Chapter Twenty-Three
Ria
I feel like my body has been vibrating and running off adrenaline all day. I don”t know if I’m anxious, excited, had too much caffeine, or if it”s all of the above. Tonight I get to see Jack after more than three weeks. Our FaceTime call has been replaying over and over in my head. I couldn”t believe how brave I was. I would never dream of doing that, but with him, it feels right. He makes me feel safe and wanted, and my belly does a little flip when I think about seeing him later.
Our schedules have been crazy. He”s been traveling for work and I”ve been busy getting the house finished, and Lexi signed up for Pre-K. I”m moving forward with the divorce proceedings and finally the thought of divorce doesn”t leave a bitter taste in my mouth. I feel relief and happiness; I am finally choosing me and what I want. Having this time away from Jack has made me realize just how much he means to me and how different I feel when I”m around him.
Dropping the girls to Alex”s parents’ house earlier was awkward as hell. He showed up and demanded to know my plans because his parents let it slip that I had the night off. The man”s delusional thinking he has a right to know where I am and what I’m doing. It”s none of his damn business. It”s taken nine months to be in a head space where I feel strong enough to stand up for myself and ignore his demands.
I”ve had my everything shower and given myself a bouncy blow out. I rarely wear my hair like this but I want to go all out tonight. I want to feel like the woman I”ve always craved to be. Tonight I am not someone”s mother, I’m not someone”s wife. I’m not anyone”s anything. I am me and it feels so fucking good to say that. I’ve gone with a smoky eye and a nude lipstick, adding some highlighter to my cheekbones and for the first time in a long time I like what I see staring back at me in the bathroom mirror. I don”t see the broken Ria staring back at me with her haunted eyes and hollow cheeks; I don”t see my limp and lifeless hair that was falling out by the handful due to the stress of the separation and I don”t see dimness in my eyes. I see the new me. Dare I say it, but I feel like I’ve got my color back. I’ve still got a long way to go, but I can feel myself being loved back to life by the people I”ve chosen to surround myself with.
But I”d like to be something to Jack.
A knock at the door surprises me. Grabbing my robe, I throw it on and head for the front door. A man stands with a huge bouquet of lavender roses wrapped in white paper and tied with a matching ribbon.
“Maria Kennedy?” he asks.
“That”s me.” There is excitement in my voice. I thank him, closing the door and placing them on the entry table, bending down to inhale the sweet scent. I spot the card and open it,
Ri, I’ve missed you more than words can say, so here are two dozen roses, one for each day we”ve been apart. I can”t wait to see you… Your Action Man x
I press the card to my chest, closing my eyes. My heart flutters in my chest. How did I get so lucky? I race upstairs to finish getting ready, excitement coursing through my body like hot lava.
I grab my clutch and quickly text the girls to let them know I”m about to leave. Staying on brand with this new Ria vibe I”ve got going, I treated myself to a little black dress for tonight”s party that is so out of my comfort zone I boxed and unboxed the thing three times, unsure if I was going to keep it or return it, but now it’s on, I love it. As I reach for the front door, my phone buzzes in my bag. Convinced it’s Gabby checking I have indeed left, my heart does a little flutter when I see Jack’s name on the screen.
Jack
You”ve been on my mind all day, sweetheart. Hurry that cute ass here. I”ve missed you. X
Tonight is going to be a good night.
We arrive at the hotel where the wedding shower is being hosted. Trust Nancy and Chris to be extra and have a joint wedding shower and host it at Manhattan”s hottest rooftop bar.
I smooth my dress down and take out my compact to check my lipstick hasn’t smudged. My stomach is full of butterflies that feel like they are fighting desperately to escape.
“Damn Girl you look hot.” Gabby whistles, looking me up and down. I smile and do a little spin.
“Maria, Maria, Maria, you are going to make that man”s head spin. He’s not going to be able to keep his hands off you,” Ali says, reaching for my hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
That”s the plan.
“You”ve got your sparkle back, girl. You enjoy tonight.”
We are shown to the rooftop area by a staff member who is dressed in black and holding an ipad. He checks our IDs and signs us in. As we open the glass doors and step into the party, my heart feels like it”s about to beat out my chest at the idea of seeing Jack.
There is a giant swimming pool in the center of the rooftop, where the DJ is on a podium with the New York skyline as his backdrop. Strips of fairy lights stretch above our heads. Everyone is dressed in black and white cocktail attire and fire lanterns decorate the edges of the roof. Tables and chairs are placed around the pool and a dance floor sits between the DJ booth and the bar at the edge of the pool.
“Holy shit, she can throw a party.” Ali whistles.
“Oh, my God. Is that Neyo?” Gabby screeches.
“Shut the fuck up! Where?” Ali shouts over the music.
Sure enough it is Neyo in the DJ booth, dancing with Nancy and two other girls, but I don’t care as I scan the rooftop to find a certain someone.
