The Jilted Bride (4 page)

“Why?”

“Maybe because I want to know more about you.”

“Because?”

“Because I care about you, Jody.”

His deep, smooth words  bought a shiver of delight down her spine. His warm words seemed to dissolve the padlock she had over her heart. Suddenly, she didn’t feel the need to have her heart under lock down from this point forward. Jody felt something deep down she’d never felt before with anyone. It was indescribable. It was empowering.

“You do? Even though I staged that elaborate lie.”

“It wasn’t what you did, it was the reason behind it that makes your heart gold. Your granddad seemed to pop quite a few of those heart pills last night. He seemed a little frail. Do you really think giving him information that could ruin his time here would be beneficial to his health?”

“No. You’re right.”

“And your grandmother, I was stunned when she told me she was suffering from depression especially having to care for your grandfather and the loss of a child. Do you really think adding that their only granddaughter was a jilted bride would have made her feel any better?”

“Well, when you put it that way, Jake.” Jody grinned as she rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head.

“Sometimes things should be said on a need to know basis. This Greg dude is nothing to them, why bring him into the picture now?  He’s gone! You’ve moved on, haven’t you?”

“Well, yeah, sort of. What exactly are you getting at?”

“You don’t think about him, do you?”

“Ew. Of course not. Grandpa always said that being wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”

“Your grandfather is wise—just as the ancient philosopher Confucius.”

“Thanks.”

Jake grinned and his dimpled smile warmed her heart. There was a magnetic pull between them that was undeniable. She didn’t want the night to end. She’d never believed in love at first sight…but that was before she first met Jake.

“You should only give airtime in your mind to those that matter to you. Not those who can’t be bothered.”

She could not disagree with him. They both went back into his condo unit and stood in the kitchen  area as he placed the glasses in the sink. Jody said she was going to leave but she just didn’t want to move. She didn’t want the night to end.

“So, you’ve been watching me?” she said throaty.

“What makes you think that?”

“Because you seemed to know so much about me.”

“Only because I care about who my neighbours are.”

“Really?” she cocked a brow, disbelieving him. “So you know about old man Peterson who lives two doors down?”

“Possibly.” He grinned. “Okay, maybe I was checking you out. But I wasn’t sure if you were still with that Greg guy.”

“He who must not be named. Please, I’d rather forget him. I guess…I am attracted to you, Jake. I really do want to be with you.”

“You do?” he murmured leaning closer to her leaning her towards the granite counter top.

“Yes, I do!”

Jake’s glance slid down her silhouette admiring her form. He leaned in closer as he held her waist and whispered in her ear, his breath hot against her ears. Jody thought she would faint. “I think I’m in love with you.”

“You are?” she said breathlessly gazing lovingly into his dark, sexy eyes.

“No. I
know
I am from the first time you moved into the unit next door, Jody.”

Jody felt her skin tingle under his warm touch as he caressed her neck with his warm lips moving closer up to hers. No one’s ever taken the time with her like this. She’d read about it in romance novels but she’d never experienced it before now. Yes, it was true, she’d read somewhere that a girl has to love a bad guy at least once or twice in her life to appreciate a good one. She really appreciated Jake. His touch, his warmth. The way he caressed her body and moaned into her skin as he took his sweet time cherishing every inch of her body. The way he showed her respect and treated her like…a lady.

“You okay?”

She nodded, dazed in pleasure.

“I want you, baby. I need you, Jake.” She needed to be loved by this man who cared so much for her and apparently had for some time without her awareness.

       “You sure, you wanna do this now?” he murmured in a deep low voice nibbling on her ears which drove her insides wild. He gazed intently into her eyes then gently kissed her forehead and brought his lips down to kiss her nose, her lips and the base of her throat as she tilted her head back, moaning in pleasure.

       “Yes. Yes. Please…” she moaned. Excitement shot through her entire body.

Jody bit down on her lip. She really wanted Jake now. And forever. Couldn’t they just pretend to be married forever!

She shivered as his strong, yet tender, hands explored the hollows of her back. He radiated vitality that drew her like a magnet.

 “Oh, Jake….I….I’m so in love with you,” she moaned as his hands unfastened her blouse and her silky bra so smooth and fast, she hadn’t even noticed she was now bare. He was very good with his hands. He then aroused her nipples with his warm tongue circling each one. Jody moaned as waves of excitement rushed through her body. She held firmly to his strong, muscular arms and tilted her head back as she leaned on the kitchen counter.

