CHAPTER FOUR: THE HONEYMOON

“I should have sensed something like that coming!” Jake exclaimed, his voice thick with frustration as he impatiently raked a hand through his hair. 

Rachel was simply dumbstruck.  Shocked, she could only stare fixedly at the sight that lay in front of her eyes.  Petals of red roses were scattered all over the silken black sheets on the ‘matrimonial’ bed invoking an atmosphere of hot passion.  She opened her mouth to protest but only a pathetic squeak came out. 

“It seems that words are failing you.  Not something that happens very often,” Jake teased her in attempt to lighten the atmosphere.  Rachel knew he was trying to make feel less embarrassed as he’d always done when she’d been a teenager.  It had been that particular consideration of his that had made her fall for him in the first place.  And it was working again. 

Briefly, she wondered who could have done such a vile thing and only a name popped into her mind.  Devin, of course.  Who else? As if he hadn’t done enough already, she mused angrily. 

“Forgive my impudence Jacob but your father has gone too far,” she finally uttered. 

“Sorry to disappoint you.  It’s not my father’s doing this time. 

“What do you mean?” Rachel asked arching her eyebrows. 

“See for yourself,” Jake answered handing her a card that had been attached to a wrapped gift on the dressing table. 

Curious now, she took the card and in the process her hand brushed his.  Instantly, she withdrew not wanting to repeat their earlier performance outside the house.  The mere thought made her insides turn to jelly.  Heaven knew what would have happened had the housekeeper not interrupted them. 

“Ash?!” she whispered stricken.  “How could he?”

“My sentiments exactly,” replied Jake mockingly. 

“The hypocrite! And you remember how he was offering us his sympathies? Wait till it’s his turn to be a victim of matchmaking.  I’m not gonna leave him,” she muttered and sighed wearily.  “I’m whacked,” she told Jake.

“You look so.  Why don’t you go and take a hot shower? The other bathroom has no water supply yet which leaves us with only one to share.”

She felt so grateful that she could have hugged him.  Suddenly, she felt glad that her wedding night was nearly over. 

Her next move however proved her how wrong she was!

Stifling a yawn, she headed for the wardrobe and this time, she couldn’t repress the cry of alarm that escaped her. 

“What happened?” Jake asked immediately by her side. 

Once again, words failed her and silently she pointed to the only garment that hung out in the wardrobe.  It was a red negligee looking as flimsy as hell.  With trembling fingers, she removed it and stared at it as she displayed it in front of her.  Trendy would be too trite a word to describe it.  It was more likely…sexy and incongruous as well!

With lace at the low cut bodice, her breasts would be barely covered.  And it looked so short that Rachel was sure it would not even reach her knees. 

If the negligee was a gift from Ash, she swore she would make him wear it first thing the next morning!

But it wasn’t. 

“Kyra?!” she exclaimed disbelievingly.  It was the ultimate betrayal.  “That was Kyra’s wedding gift.  How could she? How could they? They were supposed to be our best friends!”

“At least you’re wise enough to use the past tense! I don’t think I’ll ever forgive Ash as long as I live.”

“I’m not, I repeat not wearing that…that thing.” 

Jake chuckled.  “So you’re a paragon of virtue,” he taunted. 

“I’m not,” she protested hotly and dashed towards the bathroom with the ‘thing’ in her hand. 

**********************************

Picturing her in that sexy negligee had sent his head reeling and his trousers were becoming tight and uncomfortable.  How he wanted his bride to be waiting – shyly for him wrapped in all that delicate lace.  She was not like the other women he had known, not at all.  There was an aura of innocence about her that intrigued him and unleashed his male instincts. 

Damn! He wanted to kiss her until she could think of nothing but him.  He wanted to make her moan his name in that husky voice of hers again and again.  He wanted to make her scream with sheer pleasure until she begged for release and feel…

Woah! It was definitely hot in here. 

Trying to distract himself from these thoughts, he discarded his shoes, socks, tie and jacket.  However, the drumming of water had him imagining Rachel naked under the shower.  He wanted to drag her on that silken bed and make hot passionate love to her. 

Disgusted with himself, he finally decided to tour the house until he could have a cold shower and dampen his basic instincts.  There was no way he would use his wedding night as a pretext to seduce Rachel.  She deserved better than that.  Better than being some victim in the relentless matchmaking of his eccentric marriage with him.  And he would make it up to her, he vowed silently to himself. 

A few minutes later, he headed towards the bathroom and tapped the door lightly.  “Are you finished yet?”

