The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set)

by Lashell Collins

  “Robby,” she whispered. She leaned her face slightly into his caress and lifted her hand to cover his. “I love you. I love you so much.”

  Her voice was barely a whisper, but Buz heard her declaration as clearly as if she had shouted it into a megaphone, and they were the most beautiful words he had ever heard. She loved him! Janie still loved him. Unable to stop himself, his hand moved from her face to her hair as he leaned in and kissed her. His lips pressed against hers firmly, lightly letting his tongue brush against them. And when Janie responded to his kiss, and his tongue ventured in, he felt the same powerful, all-consuming heat that had characterized their entire relationship eight years ago. Sex for them had always been intense, emotional and erotic as hell, and this kiss was proving to be no exception.

  The moment his lips touched hers, Janie was overwhelmed by him. Like always. His passion and his fire consumed her, laying waste to any defenses she may have been holding on to. She felt herself melt into him as his arms circled around her, pulling her close as his kiss continued. Her fingers twisted in the long silky locks of his hair as he devoured her mouth with his own. They were both breathless and panting when he finally pulled away.

  He stared into her eyes with longing as he held her close to him. He wanted this so badly. He wanted her. “Let me love you, Janie,” he whispered, holding her tightly with one arm as the other hand caressed her face once more. “Please let me make love to you.”

  Mutely, she nodded her head as her eyes never left his. “Yes,” she breathed softly before he kissed her once more.

  There were no more words as they moved together in a delicate dance, slowly undressing one another with timid, gentle hands and soft, probing touches. His lips and his tongue glided over her creamy skin with precision as he lightly kissed every inch of her, exploring the body he loved so much and had missed for so long. And when his tongue latched on to one pert brown nipple Janie moaned softly, arching her back and pushing her breast into his face.

  He took his time, wanting to savor every single moment of this experience. His hands wandered smoothly over her skin as he led with his mouth: kissing, licking, biting, tasting. And with each pass of his lips and his tongue, he could feel Janie building. Her soft moans and utterances of pleasure fueling his desire. He loved the feel of her hands on his skin and her fingernails lightly scrapping over his back. And when he arrived at that special spot between her thighs he felt her fingers tighten in his hair as he feasted on her.

  Janie felt the exact moment when she lost control of her senses. All conscious thought left her as her body began to sing and tremble, and she gave in, floating on wave after wave of pleasure. She was drifting in bliss when she felt Robby kissing her once more, his lips on her neck and her jaw. He kissed her deeply for a moment and then looked into her eyes.

  “I've missed you so much,” she whispered.

  “Oh, darling, I've missed you too,” he answered softly. “I love you, Janie.”

  He kissed her again, his tongue caressing hers sweetly for a long, delectable moment. Then he looked deep into her eyes as he slowly entered her, his head spinning faster and faster with every inch as he buried himself fully inside of her.

  Oh, God.

  It was the only conscious thought in his head as he slowly began to move with long, deep strokes as he made love to her. Their eyes locked in a heated gaze as their bodies moved and danced together rhythmically, grinding fervently as he pounded into her with a crazy, even beat.

  “You feel so good, baby,” he groaned, his lips lightly brushing over hers. Their breaths mingled as they moved, and for long stretches of time the only sounds in the room were their grunts and moans and the friction of skin against skin as he let Janie's cries of passion spur him on.

  “Oh, Robby,” she called out loudly, feeling herself going over the edge as her orgasm rolled through her, filling her with a white hot heat. She bit down on his shoulder, stifling another scream as she felt her fingernails beginning to dig into the skin of his back as she trembled uncontrollably.

  “Ah, fuck! Janie,” he groaned loudly as his body went rigid and he erupted deep inside of her. He collapsed on top of her, immediately turning onto his back and bringing her with him so that he didn't crush her. Their intimate connection still unbroken, he tightened his arms around her as she clung to his chest and they waited for their hearts to calm.

