Chapter 30
Chapter thirty
Emily
I am jolted awake by a loud metallic clang coming from below me, followed by an exasperated, “Shit,” and the shushing one does to inanimate objects that make too much noise.
The bed beside me, where Jack slept last night, is empty but still warm.
Not that sleeping was the main priority.
We dozed in between rounds of sex and I don’t think either of us got more than a few hours.
I am gloriously achy from last night; he well and truly lived up to his promises in the car and more.
Heat rushes up my neck at the memories as I wrap myself in my dressing gown and head down explore what the noise was.
Never has anyone spoken to me the way Jack does.
He has the dirtiest mouth I’ve ever heard.
I’m normally not into dirty talk, but it makes me feel confident and sexy.
Him telling me what to do for him and how he likes the way I looked whilst doing it makes me feel more ready to do other things that I have never tried before.
Like last night, when he fucked me from behind whilst using my dildo to fuck my ass.
I would have never even have thought I could take both at the same time—without his words, his praise, I definitely couldn’t have.
His promise of switching positions with the toy next time has my toes curling on the carpet.
I make it to the kitchen, where the clanging had come from, to find Jack piling all my pans back into the cupboard from which they fell. I clear my throat behind him, making him jump and hit his head inside the cupboard. “Oof. Shit,” he says, rubbing one hand on the sore spot.
“Sorry,” I say, trying to suppress a laugh.
He stands and saunters over to me. He is wearing only his boxers, his toned, tattoo-marked body on full display.
I may be well acquainted with every inch of him by now.
But looking at him still takes my breath away, his strong chest and defined abs that peter out into that little V I desperately want to kneel down and lick.
His smirk tells me he knows exactly what the gleam in my eyes means.
He reaches me and puts one finger under my chin, lifting it so he can kiss me. “Good morning, beautiful,” he whispers against my lips, kissing me again. He wraps his strong arms around me gripping me to him and I instantly melt in his arms. I am so fucked.
“I’m sorry that I woke you, I thought you could do with some more sleep after last night.” His eyes flare at the memories that must be flashing through his mind.
“Mmmm,” I groan as I lean my hips further into him.
“I’d rather be awake and replay last night.
” His lips meet mine again and he backs me up slowly into the cabinets behind me.
I feel his dick start to harden against my stomach as his kiss increases in pressure.
I dip my hand between us, squeezing the hard length through his boxers and he hisses through his teeth.
His hands grip each side of my face and he pulls back, “We need to eat first.” He says it on an exhale as I slowly pump him through his boxers.
“Fuck. Em.” His eyes squeeze shut and he pumps his hips in time with my hand.
I think I’ve won but he reaches a hand down to still mine.
“Stop,” he says through gritted teeth. His control is incredible.
“We really should eat. I took you to bed last night without dinner and it’s well after ten, you haven’t eaten for hours. ”
“I’m a nurse,” I protest. “I’m used to not eating for long periods of time.” But even as I say it my stomach lets out a loud growl. Treacherous bitch. Jack grins at me and directs me to my little dining table at the bottom of the kitchen.
“Sit.” He places a kiss to my forehead. “Let me take care of you.”
He goes back to the job he started and I do as I am told and sit, content to watch the show that is Jack Cartwright, topless, cooking.
I notice my phone on top of the table, next to my car keys. I must have abandoned them here last night when we got home. I was too distracted by Jack to focus on where I put anything last night. I turn it over and see I have fifty-four notifications.
My stomach hollows out. Not again.
I glance at Jack. His back is to me, and he is shaking his hips to the music he is playing from his phone whilst he cooks. He looks so content. So happy.
So why would he do this?
Jack must feel my gaze on his back because he turns around. The small smile he sports drops as soon as he sees my face. He rushes towards me, kneeling between my legs he takes my free hand in his, “Em, what’s happened?”
I feel a tear slide down my cheek. No. I wasn’t supposed to get attached enough for this to hurt.
Jack reaches for my face, and I jerk back before he can touch me. His brow creases in confusion and hurt? No. How could he be hurt. He’s the one that’s cheating. He had to have known I would find out.
“Em, what’s happened?” he asks again, eyes searching mine.
Hands shaking, I hold out my phone to him. I show him the lock screen so he can see the number of notifications, and he has the audacity to still look shocked.
“What do they say?” he asks.
