by J. M. Walker
I couldn’t breathe. Spots danced in my vision.
Jaron held me tight against him, his mouth finding my throat. While his hips powered into me, his deep groans sent me over the edge.
My thighs shook, my body trying to bow against him, but he only thrust harder and faster.
“That’s it. Come again for me, Piper. Come hard.”
“God.” A sob escaped me, my nails digging into his shoulders.
Jaron cupped the back of my head, forcing my mouth down on his. He stole the last bit of breath from my lungs and made it his.
He took. He controlled. He owned.
And I loved every second of it.
Piper
After our moment in the basement, Jaron had gently pushed me off him and mumbled something about needing a shower.
I went to grab the shirt off the floor when his hand covered mine. I looked up at him then.
“Join me,” he said softly, slipping his fingers between mine.
I swallowed hard, nodding.
We headed up the stairs to the main floor, hand in hand and silent. When we reached the bathroom, Jaron stripped out of his sweatpants and shirt.
Taking the clothes from him, I tossed them, along with the shirt I had worn earlier, into the laundry hamper.
Turning to head to the bathroom, I was stopped short by Jaron standing naked at the door. His hand was against the doorframe, his dark eyes locking with mine. Of the few times I had seen him naked, none of those moments compared to this. He was bigger than when I had seen him in Paris. Wider to the point I felt even safer in his arms.
I took a step toward him. It took everything in me not to shield myself from him. I was curvy and stretch marks graced my lower abdomen. He had been right though when he said that I had done something a lot of women couldn’t. Having a baby was a blessing and definitely something I never took for granted. My body showed the evidence of creating a life and I knew there were a lot of women out there who would do anything to be able to do the same.
As if he could hear my thoughts, his eyes dropped to my stomach. His nostrils flared, his eyes turning a shade of gray I had never noticed before.
Before anything was said, he turned and headed into the bathroom. The sound of the shower running started a moment later.
I took a breath and joined him, closing the door behind me.
Jaron slipped into the shower, holding the curtain open for me.
I went up to it, glancing up at him.
He held his hand out, waiting.
Taking a chance, I grabbed hold of it, letting him pull me into the shower with him. Before I had a chance to wrap my head around the fact that I was showering with him, he captured my mouth in a hard, bruising kiss.
Jaron pushed me up against the wall, sliding his hands down the sides of my body. Goosebumps followed in their path, making my skin tingle.
As much as I wanted to take this further because I always did when it came to him, I waited for his permission. I needed his control at this very moment. I couldn’t explain why. Maybe I never would be able to but for now, I was his. To do with as he pleased.
Taking the hint, Jaron released me, gave my mouth a final peck, and started undoing the braid. Once my hair was loose, he pulled me under the hot water. He ran his hands through my hair, wetting it before reaching for the shampoo. He poured some into his palm and massaged his fingers through the soaked strands.
I sighed, the scent of lavender wafting through my senses.
He gave me a small smile, kneading his fingers into my head. His cock twitched between us, but he never took it further. He never even hinted. Not that he had to. But this was different. It was a silent apology of sorts. For letting his temper get the best of him, making him leave me and his daughter. For coming back to me but for it not being easy. For being hard to get along with. Maybe even for loving me as hard as he did. Even though we hadn’t said those three little words yet, I knew how he felt about me. He wouldn’t have killed Brody if he hadn’t.
“I’m sorry.”
My eyes opened, not realizing I had closed them.
Jaron searched my face, like he was looking for a sign. Any sign. When he couldn’t find one, he continued, “I’m sorry for what I’ve put you through.” His hands stopped, his grip on my head tightening as he held it in place.
With his rough hold, I couldn’t get away and I was forced to listen. “Jaron.”
“No, just…” He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them.
My chest tightened at the desperation coming from him.
“I need you to know that I’m not going anywhere. I know I’ve told you that already and I also know that words can only do so much, but I promise that I’ll show you. I’ll show you and Brynlee that I’m here. I’m yours. Forever, Piper.”
“And I’m yours,” I whispered.
We finished the shower in silence, washing each other and connecting in a way we hadn’t yet. I could feel his soul entwining with mine.
Once we were done, we dried each other off.
He would smirk, his hands lingering a little too long in spots that were now claimed by him.
I shivered.
His smirk grew.
“You’re a tease.” I laughed lightly.
Jaron only winked, leading me to the bed and pulling back the covers.
I was thankful that it was late but still early enough that we could hopefully get some sleep before Brynlee woke up. I just wanted to feel Jaron beside me. I wanted our words and even our silence to speak for itself.
Crawling onto the bed, I slid beneath the covers as Jaron joined me. I went to curl away from him when he wrapped himself around me. “Don’t think so,” he murmured, pulling me against him.
“You know every time we sleep together, something happens,” I reminded him, pushing my ass into his waist.
“If that’s what you want, I’ll give it to you, Piper. Never be ashamed for wanting to fuck your man.” He pushed me onto my side, throwing his leg over mine.
I sighed, curling the blankets up and around us. “Later,” I whispered.
A light chuckle left him. “Definitely later, baby.”