  And as she lay panting in his arms, Janie couldn't stop the tears from falling. She suddenly felt so overwhelmed with a mix of confusing emotions. Joy and happiness mingling with fear and even terror. And love. So much love that she didn't know what to do with. He had made love to her so sweetly, and to Janie it had felt just like the first time. She remembered that so well. Every detail of that first time was still so vivid in her mind. Robby had been so gentle with her. So loving. He had known how afraid she was and he went to great lengths to make it sweet for her. Just like tonight. But what did any of this mean? What did she want it to mean? Was this a new beginning for the three of them, or had this been some sort of bittersweet closure for her and Robby? The questions scared her.

  Her body shuddered lightly in his arms and Buz opened his eyes and looked down at her. And his spirits fell a little when he saw that she was silently crying. Gently pulling out of her, he rolled her onto her back and looked down at her.

  “Janie? What's wrong, baby?” he asked, caressing her face.

  “Nothing,” she managed through her tears.

  “Darling, you're crying. That's not nothing. And after sex, that's usually not a good thing,” he said softly, still lightly running his fingers across her cheek as he wiped her tears. “Why are you crying, Janie?”

  She was silent for several seconds, wondering frantically what to tell him. Finally she settled on the truth. Or at least, the most important part of it. “Because I love you,” she said softly.

  Buzzy searched her eyes for a long moment, smiling slowly as he looked at her, and his heart swelled with so much emotion. “I never stopped loving you, Janie. I told you a long time ago that I would love you forever, and I meant it. I will love you forever, baby.”

  Chapter Eight

  Buzzy's eyes opened slowly and focused on the dresser across the room. And for a brief moment he frowned, trying to remember what hotel he was in. What city. But then he felt the brush of hair beneath his chin and he was suddenly fully awake, and fully aware of his surroundings. He looked down at the still-sleeping angel in his arms and smiled.

  “Robby … I love you.”

  Janie's words from the night before played sweetly in his head. She admitted that she still loved him, and those whispered words had set off what, in Buzzy's mind, had been the greatest night of his life. She was back. The girl of his dreams, the only woman he had ever loved was back in his life and in his arms, and he had made love to her, repeatedly. To him, it felt as though they were both eager to make up for the last eight years that they had spent apart, and they couldn't get enough of each other. They had gone at it for hours, just like they used to back when he would climb through her bedroom window in high school. By the time they finally snuggled up in one another's arms and fell asleep, they were both completely worn out. Spent and satisfied as they held on to each other tightly and drifted off.

  He smiled again as he looked down at her, sleeping so peacefully in his embrace. Reaching up, he gently moved a strand of her silky, raven hair from her face. She was so incredibly beautiful. Like time had stood still for her. She could easily still pass for seventeen, he mused. And that thought instantly brought an image of her in the school hallway to his mind. The first time he had ever seen her. She was down on all fours attempting to gather up her fallen books and folders, and she was the prettiest thing he had ever seen.

  Lightly, he touched her face, letting his thumb play across her cheek, and then her lips, as he studied her lovely features. He could stare at her all day long. And he smiled at that thought because he could actually remember days when he did simply sit b
ack and stare at her for hours. She would be reading or doing homework – something he was supposed to be working on himself – and he would just watch her.

  ~~~~~

  “Robby, are you going to concentrate on your own biology homework or are you going to watch me all evening?” Janie had asked, smiling at him.

  “Oh, I would much rather concentrate on you than my biology notes.”

  “Mr. Hessen's quiz is not going to be easy, you know?”

  “Maybe not. But I bet you can teach me a whole lot more about biology than he can,” Buz had said, giving her a lewd smile, and Janie had playfully rolled her eyes at him.

  ~~~~~

  Buz silently laughed to himself as he relived that memory now. He had charmed her into putting down their homework and having sex shortly after that conversation. And after the sex, she had made him study for an hour. He had hated it, but it paid off. He ended up getting a B on that quiz.

  The memories made him smile. Janie had taught him so much during their time together. Not just how to study, but more important things about life and love. She truly had been everything to him back then. Hell, she had been everything to him ever since. The love he felt for her now was every bit as strong as it had been the day she had broken up with him, and each day since.

