Jasper: Book 2 War & Piece Chronicles

by CORY CYR

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Jasper

  I scooped Daisy into my arms and carried her to our room, tossing her on the massive bed, then crawling my way up her body. Still naked from the blowjob, I wasn’t yet sated. The lingerie made me crazy for her. She never had to concern herself with being older because she rocked forty-three, and I had no doubt she would at any age. I pulled her panties down with my teeth as I pinned her arms at her sides. My resolve nearly snapped as her bare cleft came into view. I assumed our foreplay had been this afternoon, because I was clearly ready to settle into her. I covered myself with a condom, then poised myself above Daisy.

  “I love you forever and a day,” I murmured as I sank deep into her.

  Daisy’s nails scored my back as I began an even stroke. My breathing became haggard, but her pleasure was my only focus.

  “Go deeper,” she remarked softly.

  Her words pushed me from a stroke into a thrust. I crushed my mouth to hers as my length surged. “You make me insane. I can’t get enough,” I whispered, sweat dripping from my forehead. “I’m going to flip you over. Don’t be afraid. I’d never do something you wouldn’t enjoy.”

  I could feel her body tense because she thought I was going to perform anal on her. As much as I had enjoyed it in the past, I knew Daisy wasn’t keen on it. I pulled out and turned her over so she was lying on her stomach. I hoisted her backside up to me as I got behind her. Once I held her by the hips, I immersed myself into her pussy. The sensation overtook me, and I knew fucking her from behind was going to make me release quickly.

  “Does it…” thrust “feel…” thrust “good?” I asked as I pounded into her.

  Daisy’s breathing became erratic short pants.

  “I’m going to come,” I announced, grabbing her hair as I slipped in and out of her.

  She pushed back onto my cock. “Me, too,” she said as her pussy tightened its grip on me. A guttural cry came from her as I spilled into the condom. I pumped over and over until I was drained.

  As I released her hips, I noticed small bruises marring her pale flesh. I chastised myself for not realizing I’d held her too tightly. “I’ve left marks. I am so sorry,” I confessed as I begged forgiveness.

  Daisy rolled onto her back, never bothering to check her skin. “I think bruises come with the territory. You know, rowdy sex and all.”

  I walked into the bathroom to get rid of the condom. Her words shamed me. I sat on the toilet lid, naked and horrified because sex, for me, had always included some sort of pain. I’d used it as a way to pacify the monster I used to be. At least, that was the lie I told myself. I punished the women I had sex with as a way to nullify my past crime. It had always made me feel better. But I had never loved a woman before, and there was no way in hell I would use my means of coping to injure Daisy in the present.

  It was painfully obvious I didn’t know how to love. Saying the words was easy enough, but my actions still held steadfast to my past. I had closeted my sexual tastes but continued to cause pain to someone I loved. I’d proved that by tying her up and now marking her flesh. This woman should never endure pain of any type, regardless of my reasons, especially since her husband was guilty of physically scarring her. I would not have her pay for what happened to me all those years ago.

  “Jasper, come out of there. I know you’re upset, so let’s talk.”

  I splashed water on my face, then opened the door. She had put her panties back on and gotten the bags of food from the dining room, along with plates and utensils. “Let’s eat, and you can tell me why you’re rattled,” she said as she plated some of the Chinese food.

  “I’ll use the chopsticks. They’re in the bag,” I said as I pulled on a pair of clean briefs and sat on the bed.

  “I’ve only eaten this kind of food once before. I better use a fork, or I’ll be making a mess of the bed. Those sticks look tricky.” She laughed.

  “I’ll teach you whenever you want. They’re easy once you get used to them,” I offered, spearing a piece of chicken with my chopsticks.

  “This is good. It’s chow mien, right?” she asked.

  “Close enough, I suppose. It’s Kung Pao chicken.”

  She sat in front of me with her legs crisscrossed. “I know you got yourself all antsy because of these itty-bitty bruises. Dang, Jasper, you saw what Maynard had done to me when I first got here, and he did that without sex.”

