Published: Oct. 15, 2019---Sept. 30, 2020

It's been thirty minutes since takeoff, but Jared's expression never changed. He is still fuming with anger while sitting beside her in silence.

The quietness of the plane made her looked around for the crew. The steward didn't even come to offer them some refreshment, so unlike in the morning.

They just sat down on the couch, and there he was greeting them with a beaming smile and then served them with drinks.

It looks like everyone is afraid to be seen in Jared's line of vision when he is in this mood.

Even the engine of the plane seems to be scared too. It has a reduction in its sound to the extent it became frightening. It sounds like it stops operating.

If she were like before, afraid of his scowling face like them, she too would be in hiding.

Instead, she is here reaching out into Jared's hands and caress it. Let him know she is there and needs him.

As if he is only waiting for her touched on calming himself, he pulled her closer to him.

She positioned her head on his shoulder and traced his clean-shaven jaw with her fingers.

"Jared, are you still angry?"

His answer is to kiss her forehead and then hold her hands and play with it, counting each finger.

It was only after a few minutes before he said. "I am sorry for losing my control in front of you, Hon. I don't like his sneaking behavior."

Katelyn felt the anger in him through the rapid beating of his heart and the slight shaking of his hands. She gets up from her position, and upon seeing his clenching jaw, she touched it.

"Relax, Hon, I am okay. You see, I have no bruised or whatever."

He raised her chin so he can see her face. "Did he scare you?"

"I was a bit scared before you came, but when you were there, I was more afraid of him of what you can do as you looked forbidding.

"If he had touched just even the strands of your hair, I will not be so easy on him." Jared told her while he kisses the tip of her nose, "everything in you is mine alone to worship, and I will never allow any man to have the freedom to touch...

Before he can finish whatever he will say, she kissed his lips.

She has never been a coquette, but lately, she's surprised by herself. Every time Jared is near, all she wanted was to cling to him like a limpet.

In return, he never let her feel what she was doing is not right. Once she initiates the move, he will make sure to let her feel more hungry than the other way around. Just like right now, he's coaxing her mouth to open.

A soft moan came out from her mouth as she opens it for his invasion.

He unraveled her hair from the constraint of a ponytail and lightly pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. Warmth spread all through her body, heating her and a craving to be much closer to him engulfed her.

As if her hands have a mind of its own, it unbuttons his shirt to caress his bare chest.

His hands started to caress the nape of her neck; a rapturous pleasure envelops her.

She had forgotten they are inside a plane and there are people around. For her, it's just Jared and the emotion his touched brought which matter.

Once they parted to breathe some air, she immediately misses his warmth.

He smiled at her slightly parted lips while he traced it with his fingertip.

"Mark"

"Yes, Mr. Steele."

Only then, she heard his PA's voice and realized she almost lost her composure in front of an audience.

"Don't ever disturb us." She heard Jared told him while he stands up. It was then he scooped her up in his arms amidst her protest.

"Jared, what are you doing?"

"To continue where we left off, where will it be better than in the bedroom," he told her while walking to its direction.

"Put me down. The crew, as well as your PA, will know what we are going to do if we go there." Her red face in hiding on the crook of his neck, she whimpered.

"So...? We are on my private plane, and you are my wife."

How can she complain when what he said is right beside her body responded again to his warmth.

The plane had landed while the two of them were still asleep in each other arms after a tumultuous activity.

As instructed, no one disturbs them. It was only after an hour did Katelyn awakened.

"Jared, wake up."

"Hon, I am still sleepy. Come back to sleep."

Still, with eyes closed, Jared reaches out and pulls her closer to him.

"The plane had landed already, and we are still in bed."

"So what if we are?"

"Well...I have to cover my face once we go out of here." She told him as she turned her back on him.

"Hmm...You are ashamed for seducing me inside a plane?" He whispered with a teasing voice.

She faced him again only to see him beaming with a smile, but he stood up upon seeing her serious face.

They went home not in silence, but Jared is coaxing her. She softened to his attention enough for them to arrive in their apartment and be back to being affectionate again. As soon as they reached their bed, they continued their interrupted sleep in the comforts of each other's arms.

When morning comes, though lazy to get up, they did, as it is time to visit their Meme's place. Once there, Jared only argues with his grandmother on her position in the company.

