Legal Ease (Sutton Capital Series) (8 page)

Jack could feel Kelly’s breathing speed up and knew she was feeling the same things he was. He stifled a laugh when Kelly hopped off the couch half an hour into the movie and yawned.

“I’m more tired than I thought I was. I think I’ll just head up to bed early. Good night, Aunt Mabry. Good night, Jack,” Kelly said as she slipped from the room.

“Good night, sweetheart,” Jack barely managed to get out before she was gone.

***

Kelly sprinted up the stairs and tried to clear her head of the images of her and Jack together, wrapped around each other on the couch, but when she slid in between the sheets after getting ready for bed, she groaned. She had forgotten that she was getting into Jack’s bed and now she was once again surrounded by his scent.

As Kelly had sank into Jack’s arms when they sat on the couch watching the movie, she fought to remind herself that this wasn’t real, that Jack was only putting on a show for his aunt. The hard part was dealing with how incredibly aroused she was as she leaned against Jack’s hard chest. She had smelled his aftershave, a slightly spicy but clean smell that wasn’t overpowering. Kelly’s brain began to feel like scrambled eggs when Jack absentmindedly started to rub his thumb in small circles on her arm. She began to wonder what his hands would feel like on the rest of her body – what those small circles would do if applied to just the right place. Kelly had a feeling Jack would know just where to touch her, just how to touch her, to make her melt. If she didn’t do something about this soon, she’d be crawling all over him.

Kelly had fought to focus on the movie and ignore his scent, his presence, the hard feel of his strong body underneath her. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t stop the flood of arousal between her legs, the tingling need in her breasts as she ached to feel his hands on her without her clothes on and without someone else in the room. In the end, she had to flee the room or risk letting him know what a fool she was, how attracted to him she was. She didn’t want Jack to know that she didn’t have it in her to just fake it around his aunt, or that she was falling for real and didn’t know how much longer she could control herself.

The morning after her first night in Jack’s bed, Kelly woke to find that Jack had already gone for the day. She had heard him come into the room the night before and had held her breath as she listened to him get ready for bed. She feigned sleep as he brushed his teeth and slipped out of his clothes. When he slipped between the sheets in nothing but boxer shorts, Kelly thought she would burst but she focused on keeping her breath steady so that she wouldn’t have to face Jack.

With a sigh, Kelly slipped from the bed and showered and dressed, then headed downstairs for breakfast. She found Jack, Aunt Mabry, and Mrs. Poole in the kitchen.

“Good morning, dear,” Mrs. Poole called out cheerfully, making Kelly smile. Jack and Aunt Mabry looked up and Kelly wished for a moment that the smile that came to Jack’s face as he looked at her was genuine and not just for Aunt Mabry’s sake.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Jack said as Kelly joined them at the breakfast nook with her coffee.

“Morning,” Kelly smiled shyly at Jack across the table and smiled and nodded at Mrs. Poole as she put a plate of eggs and toast in front of Kelly.

“I thought we might have lunch today,” Jack said to Kelly across the table. Kelly continued to eat her breakfast and didn’t look up from her plate.

“Kelly?” Jack said, a laugh in his voice and a smile on his face.

“Hmm? Oh, me?” Kelly said looking up from her plate.

Jack laughed openly at that. Aunt Mabry listened to their exchange with a smug look on her face. “Yes, you, my beautiful wife. I thought we might go to Le Petite Morceau for lunch today. They have a new chef who’s supposed to be amazing. Unless you have plans?”

“Uh, no. I mean, no plans. I’d love to go to lunch,” Kelly said as she eyed Aunt Mabry nervously, knowing that Mabry was tracking every word, every interaction.

“Great,” Jack smiled. “I have a conference call this morning but I’ll do that from the home office and then we can go at around one o’clock?”

“Perfect. I’ll see you then,” she said but she felt like an idiot. I’ll see you then? Who the hell says that when their husband asks them to lunch? I sound like an idiot.