  I placed my chopsticks on the plate. “Do you understand I don’t want to ever cause you harm or remind you of him? I never said anything, but I’ve noticed the scars. They may be small, but I know he did that. Maybe I’m just not capable of loving anyone.”

  Daisy dropped her fork into her plate. She then palmed my cheek. “Believe me; you are more than capable. You said you loved me, and there’s no taking it back. I won’t let you. You have no idea what physical relations were like with my husband.”

  “Then tell me. I shared my darkest secrets with you.”

  “Maynard enjoyed hurtin’ me. He got a kick outta causing me to bleed. Most of the time, it was with his fist, but once in a while, he’d use whatever was around, leaving those scars. I’m usually able to hide them, but you’ve seen me buck naked. I suppose it’s my fault since I could have up and left him anytime.”

  I closed my eyes, snapping the chopsticks in two. “Why didn’t you leave?”

  “Maynard was real nice until five years back. Then he got mad about everything. The first time he hit me, I threatened to leave, but he said he’d kill my mama before that happened. I could use that as my only excuse, but I liked the way we lived. Big fancy house, expensive cars, and lots of money. And I guess he knew all that and used it against me. My thinking is I probably deserved what he gave me and these tiny scars are a reminder of the part I played. He wasn’t a good person, and honestly, when I think back, maybe I wasn’t either.”

  “You’re the best person I know. You are the light in my otherwise dark world. No matter what you did, you never deserved to be beaten. Don’t ever believe you earned those scars, physical or emotional.” Anger boiled inside me. “It would be best if Maynard never found you, because if I ever see him, I’m worried there will be a repeat of my actions years ago.”

  “No. Oh, hell no. We got FBI agents all over the mainland, and my husband has no idea where I am. He’ll never find me here. I’m sure he thinks I stayed close to my mama. Now let’s eat, and then I’m holdin’ you to your promises.”

  “Don’t let me get carried away and hurt you again,” I implored, discarding my broken chopsticks for a fork.

  “I kind of like it when you go all crazy on my ass. I trust you, Jasper. You won’t ever truly injure me. My thinkin’ is it’s just been too long since we’ve had sex, and now we’re both anxious. Once we’ve done it another five or six times, we’ll be good.”

  My eyes shot open as I chewed. “Five or six times, huh?” I questioned. “That’s a lot of fucking you have planned for us.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you can handle it. See what I mean?” she commented as she eyed the swell in my briefs.

  I took her plate and, along with mine, placed it on the night table. Opening the drawer, I grabbed a handful of condoms. “You ready for me, baby?” I asked, ripping one foil packet.

  “Always.”

  * * *

  Christ, a shower was in order, if not for anything else than to wake me up. Daisy was lying on her side, fast asleep. We’d finally stopped fucking at four. I yawned, dragging a hand down my stubble. I hauled myself to the bathroom. Once I peed, I turned on the hot spray, stepped in, and thought about today. I could function on three hours of sleep. I’d had plenty of practice, especially on my nights with Kai and Reese.

  I think Daisy and I had sex seven times. At least my cock still worked in every aspect. In eight weeks, I had to be checked to see how many of my sperm were viable. I couldn’t wait to be completely sterile and never have to use birth control again.

  Once I dried off, I brushed m
y teeth and combed my hair. I quickly retrieved a suit, tie, and dress shirt from the closet, then snuck back into the bathroom. Dressed, I sprayed some cologne and quietly got some socks and shoes. I jotted down a note and left it on the pillow next to Daisy. This was now my life, one I never for a second believed could happen. I sat in the living room and slipped on my shoes, then headed into the kitchen to down a protein shake.

  I wanted to take Daisy somewhere. I knew we couldn’t leave the island until her husband was arrested and she testified in court. I supposed the Feds had their own agenda, since a wife couldn’t actually say shit about her husband’s activities. I guess we should talk about that when and if Maynard was caught. Because technically, neither of us could move on with the next chapter of our life until that happened.

