Alicia's Misfortune Read online

  His parents had kept their counsel to themselves but he had seen the look they exchanged when he told them that Clarissa was gone for good. He had laid down the law. No more spending money. Defiant, she had stormed off to their bedroom, packed all her things and left without a backward glance or thought.

  Being a proud man, Jack never called her or tried to get her back. She did not contact him either. Sometimes he could almost imagine that he had dreamt her up. The silence between them continued and he worked at healing his wounded heart and pride. Helen had come to his rescue with the mail order bride idea.

  Chapter Three

  The wording of the email was cold; almost as if it were a business correspondence. Leila frowned. Her eyes moved to his profile picture. He was ruggedly handsome and she liked his sky blue eyes and the hint of a smile on his lips. His chest was wide and he wore a white casual shirt with the top button undone.

  To Leila’s shame, she felt her body react at the sight of Jack Farley. She smiled to herself and decided to answer his email. She would be just as business-like as he was, though she would have liked some hint of romance.

  Dear Jack,

  Thank you for your email. I must say that this is my first time to look for a partner online and after seeing your profile, I think it was the right thing to do.

  I too seek a permanent relationship and someone committed to marriage and family. I must tell you from the beginning that I too love children and I hope to have some in the near future. If you’re not sure about children, please let me know, as this is something that’s very important to me.

  Other than that, I consider myself a pretty simple person. I admire that you live on a ranch, I did too, before I had to sell it to pay off my late husband’s debts. I was married for only two years.

  Let me stop there and hope to hear from you.

  Sincerely Leila

  Her fingers trembled slightly as she sent the email. Leila hoped that she hadn’t blubbered on too much but she needed to let him know from the start that she intended to have children. People told each other when they were dating that they liked children only to turn around once married and say they did not want kids. Leila knew it personally from her experience with Horace.

  Leila logged off and contemplated the rest of her day. It was seven in the morning; she had cleaned up the house, showered and dressed. This was what she detested about living in a condo. There was not much to do with oneself. She resisted the temptation to check if he had replied to her email.

  Feeling restless, Leila decided to go to the animal shelter where she volunteered her services earlier than usual. Leila hated to be idle and being near and working with horses was a hundred times better than staying home. She wore fitting jeans and the center’s official blue and grey t-shirt, and at the door, she slipped on a pair of sneakers.

  Rather than use the elevator, Leila opted for the stairs, taking two at a time. Once downstairs, she headed for the parking lot and slid into her two-seater. The California sun was already out; warm at this time of morning, but in a few hours’ time, Leila knew that it would be unbearably hot. That was the one thing she would miss about California and her friends, though most of them were had dispersed to different parts of the country.

  As she drove, her mind strayed to Jack and her instant attraction to him. She hoped that he would respond to her email. Something drew her to him and while the obvious answer was lust, Leila couldn’t believe that her sole attraction to a man could be his looks. He was very different from Horace.

  Jack’s face possessed a kind of animal magnetism and the way he held his broad shoulders promised of a skillful lover. Inexperienced as she was, Leila knew that Horace was not much between the sheets. He had been a selfish lover, only interested in satisfying his own needs and as soon as he was done, his style was to roll off her body and fall into a stupor accompanied by unattractive snoring.

  The number of nights she had lain next to him in frustration was countless. Leila had taken to creeping to the bathroom to satisfy her body craving for release. It was shameful for a married woman but Leila had no choice. It was either that, or jump at the first attractive man she saw. She was a passionate woman and had Horace been more of a lover, Leila would have enjoyed their intimate moments more.

  The shelter was located about ten miles from her condo, and as she drove through the graveled road, she could smell the sweet scent of hay mixed with manure. Leila parked her car and headed to the office adjacent to the café.

  ‘Morning Maggie,’ Leila called out gaily to the middle aged bespectacled lady who manned the reception.

  ‘Hi Leila, you’re in early today but we’re not complaining. Joe will be glad to see you, we’re a little short this morning,’ Maggie said briskly.

  Leila smiled and signed into the volunteer book. She had worked as a volunteer since she became a widow. It had kept her going on the days when she felt like covering herself in a blanket and retreating from the world of the living.

  ‘Thanks Maggie, see you later,’ Leila said with a wave.

  She headed straight for the stalls where she knew the horses waited to be brushed down and the stalls mucked out. The two years she had spent at the center meant that she qualified for level four duties which included training new riders, but Leila preferred to work at the basics. Minutes later, she had joined two other volunteers, a young man and a girl, mucking out the stalls.

  With only short breaks for tea and lunch, the afternoon found Leila taking out the horses to different pastures where they spend the rest of the day. She laughed gaily when a filly ran straight past her, determined to find his way out to the fields only to find the gate from the barn padlocked.

  By the time she got home at seven in the evening, Leila was bone tired. She liked it that way because she had less time to worry about her advancing age and lack of a suitable marriage partner. There was hope now and she quickly jumped into the shower. As the hot drops pounded her body, she visualized Jack and his wide shoulders and she felt her body shudder.

