by Tia Siren
“Well, considering my photographer is on vacation and I just wrapped up that deal in Paris, I think I deserve a few days off. I can be there this afternoon.”
“Thank you! You’re the best. Text me your flight information and I’ll pick you up.”
“See you in a while,” she replied.
I felt instant relief knowing help was on the way. Janna would know what to do. She would give me solid advice I could use to save my dad’s farm and keep my son out of Brock’s hands. Janna would help me.
I spent some time cleaning the house, a task that was sorely needed. It didn’t look like anyone had dusted in months or done any real deep cleaning. I dove right in, appreciating the busy work. It helped keep my mind off everything else that was happening in my world. I glanced at the clock and was surprised to see it was late afternoon. Janna would be landing soon. I hunted down Jasper and got him cleaned up so we could drive into town. I needed to pick up some groceries and then my best friend in the world. I was giddy with excitement.
When Jasper saw Janna walk through the small airport terminal, he squealed and ran toward her.
“Janna!” he yelled out.
“Jasper!” she yelled back, making quite the scene in the small airport.
I laughed and wiped a tear from my eye as I watched them embrace. They both loved each other a great deal. I was so thankful to have Janna in my life. She was my backup and had often been my other half when it came to raising Jasper. I could have never have gotten as far as I had without her help.
“So, this is home?” she asked with a smile as we walked out of the airport.
I nodded. “This is home.”
She looked around, gazing at the tall trees. “It’s very pretty here. And it smells so good!”
I laughed. “Funny. That was my first thought as well.”
We walked to my rental car, which I realized I was going to have to turn in soon. I couldn’t afford to keep paying the fee. My dad’s truck would work perfectly fine for me to get around.
We avoided talking about the pressing issues at hand in front of Jasper. Instead, Janna filled us in on her trip to Paris and all the goings-on back home. She informed me I had lost one of my biggest clients because I’d had to cancel the job. The client had initially told me they could wait a couple weeks, but apparently they couldn’t. Another photographer had been hired for the job.
The news crushed a little piece of my soul. That client had been my step into the big leagues. I wasn’t mad at my dad, but I was pissed as hell at my siblings for making me be the one to come down here and take care of this. I’d gotten no warning, no advance notice so I could schedule a visit home around my commitments. Nope. I’d had to drop everything and rush down here to clean up a mess occurring right under their noses!
When we got home, I introduced Janna to my dad. He was feeling a little wiped out and headed off to take a nap shortly after. So far, he had been handling the chemo fairly well, but he was exhausted. I guessed that was better than the million other side effects he could be dealing with.
“Yes. You can go outside and play. Stay in the yard and don’t go into the cornfield,” I told Jasper, who had been chomping at the bit to get outside and dig. “And don’t leave holes everywhere, okay?”
As soon as he was gone, Janna and I sat down at the table. I gave her the rundown on the family farm. She reviewed all the paperwork and shook her head, making weird sounds as she read.
“Well?” I asked when she was on the last page. “What do we do?”
She looked up at me. “This isn’t good, Ash. Not good at all.”
I nodded. “Okay. How do I fix it?”
A grimace. Not what I wanted to see.
“Tanner needs to come up with money for the missed mortgage payments. It looks like this will be the fourth month he hasn’t paid, which means a short sale is in order. I’m sorry to say Brock isn’t doing anything illegal. In fact, he’s following the law down to every detail. He clearly doesn’t want to risk making a misstep and have his chances of owning the farm voided.”
I groaned. “Are you sure? Isn’t there a law to stop the vultures from circling?”
She laughed. “If only that were the case. Unfortunately, no. Unless your dad can come up with the total amount due, including the late fees and the fees for starting the foreclosure process, this Brock guy can buy the farm directly from the bank. Your dad will no longer have a say in the matter. And, Ash, I don’t know if you are aware of this, but your dad is upside down in this place. He is going to end up still owing the bank money unless this Brock guy pays double what the place is worth. I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“Are you serious?” I asked in complete shock. “I can’t believe this is happening. How could he be upside down? He should have a lot of equity in the place.”
“There was an equity loan taken out last year,” she said.
“Dammit.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You want to know what’s really shitty?” I asked her.
“What?”
“My dad, Anna, and Hank don’t even want the farm. Leslie does, but I don’t really know why. I mean, why am I the only one trying to save this place? It doesn’t make sense.”
Janna put a hand on my arm. “Because this is your home. This is the place where you have real roots.”
I sighed. “It is. I know I don’t live here, but I can’t imagine it being gone. He wants to tear it down and build condos. How can he do that? Our rural area is going to be turned into a parking lot.”
Jasper came back in. “Janna, you wanna see outside? Grandpa grows corn and tomatoes and all kinds of stuff, and he has a lot of rocks.”
She giggled. “I would love to see corn growing. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a real farm before. Are you going to give me the grand tour?”
Jasper looked a little confused but nodded and grabbed her hand.
“Prepare to be amazed,” I said.
My phone rang. It was a number I didn’t recognize, but it was from the local area.
“I’ll be right out,” I told her as she let Jasper lead her out the door.
