By Chance, No Choice (Stetson Series Book 1)

by Xyla Turner

  “Tess, I’m falling for you hard. You’re lying if you don’t see or even feel that.” I whispered in her ear.

  She exhaled but continued in her silence. I kissed her neck with my hands on both sides of her hips.

  “Mama. Don’t be mad.” I kissed the back of her ear as I heard her soft moan. “Talk to me, don’t leave like this.”

  She pushed me off of her and said, “I’m not mad, JD. I don’t like being given ultimatums. I don’t like long distance relationships and I don’t like being pressured into making a decision that I already know the answer to.” Her eyes narrowed as she continued. “So, if you want an answer. It’s no. We can’t do this. We do well at conferences. Long as your single and I am as well.”

  “Fuck, no,” I growled. “Absolutely fucking not.”

  “Well, I can’t commit to anything else.”

  “Because you’re a coward.” I snapped.

  “Excuse me,” she belted.

  That was the first time I heard her raise her voice.

  “You heard me,” I leaned down in her space. “You’re a coward. You want this just like I do, but you’re scared and I’m not sure of what. I’ve told you. I’ll incur the cost; I’ll do what needs to be done but you won’t even meet me half-way. That’s weak.”

  “You think I care about the cost?” She stood on her toes to get back in my face. “You think I can’t commit. Why? For what? To be disappointed in the end. Why won’t you just let us have our time? Why do you need to make it complicated? You’re ruining everything.” She was yelling at me.

  Her face was hard and her bottom lip was quivering.

  Fuck. Tess was scared.

  “Sweetheart, shit. I’m, uh.” I couldn’t see it, but this was much bigger than me. It wasn’t about us; this went much deeper. “I’m sorry. Okay.”

  I leaned down and kissed her forehead while rubbing her arms.

  “Calm down. I’m sorry.” She was still vibrating with anger, so I continued to hold her until she stopped.

  “I have to go,” she said while keeping her face low. “My plane leaves soon.”

  “Okay. Are you okay?” That was a stupid question.

  “I’m fine. I’m sorry, JD, but that’s where I’m at.” She started to pull away from me.

  “Okay. Okay.” I pulled her closer. “How about we talk in a couple of days. There’s no rush, no plane, just us. Okay?”

  She nodded her head.

  “Good, I need your number.”

  She rattled it off to me, as I programmed it into my phone. Afterward, I opened the trunk and pulled out her suitcase, placing it on the sidewalk.

  “Thanks.” She turned to leave.

  “Mama.” I called and she stopped but didn’t turn around. “Two days, okay.”

  Tess nodded her head and disappeared through the sliding doors. Her head held high, baggage pulled behind her and all with a graceful strut.

  But something was missing. She was leaving me alone.

  Chapter 9

  Tess

  Florida was a much-needed vacation but I was happy that Nina was joining me because, by Tuesday, I started to get bored. That was because Monday, I stayed in bed and cried all day. The replay of the day before kept running through my mind as I realized I completely lost it on JD outside the airport. The last time I felt like that was when I was talking to my father, which was almost ten years ago.

  It has been so long since that event even crossed my mind, but it nice and fresh. My father who had been in and out of our lives worked so hard that he would forget to come home. Forget important dates, events and things like graduation. All three of my graduations. My mom had long since divorced him because she thought she could handle it, but it wasn’t cut out for her. Her motto was if she was going to be single, she might as well enjoy the benefit of actually being single.

  I always thought my mom was a little dramatic until it happened to me. He missed my high school, undergrad, and graduate graduation. After many promises of showing, reminders before the events and the day of events. He was a no-show and I was sick of being that little girl on the stairs ‘waiting for my father.’ I’d rather not think of the childhood rehearsals, plays, and games.

  No fucking shows.

  If JD thought I would sit around waiting for another goddamn man to show up in my life, he was sorely mistaken. Just like I told my father on that last day that I saw him, after my graduation. He accused us of not understanding that he worked to make a living.

