Wife by Wednesday (18 page)

He had stripped to his boxers and Samantha’s gaze shifted low. “You’re not tired.”

She slid a hand up his chest. He sucked in the scent of her skin. Three hundred and sixty five days didn’t seem to be enough.

“Besides,” she whispered in her deep, sexy, bedroom voice. “We didn’t celebrate our real wedding night the way we should have. I think we need to make up for lost time.” She tapped the box against his chest. “But we need more of these. When I get back to the States I’ll see a doctor, but until then, we need to be careful.”

“My suitcase,” he told her. “I’ll get them.” He didn’t want to be tempted to take what she didn’t freely give, so he walked away, and found a half empty box of contraceptives.

When he returned to his bed, Samantha was already spread over the covers, one knee pulled up in offering. Blake forced thoughts of lawyers, tomorrow, and a year from that day far away while he made love to his wife.

After returning to the States, Sam immediately drove to Moonlight to visit Jordan. Guilt over enjoying her time in Europe with Gwen coupled with the excitement over her new life with Blake, knotted her stomach when she walked into
Jordan
’s room. Her sister’s strawberry blonde hair was tied back with a scrunchy, her pink cotton shirt sported a stain where some of her lunch missed the mark.

“Hey, hon,” Samantha said as she moved to a chair across from where
Jordan
stared out the window.

Jordan
offered a half smile, all she could manage after the stroke. Her eyes lit up with recognition and she lifted her good arm, which Samantha grasped in a tight grip.

“M-Miss you.”
Jordan
’s words were slurred.

“I missed you, too.” She’d only missed one scheduled visit, but Samantha knew
Jordan
looked forward to them. It wasn’t like her baby sister had a lot in life to pull her out of bed in the morning. “Have you been eating?”

“Yes,” she said with her mouth, but her head shook in denial. One of the things that Samantha had learned to do was to read
Jordan
’s body language more than her words. The words didn’t come easy, and often didn’t match
Jordan
’s thoughts. Facial expressions and gestures were the key to understanding her.

“Do you want to help me with some of this Mongolian Beef? It’s from the Golden Wok, your favorite place.”

Jordan
smiled. “I like there.”

“I know. Me, too.” Samantha opened a box of takeout and the scent of spicy beef spilled into the air. After fixing a rolling tray in front of her sister and a small plate of food, Samantha pressed a fork into
Jordan
’s hand.
Jordan
hated to be fed. Even though her sister struggled to get the food in her mouth, she wasn’t happy if she didn’t do it on her own.

“I-I seen… uhm… I see—”
Jordan
struggled to find the words.

“You saw who?” Samantha bit into her late lunch, realizing for the first time that she hadn’t eaten all day. She and Blake had arrived late the previous evening and slept in. Before lunch, they’d both gone their separate ways, Blake to the office, Samantha to see
Jordan
. Food didn’t even cross her mind. The tantalizing flavors exploded in her mouth and her stomach rumbled with appreciation.

“Mom.”

Samantha’s fork stalled.

Jordan
nodded.

Samantha placed her fork down. “Honey, Mom’s been gone for a long time.”

Jordan
’s brow pitched together as if searching for a memory. “At night. Seen her at night.”

“In a dream?”

“Yes.”
Jordan
shook her head. “At night.”

Now Samantha was confused. Did
Jordan
see someone who looked like their mother? Maybe a new aide at the home? Or was she dreaming of their mother and signals were crossed in her brain.

“I think of her sometimes, too.”

“I miss her.”

Samantha placed a hand on
Jordan
’s knee. “I miss her, too.”

****

“I need to fly to
New York
,” Blake told Samantha nearly a week later.

“I was wondering when you’d start traveling again.”

She knew Blake spent more time in his jet than in any of his homes. To have had him in her bed every night for nearly a month was a luxury she didn’t think would continue forever.

“You can come with me.”

They were drinking coffee on the veranda overlooking the ocean. A routine they’d both enjoyed since their return from
Europe
. Part of her wanted to jump at the invitation. But the practical part of her kept her from accepting. The internal clock in her head, counting backwards with the time she had remaining as Blake’s wife, was getting louder every day. The harder she tried to ignore the click, the worse it dug into her soul. There were times, like now when he was smiling at her and encouraging her to travel with him, that Samantha felt like their marriage was more than a piece of paper. More than a mercenary act they’d both wanted. The way Blake made love to her and held her even if they were both too tired to do anything else, dripped into her heart daily.

“I shouldn’t,” she sighed.

“Why not?”

“I’ve neglected
Jordan
. She didn’t eat well while we were away and she’s been having trouble sleeping.”

Blake reached for her hand. “You don’t have to feel guilty for having a life, Samantha.”

“I know. But it’s hard. I’m all she has.”

“You can always move her in here. We can hire full time help.”

It was the second time Blake had offered to relocate her sister. And if her marriage to Blake wasn’t temporary, she’d take him up on his offer in a millisecond. “We’ve been over this. It wouldn’t be fair to bring
Jordan
here, then pull her away after...she won’t understand. That kind of stress results in illness and medical setbacks.”

“But—”

“Please don’t. I know you mean well, but I have to look out for her long-term interest.”

Blake drank his coffee and dropped the subject. “I’m only going to be in
New York
for the weekend. Senator Longhill is having a small campaign dinner and I should attend.”

“He’s the one who wants to give tax cuts to exports, right?”

“You have been listening.”

