“My Ouma (grandmother) is a strong woman and together we got through it. She’s in a fancy retirement home now that Sam and I gladly pay for. She gave up her cosy little flat and her life to take care of us. She didn’t have to do it but she did. If not for her Sam and I would have ended up in an orphanage and would most probably have been split up.”
Sunny wriggled against him and tipped her head back to look up at him. He met those earnest and penetrating blue eyes and couldn’t look away.
“She’s not the only one who gave up things to take care of their family. You gave up being a teenager to take care of your family. And even though you didn’t say it, it is very clear that it hasn’t been easy for you. Sam and your gran are lucky to have you, so very lucky. Not every young boy would be able to step up the way you did. Your dad must have been a truly good man to raise such a good son.”
Her words burned like fire in his chest. Yes, his dad had been a good man but she was wrong, he was not a good son. He had done shit he wasn’t proud of, shit that did not honour the memory of the man who had raised him for the first fourteen years of his life.
“He was a good man, a really good man. He loved his wife and his boys and he worked hard to give us a good life. I was lucky I had him for fourteen years.”
Soft fingers traced the dates tattooed on his ribs and her silky hair slid over his chest as she nodded.
He needed the mood in the room to change, because he didn’t want to think about his past any longer.
Slipping his arm beneath her legs he lifted her, brought his legs closer together and set her down on his thighs. She wriggled her ass to get comfortable and his dick took notice. A lot of notice. Peeping slyly up at him through her eyelashes she purposely wriggled again. His naughty girl was testing him and so he dragged her right up against his hard dick. He loved the way her breath hissed out as she felt him against her hip.
“You keep wriggling, baby, and my dick is going to…”
He never finished the sentence because she sat up and carefully straddled his lap.
“There, now I can see your eyes without tipping my head back to look up at you. And my side was starting to ache in that position, so this is a whole lot better.”
Immediately he felt like shit for not taking her injuries into consideration when he settled her on his lap. A slap on his pec, and not a soft one either, ripped him out of his head.
“Ow! Damn, Poppie (little doll), that hurt.” He griped as he rubbed over the red mark.
“Good. You looked like you needed a slap on the tit to get out of your head. I’m not a fragile little flower, Jag. I’m a lot stronger than I look.” She tapped her chest. “Farm girl and big animal vet, I’m made of stronger stuff.”
Pushing his face into hers he bit out through his teeth.
“You. Were. Shot.”
She shrugged. “I know, and let me tell you, it sucked, but, and listen carefully now, getting scratched by a big cat feels a lot worse than the ache in my side. See those scars on my thigh? Those came from a sweetie called Rex. He came out of sedation unexpectedly and struck out at whatever was holding him down because he was scared. And these here on my arm? Those I got from Dayana. She was feeling a bit pissy and didn’t retract her nails when she slapped me. She didn’t intend to hurt me she just forgot that I wasn’t a cat with fur to protect my skin. I’m sure by the time I retire one day I’ll have a few more to add. One little bullet and getting beaten isn’t going to slow me down. Not even a little bit.”
Closing his eyes he breathed in and out slowly and forced his clenched jaw to relax before he opened his eyes and looked at the woman straddling his lap.
“If you get hurt again I’m going to lose my shit, just warning you in advance. I can’t stand the idea that anything or anyone might damage this beautiful skin and body again. So, I need you to be careful once you’re healed.”
His bloody little doll laughed and almost immediately grimaced as the cut on her lip pulled. Thank fuck it didn’t open up again. She sagged against his chest and hid her face in his neck and he only just heard her mumbled reply.
“I hate being so helpless.”
Kissing her temple he nuzzled the hair away from her ear and gently tightened his arms around her. He was careful to place them where they wouldn’t touch her wounds.
“You aren’t helpless, Sunny, just banged up right now and you need to rest to give your body a chance to heal. Let me get rid of the hair stuff then we’ll get you comfortably settled in bed. Okay?”
She gave a tiny little nod.
Lifting her from his lap he gently set her on the bed next to him, watching as she carefully rolled and settled herself on her good side.
He quickly got the hair dryer unplugged and set on the dresser then took the brush and comb back to the bathroom. Coming back into the room he turned the main light off, leaving only the bedside lamp to throw a circle of soft golden light over the bed. Walking around the bed he carefully pulled the duvet back then lifted Sunny, settled her in the bed and pulled the duvet up over her. Returning to the other side of the bed he pulled his sweatpants down, stepped out of them then lifted the duvet and crawled into bed.
“You’re naked.”
“Yes, I am. Not sleeping in those sweatpants and I didn’t bring clean jocks (underwear) with me, so naked it is.”
Slipping his arm under her he gently pulled her over and settled her on his chest, ensuring that her wounded side rested on him. She sighed and shifted until she was comfortable, her hand settled on his abdomen, before she carefully hitched her leg up over his. Drifting his fingers through the hair at the back of her head he lay with his eyes closed breathing her in. Reaching out he turned the lamp off and plunged the room in darkness.