Without waiting for a reply, he pushed open the door and swallowed hard as his eyes met Rachel’s’ in the mirror.  His imaginations had been nowhere near to the reality of seeing her in the lingerie.  The straps being thin gave him a good view of the full length of her slender neck, creamy throat and the daring décolleté exposed the curve of her breasts-far more than any of her clothes had ever did. 

His eyes roamed further over her tiny waist where the flimsy material seemed to cling like a second skin and continued down to her round derrière.  Perfect! She was absolutely perfect. 

As she bent to rinse her mouth, the dress lifted a few inches baring his eyes to the sight of her long legs that seemed to go on forever.  That was his undoing.  He’d always known that Rachel had sexy legs but shed’ never been one to flaunt them-probably didn’t even know their potential unlike the women of his acquaintance who always knew their assets and showed them off at every opportunity. 

That mere difference should have made him avoid her like some contagious fatal disease.  Instead, he felt himself being drawn towards her by some invisible, powerful force and within seconds, he was a mere inch behind her.  Her floral scent enveloped him and he wondered briefly how a thing so mundane could turn him on. 

“Couldn’t you have waited for a few more seconds?” he heard Rachel asking irritably.  “Why are you staring at me?”

“You don’t wear much make-up, do you?” he queried.  It was actually a new discovery.  There wasn’t much difference between the usual Rachel and the one glaring at him now, her face fresh yet exquisite. 

From her stunned expression, he guessed that his question was the last thing she had been expecting.  She peeped at him curiously. 

“I don’t wear any make-up.  I hate it, in fact.  Feels heavy on my skin.  Why do you ask?” 

“It just amazed me.  Since I’ve known you, I’ve rarely seen you with much make-up and yet your skin looks so soft.” 

“Wow! A compliment? From you? I’m touched,” she replied although could not completely mask the huskiness in her voice. 

He bit his lip to prevent himself from smiling.  So, he made her nervous.  That was news!

“No kidding.  I’ve always wondered…” he faltered and brushed his knuckles against her cheek and practically howled with joy when she instantly gave an audible gasp.  “…whether you feel as soft as you look.”  And moved down to the slope of her neck feeling emboldened. 

Instinctively, she squirmed and would have escaped but Jake closed the gap between them and urged her body against him. 

From her shocked gasp, he knew she had felt the hard swell of his lower body.  Deliberately, he toyed with the strap of the negligee with his forefinger tormenting her as well as himself.  His lips followed where his hand had wandered and finally, he pushed the strap slightly and it fell on her arm.  She sighed as if she had been waiting for him to do exactly that. 

“So beautiful,” he sighed softly at the sight of her pink-tipped nipples.  Slowly, he traced the silky slope down to the valley in between the two rigid peaks.  He felt her stiffen and was about to withdraw when she arched towards his palm in a wanton way that drove him mad.  He wanted to drive himself into her-now.  He’d never known such a raging need, never felt such a fierce emergency. 

Abruptly, he whirled her to him and took possession of her lips with a hunger that stunned him.  Desire flared into him as he plundered her mouth and coaxed her to open it.  When she finally did, he plunged his tongue inside and led hers to a sinuous dance. 

She moaned softly and he reacted by deepening the kiss and the ardor with which she responded flamed the fire within him.  With his thumb, he circled her taunt nipples and swallowed her gasps of pleasure with his mouth. 

God! Where was all the self-control he’d always prided in? What about the vows he’d been making about not taking advantage of his bride? They were both stuck in a delicate situation and it was up to him to take control now.  He knew he could take her and she would not stop him-and he wanted to.  But wouldn’t they both regret it later? They didn’t want to go on with this sham of a marriage and sleeping together would only complicate things. 

With a groan, he caressed the length of her body and summoning the last remnants of his willpower drew back forcefully. 

He watched as her eyes focused on her surroundings again and knew the exact moment the reality of the situation dawned on her.  Self-consciously, she tugged back the strap in place and hugged herself in a protective way. 

Moving away from temptation, he picked up his shaving kit and tried to make light of what happened. 

“Well, I’ve never felt anything so intense before.  What about you?”

Rachel shrugged her eyes downcast.  “I wouldn’t know.  I’ve never been kissed before,” she murmured. 

Oh-oh! Never been kissed before? That explained the intrigue he’d always sensed by her behavior.  She was a virgin! The knowledge made him want to pound his chest with pure male pride or run away as fast as he could. 

“I’m glad,” he said and wished he didn’t mean it. 

