The Temporary Wife (17 page)

He kissed her again. It was a hungry kiss, one filled with passion and longing, but tempered by gentleness. He took small sips of her lips, then probed deeper with his tongue. Meg melted at his touch and responded eagerly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and as the soft folds of her dress rode up, Jason grasped her bottom and pulled her closer. His hands moved over the soft skin that had been the focus of his attention in the limo.

When he pulled away for a breath, she left a trail of kisses over his neck. “You are a very bad girl, Megan Campbell.”

“And you love it,” she whispered while she nipped at his ear. She was right, he did love it. Meg may have been unsure around the people in his life, but in the bedroom, she knew exactly what she was doing. And what she was doing was making him crazy.

Eventually, her dress frustrated him and he unzipped it, let her stand, and watched as it puddled around her feet. Jason almost passed out because all the blood left his brain. Meg was standing before him like a goddess wearing nothing but a black lace thong. “I’m not going to survive this,” Jason groaned. “But what a way to go.”

“You’re a big, tough guy; I’m sure you can take it.” Wiggling so she straddled his lap, she made her own observation. “You have too many clothes on,” she cooed. Her fingers played with the studs on his shirt, and one by one she released them. Her hands spread across his hard chest, slid over his shoulders, and pushed the shirt behind him. “That’s a little better, and definitely more fair, considering.”

He smiled. “I think we should close the door so no one gets an eyeful.” And an eyeful they would get, of Meg.

Nibbling his ear, she mumbled, “Whatever. I just want you naked.”

“Hang on,” he said. She was positively wanton and he loved it, but one of them had to use common sense. Jason clutched her bottom with both hands and lifted her like she weighed nothing. Meg wrapped her legs around his waist and held on.

She nuzzled his neck as he carried her to the bed, laying her down gently and then closing the door. Her scent still reminded him of wildflowers, but now it was tinged with the hot smell of their bodies.

She didn’t stay on her back for long. Just as he was about to undress, she was on her knees unbuckling his belt and pushing down his pants, running her hands over his ass and his thighs, pushing down his briefs. She slid her hands over him and kissed his chest. “God, you’re so beautiful, Jason.”

He ran his fingers through her hair and held her head so she looked up at him. Guilt swamped him. He shouldn’t have a second chance with her. Everything about her was warm and soft and giving, and he’d done nothing in this life but take and leave wreckage. “Meg, tell me you forgive me.”

“Forgive you?”

He had to say it, he had to face this once and for all.

“For not standing by you. For letting my father hurt you. I know I hurt you, too. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything.”

Meg’s hands stopped moving but stayed flat on his chest, her eyes locked on his. She probed, looked deeply, and then his beautiful girl leaned into him, and saved him. Meg ran her fingers into his hair and kissed him—three times. She kissed him with forgiveness, with promise, and with all the love in her heart.

“Thank you for that,” she said. “Thank you.”

The fire in his belly cooled to a subtle warmth as he touched his forehead to hers. His apology brought his mind back to the reason he’d wanted to be with her tonight. Jason wanted her to know how he felt, how much he loved her. He couldn’t bring the words to the surface, but he could show her, he could get her to feel what he felt. He stared into her eyes. Behind the bright green he saw the love that she’d stored up over the past fourteen years. The months they’d been together had made the emotions more intense, more vital for each of them. His breath was ragged as he kissed her soft, sweet lips and touched her beautiful face.

“God, what have I done to deserve you?” he gasped.

She pulled him onto the bed and Jason kissed her again and again, until the fire between them returned and Jason stretched out above her. Their bodies, their skin, belonged together. He raised himself so he could see her and shuddered. Quite simply, she was a dream. Her body was delicate and rounded. Feminine. No muscles, no bones, no signs of hard workouts, just beautiful skin, a small waist, soft curves. Her breasts were full and begging to be touched. He couldn’t speak and knew all she could hear was his heavy breathing. His lips moved over her neck and shoulder, and his fingertips grazed slowly over her naked body.

All he could think about was the heat. The warmth where their bodies touched, the hot pulse he felt between her legs. She moaned as Jason’s hands found the most sensitive places, the secret places he’d discovered when they were only learning about each other. He kissed her until she couldn’t think, touched her until she went limp, and let his mouth skim over the sweet skin he hadn’t tasted for months. And as she started to peak, she begged him to take her, to come inside her and be a part of her.