  It was strangely erotic to think of a stranger this way, his arms roaming over her body and Leila found herself groaning in the shower. She laughed at herself and got off the shower. Her laptop was on the dining table and after dressing; she turned it on, her heart pounding in anticipation. There was a message from Jack and she read it greedily, taking in the contents with surprise.

  Dear Leila,

  What a pleasure to hear from you. I’m not a man to waste time once I find what I’m looking for and in this case it is you. You’re very beautiful and you sound like the perfect woman for me. I would like to invite you to Texas to spend a few weeks with me. We can get to know each other better that way and know whether we have a future together.

  Please don’t feel worried or frightened, I assure you that I’m a gentleman and have no intention of causing you harm in any way. Let me know and I’ll make arrangements.

  Sincerely,

  Jack

  Leila didn’t know what to make of the haste with which the invitation had come. She thought that the process involved getting to know each other better via email but it seemed that Jack thought otherwise. She had to admit that his confidence excited her and aroused her curiosity as to the kind of man he was.

  Before she changed her mind, she wrote off an email right away and told him she would be happy to go to Texas. He wrote back twenty minutes later with details of a flight in three days’ time. She got a little irritated at that. The polite thing would have been to ask her when she preferred to leave but it seemed that Jack did not adhere to common social graces.

  Chapter Four

  Leila was disappointed to say the least that Jack did not take the time to meet her at the airport. In his place was a man with graying hair who introduced himself as Tom, the driver. He carried her bag to a nice looking car and opened the door for her. She sank into the car, grateful to be shaded from the Texan summer heat.

  The pink sundress she had chosen for the trip al
ready clung to her body and she craved for a cold shower. She gazed outside as they left the airport and liked what she saw of Texas. Plains stretched for miles and she noticed that most properties were ranches. Animals dotted the plains from long horned cows to specks of white sheep.

  Thirty minutes later, they came off the highway and she saw the sign Ranch J, curved into a tree at the junction. What she saw took her breath away. Jack had mentioned a ranch but at the end of the road was a hotel with all the trimmings of a large hotel. People milled at the entrance and she could make out tables set along the balcony of an expansive building.

  Before they got there, the car branched off to the left and she saw the ranch then. The barns were modern structures of steel, with most been outdoors and she could see the horses happily munching on their feeds. The car followed a paved road that seemed to go uphill. When the main residence came into view, Leila inhaled deeply.

  She had been into some of the most beautiful houses in California but this one topped them all. Nestled atop a hill, it glistened in the afternoon sunlight almost as though it were part of nature. It made her even curious to meet the man who owned all these yet had to go to a bridal agency to get a wife. Leila would have thought he would have hundreds of women lined up to marry him.

  The car came to a halt and Tom hurried to her side to open the door. She stepped out and closed her eyes for a moment to savor the breeze blowing across the hill.

  ‘Ranch J has that effect on visitors,’ a deep voice drawled near her.

  Leila’s eyes popped open and fell on the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. His eyes were not quite sky blue as she had thought from the picture, instead they had hints of green in them. She scanned him unashamedly, her eyes running over his chiseled arms and heavily muscled chest.

  ‘Do you like what you see?’ he asked, his voice laced with amusement.

  Leila blushed and struck out her hand. When his large one enclosed hers, her legs turned to jelly at the electricity that she felt with the contact. From the way his eyes flamed, she imagined that he felt it too.

  ‘I’m Jack Foley and welcome to Ranch J. I’m sorry I wasn’t at the airport to meet you.’

  He left it at that and the lack of an excuse irritated Leila. Still, with a body like that, she was willing to forgive him anything. He took her bag from Tom and carried it effortlessly towards the house. She followed closely behind, admiring the view his posterior gave. His wide shoulders narrowed into slim hips and she could see from his stride that he was a man used to working outdoors.

  The few steps led to a columned entry and through Italian double doors which were flung wide open.

  ‘Come on in,’ Jack called over his shoulder.

  ‘Thanks,’ Leila mumbled, overwhelmed by the size and magnificence of the house.

  She found herself in a formal dining room and beyond it a seating area furnished with cream leather seats. Side tables were decorated with period pieces and pictures of sweeping landscapes on the walls.

  ‘This is the dining room and the living room. Come I must show you the deck, it’s the loveliest part of the house.’ Jack said.

  Indeed it was. It seemed to tower over everything else and to her amazement she could see the guest house at a distance but most of all was the view of the sky and the valley below.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ Leila said.

  She looked at Jack and was startled by the raw desire she saw in his eyes. Her own body responded to his obvious attraction and she longed to be held in his arms. He moved away then, breaking the sexual tension that simmered between them. Leila stifled a nervous laugh. She had never been this attracted to a man and she could have given anything to kiss him.

  Leila barely saw the kitchen, only noting its granite countertops and shiny wooden floors.

  ‘This is Camille, she lords over the kitchen,’ Jack said, his tone gentle.

  ‘Hello,’ Leila said to the dark skinned lady’s cheerful greeting.

