Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Jack was worried about his wife.

In the last week, ever since she'd gone to the bank with her brother and he'd stayed home to try to get rid of his headache, she'd been different. Far more subdued.

And that was saying something, because his Maisy wasn't exactly Ms. Outgoing in the first place. But she was even more introverted now. And frankly, it was scaring the shit out of him.

She'd come to their room when she'd returned, where he'd been lying on the bed with his eyes closed, trying to relax, and she'd snuggled up against him without a word. Then she'd told him that she wasn't ready to move out yet.

She'd sounded so sad, so defeated, that Jack had agreed without hesitation.

Over the last week, she'd been completely different from the woman he'd been getting to know. She had an almost permanent line in her brow from worry, and she barely left their room. When she did, it was to sit outside in the sun, quietly staring into space and not engaging with anyone. Either that, or writing in the diary she'd started the day after her bank visit.

He'd pleaded with her to talk to him. Tell him what happened. All she'd said was that she'd had a panic attack at the bank, and an ER doctor had recommended she go back on her meds. She refused to discuss it further, and Jason claimed to have her hospital paperwork locked away in his office. Telling him in a condescending tone not to worry about it, that he'd always taken care of his sister, and Jack didn't need to trouble himself.

Jack was furious. Even more so about the red mark on her cheek, which hadn't escaped his notice. He immediately wanted to confront Jason the second he saw it that afternoon. But when he'd attempted to get out of bed to do just that, Maisy lost it. Cried and begged him not to say anything to her brother.

It was more than obvious that she was scared of him. Terrified, actually. Which was all the more reason to get the hell out of this house, but Maisy seemed more fragile than he'd ever seen her before. And the last thing Jack wanted to do was stress her out more than she was already.

The undercurrents in the house were more concerning every day. He didn't understand them, but they definitely gave him bad vibes. Anytime Maisy interacted with her brother, she kept her head down and barely said two words. She left most conversations up to him and Jason, which were now awkward at best.

But when it was just the two of them in the dark, in their bed, Maisy was even more different. She was demanding, almost desperate in their lovemaking. She clung to him as if she was afraid he would leave—which wasn't happening .

Jack had no idea what was going on, but he didn't like it. Oh, he certainly liked how affectionate and passionate his wife was, but not at the expense of whatever was going on. Jason claimed her mental health was fragile, and around her brother, that certainly seemed to be the case. But at night, when she begged him to take her harder, to fuck her in every conceivable position, she didn't seem fragile in the least.

If he didn't know better, he'd think she was putting on an act…but he wasn't sure which was the real Maisy. The delicate girl who barely said two words during the day? Or the insatiable woman who took everything he had to give then demanded more each night?

Not only was he worried about his wife, but he was getting more and more concerned about his own health. His headaches hadn't lessened, and he was getting flashes of things he didn't understand. He assumed they were memories, which he was thrilled about; there was nothing he wanted more than to remember his life before he'd woken up in this house. But what he saw didn't make sense. The flashes included people he didn't know and places he didn't remember. And most confusing of all was the sensation of flying. But instead of making him sick, the visions of being in the clouds, flying above cities and oceans, made him feel free .

It was puzzling and disorienting, and each new image made his head pound. Jack wanted nothing more than for the pain to stop.

Maisy jerked in his arms. They'd made almost frenzied love earlier. His wife had knelt between his spread legs and given him a blow job that turned his world inside out. She hadn't let him pull away, swallowing every ounce of his release without hesitation. He'd returned the favor until she was sweaty and writhing on the sheets after two orgasms. She'd then ridden him almost frantically, until he'd once more come deep inside her body. Then she'd dropped against him and fell asleep almost instantly.

When he'd tried to shift her off him to make her more comfortable, she'd clung to him and whimpered in the back of her throat. So he'd let her stay right where she was. And now she was shaking in his arms. Her eyes fluttering behind her lids, obviously in the throes of a nightmare.

For a brief moment, he felt empathy that was so strong, it could only come from understanding exactly what she was feeling. But when she moaned his name, the feeling vanished.

"No! Jack! Please, let me explain!"

"Shhhh," he soothed, hating how anguished she sounded. But she couldn't hear him.

"Jason, stop! I'll do anything! Please don't hurt him!"

Jack frowned. He didn't like what he was hearing. "Wake up, Stellina !" he ordered.

She didn't wake, but she did stop speaking. Instead, a constant whimper left her lips. It was heartbreaking, and she sounded so damn miserable, Jack was beside himself.

He rolled over, pinning her under him, cradling her face in his hands as he braced himself on his elbows. "Maisy!" he said, louder than before. "Wake up! You're dreaming. You're safe with me. I've got you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

He wasn't sure what he expected, but it wasn't for her eyes to pop open as if she'd been faking sleep. But she hadn't been faking. He knew that down to his bones .

"Jack?" she whispered as she continued to stare up at him.

