From Mistresses To Wives?: Mistress to a Bachelor / His Mistress by Marriage / Accidental Mistress. Susan Napier
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‘Maybe not yet. We can learn together.’ Zac hadn’t moved from his position, but there was nothing indolent about him. ‘I’m not giving up on this, Jess!’
She looked back at him helplessly, rent by opposing forces. Dark hair tousled, jawline shadowed, the towelling robe that was so obviously his only covering on the verge of falling all the way open, he stirred every part of her.
Zac settled the conflict by reaching for her, drawing her close to kiss her with a passion she couldn’t hold out against. She felt the swift sure touch of his hands at the tie belt of her wrap, then the garment came loose, exposing her to the exquisite sensation of skin to skin; tying her innards in knots that could only be untangled one way.
‘Come back to bed,’ he murmured.
Whatever doubts she still harboured deep down, the rapture to be found in Zac’s arms was more than a match for them. Lying utterly drained afterwards, she could only compare what she felt like right now with what she’d known in the past. With no other experience to draw on, she had taken it that Paul’s self-interest was typical of all men. Zac had certainly rid her of that notion. Her pleasure was so obviously as important to him as his own.
No more hesitation, she resolved. If this wasn’t love, it was certainly heading that way. They had the rest of their lives to get to know one another.
Her objections to ordering breakfast for two via room service were rendered invalid when Zac informed her that he’d booked the room in the name of Mr and Mrs Prescott.
‘You were so sure of me?’ she said.
‘Sure I wasn’t going to give you up without one hell of a struggle,’ he returned. ‘I left you to save a scene in the foyer, that’s all.’
‘Then created one kissing me the way you did,’ she accused.
‘A mere parting gesture between husband and wife. A little premature, perhaps, but good practice for the future.’
Jessica had to smile. ‘I’ll remind you of that the first time you forget.’
‘See me off the same way every morning, and there’s no chance!’
There was something in that statement that bothered her a little, but the thought passed from mind as she contemplated the more immediate future. Mrs Zachary Prescott! Who would ever have believed it?
She opted for coffee and croissants from room service, watching in some bemusement as Zac demolished a full English breakfast.
‘How do you manage to keep so fit if you eat like that every day?’ she queried.
‘I don’t,’ he said. ‘Not every day. I just happen to have a need for extra sustenance this morning.’ The grey eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘Can’t imagine why!’
‘It’s going to be difficult telling Leonie about us,’ she said. ‘She thinks I gave you the brush-off.’
‘So, I refused to be brushed off.’
‘But aren’t you going to feel rather…awkward? I mean, considering the circumstances?’
Zac gave her a speculative glance. ‘Anything that’s taken place between Leonie and me happened before I knew you even existed. You must know her well enough to have a fair idea of her reaction. She’ll be surprised, naturally, but she’ll take it in her stride. She takes everything in her stride.’
Jessica could agree with that assessment up to a point. She’d yet to see her cousin thrown by events. Only this was surely a case on its own.
‘Just how much do I tell her?’ she queried.
Zac lifted his shoulders. ‘I see no need to bring Grandfather into it.’
‘Not even to explain why we’re getting married in such a hurry?’
‘We don’t have to explain it,’ he said. ‘It’s entirely our own affair. We’ll start the ball rolling this morning.’ He paused. ‘What about your parents?’
What about them? she almost asked, biting it back to say instead, ‘I’ll be contacting them, of course.’
Dark brows lifted. ‘Contacting?’
Jessica met his gaze with an equability she was far from feeling. ‘I haven’t seen all that much of them since the divorce. They live opposite ends of the country now.’
‘It’s hardly that big a country.’ Zac studied her thoughtfully. ‘What kind of a relationship did you have with them before the divorce?’
‘Not terribly close,’ she admitted. ‘They spent most of the time at loggerheads with each other.’
‘With you in the middle.’
‘On the periphery. I learned to stay out of it as much as possible.’
‘Could be things might have been better all round if they’d divorced a great deal earlier than they did.’
‘They probably would have done if it hadn’t been for the hotel. Finally, even that failed to keep them together.’
The grey eyes held an empathic expression. ‘It sounds as if you had a hellish childhood.’
‘Not really,’ she said. ‘They were never hard, just a bit indifferent.’ She hesitated. ‘How’s your mother going to react to all this?’
His smile was brief. ‘She’ll be happy enough once she’s met you. She always wanted a daughter.’
A daughter-in-law was hardly the same thing, Jessica reflected. ‘You must miss your father a great deal still,’ she said.’
‘Yes, I do. He’d have liked you,’ he added. ‘Grandfather does.’
‘With some reservations,’ she suggested lightly.
‘True.’ The smile this time was teasing. ‘You’re a mite too lippy at times, he thinks, but that’s up to me to do something about.’
‘I’ll make a note to be properly subservient the next time we see him.’ Jessica sobered again at the thought of how little time he might have.
‘How long is it since your cousin Brady got married?’ she asked after a moment.
‘Nearly a year.’ Zac had sobered too. ‘His wife is pregnant, hence the increased pressure on me to at least make a move toward following suit.’ He paused, regard veiled. ‘Were you serious about wanting children yourself?’
Jessica lifted her shoulders, hardly knowing which way to answer. ‘It isn’t something I’ve ever given any thought to. I just told your grandfather what I believed he’d want to hear.’
‘Right.’ There was no telling what his own thoughts on the subject might be. He put down his knife and fork and pushed back his chair. ‘We’d better get moving.’
Jessica made the appropriate answer, only too happy to put the question from mind. She would need to be a whole lot more certain of the long-term future before she gave it any consideration at all.
The morning went by on wings. With time at a premium, Zac jumped at the offer of a slot fallen free at the Register Office on the following Monday due to a cancellation. From there they went on to Aspreys, where Jessica was invited to choose both engagement and wedding rings.
‘I still can’t believe it’s only three days since we met!’ she exclaimed over a late lunch. She lifted her left hand to look at the diamond hoop once more, seeing the stones flash as they caught the light. ‘This must have cost the earth!’
Zac looked amused. ‘The only woman I ever met with a concern for my pocket!’
‘I’ve told you before,’ she responded with mock severity. ‘You’ve been mixing with the wrong type!’ She sobered again to add, ‘Speaking of which—’