  It was another bright and clear day on St. Willis as I turned the key to my Hummer. I knew Daisy would be late for work today, but that would go unnoticed since I was the boss. Everyone that mattered knew about us, but I didn’t care. Since Kai had broken the cardinal rule of getting involved with employees or clients, I chose to meet the issue head on. When all this drama and intrigue surrounding Daisy finally ceased, I would notify human resources about our relationship and sign whatever document they provided. In reality, we all had sex with employees, but Kai had taken it to a new level when he fucked a client. True, he had married her and they had a family, which probably saved the business. But I didn’t want to conceal our relationship. I had hidden enough in my life, and this was the one thing I didn’t wish to keep secret.

  I hadn’t told Harriet because she would lose her mind. For a silent partner, she could make quite a bit of noise. She had alienated Kai, Reese was terrified of her, but I was indifferent. Not much scared me, especially when it came to her.

  I stopped to get some tea before heading into my office.

  “Good, I’m glad you came in on time,” Kai said as I unlocked my office door.

  I put down my tea and pulled the blinds. “I’m never late. Eight on the dot. But why are you here? You’re never here this early.”

  He yawned as he took a long sip of what I assumed was coffee. “Yeah, well, Reese stopped by last night.”

  I stopped and turned. “He came to your home? How did that happen, and why?”

  “You know Reese. I think he’s kind of feeling lonely. Tegan invited him for dinner. All her doing, I swear.” He gestured, crossing his heart.

  “Well, it’s good to know she doesn’t hold a grudge.”

  “Oh, she got over that when he apologized about twenty times. You know, he’s really amazing with Aria. I guess it takes a kid to know one,” he commented with amusement.

  “I think he’s feeling left out. I hope he doesn’t decide to leave St. Willis because he feels abandoned. I’m not sure what we’d do if he wants to become another silent partner.” I snorted. “There’ll be no one to run VIP.”

  “Don’t even joke about that. I like my hours as is, and I don’t have any plans to be a permanent fixture in the future. And I’m sure you and Daisy aren’t planning to stay here forever.”

  I sighed. “You know it’s complicated. Between the Feds and her husband… Shite, it may take years until this gets resolved. It’s extremely frustrating.”

  “No rush, I suppose, unless you’re planning to propose.”

  I nearly choked on my tea. “Are you daft? Did you not pay attention to my horror story? I told you before that I will never get married. I’ll never be worthy husband material.”

  “I know we touched on the subject, but I thought once the dust had settled, you might have changed your mind. I never thought I’d be worthy either. But my feelings changed the minute I thought I’d lost Tegan.”

  “Marriage will never be for me. It’s an institution I don’t desire to be a part of. I’m sure Daisy feels the same way, considering her husband is a deranged man who wants her dead. Leave all the matrimonial bliss to Reese since he’s the one who covets it.”

  “Okay, the wedding discussion is closed. It wasn’t even the topic at hand. Reese told me that Fady was back and she’s in the fucking penthouse. How did that happen?”

  “I wish it was only money. She, of course, had to throw a new wrinkle into the mix. Her claim is now that she loves me.”

  “What?” Kai shouted in disbelief.

  I shrugged. “Yeah, it’s her newest declaration, and Daisy walked in while she was sitting on my desk in some scanty red dress. It looked very Basic Instinct.”

  “Is she okay? You explained everything to her, right?”

  “Yes, we got it all straightened.”

  “I’m glad because I never really liked Fady. She’s always acted quite pretentious.”

  “I never noticed, but then we never had an in-depth conversation. I think I only appreciated her—”

  Kai stopped me. “Maybe there was a mutual attraction because you two are British. Or possibly you got along since you both walk like you have a stick up your ass.”

  I nodded, laughing in acknowledgment. “I always assumed that’s how you saw me.”

  Kai slapped me on the back. “Had I known about your past, I might have cut you some slack and not disliked you so much. Knowing what I know now makes me see you in a different light. You’re a survivor, and I respect that.”

  I finished my tea in one last gulp. “Sometimes I wonder if karma isn’t going to finally make me pay for what I did.”

  “Look, Jasper, I have no idea what I would have done in your shoes. You didn’t get justice, so they forced your hand. No one is mourning that cocksucker. That fiend got what he deserved. That’s karma, buddy. I’m only sorry you had to go through such a horrific ordeal at such a young age. It was a long time ago. It’s time you let it go. Find peace. You’ve earned it.”

