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Chapter Five
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Saltwater Kisses Chapter Six
The afternoon sun shone down on the two of us and we walked alongside the waves and giggled at stupid jokes. I felt more comfortable with him than I had with anyone in my life. He seemed to relax the longer we walked. I wished I could have more days like this, but both our vacations were going to have to end soon. I pushed the thought as far from my mind as I could. “What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?” Jack asked as I bent down to pick up a seashell. I studied the shell for a moment before casting it out into the ocean. “You are going to make fun of me,” I said, squinting out at the horizon before looking at him. He grinned mischievously. “I’m going to make more fun of you if you don’t tell me,” he said, his eyes sparkling. I glared at him before answering. “I went skinny dipping in Old Man Smith’s fishing pond. A bunch of us did it one night,” I said finally, a blush creeping into my cheeks. “That doesn’t sound that crazy,” he scoffed gently. “Well, it wasn’t... until
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Seven
I could hear him snoring gently in the bedroom through the open window. His breathing was slow and even, the soft rumbles of his sleep soothing. I sat with my feet curled up under me on the wicker porch chair looking out at the rolling waves and listening to my husband sleep. I found myself smiling. I had this wonderful serene sense of calm and perfection. I could get used to this marriage thing. The world finally felt perfect. I knew it was all a lie, that in two days I would leave the ocean and this marriage would just be another page in my scrapbook, but today, I didn’t care. Today was perfect. Last night had been amazing. Yesterday had been amazing. I still couldn’t believe I was a married woman, if only for a little bit. Jack had taken me back to my cabana and showed me what a husband should do for his wife. Thinking about the pleasure his hands and tongue could create made my temperature rise. This sense of happiness held a danger though. I was falling for him — falling for h
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Eight
“Have you seen my black swimsuit?” “You already packed it. It’s in the front pouch of your suitcase.” “Thanks,” I said with a flustered grin as I put the now dry pink suit in with the black one. Jack sat on the bed, watching me bounce around the bedroom picking things up and putting them in my suitcase. “When does your flight leave again?” Jack sighed and shifted his weight on the foot of the bed. “It technically leaves whenever I am ready, but, I have to be back in New York by the close of business, so I need to leave in about fifteen minutes.” “I wish you didn’t have to go until evening,” I said quietly as I put the last couple of items in my main suitcase. What I really meant was, I wish you didn’t have to leave me at all. “Me too, but planes can only fly so fast,” Jack answered. He shifted his weight again. “Anxious to be off?” I asked, nodding at his tapping toes. He couldn’t seem to sit still. He looked down at his feet and saw his toes tapping against his sandals. “It’s
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Nine
I leaned back in my seat, wondering how my life could have changed so much and yet not changed at all. Everything felt different since I met Jack, but everything was still the same. I was going back to my normal, boring, life and in a few hours this vacation would be nothing but a memory. A stylish blonde woman sat next to me with headphones jammed in her ears. I sighed and didn’t bother trying to introduce myself again. She had plugged her ears the moment she sat down. Besides, what would I say? Hi! How was your vacation? I had a great time on the island. I married a billionaire! The idea made me giggle a little as she pulled out a magazine. On the cover was a black and white photo of Jack with the tag line: Billionaire Bachelors. Seeing him took my breath away and made my insides ache. I missed him and my plane wasn’t even back in the states yet. The woman flipped to the article, Jack’s eyes catching me from the page. I wished I could take the magazine and hold him close to me aga
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Ten
The attractive stranger stood gracefully, a fitted pinstripe suit accenting her tall frame. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun, her stylish square glasses accentuating her jaw line. The door swung on its hinges behind me as I forgot to close it. The suitcase clattered to the floor and I stood there facing at the official looking woman in my living room. “Who are you? How did you get in here? And what the hell is going on?” I wanted to scream. I wanted to run into my bedroom and lock the door. I was jet lagged and travel weary, and my head was still spinning from the airport; a stranger in my locked apartment was not something I wanted to deal with right now. “My name is Rachel Weber. I’m Jack Saunders’ personal assistant. Your landlord, Mrs. Jenkins, let me in. She was very nice, though very eager to tell me she would call the police if there was any trouble. What ‘the hell’ is going on is that I am here to bring you to New York.” She said it as though it were all very s
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Eleven
Night had covered the world in darkness as we landed at another private airport. I could see the lights from the city starting to sparkle and shine, twinkling glimmers in the cold winter night. I could see a bridge I knew had to be famous lit up like a summer sky, but before I could even ask what bridge it was, Rachel was hurrying me onto a helicopter. My interest in the bridge was quickly overpowered by the noisy machine as I climbed in and sat down. Rachel calmly put the headphones over her ears and pointed to a set for me. I couldn’t help it, but my hands shook as I put them over my head. I sat glued to the window as we flew into the heart of the big city. I didn’t dare blink or I would miss something. Buildings taller than my imagination emerged from the darkness as we floated through the air, the lights shone like glittering beads. The entire city looked like an elaborate piece of giant’s jewelry shimmering in the dark. After only a few moments, the helicopter landed on the roo
