Fiancée and Fiancé.

Chapter: 8

Present day.

Drake.

We are in the limo, both Jack and I opted to have Allister drive us to the private strip where the jet is waiting. But even this drive is driving me insane. Still, can you blame me. Even if I do have her within my reach, even if I get to watch every change in her expression as she deals with work emails and last-minute instructions to her lawyer – it does not change the truth: I am starving and thirsty for my lady.

The ring I had one of the best jewelers' custom designs, did nothing but redirect the blaze I had inside me. Now I'll just lay waste to anything and anyone standing between us and Vegas.

"You are staring." I smile at her comment but keep my eyes on her profile. From the very first time I had an unhealthy obsession with everything that was Jack, but her profile has always had a special podium in my heart. Like her hair, it never failed to leave me transfixed like a child with his favorite cartoon.

And there's her lips. Plump, pink – I kissed those lips today. I licked and bit on them. They are still red from our passion. "Stop."

"Wha…what?" I blink several times to dissipate the fog I was in. Thanks god I am not the one at the wheels. And thank God for the privacy screen, no need to share with the old man our PDA.

"Now, I remember another reason for our separation." The words were spoken almost absently but they help get me out the trance I was into.

"What does that mean?" the question explodes harshly from me, and I circle her waist to drag her closer. If she thinks I will ever again let her go, then she needs to think again.

"Swallow the bad temper. I speak of how you are still a distraction even after all these years. I have been trying to write this email for a while now and I am still unable to even start." She grumbles as she shoves her phone at me. On the screen I can see the blank page of an email waiting to be sent. The mouth that was just a few seconds ago scowling, threatened now to tug into a smug grin. It was thwarted only by the narrowing of my lady's eyes.

"Forgive me, my love for distracting you, but I missed you. I missed looking at you," I lock my eyes with hers. "-touching you," I run the back of my I right hand down her cheek. "Most of all I missed holding you and talking with you."

"I understand - but dear fiancé, I wish to take care of a mess your future sister-in-law has put herself into - watching me with hunger and thirst apparent in your gaze, does not help me concentrate."

"Did you just say fiancé?" All these years, my only goal has been to be together. I never thought to put a name or status on our relationship other than to refer to Jack as mine. But, to hear this word from her… Again, my eyes fall on the ring I put on her left hand. "Fiancé." I taste the word and I find that I like it. No, I love it.

"That the only word you heard?" In her expression there is both delight and exasperation.

"Hmm?" God, if Jack thought I was distracting, she needed to pay attention to what she says. "You spoke about your sister. What mess are you talking about? And which sister?" If her sister needed help, she just needed to ask.

"Vicky is fine, it's Jessy who I am worried about." She answers, after at last sending the email and putting her phone away in her bag.

"Just say it, and I'll have either Caleb or Winter take care of it."

A startled laugh burst out of her. It takes a few moments for her to settle back -all the while, a small smile stretches my lips. This laugh, the first time I witnessed it was the day Jack first met my brother and best friend. Until now, I haven't really realized how much I carved seeing that laugh; the real thing always beat the dream they say. Still, it was the mention of those two shit heads which trigged it and I find that I don't like that very much.

When I share that with her, I get the same mix of the delight and exasperation from her beautiful face. "You think I laughed because you mentioned those acolytes of yours? Oh dear… I laughed because, you thought my sister would accept help from anyone but me."

"And why wouldn't she? I am after all, her future brother-in-law." And of course, I say that with all the smugness I can muster, resulting in a pat on the cheek and what my sister Ella would call: an "Aww" look. To think that Jack can do it too.

"That is sweet of you honey but, she is just going to rule out anyone who could find faults in her and continue to do what she wants. The only way I found works, is to trust her moral compass and let her experiment with life, so that she would understand what works and what does not."

"Okey, I get it. But tell me if there is anything you need. I'm here now baby." Here to stay forever. "And what is it about anyway, if it got you to call it a mess?"

"Well, Jess got a proposal from a variety TV show." She tells me this as she cuddles closer to me. More than a decade later and the only subject that make Jack seek comfort has never changed: Her sisters. "They want her to participate in series of episodes about extreme sports, because of course, since my sister is a professional dancer and a distinguished choreographer, she is potentially a perfect target for such shows. Extreme Sports… for god's sake."

"let's not forget that she is a young, beautiful and accomplished woman…Hey!" I cry out after she pinches me on the side. "What? Just pointing out the obvious… Still, she refused them, right?" the side she pinched still stings and I make a show of rubbing it as I stare directly at her and narrow my eyes. Sure, enough I get what waited for her raised eyebrow with the droll look.

"No, she didn't. She said YES." The announcement was made with all the irritation my lady could muster.

"Why did she do that?" I asked, truly perplexed.

"Because the producers informed her that the money the episode will make, will be donated to a child protection fund."