When he entered her and heard his name slip from her lips, felt her legs and arms wrap around him, Jason lost control. He filled her so perfectly that she seemed to melt into him. There was never a choice for either one of them. When Jason and Megan were together, it was like some cosmic balance was restored. Mistakes were in the past, and only the future mattered. Her movements brought him to the edge of reason. Grabbing her hips and lifting them higher, he thrust into her deeply, with such power and possessiveness that Meg cried out a little with each movement. She pulled him closer until finally they both surged and tensed, their cries echoing each other. Their eyes were locked as the climax ripped through them with a fury neither one expected.

Jason collapsed, knowing he’d given Meg every ounce of himself. He moved slightly, rolling her so she rested, nestled in his arms. He felt her staggered breathing and her tiny, damp body. “Meg?” He stroked her hair. “Are you all right?”

She tilted her face toward his, and the pure joy shining in her face gave him his answer. “I love you,” she said. “I’ve always loved you.”

Hearing her words, having her curl up next to him and slip her arms around him, Jason felt as if he’d been delivered.

***

“What’s your favorite flavor?” she asked him. They sat cuddled in bed, eating ice cream at three o’clock in the morning.

“Vanilla, same as always. Why?”

“I thought maybe it changed. You were always so predictable. When we’d go out, you’d always get a plain scoop of vanilla while I wolfed down a sundae.”

“You eat ice cream like it’s a religious experience,” he joked. Her eyes narrowed, and he grinned while digging his spoon into the container for another taste of chocolate chip.

Settling in to the crook of his arm, she took another spoonful from the pint of rocky road in her hand. “I guess there’s something mildly sacred about chocolate.”

He laughed, and Meg felt the hairs on the back of her neck stir. Then nothing. Just the whisper of warm breath as he pressed his lips into the curve between her neck and shoulder.

“It’s better than I remember it,” he said.

“What?”

“Making love to you. It’s better now. I realized that when we were on the boat.”

“Do you think so?” she asked. She pulled at the collar of the oversize shirt that kept slipping off her shoulders.

“Uh-huh. It’s probably because we aren’t afraid of being caught.” He laughed again.

“Possibly. I think it’s because we’ve grown up. Gotten past the baggage,” Meg said.

His arms tightened, and she heard him inhale sharply. “Do you think about what would have happened if we hadn’t split up back then?”

She peered over her shoulder and thought about his question, wondering if he’d missed her at all when he’d gone away to school. She’d always thought he hadn’t cared, but the way he talked about it now made her wonder what was true. His jaw was set and his eyes downcast. “I used to think about you all the time. But I don’t think we would have stayed together. We weren’t ready,” she said.

He kissed her forehead, swung his long legs to the side, and sat up. “I thought about you a lot, too. But you’re probably right.”

Crawling into his lap, Meg rested her head on Jason’s shoulder. She wanted him to understand what she was feeling, because everything had changed between them. This life they’d started to build was fragile, and if they were going to have a future, the past had to be buried. But at the same time, he needed to understand who she’d become. “I was miserable after you left and I hated you, but I had to learn to live without you, Jason. You’d been part of my life since I was eight years old and, yes, the way we ended things was hard, but we couldn’t have stayed together.”

“I didn’t know how much you mattered to me until I lost you. Maybe that’s what I needed.”

“Maybe you did.”

“I never knew what you saw in me, anyway. I was a complete geek.”

“You weren’t a geek.” Meg looked back and grinned at him. “Okay, maybe you were a little bit of a geek, but I always loved that big brain of yours.” She was happy to get all this out in the open, but sad for what they’d put each other through. “We both made a lot of mistakes. I expected too much.”

Jason’s arms squeezed her tighter. “Don’t. All you ever gave me was love. Don’t blame yourself because I didn’t know how to return it.”

“But—”

He cut her off. “No. I should have treated you better. You deserved that.”

Jason took the ice cream, which was starting to melt, from her and put both their dishes on the night table. The ache in his chest was more palpable now, more like guilt, and it wasn’t because they’d had a hellish breakup, but because he had made her feel like she wasn’t good enough for him. He didn’t know how she’d ever forgive him for that, but it appeared she had. Which made Jason the luckiest bastard on the planet.

“This thing between us is starting to feel real.” Meg’s head dropped back against his shoulder.

“I know,” he said.

***

Meg turned in Jason’s arms, thinking about his words, and allowing what he’d said to sink in and heal the old wounds. Her lips touched his collarbone, and she tasted the sweat from earlier. Immediately, all she could think about was being close to him again. Loving him. Meg knelt and straddled his lap, kissing him slowly, deeply, and without any break. She felt him harden immediately, and a smile forced itself across her lips.