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Twelve
Jack’s home was the most beautiful living space I had ever seen. It was as if a giant had placed a fully furnished house on top of a skyscraper. The entryway was dark, but I could see city lights through the towering glass windows in the main room. Rachel closed the door softy behind me and offered to take my jacket. I shrugged out of it, glad the room was warm after the cold March air outside. I stood, glancing around, trying to figure out how big Jack’s home really was. “There are three bedrooms, an office, a dining room, living room, and the kitchen. There is a pool on the terrace, but it is currently empty due to the weather. The hot tub is open though,” Rachel said, reading my mind. I gulped slightly. This was bigger than my parents’ house and it was sixteen stories in the air. “I’ll show you your room.” Rachel guided me into the main living room across hardwood floors. The furniture was sleek and modern, but it felt comfortable. As we walked into the room, a gentle light turne
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Thirteen
Rachel had me try on what felt like every piece of clothing in the store. I didn’t mind though. With her artistic eye, it was actually fun to try things on. She made sure to pick things that were always in my size, or at least close enough that I didn’t get the frustration I usually did trying on clothes. She picked out things I would never have thought to wear on my own, but I was constantly amazed at how good they looked in the mirror. I tried not to look at the price tags. A single shirt cost a month’s salary and some of the dresses made me feel woozy thinking about how many times I could pay rent with a single garment. Rachel made sure I had everything I could possibly need. We spent the next three days perfecting my look, getting measured for custom clothing, and picking up more clothes than would fit in my closet at home. I even got real French lingerie. The only thing I insisted on was keeping my current pajamas. Rachel tried her best to convince me that a new pair of embroi
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Saltwater Kisses Chapter Twenty-Two
Five days, three hours, and twenty-three minutes since I left New York. I had been cooped up in the hotel room for five days, and I was ready to kill. Dean brought me whatever kind of food I wanted, and I had free reign of room service and the coffee cart in the library, provided I wore the blonde wig whenever I opened the door. I hated it. The weather outside was slowly getting warmer, the sunshine teasing me with happiness. I went out in the hotel courtyard several times, but there was always a businessman on his phone, or a family planning their drive back through Nebraska. I wanted to be alone, not silently sharing strangers’ lives, so I tended to stay in my room and pull the drapes. I watched more TV in those few days than I had in my whole life. I suddenly understood the allure of reality TV, or at least the mind-numbing time-killing ability of it. It was at least a way to pass time while I waited for my world to settle enough that I could go back into it. Dean kept his dista
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Twenty-One
The small plane landed with a thud, shaking me loose from my thoughts. I replayed our fight over and over again in my head, trying to figure out what had happened. I couldn’t understand why he thought I was trying to use him. I had wanted to choose him! Thinking about it made my whole body ache. The plane stopped smoothly at the terminal, and the businessman sitting next to me stood up and left without a word. I didn’t mind. I wasn’t exactly in a making friends mood. The plane slowly emptied and I stood up. The short blonde hair on my wig felt strange against my chin, but Rachel had promised me it looked natural. I kept wanting to tug at it, but I didn’t want anyone to recognize me. The stewardess smiled politely as I exited the plane, her eyes looking past me at the empty seats. I could tell she was already cleaning it in her mind so she could return to New York. I didn’t even try to smile back. The small airport was empty and I said a silent, Thank you. I didn’t want to face the p
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Twenty
I lay there, wrapped in Jack’s arms. They were strong, and I felt safe and warm for the first time since arriving in New York. This is where I was supposed to be... with Jack. When I was with him, everything somehow looked like it could make sense. I glanced over at my nightstand, the envelopes still eying me and the necklace sparkling in the moonlight. I was going to choose Jack. Jack grunted softly as he released me, the bed suddenly overly warm with our body heat. The bed shifted slightly as he stood and stretched, his muscles glistening in the pale moonlight streaming through the open drapes. I wanted to run my hands up and down his naked body, to touch him and never stop. He caught my eyes and smiled at the look of hunger. With a grin he turned and walked into the big bathroom, turning on the light. It reflected off the curve of his perfectly sculpted ass and I had to bite my lip in order to keep from drooling. I was a lucky, lucky girl. I rolled out of the big bed, still unst
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Nineteen
