Alicia's Misfortune (7 page)

A woman that hot in bed and beautiful to look at was just
what Jack needed in his wife. To cap it all, she wanted babies too. He would
propose to her when the time was right, he now decided, as he led the young
horse over colored poles on the floor. His thoughts returned to the previous
night.
 
Jack was not a saint and had
slept with several women over the years but the experience with Leila stood
out.

For one, he had never slept with a woman that tight who was
not a virgin. He knew it spelt of her inexperience, yet it did not show in bed.
He had been right about her. Seducing her had been easy. The only problem was,
he felt like sleeping with her over and over again when his lust should have
disappeared last night.

As long as he kept his feelings in check, Jack told himself.
Despite the longing to sleep with her, her blond hair over his chest and her
soft arms wrapped around him, Jack had eased himself off and tiptoed out once
she had fallen asleep. That and keeping her out of his bedroom were the swords
he would use to keep his feelings at bay.

It was a struggle as it was. He remembered the feelings of
protectiveness she had brought out in him when she spoke of her parents and her
marriage. He had wanted to wring her dead husband’s neck.

‘Morning, you were up early.’

Jack swung round to find Leila standing at the fence, one
hand on her waist and the other shielding her eyes from the glaring sun. She
had the most beautiful smile and he found himself smiling back in response.

‘I like to get an early start,’ Jack said.

‘I’m ready for my lesson,’ she said, still smiling.

Jack noticed that she was in a pair of jeans again and her
feet clad in knee length boots.
God she
was sexy!
He wondered why none of the bachelors of California had snapped
her up. Still, it was their loss, not his.

‘How about we go for a ride instead,’ Jack said, guiding the
horse back to the paddocks.

She followed him into the paddocks and down the stalls. He
picked out a docile mare by the name of daisy for Leila’s first ride and for
himself; he picked out a fiery stallion, who was already stumping his feet on
the ground. Around them, morning activities were going on, with his stable
hands brushing down the horses and others mucking out the stalls.

‘Can I help out here sometimes?’ Leila asked, leaning on the
side of the stall.

Jack looked up in surprise from where he was saddling the
mare.

‘Sure if that’s what you want,’ he said.

When the horses were ready, he handed Leila her reins and he
led the way out of the barn. Once outside, they both got on their horses and
Jack took the lead leading Leila to the tracks. His aim was to weigh how good
she was on her horse; though he seriously doubted that daisy the mare would
rise to the occasion.

Daisy needed to be coaxed to do the jumps and only a skilled
rider would be able to do so.
 
Once on
the obstacle course he took Leila to the beginner’s section. He motioned for
her to stop and then demonstrated with his own stallion the jump over the
chevrons. It was an easy jump but he didn’t want taking risks by starting her
off with the more complicated jumps.

Experience had taught him that people often exaggerated
their prowess and it usually resulted to serious injuries. After his jump over
the narrow, he rode his horse to where Leila sat on the mare.

‘Your turn,’ he said to her, admiring her confident stance
on the horse.

‘Alright, here I go,’ she said with a traffic stopping smile
and galloped some distance away from the obstacle.

He watched her relaxed face and soon she had jumped over the
chevron and afterwards, the mare continued galloping without losing its stride
which told Jack that Leila was a pretty confident rider. He took her to the
next obstacle, which were raised steps made of raised land bordered by wooden
chunks.

She did well here too, and he noticed her whispering softly
to Daisy and that’s when he knew she was a genuine horse rider. Leila had
sensed the reluctance in the mare to make the jumps and had deduced that the
only way was to coax her through them. They went through higher levels of
jumping until the most complicated ones which were combinations.

‘Alright, so I see that you were telling the truth, you can
ride,’ Jack said grinning at her.

‘Did you doubt me?’ Leila asked, throwing her hair back.

Her top clung to her body and he had to fight to keep his
eyes from roaming over her body.

‘Maybe. You’ve earned the right to a ride. Come, I’ll give
you a tour of the ranch on horseback.

‘Sounds like fun,’ she commented.

They rode at an easy pace, with Jack explaining to Leila how
the ranch got going. He took her past the ranch guest house, where guests
basked in the outside terraces and waiters in black and white uniform dashed
about.

‘Do you come here often?’ Leila asked.