  Before following Jack out of the kitchen, she noticed a cozy breakfast nook for two, under large bay windows and couldn’t quite picture Jack seated there. Up the stairs was a huge hallway and beyond the door at the end was a smaller hallway with two doors facing each other.

  ‘This will be your bedroom and I’m right here if you need anything,’ Jack said, his eyes on her mouth.

  Leila had noticed that her mouth had an effect on most men and she was happy to see that Jack was no different. He pushed open the guest room and entered. Leila followed him into the large room flooded with light. The bed was huge and centrally placed and the floor covered by a pretty wall to wall carpet.

  Everything in the home spelt luxury and Leila admitted to herself that she liked it.

  ‘The bathroom is through there,’ Jack said, pointing to a door.

  ‘OK, thanks. I could do with a wash,’ Leila said, blushing at the images her words conjured up.

  In her mind she saw Jack leathering her up paying particular attention to certain areas of her anatomy. Thank God that he could not read her mind otherwise he would be horrified by the thoughts in her mind. Unconsciously, she shook her hair loose from the pony tail and threw her head back to push it behind.

  When she looked up, it was to see the strain in Jack’s face. Veins crisscrossed his forehead and the muscles on his arms seemed to twitch. Her eyes went down to the lower part of his body and she saw the unmistakable bulge. She grew hot at the sight and she licked her dry lips.

  Before she knew how it happened, Jack had pulled her into his arms and his lips were devouring hers. He swept his tongue inside her mouth and she parted her lips to grant him easier access. She wrapped her hands around his shoulders and loved the hardness of his skin. He smelt of pure manliness and the scent intoxicated her senses.

  She felt his bulge pressing harder against her and his hands running over her back and backside. He lifted up her sundress and she shivered when his hands touched her panty line. It had been so long since a man had kissed her in such a way and she found herself pressing her body against his. Theirs was like a wild dance with hands exploring each other desperately. His hand found its way into her lacy panty and at that moment some sense came into Leila. She gently removed his hand and stepped away.

  They looked at each other and both broke into nervous laughs.

  ‘I don’t do that the first time I meet a beautiful woman,’ Jack said apologetically.

  ‘I should hope not,’ Leila quipped, her comment breaking the tension between them.

  ‘I’ll leave you to your shower now,’ he said, though his look told her he would have loved to be in there with her.

  Chapter Five

  Jack was annoyed at himself. He had reacted to Leila like a hormone driven teenager, jumping at her as though it were his first time to see a woman. The moment he had seen her, it was as if some long forgotten fire in him had been lit. He had longed to rip off the sundress and kiss every inch of her tanned skin.

  She was beautiful in an understated sort of way. She also had a gorgeous figure and she was all natural. Her mouth, damn! Her lips invited you to kiss her.

  His eyes had raked over her slim yet curvy body, the top of the dress giving a hint of a cleavage and nothing else. The wind had blown and her dress had wrapped itself around her hips and his desire had taken an overdrive. He longed to bury his face on her bosom and suck and lick her nipples until they became as hard as his manhood.

  Leila could be dangerous, Jack told himself, walking to the deck to cool off his body. He leaned over the railing, his eyes seeing none of the beauty of the valley. He recalled her musky smell and the sweetness of her mouth. What was it about Leila that had evoked such desire in him? She was beautiful but he had been with women who were more if not just as beautiful.

  Her beauty was unique though, as it was coupled with a kind of innocence. He had never felt such an overpowering hunger to possess a woman. Her reaction had been just as passionate and Jack looked forward to uncovering that passion t
hat he sensed in Leila. As he took in the afternoon breeze, Jack admitted that Leila had taken him by surprise.

  The internet picture did not do her any justice. It covered up her sexuality and her raw beauty. Jack knew that his reaction had nothing to do with emotions, just a passionate man meeting a similarly passionate woman. He thought back to Clarissa. While she was a beauty, she did not possess the passion that Leila did.

  Her responses had been more automatic, geared towards getting the deed done rather than immersing herself wholly in it. The one thing he would not allow himself to do was to fall in love with Leila. Her purpose was to be a companion and to provide for him a family. He had learned his lesson hard with Clarissa. He had no intention of getting hurt again.

  As if to prove his point, Jack popped into the kitchen and gave instructions to Camille.

  ‘Would you please tell Leila that I’ve gone to the stables? Give her some refreshments and tell her I’ll be back later,’ he said.

  ‘I will sir,’ Camille said, though he had told her countless times to address him by his name.

  Pleased with his decision, he left the house. The less time he spent with her the better. Besides, he needed some time to cool off after his performance in her bedroom. Jack went to the fenced-in practice range where he could see Bill, the head trainer giving lessons to a group of men and women. All were usually overnight guests at the ranch and usually stayed a week or so getting lessons on cutting horses.

  Jack propped one leg on the fence and watched. Ranch J boasted some of the most popular and award winning cutting mares. Bill, the trainer caught sight of him.

  ‘Hey there Jack, want to give a demonstration?’ he bellowed.

  ‘Sure,’ Jack responded and stooped to get into the enclosure.