He slightly pouted his lips and shook his head at her, “I thought you would drool over the chef, not the meal. Are you sure you’re telling me the truth, Anna?” She propped her face with both palms and stared at him, her smile unwavering on her face.
“I'm so serious, but if the chef would be added, then I think it will be manageable as well.” She chuckled at the expression he had on his face as if that wasn’t what he had imagined she would say and she took him off guard. Anna watched him stirred the meal before he worked toward her and she managed to keep herself calm, her racing heart steady and the palms that were getting sweaty as dry as possible, but nothing worked.
He sat down after he had pulled the chair beside her and she sat upright as well, he took both her hands in his and smiled warmly into her eyes, “I’m sorry, Anna.” Woah, she had never seen this coming, did she? Because all she though was that he was going to say something naughty which might possibly make them forget the meal they were about to take and indulge themselves into something she had never imagined they would.
She steadied her expression and nodded her head, “I’ve heard you, but what are you apologizing for, Jack?” She asked, trying as much as she could to look as clueless as possible, but she knew Jack wasn’t going to buy that from her.
“For what I did in Florida. I believe I was the first one that had taken our first into the level it shouldn't have taken, even though you started it first...” She cut him off with a hint of laughter, thankfully the conversation wasn’t going as sour as he had imagined it would.
“No, you started it first. That day, I was so angry at Mom and was so eager to go and meet Nate, you can’t blame me.” She seemed to be in a good mood even though that was the least thing he had imagined she would be today. Considering how the day had started for her and she would certainly be remembering all he had said to her. Somehow deep into his heart, Jack knew this girl deserved a good life, because for the two days he had spent with her even though she didn't let him touch her all in the name of punishing him for pranking her, he realized she was the most innocent girl he had ever come across with and she had a very good heart.
“But you insulted me first, imagine how angry a big man like me would be for a girl like you to insult him. I was furious, the only thing that stopped me from giving you an earful was when that colleague of mine called me, I’m sure something bad would’ve happened.” She was rolling her eyes at him at the time trying as much as she could to stop herself from bursting into a peal of laughter.
“The way your body looked, how your uniform hugged your muscles was so hard for me to believe that you weren't an athlete and that was why I referred to you as a bodyguard. I can say it had always been fun to see you looking so riled up when I refer to you as one.” She chuckled and Jack pinched the flesh on her arms, which made her whined, “Jack, no physical abuse please.” She stood up to walk away from him and with a single swift move of his hand, she was back on his laps and she dilated her eyes.
“I need to go,” she urged, trying to get off his laps but he held her as firmly as he could and she knew she would have to try for five years and even more, but so long as he held her the way he did now, she was never going to get herself freed from him. “Please, Jack, I need to go.”
“Where do you think you’re going? Do you have a better a better place to be than in your husband’s arms?” She was still struggling to get out of his hold, “Stay put, Anna.”
“Your food, aren't you afraid that it will get burnt, Jack?” She squirmed to get out of his hold but couldn’t.
“I've turned down the volume of the fire, you don't have a reason to be worried, okay?” She turned and their eyes get caught together. She stared into his eyes and there was something in them which she had never seen before in her life. She knew she didn’t know Jack so much in her life, she couldn’t count the times she had seen him either, but she also noticed even an ounce of change in him.
It was a cool look that spoke of peace and comfort. She stopped moving voluntarily and relaxed in his hold. “I shouldn't be on your laps, Jack.” She said weakly even though she knew it wasn’t a protest anymore. She was now melting slowly under his touch and she was beginning to get afraid of what would be of them now.
“This is the right place you should be, Anna.” She gulped down a lump in her throat and nodded her head, “You haven’t answered me yet,” he spoke with a husky voice and reluctantly, Anna wrapped her hands around his neck, and she was aware of the slight shiver that escaped his lips. She didn’t know why they were doing what they were doing now. She was slowly losing her control, and she didn't want that to happen any time soon.
“What is that? I couldn’t remember any unanswered question from you.” She said with a weak voice and Jack moved her closer to his body that she doubted if he didn't want to move her back into his stomach.
“I've asked you to forgive me, didn't I? And you acted as if you haven’t heard that.” He stared into her eyes at how they were now gleaming with tears, “And no, this isn’t about Nate, and I'm only apologizing for what happened in Florida, the rest of the things will be apologized for accordingly, we have a lot of things, you know?” She chuckled and nodded her head, which gave way for her tears to roll down and she tightened her hold on his neck.