"Oh, ohhh, wait that's…I see, now I know why you are calling it a mess." My jaws harden at the implications behind this scenario. I watch my lady's temper; with each syllable voiced, it had cooled a degree further until I had her plastered against me, sharing the warmth of my body with her. I knew the cold was only metaphorical, but my body didn't acknowledge the logic. The chill was there, and I hated it. It reminded me of times better left buried. Thought, it seems that choice might be taken from us.

"Exactly, they used the only thing that could actually convince my sister of doing anything relatively close to television; she hates that. They must have done a detailed investigation on us to find out about her involvement with charity. After all, it is something we have kept hidden completely from the public." She says and exhale deeply. "So, either I am paranoid, and they are really just adrenaline junkies, who happens to really care about children and they think Jess is like that too, or…"

"Or someone is behind this." I'll need to investigate it too because my lady would have already put out feeler for more information.

"Thanks, you" The thank was not what I expected. Another sign that Jack was really affected by this mess. "I know I don't have to, but I miss expressing my feelings to you, and also my gratitude, which of course you think of as unnecessary."

"Baby, nothing about you is unnecessary. Still, I will do everything for you." I tell her meaning every word and they might also be a warning one that Jack senses and only react to by her signature single eyebrow lift.

"Now I hope you're going to stop distracting me, not that your sisters are not a very important subject to discuss…" I hurry to say when she sharply looks at me.

"--Nice save." She says, all prim and proper, while adjusting her posture.

"But…" I pause for effect, and who am I kidding, to also get her eyes back on me. "Nothing, and I repeat nothing is more important than your health, so start talking."

"You are lucky I love you." She says after a beat.

"I love you too baby, so talk." No way will let this go.

Jack-line.

Oh, the insufferable, exasperating, utterly handsome, perfect …man.

He is lucky I love him as much as I do.

"First of all, there is nothing for you to worry about." His piercing blue eyes narrow at my placating tone and his jaw start to tick which is hilarious. Although if I tell him as much, I believe his temper would spike and further discussion could be… awkward. Which remind me; why is that a problem?

"Jack!"

"Ugh, fine. It's a simple matter of kidney dysfunction." There, nice and simple. Now off to more important matters.

"What?!" Or so thought. Shooting fire and thunder that how I can describe his expression. If I was made of daintier stuff, I would have caved under the pressure. Instead, I was marveling at his heaving chest and reaching a hand to run over it. Wow! He did get more muscular. I need to have direct eye, plus physical contact with those abs as soon as possible.

"Jack! What the fuck? Your kidney?! And you are saying it's a simple matter?! When did this happen? How long? Hell!" Maybe I should've waited until we were in Vegas, and he was too drunk on our wedding vows to tell him.

"Calm down." I try again, soothingly.

"Calm down?! You're telling me to fucking calm down?!" He shouts some more. By now he had me plastered against him snarling and patting my back where my kidneys were.

"Yes, you have to in order for me to answer your questions."

"Okey, alright, talk…please."

"That day ten years ago, Oswald had critically injured me…" I start, methodically not wanting to revisit that moment.

"Fuck."

"When I sent Allister to you with the letter, I was in surgery. They had to remove one of my kidneys because Oswald had busted it while beating me." I tell him somehow still remembering the sounds of his golf club hitting my side.

"I should've killed him." He cups my jaw with both hands and rest his forehead on mine. Seeing him this torn up and tormented is tearing me up inside.

"Drake, I am fine okey. Although I am living with only one kidney, I am healthy and well. I just need to pay attention to my diet and keep in shape." I try to reassure him, circling his wrist and caressing his pulse point.

"Then why did you go to the ER last night?" He demands pining me with his eyes. Ah, of course he would've known that.

"Nothing, I just wanted to a last-minute check up and see that everything good for today." And of course, I was.

"In the middle of the night." The hands that were cupping my jaw, traveled to my nape, and tightened in beat with his words.

"Avoiding scrutiny and all that." I tell him truthfully knowing that he will understand the answer.

"But how could you hide this from me?!" He snarls his outrage in my face, still his touch remains reverent, loving.

"It's because of how much I love you that I did not want to worry you." I say lips brushing and coaxing his.

"Of course, I would worry. Shit, this is messing with my head baby." Abruptly, he wound his fist in my hair and tip my head back. In his state of agitation, my Drake does not realize the faux pas he did. In my diabolic mind I am plotting for the many ways I will later torment him for it. For now, I will let it slide.

"How many other important matters have you hidden from me." His fist slowly loosens to grip the back of my head, the other hand still on my nape. Oh, the struggle to hold back my eyebrow from rising or even cocking my head to his slip in control.

"This is the only thing you were not aware of." I tell him honestly.

"Do your sisters knows?" I don't get the chance to answer before he interjects, but from the look I must have given him, he understood. "Of course, they would know. I need to talk with your physicians, as soon as we are in the air, I am facetiming them to get every detail on your health."

That gives me a pause. "So, you 're saying; you're going to neglect me the whole flight to do that." There is no outrage or expression of offence on my face instead my voice has grown cold enough to metaphorically freeze a volcano.

"You only got yourself to blame baby." He answers arrogantly. Then he kisses me and fails to unfortunately notice the error in his choice of words.