Meetingpub (6 page)

“
How
considerate of you.” I nodded in thanks.

“
We're
going to my parents' house for dinner right now. They're greatly
looking forward to meeting you as well.”

“
It
sounds lovely.”

“
Would
you like some champagne?” Jack leaned towards the built in wine
glass holder to take out a glass before I had even responded.

“
No,
thank you. My stomach is still a bit unsettled from the flight.”

He
straightened himself, looking ever collected. My nerves were on fire,
and I only hoped I seemed half as calm as him.

“
So,
tell me a bit about yourself. I'm to marry you in six months, and I
don't even know anything about you,” he said.

“
Well,”
I searched for things to say. In all honesty, there wasn't much to
tell. “I just graduated from UTSA with an Associates in
Mathematics. After we're married, I plan on going back to school to
get my Bachelors and then my Masters and PhD.”

“
Very
admirable. What do you hope to do with your degree?”

“
I'd
like to be a Calculus professor at Yale or Harvard.”

“
Impressive
ambition. I like a woman with ambition. And hobbies? What do you like
to do for fun?”

“
Painting
and playing the harp.”

“
I
would love to hear you play some time, and see some of your art
work.” He sounded genuine, but I was almost certain it was only
out of respect for our upcoming marriage. “Is there anything
you would like to ask me?”

I
couldn't think of anything off the top of my head. To be honest, I
had researched him thoroughly before my flight, spent every moment of
the last few days that I hadn't been packing or spending time with
Liam to learn everything that I could about the man whom I'd soon
call husband.

Fresh
out of high school, Jack Kemble had become immersed in business,
forgoing college for a hands-on education. His father schooled him in
all matters related to running a multibillion dollar corporation, and
whenever Jack had gotten up to speed, his father had handed over the
reigns, going into early retirement. He still coached Jack on the
more difficult aspects of business, but for the most part, Jack was
on his own, handling things with the grace and professionalism that
were rare in someone his age.

“
Your
hobbies are fly fishing, hunting, and golf. You have a dog named
Brownie and a horse named Winnie. When you were eighteen, you began
learning your father's business and had taken over shortly after
turning twenty-four. Your birthday is March sixth, and your favorite
food is peanut butter sandwiches with bananas,” I rattled off
all that I could remember.

A
wide grin spread across Jack's face. “Very impressive. I see
you did your homework.”

“
I
did,” I giggled, feeling like I had somehow just embarrassed
myself.

“
Now
I feel like I came completely unprepared.”

“
I'm
afraid you won't find out much about me on Google.”

“
Then
I get a free pass for not knowing your favorite food.”

I
enjoyed his lighthearted humor, and he seemed surprisingly easy to
talk to. Maybe things would be alright after all.

At
dinner Jack's family was more than courteous. They seemed genuinely
interested in my life back in Texas, and of course, they asked plenty
of questions about my father's oil business. I did my best to answer
as accurately as possible, never one for giving out misleading
information.

When
dinner was over, I was shown to my room. It was generously large.
Even bigger than my bedroom at home. Before I unpacked, I took a few
minutes to lay across the California King bed, looking up at the
cream-colored ceiling and going over the night's events in my head.
All was well so far. Jack was incredibly polite and very handsome. It
seemed like he would make a good husband.

While
I tried to imagine how our life would be together, my mind somehow
kept drifting back to Liam. He had looked so upset when I left. It
was strange to be without him—without anyone that I knew from
back home. Here in New York, I was completely alone. Jack and his
family were all that I had now. It would be a hard thing to adjust
to.

Tomorrow,
Jack would return to his own mansion, but I would be left at his
parents' house. His parents were old-fashioned Christian Catholic and
felt it was inappropriate for me to live with him before the wedding.
I wasn't sure if I was happy about that or sad. From what the media
had told of Jack, he had a ferocious sexual appetite. While I was
sitting at home, denying Liam's advances and remaining ever faithful
to my one true love, Jack had been out living it up, dating super
models and movie starlets.

Maybe
it was better for me to stay with his parents. I was still a virgin
and not sure if I was ready to be pressured into sex. His parents had
the right idea. I only ever wanted to sleep with one man in my entire
life, and that would be my husband.

Yet
at the same time, I couldn't help but feel that being parted from
Jack left him open to invite other girls to his mansion without me
knowing. While he seemed like a good guy, I didn't trust him on that
front. He had been raised to live fast and carefree. Old habits
wouldn't die easily; I was certain.

The
night was restless, and after trying and failing to go to sleep for
over two hours, I decided to get up and step outside. A breath of
fresh air would probably do me some good.

As
quiet as a mouse, I wrapped a robe around myself and tiptoed through
the mansion to the top story living room which opened onto a balcony
that overlooked the estate. The night-time breeze was fresh and crisp
against my skin, cleansing me of my worries as I looked out across
the fields and hills behind the Kemble estate. This would all be mine
someday most likely. It was a staggering thought.