  Over the last eight years, there had not been a single day that he hadn't thought about her and missed her and wished like hell that he was still with her. During their time apart, he had wanted to share all of his big moments with her. Like his initial excitement at getting the gig with Jagged Ivory. And each milestone the band reached – like their first album release and all the success it brought, different TV appearances he and the guys had done, earning their gold and platinum records, and winning their Grammy. With each one of those achievements he would think of Janie and how much he wished he could share it all with her. And he often wondered if she ever thought about him or if she kept tabs on his career at all. Now he realized that she couldn't help but think of him, at least some of the time, because she had Bobby.

  Bobby.

  Buz shook his head slightly at the crazy notion that he and Janie's son was sleeping in the small bedroom down the hall. Their son! He still couldn't believe it. And even more unbelievable to him was the fact that he had only learned about Bobby two short days ago, but he already loved that kid more than he ever thought possible, and he couldn't wait to get to know him better and learn all he could about him. When Mike had asked if he wanted to be a father to Bobby, Buz hadn't known how to answer that question. But just a few moments spent in the kid's presence and he knew. Bobby was his son, and he wanted nothing more than to be a father to him and to take care of him and Janie for the rest of their lives. He wanted them to be a family. In his mind, he could already picture Bobby running around his home in the Hollywood Hills, and he pictured himself sitting by the pool in his backyard with Janie, watching Bobby splash around in the water. He pictured the three of them in his kitchen with family dinners, and he and Janie looking for schools in his neighborhood for Bobby. He wanted all of that. He wanted them.

  Janie stirred slightly in his arms, pulling him out of his fanciful daydreams and drawing his attention back to her. He gently caressed her face as he leaned in and kissed her lips. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and for a moment she seemed surprised to find herself wrapped snugly in his arms. He smiled at her, leaning in to kiss her lips again.

  “Good morning, baby,” he whispered, letting his lips brush over hers as he spoke. Then he kissed her again, playing over her lips with his own.

  The sensations were incredible, and Janie felt a tingle run throughout her body. What a nice way to wake up. She laced her fingers through his hair and kissed him fully, hearing a soft groan of appreciation from him as his arms tightened around her. He turned, maneuvering her onto her back without breaking their heated lip-lock as he let his hands roam over her naked body. She could feel his erection poking at her thigh as his tongue lightly suckled her own. Mmm.

  “Mom, can we have …”

  The loud yelp Janie let out before she quickly sank beneath the covers startled Buzzy more than hearing Bobby come through the bedroom door.

  “Pancakes,” Bobby said quietly, finishing his sentence as he stared at Buz with a blank expression.

  Buzzy wasn't sure whether to be amused or mortified. It wasn't like the kid had walked in on them mid-stroke after all. Of course, another couple of minutes and it would have been a different story. But all he was really seeing was his parents kissing. Kissing naked in bed, to be sure … but just kissing. That was no big deal. Right? He hadn't seen any … body parts.

  He looked down at Janie – or the spot where Janie had been – and couldn't help but laugh slightly. She had literally sank down into the bed and covered her head with the blanket, effectively hiding from their son, and leaving Buzzy to deal with the situation on his own.

  “Uh … good morning, Bobby,” he managed, suddenly feeling incredibly embarrassed as he looked at him.

  “Morning,” the child said quietly, staring at him with an inscrutable expression on his face. “Did you and Mom have a sleepover?”

  Buzzy's eyebrows shot up at Bobby's choice of words. “Uh … yes, we did have a … a sleepover,” he answered, feeling uneasy.

  “You were kissing,” the child said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes and a pout. And Buzzy wasn't sure what to make of his observation.

  He nodded his head, tucking a strand of his long hair behind his ear and feeling very exposed somehow as he stared at the kid. “Yes. We were kissing,” he confirmed. “But that's only because … we love each other. And that's … um … that's what grownups do when they … when they love each other. They kiss,” he finished awkwardly.

  “I guess you're not mad at her anymore,” the child said, stating the obvious, and Buz smiled slightly.