It's been a month since she transferred to his office, and Phoebe's returned date after her maternal leave is coming soon.

His grandmother is adamant not to let her go back to the financial department even though she has already spoken her opinion of leaving the CEO's office. Her reason, being new to her career and wanting to learn a lot from the bottom before tackling more responsibilities.

Jared is arguing on her behalf as he saw her reason to be deemed right.

In the end, through compromise, they settled the matters regarding her position. She can leave once Phoebe came back, but she must return after a year.

Though there was tension at their Meme's house once their car left its premises, they are back again to holding hands.

Upon noticing their car going straight to the hotel instead of their apartment, she turned and asked Jared why the detour. He only told her it's a surprise. As she already knows how to make him reveal anything without saying, she caresses his hands.

He looked at her and, with a smile, whispered." Honey, I will not spoil the surprise, so cease it or...?"

She covered his mouth before finishing what he will say, so she only heard his muffled laughter.

When they arrived in the hotel, Katelyn cannot conceal her smile of anticipation of the surprise as she walks with Jared following at her back.

Chase was already in the reception area, waiting for them. Once they are in the elevator, he tried to talk to Jared in a voice only they can hear.

"Too obvious, they don't want her to hear the topic of their conversation."

They walked in a door with a butler waiting at the outside. He opened it for them, and Jared told her to go inside first. She went directly to the private waiting area and was astonished to see her mom, sitting on a couch.

"Mom," that was all the words came out from her mouth as she runs to her side to embrace her. Her mother's distasteful face made her stopped.

The Viscountess of Montgomery hates public display of affection, and she almost forgot about it.

"I'm sorry, mom."

She then saw the guy in his early or mid-thirties sitting in a chair opposite to her mother. She almost shivered as the way he looked at her. His blue eyes are devoid of any emotion just like her mother when in front of public scrutiny.

She found out he is Lord Oliver Murray, Earl of Sackville, once her mother introduced them to each other.

She was already sitting down when Jared and Chase came inside the room. Her mother also introduced them to the Earl, with her mom omitting Jared as her husband.

Despite it, he sat down beside her. He holds her hands in his lap. She comforted her as if he noticed her uneasiness in front of her mother.

Her mother's eyes are in shock at Jared's display of familiarity immediately addressed it, not directly on him but to her.

"Katelyn, what did I told you before?"

She immediately pulled her hands away from Jared to his surprise.

"Lady Darcy, I hope you have a pleasant journey coming here in New York." Chase's timely interruption made her mother's attention diverted away from them.

"Yes, it was. Thanks to Mr. Steele's chartered plane, I had a pleasant journey."

The conversation continues about the reason for her mother's visit.

To her dismay, it turned out her mother's visit was not because of her. She came to present Lord Murray's proposal to one of their properties to Jared.

Even though her mother manages the business, but there is a written agreement with Jared. Her mother must consult him in every significant transaction and any properties to be disposed of or used.

The topic of the conversation about business for an hour, plus the lack of sleep made her yawn.

"Katelyn, what are you doing? Go out of the room if you cannot behave graciously."

Her mother's outrage startled her. She immediately stood up and took a step, but Jared's hands stopped her.

He told Chase to let Lord Murray see his room first before dinner.

She stands and looks at the two men walking out of the room. Jared talked to her mother only once they are out while he slowly pulled her to sit down.

"Lady Darcy, Katelyn, maybe your daughter, but she is already my wife. If before everything you wanted must be followed by her, now it is different. She can do whatever she wants."

"So that is the reason why she is behaving like an unsophisticated woman. The two of you even hold hands in public." The horrified voice of her mother accused Jared.

"We are married; there is nothing wrong with it."

"We all know your marriage is only temporary. I am only following the agreement, but there you are holding Katelyn's hand in front of a suitable suitor."

"What? You are already looking for another rich guy for your daughter when she is still married to me?"

As if her mother just realized she had disclosed a subject not intended for Jared to hear, she immediately becomes defensive.

"I am her mother; of course, I want her to have a good match later on once she finished the two years beside..."

"I don't want to disrespect you as you are my mother-in-law, but tell that guy I am not interested in talking about any business with him." Jared interrupted before her mother can say anything.

He stands up and helps her to get up.

Katelyn saw his clenching jaw and furrowed brows. It made her realized behind his calm voice is anger his trying to control.