Samantha tossed her unruly hair back and raised an eyebrow. “All this beauty and a brain. Shocking isn’t it?”

“It’s nice to have a conversation with a woman outside of the bedroom.”

“Oh, ouch.”

“I suppose that isn’t fair.”

“I hope not. Otherwise I might have to draw a line between your words and what I’ve pictured as your father’s personality.”

Blake slammed his hand into his chest. “Oh, that hurt!”

“Honesty is our code word, my darling Duke. I’m sure all the women haven’t been that bad.”

“
All the women,
you make it sound like I had a harem.”

“You had a lot more than me.”

He laughed. “That wouldn’t have taken much, my darling Duchess.”

“Still…”

“I might have been able to talk to the previous women in my life, but I didn’t confide in them like I do you.” Blake’s eyes narrowed, as if he was surprised to hear his own confession.

That proved something… didn’t it? Blake had to feel more for her than any of the temporary women in his life.

“So you need to schmooze the Senator. Keep him on your side of the shipping fence.”

“Exactly.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Friday morning.”

She pushed aside her cold coffee and squeezed Blake’s hand. “I’ll miss you.”

His gaze traveled to hers before he pulled her hand to his lips for a tender kiss.

But her words weren’t repeated back.

****

Blake used to looked forward to cocktail parties. They were often a breeding ground for an affair, or maybe even a one-night stand. As he walked around the room, overflowing with beautiful women, his thoughts were of his wife. Of Samantha being by his side where they could mingle, drink, and comment about the different personalities in the room.

Her guilt over her sister was palpable. After returning from Moonlight their first day back, Samantha was close to tears.
Jordan
meant everything to her and Blake was helpless to relieve any of the stress related to
Jordan
’s care.

Sure,
Jordan
wouldn’t understand when it would be time for Samantha and her to move away, but surely the year would be worth it. With some effort, he and Sam had taken
Jordan
off Moonlight’s property for a trip to the zoo. The day had brought so many smiles to the girls’ faces that Blake wanted to play hero and make it possible for them to be together more.

The constant trips back and forth to Moonlight seemed to tire Samantha. She even skipped her morning exercise routine more than not. Blake didn’t mind since it meant he could spend more time with her before going to work.

“Penny for your thoughts?” A familiar and unwanted voice sucked him out of his daydream. He straightened his shoulders, ready to face a woman scorned.

“Vanessa.”

Much taller than Samantha, Vanessa in heels nearly looked him in the eye. As always, she was perfectly manicured, from the top of her blonde head, to the tips of her toes peeking through the jeweled stilettos cradling her feet.

The sweet smile she wore used to work, but now he only heard the term Samantha used for his ex…
viper.

“So nice of you to remember my name.”

He supposed he deserved that. It wasn’t as if he had the opportunity to break it off with her before he decided to pick a bride from Samantha’s service.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He kept his voice low and forced a smile on his face.

“I knew you were ruthless, I just never thought you were a coward. You could have told me about your plans. I might have been able to help you out instead of that mousy woman you’re—”

Blake lifted the hand he held his drink in, cutting her off. “Have some respect, Vanessa, Samantha is my wife.”

“For how long, Blake?” she whispered, leaning in.

His gaze narrowed, but his smile never fell. “Green isn’t a good color on you.”

Vanessa’s lips fell into a tight line. “Jealous… of her?” Her snide laugh brought a few eyes from the crowd toward them. “You’ve tied yourself to a woman raised by thieves. Trusting her with your last name will be your downfall.”

“Thank you for your concern.” The calmer he was the more upset Vanessa became. How did he not see this side of her when they were together?

“Women like her won’t be happy until they own your soul. You’ll wish it was me you’d asked to be your wife.” The viper said her peace and stood back.

He leaned in, so only she could hear his retort. “The only thing I wish for, Vanessa, was that I’d met Samantha before meeting you.” It was ugly, but he’d had enough of Vanessa’s venom spewing about his wife.

Instead of a glass full of liquor splashing in his face, Vanessa did something unexpected. A sick smile spread over her lips as if she held the world in her hands. “Oh, my. You do care for the girl. Even better. Enjoy the pain, Blake.” Then she walked away.

****

Blake extended his trip to
New York
through Wednesday, which would have sucked even more had Samantha been feeling better. She made good use of the time by making an appointment with her long-time doctor and friend to obtain a more convenient source of birth control.

Sitting on an exam table wearing a flimsy hospital gown, Samantha braced her arms against the chill in the room. The stress of her marriage, and worries about her sister, were keeping her awake at night, and wreaking havoc with her appetite.

A slight knock on the door proceeded Dr. Luna’s entrance. In her mid forties, Dr. Luna had been Samantha’s doctor since her teenage years. She’d prescribed every antibiotic she’d ever taken and held her hand through the death of her mother.

“There you are. We were wondering when we were going to see you in here.”

“Hi, Debbie.” The formalities went away a long time ago, which made it even easier to walk into the office.

Debbie hugged her before taking a seat on a rolling stool. “It’s good to see you.”

“Life got a little crazy.”

“I know. It’s not every day I see my patient’s faces in the tabloids. I can’t believe you’re married. I didn’t even think you were dating anyone.”

“Blake and I didn’t wait once we knew what we wanted.” Which wasn’t a complete lie, but certainly not the truth. So far, the line had worked on everyone Samantha had delivered it to. “Part of the reason I’m here is to get on those birth control pills we talked about.”