Deceptive Nights

by Sylvia Hubbard

  Phoebe relished in his touch and took great measures to remember the smoothness of his skin, the velvety feel of his hardened manhood, the tightness of his butt as she gripped the muscles holding him closer to her.

  Wanting her very ready for him, Jacoby wasted no time once they were free of clothing preparing her for him. His mouth made her ready, but he didn’t stop there, not when she was begging for him to be inside of her. He continued to arouse and please her until she was a whimpering mass of sensitive nerves. As he joined with her, his body over hers, he whispered sweet words in her ear on each thrust deep into her.

  “You’re my everything, Phoebe. My sun, my moon, my stars.” He licked her neck up to her earlobe where he briefly nibbled the soft cartilage. “You’ve given me purpose,” he whispered in her ear. “And being with you is so beautiful. I promise to never ever hurt you.”

  Phoebe couldn’t help the tears of joy slowly slipping from her closed eyes as she felt him explode deep into her loins with her, filling her with his love. This man was much too wonderful and she knew her heart, mind, body and soul would always belong to him.

  Amazingly, he was first to come to reality. “Phoebe, look at me.”

  She opened her eyes slowly to look up at this handsome man, who had just made her so happy.

  “I’m going to prove to you for the rest of your life, you are my world,” he promised.

  “The rest of my life?” she asked. “In that case why don’t we just get married if you’re going to waste your time like that?” Phoebe was teasing and her tone of voice clearly said so.

  He smirked moving away from her and finding his jacket on the floor. Phoebe sat up on the desk and looked down filled with curiosity at his strange behavior. He dug through the inside pockets and pulled out an old velvet green box.

  Moving to one knee, he opened the box and looked up at her. “Since you suggested it, why don’t we?” he said simply.

  Phoebe gasped as if he had cursed at her covering her hands over her mouth. “Jacoby, that’s a ring!”

  He chuckled and gently pulled her down to him. When she was on her knees in front of him staring at the ring like it was going to jump up and bite her, he asked, “I want you to be mine, Phoebe, because I’m already yours. I’ve been yours from the beginning and I’ll be yours until the end. I’ll make you so happy-”

  “Shut up and put the ring on my finger!” she cut him off.

  He did, and giddy with joy Phoebe threw her arms around his neck. She had never imagined getting to propose to by a naked man in the middle of his office, but love has its way of making things so weird.

  “Jacoby, you already make me happy when I’m with you,” she admitted with a brilliant smile on her face.

  He laughed in relief as he laid her down on top of their clothes. This time when they made love, it was much slower and she could tell he was relishing everything as if they were making love for the first time. He made her mindless in pleasure and she reciprocated this time until he too didn’t care about the world around them. Phoebe wantonness for him made her feel like a queen and he was her king reigning pleasure through every vein in her body.

  When their second love session ended, he asked, “What about the meeting?”

  “What meeting?” she asked then gasped, remembering they were supposed to be somewhere. Checking the clock on the wall, she saw they still had five minutes to get down to the conference center and smiled. “I think you should call them and let them know you might be late.”

  “Might be? Who’s to say I’m finished here?”

  She blushed feeling his hardness still deep in her. “Jacoby, this is the office and just because I agreed to marry you, don’t think I’m going to allow you to break office decorum all the time.”

  “Only when I want you?” he asked.

  “Only when you really want me,” she teased.

  “Hell, that’s all the time. We’d never get any work done.”

  She burst out in laughter at his silliness as he nuzzled her neck. “We really should get dressed,” she insisted. “I promise we can take all afternoon together, if you get through with this meeting although you had lunch with Desmond planned and he might get jealous.”

  “I think I can afford to make Desmond a little jealous.” He helped her up, agreeing to her terms. “Go in my private bathroom and get freshen up, while I call down to the conference room and let them know we’ll be a little late. They know how to start without me and then I’ll meet you downstairs in the car. Deal?”