With her warm body against his he slowly started slipping into sleep. His arm stayed around her, his hand settling on her ass cheek, keeping her close.
A knock on the door and Radar giving one deep growly bark woke him from the best sleep he had had in a long time. Sunny was in the exact same position she had been in when they went to sleep. Glancing down he didn’t want to move but the knock came again and he groaned then gently slipped out from underneath her. Pushing his pillow into her arm he drew the duvet up over her. Grabbing his jeans off the chair he slipped them on and settled his hard cock before he zipped up, but didn’t fasten the top button.
Radar had already dragged his bed away from the door before he got to it. Unlocking and pulling it open he glared at Crash and Banger. The bastards grinned and made as if to come inside but he didn’t move out of the way.
“What do you bastards want?”
Banger looked at Crash and made big eyes. “Someone didn’t get any last night.”
“Ja, I can see by the size of the weapon he’s concealing in his jeans that he didn’t.”
“Do you think he might need some lessons?” Banger was playing with his fucking sick leave.
“No, no lessons needed. My bro is a stallion in the sack…or so I’ve heard.” Now Crash was officially on his shit list.
“I’m going to ask this only one more time before I start breaking heads. What do you bastards want?”
“Did you by any chance look at the time, brother?” Crash grinned like he had won the fucking lottery.
“No. Why?”
“It’s half past eight, Jag. You overslept. Everyone was waiting for you but when you didn’t show Banger and I gave them their orders for the day. I found them in your day planner in your office, in case you were wondering.” Crash finished with a smirk.
He never overslept, never. He usually didn’t even need an alarm to wake him.
“Fuck. I need to get home to clean up and get some clothes then I’ll check on the teams…”
A duffle dropped at his feet on the floor.
“No need. We packed some shit for you for a couple of days. I’ll stay with Crash while you take care of your lady.” Banger winked and grinned.
Jagger glared at the smiling b
loody assholes.
“There are rules for staying in my house you little shit. No women and no drunken parties. I find out you fucked some skank in my bed we’re going to have problems. And believe me, I will find out, so don’t test me.”
“Okay, Dad, we’ll be good while you’re away, we promise.” Crash laughed when he growled angrily. Then Crash looked down and his face went from laughing to soft in an instant.
His little brother bent down and gently scuffed Radar’s neck and chest as he pushed past Jagger’s legs to get to him.
“You going to watch over our Sunny today, Radar? Are you on guard duty while dad goes to work for a few hours hmmm?”
The dog’s ears turned as he listened to Crash talking shit while a doggy smile split his face.
“Yes, he will be staying here today. I’ll take him for a walk before I leave.”
But the terrible twosome in the doorway shook their heads.
“No need, Dad. We’ll take him out while you get ready for work. Aunt Beryl said to tell you that your breakfast is in the warmer and that she’ll be around the clubhouse all morning. Grietjie will be in to see to Sunny’s bandages and meds after you’re done getting ready. No need to shock the poor woman with the awesomeness of the massive dick we both had been gifted with.”
Jagger gave up. Once Crash started talking shit it was almost impossible to get him to stop, and now that he had his damned sidekick it was even worse. And both of them calling him dad was just to rile him up. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of reacting to it.
“Why don’t you stop talking shit and take Radar for a walk? He hasn’t been outside since last night and most probably needs to piss against every single tree we’ve got.”
He was done with their shit and stepped back to look for Radar’s leash. And of course he had to move away from the door which gave the assholes the opening they needed. Both slithered into the room and stood looking at Sunny still fast asleep in the bed.
With the position she was sleeping in and the way her shirt had pulled up they couldn’t miss the big bandage across her side and the smiles disappeared instantly.
“Did she sleep okay? No nightmares?” Banger asked softly.
Jagger could only nod as he handed Radar’s leash to Crash.
“She’ll be safe here, brother.” Crash said as he took the leash. “We’ll make sure of it. No one is going to touch her on our watch.”
Jagger could once again only nod.
Yes, he would make sure she was safe while she was here. But once she was healed and her problems solved she would be going back to her life.
A life he wasn’t a part of.
He would take what she was willing to give him and file it away for the lonely days once she was gone from his life.
It was already clear to him that there would never be anyone else for him.
She was the one.
Like his mum had been the one for his dad.
His dad had told him that a Du Plessis man only loved once, and when he did it was forever. When he was twelve he had sat him down and given him the talk. Telling him about sex and procreation.
That talk had been the start of many. As he got older his dad had taught him about the ways a real man took care of his woman. Not sexually but in other ways. In the little things that mattered to a woman and that showed her that her man cared about her.
Their last talk had been the night before he had died.
And that talk had been all about taking care of your woman’s needs before your own.
Jagger still remembered how he had blushed when he had explained the mysteries of a woman’s body to him.
After that night his life changed drastically. But he had remembered those talks and had stepped up with Sam when he turned twelve and started the talks with him.
Shaking his head he shoved his memories into the deep dark corner in his head and blocked it.