“
Couldn't
sleep?” a voice stirred me, and I swirled around to see Jack
walking towards me in nothing but a pair of sweat pants. The way they
hung from his hips brought deliciously naughty thoughts to mind, and
I felt ashamed of myself for even having them.

“
No,”
I replied, pulling the robe a bit tighter around myself. “Between
the flight and meeting you and meeting your parents. . . it's all
just been a bit overwhelming for me.”

“
That's
understandable,” he said as he stepped up beside me, peering
out into the darkness as if he was taking in the landscape for the
first time as well.

“
It's
very beautiful out here.” I turned my gaze into the distance.

“
Not
as beautiful as you,” the smile in his voice was apparent.

It
sounded like a cheesy line, but my cheeks still grew warm from the
thought that he found me attractive. I sighed contently, unable to
think of anything to say in reply.

“
Are
you looking forward to the wedding?” Jack asked.

“
I
suppose. It's still a ways off.”

“
Yes,
but it's best to prepare now. We're going to be married for a very
long time.”

It
was such a funny thing for him to say, and I didn't quite like the
connotation behind it. “The rest of our lives.”

“
Yes.”
He sucked in a breath. “I need to be up front with you. Being
my wife isn't going to be easy.”

“
I
didn't think it would be.” I glanced at his suddenly serious
expression.

“
I
wish that you would have come sooner. I have certain needs . . . as a
man.”

Oh
no, I thought, my mind racing with panic. Here's where he asks me if
I want to have sex. What will I say? If I deny him, things will be
awkward between us, but I can't just agree. What about what I want—my
needs?

“
There
are certain things that I like to do in the bedroom, and I need to
know that you'll be able to handle them before we wed,” Jack
continued.

“
I'm
a virgin,” the words came out of my mouth before I could even
think to stop them. It was the only thing I knew to say to hopefully
bring this unpleasant conversation to an abrupt halt.

“
Oh,
really?” He rubbed the back of his neck, shooting me a glance
of, what I could only describe as discomfort. Now things were really
awkward.

“
Yes.”
I tried to remain strong, preparing my rebuttal for his advances.

Jack
took a deep breath before speaking again. “There's a school in
California that I'd like you to go to before we're married. They can
teach you how to be the kind of lover that I need.”

“
Why
can't you teach me?” my voice was small, almost frightened
sounding. I couldn't believe that we had just met, and he already
wanted to talk about sex.

“
I'm
not that great as a teacher. And if you're a virgin, then you're
definitely going to need lessons.”

I
considered this for a moment. The prospect sounded fun and exciting,
yet at the same time I was offended that he wanted to send me away so
quickly after arriving. “We only have six months to plan the
wedding. I don't think it's a good idea for me to leave so soon.”

“
The
school is only for one week. I knew that we didn't have a lot of
time, so I signed you up for the compacted version.”

“
You
already signed me up!” I gasped, looking at him incredulously.
Now I was even more than offended. How dare him sign me up for some
creepy sex school without my consent? If this was how our marriage
was going to be, then maybe it wouldn't work out after all.

“
I
thought you'd be a bit more . . .” Jack hesitated, looking for
the right words to say not to piss me off. It was a bit too late for
that though. If Liam were here, he'd give Jack a good lesson in how
to treat a lady. Was this really what I'd been saving myself for?

“
A
bit more what? Slutty?”

“
That's
not what I meant. Calm down, will you?” His expression was
pained. “It's not what you think. This school is one hundred
percent professional. You'll learn things about yourself that will
completely change your life. And when you come back, I promise I'll
be the husband that you deserve.”

“
And
what if I don't want to go to this school?” I crossed my arms
over my chest, refusing to look at him.

“
Then
we'll still get married, but I doubt it will be a happy marriage.”

I
sighed, gazing out into the darkness. I had honestly expected him to
say that we wouldn't marry if I refused. Maybe I had even hoped for
it. Everything was happening so fast. It seemed like one surreal
event after another. I just wanted life to slow down and be normal.

“
What
kind of school is this anyway?” I asked finally, huffing to
show my disapproval.

I
could hear the reluctance in his voice. “Have you ever heard of
BDSM?”

It
sounded familiar, but I couldn't recall what the acronym stood for
exactly. “Isn't that something to do with fetishes?”

“
Something
like that. It stands for Bondage, Domination, Sadism, and Masochism.”

“
Sounds
like slavery to me,” I cut in sharply.

“
It's
about willingly giving yourself to someone else for their pleasure,
no matter what that pleasure may be,” he explained calmly. “The
school I'd like to send you to will teach you how to be a good
submissive so that you can fill all of my sexual needs.”

“
Can't
I do that without being a slave?” my words were bitter.

“
I
know this is a lot to digest right now, but I'd really like you to
consider it. You're a beautiful woman, and I think we'll make a great
couple. But a big part of marriage is compromise and being willing to
fill each other's needs. If you can't do this for me, then we've
already started off on the wrong track.”