A woman holding a tray of champagne flutes appears in front of us and hands us a glass each. Ali takes the lead and we follow, heading towards the pool and the table and chairs area. I don”t miss how heads turn looking at her ass swaying in her little white strapless dress. Even Gabby has gone out of her comfort zone and Is wearing a little black dress that is tight fitting down to her ass and then flares a little and paired it with some sky high black pumps. She looks stunning and for the first time in a long time I feel worthy of standing next to them.
I feel him before I see him and I lock eyes with Jack across the pool. He”s dressed in black suit pants and a black button up, the sleeves rolled to the elbow and his watch catches the light from the pool as he lifts his drink to his lips. It”s as if he lights a fire in me when his gaze wanders up from my heels until he reaches my eyes. The grin on his lips and the way he licks them has me almost reaching for the closest person to me to keep me up right. My body is heated and I want, no need, to be near him.
“Over here.” Ali gestures with her hand pointing at the table Jack, Harry and Brad are seated at. Jack places his drink down on the table as he sees us approaching and rises to his feet, reaching for me and tugging me against his hard body. He smells incredible, like spice and whiskey. He buries his face in my hair and I swear his body vibrates as he lets out a low moan, as if he’s been waiting to inhale me as if I was his oxygen.
“You Look incredible,” he whispers into my ear, just loud enough for me to hear. I pull back to look up at him and again without giving me a second to get my bearings, he plants a chaste kiss to my lips, leaving me speechless. I feel that heat and that tingling in my hands and feet again. Why is my body so responsive to him?
“Thank you for my roses. They are beautiful.”
“Thank you for being someone worth missing.” My heart somersaults. Holy hell, I don”t stand a chance with him.
Taking my hand, he leads me towards the large chairs he was sitting on and we sit next to each other. Placing an arm around me, I reach up to hold the hand that hangs from my shoulder. I exhale, feeling all the adrenaline that has been pumping through my body all day in anticipation for this very moment leave my body as I lean into him. This is where I want to be.
We all fall into comfortable conversations, catching up on the last few weeks” events while Ali does everything she can to avoid talking to Harry for more than a minute.
“Oh my God, Carter`s here,” Ali says, placing her hands over her face.
“Who the fuck is Carter?” Harry huffs, looking around, trying to see who she’s talking about.
“Oh, just one of my old buddies.” She winks at Harry, who looks at her deadpan, knowing exactly what she is insinuating.
“Is he the one?” Gabby asks, using her hands to gesture the size of his dick.
“Yeah, dick so big you could land a plane on it. Shame he didn”t know how to use it.” Rolling her eyes, Ali takes a sip of her champagne.
“Well, Ali cat, if you need someone who knows what they’re doing, look no further.” Harry holds out his arms, looking down at his crotch.
Ali’s face is priceless. She looks like she”s smelled something that passed its expiration date. “That”s really bold of you, but you strike me as someone that gets nervous cracking an egg, so to save us both the embarrassment, I”m gonna have to give it a miss.” She leans in toward him and pats his chest. “But we love a confident king, so you keep trying.” And with that, she gets up and sashays off toward the bar.
Laughter erupts around the table as Harry sits there, looking like a kid who”s just been told Santa isn”t real. “She’s so fucking mean,” he mutters, and I actually feel bad for the guy.
“If you can”t handle it, baby, just say, we can take it slow,” he shouts as he stands and follows her to the bar. I get the feeling he can handle Ali and she may have finally met her match.
The evening passes by in a blur of shots, champagne, and dancing, with one girl stripping off and jumping in the pool and having to be escorted out. Jack has had a possessive hold on me the entire time. His hands on my thigh, rubbing it absentmindedly, sending a rush of moisture in between my legs. Searing every touch into my skin.
We are now the only ones at the table; Ali and Gabby are tearing up the dancefloor with some guy who looks old enough to be their dad. Brad and Harry have been propping up the bar for the past hour and Harry has been looking at Ali like he wants to either throw her in the pool or fuck her into next week and she glares straight back at him in the same way.
Lips graze my ear, Jack’s gravelly voice whispering, “Have I told you how incredible you look tonight?”
“You have, but I don”t mind hearing it again.” I turn to face him, my body tingling from his gaze, and my hands instinctively reach out to touch his face.
“You are pretty hot yourself. The women in here haven”t kept their eyes off you.”
“I wouldn”t know. I”ve only been looking at you, sweetheart.”
And with those words, I melt.
He leans in, our lips almost touching. “I really wanna kiss you, but the problem is, if I did, I don’t think I’d be able to just stop there…”
I graze the shell of his ear with my teeth, feeling brave. “And why would you think I”d want you to stop?”
“Oh, will you two just fuck already? I’m gonna combust just watching you two. The sexual tension is killing me,” Ali says dramatically, flopping down on the chair and then lying back as if she’s fainted.
