Scandalous 2 Page 0,2

his hand and he smiles at me. The hollowness in his eyes fills and I can feel him shutting me out. There's something going on that he doesn't want me to know about. I don't press; It's our last night here.

With a playful look on his face, Jack says, "I have things planned for this evening. We'd better get going." He extends his arm around the back of my shoulders and I lean in close to him. Disappointment flashes in my eyes, but it's not for the reason he thinks. Jack smiles and says, "Don't worry, preacher-girl. I promise that you'll like it."

Chapter 3-4

Chapter 3

JACK

Abby looks at him with those green eyes of hers and it's all he can do to keep his mouth shut. There's no point in worrying her when he doesn't even know what's going on. So far this resembles the normal start to a show, but deep within him, Jack knows something else is happening. It's nothing more than a feeling, but it makes him want to protect Abby from the brunt of it. If he can figure things out quickly, he can tell her it's nothing to worry about. Jack has gone through this before, alone. There are always people who protest his work, but this time it's different. The typical hate mail that Gus is always receiving now has a personal twist on it. Instead of aiming at his art, the protesters are aiming at his heart. It's been hard enough when they've accuse him of horrible things and pointed at his paintings like they're proof. But everything has shifted this time. The fingers are pointing at him, and the art is secondary - a reason to show up and crucify Jack. After everything that's happened, Jack doesn't know how well Abby will take it. When the scandal hit a few months back, it nearly tore them apart.

Jack runs his fingers through his hair. Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe it's the same old crap in different packaging. Even as he thinks it, Jack knows it's not true. There's more to it than that. He just doesn't know what.

Abby leans into him, breathing in his scent. Jack lets his worries scatter. Tonight is about her. He reaches for the door and the two walk along the beach under the moonlight. The wind lifts Abby's hair, blowing it in his face.

She pulls it back. "Sorry. It's been uncontrollable this week." Uncertainty flashes across her face, like she has no idea how stunning she is.

Grabbing her shoulder before she can pull away, Jack says, "It's been perfect. I like it when it's all soft and wavy like this. It reminds me of what it's like in bed, after I've run my fingers through it." By the time Jack finishes speaking, his voice has dropped to a whisper. One of the things that surprised him was how much Abby likes it when he leans in close to her ear and whispers stuff like that. The response is instant. She glows, and a shy smile creeps across those ruby red lips. Jack pulls her to a stop and looks down at his wife. His eyes fixate on her mouth, on the perfect curve of her upper lip, the way it forms a beautiful bow, but it's the lower lip that makes his mouth water and fills him with need. It curves so perfectly that it fills his mind with all the times he's nipped it and sucked it into his mouth. A flash of heat washes over Jack as the memories rush through his mind. Too many of them are of bare skin for him not to be aroused.

Leaning in slowly, he presses his mouth to hers. The kiss is gentle. The roar of his pulse drowns out every other sound except Abby's sweet little sigh. Jack's lashes lower. He presses his forehead to hers, wanting her.

"We can go back to the room," she offers.

Jack's gaze slips sideways to the beach. He thinks about her slick body writhing beneath his as the waves crash over them. It's a fantasy he's had about Abby since high school. Some things never change, but he can't ask her for that. Not yet. Abby is so shy about things. She still doesn't understand what she does to him, not fully. It's like being offered air and then having it taken away. When Jack's not with her, there's a pressure on his chest, like he can't breathe. Jack's never felt that before.