The Billionaire's Temporary Bride (Scandal, Inc #3)(80)

"I love you," he repeated.

"I love you too." She felt like Jack stole her breath when he kissed her again, pulling her tight against himself like he was shielding her from an oncoming storm. Slowly he traced his hands against her back, calming and exciting her at the same time. The slow movements of his body against hers felt like a prayer. His breaths overlapped with hers in a chorus of excitement and need.

Their kisses deepened, keeping Charlotte wonderfully off balance. She tumbled into bed and Jack followed, helping her shed her clothing. He tossed his coat to the floor too, and Charlotte grabbed his tie, loosening it enough to pull the whole loop over his head. She laughed at the mess of clothes around them, feeling foolish for wanting Jack so badly. But when he leaned against her and kissed her again, she didn't feel foolish, she just felt wanted and needed, and somehow connected to Jack in a way she had never felt before.

As she felt his bare skin against hers, she trembled, pushing back against him as if their two bodies were one. Jack looked down into her eyes like she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, kissing her with wild abandon, planting searing kiss after kiss on her lips. Each time he pulled back, Charlotte gasped for air. She felt like she was drowning in her own delight, and she wrapped her arms tight around Jack, as if only he could bring her back up for air.

Their bodies were locked together now, and Jack held her tight in his arms as the pleasure grew deeper inside her. Charlotte let go of any inhibitions and gave herself to him completely. The bliss grew stronger with each passing second until it ached inside her. She felt frantic, impassioned and overwhelmed. Even though her eyes were shut, she felt like the room was starting to glow around them, illuminated by the passion of their shared desire. And as climax rang through her body, she couldn't help but shout in delight. It had never been like that before. She had never felt so connected to another person.


Charlotte gasped for air and opened her eyes.

Jack planted another long, hard kiss on her lips and smiled down at her. "Should I call the campaign and tell them to cancel the rest of the day?"

Charlotte shook her head. She gave him a quick, soft kiss on the lips, melting against him one last time. "No, we have an election to win." She spread her arms out and took a deep breath. She had never felt like this before. She had always wanted Jack, and she had loved him deeply, but this was different. This was more intense, and she never wanted to lose this feeling of complete connectedness.

Maybe hearing Jack say he loved her had made all the difference. Maybe it was the fact that they finally had no secrets between them. It didn't matter what made her feel so wonderful. She loved Jack, and she wanted to spend her life with him, and for the first time, she was sure he felt that, too.

"I don't want to ruin the moment, but if we're not canceling the event, we're running very late."

Jack hopped out of bed and started pulling his clothes off the floor. "We've got to get going."

Charlotte lay there in bed. She didn't want to get up. In fact, she didn't want to move an inch. She felt like she was back at the beach on the island, letting the surf crash over her body again and again. She felt wonderful as she caught her breath. She felt relaxed and content and in love, and then she felt sick to her stomach. She felt like the room had suddenly started to move beneath her. This time, it wasn't a good thing.

"Do you mind if I stay behind? You can tell them I'm feeling a bit under the weather," Charlotte said, taking a few shallow breaths. She looked for some excuse. "Otherwise, it will take me at least half an hour to get my hair and makeup looking halfway unsexed again."

Jack looked at her and back at his watch. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'll meet you this afternoon," she said.

Jack leaned over the bed and kissed Charlotte on the cheek. "You look radiant, by the way. I don't think you've ever looked more beautiful."

That's funny, because I've suddenly never felt less beautiful, Charlotte thought. She swallowed hard. She didn't want Jack to worry about her. She figured that the last thing he needed was to waste a campaign day worrying about her.

"You're not so bad looking yourself," she said.

"Call if you need anything," Jack said. He smiled and headed for the door.

As soon as he was gone, Charlotte jumped up and ran to the bathroom. She lay down and pressed her cheek against the cold marble floor. She hardly ever got sick. It had long been a point of pride. Her mother had been the same way. She had always told Charlotte that the only time she ever got sick was… Charlotte froze as she realized.

"No," she said to herself. It wasn't possible.

She did the math in her head and thought back over the past few months. Another wave of nausea rolled through her body, and she retched into the toilet.

How could it be possible? She was on the pill. She had done everything right. Charlotte braced herself again as her stomach continued to spasm.

There was no doubt in her mind. She was pregnant. She was carrying Jack's baby.

She sat down on the cold bathroom floor. Everything between her and Jack had been going so well, and now she was going to have his child. She didn't know whether this was the best thing that could happen to them or the worst. Was she was ready to be a mother?

A few months ago, she hadn't had a commitment or a responsibility in the world. She hadn't known if she was ready for marriage, never mind motherhood. Before she could worry about what all of this meant for Jack, she had to figure out what it meant for her.