“I know, we can’t forgive everything at once. So, Jack, you’re forgiven for everything you’ve done to me in Florida. What about me? Do I have to ask for your forgiveness, I wasn’t much of a bad girl in Florida, was I?” She chuckled at the expression he had on his face and she watched the way his smile looked so genuine and then her tears could stop pouring no matter how she wanted to stop them even though she was yet to know her reason of crying this much now.
“You have to ask, but there are other ways for apologizing part from saying you’re sorry.” He smiled brightly at her and she acted dumb, slowly clearing off her tears.
“Which ways are they?”
“You can kiss me; I think that’s the most effective way of making me forgive you for everything that has happened between us in Florida...” The way she had dilated her eyes made him chuckle and he nodded his head, “I know, you can’t do that. Let me see which way is...” she stopped him when she merged their lips in a passionate sync and Jack gasped which came out as though it were a moan. She closed her eyes to feel the sensation of his lips on hers and she felt the way he brought her closer to his body.
She slowly broke their lips and stared into his eyes, “Was that enough?”
“No, it wasn’t, but maybe this will be.” He didn’t give her a chance to speak when he merged their lips together and she chuckled happily. She wasn’t sure about what she felt for Jack yet, but even though sometimes it ached, during times like this, it was the sweetest feeling she had ever felt in her life. She tightened her hold on around his neck and kissed him even harder as she played with his hair, which forced out a moan from his lips.
Jack broke their lips for them to have a breather and she smiled and ducked down her head shyly, “Your meal, it’s definitely going to get burnt now.” She uttered and when she tried to stand up, he didn’t stop her, only held her wrist as he moved with her to the cooking gas.
“What else do you want to eat? We can quickly make it.” He asked as she shook her head as she stared at the fully prepared meal in the pot.
“This is everything and more, I'll quickly go and wash up before you arrange the table. Thank you for the meal, Jack.” She lifted her feet and pecked him warmly on his cheek before she rushed out of the kitchen lest he hold her back and she knew if he did, they might not be able to control themselves like they did the last time.
When she came back into the kitchen, he had his phone lifted upwards as he videotaped the dishes he served while he spoke, “Oh there, that’s Anna Brayden.” He stopped and when their eyes met, he winked at her, “Oh sorry, she has been my wife now for three days and they’re the best three days of my life. Mrs. Anna Roberts, your meal is here waiting for you.” She was glad she had taken a quick shower even though she wasn’t sure what that video was for, but she knew the moment she heard ‘The best three days of my life,’ she knew it was going to be public, so she smiled brightly at him.
She sat down on the chair and nodded at him, her lips not having the ability to close themselves. “Thank you for this meal, Jack. I can already know that it’d be the best I'd have.” He moved forward after he had placed down his phone around the angle that will have a better view of them before he moved forward and lifted her face with his thumb, she smiled and when he kissed her, she kissed him back lovingly.
He quickly sat down opposite her after he had turned off the camera and she chuckled, “What are you going to do with that?” She asked briskly while she served them. She couldn’t wait to dive into the meal because she could say it would be so delicious.
“Oh this?” He asked, his mouth full. “I'm going to forward it to my family group, they can't believe me when I said I'm treating you right and Mom keeps on saying she needs proof. I'm sure that wanted the proof but she acted as though it was her, so there they go. I’ve sent it al...” he wasn’t even done with his sentence when Anna coughed out the contents of her mouth and she roughed to the basin and rinsed her mouth.
He was staring at her until she turned to look at him and he questioned, “Are you pregnant?”
She rolled her eyes exasperatedly, “How can you send them something like that? I've kissed you back in that video, Jack!” She was pale already and he looked so calm as though what she was saying wasn’t important enough.
“I made sure I didn’t put anything you’re allergic to, are you okay?”
“Jack! Be serious, I'm talking about that video, can you delete it before any of them sees it? I promise I'll go to the house myself and tell them you’re treating me good.” She whined, but it seemed as though Jack wasn’t going to pay heed to what she was saying. Did this man had to remind her every day the reason she hated him so much?
“I know you aren’t pregnant yet, but maybe we need to speed up the process, don’t you think?” Before she replied, his phone rang and he chuckled, “There, Willa calls already.” And Anna wanted the ground to eat her up.