I chuff a hollow laugh. Like he doesn’t know. There is only on reason for me to have so many notifications on my phone. The same reason as last time.
I am about to reply when my phone lights up with a phone call. Jess. My hand swipes to answer before my brain registers what it is doing. “Babe! Finally. Have you seen?” I have to pull the phone away from my ear as she screams.
“Seen what?” My voice doesn’t sound like my own, it’s empty. Broken. I don’t want to see. I don’t want to know. I really don’t want to find out whilst Jack is kneeling in front of me, looking like he cares about how I feel.
They’re all fucking liars. Especially the pretty ones.
“The article I sent you,” Jess replies in my ear. “Put me on speaker and open it.”
“Just tell me what it says.” It’s barley a whisper through my lips. Let’s just rip off the plaster. It’ll hurt. But it will be quick.
“Well, it starts with a massive picture of you climbing Jack like a tree outside his team bus.” I sag in relief at the information.
Me on Jack. Not someone else. I take the phone from my ear and put Jess on speaker phone. “Jess, you’re on speaker, Jack is here, don’t say anything embarrassing.”
“Haemorrhoids. Diarrhoea. Chlamydia,” Jess immediately says. Despite the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind at the moment, I can’t help the small laugh that comes out at the childishness of my best friend’s humour.
“I’m opening it now,” I say to her. Jack doesn’t move from his spot nestled between my legs. His gaze doesn’t leave my face, searching for something. I flick open my message app and see notifications from Dan and a few people from work. My stomach plummets for a different reason. Oh god. They know.
I scroll to Jess’ message thread and click the link she has sent me.
An article from a trashy news site opens and I am greeted with a picture of me wrapped around Jack, his hat backwards on my head, his face fully on display.
I am looking down at him from my position, both of us grinning like we had just won the lottery.
It’s actually a really sweet picture if it didn’t out the relationship we’ve been trying to keep quiet.
I scroll slightly and read the headline: ‘Jack Cartwright pictured looking smitten with mystery woman’.
“Oh,” I say quietly.
“You okay?” Jess asks through the phone. Jack stays quiet where he sits.
“Yeah,” I breathe. “It could have been worse, I guess.”
I look up from my phone at Jack, a small crease has formed between his brows. I reach out my thumb to soften it. He lets me and leans into my hand.
“Well, um…” Jess interrupts.
“What?” Jack snaps. It’s the first time I have ever heard him snap at anyone before and he looks immediately regretful.
“Just… Don’t read the comments, okay?” My heart sinks and I deflate back into the chair I’m sitting in.
The comments. Of course, people would have something to say about it.
Everyone always has an opinion. “They still haven’t got your name,” Jess finishes and I hear the underlying ‘yet’ that she didn’t need to say.
Jack’s hands stroke along my thighs to comfort me, “Thanks for letting us know, Jess.”
“No probs, handsome, treat her right or I’ll comment that you gave her an STI and I haven’t decided which one yet.” Jack rolls his eyes but the tension is still obvious in his shoulders as I end the call.
He turns his worried gaze back to me. “Tell me what’s going through your mind.”
“I guess I’m kind of relieved.”
That crease between his eyebrows is back, only it’s deeper now. “Relieved how?”
I let out a little, kind of hysteric laugh, unsure of if to tell him about my original doubt.
I sigh. Honesty—that’s what we do. That’s what he asked for from day one.
“I thought all the notifications were people telling me you were with someone else. That’s what happened last time I got that many notifications.
I guess— Well, I guess I just went straight back there. ”
Jack sits back on his knees quickly, as if my confession is a physical blow to him. “Em, I—” he starts.
I cut him off. “This is better. Not ideal. I would have liked to not be in the press at all, but if we’re more careful now, this one picture will blow over.” I look up at him hopefully.
It’s Jack’s turn to laugh now, “You clearly don’t understand how the press work.”
“No, Jack. I don’t. I have never needed to.” It comes out with more venom than intended and I immediately feel guilty for it. “Sorry.”
“No, you’re right,” he says quietly, jaw ticking. He’s pissed about something and I don’t think it’s just the picture or my outburst.
We sit in silence for a minute, gathering our thoughts. We were pictured together. So far no one knows who I am, but I imagine that will come out soon. We just need to lay low, not be seen again and it will blow over. It’s fine.