THE INVITATION (The Marriage Diaries, Volume 5) (2 page)

Paige’s green eyes rounded in shock. “Oh my God, did Dean rob the cradle with you?”

“You don’t look old enough to be married twenty years!” Raina added, equally stunned.

Jillian laughed. “Thanks for the compliment, but I’m thirty-eight.”

Paige arranged one of her corsets on a display mannequin. “So, you were eighteen when you got married?” she asked, obviously having done the quick math in her head. “And you’re
still
married?”

“Yes, and yes,” Jillian said in answer to each question. “Happily so.”

“And clearly, Dean is still crazy about you,” Raina said, a soft, wistful sigh escaping her. “Whenever he comes in here and mentions your name, he always gets this crazy-sexy grin on his face.”

Yes, she was very fortunate to have a husband who still adored her.

“What do you think of this?” Raina asked, holding up a sheer red chemise trimmed in black lace for her to see.

“Too short and revealing,” Jillian said with a shake of her head, knowing if Dean saw that on her he’d be way too distracted. She wanted to tease him, not turn him into the uncontrollable sexy beast he became whenever he saw her naked. That outfit would be like waving a red flag in front of a perpetual horny bull, she thought in amusement. “I’d like something sexy, yet subtle and romantic,” she told Raina.

“Gotcha. You want to leave a little to the imagination.”

Jillian grinned. “Exactly.”

Raina nodded in understanding and headed toward a rack displaying more luxurious, high end lingerie. “So, what made you get married so young?” she asked curiously as she looked through the selection of rich silks, clearly looking for something specific.

“I got knocked up,” Jillian replied.

A startled look transformed Raina’s expression, and embarrassment pinkened her cheeks. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry . . . I didn’t mean to be nosey . . . it really isn’t any of my business.”

Jillian chuckled at Raina’s flustered composure. “It’s not a big deal. I was young, in love, and it was hard to resist Dean’s bad boy charm,” she said honestly, though it had been more than just his tough, sexy image and cajoling ways that had led her to give Dean her virginity at the age of seventeen.

She could clearly recall that fateful night, when she’d seen such agony in his eyes and discovered just how wounded he was on the inside, that beneath his rough, I’m-a-rebel personality was a boy who was scarred by a father’s verbal and physical abuse. And despite being a good girl who always followed her parent’s strict rules, she’d ignored their disapproval of Dean and followed her heart.

That dark, stormy night, his pain had become her own and all she’d wanted was to let him know that he was loved, so she’d replaced his torment with the deepest, most intimate thing she could give him. Her body and innocence.

Getting pregnant certainly hadn’t been part of the plan, but twenty years later she could look back and know that it all happened the way it was supposed to. Dean was her soul-mate and there wasn’t anything up to this point that she’d change about her life.

But now that the kids were grown and gone, a part of her was starting to feel restless and sometimes even bored — not with her marriage, but her daily routine. There was nothing to fill her time while Dean was at work, nothing that gave her a reason to wake up excited in the morning or left her with a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Her entire world had revolved around her husband and boys for nearly twenty years, and now that she had too much time on her hands she was beginning to crave something for
herself
.

Even if she did have an idea in mind, she wasn’t sure how Dean would react to her taking a job when he was a man who’d made it very clear that he would take care of his wife and family — in all the ways his father never had. Dean had always been determined that she’d never have to work and prided himself on being the sole provider. For her, it wasn’t about the money, but she wasn’t sure that he could differentiate the two in his mind, considering the emotionally painful dynamics between his own mother and father.

Jillian shook those thoughts from her head, and redirected her mind to the conversation at hand between herself, Raina, and Paige. “I know getting pregnant wasn’t an ideal situation for a teenager in high school,” Jillian admitted. “But I have two great boys and a husband who is-”

“Hotter and more sinful than the devil himself,” Paige interrupted with her own interpretation of Dean.

“Paige!” Raina said, scolding her friend for her candid outburst.

“What, it’s the truth,” Paige replied unapologetically, her hands on her curvy hips. “That man is sex on a stick and there is nothing wrong with me visually appreciating that fine body of his. Isn’t that right, Jillian?”

Jillian couldn’t argue with Paige’s logic. “Hey, the ‘you can look but don’t touch’ rule certainly works for me.” Actually, she found Paige’s description of Dean flattering. It was nice to know that other women were envious, and Jillian was secure enough in her relationship and marriage to feel no threat whatsoever.

“Ah, here it is,” Raina announced as she pulled a hanger from the rack. “I think this is
exactly
what you’re looking for. Subtly sexy, but soft and romantic.”

Jillian took one look at the negligee and knew it was the one. “I’d love to try it on.”

A few minutes later she was in the dressing room, her heart rate speeding up in excitement as she stared at her reflection in the three way mirror. The long gown was made of cool black silk that draped seductively across her body and hinted at her curves. Thin straps gave way to a loose bodice that caressed her breasts, rather than molding to them. The right side had a thigh-high slit to show a flash of bare leg when she walked, or sat down, and where that ended ribbons laced up the rest of the negligee, adding a little temptation to the otherwise demure gown and giving the illusion that with one little tug of the bow it would all unravel and fall away.

When she walked out of the room, Raina was waiting nearby for her.

“Well?” her friend asked expectantly. “What did you think?”

“It’s perfect. I’ll take it.”

“And look what else I found.” Grinning, Raina held up a pair of men’s black silk pajama pants for Dean.

While Dean preferred wearing his old, worn cotton sweat pants around the house, Jillian loved the idea of them wearing a matching set for their anniversary and adding a little sensual luxury to the special night. “I’ll take those, too.” Jillian handed Raina the negligee and followed the other woman up to the front counter.