  She nodded and picked up her clothes quickly. Before he let her in the bathroom though he gave her a fervent kiss as a promise to what was to come in the afternoon. Phoebe couldn’t wait.

  Chapter 32

  Phoebe called home about seven that night to let her mother know she was going to be home late - as if she couldn’t guess already. Strangely, no one answered her phone. Not even the answering machine had come on.

  Jacoby had taken her to his apartments he was renting in Harbortown right after one of the quickest employee meeting he had to date. His team was not worried about his strange behavior and Phoebe knew a lot of them would be getting back to him with questions about their reports being so messed up.

  “Let’s take my car to your home,” he suggested.

  “Stephanie would love that. She has asked about you.”

  His face lit up. “She has?”

  Phoebe nodded. “My mother says she thinks my daughter may have a crush on you, but I’m going to have to disappoint her.”

  “Are you jealous?” he teased.

  She giggled. “Yes, because I don’t like to share my man with anyone.”

  He kissed her gently. “Say it again.”

  “What? I don’t like to share my man?”

  Obviously that was it because he kissed her again, holding her close. They soon dressed and made it to his rented green Jaguar. On the way to her home, he asked, “What do you think your mother will think about us getting married, Phoebe?”

  “After Saturday, you are certainly looking good to her. She said yesterday she couldn’t wait to meet you, although she is still in a bit of a shock over what Lawrence failed to tell us.”

  Upon arriving at her home, Phoebe was suddenly reluctant to get out the car. Anyone else looking at her home wouldn’t think anything was strange, but Phoebe immediately sensed something wasn’t right. The front picture window curtains weren’t opened and her mother had pulled in forwards. Patricia hated pulling out of the driveway backwards and always took great effort to pull in backwards.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked seeing her reluctance.

  “Can you call my phone inside the house?” she asked.

  He used his cell phone to dial her number. “No ones answering it. Could she be sleep?”

  “My mother never sleeps during the day and most likely the ringer has been turned off along with the answering machine.” She got out the car. “You stay here and call the police.”

  “Why don’t I come with you first, Phoebe?” he suggested worrying.

  “No, I’ll be fine. She could have just been doing something and just forgot. I don’t want her to get embarrassed if she’s walking around naked. If I’m not back in a couple of minutes then come in.” She closed the door and went up to the front door. Checking the door she found it unlocked.

  Alarm bells went off in her head, but she still proceeded inside of the home. Patricia’s coat was left on the stairs going up and the house was completely quiet. Rushing up the stairs, she went straight to her mother’s room. No one was in there so she went to the nursery to find her mother was lying face unconscious with a lump on the right temple.

  Phoebe’s heart lurched in her chest praying that her mother was not dead and that the twins were okay.

  “Momma!” she said frantically, moving down and lightly shaking Patricia.

  Patricia slowly opened her eyes and groaned. “H-He...he took...babies...heard you...coming.” She grabbed at Phoebe’s arm
s desperately. “Go...Go get them.”

  Phoebe went to the back down the stairs and to the back of the house.

  “Stop right there!” Daniel said as she rounded the corner into the kitchen.

  Phoebe wouldn’t have stopped, but she did when she saw the gun pointed at Stephanie’s head. Immediately she halted and put her hands up terrified now. Stephen tried to run to her, but Daniel was gripping the child’s arm so harshly his dark skin was starting to turn a bright red.

  Daniel looked as if he hadn’t eaten in several days. His eyes were partially sunk into his face with dark lines under it. She could also smell that he hadn’t taken a bath in a while either and his clothes looked worn and dirty. He was a man at the end of his rope and getting to her was his last option, since he probably had no one else. This was the only way to get to her - with the children.

  She knelt down and gently ordered Stephen to calm down. “Momma’s right here.”

  “He hurt Grandma!” Stephen cried. “He said he’s gonna hurt Steppie, if I don’t be good.”

  It took all her strength to keep from crying so she wouldn’t alarm either twin. Stephanie was almost the epitome of control staying calm, but there was so much worry in her eyes and Phoebe knew the child didn’t trust herself to speak.

