“Let’s go home, please,” I say. “I’m exhausted.”
Jagger wraps his arms around my waist and hoists me up into his arms.
“Jagger please put me down. I can walk. Aren’t you supposed to be heading to the airport for your honeymoon?” I question.
“It can wait a couple days. Paige agreed I needed to be here with you and our family.”
“No Jagger, I am not getting in the way of your life. We will be fine; I’m not going back this time. Please do not put your life on hold because of me, because of this.”
“This is done, settled already, Ked. I’m staying until I know you and Ashlynn are safe.”
Just then, the cops come walking into the station with Troy’s hands handcuffed behind his back. Troy yells out, “You fucking whore! You’re going to regret this.”
Any willpower Jagger had left goes up in smoke. Putting me down with force, he runs over grabbing Troy by his neck and pins him to the wall. I had no idea my brother was even that strong. Troy isn’t a small guy, but holy shit he’s turning bright red.
“My sister is a beautiful, intelligent woman you fucking asshole, not a whore. How dare you spit in her face and put your hands on her or Ashlynn. You are not worthy of being a dad or a husband to these two beautiful women.”
“Drop him now and step away, sir!” the officers yell in warning. They give one last warning to my brother before they threaten to use a stun gun on him. Once Jagger releases Troy, he staggers, gasping and coughing, trying to get air into his lungs. I bet they burn like mine did earlier I think to myself. The officer grabs my brother, spinning him around and throws him up against the wall, face first, forearms against his back, and another holds him steady against the back of his neck. Detective Dennis, the female officer who questioned me earlier, comes running over whispering something to the officers holding my brother. They both nod to her and let my brother go. She nods at me, and I mouth thank you to her. She smiles back at me.
“Now get out of here before I have to arrest you for assault.”
Grabbing my brother by the hand, we all start walking out of the station.
“Who’s with Ashlynn?” I say.
“Corbin and Justeen are there with her. Justeen wanted to be here, but she refused to leave Ashlynn alone.”
“Oh, thank God,” I say. My brother picks me up and carries me to the car, but this time I am happy about it. I am so weary. As we get into the driveway, Jagger reaches over and pulls me into his lap.
“I am so unbelievably sorry, Ked. I wish you had told me what was going on. I should’ve been there to protect you.”
“I know, Buddha. I know you would have.”
Laughing, he says, “You know, you haven’t called me Buddha in so long. It makes me feel like a kid again.”
We laugh together as Dad comes around to open the car door, looking at us strangely. Swinging my legs around, I get out of the car, falling straight into my dad. He picks me up and carries me inside and up the stairs into my childhood bedroom where I find Ashlynn and Justeen sleeping, snuggled into one another. Justeen jumps into protection mode throwing herself over Ashlynn. God, I love my sister. Sitting down on the bed, I turn and fling myself at Justeen. We are wrapped up in each other arms. “I love you, Kennedy,” Justeen cries.
“I love you too, sis. I’m so unbelievably sorry, Justeen.”
“Shh! You’re home now, and safe.”
Just then, Corbin comes bursting into the room wearing a deadly look upon his face, hands up in a fighting position. His eyes meet mine, and his expression instantly softens. He walks over and kneels in front of me taking my hands in his. I stare down at him confused.
“What are you doing here? Did my brother called you?” I ask.
“Yes, he did. I hope that’s okay?” he questions.
“Of course.”
“He wanted to make sure your daughter and sister were protected while the rest of you were down at the police station.”
Oh! Everything from tonight’s events hits me full on like a ton of bricks. I fall forward straight into his arms; he catches me, picks me up into his arms, and sits me down on my bed holding me to him. Oh, he smells so good, like Irish Spring soap and some sort of fruit.
“Fruit,” I say out loud. And the darkness takes me.
Chapter Twelve
Kennedy
Thirteen days have passed since that frightful night. Ashlynn keeps asking when we will return home. I don’t even know what to tell her, so I’ve been playing the avoid and deflect card. I need to run by the house and pack a bag of clothes for her and me and some of her toys, as well and her favorite stuffed animal, Sam. Not knowing if he will be there scares me much more than worrying about needing my clothes.