  “I don’t give a good fuck about why you work,” I screamed at him. “You’ve lost everything that should have meant something to you and for what. A job that will replace you the day you get sick or start making too much.”

  “You don’t understand the work we do.” He snapped back. “We’re saving lives.”

  “Well, who’s going to save yours?” I yelled back at him.

  My mom stood and watched us both yelling at each other at the top of our lungs. My dad shook his head and said, “You’re so ungrateful. My working has put you through school and I didn’t hear any complaints then.”

  That was the straw that broke this camel’s back.

  “Because you weren’t listening!!!” I screamed, piercing my own ears. “I’d rather have you than your money that put me through high school. I,” poking myself in the chest, “Put myself through undergrad and graduate school. I did that. Not you. So don’t delusion yourself that you contributed towards my education. You’ve lost your wife and now you’ve lost your daughter.”

  “What?” He blinked.

  “You don’t want to be a part of my life because of your work, then don’t. You are no longer welcome. I don’t want to see you, hear from you or talk to you again. Now you can work until your heart’s content.”

  “Now, wait a minute, Tess.” My mom interjected.

  “No, mom. He made the decision a long time ago. He made it with you, me and now I’m making the decision to release you. No more. I won’t sit on another goddamn stoop waiting for you. Can’t miss what I didn’t have.”

  “Now, wait one goddamn minute, Tess.” My father barked. “You are blowing things out of proportion.”

  “No dad. What you don’t seem to understand, I’m just confirmed what blew up years ago.”

  I turned and left both of them in there to stare at each other. I had an interview in New Jersey for a job and I planned to take it. My father called, had my mother calling, but I never answered. I meant what I said and that was it. His contact was reduced to once a year and that was on my birthday, but I never responded or accepted any of his gifts. So he could throw those back in my face.

  Absolutely not.

  My life had order, structure and I stuck with that. I had a job and I did it to the best of my ability and I worked hard, but I had no responsibilities outside of my volunteer work and the occasional night out with friends. Life was good and it would remain that way and no matter how broken my heart would be, I would not include JD in the equation. If I don’t expect it, then I can’t be disappointed.

  * * *

  “Girl, this is the life,” Nina said as we floated around the hotel pool in the water donuts.

  My glasses stayed on as I kept my eyes closed in an attempt to get some rest.

  “So, are you going to tell me what happened with your cowboy?”

  “There’s nothing to tell, really.” Realizing I would get no sleep with Nina here. “We went our separate ways. End of the story.”

  “Is it now?” she asked.

  “Nina, I swear for you to be so romantic, you can’t keep a man and always giving man advice.”

  “Testy, now. Well, I was just curious because it looked like a man resembling your cowboy just walked to the bar and he’s got a friend who looks just as delicious as him.” She sighed. “However, if you say y’all went your separate ways. Well, then. I’ll just go holla at one of them.”

  “What,” I gasped, but jerked my body too fast and almost fell out of the donut. �
�That motherfucker,” I hissed.

  JD was at the bar with khaki shorts and a tank top, displaying his impressive chest and it looked like he had a twin.

  Great, two annoying assholes.

  Before I realized it, I was out of my donut and stomping over to him.

  “JD,” I yelled. “JD.”

  He turned around to me and smiled. Dammit, he had me calling him from across rooms.

  “Hey, sweetheart.”

  “Don’t you sweetheart me?” I said through gritted teeth.

  The guy that was with him, who also looked just like him, said, “Time for me to skedaddle. Now wait a minute, here.” He saw Nina and his jaw dropped.

  She was one hot woman. Thick in all the right places as she wasn’t traditionally thin. I think she said she wore a sixteen, but Nina was tall, so her sixteens looked like my eights. She used to play volleyball in college and she was the Financial Planning Analyst for LIT.