With her cheeks flaming, she made her escape leaving him torn by the desire to go after her and teach her all that was about making love.  Then decided against it as common sense took over and opted for a cold shower instead. 

What the hell? There was no point in denying the blatant chemistry between them.  But it was not the time to start an affair.  And commitment was definitely not on his agenda.  The only solution for them was to act as if nothing had happened.  Judging by his experience, it was only a fleeting thing that he could easily work out of his system.  And would start the next morning itself. 

**********************************

Rachel squealed.  She couldn’t help it.  The novel she had been reading fell down with a loud thud. 

Wow! Was that Jacob? Looked more like a Greek God with an archetype torso and a perfect tan.  The sight sent unwelcome shivers down her spine.  How could a mere look at him make her feel that way? Was it normal for a woman to be aroused so quickly again?

“What colour is that?” she asked to cover her turmoil referring to the horrible looking briefs he was wearing.  The only garment by the way which left most of his body naked.  It wasn’t as if she had never seen a naked man before.  Well, she had, in movies! Nothing had prepared her however for the effect of the real thing in front of her.  She gulped down a lump at her throat. 

“It’s called aubergine,” he answered defensively placing his hands on his hips-a gesture that emphasized the wideness of his chest and broadness of his shoulders. 

Rachel clutched her fingers tightly.  Naughty things! They wanted to touch the length of his biceps to his tanned throat, explore his chest and…

Dear God! What was wrong with her? She’d never felt desire for anyone before and was still unsure about how to deal with it. 

Clearing her throat, she answered, “It’s disgusting.”

Instead of feeling offended, he jumped on the bed on his knees and involuntarily Rachel flinched, half afraid, half shy. 

“Think so?” he leered at her with a mischievous note in his voice, his face merely inches away from hers.  His eyes, a deep green colour was shimmering and smoldering at the same time.  “Well, you can remove it if you don’t like it!”

Her eyes widened in shock at the comment and she looked away feeling colour creep into her cheeks. 

“You blush!” he stated disbelievingly moving back as if the mere fact astounded him.  “Nobody blushes for Heaven’s sake! At least not in this time of century.”

“I do,” she retorted back. 

“That only proves what a baby you are! And that I shouldn’t be in here with you,” he commented slipping off the bed gracefully and raked a hand through his hair.  “Did you notice that there’s only one bed in this whole damned house?”

Rachel blinked in surprise.  “And I could swear that when I furnished it there were at least three!”

“My dear dad strikes again, I presume,” he derided. 

Pursing her lips, she looked down the space beside her in dismay.  It was a queen size bed and if they both slept in it, there was no way she would sleep a wink.  And she was still unprepared to share a bed with a man who could kill her with sinful thoughts alone!

“No need to give me that panicked maiden look! I’m going to sleep on the couch downstairs.” 

**********************************

“I’ve come up with a plan,” Jake announced first thing the next morning she entered the kitchen. 

Perched casually on a stool, he was drinking from a cup held in both hands.  Rachel scowled at his relaxed posture.  How could he look so damned good when she had hardly slept last night? So tormented had she been by erotic dreams. 

Looking at him now was like looking at a stranger.  His eyes held no indication of the intimate moments they’d shared last night.  Was that what he intended to do? Ignore the especial moments they’d shared.  Fine.  Two could play at the same game. 

“You could have made me some coffee,” she muttered. 

“There are some over there.  Help yourself.”

“Why can’t you wear a decent coloured cloth?” she asked frowning at the scarlet robe he was wearing. 

“My, my.  Aren’t we in a good mood?”

“I’m not a morning person although…Pwaah!” she spat.  “What’s this?”

“Iced tea with lemon and ginger,” he provided looking much entertained by her discomfiture. 

“This stuff should be banned.”

“For your kind information, it’s my favourite drink.  Anyway, I’m not going to argue with you.  I want to talk about us.  We can’t go on like this.”

“What do you mean?” she mumbled still half asleep. 

Jake sighed loudly. 

“And where is that housekeeper, anyway?” she shouted ungraciously. 

“Here,” he poured her a cup of steaming coffee and felt immediately better after her first sip. 

She peeped at him through heavy eyelids and said, “You can talk now.” 

“Thank you,” he bowed his head in a mocking gesture and began, “We are both against this marriage, aren’t we?” and without giving her time to reply, he pressed on, “So I think we should stop humoring my Dad and start acting seriously.” 

“I still don’t understand.”  

Okay.  Maybe she was acting as a recalcitrant child.  But it served him right.  Was marriage to her as appalling as he was making it sound? He could have at least waited for a few days before telling her that he wanted to get rid of her. 