I need to find out what rights I have to my belongings and drop by to pick them up. Jagger and Paige will be returning home from their honeymoon tomorrow. He has called every night to check on us. I am hoping he will accompany me to my house, so I won’t have to go there alone. I feel like I need protection, which who could blame me after the other night. Justeen went home the next day, packed a bag, and has been here with us ever since. I finally talked her into going home, last night. I love having her here trying to hold me together, but I really need my space to let this all sink in and to think about what I am going to do.
How will I support us on my photo shoots alone? I need to start booking again, now that my face has healed. I start booking more clients. I make surprisingly good money, and with the holidays coming up, I know I can keep busy, but I need to make sure Ashlynn will be cared for while I’m away. She is my first priority. I go downstairs to see what my little beauty is up to. I hear the doorbell ring, and I come to a dead stop on the stairway. I hear, rather than see, a familiar male voice; my eyes clinch tightly closed as a surge of energy burns within me, causing goose bumps to form over my whole body. I try to take the last few steps, but my legs are shaking and cemented into place. I gasp when I see Corbin walk inside. Dad turns, looks at me with a very surprised face, and smiles at me.
“Hi, Corbin,” I say while forcing my legs to take the last few stairs.
“What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too, Boss,” he laughs.
“Oh, umm, sorry. That did come out a little rude.”
“Yeah, it did,” he laughs.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m here to see you, actually. I figured I would drop by and check up on you.”
“Oh, well. I’m… umm… I’m doing okay, thanks.”
“Sorry, it’s taken me a while to come by. Ever since I saw you that night, I have thought about you and your daughter.”
“Ashlynn,” I say.
“Huh?”
“My daughter’s name is Ashlynn.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I couldn’t remember. She was asleep when I arrived that night.”
“Thank you so much for watching out for my daughter and sister. I can’t…”
He holds up his hand to stop me.
“Don’t mention it, Boss. It was the least I could do for my friend.”
“We are friends now, huh?” I cock my eyebrow and give him a questioning look while a smile spreads across my face. He smiles, and I can see the blush rise up across his cheeks.
“Well, yeah I thought we were. I know we barely came back into each other’s lives and all, but your brother and I have been friends for years. I know our paths only crossed a handful of times, but your family has always been a part of my life. I remember the few times we did spend time together, Kennedy. It was unforgettable.”
I nervously laugh out loud. “Any friend of Jagger’s is a friend of mine. I’m just teasing you, playboy.”
“Playboy, huh?”
“Well, yeah… I overheard from a few ladies you are quite the ladies’ man, Mr. Casanova.”
“Umm, well… shit. Guilty as charged. Love hasn’t been very kind to me, so I took a leave of absence from it all.”
He looks down at the ground and I
almost feel sorry for teasing him. Mom comes into the room.
“You guys hungry?”
Nodding to her, I turn and say, “Corbin would you like to stay for lunch?”
“Oh, I’m sorry I can’t eat. I mean, thank you, but I need to head out. I’m in training and on my way to the center.”
Training, I think. I file that little tidbit away and will be asking Jagger about that later.
Corbin seems nervous. He starts walking straight to the front door.
“I wanted to see how you and Ashlynn were doing,” he says over his shoulder. He stops, turning to face me.
Nodding back I say, “Oh, okay. Thank you.”
I know he sees the disappointment written across my face, and I have no damn clue why I’m even feeling this way.
Following close behind him I say, “Let me walk you out.”
Just as I step outside the door, he pulls me into his curvy taut chest for an awkward side hug. Corbin is tall, really tall. He towers over me, and I’m 5’6”. I can feel the hard sculpted muscles through his crispy white button up shirt, and he smells heavenly. He smells freshly showered with a hint of Irish Spring soap that still lingers on his skin. I push against his biceps looking up directly into his amber eyes. My blood starts pumping through my ears like a whooshing symphony as I pull away.
“Thanks again for coming by,” I say with a shaky voice. He turns away and walks straight to his car.