  I don’t know what happened after that because JD had me up against the bar in a sizzling kiss. At first, I hadn’t budged as I was trying to push him but he coaxed his tongue over my lips one too many times and dammit if my body wanted him more than my head did because she opened up for him. He pressed his crotch into me and pulled back, “I missed you, Mama.”

  “What are you doing here?” I breathed.

  “I said two days. We’d talk. I’m here. It’s been two days now let’s talk.” He pressed against me so I could feel how much he really wanted to talk.

  “You want to, uh, talk right now?” I asked.

  “Yeah, no time like the present.”

  My leg lifted and slid up his thigh. Oh God. Not out here. I swear he did this shit on purpose.

  “You want to take this inside or have this talk out here?” JD asked me.

  “We can talk out here, but maybe in a more discreet place.” I blinked at my own words.

  “What if the conversation gets so heated and we raise our voices?” He was challenging me.

  “Then, I guess, we could try to keep our voices down. That works fine for me.” My eyebrow raised. “You, on the other hand, have a hard time reeling in your emotions.”

  His head reeled back, “Do I, now?” His hard cock pressed into my stomach. “You sure you’ll be able to keep your voice down in our talk even if it gets deep. Touching that nerve that will have you screaming out loud for all to hear.”

  He had a point but I wouldn’t back down.

  “I’ll deal with it.”

  “Stubborn as an ass, huh?” He picked me up and yelled to his friend. “Knox, Tess and I are going to talk. We’ll be back. Can you keep her friend company?”

  “Oh yeah, it’d be my pleasure.” His country accent was thicker than JD’s.

  “Who is that?” I asked as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

  “My brother.”

  “Hmm, he better watch out. Nina will chew him up and spit him out.”

  “You don’t know Knox.”

  We burst into his suite that was made for a damn king. Marble everywhere, old oak, and a stainless steel combination spread around the room in a classic but modern look. He walked me through the front area to his bedroom and we both fell with an oomph.

  “So, our talk should include the following points,” he said when he pulled my halter top bathing suit down from my shoulder. “One, no more asking. I’m done.” He kissed my neck while pulling my bathing suit down over my breast. “Two, we’re going to try this long-distance.” His tongue ran around my nipple, causing me to arch my back because I wanted him to take more. “Three, the arrangements have already been made. Jeff gave me your schedule, so you’re good.”

  JD flung my semi-wet bathing suit across the room. Then he pulled my ankles apart and rested his upper body between them with his knees on the floor.

  “Four, you’ve been such a naughty girl, I’m going to have to spank your ass.” He rubbed my pulsing clit with his hand. “And five, when we get to my ranch, I will tan your ass with the whip.”

  Holy shit.

  JD turned me over so I was on my stomach and he was still between my legs.

  “Don’t come until I say so.” He rubbed my ass.

  Slap. “That’s one.”

  I moaned as the tingle spread throughout my lower region.

  Slap. “That’s two.”

  Slap. “That’s three.”

  I arched my back so it went further into the bed and my ass was higher for him to smack.

  “Mama, you like this?”

  “Yes,” I moaned.

  Slap. “That’s four. One more.” He kissed my butt cheek and lowered his tongue to my tight little hole. “Loosen up for me.”

  His tongue attempting to penetrate my asshole had waves of hot energy flowing through my body. It felt so forbidden but so fucking good.

  “Loosen,” he warned.

  I relaxed a bit more and as soon as his tongue penetrated my little hole, he slapped the other side of my cheek. My voice was unrecognizable, as I yelled his name. JD’s tongue reached down as he entered my soaking wet entrance and began to slurp. Yes, he was slurping, because that is how hot he got me from spanking and licking my ass.

  He rose from the bed after a few more strokes, then he tore off his shirt and had his shorts down in less than ten seconds. I turned around, so I was sitting on my sore butt as he had one knee on the bed.

  “Wet it for me,” he said.

  My pleasure.

  I leaned forward and slowly slid my mouth on his shaft as far as I could go.

  “God fucking damn,” he grabbed my hair. “I love that mouth of yours. It’s so hot and knows just what to do.”