My laptop screen glowed an eerie blue, casting strange shadows on the walls and window shades. It was well after midnight, but I couldn’t sleep, so I was up playing on my computer. I swung my legs as I sat at the big oak desk in the corner of the room. My older sister Kaylee, was online and we were emailing back and forth as I roamed the web in search of anything to take my mind off the envelopes and necklace still watching me from my dresser. I hadn’t touched them since I came back from my meeting with the Saunders. Hey, Your boss is curious if you are ever coming back to work. They miss you. Dr. Georges says you’re his favorite vet tech. His practice has been going through the roof with all your stardom. By the way, there are at least four reporters parked outside your apartment building right now. Mrs. Jenkins calls the cops on them at least twice a day, but they keep coming back. I think she might actually get tired of calling the cops... nah, not her. They actually had to up se
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Eighteen
I sat on the vinyl seat, a nervousness making my hands twitchy. I played with the silverware, the menus, the dinky plastic cup filled with soda. I probably shouldn’t have had two full glasses already, but I was nervous and kept refilling it. I glanced around the small diner. It was nothing fancy—a greasy spoon hamburger joint that reminded me of home. With Rachel’s help, I had rented the entire restaurant for the evening. The owner was more than happy to “sell” me the space for an evening, and I had a feeling Rachel was generous with the payment in return for a signed agreement not to tell anyone. No crazy photographers were going to ruin this date night. I glanced up as the door chimed. Jack walked in the door, wearing a $10,000 suit. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt—granted it was a Rachel-chosen jeans and t-shirt costing more than a week’s salary. I watched as the two bodyguards closed the door behind him. The taxi he arrived in pulled away, immediately lost to a sea of matchin
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Seventeen
An insistent buzzing woke me. I kept my head buried in my pillow and fumbled around on the nightstand trying to find the off switch for my phone. I didn’t have to be up yet, and I still felt groggy and disappointed from the night before. My phone slipped out of my fingers and clattered to the floor, still buzzing like an angry hornet. I thought about leaving it, but someone started pounding on my door. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep through the phone and the knocking on my door. “It’s open,” I yelled, rolling onto my back and then throwing my feet off the bed. This was not the way I wanted to be woken up. “You need to get up. Now,” Rachel commanded as she barged into my room. I was about to complain, but the stormy look on her face kept the words inside. She stalked over to my closet and began tossing clothing onto my bed. “What’s going on?” I stood up and stifled a yawn before catching a satin dress shirt with my head. “The Saunders!” She said it like it was an
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Sixteen
I was a princess, a beautiful, only slightly slutty, princess. I smoothed the fabric of my dress over my knees as the car stopped in front of La Maison. The driver hurried out and opened the door, helping me out onto the sidewalk. I saw the people on the street turn and look at me, and was once again glad Rachel had helped me pick out my outfit. The dress was a fitted black fabric that somehow shone purple in the light and had a slit up my thigh that my father would have considered indecent. It was made by a designer whose name I could barely pronounce, but who Rachel said was the biggest thing in fashion right now. I took a step and wobbled, but the driver reached out a hand to steady me. Rachel had chosen the shoes as well—black strappy stilettos that made me feel as tall as a New York skyscraper, but not quite as stable. Between the slit and the shoes, my legs looked long enough to make swimsuit models jealous. My hair was piled in effortless looking curls that cascaded down my
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Fifteen
I smiled as the golden elevator whisked me up to the top floor of Jack’s building. I didn’t get to see much of Jack during the day, so the only time I got to spend any time with him was over dinner. After our first dinner, we quickly figured out a routine. The past couple of weeks, I would arrive at his office at a quarter to six and bring dinner with me. We would eat and talk, and usually end up kissing. We never seemed to have time for anything more than intense kissing, as every time we got close to going further, a business emergency would spring up. Jack did his best to clear out an hour of time so that we could eat together, but we were usually interrupted. It was like the phone was an overzealous guardian of our virtue. I waved to Jeannette as I pushed a trolley full of food towards the big wooden doors. She smiled, her eyes bright and fingers quick on the keyboard despite her gray hair. She was used to our nightly dinners and was always friendly. Jack opened the door to his
Saltwater Kisses Chapter Fourteen
I checked my reflection in the golden doors of the elevator, feeling nervous. The food cart behind me filled the elevator with delicious smells and my stomach grumbled. I had been too nervous to eat earlier, and now I was starving. The doors opened with a ding and I pulled the cart with two dinners behind me into the big lobby on Jack's floor. Jeannette looked up and smiled as I approached her giant desk. “You look lovely Emma. Jack has been looking forward to dinner all day, but don’t tell him I told you. He should be finishing up signing some papers, so you can go on in.” She gave me a wink as I headed towards the big office doors and said, “I’ll be leaving in a little bit so don’t you two worry about me out here.” My mouth suddenly filled with dust and I licked my lips nervously as I reached the big doors. I hadn’t seen Jack since arriving in New York. It was still a dreamlike idea that I could be here, that any of this could be happening. My brain was still having a hard time b