  “Are you okay, Steph?” Phoebe asked.

  Stephanie only nodded and held her brother’s hand for support.

  “Ain’t no fucker coming in to daddy my kids!” Daniel sneered.

  Phoebe stood up and seethed angrily, “Daniel, you’re scarring the kids.”

  “Ain’t no fucker coming in here to daddy my kids, Phoebe,” he repeated louder, pressing the gun harder against Stephanie’s temple. The child closed her eyes and whimpered in pain.

  “Alright Daniel. What do you want?”

  “I want my kids! I want my family back together like it used to be Phoebe. Why can’t you see that?”

  “Daniel, this isn’t right. This isn’t the way to do it.” She edge closer slowly.

  “Shut the fuck up. You don’t care. You don’t see that you need me.”

  “What is it you want me to do?” she asked humbly. “What is it you need me to do to make things better, Daniel?”

  “You can shut the fuck up, bitch! I’ll kill her. I’ll blow her fucking head off! Then I’ll shoot him too. If I can’t have them Phoebe, no one will.”

  “Daniel, no,” Phoebe pleaded forcing a sob back. “Don’t hurt our babies. Please don’t. They aren’t apart of this,” she pleaded now within arm’s length of him. “What do you want me to do, Daniel?” She was desperately trying to think of anything to make him stop.

  He let go of Stephen’s hand and reached in his back pocket to pull out a rumpled piece of paper and a pen. “You sign this paper, bitch.”

  She looked down at the child custody agreement papers. It was to give Daniel full custody of the children. He wanted her to sign over the children to him. Tears wielded in her eyes. “Daniel, please don’t do this”

  Daniel pointed the gun at her forehead. “You sign those papers bitch and maybe just maybe I’ll let you see the children from time to time for a price.” He looked her over lustfully, making her skin crawl in disgust. “Even if you don’t have the money, I’ll let you sneak a peek for a piece of you. Sign’em!” he ordered.

  Taking the pen, she scribbled her name at the bottom and handed the paper back to him, but kept the pen.

  He leered evilly as he backed to the side door of the house with both the children. “Their mine, Phoebe, and soon you’ll be,” he said triumphantly.

  Phoebe watched in horror as he turned the knob to the door because she had a feeling she would never see her children again. Sobs of pain encompassed her chest. The tears she had tried to fight now flowed down her chest as he got the door opened partially.

  Just as he was about to turn to open it all the way, the door was kicked opened, slamming into Daniel’s nose. A ghastly crunching noise was heard as the gun dropped to the floor. Phoebe didn’t waste a second kicking the gun toward the living room far away from them, while screaming for the children to run and hide. Stephanie grabbed her brother and ran under the kitchen table for cover as Jacoby entered the doorway of the side door.

  Phoebe wanted to jump into his arms, but Daniel was between them. Daniel held his nose in one hand and swung his free arm at Jacoby’s face, but missed. Jacoby didn’t miss with his hard fist as it connected to Daniel’s jaw, sending her ex-husband across the room out cold.

  She ran to the phone and called the police. While she was giving them her address, Jacoby dragged Daniel to a kitchen chair and tied Daniel’s hands to the chair using his own tie.

  Stephen saw what Jacoby was doing and ran to the broom closet and found some rope. As he handed the rope to Jacoby, Phoebe saw how Stephen glowed in pride at Jacoby.

  When she got off the phone, Jacoby was done securely tying Daniel and came over to her with the custody paper in hand. After tearing the paper to shreds, she collapsed in his arms for comfort for a brief moment. She didn’t realize how scared she was until now and knowing he was around gave her so much relief, she shook as she felt the security of his arms wrap around her waist like a warm blanket from the cold.

  Stephanie and Stephen came over to them and hugged Jacoby’s legs in thanks. Jacoby and Phoebe looked down at them.

  “I think you have to very grateful children in your debt,” she said now looking at Jacoby.

  “And their mother?” he asked.