I answered the phone, and my stomach dropped when the person on the other end identified themselves. It was Brock’s lawyer.
“What can I do for you?” I asked in a curt tone.
“Miss Parks, I was hoping we could come up with a custody agreement that would accommodate the wishes and needs of all parties involved,” he started. “If we can keep this out of the courts and don’t get a bunch of lawyers involved, it will be easier on everyone.”
“You’re a lawyer. You seem to be pretty involved,” I shot back.
“Well, now, that’s true,” he drawled in what I was convinced was an exaggerated southern accent. “However, I think you must know that once the DNA test proves my client is the father of your child, he has legal rights. I am only trying to protect his rights while doing what’s best for the child.”
“DNA test?” I questioned, completely shocked to hear the words. “What DNA test? I never consented to a DNA test.”
He cleared his throat. “Suffice it to say, a test has been submitted and the results are due back tomorrow. I was hoping to get a jump on things.”
My mind whirred, trying to process the information. How the hell had there been a DNA test done? Didn’t that require a cheek swab by someone wearing a pair of latex gloves?
“Sir, I don’t know what you are talking about, but I won’t talk about anything over the phone with an attorney who absolutely does not have my son’s best interest at heart.”
I hung up the phone, unwilling to listen to another word. I stomped out of the house.
“Janna!” I yelled.
“Over here,” she called from the back of the house.
I stalked my way to her. “Can you watch Jasper for a few? I need to go have a conversation with someone about a test.”
She raised an eyebrow. “A test?”
“Yes. A
test. A test that would determine the, uh, background of a certain someone,” I said, looking down at Jasper’s head.
Her eyes widened. “What?”
I nodded. “Yeah. That was his attorney.”
She shook her head. “Wow. The man has ba—”
She stopped mid-word, realizing we were in the company of small ears.
“I can’t believe he did that. I don’t even know how he could have done that. How?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “Beats me. It sounds a little sneaky to me.”
“Anyway, can you watch him and check in on my dad? He should be fine, but just in case.”
“Of course. Go. I have enough in my savings to cover bail if needed,” she said with a wink.
I chuckled. “That’s if anyone can find him.”
“I don’t want to know. Plausible deniability,” she said, her hands up.
I smiled, but deep down, my stomach was boiling with rage. Brock had some explaining to do. If he was pushing me into a corner, I was going to fight back. I was seething by the time I made it to the rental car. The man better watch his step. He was treading on some very dangerous ground.
Chapter 12
Brock
Helen left early for the day, saying she had an appointment she needed to get to. I was fine with holding down the fort. It wasn’t like I got a lot of people dropping by wanting to see or buy property. Everything was done over the phone or via email.
The little bell over the door tinkled, alerting me that someone had come in. I quickly stood so I could greet whoever it was. When I stepped out of my office, I saw it was Ashley, and she was pissed. I could see it by the set of her jaw, plus her fists were clenched and she was breathing hard. Once again, I was sure she might shoot flames out of her nose at any moment.
“What the hell, Brock!”
I took a step back as she continued forward. I thought for sure she would steamroll right over me given her current trajectory.
“What did I do now?”
“You know exactly what you did! DNA? How the hell did you get my son’s DNA?” she shouted, inches from my face.
“Our son,” I corrected.
“My son! I am his parent. You are a sperm donor!”
I stepped toward her, using my size to force her to take a step back. “Only because you made me one.”
She stared at me. “How dare you sneak around my son. How did you get his DNA, you horrible man? Did you swab his cheek?”
I laughed. “No. I took the water bottle he was drinking from. Pretty easy, really. It required no sneaking. I did it right in front of you.”
That seemed to take some of the wind out of her sails. She looked at me, jabbed a finger at my chest, and shouted, “I’ll get a restraining order. You can’t see him!”
“If the DNA proves he is my kid, you most certainly will not! I have rights, and I will see him, Ashley. It’s only a matter of time. Deal with it.”
She opened her mouth to say something nasty again, but I was tired of arguing with her. I grabbed her face with my hands and kissed her. I swallowed her protest when she moved her mouth to say something and took advantage of the opening. I plundered deep inside, my body pressed against hers as I held her face in my hands.
After several long minutes of her kissing me back, she jerked away. I waited for the tongue lashing I knew was coming.
She stared at me, shock on her face, but the anger I expected wasn’t there.
“I—”
I didn’t get to finish my sentence. She lunged at me, her arms going around my neck. Instinctively, I opened my arms and lifted her. Her legs wrapped around my waist as her mouth came down on mine. I didn’t think twice about what to do next. The woman was biting my lower lip, licking and then sucking. I was too fucking hard to think about stopping. I kissed her back, my mouth moving over hers as furiously as she was pressing against mine.
With her draped all over me, I walked into my office and used an elbow to close the door behind me. The large windows in the front of the office would be perfect for any voyeur. This was not a moment I wanted to advertise or share. With the most pressing matter taken care of, I could focus on the woman grinding her pelvis against mine, a woman I had longed for the past six long years.