"Yeah, Stellina . It's me. You're all right. You were dreaming. Want to talk about it?"

Once again, the question seemed familiar, as if it was something he'd heard all too often. And he wanted to snort, because the last thing he ever wanted to do was talk about his nightmares. Where that thought came from, he didn't know.

To his surprise, Maisy nodded.

"You have to know…I didn't want this."

"Want what, hon?"

"I mean, I did want this. A husband. A family. But not like this!"

Jack was confused, but he nodded, wanting her to keep talking.

"I love you," she admitted. "And that's no lie. I'd do anything for you."

"I love you too," Jack told her.

She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry."

"You aren't making sense, Stellina . It's your nightmare that has you so turned inside out."

She stared at him for a moment, before closing her eyes and nodding.

Jack didn't like the loss of eye contact. It felt like she was shutting him out, like she did during the day when they moved about the house. "Look at me," he ordered.

Her eyes opened immediately.

"I love you, Maisy. You've been the one constant in my life since my accident. You're the one person I know won't lie to me, who will tell me things as they are. And I'd do anything for you. Getting to fall in love with you a second time was a gift. Hear me?"

Her eyes filled with tears and they overflowed, coursing down the sides of her face into her hair. "The best day of my life was when I met you," she whispered.

Jack leaned down and kissed the salty tears from her face. "Then why are you crying?" he asked.

"When your memory returns, you're going to leave," she admitted in a barely there whisper.

Jack shook his head. "No, I'm not."

"You are. But it's okay. I'll understand."

"What aren't you telling me? What happened with us? Why'd I move to Spokane?" he asked. Then he shook his head. "No, you know what? It doesn't matter. That's behind us. We started over two weeks ago. Our renewal of vows was just that. A new beginning. I'm not leaving you, Stellina . And I'm not letting you leave me either."

She gave him a watery smile. "I'm going to make this right. I give you my word on that."

"We're already right," he said firmly. Anxiety rolled through his gut. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. Even though he'd just said it didn't matter why he'd up and left his wife, deep down, he knew it did matter. And he couldn't fix whatever happened between them if he didn't know the details.

She took a deep breath, then brought a hand up to her face and brushed the tears off her temples almost impatiently. Smiling slightly, she said, "So…it's the middle of the night and we're both awake…whatever should we do?"

Jack didn't want to change the subject. As much as he enjoyed making love to his wife, he had so many questions. Why she all of a sudden was taking so many pills again. He'd seen the bottles Jason had brought to her. He hated that she felt the need for medication, wanted to do something, anything, to lessen her anxiety. He couldn't fathom needing so many different drugs for a bout of anxiety, but…surely her doctor knew her medical history better than he did. Wouldn't prescribe her something that would be harmful to her, would he?

The hand that had wiped her face snaked down their bodies and managed to squeeze between them to close around his cock. Like usual, all it took was one touch and he was hard.

"Make love to me, Jack," she said, licking her lips.

He couldn't resist her. Anything his Maisy wanted, she'd get. "How do you want me?"

"Like this. You looking into my eyes. Long, slow, and deep."

Fuck, her words got him so hot. Jack moved his hips back and unerringly found himself at her opening. Then he was all the way inside. He didn't even remember moving. But his cock obviously knew what it wanted, and that was to be buried inside her warm sheath.

She was still wet from his earlier release in her channel, and the thought of his come filling her to the brim was so carnal, and satisfying as hell. "Like this?" he asked as he slowly caressed her from the inside.

"Yesssss," she moaned.

Jack made love to his wife just as she requested. Long, slow, and deep. He stared into her eyes as he did so, and she didn't break eye contact, not once. He felt closer to her than ever before…but at the same time, it almost felt like some kind of goodbye.

That wasn't happening. She was his . He wasn't letting her go. That was unacceptable. This woman was the other half of his soul. He had no doubt whatsoever about that.

He might not remember his life before Maisy, but he didn't need to. She was his past, his present, and his future. And he wouldn't let anyone or anything stand in the way of keeping her by his side. He'd forgotten her before, but that wouldn't happen again. He'd tie her to him so tightly there was no way either of them could extricate themselves. If that meant keeping her delirious with pleasure, so be it. It wouldn't be a hardship to give her multiple orgasms every night for the rest of their lives.

Speaking of which…Jack reached between them and tweaked one of her nipples and felt a corresponding tightening around his cock. He loved how responsive she was. But he needed her to come. He was on the brink himself, and he didn't want to go over the edge without her.

He moved his hand farther down and began to caress her clit. She moaned and shook her head, but Jack didn't let up. Within a minute, she shattered. But throughout it all, she didn't take her gaze from his own. When he released inside her body, it felt even more intimate because of their eye contact.