  She briefly kissed him. “Will always be in your debt,” she promised. “I hope to have forever to make it up to you.”

  “You will especially when I add all the interest,” he teased.

  She knelt down to kiss and hug her children. Stephen tugged at Jacoby’s hand for the larger man to kneel down. When he did, Stephen hugged him tightly. Stephanie followed.

  Phoebe smiled in compassion as she met Jacoby’s confused, yet emotional frown. “They’re trying to tell you thank you,” she explained.

  Jacoby relished the feeling of having the twins in his arms and he knew at that point besides making their mother happy, he would enjoy giving them the world as well.

  Chapter 33

  The day before the New Year was Desmond’s wedding and Phoebe was set to go to it. Patricia had suffered minor bruising and recovered quickly, but Daniel had sustained a broken nose and a fractured jaw. He would stay in prison until his court date for felonious assault and attempted kidnapping.

  Phoebe was in high spirits over her engagement. Jacoby had insisted they marry as soon as possible, but she managed to put the date late in the summer of next year. Spending Christmas with Jacoby had been very special and now she was going to spend the New Year with him and his friends. Lawrence had come to the pre-wedding dinner last night only because he was the best man. Jacoby had no hard feelings for Lawrence, so Phoebe had to concede especially once Jacoby told her everyone really feels sorry for Lawrence for marrying a wife that is obsessed with him, which he doesn’t love and now, with a baby on the way by him, he was really in deep - too deep to file for a divorce.

  On the way to the church, Jacoby didn’t waste time in the back of the limousine exploring Phoebe and became doubly excited upon finding out she wasn’t wearing any underwear under her peach velvet dress with matching shoes. She had to hold him off though because she wanted to look presentable at least when she walked in the church and had to spend a moment inside the limousine after it arrived at the church, fixing her makeup because he had been intent to kiss her, which was hard to avoid and even harder to resist.

  “When we’re done saying hi, we still have fifteen minutes before the ceremony starts,” Jacoby mentioned. “Why don’t you excuse yourself and I’ll meet you in the back room of the church near the bathrooms?” he suggested wickedly.

  “Jacoby!” she exclaimed. “You are so bad. This is a church!”

  “And? You think I’m going to actually sit through the whole thing feeling like this
.”

  “You won’t be sitting, you’ll be standing,” she pointed out. “You are one of the groomsmen, remember?”

  “How can I forget in this ridiculous tuxedo?” he grumbled.

  Phoebe giggled getting out with him to go into the church, when she had finished her makeup. She thought she had seen a familiar face in the crowd of people as they entered the church, but shrugged it off. Joseph and Amy were there and she was able to meet Thaddeus and Skye Newman again. She had met them at Christmas with Jacoby, along with their beautiful newborn named Theona Skye Newman, who was too adorable for words.

  She also learned how Skye and Thaddeus met and couldn’t believe Skye had been so shy. Thaddeus often called her his diamond in the rough and it had taken meeting him in order to bring the brightness out in her. Skye would only roll her beautiful lavender eyes that contrasted against her deep caramel skin as her husband spoke benevolently about his wife.

  Skye had been involved in an illegal drug experiment by her own doctor and Thaddeus had been asked by the police to help go undercover and find out who was behind all of it, which turned out to be a very powerful crime boss the police had been trying to get for a very long time.

  Once they greeted everyone, Patricia, who had come in a separate car, pulled Phoebe aside to tell her that somehow a patch of white powder was on the back of her dress. She thanked her mother for saving her and excused herself to go to the bathroom. There was someone in there, so she found the room that Jacoby had mentioned, which had a small sink in there. She wet a piece of tissue and turned slightly away from the door to wipe the back of her dress.

  She heard the door open and close. Assuming it was Jacoby, she didn’t bother to look as she said, “I said we were going to wait, Jacoby, until after the service is over, then you can take care of me.”

  The cold click of a .38 caliber seemed overwhelmingly loud in the quietness of the room as it sent fear chills down her back. Slowly, she turned around and couldn’t believe her eyes.