I pulled my mouth from hers, needing to bury my face against the flesh of her skin. I sucked just below her ear. I knew her body well and remembered how easy I could make her come simply by sucking and biting that sensitive area. I managed to get one hand between us, which went directly to her right breast. I cupped and squeezed, drawing a deep groan from down in her throat.
Her head dropped back, making it far easier for me to attack her neck with my tongue. Her hands went to my hair as she rotated her hips again. I felt her heat rubbing against me and wanted to feel her bare need. Her short jean shorts were in the way. I needed them off. I needed my fly open and I needed to bury myself deep inside her. There was so much I needed, I felt frantic. She was moaning and writhing, and I knew she was just as desperate as I was.
I used my hands on her hips to lift her off me. Before she could say anything, my hands went to the button on her shorts and quickly unfastened it. I got the shorts undone and managed to get them pushed down, leaving her standing in a sexy blue thong. My hand slid directly between her legs. I used the palm of my hand to press against her.
She moaned, and I dropped my mouth to hers, needing to taste her. Her hands deftly unfastened my belt and then undid the button of my slacks. Without hesitation, she slid her hand under my boxer briefs and encircled my engorged cock with one of her smooth hands. My cock jerked, and I was suddenly as desperate as she was. She began to stroke me, running her hand down to my heavy balls, cupping them, and then she gently tugged before she stroked me again.
I slid her panties to the side and felt the warm wetness of her pussy. My fingers danced around her opening before I pushed one deep inside. Another moan. I turned with her and backed her against the wall, her hand clenched around my dick. My mouth closed over hers. I couldn’t get enough of her taste. Our tongues danced and intertwined as my finger moved in and out.
I ran the tip of my finger over her clit. She bucked forward, and I knew I had found the spot. I rubbed and circled the area before moving up a fraction and lavishing attention on her hard nub. Her wetness increased. Her body vibrated against the wall where I had her pinned. Her hand was increasing in speed as it rubbed up and down my dick. I knew she was close to her climax.
I pushed her panties down her legs as far as I could reach. I dropped to my knees and yanked them all the way off before standing and pushing my boxers down my hips. I didn’t have the strength to wait another second and opted not to remove my pants. We were both in a feverish frenzy. My sole focus was on fucking her. I could smell the musky scent of her and was driven to a new level of hunger for her body. I lifted her and slowly pushed her body down my own. Her legs wrapped around my hips and her back pressed against the wall. My mind drifted to apple pie. Pushing inside her and feeling her wet heat around me was truly like a fresh apple pie.
It had been a long time since our bodies had been joined together. She was a small woman. I was a large man. Like magic, we fit together perfectly. Her tiny body wrapped around mine. Neither of us said a word as I pushed inside. It felt like returning home after a long absence. It felt so good to have her pussy enveloping my dick. Once I was fully buried in her, I fucked her hard and fast. There were too many glorious sensations surging through my body to do it any other way. I was out of control. My sole goal was to make her come with me.
She bounced up and down on my dick, her hands on my shoulders as she used the wall for support. I pumped into her, and the moment I felt her legs tighten around my waist, I knew we were there. Her head rolled back and forth as she came. I released the orgasm I had been holding back deep inside her. Her pussy clenched and squeezed around my dick. I pushed in higher, wanting every last drop from her. She gave it willingly.
I pulled out
and stepped away from her, my forehead against hers. I was fighting to control my breathing and couldn’t move—not yet. Years of pent-up lust for the woman had been released in that short burst of passion. I felt as if I had lost a little piece of myself—a piece I was happy to give, but now my body needed to adjust. She literally made my knees weak.
Ashley regained her composure first and used her hand on my chest to push me back. I looked up to meet her eyes. I had no idea what had just happened. Clearly, she didn’t either. She looked like a wild animal caught in a cage.
“Shit,” she muttered, bending over to pick up her discarded panties and shorts.
I stood tall and tucked everything in before zipping my pants and refastening my belt. I watched her jerk her panties up her legs. Her body had changed little. Her cut-off shorts made her legs look much longer than they were. She stepped into her sandals, took a deep breath, and looked up at me.
“This changes nothing,” she said in a voice laced with embarrassment. “We are not friends.”
I grinned. “Are you sure about that?”
She glared at me. “Yes, I’m sure. I am still going to fight you. I won’t let you get Jasper or my dad’s farm.”
I shrugged, still grinning like a fool. “Whatever you say, Ashley. Pretend you hate me. We now know otherwise. You want me because I still know how to please you.”
“Big deal. You can make me come. You have a killer body and I am a healthy female who enjoys sex. It’s just sex, Brock, nothing more. It was a quickie in your office. Don’t act like it’s anything big and meaningful.”
“It’s big all right,” I said in a lascivious voice. “And I can make it meaningful if you give me more than five minutes. I can make you scream in pleasure. I will bring new meaning to the word come. I can make your body tingle, Ashley.”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? How old are you?”
I laughed. “Just saying.”
“Brock, you need to back off. Do you hear me? Quit trying to make me pay for what happened six years ago. You can’t possibly be mad. I mean, look around you. You’ve done very well for yourself. If we would have married and had a kid right away, your life would be very different. You can thank me instead of being such a dick!”