Jack shook his head. ‘Not quite my thing. I prefer to keep
my business to the horse side of things.’

She nodded her head in understanding. They finished the ride
by galloping through the open steep plains and he was again impressed by how
she handled Daisy on uneven ground. When they returned to the stables, his own
back was caked in sweat. To his surprise, Leila proceeded to brush her horse
down after removing the saddle.

He aped her movements and brushed his own stallion down.
Usually after a ride, he usually left his ranch hands to take care of the
horses. He found himself admiring her more and more. As they returned to the
house, she placed her soft hand into his and Jack found the gesture sweet and a
little frightening.

Upstairs, they stood at a loss in the middle of both their
rooms.

‘Do you want to shower together?’ Jack found himself asking,
his body longing for release.

‘Yes please,’ Leila murmured looking at him shyly.

He opened the guest room and waited for her to enter before
shutting the door. Jack went straight to the bathroom and opened the taps to
fill the tub with water. His skin was alive with expectation and he breathed
fast at the thought of what lay ahead.

Leila walked into the bathroom then and when he saw her,
Jack’s breath caught. She was completely naked and he stood for a moment
admiring her curves. It felt odd to be fully dressed while Leila was completely
naked. He took her by the hand and after feeling the temperature of the water,
he helped her in.

Her movements were graceful as she stepped in and she made
him want to grab her and kiss her as she had never been kissed. At the same
time, Jack wanted to hold her tenderly so that no one would ever hurt her.
Realizing the train of his thoughts, he jerked his mind away and instead concentrated
in what he wanted to do to her at that very moment.

A fast as he could, Jack tore off his clothes from his body
and joined her in the tub. This was a first for him. He had never shared a bath
tub with anyone.

Leila felt like a seductress as she stepped into the bath.
She could feel Jack’s eyes burning into her back and when she turned to sit,
they were everywhere burning with desire. It was a novel feeling to be wanted
so badly and Leila could not get enough of it. Jack removed his clothes and
then slid in behind her.

She leaned back on his wide chest and closed her eyes. This
was pure heaven.
 
With one movement, he
lifted her up so that she now sat on him and she gasped at his hardness nestled
on her backside. His thighs were hard against hers and the rub of the hairs on
his legs go her doubly excited.

He lifted her hair and planted small kisses around her neck.
His hands slid around her waist and crept up to her breasts, cupping them from
behind. Leila arched her chest forward giving in to the sparks of ecstasy
running through her body. Jack reached for a washcloth and she opened one eye
and watched as he doused it with bathing gel.

He began by washing her back in soft sensual movements and
then he brought to the front and soaped her chest, stopping at each nipple to
rub it. Leila thought she would die of desire. He moved to the undersides of
her arms, all the while Leila’s breath held, wondering how he would deal with
the rest of her.

She gasped when she felt the washcloth at her center. He
rubbed the cloth back and forth, stimulating her and she could not help the
soft groans that escaped her mouth. Then he took the cloth away and folded her
legs so that he could wash them. Leila shifted about with frustration.

‘Patience my dear Leila,’ Jack whispered and she went still.

His hands returned to her nipples which were now hard and
begging for attention. He dropped the washcloth and teased her nipples
alternating between both, teasing and squeezing. By now Leila was panting and
arching her body forward her control completely overtaken by her desire.

‘One moment Leila,’ Jack whispered and stood up.

She opened her eyes and salivated at the sight of his
obvious arousal. He moved from her back and sat opposite her in the tub,
lifting her les and parting them so that they faced each other. With the
patience of a monk, Jack took the washcloth again and this time he directed his
attention to her center, washing her gently. The without warning, he inserted
and finger and she gasped with shock and pleasure.

With his other fingers he teased her most sensitive part and
with every movement, Leila felt herself getting closer to orgasm. He increased
the pressure and then it happened. All the knots in her body tightened and she
felt herself carried off into wave after wave until it all exploded into
smithereens.

Leila opened her eyes to fins Jack observing her. His own
desire was still reflected in his eyes. She lifted herself off the water and
sat astride him. Using all her self-control, Leila lowered herself into his
manhood, taking as much time as she could. Jack had self-control, she gave him
that. Rather than grab her hips and pull her down, his hands came to her
breasts and he massaged them and then took each nipple into his hands.