***

Mabry knew perfectly well as she watched Jack and Kelly that the two of them were no more married than she was and she certainly wasn’t married the last time she checked. As soon as they finished breakfast, Mabry began to hatch a plan. She didn’t know what Kelly was getting out of this marriage – she assumed it was money – but she believed she could drive a wedge between them.

If she could put a big enough wedge there, maybe she could offer to pay Kelly enough money to admit that the marriage was fake. Once the marriage was exposed for what it was, Mabry would go to the board and show them their CEO was a fraud and a liar. And then, the company would be hers.

Mabry went upstairs to get started splitting the happy couple up. It wouldn’t be hard with all of Jack’s exes out there. After all, the man was hardly the settling down type. Anyone who read the tabloids knew that he had a different woman on his arm every weekend.

Mabry knew just the woman to help put her plan into action. She picked up the phone and dialed Caroline Harridan. Caroline had dated Jack for a month the previous year and Mabry knew that Caroline had done all she could to sink her claws into him. She wanted to marry Jack Sutton in the worst way and Mabry had witnessed Caroline throw herself at Jack repeatedly at public events since he had broken up with her.

“Caroline? Hello, darling. It’s Mabry Thompson,” she said into the phone when Caroline answered.

“Mabry? Hello! How are you? I haven’t heard from you in ages,” Caroline gushed on the other end of the phone. Mabry rolled her eyes. Caroline fell all over herself whenever she talked to Mabry but Mabry knew it was just an attempt to get information or back in Jack’s good graces.

“Yes, dear. Well, you know. Been busy and all that,” Mabry said dismissively. “I can’t talk long because I have to meet Jack for lunch over at La Petite Morceau at one o’clock and I have a million things to do before then. I just thought I’d call and see how you are. It’s been so long.” Mabry knew if she just dropped the name of the restaurant and the time Jack would be there, she could count on Caroline to just ‘happen’ to be there as well. Then she could just sit back and let Caroline do the work for her.

“I’m fine, thank you. Oh!” Caroline practically squealed into her ear. “La Petite Morceau? I’ve been dying to try that place. I hear the new menu is to die for.”

Mabry couldn’t take Caroline’s inane chattering or the sound of the woman’s voice any longer. The seed was planted and that was all that was needed.

“Caroline, I have to run. I’ve got to get to my hair appointment before lunch. It was lovely to talk with you again.” Mabry couldn’t get off the phone fast enough but if Caroline noticed, she didn’t seem to mind. Mabry knew she was probably already in her closet picking out what to wear when she ‘casually’ ran into Jack at the restaurant.

Kelly and Jack sat at a corner table at La Petite Morceau a few hours later. Kelly looked around and felt out of place in such a fancy restaurant. She wasn’t used to having lunch at a restaurant that had floor-
length tablecloths and wait staff that wore ankle-long formal aprons. Sure, she had been to that type of place for dinner on occasion but not for lunch on a random Saturday when there was no special occasion to be celebrated.

Kelly looked at Jack. He seemed totally at ease and comfortable…but then again, Jack always looked totally at ease and comfortable no matter where he was. The only time she’d ever seen him looking the slightest bit uneasy was when she had walked into his office and pretended to be his fiancé in front of his aunt and cousin – but even then, he had covered his surprise easily and recovered quickly.

Kelly would love to be that confident and in control all of the time. With Jack around, she didn’t feel confident or in control at all. She felt like her body was constantly humming when she was around him. One look from him, or a casual touch and she was embarrassingly aroused. When he took the contact further and kissed her, she felt like he could see into her and he would know her secret – that she wanted him more than she had ever wanted any man. 

Jack carried the conversation, chatting about the new menu and a fundraiser he had attended at the restaurant when the old chef was there and what they should do the rest of the weekend. They ordered their meals and just as they handed their menus over to the waiter, Kelly heard a sexy, sultry voice from across the room.

“My, my! Jack Sutton. Is that you, sweetheart?” said the voice at an embarrassingly loud volume. “I haven’t seen you in ages, darling,” Kelly heard as she watched a tall, blond goddess approach the table. The woman was stunning, with exotic green eyes and her pale hair pulled in an elegant French twist. She wore a beautiful black pantsuit and looked like she had stepped out of a fashion magazine.