  I collapsed in my swivel desk chair. “I’m trying, but it seems I’ve been attempting to run away from my ghosts for years. When all of us had sex together, that was my way of forgetting. Even with Fady, I could pretend to be someone else, but with Daisy, I have to be real. She deserves the authentic Jasper, regardless of how fucked up he is.”

  “Stop it. I know what you’re trying to do, because I did it with Tegan. Quit looking for ways to sabotage your relationship. It doesn’t matter what happened twelve years ago. That’s why it’s called the past. You’re in a better place now and have a woman who clearly loves you. Why? I’m clueless.”

  I flipped him the finger. “Shut it. I get it.”

  “Now just stay out of Fady’s way. Don’t let yourself get caught up in that heartless cunt’s scheme.”

  “Aye, captain,” I said with a mock salute.

  As Kai left my office, I heard the keys jingling at Daisy’s door. I poked my head out. “Hey, you.”

  She backed out into the hallway. “Good morning. I’m madder than a hornet’s nest at you.”

  Worry creeped up my spine as I went to meet her in the hall. “What did I do?” I asked.

  “I feel like I’ve run a marathon. Every muscle in my body hurts, you sex maniac.” Her attempt to look angry was pitiful, considering the smile she was trying to hide.

  “I believe it was a two-person party. I did warn you. It had been two weeks, and I would have been remiss if I dallied and didn’t live up to your expectations.”

  “Jasper, I lost count, but I’m orgasmed out.”

  “Now that’s a real shame, considering I have to ejaculate continually to get rid of my killer sperm,” I quipped behind a crooked grin.

  “Until I’m recovered, you’ll have to fend for yourself. You have hands. Use them.”

  I reached her in one stride and circled my arms around her waist, dragging Daisy into her office. “We don’t want the entire world to know you’re sore, do we?”

  She snorted, struggling to get out of my grasp. “Do not start with me. I’m hurtin’.”

  “Where’s it hurt, baby? Let me kiss it and make it better,” I cooed as I widened my stance and pressed her into me.

  Dai
sy playfully began to pound on my chest. “Let me go. I’m not joking. I really am sore. It even hurts to squat on the toilet.”

  “Definitely too much information,” I said, breaking our embrace.

  “It’s my thigh muscles, you pervert.”

  I laughed. I loved this woman so much sometimes I felt I’d burst. I hadn’t felt real happiness since I was a teen. “Tell me what I can do to make you feel better,” I prompted as I pulled her onto my lap, sitting on the sofa.

  “Kiss me like I belong to you.”

  “You do belong to me, forever and a day.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Daisy

  After a thirty-minute make-out session, Jasper went back to his own office. The man could kiss like no other. Being with him always left me with butterflies in my stomach.

  I hadn’t been kidding when I told him I was in pain. The last time I’d felt this sore was when I’d helped chop wood in my early twenties. I was no longer a spring chicken, and I wondered how I was ever going to keep up with that man.

  He had made it a point to tell me that the age difference didn’t matter, but even though it might not with him, it did with me. I was worried I’d feel guilty if there were times when I didn’t want to have sex or if my looks or body began looking rode hard and put up wet. How could I saddle him with this when he could have a woman closer to his own age or even younger? Fady had to be in her early twenties. Heck, she’d still be beautiful when I was cashing in on my senior discount. I wanted Jasper to be happy. He’d had so much tragedy in his life that he’d earned the right to be with someone better than this old Tennessee gal.

  Maybe after all this shit with Maynard was over and done with, I should go back home. I loved it here, but it would be too hard to stay if Jasper wasn’t a part of my life. I stared at my computer, knowing I could never walk away from him. I knew what true love was now, and I wanted it and, selfishly, wanted him. He had shared the darkest part of himself, sent Fady packing, and confessed his feelings for me. Jasper had told Kai and Reese about us, though he hadn’t told Harriet Wellington. I’d heard she was a no-nonsense control freak. I didn’t know that for a fact, but I got that impression during our ten or so hours of conversation throughout my hiring process.