"Make any excuses for that man, but we will not have dinner with you if he is around. Our house is open to you, but don't bring any suitable man to introduce to my wife." He told her mother, emphasizing the word wife.

"Mom, I have to go now; just say hi to Thomas for me and tell him I missed him," Katelyn told her mother while walking to where she sits.

The dismissing hands her mother waved made her stopped and walked back to where Jared waits."

Before they walked out of the door, she looked back at her mother, sitting still and looking so dignified as if nothing had happened.

Well, what to expect from her. Ever since she grew up, her mother had always been cold. If not because of her grandmother's constant reminder to have patience and understanding in dealing with her mother, she might have grown up hating her.

She looked at the hand that holds her and began to be thankful to find another champion.

They ride in the car to go back to their apartment in silence, her head in his shoulder.

She will never know of her mother leaving the hotel and staying with Meme the next day if the latter didn't tell her. Jared never mentioned it to her when, according to his grandmother, it was his instruction.

Before she left, they had dinner together at Meme's place with Jared accompanying her.

As if Jared knew without him, her mother will reprimand her of her "unladylike behavior," he never went far away from her side.

In the middle of the meal, her husband asked her mother to extend her stay to attend the jewelry fashion show. Due to her other commitments, she refused.

Katelyn is happy to know that Jared still wanted her mother to spend time with them despite her mother's haughty demeanor.

Jared's display of affection towards her didn't escape her mother's attention as the day progresses. It even brought disapproval in her eyes, but she didn't voice it out this time.

Katelyn knows if Jared is not there, she will hear all of it.

She was more thankful than sad to see once her mother left. Maybe it is because she is happier here now in her newfound place with Jared on it.

In the next few days, Jared becomes more attentive to her. He even went out of his office and mingled with her and Michelle.

Sometimes it was only to greet them in the morning or to stand in front of her table and comment on the flower he had delivered daily.

All of his action was not able to escape Michelle's eyes.

"Katelyn, I am now sure Mr. Steele is attracted to you," Michelle whispered to her once Jared entered his office.

"What is your reason to say that?"

"He never comes out of his office to acknowledge our presence before. I am sure he is not even aware before if I am here or not. It was when you started working here he behaves as if his assistant secretaries are human. Lately, we even become women in his eyes."

"Ah...He was like that before here?"

"Yeah, he was. His behavior is common knowledge within the business circle. You see how Phoebe and Mark are. But it is a pity."

Curiosity as she heard the sympathy in Michelle's voice made her asked." "A pity, what do you mean?"

"Well, when he almost becomes human. If the rumor is true, he will be back to his old self in a few days. But a piece of advice, don't expect too much from him."

"I don't get what you are trying to say."

Michelle only looks at her and sighs deeply, and then she taps her hands. "It is our employer's personal life, though it is a juicy gossip, as an employee directly under him, I cannot say anything about it. Let's wait and see."

Michelle left her with a puzzle to solve in which she doesn't know the crux of the matter. She is only sure it involves Jared and will also affect her.

Lizzy calling her to remind her of tomorrow's event, diverted her thoughts enough for her to forget about it the next day.

Her friend picked her at ten minutes past eleven in the morning so they can have ample time to pamper themselves in the spa before the hairdo and make-up.

The seven hours or more of preparation for a fifteen minutes show was worth it. Even though they only clap their hands while sitting down.

The gowns used by the model accentuates the jewelry, an open bangle took her attention. She is not the type to use those kinds of a bracelet, but it attracted her to try it.

"Kate, check out the set of jewelry, the one with blue sapphire."

"Yeah, it's beautiful, but it's too flashy."

"Kate, you will wear that kind once you married my brother, so get used to it."

"Lizzy, how many times do I have to say, "we are only friends" for you to believe?"

"When both of you are married to someone else."

Well, there is no need for her to argue as Lizzy's mind is made up not to believe in her words.

Charlize coming out on stage and wearing a pink diamond mesmerized everyone, while Katelyn's first response is to turn her head in Jared's direction, whose eyes are not on the stage but with her. As if he too wanted to see her reaction.

The shyness of being caught watching him made her turned her attention back to the stage.

END OF PART 27

Thank you for all my readers for the continued support. Happy reading.❤❤❤