one last grin over his shoulder.
Her jaw dropped. She stood a long time before deciding a cold shower was exactly what she needed. She headed directly in and made hosing down her lust for him her first priority.
Cool water shocked her hot skin, and she danced involuntarily under the cold water. Re-energized, her sensations raced with visions of Jackson’s muscles rolling beneath his taut, bronzed skin, giving an impressive show of his strength and virility. She replayed the image of his body’s movements with her body responding to every one. She shook her head, trying to wipe him from her mind. She was legally married to Nick and in a tight spot with Wayde. She made a mental note to stay focused. Jackson was far too confident and distracting.
Once he was out of her thoughts, she refocused on what was important–Max. The ‘be a man’ attitude Wayde took toward Max disturbed her. He treated him like a thirteen year-old instead of a three year-old. If Max had to stay alone with him, she’d worry the entire time. Wayde always tried to instill fear in her. He played on her natural tendency to internalize and self-blame. The whole three months she’d been living with him, he used Max to control her. And she was going to put a stop to it.
Chapter 3
A soft voice over the intercom announcing dinner was being served interrupted Kinsley’s reading. Not that it mattered, she couldn’t concentrate on “Better Homes and Gardens” when getting out from under Wayde’s watchful eye and keeping Max safe was all she could think about. However, the rumbling of her stomach a few minutes later finally prompted her to put down her magazine and head to dinner. Mouthwatering aromas from the buffet surrounded her. Her room, just feet from the main room, was a continual feast for the nose.
The line for the buffet was sparse. The man slicing and serving from a large roast of beef nodded and smiled as he hummed. Most people had finished eating, and there were plenty of empty seats. Possibly, if she kept her head down and appeared to be absorbed in her meal, no one would approach her. She didn’t feel like making small talk. But before long, Jackson and Scar came by. They’d been talking as they approached the table, but stopped and gave her an enthusiastic greeting as they sat down.
“Hi.” Kinsley tried to sound happy, but the response sounded weak and pathetic following their cheerful hello.
“Wow, what’s up with you? You look like somebody stole your batteries,” Scar said.
“Maybe she just wore them out doing all that hard work in the garden today.” Jackson snickered.
She attempted to laugh, but the effort faded halfway through. It was all she could muster, at the time.
Jackson’s expression became serious; he pushed his plate aside and leaned in toward her. “Hey, joking aside, are you okay?” His eyes solidly embraced her.
“I’ll be all right. I’m just down.” The struggles of the last three months with Wayde bundled and embedded themselves in her. The weight of life was all over her. Too many men, too many secrets, and too little money. She had backed herself into a corner by cutting all financial ties to Nick before leaving New York, another passive aggressive ploy to spark him into taking her seriously that backfired.
“Take a walk with Jackson and me after dinner,” Scar said.
She smiled a fake smile because she didn’t have a sincere one to her name and tried to sound upbeat. “Sure, maybe getting out of here will do me some good.” She wasn’t sure, but she thought she noticed a private glance between Jackson and Scar when she answered. She wondered what was up.
After they resolved to help pick up her mood, the three finished their meal without much small talk. The quiet was welcome; she didn’t want to try to keep up the ‘I’m okay’ act anyway, not when visiting hours were later in the evening and meant spending time with Wayde. If she were fortunate, he’d bring Max. She’d be uneasy until she saw him. Going for a walk with Jackson and Scar would keep her mind occupied, but she’d have to appease Wayde tonight. If she’d learned anything in the last three months, it was to strive to stay on his good side. Life became a whole lot easier, survivable. She imagined getting friendly with Jackson wouldn’t be the right direction. It was only a walk, she reminded herself.
~ ~ ~
Once they got