilter with this interview. “It’s a recent development. My wife and I decided it would better reflect our leaving the past in the past.
“Morning, everyone. Thank you for settling down so quickly. Let’s start immediately. I’m afraid we have had several events in the past few weeks and several rather disturbing events last night.” Surprisingly, the Studio handler, who never attended a meeting like this before, assumed control. He let the comments and surprises fill the room. “It’s with a heavy heart that I must tell everyone that Yuri will not return to the set as he and his driver were found early yesterday morning dead in their cell. The cause of their deaths isn’t known, but suicide has not been ruled out yet.”Shock spread among everyone, including Josalyn. Though she knew the reputation of Gena’s family and two suicides this early didn’t sound right to her. Gena’s family had conflicting feelings about the women in their family. Hurting their own women was one thing, but an outsider doing so was another. Then there’s the baby. She wondered if they could have killed Yuri not for harming Gena, but for caus
They had two weeks for their honeymoon. Jake promised to arrange for something better later. He wouldn’t tell her where they’d go. It would be a surprise. He believes it’s important to be nearby for her health since her recent injuries stopped her from doing physical activities in a foreign country. If something happened, he didn’t trust the medical system of a foreign nation. Jake let her decide if she would show up at the studios without her wig. It’s odd to see the reaction she received when they arrived at the gate this morning. “Well, here we go.” Jake’s choice of driver eased their way through security and fans. They’d been lying in wait for them. Nunzio and Ben, both warned them that there’d been clashes between two groups of fans. One group supported their marriage, and a second group opposed it. “Yeah, I wonder what they’ll do when they learn we were married before this.” Josalyn asked Jake, “What they would make of that?” Their
Jake and Josalyn relaxed and enjoyed their usual activities at the cottage. Without the crowd of friends, of course. This time they weren’t window shopping for antiques. They could go through the shops and buy whatever they wanted. Though Jake found Josalyn hesitant to use his money. He couldn’t risk lowering his guard. He had to watch her to see what caught her eye and then ensure that he purchased it. These pieces weren’t for the cottage, but for their city house. Once they completed the renovations, they needed to refurnish the entire house. They needed everything from the floorboards to the ceiling. They won’t understand everything right away, but they can start. Afterwards, he would hire a professional to finish the space. “Jake, over here. Look at this. I love these cabinets; wouldn’t they make perfect nightstands for the master bedroom?” “Found a blanket box bench over there. Place it at the bed’s foot. It’s not just a box but has several dra
The next morning, they ate their breakfast on the back deck overlooking the lake and enjoyed the silence of nature as the sun rose. Josalyn forgot the joy of sitting without worrying about schedules, scripts, or getting through the day. Jake’s presence was soothing rather than grating on her nerves. She viewed him differently last night, absorbing new information about her long-held experiences. Her fears were unfounded sometimes and in others she found herself exposed to far too much. This time, when she tried to bring up the problems, Jake stood with her, and they formed a consensus. With that consensus came a plan. The plan’s activation is uncertain, but it would provide clarity to the public. They agreed not to involve the Studio’s PR handler. They’d handle it alone and let the chips fall where they may. She came clean about her finances and today they’d hand them to Jake’s family’s accounting firm and allow them to sort out her debts. Jake wasn
Josalyn lay on their bed at Jake’s teasing mercy. His hungry gazed followed his hands, and he toyed with her body. He’d just told her he wanted to see her orgasm before he satisfied himself. Then, without missing a beat, his fingers found her depths and thrust into her core, searching for that spot that would send her spiraling out of control. Her breath became heavy. “I want to share this pleasure with you. Let me touch you, Jake.” “Later. Now focus on what I’m doing and enjoy it. Breathe and focus. His other hands slid along her inner thighs with gentle caresses that left her thighs shaking and her mind forgetting to breathe. Along with her rich moans, the room filled with the slick sound of his fingers thrusting in and out of her. Josalyn knew he loved to hear what his actions did to her body. “Jake, oh god. Please I want to touch you.” “You know the rules love. I want to start tonight off right. Come on my hand. Show me h