Page 23 of An Unholy Affair
Seconds ticked by, but his cock was still as hard as steel. He reached down. The burst of pleasure as he ran his hand over his length made his eyes flicker. He forced them to stay open, focusing on the lines of grout between the tiles. He couldn’t think of Eveline. This was a practical solution to a socially unacceptable problem—a physical release, not enjoyment. He needed to get it done, and fast.
He tugged, his muscles tensing and his breath ragged, as sharp jolts of almost painful sensation shocked through him.The tiles, the tiles. Think about the tiles. But as he stroked faster, no matter how hard he stared at the shower wall, images of Eveline flooded in.
He gave in, sucking in a last, desperate breath before being dragged into an ocean of her, so deep it consumed him. His orgasm shot up his spine and he clenched his jaw to stop a roar from escaping. Waves of fierce pleasure crashed through him, so powerful his whole body shook.
Gasping, he rested his forehead on the cool wall, his hand still tugging his cock as it spilled his shame on the tiles. He was a weak and worthless piece of shit compared to the incredible woman he’d just debased in his mind. Could he hide up here? No. He had to deal with her. And his mum needed him. Once the funeral was over, he could run away.
* * *
At the soundof footsteps on the stairs, Eveline pressed her legs together and sat a little straighter on the edge of her chair. She’d spent the last ten minutes nodding and smiling, whilst snapshots of a near-naked Jack flashed through her mind.
After he’d left the room, both Simon and Patricia had taken her flushed face as a sign of innocent embarrassment. Patricia had apologised on behalf of her son, and Simon had made a series of disapproving noises. Luckily, neither of them interpreted her flustered response to him as arousal.
But now, as Jack entered the room, heat once more scorched across her cheeks and her heart raced in her chest. She kept her eyes on the beige carpet, swallowing as his tanned, bare feet came into her peripheral vision.
‘Where’s Simon?’ he asked.
‘I told him that you would handle things from here,’ his mother replied. ‘You’re now the man of the family.’
Eveline glanced up. A muscle was twitching in Jack’s jaw.
‘I’m sorry, Mum, for oversleeping.’ His caramel eyes found hers. ‘And to you, Eveline for barging in like, er…’
Lost for words and light-headed as the more undisciplined part of her brain mentally undressed him, she managed a nod.
An awkward silence descended on the room. His mother’s jaw was wobbling again. This was the point she needed to stop thinking about naked Jack, step up and do her job.
‘Patricia, do you know if Nigel had planned what he might want at his funeral?’
Shaking her head, Patricia stared at her hands twisting on her lap. Jack sat next to her and rubbed her back.
‘Have you had any thoughts about what you might like? Any particular readings or hymns?’ Eveline continued. ‘And do you have a preferred date for the service?’
Patricia shook her head again, and a tear tracked down her cheek.
‘Well, we’ve got time. You don’t have to make any decisions at the moment, and I can come back as often as you need. Has the medical certificate been issued so you can register his death?’
She crumpled into Jack’s chest. ‘I… I can’t do this.’
Jack held her carefully, but his face was grim. ‘It’s okay. Like Eveline said, we don’t have to do anything right now.’
The sound of her name on his lips sent a tremor through her.Be professional!
‘No, you don’t understand,’ Patricia continued. ‘I don’t want to doanyof it.’
Eveline caught Jack’s eye. His expression was one of someone stoically facing a firing squad.
‘Mum, even if you don’t know what Dad might have specifically wanted. Wouldn’t you like to choose what we, er, how it goes?’
His mother shook her head. ‘It’s not my place to speak for Nigel.’
Eveline tensed. She was used to seeing Jack’s parents in public but had no idea that their relationship was so unbalanced. Had Patricia relied on him that much? Estelle’s words about Jack’s childhood stabbed at her heart.God, what is the best way forward here?
‘Patricia, would you like to pray with me?’
She shook her head and stood, staring at her navy slip-on shoes. ‘I’m tired. I’m going to take a pill from the doctor and go to sleep.’
Panic flashed through Eveline like lightning, tearing a hole in her memories and releasing ones she thought she’d laid to rest.
