Chapter 61 Shadows Watching
Still shaken by her experience in the café, Madeline showed up at the office. She had been thinking about the weird man’s strange words for a lot longer than she wanted to acknowledge. However, the familiar clatter of keyboards and the low murmur of coworkers‘ discussions grounded her as soon as she entered the bustling desk.
“Focus” she muttered to herself, placing her bag on her desk and diving into her workload.
As Madeline engaged herself in her work, the hours passed, meetings came and went, and emails flooded in. A pleasant diversion was provided by the sporadic buzzing of her phone with messages from Jacob,
Jacob: “How’s it going over there?”
Madeline: “Chaotic as always, you?”
Jacob: “Boring. Can’t wait to see you later”
Madeline: “Same. This day can’t end fast enough
His texts were a tiny bit of warmth on an otherwise busy day, and they made her smile. They frequently updated one another in this way, sharing brief details about their days that helped
to shorten the time spent apart.
Madeline was tired yet relieved when the clock struck five. The cold evening air brushed over her skin as she packed her belongings and headed to the parking lot. The solitude in the parking lot was eerie and soothing at the same time.
As she approached her car, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw her mother’s
name,
“Hi, Mom” she answered, unlocking her car,
“Hi, sweetie, just calling to check in. How are you?”
“I’m good, just leaving work now” Madeline said leaning against the car door.
As usual, her mother’s voice was reassuring, yet there was something strange about the night. As they conversed, Madeline’s gaze flitted across the parking lot, taking in the darkness and the cars parked there. The sensation that she was being watched persisted,
“You’re quiet” her mom said, drawing her attention back to the conversation,
“Sorry, just distracted” Madeline replied, forcing a laugh.
Her mother went on chatting, but Madeline’s eyes kept straying and her anxiety increased. The black areas between cars were deeper than they should have been, and the shadows appeared to move.
“Madeline” her mom’s voice sharpened,
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, Mom, I’m fine” she said quickly, shaking off the feeling,
“Just tired. Long day”
After they finished talking, Madeline got into her car and locked the doors before turning on the ignition. As she drove home, trying to tell herself that the bad feeling was just in her head, the hum of the car seemed comforting.
The house was quiet when she arrived, the front stairs were bathed in a warm glow from the porch light Jacob always left on for her. As soon as she entered, she kicked off her shoes and
headed for the bathroom.
After the day’s stress washed away in the hot bath, she felt more like herself when she came out wearing a cozy robe. She was drying her hair with a towel when she heard Jacob’s voice calling out and the front door opening,
“Hey, babe!”
“Hey” she called back, stepping into the living room,
“Welcome home”
Jacob smiled, setting down his bag.
“Long day?”
“The longest” she said with a sigh,
“I was just about to make dinner‘
But before she could move, Jacob crossed the room and gently caught her by the arm,
“Not so fast” he said, his voice soft but firm.
He led her to a chair in the center of the space and motioned for her to take a seat. Madeline obeyed, confused but fascinated, she shivered as Jacob knelt in front of her and ran his lips up her legs,
“Jacob…” she began, but he silenced her with a smile and a kiss on her knee,
“This” he said, his fingertips brushing against her skin,
“Is the only thing I’m hungry for”
As he kissed her thighs, his hands moved beneath the hem of her robe, lifting it higher. With each kiss, she felt the warmth of his slow and gentle lips. His eyes were dark with a mixture of hunger and humor as he paused to look up at her, his hands held her in place with firmness and gentleness, and Madeline’s breath caught as his kisses grew deeper.
She closed her eyes and allowed herself to be absorbed in the softness of his touch and the warmth of his mouth. His smile was satisfied and his breath was labored when he eventually withdrew, he took her in his arms and carried her to the bed without saying a word.
“You’re amazing” she said, laughing softly.
“I picked up food on the way home” he said, ignoring her teasing,
“Let me heat it up”
Madeline shook her head and laughed as he walked out of the room. With her body still buzzing, she sprawled out on the bed.
She was lying there when she heard a slight sound outside, her heightened senses caused her to freeze. It was hardly noticeable, yet it was enough to make her tense, her eyes flitted to the window as she gently sat up. The only sound coming from the street outside was the hum of a passing car, but the anxious sensation from before reappeared, more intense this time.
Madeline walked over to the window and brushed the curtain with her fingers. Jacob, holding a dish in each hand, returned to the room,
“What are you doing?” he asked, his brow furrowed,
“Nothing” she said quickly, stepping away from the window. Jacob set the plates down on the nightstand and handed her one,
“Dinner’s served”
Smiling, she accepted the plate and reclined on the bed. The stress from before gradually subsided as they ate in cozy solitude, they cleaned up and prepared for bed after supper. Madeline’s eyes went heavy as she lay in Jacob’s arms, and the warmth of his hug lulled her to sleep.
Nevertheless, the sensation of being watched lingered in the back of her mind,
A persistent shadow that would not go away.
Chapge 42 LawuDeceit
Chapter 62 – Lawful Deceit