“You don’t play fair,” he grumbled.

“Do you want me to stop?” Her tongue was leaving a wet path on his chest. Meg was planning on moving down his body until she felt Jason’s hands on each side of her hips. He picked her up slightly and lowered her onto his erection, filling her so completely, Meg thought she would orgasm immediately. But she moved, set the pace, and the pleasure was all over his face, so Meg held on, keeping her arms around him, enjoying the waves that were rising and falling in both of them.

Now he was moving, too, matching her, capturing her mouth with his and bringing new intensity to their lovemaking.

The look in his eyes was half-crazed and he didn’t hold anything back, moving and holding her so close, she could feel his heartbeat, feel his breathing.

Everything.

Meg felt everything as he shattered her again.

Chapter 18

Harper raced into the kitchen at seven o’clock in the morning looking like a friggin’ supermodel.
Crap.
She should have looked like a disaster, but she didn’t. Even in jeans and a T-shirt and minus her makeup, Harper looked amazing. If Meg hadn’t disliked her so much already, this morning would have put her over the edge.

“Where’s Jay?” Harper asked, frantic.

“He’s still asleep. Why?” Meg knew he was asleep because that’s how she’d left him thirty minutes ago.

When they’d gotten back from the city, Jason had walked into Meg’s room and started moving all her things into his room. Closets were rearranged, bathrooms, everything. They hated sleeping without each other, and Jason was adamant that he wanted Meg in his bed.

And want her he did. Every night. And he found a way to convince her even when she was tired, but Meg was hardly complaining. The sex was incredible, and she was as insatiable as he was. Last night she’d been sound asleep when he came to bed. He spooned against her, and Meg felt him naked and hard against her back. She wiggled her bottom and welcomed him without a second thought. He slipped into her warmth, moving gently, and after they’d both come, he held her as they went to sleep.

It was gentle, loving, and perfect.

Their lovemaking had as many moods as they did. Sometimes it was hot, wild. Other times slow and romantic. And other times it was just fun, and they laughed and teased each other to distraction. The only thing Meg could want more was for her husband to be able to tell her he loved her as much as she loved him. For now, however, Meg had to be happy that he was showing it.

It took her a second to catch Harper going toward the back stairs. “Where are you going?”

“To get him. I need him.”

“Harper, he was up late. Can it wait?”

“Wait? No, it can’t fucking wait! Greek Isles Banking has had a security breach. Account numbers, balances, personal information, have all been compromised.”

Meg felt her mouth dry up. Reliance was never hacked. Security was never compromised. Jason made sure of this. It was the thing that drove him to exhaustion most of the time.

“Oh, shit,” she whispered. “I’ll get him.”

“Meg, this isn’t some game,” Harper snapped. “This is work. I should handle it.”

“Harper, I know it’s serious.”

“This isn’t the time for you to be jealous.” As soon as she said it, Harper stepped back and seemed to realize this is what had gotten her on Jason’s bad side. He and Meg kept no secrets, and where Harper was involved there was full disclosure.

Meg pushed past her and went upstairs, her mind spinning as she thought about what she’d say. This company was his life, something he built. What was she going to say? Kicking off her shoes at the top of the stairs, she walked down the hallway to their bedroom.

Cracking the door she saw Jason on his stomach, spread-eagle on the bed, snoring. The muscles of his bare back and arms rippled when he moved, and Meg had to pull herself back to the task at hand.

Tiptoeing into the room, she sat on the edge of the bed and reached out, touching his warm, smooth skin. She was rewarded with a snore that sounded like something out of
Looney Tunes
, all loud and gurgly. It was adorable and a little scary—just knowing she thought it was adorable told Meg how far gone she was over him.

“Jason?” She gave him a little push, and he snored again. “Jason? Harper’s here, she needs you for something.”

He opened one sleepy eye and grinned at her. “The hell with that. Get naked and get in here with me.”

His hand shot out, and with one quick movement he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down next to him. Damn.

“God, you’re hot,” he said, kissing her neck. “The things I want to do with you . . . I think we need more make-up sex.”

“No, because then we’d have to fight first and I don’t want to fight. And as far as what you want to do to me, make a list. You have to get up.” She could think of a few things to put on that list.

“I am up. Very up. I’ve been up for weeks. Whenever you’re around, I’m in agony.” He nipped at her neck again. “A list, huh?”