“That’s your car?” I question.
Turning back towards me with a devilish smirk, he says,
“It is. You like?”
I stand there in shock and awe. Sitting in the driveway is a black 1969 Boss 429 Mustang. Sighing I say, “Are you kidding me right now Corbin? That’s a 1969 Boss Mustang.”
He gives me a questioning look one minute and the next he looks intrigued. “How the fuck do you know that?”
I laugh. “My pops, …well he loves old cars, and that is one he has always wanted to get his hands on. He has a picture of it in his garage with my baby. Oh, …umm…”
I say fumbling my words.
“Your baby?” he questions.
“Well, it’s his, but he lets me drive her when I visit. It’s a 1966 Chevy Malibu.”
His smile brightens. “I need to be going, Kennedy. Was great seeing you again.” He winks and climbs into the front seat.
Gosh, that car is seriously a beauty. Boy, do I need to have a talk with Jagger. I walk back inside and fall against the door. He has me feeling things I don’t even want to admit I am feeling. Ashlynn comes running in with my dad. Getting up off the floor, I walk over and pick her up and kiss her cheek.
“How you doing, Princess?”
“Good Momma. Popo is teaching me vetables out back.”
“Oh, really. That sounds like fun baby.”
“Why we neber do at our house, Mommy?” she asks.
“You know Ashlynn, that’s a good question. Mommy’s not so good at taking care of plants like Popo. Mommy doesn’t have a green thumb; it’s more like a black thumb,” I laugh.
“What?” she says looking down at her thumb. “Why you say back thumb, Mommy?”
“Black thumb, baby. That means I’m better at killing plants than I am at growing them.”
Gasping, she looks at me in horror.
“Oh no baby, not like you’re thinking. It means I am not good at grooming or caring for plants.”
“Let’s go get cleaned up and eat lunch okay, baby?”
“Okay, Mommy.” Ashlynn says.
Corbin
Driving away from the Finley’s, I can’t get my rapid heartbeat under control. I take in a deep breath. Fuck, what’s this girl doing to me? I need to stay far away from her. The bruises I noticed from the night her douchebag husband roughed her up, are no longer evident across her cheek. She looks beautiful in the loose fitting short dress she was wearing. It made her slender tanned legs go on forever.
My swollen erection pulsates awake imagining those tan legs wrapped around my waist while I’m pounding deep inside her. I am rock hard imagining the way she would move with me inside her. Aww, fuck!! No! No! She is not like the girls I bring home. Kennedy’s style isn’t like the girls I generally hook up with. The girls I pick up are from clubs, bars, or they are groupies who follow my career just waiting to get a piece of “The Core Crusher.” She is so different altogether, and she doesn’t know who I really am, for one. She is more of a tortured free spirit who is clueless about how truly beautiful she is.
I haven’t stopped thinking about her, and I was hopeful if I dropped by to see her, it would help get her out of my system. Oh, boy! What the fuck is wrong with me? She is like the worst kind of drug, a brand of heroin so pure in form that when she shoots through my veins, the fix is euphoria. The fact that I haven’t laid a finger on her terrifies me, yet leaves my body so intoxicated it only makes me crave for more.
She’s not like that, Corbin. She isn’t that type of girl. Stay far away from her, or all you’ll end up doing is destroying the poor girl’s heart once you get a taste of her sweet pussy. Aww, fuck!
Jagger would fucking kill me and cut off my balls, putting them on display for all to see. I’d be like Ned Stark in season one of “Game of Thrones”. Except my cock and balls would be on display for all to see instead of my head for the treason I’d commit if I even touched Kennedy.
I am not a one-woman kind of man, and I don’t think I ever will be. I did try it with Tori, and all it fucking did was rip my heart from my chest. No way! I’m not going to let my heart be tortured again, but I will protect her and her daughter. That is something I will do even if it costs me everything.
