Page 17 of Deserving Maisy
They lay there for a couple of minutes, lost in thought. Then he finally said, “If we’re going to be downstairs by eight, you need to get up and start getting ready.”
He wasn’t wrong. But the thought of the enormous wrong she was doing to this man was overwhelming.
“Come on,Stellina, up. The sooner this is done, the sooner we can come back up here and start our honeymoon.”
Her head came up at that, and she saw the sparkle in his eye.
“That is, if I can get this erection to subside long enough to not look like a pervert in public.”
Her eyes moved without conscious thought. And when Maisy saw the bulge in his sweatpants, she swallowed hard. To be honest, his size scared her. The one time she’d had sex, it had hurt. A lot. And that boy was nowhere near Jack’s impressive proportions.
Jack’s finger under her chin lifted her face back up so he could look into her eyes. “I won’t hurt you. Surely you know that.”
Hewouldhurt her, devastate her when he turned his hate toward her after he understood the deception that had taken place. But she nodded anyway.
“I don’t remember our sex life, but you’ve obviously taken me many times—I can’t imagine I was able to resist you—so it’s gonna be good. Better than good. I give you my word.”
She nodded. And suddenly, she wanted this. Him. Wanted to feel every inch of him deep inside her body. Wanted to know what it felt like to be cherished in bed. She’d read a lot of books, knew what sex wassupposedto feel like, and for once, she wanted to experience what the fuss was all about. And she knew without a doubt that sex with Jack would be unforgettable.
“Right,” she said firmly. “I’m getting up. We’re getting married, then we’re having sex.”
He grinned. “Re-married, and yes, we are.”
Shoot. She had to remember that this was supposed to be a renewal of vows ceremony, and not an actual marriage. Jack was smart, really smart, and if she screwed up too many times, he’d get suspicious.
“Get up, Mrs. Smith. Get ready. We’ll walk down together.”
Sliding her hand out from under his shirt, Maisy nodded. He picked up her hand, kissed the palm, then grinned at her as she scooted over to the edge of the bed.
When she was halfway across the room, Jack said, “Maisy?”
She turned around to look at him.
“I feel like the luckiest man in the world that you’re willing to give me a second chance. Thank you.”
Shit, Maisy felt like the worst fraud. Her throat was so tight, she couldn’t speak, so she simply smiled at him, then turned back toward the bathroom. As soon as the door was shut behind her, the tears fell.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Do you, Maisy Smith, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, through sickness and health, till death do you part?”
“I do.” Maisy’s voice was soft, and it quivered the smallest bit.
Jack squeezed her hand in support. She smiled at him as their gazes stayed locked together.
“Do you, Jack Smith, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, through sickness and health, till death do you part?”
“I do,” he said, surprising himself with the depth of feeling he experienced at those two simple words.
This morning hadn’t gone as he’d expected. He’d thought Maisy would spend all morning getting ready and then they’d have a leisurely brunch before their vow renewal ceremony. But instead, he’d woken up with not only his head hurting—which was still fairly normal—buthis knuckles as well, for some reason. Then Maisy had her hand on his bare chest, which made his cock hurt in the best way. And the kiss they’d shared had been life-altering.
There were things about his wife’s situation that bothered him greatly. The most important was the clear disdain Jason showed for his sister. It felt incredibly wrong and had Jack on high alert. He didn’t like the disrespect he’d shown by insisting this ceremony take place so early in the morning, but since he didn’t understand the undercurrents, he didn’t feel as if he could really interject his opinion.
But he’d been dead serious this morning when he’d told Maisy that he wanted out of this house as soon as possible. There was something about Jason he didn’t trust. Not only that, but he didn’t want to have to worry about his brother-in-law busting into their room anytime he felt like it. He wanted his wife to himself.
For the ceremony, she was wearing a simple lavender dress that came down to her knees. It clung to her upper body and flared out at her hips. She looked beautiful, and he hadn’t hesitated to tell her so the second he’d seen her. The blush on her face and shy look she’d given him had made Jack want to throw her on their bed and show herexactlyhow pretty he thought she was, but he also didn’t want to deal with an annoyed Jason, so he’d simply offered his wife his arm and they’d headed out of the room.
They’d walked down the stairs together, and the second they’d entered the dining area, Jason had said, “Good, I was just about to send someone up to find you two. Let’s get this done.” And the officiant had started speaking.
