by Krista Lakes
With a growl he pulled on her hair, forcing her to stand before him. His eyes were wild with lust as he made her stand.
“Turn around,” he commanded. She did as she was told. He gave her a gentle push on the shoulder, guiding her onto the couch. Her hands rested on the back while her knees went to the seat.
She grinned, and stuck out her ass, waving it slightly before him. He wasn’t going to come in her mouth, and that was okay with her as long as he came deep inside her. She was getting him one way or another.
He took his throbbing cock in his hand and guided himself into her opening. She gasped with pleasure as he slid in on her spit, the blow job making things smoother for both of them. He thrust deep, plunging his entire length all the way inside of her.
She felt skewered in the most erotic way. He was so big that he filled her to breaking, and she cried out as he did it again.
He was in control now. One hand went to her hip, and the other grabbed her long hair. She arched her back and he hissed with pleasure as he slammed into her once again. He tugged on her hair, forcing her head to go back and thus her back to arch. The arch moved her ass into the air.
He smacked her ass, making her cry out with pleasure. It didn’t hurt, but instead brought even more sensation to her. Plus, it told her that he was in control. He was dominant, and taking what he wanted from her.
He wanted her body.
He pounded into her, going so deep she was sure he would break her, but causing so much pleasure with every thrust that she didn’t care. Her body cried out for release, aching with such heat and need that she wasn’t sure she could contain it.
He must have felt her tighten because his thrusts intensified. It was too much. She fell over the edge of pleasure, losing herself to his cock in her body. Electric bliss radiated out from her core, squeezing and tingling every fiber of her being.
She felt him explode just as her orgasm began to ebb. He shouted, plunging deep into her body, forcing himself into her tightness and causing another orgasm to rip through her. This time, they were both lost to pleasure, the rhythmic clenching and release spurring the other into more pleasure.
She could feel his seed fill her and complete her in a primal way. The hot power of it raced through her system. The power of life filled her with white desire.
For a moment, Emma forgot how to breathe. She forgot everything that wasn’t Jackson buried inside of her and the pleasure only he could give her. She felt rather than heard her mouth scream his name.
Together, they collapsed into the cool leather of the couch. His body was hot and sticky behind her, both of them coated in sweat. Her body ached in the best possible way.
“And here I thought we were having dinner,” Jackson mumbled, still buried inside of her. His voice was low and throaty.
“Dessert first tonight,” she told him. He pushed a little deeper, still hard inside of her, and she moaned.
“I think I can get used to this,” he whispered.
“Me too,” she agreed. “Me too.”
Chapter 14
Emma
* * *
Grace waved from a small table, motioning Emma to come sit with her. Emma smiled politely at the restaurant hostess and hurried over to see her friend.
“Sorry I’m late,” Emma apologized. “I forget how long it takes to get anywhere downtown.”
“Well, that’s because you’re living in the center of the city,” Grace replied. She winked at her friend. “Although, honestly, if I were you, I’d probably never leave the building.”
Emma chuckled. If she never left the building, it was because she was too busy being naked with Jackson. His nice big bed with the wide windows was perfect for lazy mornings, afternoons, evenings and nights. She was surprised she was still able to walk in a straight line after all of the time spent in bed.
“I ordered us coffee,” Grace said. She set the menu down and smiled at her friend. “Now, you have to tell me about dating Jackson Weathers. You never even told me you knew him!”
Emma shrugged. “You know that he owns the building with the Coffee Shack I used to work in, right?”
Grace nodded. “And what? You served him coffee and he fell in love with how you do a triple pour?”
Emma chuckled. “Basically. We’d talked on and off for a long time, but I never thought he was interested. The man is known for dating movie stars and ballerinas. I’m not exactly his usual type.”
“So what happened? What changed his mind?” Grace asked. “Not that I need to catch a new man. I’m just curious.”
“He’s tired of ballerinas and movie stars,” Emma explained. She and Jackson had come up with the official story of how they started dating. “He’d wanted to ask me out for months, but after he got burned by another starlet, he finally just did it.”
“And?” Grace tucked her hands under her chin. “Love at first sight?”
“We’d met before, remember?” Emma chuckled. “But, yeah. He took me out on a date and we talked for hours. It’s strange, but we actually have a lot in common.”
“It’s so romantic,” Grace replied. “It’s a good thing you didn’t apply to that want-ad you were telling me about. The one to marry the Canadian business man? Jackson Weathers is a huge step up.”
“That’s one way of looking at it.” Emma quickly took a sip of her water and then changed the subject. “Where’s my little man? I thought you were bringing Sammy today.”
Grace shook her head. “I was, but he’s got a fever. So does Chris. The two of them are staying home watching cartoons and taking it easy. I’m staying out of the house as much as possible in the hopes I don’t catch it too. I’m under strict orders to bring home soup and to stay healthy. Now, I want to hear what it’s like to live with a billionaire.”