  “Well … we had a long talk about some things after you fell asleep, and we … sort of … made up,” he explained, feeling slightly foolish to be talking about such things with an eight-year-old.

  “Does this mean I can call you Dad now and Mom won't be mad?”

  Buz smiled at the question and nodded at him. “Bobby, you can absolutely call me Dad all the time, buddy. In fact, I want you to call me Dad. Nothing would make me happier, okay? And your mom knows that.”

  “Okay, Dad,” Bobby smiled. Then he sighed and gave him that cute little pout of his, saying, “I'm going to go eat some cereal. So you can kiss again if you want.”

  Buzzy laughed slightly as the kid made a face and slowly backed out of the room, closing the door as he went. And when he was gone, Buz slowly lifted the covers and peeked at Janie. She looked up at him as she came out from under the covers, biting her lip anxiously.

  “What just happened?” Buz asked, smiling broadly at her. “Why did you freak out like that?”

  “Are you kidding me?” she quietly wailed. “I'm so embarrassed!”

  “Why? What are you so embarrassed about?” he laughed at her.

  “Robby! He has never even seen a man in this house, let alone in my bed! He must be so confused right now,” she said quietly. “Do you think I should go and talk to him?”

  Buz stared at her and smiled. He loved the fact that she was asking his opinion on how to handle this situation with Bobby. But he was stuck on something she had just said.

  “Janie, are you saying that you haven't dated anyone since you broke up with me?” he asked.

  Janie frowned at him. “Well … no. I mean, yes … I have dated,” she fumbled to explain. “Some. But not much. I mean, it's not exactly easy to date when you're a single parent, you know?”

  Buzzy flinched, slightly irritated at her response. “You never had to be a single parent, Janie,” he said quietly as he studied her.

  Janie closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. She didn't want to argue about how she had neglected to tell him about Bobby again. They had done enough of that last night. “My friend, Beverly, she more o
r less badgered me into going on a few dates in the last couple of years,” she continued, ignoring his comment. “Blind dates and fix ups. None of them went anywhere, although … a couple of them may have resulted in … physical hookups,” she said shyly. “But never anything serious. And never in this house! Bobby never met any of the men I went out with,” she finished quietly.

  Buz was quiet for a moment as he thought back on his visit a couple of days ago when he asked if she had someone in her life. She hadn't wanted to answer the question then. He licked his lips with an anxious frown as he watched her.

  “Two days ago, I asked if there was anyone special in your life right now,” he said quietly. “You didn't seem to want to answer the question. So tell me, Janie … why was that?”

  He stared into her eyes as he waited for an answer, and she slowly shook her head at him. “I just didn't know why it mattered. I figured you would simply move on after our visit. I never expected us to end up here … in bed. I don't even know what this means,” she said softly, her eyes filled with apprehension.

  “What it means?” Buz questioned, running a finger down her cheek. “Janie, I told you last night what it means. I told you over and over again. I love you. I never stopped loving you, and I want us to forget that the last eight years apart ever happened and just move forward from here. Together. I want you, Janie. I have always wanted you.”

  His eyes were burning with such genuineness, and Janie was caught off guard by his sincerity. Did he mean what he was saying? Did he even understand the magnitude of what he had just said to her?

  “I don't think you mean that,” she said softly. “You couldn't possibly.”

  “I mean every word,” he insisted, studying her eyes.

  “Robby … we don't even know each other anymore. We are virtual strangers to one another.”

  “Strangers?” The word was spoken with an air of astonishment as Buzzy stared at her. “Really? 'Cause you know, it didn't feel like we were strangers last night. It felt like we were those same wild, starry-eyed, love-struck teenagers who used to sneak around and make love for hours. Tell me something, Janie … those blind dates and fix ups you went on … the ones that led to sex? Did they make you feel as good as I did last night? Did they know how to touch you to make your skin tingle?” he asked, lightly running his fingers up the inside of her thigh, and causing her to gasp. “Or where to kiss you to make you wet in an instant,” he whispered as his lips brushed against her ear, making her shudder as his lips moved down to her neck. “We are not strangers, baby. I know you. I remember everything about you.”