I rolled back over and turned my head toward him.
Jaron reached over and flicked on the lamp sitting on the nightstand before laying back down beside me. “I want you to see my face when I tell you.”
My heart jumped. “Tell me what? I thought we were going to sleep.”
“We are but I need to tell you this first. I should have told you as soon as I got out of jail. Saying this should have been the first thing I did and for that, I’m sorry.” He paused. “I’m in love with you, Piper.”
I gasped. “Jaron, you said…”
“I know what I said.” He cupped my face, brushing his thumb along my bottom lip. “I need you to know how I feel before I push you away for good. Before you leave and move on with someone else.”
“No, never. That’ll never happen.” I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, leaning my forehead against his.
His body shook, a shuddered breath leaving him. “It’ll hurt but I understand, Piper. If you need time. If you need me to go and give you space.”
“Stop.” I shook my head. “I don’t want that. You’re mine. I’m yours. And, Jaron...”
His gaze burned into me.
“I’m in love with you too,” I whispered, my eyes were met by his stormy grays.
Jaron sat up, pulling me along with him. His shoulders slumped like my words relieved all of the tension in his body. “Jail fucked me up. I wasn’t in there for as long as some people are, but it still messed with my head.” His eyes flicked to mine. “But being without you was even harder.”
I ran my fingers through the hair at his nape, my chest tightening and my heart hurting over the fact that this man, this strong but broken man, was a shattered mess. He did something to save me only to lose a piece of himself in the process.
“I don’t know what I would do if I
lost you, Piper.” He leaned his forehead against mine, his hot breath fanning over my face.
I lifted my hand at the same time as he lifted his. Our fingers joined, sliding between each other. The touch was small but said so much. It said more than our words ever could.
“I love you, Piper,” Jaron murmured, kissing my temple. “I’ve been to hell for you and would go back there if it meant keeping you safe. The rest doesn’t matter.”
“But it does.” Our eyes locked. “I don’t want to lose you in the process. I love you too much to let that happen.”
“I can never thank you enough for that.” He brought our joined hands to his mouth, placing a soft peck on my knuckles. “We’re breaking our walls, baby.”
I smiled up at him. “We are. Slowly.”
“I’m a stubborn fucker, Piper. I chased you all the way to Paris. Don’t ever forget that.”
“How can I?” I ran my thumb down the length of his jaw. “It started…everything.”
“No, baby.” He kissed my forehead. “It started the moment both of us stopped sleeping with other people.”
“I wish I would have waited for you.” I sighed, my shoulders slumping. “I wish I would have lost my virginity to you and giving you all of me.”
“I wish the same for myself.” Jaron turned me in his arms, so my back was to his front.
I curled the blanket around us. “Gigi told me that she was Vince’s first and he was hers. I’m jealous.” I laughed lightly.
“Same, babe, but we can’t go back in time,” Jaron said, resting his arm across my lap. “So we can only control our future. I don’t want anyone else.”
My eyes snapped to his. “I don’t want anyone else either.”
“Good.” He pinched my chin, holding my head firmly in his grip. “You’re mine.”
“And you’re mine,” I said breathlessly.
He gave me a small smile. “We should get some sleep.”
I went to respond when a cry came from the baby monitor.
“I got her.” Jaron kissed my head before leaving the bed.
My breath caught at the sight of him. The large black tattooed skull sat on his back, moving over his muscles. He was hard in all the right places.
He slipped into his sweatpants and headed to the door before turning back to me. He didn’t say anything. Just looked at me. It was like he was reaching into my soul and trying to find out all of my feelings, my dirty and dark secrets. My fantasies. He didn’t need to look very far because when it came to him, my fantasies were all laid out on the table.
Jaron gave me one final look before leaving the room.
All breath left me when he walked out the door.
Lying down, I stared up at the ceiling. Time was what we both needed. Now that we had finally confessed our feelings for each other, it was like another piece fit into our puzzle. It was a start and maybe one day our love would truly conquer all.
While Jaron checked on Brynn, I tried falling asleep but all I could do was lay there. I rolled onto my side, facing away from the door when it opened.
The bed dipped behind me.
“She good?” I asked softly.
“She is,” he murmured. “Her pig had moved, and she couldn’t reach it. I put it in her arms, and she fell back asleep.”
“You know I don’t care what you did in jail, right?” I blurted. I brought his hands up to my mouth and repeated his actions. Kissing the tips of his fingers, I pushed my face into his palms. “I don’t care what you did to survive. You came back to me. You came back to your daughter. That’s what I care about.”
“I’m not that man you fell in love with.”
My gaze snapped to his. “I don’t care about that. I don’t care about any of it. What you did or who you did it to. You don’t have to deal with this alone.”
“I know.” He turned on his side, facing me. “Thank you but I need you to promise me something.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“Even if we fight, never stop telling me that you love me.”
I stared at him. “Well let’s hope we don’t ever fight then.”
He scowled. “Piper, I mean it. Promise me. Promise that no matter how angry you are with me, don’t ever stop saying that you love me.”