“We should…” he started enthusiastically. 

“Have our clothes arrived yet?” she interrupted impolitely. 

Jake scowled at her then nodded. 

“Would you mind if we postpone this very interesting discussion for later? I need to take a bath.”

Jake threw her a skeptical look but gave in with another loud, impatient sigh. 

Well, he couldn’t blame her.  She wasn’t feeling too at home wearing practically nothing while he was comfortably draped in that dreadful robe. 

“I’ll wait for you in the study room.  Take all your time,” he scoffed. 

“Sure,” she returned on the same tone and drained her cup. 

About half an hour later after having showered and changed into casual clothes feeling ready to hear him out. 

“Okay, shoot,” she said taking a seat in front of him. 

“As I was saying we should do something to stop my father.  You’ve said yourself that he’s going too far and you’re damned right.”

“And you plan to teach him a lesson?”

“Yes.  What about trying to convince him that he’d been wrong all the time? See, he’d always believed that ours is a match made in heaven.  Maybe we should tell him that we’re not happy.”

“And?” she urged her curiosity aroused now. 

“Well, it’s pretty obvious.  He won’t be able to bear our misery and will even help us to put an end to this sham.”

When would she ever learn? There she had been thinking that a special form of relationship was bonding between them.  It was all her fault anyway.  Probably been reading too much in a kiss that meant nothing more than a peck to Jacob.  Maybe it was time for her to stop acting as a starry-eyed teenager and think level-headedly. 

Forcing her thoughts towards the topic involved, she calmly asked, “What about your father’s desire for having a heir? I don’t think he’ll leave it at that.”

Jake nodded.  “I agree but we can at least give it at try.”

“But how? You can’t just go tell him.  He won’t believe you anyway knowing how you feel about this marriage.”

He bit his lip pensively.  “You’re right.  I’d not seen it from that angle.  So what do you suggest?”

She shrugged.  Honestly speaking, she had no idea.  And it was not helping that Jake was looking so enthusiastic about ending their marriage.  How could she be feeling hurt? Had she no self-respect or what? What had she been thinking? That Jacob would adapt to marriage as easily as she had?

With a sense of horror, she realized that it was a fact.  She had adapted to marriage life naturally.  Wanting to spend the rest of her life with a partner-not necessarily Jacob, of course.  She’d always thought of herself as a career woman with lots to achieve yet.  So what was happening to her now? Jacob was right.  The sooner they put an end to this rubbish, the sooner they would be able to get on with their normal lives. 

“Maybe we should show him that we’re not happy-by hmm…certain behaviors of ours.”

“But we get on very well.”

“We could pretend.”

“What’s the point?” grumbled Jake.  “He’s not here to see us anyway.” 

“That’s the best part of it.  We should make him see us.  After all, it’s our duty to let him know that we’re not happy,” she chuckled mischievously as a new idea grew in her mind. 

“Uh-oh.  I sense something here. So, Genius? Let’s hear it,” Jake encouraged. 

“Well…” she began nibbling her lower lip.  “… I could flaunt some of my boyfriends in front of him without trying to be too flagrant, of course.  And you can go crying on his shoulders about how lousy a wife I make.”

“You mean we lie to him?”

“Oh,” she said with a naughty smile.  “I wouldn’t call it lying.  It is only a way to catch his attention on the fact that we are against this marriage.  And besides, after the way he tricked us, we shouldn’t be worrying too much about hurting his ego.” 

Jake stared at her for such a long time that she feared she might have said something out of place.  She had really gone too far this time.  She squirmed under the full force of his hazel-green eyes on her. 

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and started pacing the floor for a good ten minutes. 

“You’ve got a point here.  But you won’t do it.  It will sully your reputation.”

Rachel rolled her eyes outrageously.  “Come on Jacob we are in the twenty first century.”

“You’ll be the unhappy one complaining about my callous behavior to dad.  It’ll be more credible.”

On second thoughts, Rachel could see that he was right and had to swallow her pride to ask, “What if he doesn’t buy it?”

“We’ll deal about it later.”

“So, when do we start?” she queried eagerly. 

“Tomorrow itself.  I’ll be going back to work.  We’ll make a list of my ‘failings’.  Put negligence on top.”

“Could I make you a drunkard husband who…brings out a different woman every night on my bed?” she asked hopefully but sobered as Jake scolded her. 

“Don’t push your luck, okay? Just go along as I say and everything will work out just fine.”