“Jason, stop.” Meg pushed off and rolled away from him. “Harper’s here and she needs to see you.”

“It’s seven in the morning. Why is she fucking here?”

“It’s important. A bank had a security breach.”

As quickly as he’d grabbed her, Jason was up, out of bed, and grabbing for a pair of jeans. Meg knew this was urgent, but she couldn’t resist propping herself up on the bed to enjoy the view.

“Details,” he said, pulling on his pants and quickly yanking a T-shirt over his head.

“Greek Isles Banking. Account numbers and personal information. Harper’s in the kitchen. Go to your office, I’ll bring breakfast.”

He hit the door at a run, but turned and came back to where Meg was still sitting on the bed. Her heart surged a little when he cupped her cheeks in his hands and planted a soft kiss on her lips. It wasn’t deep or lingering, but it held sweetness and affection and . . . possibilities.

“I’m going to make that list, and we’re going to do every sordid thing I can think of,” he said. “And I’m sorry again about last night.”

They’d had a fight the night before, over Harper and how there never seemed to be a minute without her. Even when Jason wasn’t working, she was there. She used his office and computers, and it drove Meg nuts. But Jason had apologized, said he was going to set boundaries, and they’d made love until he was sure she wasn’t mad anymore. But Harper’s visit today was legitimately important, and Meg wasn’t going to let her personal feelings interfere with his work.

Meg brushed his hair away from his face. “I can’t wait. I’m sure you’ll be very imaginative. Now, you go be your brilliant self and deal with the bank. We’ll talk later.”

He kissed her again, and she took a breath before following him out. But just as she started down the stairs, she saw Molly skipping toward her. Her dark hair had escaped its braid overnight, and she looked like a crazed fairy.

“Hey, cutie. I laid out your clothes. Go get dressed and meet me in the kitchen for breakfast.”

Molly nodded, but Meg wasn’t going to get off so easily. “Is everything okay? I heard you two fighting.”

Meg sat on the top step and patted the space beside her. How was she going to explain this to a five-year-old? Molly sat and looked up with worried blue eyes that deserved an honest answer.

“You know, Uncle Jason and I, we got married pretty quickly, and we’re trying to figure this whole thing out.”

“You got married for me?”

Shit, how did she know that?
Meg was always surprised by the little girl’s perceptiveness.

“That’s part of it, yeah. But we do care about each other. Both of us were used to doing things on our own and now we have to get used to having another person in our lives. We’re going to make mistakes, but it will be okay.”

“You’re not mad anymore?”

Meg looped her arm around Molly’s shoulder. “Not at all. In fact, Uncle Jason and Harper are dealing with a problem, and I’m going to make them something to eat. Get dressed and come downstairs and I’ll get you something, too. Then I’ll take you to school.”

“Harper’s here? Why?”

“Because she’s helping Uncle Jason solve a problem. It’s okay.”

Molly got up and hugged Meg before wordlessly heading down the hall. The quiet acceptance spoke volumes. Molly trusted them to keep her safe and to make her feel loved. It was one of the most incredible and frightening things Meg had ever experienced.

This is what mattered in the end. If you could be there for a small child, make a difference, show them love and care, your life was complete.

That also went for adults. There was no room for her caution if she wanted to be happy; she had to be willing to risk everything, and that meant showing the man in her life what he meant to her. It meant accepting Jason’s faults and problems, his personality quirks and his crazy life. More than anything, it meant accepting the people close to him, including Harper. Meg knew Jason wasn’t perfect; God knew she wasn’t, either. But together things were pretty wonderful with them. Quirks and all.

***

“Conference call is waiting, and I pulled the syslog. It’s up on the big screen. Nothing unusual, but I don’t always spot what you do.” Harper was nothing if not efficient, and the two of them made a good team. As long as she learned her place with Meg, they’d continue to make a good team. Jason pulled on his headset, adjusted the mic, and pressed the flashing number on the multiline phone.

“Niko, talk to me.”

And that started Jason’s day.

***

Nine hours later, he looked at the numbers scrolling across the screen and he cringed. The problems were cascading, taking down parts of the system, locking him out of others, and wreaking havoc with all the information. He wanted to recommend a shutdown of the servers, but that would throw the bank’s customers into a frenzy.

He picked up one of the sandwiches Meg had left for him and Harper. He hadn’t thought about eating until his stomach made so much noise he couldn’t concentrate.