My stomach flipped. “I promise.”
“Good.” He rolled over onto his back.
“But you have to promise too.”
“It’s not even a promise I have to make because I’ll always tell you I love you. No matter what.”
His words coaxed my eyes closed and for the first time since he came home, I actually believed him.
Piper
I was nervous. Beyond nervous actually. I hadn’t been on a date since I was a kid. Not that it ever really counted either. I was sixteen at the time and it didn’t turn out well. Not when I had my father’s navy brothers to scare my date.
“Is this him?” Angel crossed his arms under his broad chest, nodding toward Steven, my date.
“Uncle Angel.” I scowled, placing my hands on my hips, knowing he was trying to scare the poor guy who was currently trembling beside me.
“It is.” Dad mirrored his pose, letting his eyes wander down the length of Steven before clapping Angel’s shoulder. “This is the fucker who wants to take my baby on a date.”
“Um…Sir, I…” Steven stammered, his face paling even more.
I sighed, throwing my head back. God, where was Mom when I needed her? Oh yeah. She had gone out shopping with Aunt Jay. It was convenient timing if you asked me. It was like my dad knew, so that was why he agreed for me to go out on the date in the first place. Because Mom wouldn’t be home to keep him in line.
I grabbed Steven’s arm, trying to drag him to the door but it was like his feet were glued to the ground beneath him.
“Steven, come on. My dad already said yes, and he wouldn’t dare change his mind and break his baby girl’s heart,” I told him, locking eyes with my father.
He raised an eyebrow.
I glared, challenging him.
“She’s good.” Angel clapped his shoulder again before taking a step toward us. He peered down at Steven. “You hurt her, and it won’t be her father that you’ll have to worry about.”
Steven took me out to get ice cream only and not dinner like he had told me. He dropped me off half an hour later because he was suddenly feeling ill. Yeah. Right.
I laughed to myself, shaking my head at the memories.
All of us girls had issues dating at one time or another. The guys had it way too easy if you asked me.
Rummaging through my closet, I was searching for something to wear when my phone rang. Quickly answering it, I placed it on speaker and sat it on my nightstand. “Hey.”
“Hey, girl. How are you?”
I smiled as Gigi’s voice greeted me. “Nervous.”
“Nervous? Why?”
“Because Jaron’s taking me on a date tonight.” I frowned, still unsure as to what I should wear.
“Really? That’s amazing! Did you need anyone to watch Brynlee?”
“My parents are watching her but thank you.” After falling asleep in his arms the night before, I had woken to a note on his pillow. He had taken Brynlee out for the day and would drop her off at my parents’ place before picking me up for our date. He told me to spend the day doing whatever I wanted. For as grumpy as he was, he was also sweet and so damn caring at times, I thought my heart would burst.
“Do you know where you’re going?” Gigi asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
“No. He took Brynn out for the day and gave me some time to myself. I’ll see him in about a half hour when he picks me up.”
“He gave you a day off?”
I turned toward my phone. “Yeah…why?”
“Piper, that man loves you so fucking hard.”
“Oh…well…yeah.” I smiled. “He does.”
“Queenie, who are you talking to?” I heard Vince ask in the background.<
br />
“Piper,” she told him. “Her and Jaron are going on a date tonight.”
“We should go on a double date some time,” Vince suggested.
“I like that idea,” I added.
“She likes that idea. Now go away, so I can talk to my girl.” She yelped. “Jerk.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “You two are well?” I asked, getting the subject off of Jaron and me.
“We are. Wedding plans are coming along nicely. Now that Jaron is home, Luna and Zach can get married, so then can Vince and I.”
“I don’t know why we have to wait,” Vince mumbled in the background.
“Hear him? He’s so damn grumpy because I refuse to get married before them. I wanted Jaron home anyway for you.”
My heart swelled. “Thank you. I appreciate that.” I loved that our friends were settling down, having kids, getting married, and finding the happiness they deserved. “Well let me know when you need help. We have to set up your bachelorette party.”
“I was talking to Luna and she suggested we do a double one,” Gigi explained.
“Oh that would be fun!” I exclaimed, pulling a red skirt off a hanger. It was formfitting and fell just below the knees. With a black tank top tucked into it and cute flats, it would be comfy and perfect.
“So tell me,” Gigi paused. “Can I ask why you’re nervous to go out with Jaron?”
I shrugged even though she couldn’t see me. “It’s…complicated.” I pulled off the towel, slipped into my black lace bra and thong before putting on the tank top and skirt. I was tucking the top into the skirt when the door to my room opened.
“Well, listen. Jaron loves you,” Gigi went on. “Whether either of you care to admit it or not. You’re perfect for each other even though I’m sure you drive each other nuts at times.”
Jaron leaned against the door frame; his arms crossed under his chest. He raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes sliding over every inch of me.
“I know he does.” I took Gigi off speaker and placed the phone to my ear. “I have to go.”
“Okay, have fun!” she sang.
I laughed, hung up, and stepped in front of the full-length mirror. “I can put on something fancier,” I said, meeting Jaron’s gaze in the reflection of the mirror.