The feeling of him completely inside her was more than she
could bear. She took on a leisurely rhythm to give her body time to expand
enough to accommodate him. His hands cupped her from the behind and she could
see the strain he was under by trying to hold back.

‘Leila, I can’t do this much longer,’ Jack groaned.

Gently he lifted her off and turned her so that she faced
away from him and was on all fours. Her hips were in the air and she felt
exposed but also turned on. Jack ran a hand over her back and her hips.

‘Ready?’ he murmured.

‘Yes,’ Leila said, wanting to feel him inside her again.

With his legs, he nudged her thighs further apart. Leila’s
breath was held, excited, yet worried about the pain mixed with pleasure that
was about to come. He did not enter right away as she expected. He teased her
with his manhood until she cried for him.

‘Take me jack,’ Leila said shocking herself.

She had never been a vocal person when making love. In fact,
she had seemed more of an observer rather than a participant. Jack though,
brought out her wild side and she loved it. In one rapid movement, he thrust
into her and for a moment, Leila could not breathe. She felt so full, as though
all of his body had entered hers.

His manhood stretched her and her body felt as though it
would come apart. He ceased all movement until she began to wriggle.

He thrust into her again and then stopped.

‘Shall I stop Leila?’ he said, leaning forward to touch her
nipples.

‘Please no,’ Leila said unashamed.

His thrusts grew in speed and intensity. Leila held on to
the edge of the tub for dear life. He leaned into her ear without missing a
beat.

‘Do you want more Leila?’ he whispered.

‘Yes,’ she said.

‘How, tell me Leila, how do you want it?’

‘Like that Jack. Hard and fast.’

Her words seemed to fuel him and he grabbed at her hips and
jerked back and forth. Leila could feel her orgasm coming close and she
welcomed it. With a couple more thrusts, she came and she felt jack’s own
shudders and groans. Afterwards, he pulled her back onto his lap and gently
washed her off.

Leila returned the favor by changing her position and
washing him down. She soaped him, rubbing the cloth over his muscular chest and
the coming down to his manhood. Her eyes rose when she saw that he was hard again.
Oh Lord, the man was unbelievable, she thought with delight. She wanted to do
it again and again.

It happened on the second week. Jack had told her during the
day that he wanted to take her out for dinner. Leila took her time getting
ready and when she looked at her reflection, she liked what she saw. Her skin
glowed and the off shoulder shimmery black dress, showed off her body
perfectly.

Jack was waiting for her downstairs and when he saw her, he
whistled.

‘You look amazing,’ he said.

‘So do you,’ Leila said, admiring his black suit and white
shirt.

He held out his arm and she linked hers with his. They
walked out together into the moonlight and waiting car. Jack was a complete
gentleman, Leila thought as he held the door for her to get in. He sat next to
her and this time it was he who took her hand into his. Along the way, they
passed shops already decked out in Christmas decorations.

‘You like Christmas then?’ Jack said.

Leila nodded happily. ‘I love Christmas and all the
trimmings. It brings back sweet memories of growing up. It was the one time
when my parents and I spend days with each other with no interruptions of work
or school. What about yourself?’

Leila realized then how little she knew of Jack. He never spoke
much apart from mentioning his parents in passing and she knew there was a
brother and a sister.

‘We always have Christmas lunch with my parents and siblings
and grandparents from dad’s side. It’s fun, I like it,’ Jack said.

‘You’re lucky to still have your parents alive,’ Leila
commented.

He squeezed her hand. The restaurant overlooked the
mountains and from her vintage point by the window, Leila could see lights
stretching as far as her eyes could see. She imagined families seating to
dinner and probably talking about their plans for the holidays. She turned her
eyes from the window and looked at Jack.

He looked breathtaking in his dark suit. The lights of the
restaurant brought out the blueness of his eyes, making them a shade darker.
Leila felt as though she could burrow herself in them and loose herself in the
blue sea of loveliness. Her eyes lowered to his mouth and she found herself
blushing. Jack looked at her in amusement as though he could read her thoughts,
which he probably could.

To distract herself, Leila looked around the packed
restaurant, though tables were placed at a discreet distance from each other.

‘Appetizer?’ Jack asked her when the waiter came.

