A Jar of Hearts

by Cartharn, Clarissa

  “You’re still here,” she whispered.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?” She turned to him tiredly. “Your duty is done. Anne is safe with James now and I would be heading back for Boston soon.”

  He coughed. “I thought we could arrange something for Ashley’s sake.”

  “Ashley? What has this got to do with Ashley?”

  “Julia, you know Ashley looks up to me. We’ve created a bond. If I moved suddenly out of our relationship, it’s gonna affect her.”

  “That’s why I kept telling you to stay away from her. But you don’t listen, do you?”

  She closed her eyes and his heart cramped. He hated it when she tried to shut him out like that.

  “Julia,-”

  “I don’t know what I’m going to tell Mr Mullen,” she continued. “That Anne ran off with a man she loved? Something. But whatever it is, he won’t like it and most probably fire me because I couldn’t protect her. I guess whichever road I would have taken in this operation, I was going to be screwed anyway.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “You should go.” She covered her face with her hands. “You don’t have to protect us anymore.”

  “I do,” he whispered, nearing her.

  “Why?” She barely could sound the word.

  “Because I love you.” He removed her hands to look at her. “Anne didn’t abandon you. She left because I promised her I would take care of you.”

  She glanced up at him through her tears. “You mean that?”

  “Yes, of course. Anne would never-”

  She shook her head, cutting him short. “No, the first one. Do you really love me?”

  He covered her cheek with one hand and tugged her over to him. “From that very first moment you told me to shut up because I knew nothing about having a family. You were right. I know nothing about the responsibilities of having one. But since I’ve had you and Ashley, I can’t think of my life without you both in it. You took over my entire being, Julia Medina.”

  “Then… why haven’t you kissed me yet?” She shivered.

  He lowered his mouth and took his first taste of her. She grew limp against him. His arm wound around her waist, bracing her up so he could kiss her deeper.

  She moaned, threading her fingers through his hair. “I love you too. I just didn’t know if you would ever love me back.”

  “Well, I do. And don’t you ever forget that.”

  He cupped her buttocks, lifting her up while she wound her legs around his hips. He carried her to her bed, tearing his clothes off of himself as he lay atop her and then helped her out of hers. He gazed down at her body for a fleeting moment and admiring what would be his forever.

  She lifted herself up by his nape and kissed the length of his neck. His body stiffened, his muscles tightening to her touch. If she continued, he would lose control and he couldn’t have that now. Another day, perhaps. But tonight, he was taking charge.

  He pushed her back onto the bed as his mouth crushed ruthlessly against her, his tongue diving into her luscious mouth. He had wanted her so bad and his secret pining for her in the last couple of months unleashed the demon inside him. He quietly swore he would never let her go.

  His hand skimmed up her rib cage, seeking to cup her breast. And when he found them, his fingers brushed over her hardened nipples.

  He left the delicacies of her mouth and traveled down her throat and to her breasts, eager to suckle them. She writhed under him, her hands feeling for the length of his hardened cock and he gasped when she clasped him. She began to pump him like a piston, the head of his cock swelling to unbearable pleasure. Reluctantly, he unwound her grip. He didn’t want a release so early. He had so much more to explore about her.

  He pinned her wrists down on the bed and slithered down to her crotch. He kissed the apex of her legs, parting her lips and probing her with his tongue. She bucked off the bed but it gave him more reason to push in further with his tongue.

  He dove in and then out of her until she begged for mercy.

  “Mark, please…”

  He lifted up onto her and pushed his cock into her, filling her to the hilt. He moved in with her, his heartbeat in sync with hers, their bodies in perfect rhythm. And that’s how they would stay, he whispered to her- their lives entwined, their dreams and their fates merged into one.

  “This is it,” James said as he led her by her hand into the house. “What do you think?”

  “It smells of freshly cut wood chips and clean mountain air.”

  “You’re right. We’re in the middle of a forest. There are just green valleys, clear springs and wild flowers all about us.” He held her by her shoulders, gazing concernedly into her eyes. “You don’t mind, do you Anne?”

  She wrapped her arms around his nape. “Mind? I’m with you, right? It’s all I ever wanted. I don’t really care where that maybe so long as I am with you.”

  He leaned his brow against hers. “How could you trust me so much?”

  She smiled, lifting herself up on her toes and kissed him on his lips. “It’s easy.”

  “Tell me how.”

  “I’ll show you,” she whispered as she kissed him fully on his mouth.

  He pulled her into him, his erection grating against her naval. She tugged at his shirt, pulling it off him while he peeled off her clothes as fast as he possibly could. The back of his calves hit against the sofa and he tumbled into it, taking her with him.

  She let out a little chuckle before sliding down his naked front until she reached his cock. She circled her fingers around his veiny shaft, stroking his length and then took his bulbous head into her mouth.

  He held her by the hair and pushed deep into her. He felt himself leak and he pulled out immediately. It had been three weeks since he had seen her and he wanted to release himself in her, sheathed by her heat.

  He lifted her by the hips and helped her straddle him. She lowered herself down until he sunk into her fully.