I let out a squeal as I am suddenly dragged to my feet and flung over Jack’s shoulder. I let out a yelp when he smacks my ass, keeping his hand there to stop my dress riding up.
“Yessss, atta boy,” Ali cheers.
Thankfully, it”s got to that part in the evening where everyone is drunk and doesn”t notice Jack hauling my practically bare ass across the rooftop bar towards a door at the edge of the building.
He opens the door and we enter into a stairwell.
“Jack, put me down,” I giggle, whilst I try and fail to smack his ass.
“No chance,” he laughs, spanking my ass and I”d be lying if that didn”t reach my core and give me a flutter.
New kink unlocked.
He walks down a few flights of stairs and then opens a door.
The room is dark and dimly lit by a fire exit sign. I am gently placed on my feet and I straighten out my dress and flatten my hair. Jack drags a chair in front of the door, wedging it under the handle.
“What is this pla—” My sentence is cut short by Jack crashing his lips to mine. His hands cup my ass and he lifts me so my legs instinctively wrap around his waist. He walks us backward until my back meets a cold brick wall and I let out a whimper.
“Fuck, I missed you,” he murmurs against my lips.
Our kiss is frantic. Like starved animals fighting desperately for every bite. We are panting, our breathing ragged. Our tongues intertwine and fall into a perfect rhythm as another rush of moisture floods my underwear. My body has a mind of its own as I start to grind against him, desperate for the friction to give me some release.
“Do you need some help with that, sweetheart?” His hand leaves the back of my neck and traces down the front of my body, brushing over my swollen breasts and settling in between legs, under my dress and finding my clit.
“God, don’t stop.” My voice sounds strangled.
“I don’t plan to, sweetheart.”
His fingers push aside my underwear and slide between my folds. “Fuck, you are so wet. I’ve been thinking of this pussy ever since our call.”
I dig my nails into his shoulders and arch my back. I am so close and he”s barely touched me.
“I need to taste you,” he demands, his voice gravelly and strained, and he runs his tongue along my bottom lip, making me whimper in pleasure
I don”t overthink it. I unwrap my legs from his waist and he places me down on my feet, pinning me against the wall. He bends down, pushing up my dress and dragging my soaked underwear down my legs. I step out of them and watch him as he brings them to his face, inhaling my scent. “Mmm, so fucking sweet,” he moans.
Jack on his knees in front of me may be the hottest thing I have ever seen. I feel so empowered, knowing this man is at my feet, wanting to put my pleasure ahead of his.
His hooded eyes meet mine, and my ragged breathing starts to slow. I bite down on my lower lip and give him a slow nod; the permission I know he”s waiting for.
“I’m going to need you to open up those legs for me, sweetheart.”
Dear God, did he just say that?
I part my legs slowly, watching as his eyes stare at me intently, his jaw flexing, showcasing that perfect jawline of his. He lets out a low moan, and holy hell, if it isn”t the hottest sound, my nipples pebble against the fabric of my dress at the sight of him between my open legs. I’m exposed, but my want for him, for his touch, outweighs any insecurities I have in this moment.
“Do you know how long I”ve waited to taste you?”
I close my eyes, my chest heaving and the throbbing between my legs becoming unbearable.
And then I feel it. His mouth clamps down on my clit and I almost explode on the spot.
“Jack… oh, my God,” I gasp.
His warm tongue licks through my folds and back up to my clit. The sound he lets out almost has me coming on the spot and it only spurs me on. I feel another rush of moisture and I know he feels it too when he moans again.
“Fuck, you taste so good, sweetheart,” he murmurs, face still in between my legs.
“Please,” I beg. I Need more.
He lifts one leg, placing it over his shoulder, opening me up for him, then he slides two fingers inside me.
My back arches away from the wall as his expert fingers curl inside me, hitting that spot he seems to find so easily.
Sucking on my clit and plunging his fingers inside at a pace that has me teetering on the edge of euphoria. I have never felt pleasure like it. My hands grip the back of his head as I grind against his mouth.
“Jack,” I rasp. “I”m gonna come. I”m gonna cu—” I don”t finish that last word, as an orgasm a hundred times more powerful than the first one he gave me rips through me and I wonder how I am still standing or even conscious at the end of it. He continues to lick and thrust his fingers through my release, slowing the pace as I free fall back down to earth.
A sheen of sweat runs in between my breasts, my breathing still erratic my eyes feel so heavy I struggle to keep them open and focus on Jack. I do my best and look down at the hottest man I”ve ever laid eyes on kneeling before me. His dark sandy hair has that just fucked look, thanks to my hands clawing at him as I rode his face. He is still panting too and we just stay like that, staring at each other. We know it’s there; we know how we both feel about one another, but still not finding a way to actually say it and admit it. I know we need to talk and figure out what this is. I can’t run again. I don”t even want to. I want him and I need to tell him because I fear if I don’t, I could lose him for a second time and I don”t think my heart could handle that.