Leila shook her head. She wasn’t a big eater and an
appetizer would do the opposite and fill her up instead, spoiling her appetite
for dinner.

‘OK, we’ll go straight to the main course,’ Jack told the
waiter. ‘Leila?’

‘Go on and order for both of us please,’ Leila said, her
mind on the last few weeks.

So much had happened and every day, she and Jack grew
closer, though she had to admit that they spent more time in bed than out of
it. Still, she felt as though he held back a part of himself. It was nothing
she could lay a finger on; rather, it was a feeling. Sometimes he got that
guarded look on his face and she wondered what the cause was.

‘What are you thinking about my precious Leila?’ Jack said,
with a teasing smile.

Like now, when he uttered endearments to her, they felt like
part of her name, rather than a sweet name for a lover. She looked at him and
decided to be honest.

‘I was just thinking how much I’ve enjoyed getting to know
you. But then it crossed my mind how little I know you. I feel as though you
hold yourself back and I was wondering the reason behind it.’

Like a curtain, the feelings on his face closed away, in its
place a neutral look, almost like a spectator observing a scene with minimal
interest.

‘Maybe after tonight, you’ll not think that way again,’ Jack
said and fished a dark blue velvet box from his pocket.

Leila’s eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. Was
this what she thought it was?

He pushed his chair back, came to her and knelt by her side.
He held her hand and kissed it. Then his blue eyes focused on her face.

‘Leila Wakefield, will you do me the honor of becoming my
wife?’ he said.

Tears flowed freely from her eyes. She touched his cheek and
nodded.

‘Yes I will.’

The applause from other diners reminded Leila that they were
in a restaurant. The world had ceased to exist as far as she was concerned. She
felt as though her heart would burst from joy. She couldn’t wait to speak to
speak to Susan the next day to share her news. Leila and Jack held hands
throughout dinner.

They skipped dessert, and like teenagers ran to the car as
soon as Jack paid the bill. In the car, they barely spoke, the emotions of the
last hour rendering Leila speechless. There was so much to think about. The
wedding, her dress and wrapping up her life back in California. As if on cue,
Jack spoke to her.

‘Planning the wedding?’ he teased in a gentle tone.’ Big or
small?’

‘Definitely small,’ Leila replied.

He was not one for big weddings, after all her experience
with Horace had taught her that big weddings did not guarantee a happy
marriage. She wanted a small intimate ceremony with just Jack’s family and a
few friends. Jack was chuckling now and from the street lights, she saw how
relaxed he looked, the muscles on his face at ease.

‘I don’t know if we can get away with a small ceremony. All
my Uncles and Aunties reside in Texas and my mother….where do I begin? She’s
been on our case to get married for ages. I doubt I can convince her to a small
ceremony.’

Leila thought of her own mother and imagined how she would
have reacted had she been alive.

‘I believe my mother would have been the same way. I was an
only child and born later in their lives so I know she would have made a big
fuss about it,’ Leila said. ‘It doesn’t bother me either way. As long as we’re
together, I’m happy.’

She waited for the words of love or even affection to come
but none did. Her own mouth itched with the need to confess to Jack that she
had fallen in love with him but his silence put her off. She told herself to
give him time. He was probably one of those people who needed to be sure of
themselves before saying something.

Still, it would have been nice to hear words of endearment
along with the proposal. Leila shrugged it off, after all he was going to marry
her. Which man married a woman he was not in love with?

That night, their lovemaking took on new proportions. The
fact that Jack was now her fiancé made Leila a little teary as they made love.

‘Are you alright?’ Jack asked, concern written on his face.

Her emotions were raw and her feelings on the surface. She
looked at Jack’s handsome face hovering above her and she felt overwhelmed by
emotions.

‘I’m fine,’ she said with a smile. ‘I love you so much Jack.
I’m in love with you, isn’t that crazy?’

He smiled back. ‘It’s not crazy at all.’

His mouth came down on hers and he kissed her wildly. It
only hit her later, after Jack had returned to his own bedroom that he had not
spoken of his feelings for her. It hurt Leila a little but she refused to focus
on it, instead, she concentrated on the positive bits of their new
relationship. She fell asleep with a lot on her mind.

Jack’s quiet refusal to share her bed until morning. The
subtle distance he held between them.