  He beheld her sight as she rocked on him, her breasts in the air, her back arched and her head thrown back while she heralded them towards their orgasm.

  CHAPTER 30

  Weeks passed by, and slowly Anne learned to put her guard down. She was finally able to let go of her fears of Juan tampering with their lives.

  She stretched herself out of their bed and headed towards the verandah. That’s where he usually was in such a blissful morning. “James?”

  “Here.”

  It was all he needed to say to tell her he was smiling and content. She reached out for him and found him leaning against the rails, looking out into the valley. She wound her arms around the front of his torso, crushing her breasts against his back and her head resting comfortably on it.

  “How does it look today?” she murmured.

  “Beautiful, like always.” He took her small hand and kissed her palm. “Sometimes I can’t believe we’re finally together and in a place such as this.”

  “Don’t say it aloud like that. I get scared this might not be real because it is too good to be true.”

  He twisted so she could slide to the front of him. “It is real, it is good and it is very true.” He gave her a light kiss on the side of her head. “I’m heading into town after breakfast. Did you want something?”

  “I’ll go with you. I wanted to buy something crafty to do.”

  He fingered her locks and sighed.

  She narrowed her eyes, sensing something was bothering him after all. “What’s wrong, James?”

  “Just worried about you. Have you mastered the landscape yet?”

  “Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve told you I have.”

  “Let’s do it one more time before we go shopping.”

  “But James, I have done this a dozen times already,” she protested.

  “Yeah, but you haven’t in the last couple of days.” He kissed her collar bone. “One more… for me?”

  She rested her head against the headrest of her car
seat as she let out a deep breath.

  He smiled at her as he veered around a bend in the mountainous road. “You’re tired.”

  “Are you kidding me?” she mumbled. “It’s okay for you to do all those drills. You work out every single day.”

  “It’ll do you good to do some of them. We have an entire mountain to our pleasure.”

  “Hmmm,” she chuckled. “I’d rather do some other kind of workout for pleasure.”

  He laughed. “I’ll consider it.”

  They grew quiet, taking in the sweet scent of the forest as they drove down into the valley and towards the nearest town.

  “James, do you really think Juan will come looking for us?” she asked slowly, breaking the silence.

  “I don’t know.” He leaned his elbow against the window, nipping at his index finger. “But I’ve been places where ordinary people don’t go. I don’t know who might come looking for me and I don’t want you caught in that crossfire. Your drills and those little hideouts I’ve shown you could save your life.”

  “Will it ever be over?”

  “Mark said that once he has Juan trapped, we should be safe. I’ve done the hard work, Anne. It shouldn’t be long now.”

  She closed her eyes again, but the crease in her frown deepened.

  “Do you regret being with me?” he asked concernedly.

  “Of course not.” She brushed him off as if he had uttered some absurdity. “But I worry about you.” She lowered her head so he would not have to see her face. “I can’t lose you too, James.”

  He clasped her hand and bit her little finger. She yelped and he laughed. “I’m not going anywhere. So cheer up. We’re almost close to town.”

  She pulled her hand back sharply, her frown transformed into an adorable sulk. As long as he could protect her, as long as she was happy… He leaned back against his window, the bustle of the town echoing louder as they drove closer to it. It was a stark contrast to the silence their cabin offered them high up in the forest. It was by sheer luck that he had found this property almost a year ago. He had long prepared for this day. But he had never prepared for the fact that Anne would be on the run from The Pachecos along with him.

  He pressed his lips tightly into a thin straight line. He hadn’t even told her he was Eric. He couldn’t unless this was over. Fuck, Mark… do something.

  The little bell tinkled above her as she stepped into the craft store. The scent of fragrant candles immediately caught her nostrils and she delightfully wandered through the store, trying to catch a whiff of other scents.

  “Can I help you?” a woman asked her.

  “Yes.” She folded her cane and tucked it away into her bag. “I’m looking for beads and buttons to sew onto cushion covers. Do you have any?”

  “Oh, yes,” the woman replied enthusiastically. “Do you mind if I held you by the hand and led you to it?”

  “I’d appreciate it, thank you.”

  “I’m Norma,” the woman introduced herself as she helped Anne to her elbows.

  She was a rounded, robust woman, Anne gauged. Her arm was nice and strong and her voice was gentle. Yet there was a degree of sternness telling anyone she wasn’t as gullible as she might appear to be. The subtle huskiness in her words told her she was an older woman with a lot of experience and story behind her strong personality.

  “And I’m Anne,” she replied with a smile.

  “I’ve heard about you. The butcher, John McCain, was telling me about a couple moving into that empty cabin in the mountains.”

  “This must be an awfully small town if people already know about me and James.”

  Norma chuckled. “So small, it does get a tad boring to see the same old people driving through it. So when we do get guests, word spreads like fire.”

  “Especially if one is blind?”

  “Especially if they are as young and as beautiful as you and your husband are,” Norma corrected. “That man of yours is drop dead handsome, and you are the prettiest thing I’ve seen in years in this town.”