“It’s like staying in a fancy hotel all the time. We have a butler, a concierge, a chef, cleaning crews, and a personal trainer down in the private gym,” Emma told her. “It’s so different than before. I don’t have to do any chores. I’m eating great and working out. I totally see how celebrities can have the amazing bodies they do. It’s possible when it’s the only thing you have to worry about.”
“It sounds heavenly,” Grace told her. She paused. “You’re still going to watch Sammy for us every once in a while, though? He loves you.”
“Of course I’ll watch Sammy,” Emma assured her. “Nothing’s changed.”
“Okay,” Grace said, sounding relieved. “I just don’t know what we’d do without you. I don’t want you getting all fancy and forgetting about us.”
“Never,” Emma promised.
The waitress came to take their order and the conversation moved to Emma describing how seasick she had gotten sailing, and how sweet and normal Jackson was. She wanted Grace to know that Jackson wasn’t some immortal god summoned from on high. He was just a normal man, even if he was a god in the sack.
The two enjoyed breakfast before Grace got a call that Sammy needed her. Grace gave Emma a hug.
“Okay, make sure you call me this week,” Grace reminded her with an extra long hug. “Your mom would be so happy for you.”
The comment nearly knocked Emma over. “What?”
“Do you remember when we were kids? We’d play dress-up and you always wanted to be the knight instead of the princess,” Grace said, her eyes going distant as she went back in time. “Your mom always said that was good, that you should be your own hero. You didn’t want anything to do with princes. She said that you should fall in love with the man and not because he was the knight in shining armor. Love matters, not who is the prince.”
As Grace said the words, Emma could hear her mother’s voice. The soft scent of freshly washed linen that her mother always smelled like hit her hard.
Emma’s throat tightened.
“And now, you picked a prince because he likes you, not because he’s a prince. Your mom would be happy for you,” she repeated.
Shame hit Emma square in the stomach and sh
e felt like she might throw up. But, she had to keep up the appearance. It was critical that she maintain that she and Jackson were in love and that’s why they were dating.
“Thank you, Grace,” Emma whispered, struggling to keep herself under control. “I’ll see you soon.”
Grace gave her one more hug before hurrying off to care for her young son. Emma stared after her, her heart aching in her chest. She quickly left the restaurant, her thoughts flying in all directions.
Emma didn’t go home. She didn’t go up to Jackson’s and she didn’t go to her new place. Instead, she went to the cemetery to see her mom and dad. For the first time since signing the contract, she was starting to regret her decision.
The cemetery was peaceful and quiet. Big, tall oak tress dotted the edges and the white tombstones stood at attention as she walked in. Guilt pulled at her feet as she made her way along the paths to where her parents rested. She hadn’t come in far too long.
“Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.” Emma stood before two gravestones. They were simple and small, but they were a mark on the world that her parents had been here.
She sat down on the green grass between them and sighed.
“So, it’s been a while, and I’m sorry about that,” she started. She took a deep breath. “I need to know that you’re okay with this. I’m going to marry him. I’m going to have his baby. I know it’s a terrible plan, especially given his reputation, but I agreed to it.”
Her parents said nothing.
“What I’m really worried about is that I’m developing feelings for him.” Emma’s throat tightened. “I really, really like him. Possibly even love him, though it’s been so fast and it’s not part of the deal. What if he humiliates me? What if he doesn’t love me back? What if he leaves me and I have to watch him break my heart because it’s in the contract?”
Tears trickled down Emma’s face. She didn’t know what her mother would say here. Her mother had died when she was ten. It was old enough to have wonderful memories, but young enough to have missed out on all the parts of growing past childhood.
She never had a discussion with her mother about boys, other than to say that Bobby Neelson had cooties. Jackson probably had cooties too, but it was a different kind of conversation.
Emma looked over at her dad’s tombstone. After Mom died, he’d shut down. He had made sure that Emma had the physical necessities and did well in school, but his heart was gone. He’d died of a heart attack her sophomore year of college.
If he had anything to say, it would be to have safe sex. Which she wasn’t, and that was kind of the point and the problem.
“I could use a sign,” she whispered. She wasn’t sure what her parents would think of this. She was sure if they knew the whole story that they wouldn’t approve. But what about the story they told the public? Would her mom be pleased she was marrying a billionaire? That Emma had chosen a prince after all?
She sighed and waited. The wind ruffled the grass, but there was no wise answer. Her mother’s ghost didn’t appear and tell her that everything was going to be okay. There was no message from beyond the grave that she was doing the right thing or that she should run away as fast as possible.
It made Emma’s heart hurt that much more.
She was alone with this decision.
Chapter 15
Emma
* * *
She’d stayed at the cemetery for hours waiting for a sign that had never come. She had cried, but didn’t feel better. She just felt empty.
Jackson’s apartment was empty when Emma got home. The summer sun cast long shadows as it slowly moved toward evening. The world glowed with orange light, yet Emma didn’t see it. Her thoughts were elsewhere.