  He pushed in a few more times, then pulled out. “Get on your stomach. I’ve been wanting to try this.”

  I obeyed as he slid in behind me and pulled my body to the side like his. He lifted one of my legs up and inserted his long capable dick inside of me.

  “Oh my God, JD.” I exhaled.

  “Yes, sweetheart. I’m right here.” He moved my hair and kissed my neck. “Not going anywhere.”

  He started stroking in and out of me, sending my already sensitive body into overdrive. JD grabbed my breast and fucked me from behind until my screams had him put his fingers in my mouth. He did all of that as he sucked on my neck and whispered how much he adored me and wanted me all the time. While, physically, the man was a God. His words were what set me off, causing me to shake out my release and purge his. After he told me I could, that was.

  When we finished, I fell to my stomach and whispered, “Nice talk.”

  “Oh yeah.” He breathed. “We’ve got to talk more often.”

  We laughed and both drifted to sleep.

  * * *

  After a night of talking some more, taking a break to eat, we talked one more time before the night ended. When we woke up, it was to someone banging on the door. JD got up to answer it, then I heard a strong country accent ask, “How’d that talk go?”

  The door burst open and in walked Knox and Nina and they had matching expressions. Both of them had an eyebrow raised as I covered my body with the sheets.

  “The fuck is wrong with you two?” JD snapped at them.

  “Don’t get mad at us because you left us out there along all day yesterday,” Nina snapped back at him. Then she turned towards me and said, “We have plans for Disney World, remember?”

  “Shit.” I shook my head. “Yeah, uh. We were talking and …”

  “Talking my carcass.” Knox interrupted. “Leave that bullshit in New York. We may be country, but we ain’t fools.”

  “I don’t know what he’s talking about, but you already know I’m not a fool,” Nina added.

  Great. Two of them.

  “Aren’t y’all two peas in a pod?” JD remarked.

  His brother turned around and gave him the look. I smiled at Nina and she shook her head as if to say, don’t ask.

  “Well,” I asked anyway.

  “He ain’t ready for it.” N
ina shrugged and joined me on the bed.

  Knox turned his head around and it wasn’t clear what look he was giving her, but he replied, “She can’t handle this stallion, is more like the real truth.”

  Nina shrugged it off and turned to me, “So, are we going?”

  “Yeah, I need to go to my room, take a shower and then I’ll be ready in an hour. Okay?”

  “Fine, I’ll go eat breakfast.” She stood up. “See you in the lobby in one hour.”

  “Well, we were going too,” JD added. “Right, Knox.”

  Knox gave him a look to say, if you say so.

  “Yup,” Knox murmured.

  “Right,” Nina replied sarcastically.

  “I think you need to be talked to.” Knox said as he stood and focused his attention on Nina.

  “Actually, I don’t. I get talked to enough. Thank you.” She replied.

  “Well, then you know the drill.” He was guiding her out the door. “Let’s go eat, so we can talk about your talking points.”

  What?

  JD looked at me and I shook my head.

  “Are they flirting with some dangerous shit?” He asked.

  I nodded. “Oh yeah.”

  Disney was so much fun. I’d never been, so it made it that much better. We did everything. The Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom. We even made plans to go back the next day so we could visit, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom.

  Nina and Knox griped at each other the entire time, which apparently was flirting according to JD. His brother liked to spar with his opponents to see if they were worthy. As tough as I thought Nina was, when she almost fell, Knox caught her and pulled her to his body, I swore the woman had stars in her eyes.

  Those two competed for everything. Nina tried so hard to win one of the big bears, she was going to pay a guy to beat Knox. After he had won the bear, he gave it to Nina but added, “This is a reminder that anywhere, anytime, I’ll spank your ass momentum.”

  I pressed up against JD, who hit Knox on the arm, but his focus was on Nina, who had her mouth open. The crazy part was, Nina snatched the bear from him and kept it.