  Anne laughed. “Thank you. You’re too kind. But I doubt we are any of that.”

  Norma grinned. “We’re just a bunch of old farts trying to run this town, so it’s nice seeing some youth brighten up this place. Don’t mind us. How long are you here for?”

  Anne shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d like to live here as long as I could if James would have it. I love the fresh mountain air and the long walks through the forest.”

  Norma narrowed her eyes concernedly. “Well, be careful. The forest can be a challenge even to people who can see.”

  “I will. I stay with James if I need to go further into the forest. Otherwise, I stay on the paths around the house.”

  “I’ve been to that house a couple of times whilst a previous tenant occupied it. I admit it has a breathtaking view. The house, itself, is gorgeous.”

  “Yeah, these are the times when I wish I still had my sight,” Anne said slowly.

  “I’m sorry,” Norma said, caressing her arm. “I’m being a little insensitive. And nosy too. I don’t know where my manners are today.”

  “Oh no,no,” Anne said quickly. “You’re just stating the obvious. And it sure is nice talking freely to a person other than James. Despite the fresh clean air, it can get stifling lonely too.”

  “Tell me the truth. Which would you rather?” Norma teased.

  “The air,” Anne replied with a chuckle.

  “I would too,” Norma said amusedly. “Now, how about those beads?”

  She lifted Anne’s hand and put them into a jar.

  “What are these?” Anne asked, feeling the smooth rounded tiny little balls under her fingers.

  “Those are pearls.”

  “White pearls?”

  “Yes.”

  “They would look nice,” Anne contemplated. “Do you have anything more colorful?”

  “Of course, and with a little bit of bling too. Don’t you worry, my dear, I’ve got a whole lot of jars to dunk your fingers in through.”

  Anne laughed again. “Let’s do it.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Her phone buzzed on the coffee table and she put her needle aside to answer it. “James?”

  “Honey, I’m caught in town. The car battery just died out and I’ll try and change it if I can. Otherwise, I’ll have to find someone to help me jump it.”

  “Be careful. And take your time. I don’t want you racing up the mountain because of me. I get worried when you do that.”

  “It’s gonna get dark soon. You’re not scared, are you?”

  “Darling, it’s always dark in my corner of the world.” She rolled her eyes. “Just take care, okay? I don’t want you stranded mid-way up either in the dark.”

  “I will. I’ll try not being too long. Make sure you’ve locked all the doors and windows.”

  She shook her head as she tossed back the phone on the table. They were living in the dang middle of the forest. It was unlikely that someone was just going to stumble onto them in the dark. An old grandfather clock standing beside the bookcase chimed seven times, its echoes ringing through the silence in the house.

  It’s dark. She threw her head back, hesitant to leave the comfort of the lounge and turn the lights on. It didn’t make any difference to her, but she knew it would warm the house up by the time James returned.

  Just a little while longer, she promised herself. She was missing Boots. She wouldn’t have felt so lonely if she had him at least and the way he would purr about the house. But the time she had spent with Julia and Ashley had spoilt her too. She missed their long conversations; Ashley’s jabber and even the playful Harley who never ceased to draw a smile from her whenever she was around him.

  She had tried as much to avoid calling them, realizing she would miss them more if she heard their voices. James had informed her that they had moved in with Mark. She couldn’t help squealing at the news now that Julia had at last fallen in love with a man who would always love her and
Ashley back as much too, and who would also protect them. Damn you, Julia. You took so long but you did it.

  The corners of her mouth lifted up as she imagined them as a family. She envied them slightly, knowing they were enjoying the freedom of being one. James and she were still struggling on the other hand, trying to live happily and normally without the need to look over their shoulders occasionally.

  She had called Lucy though. Her father’s mistress and once her aide had always been protective of her. Anne had known Lucy would work herself into a state of anxiety as soon as the woman learned that she had ridden into the sunset with a man neither she nor her father knew about.

  “What about Nicholas?!” Lucy had cried.

  “He’s a friend,” Anne had said, rubbing her temples. “Nicholas knows that.”

  “This is so not fair to him. He had waited hand and foot for you. Taken care of you when you needed him most.”

  “And I shall always be grateful for that, Lucy. But I do not love him.”

  It was then her father had snatched Lucy’s phone from her and barked at her to return to Boston. “Immediately!”

  The next quarter of an hour had then been dedicated to arguments, reasoning and back to debates on why she couldn’t make her own adult decision to do as she pleased.

  “Dad, I am not coming back. And there is no law in this land that can force me to return if I don’t want to! I am an adult and it’s time you faced that fact!” She had slammed the phone down before he could retort and she had stood seething in the centre of her living room until James had gathered her in his strong arms to comfort her.

  She sat quietly now, fingering the little bead she had sewn onto a cushion cover, reflecting on that argument. No matter how angry she would get with her father for being stifling protective, he was still her dad and he loved her. She sighed. She hoped he would never find her like he had threatened he would. She never told him where she was, she assured herself. But she knew there were other ways and she prayed for James’ sake he wouldn’t try to.