It wasn't until he felt himself softening inside her that he leaned down and buried his face in her neck. He inhaled, smelling her apple scent and the subtle—or not so subtle, considering how often they'd made love recently—scent of sex. It was burned into his memory. No matter how hard the next knock on his head was, Jack vowed never to forget it. Or her.

Instead of getting up to get a washcloth to clean them, Jack pulled out, arranged her against his side in their usual sleeping positions, and held her against him .

"Jack, I need to clean up."

"No. You don't."

"But…I'm leaking," she said with a smile against his shoulder.

"Don't care. Not moving," he told her.

She nuzzled his skin and tightened the arm around his belly. "I love you, Jack. If you believe nothing else, please believe that."

"I do, Stellina . I do."

She fell asleep quickly, and Jack felt his heart swell with love. The trust she'd shown in him made him determined not to let her down, as he'd obviously done in the past. Things were different now. He was a different man than the one who'd moved across the state for whatever idiotic reason he'd had at the time. It didn't matter if he regained his memory and remembered what had happened between them. He'd always love her. He couldn't imagine anything that might change that.

Jack woke up with a start. Maisy still slept like a log next to him. She didn't stir when he jerked against her. Turning his head to see the clock, he saw it had been two hours since he and Maisy had made love. The sun was just peeking over the horizon outside their window.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The dream had been so vivid. He'd been on a hospital bed. Everything hurt. he had no idea why he was there or what happened, but the beeping from the machines next to his bed were irritating, and he was sick of doctors and nurses looking at him with pity .

The next scene that flashed in his head…he was in a small, cozy bedroom of some sort. Owl was sitting on the floor with a hand over his nose. Jack's hand hurt, and he knew instinctively that he'd just hit him.

"Are you awake now, Stone?" Owl asked.

"I told you not to touch me when I'm having a nightmare or sleeping," Jack growled at his friend.

"Fuck you. I'm not gonna let you lie there and scream in pain. I'm fine. Want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Right. I had to ask. You sure you're awake now?"

"Yeah, I'm awake."

"Good. I'm gonna go make some pancakes. Take a shower. I'll see you in fifteen minutes."

Jack winced. The dream felt as if it was overwhelming his brain. It felt so incredibly real. He opened his eyes again and saw that he was still with Maisy in her room. He wasn't in the hospital and he wasn't wherever that cozy-looking room was.

Sweat beaded on his brow. Because the dream didn't feel like a dream at all. Except he had no idea who the man called Owl could be, or why he kept dreaming about him. And who was Stone? Was it really him ? It sure seemed as if Owl was calling him Stone. But the name meant nothing. He had no idea if it was a nickname or his last name or what.

He was Jack Smith. Wasn't he?

His stomach rolled. What the hell was happening? If this was his memory coming back, Jack wasn't sure he wanted it to anymore.

It was ironic that in his dream, he'd been asked the same thing he'd asked Maisy after she'd woken up from her nightmare. No, he didn't want to talk about the demons in his head that seemed to only come out at night.

Then something else occurred to him. He'd obviously punched the man called Owl for trying to touch him while he slept. It couldn't be a memory, because he had no problem with Maisy at his side every night. He obviously didn't mind her touching him, in fact, he slept like a freaking baby with her plastered against his side. Whatever he was dreaming had to be something he'd seen in a movie or on TV.

Maisy stirred against him, and Jack turned his attention to her, glad to concentrate on something other than whatever the hell was going on in his brain.

"What time is it?" she mumbled.

He loved her like this. Sleepy, open. Not hiding from him.

"Early. Too early to get up. Close your eyes, hon. You can snooze for a while longer."

"M'kay, but we need to go down for breakfast. Jason expects us."

Jack gritted his teeth together. Fuck Jason and his demands that they present themselves for breakfast. They were grown-ass adults, and if they wanted to sleep in, they should be able to do so. But he already knew from experience that if he said that to Maisy, she'd get upset, and it wouldn't be a good way to start the morning.

Instead, he simply said, "I know. I won't let you oversleep."

She sighed against him, and the feel of her warm breath against his chest made his cock twitch, but Jack ignored it. His wife needed sleep more than she needed sex .

He didn't fall back asleep, just stared up at the ceiling until it was time for them to get up if they were going to make breakfast by Jason's schedule. And just as he'd thought, as soon as Maisy was up, she morphed back into the introverted, submissive woman she'd become in the last week.

He hated it. He wanted the happy, smiling wife he'd gotten to know before she'd had that outing with her brother. He'd let Maisy talk him into staying at the house, but Jack was second-guessing that decision now. He needed to get Maisy away from her brother. Their relationship wasn't healthy, that was more obvious than ever. Maybe that was what they'd fought about before, the thing that had made him move to Spokane.

Well, he wasn't doing that again. He'd do whatever it took to protect his wife, even if it was from her own flesh and blood.

Determined to do what was right this time, Jack waited for Maisy to finish getting ready so he could walk her downstairs to start their day.