Settling in his big leather desk chair, he thought about his gorgeous wife. He was so damn lucky, he hoped he could muster up enough sense not to run her off. He really didn’t think he could live without her, and that realization, that epiphany, was what had set him off the night before.

Their history was one thing, but it was the here and now that threatened what they wanted to build. Mistakes were only a problem when a person kept making the same ones over and over. Jason was done making the same mistakes with Meg. He glanced over; Harper was sitting in a large armchair, working on her laptop, intent on something that was flashing on her screen. He needed her to understand that things couldn’t stay the same between them. Meg had changed everything.

“I love her, Harper.” Just saying it to another person made it more real. “I think I always have.”

Everything in the room went very still, and Jason didn’t know what he should expect. Rage? Acceptance? The remains of her coffee over his head? Anything could happen, but she had to know; they had to stop pretending.

Harper closed her laptop and looked at him with an expression he could only describe as blank. There was nothing, and that made him more uncomfortable than her temper.

“Do you want me to congratulate you?”

“No, I want you to understand. She’s been integral to my life since I was a kid and they moved onto the estate. My first best friend, my first love, she’s my first everything. I won’t lose her again.”

There was more silence from Harper’s side of the room, and when she finally said something, it was the last thing he expected to hear. “Then I guess you need to grow a major pair and let her know that you want her in your life. That you aren’t just looking to get laid or for some arm candy, but that she’s your partner. Forever.”

“That sounds like a country song.” He chuckled, but Harper wasn’t laughing.

“You need to commit to her, Jay. Granted, she’s not the kind of woman I would have envisioned with you, but I’m starting to see that I don’t know you nearly as well as I thought I did.”

“I never meant to lead you on. The sex between us—”

“
Was just sex.
I don’t want to marry you, and I’m not wounded. Well . . .” She thought for a second. “Maybe a little bit. You should have told me the truth about her so I could have stepped back. She fucking hates me, and with good reason.”

There was a beeping that had both of them turning their attention to one of the large screens on the wall. They’d been monitoring the bank’s systems all day, and they still had no idea about the origins of the attacks. Jason punched a few keys and shut it down before any damage could be done.

“I’m missing something,” he said. “Goddamnit! What am I missing? I feel like someone’s just messing with us to see what he can do.”

“It’s probably something obvious.” Meg’s voice was soft, sweet, and sexy, and he was never so glad to see her. Just knowing she was there, in his corner, helped quiet the noise in his head.

“Probably, but what?”

Harper stepped forward, and Jason watched his wife take up position behind his chair, making sure his assistant was kept out.

“We’ve looked at every angle. The security techs have closed the circle, but we’re still getting attacks.”

“I wish I could help, but the closest I’ve been to any kind of circle was today at story time.”

Harper made a little sound in her throat, and Jason hoped Meg didn’t catch the derisiveness. The look Meg shot in her direction told him she did.

“Of course, I’m only a lowly kindergarten teacher, but pretty much everything has more than one side, right?”

“Pretty much.” Jason didn’t know where this line of reasoning was headed.

“So if it’s not coming from one side, maybe it’s coming from another.”

Harper folded her arms and cocked her hip. “You think the attacks are coming from the inside? Everyone who works with the servers has top security clearance. Their credentials are impeccable, and access is restricted. The only person who has access to everything is the president of the bank.”

“What was it that Sherlock Holmes said? ‘There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.’”

Jason gazed up at Meg and knew she could have decided to spend her life running some Fortune 500 company or curing cancer. The woman was brilliant.

“I’m going to take Molly to dance. I’ll pick up pizza on the way home. Is that okay?”

Jason nodded. “Perfect. Thanks.”

“Harper, will you still be here at dinnertime?” The sweetness was oozing out of her, and Jason had to stifle the laugh; Meg was really forcing it, but at the same time, he appreciated that she was trying to understand about his work.

“Uh, maybe. It depends.”

Meg smiled as she left the room, and for the first time since they got together, she seemed happy and confident. Maybe it was knowing he wanted her so much. Maybe it was the relief from the pressure of the custody battle. The adoption proceedings were moving along as planned, and in a few months there would be no question about where Molly lived. That’s when he knew they’d have to make decisions, and the way he felt today about her, he didn’t want her to leave. Ever. However, he was aware of the fact that there were ten thousand ways for him to screw this up. This wasn’t going to be easy, because Jason knew that even though Meg loved him, she’d be cautious. She had every right to be, and her mistrust of all things Campbell, her wariness about his lifestyle, might be enough for her to put on the brakes.