“So, do you have big plans for your milestone anniversary?” Raina asked as she clipped the tags from the gown and wrapped up Jillian’s purchases in pretty pink tissue paper.

“Just a nice, quiet, romantic dinner for two at home.” It’s what Jillian wanted, even though Dean had given her the choice to go out to a fancy restaurant. She had the entire meal planned and was looking forward to a more intimate setting with her husband, just the two of them.

“Sounds lovely.” Raina rang up the transaction and swiped Jillian’s credit card. “And I’m sure he’s going to love the gift you had done for him.”

“I think so, too. I can’t wait to give it to him.” Her gift wasn’t a traditional anniversary present, but there was no doubt in her mind that Dean was going to thoroughly enjoy the surprise — and she had Raina to thank for the fantastic idea. “Thanks again for the recommendation.”

“I’m happy to help,” Raina said, waving away her gratitude. “And it helps my friends, too. Kendall told me that the pictures turned out
amazing
.”

“Oh, they did,” Jillian assured her with a smile.

“Here you go.” Raina handed her a pink Sugar and Spice bag with her new lingerie and Dean’s silk pajama pants. “I hope you have a wonderful anniversary. Dean is one lucky man.”

Jillian truly believed that
she
was the fortune one, in so many ways. “Well, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to
get
lucky,” she said, and left the shop with Raina’s laughter trailing behind her.

D
ean walked into the house, his stomach growling hungrily as he was greeted by the delicious aroma of the pork roast Jillian had been slow-cooking all afternoon for their anniversary dinner. He’d spent the past three hours with his guys at a martial arts studio, running through training and conditioning exercises, which everyone was required to attend the first Saturday of the month. Dean’s muscles were sore, in a good way, and all that aggression had given him a nice adrenaline rush he was still feeling.

He found Jillian in the kitchen, wearing her red silk robe and her hair gathered and clipped atop her head as she reached for the good china plates in the cupboard. The short hem of her robe inched up as she stood on her tiptoes and stretched her arm toward the third shelf, giving him a glimpse of pretty white lace panties and the sweet curve of her ass.

She was so intent on her task that she hadn’t heard him walk in, and when he came up behind her and easily grabbed the plates for her, she gasped in startled surprise.

She spun around, her hand on her heart. “Dammit, Dean, you know I hate it when you sneak up on me!” she scolded.

He chuckled and braced his hands on either side of her on the counter. “I wasn’t trying to be quiet.”

“No, you just
are
,” she said, her lips pursed in exasperation. “Stealth mode is your normal method of operation.”

A trait ingrained from his SEAL days. “Maybe you ought to hang a bell around my neck so you can hear me coming.”

The corner of her mouth twitched with a smile. “Don’t tempt me.”

Seeing his favorite meal on the stovetop, he inhaled deeply and his stomach rumbled again. “Dinner smells amazing.”

Her gaze took in his disheveled hair, the stubble on his jaw, and his sweat stained muscle shirt he’d worn for his work-out. She wrinkled her nose at him. “Everything is just about ready. Go and take a shower, and I’ll leave you something to wear on the bed.”

“You mean we aren’t going to have a naked anniversary dinner?” He tugged on the sash around her waist, loosening the tie. “Could be fun.”

She rolled her eyes and lightly smacked his hand away. “If we were naked, we’d never get around to eating.”

“Oh,
I
certainly would,” he said, waggling his brows meaningfully.

The flare of heat in her eyes completely contradicted the stern look she managed to give him. “Go shower
now
, Dean, or you’re not eating at all.” She pointed toward the hallway.

“Spoil sport,” he teased, and dropped a quick kiss on her lips before heading toward their bedroom.

He peeled off his damp clothes and stepped beneath the hot shower spray. He soaped up, rinsed off, and took the time to give himself a close shave so he didn’t leave burn marks on Jillian’s soft skin. It was their anniversary, after all, and he decided that he’d give his wife a night of romance — hearts and flowers and all that shit that women liked every so often — instead of rough and wild sex.

Done showering, he dried off, then tucked the towel around his hips as he brushed his teeth and blow-dried his hair so that it wasn’t dripping wet. He rubbed her favorite after shave along his now smooth jaw, before tossing the towel into the hamper and strolling back into the bedroom bare-ass naked. Just as she promised, she’d laid out something for him to wear.

He frowned as he picked up the black silk lounging pants, which were so not his thing and a little too metro-sexual for his taste. But considering Jillian had bought them for him, he put them on and tightened the drawstring around his waist, unsure how he felt about the slip and slide texture of the material in masculine places.

Geez, the things he wouldn’t do for his wife, he thought with a shake of his head.

There was no shirt, so he assumed she wanted his chest bare, which was more than fine with him. Before heading back to Jillian, he stopped in his office and retrieved the white square envelope he’d hidden away in one of the desk drawers beneath some files. The word “welcome” was embossed in black on the front of the envelope, giving no real hint as to what was tucked inside.

As he headed back down the hallway, he realized that the lights in the kitchen were now off, and a soft glow of light from the formal dining area beckoned to him. He stepped into the room that they only used for holidays or special occasions, and was taken aback by the transformation that greeted him.

She’d taken a few dwarf trees and wrapped twinkling lights around them, giving the room an enchanting, fairy-tale like glow. Half a dozen candles flickered around the bouquet of twenty long-stemmed roses on the table he’d had delivered to her earlier in the day, and she’d already served up their dinner, using her best china, silver, and crystal.

He shifted his gaze to his wife, who was standing nearby. As corny as it even sounded to him, his heart skipped a beat at the realization that this sweet, beautiful woman was all his. In the twenty minutes that he’d been gone, she’d managed to transform herself into what he could only describe as a sensual, gorgeous goddess.