The Mistaken Read Online Free PDF Page A

even count the number of times she had said
those exact words to me. Apparently, it was what she loved most
about me, that and my crow’s feet, and she never missed an
opportunity to tell—or show me, as the case were—just how much.
    Jill’s blood heated quickly as I moved my lips from
her mouth and trailed them slowly along her jaw line and down her
neck. She writhed beneath me, her hips undulating in silent need. I
pulled back and opened her blouse then ran my hand over the curve
of her breast before my mouth followed suit. It left a glistening
trail to her nipple which stood erect beneath the lazy
ministrations of my tongue.
    She moaned and ran her fingers through my hair,
pulling at it in her excitement. When she could take no more, she
pushed up on my shoulders and pressed me back against the sofa. In
one swift maneuver, she straddled my lap. Her hands worked deftly
at my pants, unfastening the snap and sliding the zipper down. She
found me ready and wasted little time on foreplay. Jill bunched up
her skirt, worked her panties out of the way then slid down on me
in one fluid movement. My head fell back against the sofa and I
sucked in my breath.
    “Oh God, Jill!”
    With her head tipped back and her eyes closed, she
moaned and rocked her hips into mine. I held her loosely at the
waist as she worked over me. The discarded newspaper crinkled
rhythmically beneath me as her efforts drove me closer to the
brink. When she finally accomplished what she needed for herself,
she tipped my head back and leaned over me with her hands wrapped
around the back of my neck and her thumbs pressed against my
throat. Her lips hovered a hair’s-breadth above mine as she panted
into my mouth. With her eyes half closed, she stared into mine,
focused and methodical, until I could hold back no longer.
    It was moments like that that took my breath away.
I’d been waiting my entire life for a woman like Jill, and I made
damn sure I wouldn’t lose her. After the first six months, I asked
her to move in with me at my Noe Valley rental, to live in sin, I
joked, and she eagerly accepted. Afterwards, our lives intertwined
in every possible way.
    After living together for well over a year, I
suggested we buy a house, perhaps in the Sunset District, a vibrant
neighborhood that overlooked Golden Gate Park and the glittering,
blue Pacific. Jill’s eyes gave her away and, at first, she appeared
excited by the idea, but as the hours ticked by, she grew quiet,
and I realized something was bothering her. I nestled up next to
her that evening as she absently watched reality TV.
    “What’s wrong, love? You seem troubled. Have I
overstepped? Wouldn’t you like to buy a home with me?
    She tilted her head and pondered how best to
respond, probably in a noble attempt to answer without offending
me. “No, Ty, it’s not that. It’s just…well… Don’t you think it’s
kind of…I don’t know, backwards…buying a house together without,
you know…being married first?” She lowered her head, nervous of my
reaction.
    I raised her chin with my finger and looked at her
with narrowed eyes. “Why Miss Demetrio, are you proposing to
me?”
    With a tiny smile, she gasped and batted my hand
away. “Absolutely not! It’s not my place to propose.”
    I laughed. “No? Well then, I’m not quite sure what
to do with this ring, that is, if you don’t intend on marrying me.”
I pulled out a light blue box and tipped the lid back.
    Jillian’s chin dropped as she stared transfixed at
the large, square-cut diamond glistening in the soft light. Her
gaze snapped up to mine.
    “Marry you? Oh my God! You really want to get
married?”
    I laughed again. “Well, of course. What do you think
I’ve been working toward all this time? It’s only natural for a man
to want a wife, children, and a home. Don’t you think?”
    “Yes,” she answered solemnly.
    “Yes? Yes what exactly?” I wondered aloud.
    She giggled, her grin mischievous. “Yes, it’s