Then Kelly did a double take. She
had
stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. It was Caroline Harridan, the fashion model. The woman graced the pages of
Vogue
and
Elle
magazines on a regular basis.

Kelly looked at Jack as Caroline approached the table and saw a pained look on his face. Caroline completely ignored Kelly as she swooped in on Jack and planted an extremely friendly kiss on his lips. Kelly felt as though she were completely invisible and almost wished she was. They clearly had a relationship that was more than just friendly and Kelly knew she couldn’t hold a candle to this woman as she sat there in her dowdy strappy sundress and sandals.

Kelly cleared her throat and peered around the woman to Jack.

“Oh! Caroline, this is my wife, Kelly. Kelly, this is Caroline Harridan. An old, uh, friend of mine.”
Jack stood and came around to Kelly’s seat as he made the introductions so Kelly stood with him and took Caroline’s hand in a brief handshake. Jack looked like the last thing he wanted to be doing was introducing Kelly as his wife and once again Kelly felt a pang of guilt at having put Jack in this position. Even though he said she was saving him from losing his company, she still felt like she had weaseled her way into the marriage and she knew she was nothing like the woman he would likely have married if he had been given a choice.

Nonetheless, Kelly drew up her pride and smiled her brightest smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Caroline raised an eyebrow at Jack. God, Kelly had always wished she could master the one eyebrow look, but she couldn’t quite get it. On Caroline, it looked confident, cocky, and oh so silky smooth. “Married?” Caroline asked Jack as she drew her hand away from Kelly as if afraid she might be sullied by the contact.

Jack nodded and
slipped his arm around Kelly. “Yes, Caroline. Kelly and I were married a week ago. We haven’t quite gotten around to sending an announcement out about the wedding. We eloped.” Jack smiled down at Kelly as he said it in a very good impression of a man deeply in love with his wife.

Caroline pouted her best model pout and turned to Jack. “Jack Sutton off the market? Whatever will all of us single gals do now?” She put on a show as if she were thinking and then shrugged her shoulders and continued in a flirty voice.

“Well, maybe it won’t last.” Caroline reached out and pretended to brush an imaginary piece of lint off of Jack’s shirt in a blatant excuse to touch his chest. “You always know where to find me if things don’t work out.” Kelly had now seen Jack uncomfortable twice since she’d known him. Caroline ignored Jack’s discomfort and Kelly’s shocked look.

Kelly couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Hell, the marriage might be fake and she might not be able to compete with Jack’s exes, including the blond goddess standing in front of her, but she’d be damned if she were going to sit by and let this woman hit on her fake husband right in front of her. A woman has her pride, after all.

Kelly possessively caressed Jack’s chest in the very spot where Caroline’s hand had just sat, and then smiled at Caroline. “I’m sure Jack won’t be needing your….” She paused and looked Caroline up and down as if she found her wanting in all manner before continuing, “Your…uh, company in the near future, Caroline. But it was a pleasure to meet you. Good-bye.” And with that, Kelly dismissed Caroline Harridan, super model and cover girl.

Jack laughed and pulled Kelly tighter to him. In a huff, Caroline turned and stalked away from the table. As soon as they took their seats again, Kelly felt the heat climbing her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered across the table to Jack.

“What for?” Jack whispered back, smiling.

“I’m sorry. You probably wanted to see her again after this is over and I think I must have just ruined your chances for that. I just thought… Well, I just couldn’t. I mean, she was just so rude, I just….” Kelly blew out a puff of air, blowing her bangs up in a small gust. “I’m sorry, I just didn’t think.”

“Kelly, first of all, I’m married to you for the next year.” Jack spoke quietly so no one would overhear their conversation, but also gently so that Kelly would understand that he meant what he said. “I won’t embarrass you or treat you with disrespect during that time. While we’re together, we’re together and I won’t be with another woman, even if you and I aren’t exactly together in the traditional sense.”