Once the two men left with Radar he showered and got dressed then brushed his hair back and pulled it up into a bun with one of the scrunchies his Ouma (grandmother) had made him. Today’s was a pale blue one. The old lady loved teasing him about his long hair and made him scrunchies more suited to a girl than a big guy like him.
He didn’t give a shit. He loved wearing something she had made for him.
Sitting on the bottom of the bed he pulled on clean socks and his boots then tied them.
He was ready when Crash brought Radar back.
Bending over the sleeping woman he kissed his little doll on her temple and drew a finger down her cheek before straightening. Patting the bottom of the bed he tipped his head towards it and Radar didn’t wait on a second invitation. He hopped up and lay down with his back tight against Sunny’s legs.
Giving her one last look he left. The sooner he got shit done the sooner he would be back.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Sunny
Lying in bed for days on end was not how I saw my recovery. As far as I was concerned I needed to move around to keep my blood flowing to help with the healing. Convincing Jagger of that was not so easy. The man was irritatingly over protective and his bloody spies made sure he knew every move I made.
I wasn’t allowed outside but I could freely move around the clubhouse with a few exceptions. No going upstairs or down the passage that led to the offices and what Jagger called their chapel. Apparently that’s where they held their meetings which they called church for some reason.
Everyone treated me kindly, even the club girls.
And thinking about the club girls had me thinking about Sandy. The poor thing was absolutely infatuated with Jagger and he was completely oblivious. Or maybe he wasn’t and he just acted that way to avoid a confrontation. Like the one they had when she accused him of having sex with Grietjie. What a mess that was.
Sandy had come to see me the day after she had her fall out with Jagger. Not to confront me but to apologise. To say I was confused about why she had to apologise to me would not be wrong. She had been a surprise when I could finally put a face to the voice I had heard the night before.
She was gorgeous. Average height with curves for days, curves I had always wanted but lacked. Her skin was a beautiful honey gold and it told me she spent time at the pool or in a tanning bed at a spa. Her dark hair fell in a cascade of curls over her shoulders and her beautiful face was carefully made up to make the most of her features, the best of which was her large blue eyes.
She was everything I would never be.
Her first words to me had been an apology.
“I’m so sorry I was such a bitch to Jagger last night. Please believe me when I say it was all wishful thinking. He has never indicated in word or deed that he was interested in me. The only time I have ever touched him was as a massage therapist and it was in an absolutely professional capacity. He gets incredibly tense and his neck and shoulder muscles tighten up so much that he’s in constant pain. And he’s so stubborn he refuses to take pain killers for it. Hawk sends him to the salon when it gets so bad he can scarcely move his head.”
She sighed and looked at the floor before she looked up and met my eyes.
“I was the one who took it to mean more than it did. I hoped that he came to see me because he felt something for me and now I’ve completely messed everything up.”
She fell silent as if waiting for me to say something. I did have something to say but I knew it wasn’t what she expected me to say.
“If you have a good job that you enjoy doing why are you here? Why are you giving yourself to men who don’t see the real woman hiding inside you? Why do you allow them to use you?”
Biting her bottom lip her eyes glistened but she pulled it back before she answered me.
“I was no one when I first came here and these men took me in, gave me a place to live and took care of me. The club paid for my studies and protected me from my past. They didn’t care that I came from the wrong side of town, that my father was an abusive drunk or that my mother was a dru
ggie. None of it mattered to them. They only saw me and at the time it was exactly what I needed, for someone to see me, to value me.”
Drawing in a deep breath and blowing it out in heavy sigh she continued.
“Someday I hope to find a man who will not just see the pretty wrapping on the outside but see the woman on the inside. I know the longer I stay here the less chance there is of me finding that man. I love the club and I’d hate to leave because they’ve become my family but, if I want to find my happily ever after I’m going to have to leave.”
That sounded strange and I frowned.
“Why would you have to leave to find your man? Why not look around and find him right here? There are a lot of men here, surely one of them could be the one for you.”
She sadly shook her head.
“The only club girl who ever found her man at the club was Chris, and she wasn’t even really a club girl. She had a relationship with two of the brothers before Scar snatched her up. No one else ever got that lucky.”
Sadness lay in her eyes like a misty blanket and I wondered if there was a man, besides Jagger, that she had feelings for.
“Besides Jagger, is there anyone here that you have feelings for?”
Again she sighed heavily.
“No one knows this and I need you to not say anything to Jagger because he would feel honour bound to tell his brother.” She drew in a deep breath. “I fell for one of the older brothers when I first got here but he…he…he was very sweet and gently turned me away. I know he feels something for me because I feel his eyes on me all the time. He’s never come to me and he leaves the minute a party turns rowdy. He’s separated from his wife, has been for more than ten years but they’re still married. I wish I had done things differently because then maybe he would have been mine, but now too many of his brothers have been with me and it will never happen.”
I understood, I didn’t want to, but I did. No man, or woman, would like to think of their person with people they know and see every day.
“What if you left and he comes after you? Could that happen?”
Her eyes widened. “I don’t know if he will.”
A Touch Of Grey Page 17