What if in a few months he didn’t want her anymore? Had she really thought this through?
Granted, she’d still have money, but she was starting to develop feelings for him. She liked the way he smiled at her. What if he didn’t feel the same? What if those emotions were one sided? What if after they had a child, he went back to his old philandering ways?
It would break her heart and destroy her.
She was starting to worry that she’d made a mistake. This had started out being about money and comfort, but now it was turning into feelings. That certainly wasn’t part of the bargain.
She sighed and flopped onto the couch in the main room. She’d gone to Jackson’s apartment rather than her own. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but it felt more comfortable here.
“You just need to get settled in,” she told herself. She ignored the fact that the movers had already unpacked everything, including the two boxes she’d had left over from her previous move.
“Is that you, Emma?” Jackson called out, surprising her. She thought he was still at work.
“Yeah, it’s me,” she said, sitting up straight on the couch. She wiped at her eyes, realizing that she probably looked like she’d been crying all afternoon. That was not how she wanted Jackson to see her.
“You’re home early,” he said, coming into the living room. He wore a comfortable t-shirt and gym shorts, but his hair was wet, indicating he’d showered. He looked handsome as hell. He always looked handsome as hell to her. He looked at her and frowned. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine,” she told him. She did her best to smile, but she knew it didn’t touch her eyes.
“I don’t believe you,” he replied. His green eyes went dark as he looked her over. He sat on the floor in front of her, taking her hands in his. “What’s wrong, Emma? You can tell me.”
“It’s nothing.” She pulled her hands back into her lap and immediately felt guilty for doing so.
“No, it’s not. Something has you upset,” Jackson said. “You tell me who needs murdered and it’s done. I know people in the mafia.”
That elicited a smile from her.
“Tell me,” he said. His eyes were gentle as he reached for her hands again. “Tell me so I can fix it.”
“I went and saw my parents today.” Emma’s voice quavered and she couldn’t look him in the face. “I don’t know what they’d say if they knew what we were doing.”
Jackson sighed and nodded his head.
“I just... I don’t know...” Emma started to cry. She didn’t want to. She didn’t mean to cry, but the tears just poured out of her. She’d thought she’d gotten all the tears out at the cemetery, but yet here was a fresh batch.
Jackson moved from the floor to the couch, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into him. He comforted her, rubbing her back and rocking gently as she released the flood of tears. It felt better when he held her.
“It’s okay,” he whispered.
“No, it’s not,” Emma shot back. “I agreed to this. It’s a good plan. I’m going to get what I want, and so are you. I don’t know why I’m upset.”
Jackson smoothed a dark hair off her tear-stained cheek. He was gentle and kind with every motion.
“I want you to be happy, Emma,” he said slowly. “I want us both to be happy. And I am.”
“You are?” she asked, sniffling at the end.
He smiled softly and nodded. “I am. I think we’re a good match. And I think that your parents would be proud of how well you get along with people. How happy you can make anyone. Even me.”
She sniffled again, but the tears were starting to dry up. He caressed her face with his finger.
“Can I show you how happy I am that you’re doing this with me?” he asked. “That I have the same fears as you, but that when I’m with you, they go away?”
She looked up, seeing only the beautiful light in his green eyes. Even if he didn’t love her the way the prince did in the storybooks, he wasn’t going to hurt her. She knew what she was in for. He’d never lied to her.
She needed to stop worrying and just live in the now. Live in the moment where they were. In this moment, there was no worry. There was no judgment.
Just them.
“Okay,” she whi
spered.
He smiled at her, and her worries began to fade. They were still there, in the back of her mind, but when he looked at her like that, they weren’t a problem anymore. They were on par with trying to remember if she turned out the bathroom light the night before. It was something to worry about, but not really.
Jackson scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. She clung to him. He would take her pain away. He would show her that everything was alright. When he was with her, she forgot everything but the pleasure he showed her.
It didn’t matter what anyone else thought, she realized. It only mattered what she thought. What Jackson thought. If this was enough for them, then there was no one to judge them.
She was happy with him. She loved him.
She pushed her fear of the future aside. There was only the now. She would love him. She would take the risk that one day he would look at someone else. It would kill her, but the way she felt towards him right now was worth it.
He was worth the risk. Their relationship was worth the risk.
She reached up and kissed him.
She was his.
Chapter 16
Jackson
* * *
It was supposed to be their first real public appearance as a couple and Jackson was nervous. He wasn’t nervous about Emma, but rather how the public would react to her. She was so sweet and warm, he knew they would love her if they gave her a chance.
He was worried that they wouldn’t give her that chance. He knew how cruel the media could be. He knew that they could rip her to shreds. That was the last thing in the world that he wanted.
Jackson pushed his fears aside and waited patiently for Emma to emerge from the bathroom. The hair and makeup ladies had both left, so she just needed to put on her dress. It was another of Thad’s design choices, so he knew she was going to look stunning.