“God, I love you, Jody,” he moaned. “I never thought I could fall in love at first sight but I did when I first laid eyes on you.” His voice, silky and deep sending shivers through her belly. She felt his hardness pressing against her thighs and reached down to unfasten his pants exposing his silk boxers.

“You did? Ohmygod, I fell in love with
you
, the first time I saw you…but…I guess it wasn’t the right time to come out and tell you.”

He moved his lips back up to Jody’s lips devouring her sweetness, caressing her mouth in ways she’d never experienced before. She felt as if this were her first time. Ever. The stroking of his fingers sent pleasant jolts through her body and the moistness between her aching thighs needed him.

He kissed her as if he hungered for her taste. She could no longer deny his touch as her body pulsated. She wanted all of him. Now. It was as if this was her wedding night—denied to her months ago. Her pretend husband, real lover.

Before long, they’d moved almost choreographically towards his bedroom where he continued to pleasure her. His hands eased across her pleasure points.

After presenting his condom, they’d made the most passionate love she’d ever had. There was no pretence that night. She thought she’d died and gone to heaven. She’d never experienced so much pleasure in her life before. Not in her thirty years. She could not believe this.

*  *   *

The following morning, Jody leaned over in the bed, but Jake was not there.

“Jake?”

All that was there was the scent of his cologne and a warm dent in his pillow. At first, she swallowed hard and thought it was all a dream. Or he’d had a change of heart. Then…

She smelled the juicy aroma of bacon and eggs frying in the kitchen and the scent of freshly brewed coffee lingering in the air. She also caught the sound of a man whistling in the kitchen.

She pulled the sheets over her body and jumped out of bed.  She freshened up in his en suite marble bathroom and made her way over to the kitchen. The bright sun shone brightly in the penthouse from the tall floor to window ceiling. But that wasn’t the first thing she noticed. How early did Jake wake up? She knew he was a gym buff but she didn’t recall so many roses around his apartment. In fact, scented candles and rose petals were sprinkled throughout. She walked over to the kitchen table and there was a beautiful long stem rose on the table by her plate.

Jake came out of the kitchen area with a salacious grin on his face and his dark dreamy eyes slid down her silhouette in a dreamy state.

“You know, I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Just so you know.”

“Same here,” she smiled, sheepishly. “Baby, this is….beautiful. All of this. You didn’t have to.”

“I know. I wanted to.”

“Wow, I’ve heard of loving thy neighbour, but his was not quite what I had in mind.”

She reached over and kissed him gently on his soft lips. Tingles erupted in her belly. She could tell he was getting aroused, too.

“Let’s have breakfast,” he said in a low voice that was mesmerizing. “We have plenty of time for more later.” He kissed her on the lips again.

She looked at the rose and her eyes could not believe what she saw.

A red, velvet jewellery box. Just near the breakfast plate. She opened it and it was a very small diamond ring. It was beautiful in her eyes. She didn’t care how small it was.

“I’m not usually a man of impulse but you only meet your soul partner once in your life.”

Jody could hardly squeeze words out of her throat.

“I…I…”

Jake got down on one knee. “Will you marry me? Doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow or next month. Just will you promise to be devoted to me as I will be with you.”

“Jake…I…yes…” Tears streamed down her face just as it did the day she found out her ex had stood her up at the altar. But this was different, it was tears of joy.

Jake got up and traced his fingertip along her lips and kissed her passionately again!

“I want you to know everything about me.”

“What?”

He grinned. “No, it’s not like that at all.” He presented her with another jewellery box and when she opened it, her eyes popped wide open.

“Oh, my God! Is that
real
?” It was the biggest diamond ring she’d ever seen…No, actually, she remembered one of those celebrity A-listers wearing something similar.

“Yes, and so is my love for you.” He grinned. “Yes, it’s also paid for by me,” he teased her with another seductive grin. “It’s hard to find a woman willing to love me for me. Here you are accepting a small ring worth $50 and you were emotionally attached. The ring belonged to my late grandmother on my mother’s side. It was all they could afford. When I had showed it to another girlfriend in the past, she scoffed her nose at it not realizing it’s true value. All that glitters is not gold. Sometimes you can find treasures where you least expect it. Like a girl like you with a heart of gold. A man’s dream. My dream.”