I wasn’t there to protect my sister when her boyfriend attacked her, and I will not let anyone I care about get hurt again; I swear it on Landry. What the fuck? I said his name in my head without losing my shit. I need to be balls deep in some female right now to try and forget Kennedy, ridding me of this ragging hard-on I’m still sporting. That right there is where the problem lies… I care about this chick and her daughter. I can try to deny this undeniable chemistry lingering there between us.
I accelerate driving even faster to the gym and pull into my parking spot. I grab my gym bag off the seat and slam the door. I sprint for the front entrance to the center. I head inside to the back and fling open the door knowing there is always some groupie waiting to get a piece of me. Sure enough there she is… my prey of the moment: long red hair, tight-as-fuck cut off shorts just begging me to rip them off, and a barely-there tank top with cleavage spilling over the top. Walking over to her, I pick her up, and she wraps her legs around my waist. She squeals and starts grabbing at the bulge in my pants.
“Hold on love, this won’t take long,” I say to her. Walking her straight to the bathroom, I head over to the sink, set her down on top of it, and her hands dive right to the front of my slacks fumbling with the belt. Pulling away I examine her; she’s cute, but nothing compared to Kennedy’s elegance. My cock jerks pulsating as the pre-cum wets the head of my dick.
I unzip my pants, forcing them down along with my boxer briefs. My length springs free and I stroke it hard while visions of Kennedy bent over the hood of my car play out in my mind.
“Clothes off now,” I demand. Jumping off the sink, she starts to strip, and I force her down onto her knees. Closing my eyes, I keep up my assault, pumping faster, gripping harder, and my hand is pushed away. I watch my dick slide into her slutty mouth. She takes my full length all the way to the back of her throat.
“Aww!! Fuck!!” I cry out. I brutally grab the back of her hair, pulling out and slam her mouth back down hard around my cock, loving the sensation. I let my head fall back as visions of Kennedy’s mouth wrapped around my cock bring me to the verge of coming. Pulling out I grab her and lift her up as she wraps her legs once again around my waist.
“Fuck! Condom!”
Waving the foil packet in my face and smiling, she rips it open, tossing the foil packet over her sho
ulder, and she pulls back sliding it down along my shaft. I lift her up and slam her down making her take all of me. She screams out. I walk us to the wall pushing her up against it and pound my dick in and out hard and fast. “Fuck! Oh, fuck me harder, Corbin.”
I slam in a couple more times Kennedy’s name slips from my tongue while I explode deep inside her.
“What the fuck?” the girl says.
“My name is Cammie, not Kennedy.”
“Oh, my bad. Sorry, love.”
Moving away from her, I pull up my boxer briefs and pants, walk to the sink, grab a paper towel, and take off the condom placing it inside folding it up to discard. I didn’t even finish her off, and so not like me but I’m taken over with feelings I’m not used to.
“You know I didn’t cum, right? Aren’t you at least going to finish me off?”
Grabbing my gym bag off the floor, I walk out of the bathroom and straight into my locker room. I sit down and feel someone staring at me.
“What the fuck is going on with you, Nash?” Riggs says from behind me. He is the only one who calls me by my last name.
“I seriously have no clue, dude. Ever since Kennedy and her daughter invaded my world, nothing makes sense. The women I used to pick up don’t do anything for me anymore. I just screwed that chick with Kennedy on my mind the whole fucking time. I don’t know what to do.” I look up as a smile spreads across Riggs’ face, and he lets out a laugh. I shake my head. “Glad to see my problems are amusing to you.”
“You may not realize this yet, but this female is different. She’s made you feel again, something I didn’t think I would ever see again. Wait! You mean Kennedy? Justeen’s sister… the hot blonde?”
“Yes, that would be her. Damn, she makes me crazy. I just left her place checking on her and her little girl. She looked so damn edible, and she’s no longer busted up from that prick of a husband. All I could think of is how I wanted to be balls deep inside her. But the thing is, that’s not it… I don’t understand all these feelings floating around inside me.”
“That’s probably because you’ve never had them before, man. A kid, too, huh? Wow. Who knew Nash would fall for a chick with baggage,” he says, slapping me on the back. “Let’s get training and put all this shit aside for now. Alright?”
Crushing Misery Page 7