The Child's Father

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter 34. Author's note - the last chapter! Please let me know what you thought of the story in general. Since it's over now (except for the sequel, or course!), I'd really love to know. There's a longer author's note at the end of the story with more info, but I'm putting it there so you don't have to read it if you don't want to.

"Jack! I know you're off work, but if you don't cut that out right now, I'm going to be late for my job!" giggled Anne.

Jack pinned her wriggling form beneath his and kissed her laughing mouth. She thrashed, tangling herself further into the sheets as she tried to avoid the kisses that made her drunk with pleasure and took away any sanity or inhibitions she ever possessed.

But she couldn't, and so simply surrendered to a very deep, passionate kiss. Somewhere in the befuddling warmth that was Jack's lips, his skin, his hands, she was able to observe with a besotted air how much she adored him.

"There," he said as he pulled back. She smiled at him as he kissed her forehead. "Now you can go."

Before he could drag her back into blissful oblivion again, she sprang naked out of the bed.

"You said you would go, too, Jack!" she said, putting her hands on her hips, knowing that the authority she was trying to convey was somewhat undermined by the fact that she was now only wearing her underwear. "I bought you a ticket and everything! I thought you-"

He joined her and caught her by the waist, kissing her again, which silenced her irked words. "I know," he chuckled. "I know I did. You didn't give me time to say anything else, sweetheart."

Anne felt stupid, but didn't much care.

"You're rather adorable when you're flustered," said Jack.

Anne pushed him away and grabbed the dress she meant to wear and glared at him. When she had pulled it on, she continued her glaring.

He just laughed and she stalked off to do her makeup and fix what had been well-groomed hair before her and Jack's escapades of the past little while. When she finally managed to pin her hair into an appropriate style and fix her slightly smeared makeup, she emerged from the washroom.

Jack was standing there, looking gorgeous - there was no other word for it - in his slacks and dress shirt, with a sports jacket thrown lightly over his shoulders. He was fiddling with a cufflink as he looked up at her.

"Here, let me," she said, and with expert fingers did up the cufflink.

"Thanks," he said.

She looked up and gave him a brilliant smile, hundred-watted with happiness. "My pleasure."

He kissed her forehead and her smile became brighter as she bounded away to her jewellery box, sitting in a place of honour on the dresser across from the bed. Anne was originally going to leave it on the bedside table but Jack, having taken one look at the opulent jewellery therein, told her it deserved a seat on the dresser.

Anne rifled through the box for a long time, trying to find an accessory suitable for the dress, a black, boat necked little number that Jack had hailed as "tastefully coquettish". She was weighing a diamond bracelet and a pearl necklace in her hand when she spotted it.

Her sapphire-and-diamond pendant was winking at her from the centre of the box, seeming to beckon to her.

With a little smile, Anne picked it up. She remembered her promise as she hung it around her neck, her promise to think of Aaron when she wore it. And now, it having been two weeks since she last saw him, she could think of him with happiness and wistfulness, as opposed to grief and guilt.