“It’s not like you to overact, Ang.” I could hear the concern in his voice. I knew it was not going to be a secret for much longer. Maybe letting the cat out of the bag would help me accept the situation better.
“It’s probably on account of the hormones. You know, from being pregnant.”
His posture stiffened.
“I’ll marry you if that’s what you need.” I wished it were that easy and that he wasn’t actually serious about his offer.
“He wants to be a family. Take care of me and the baby. He wants the same of me,” I told Liam. Why did it scare me when I first heard Jackson say those words? They weren't that bad. I kind of liked the way they sounded.
A family, taking care of each other. That was all he was trying to do. Panic set in. What the hell did I do? Jackson was never going to want an unstable crazy woman raising his child.
As if sensing my fear, Liam held on to me.
“Ang, when you said high profile, are we talking, say, maybe Jackson Naile high profile?”
I could hear the concern in his voice as his body stiffened.
He turned me around.
Staring at Liam like he was ready to rip his head off was Jackson. Alongside him was Richard and Aleksander.
I should have known Jackson would call his old buddies to drown his sorrows with. There aren’t that many bars in this small town. Of course he would end up at this one. At least he didn’t end up in the VIP room at The Swan.
I remembered the conversations the women had at the bridal shower. It seemed both Richard and Aleksander had made their fare share of mistakes with the women in their lives. Here they were today, happily married. Maybe Jackson was seeking advice.
Either way, I needed to get out of here.
Before I could make my escape, that voice. The one that turned me to mush. The one that set my panties on fire and gave me butterflies in the pit of my belly, and lower.
“I think they're playing our song,” he stared at Liam, daring him to dispute it.
“Yeah, I believe they are,” I answered.
It was the same ballad that played at the wedding reception. One of few ballads the rock band Get Bent had produced.
“May I have this dance,” he asked.
I hesitated.
“I’ll beg if you like. I’m not afraid to beg for you, Angel.” He sounded so lost and hurt.
“You don’t have to beg. I would never ask you to beg.” How could I expect him to never ask me, if I was not willing to reciprocate? I took his hand and watched as Liam left us alone on the dance floor.
He took my hands and placed them on his shoulders and wrapped his around my waist.
“I’m sorry.” We announced our apologies at the exact same moment.
Silence fell between us.
“So, that’s Liam?” he said gruffly.
“Yeah, Anne,” I point to the owner, “she was worried, called Liam, told him I look like shit, like I was off my meds.”
“And he came running,” the hint of sarcasm was deliberate. “I don’t want to go all caveman on you right now, Angel, but shit, I wanted to hit him for having his hands on you.”
“We were only dancing and talking.” I ran my hands through his hair. It felt nice to touch him intimately like this.
“You still love him?” His piercing blue eyes were boring into me with all the hope in the world that I was not going to break his heart.
“Yes, I will always love him.” I placed my hand over his heart. “ But I’m in love with you.”
He lowered his mouth on mine. It began slow and soft. Not holding back, we deepened the kiss with raw passion.
Finally pulling apart, my fear returned. “Jackson, how are we going to make this work? I'm in my first trimester. The hormones have barely kicked in and I'm already a basket case.”
“So that hormone thing, it gets worse,” he teased.
“How are you going to be able to put up with me?” Fresh tears pooled my eyes as I stared up at him.
“I'm not going to put up with you.” I bowed my head in defeat.
He raised my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You deserve better than someone who’s just willing to put up with you. You deserve someone who is going to love you. Someone who is going to go through this with you. I want to be that someone. Please, for the love of God tell me you want me to be that someone.”
He wiped the stray tear with his thumbs and palm the back of my head and brought me to his chest.
“I know this fight or flight security blanket of yours is not going to disappear overnight. Know this, Angel, every time we fight, I’m fighting for you. Every time you run I’ll wait. I’ll wait until you come back or until you ask me to come to get you.”
My chest heaved in tiny sobs, barely audible. Holding me close, we continued to sway to the music.
“Do you want someone to take you home and stay with you or do you need to be alone to process all of this?” He was trying to give me space. Space to come the conclusion he had already made.
We were meant to be together.
“No I don't want to be alone. I want you to take me home. I want you to always fight for me and I want you to always come for me.”
He scooped me into his strong muscular arms and carried me out the door to whistles and cheers from the bar.
“Angel, I will always come for you.” He kissed me behind the ear and whispered, “But not until I make you come for me first.”
As we left the bar, I saw Liam talking with Richard and Aleksander.
I mouthed a thank you.
He gave me a slight nod of the head, his acknowledgement that everything was going to be ok.
In that moment, I knew, he was right.
Everything was going to be ok.
Epilogue: Jackson
I went all of Angelic’s appointments. Including her therapist.
Anita appointed herself designated Aunt.
She was very much into health foods and encouraged Angelic and I to meet with a certified homeopathologist. She had some great recommendations for natural herbs to assist with anxiety.
We took a lot of heat about going this route. Homeopathic medicine was a highly debated topic. We made sure everything was approved by her doctor’s and therapist before changing any of Angelic’s routine.
I was also told by the therapist that the hormones released during sex were good for pregnant women.
I was happy to oblige since I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Especially now. She was round and ripe with my child. She had that pregnancy glow everyone was always talking about.
My brave Angel wanted to have a natural childbirth. I told her there was no shame in wanting an epidural. She claimed she wanted to have something to hold over my head.
Apparently the pain of childbirth was one great guilt trip.
She wanted to use it to win our fights. And fight we did. The color of the nursery. The size of our master bedroom. The cost of our state of the art appliances. I swore she did it simply for the makeup sex.
She was hot, naughty and sexy as fuck.
I sold my penthouse and gave up my membership to The Swan. I wouldn’t be needing either of these anymore.
In the meantime, our little apartment was being renovated to fit our growing family. Since I owned the building, I decided to turn the entire top floor into apartments.
Ours would take up one third at one end and two smaller ones at the other.
The renovations should be completed before the baby arrived.
The master suite had a sitting room which could be used as a nursery until the baby was old enough to move to its own room. The ensuite had been fashioned from the designs Richard gave me.
The kitchen was comparative to an old country kitchen. Lot of space to eat and entertain. I designed all the rooms to accommodate a large family. I finally convinced Angelic that after waiting eleven years to reconnect, we had a lot of catching up to do. I wanted to start on baby number two as soon as the doctor
gave us the ok.
I turned the back parking lot into a neighborhood playground. Our kids were going to need some good friends like the ones I had. A nice place to start would be in this playground.
I moved my business into the building downstairs. I loved the commute and so did my driver. He got to spend more quality time with his own family now that I did not need him all hours of the day or night.
I never bothered to ask about his personal life before. I found out he had been married for three years and he and his wife were expecting their first born any day now. I never thought about how my actions affected my staff before.
Being with Angelic has made me a better person. A more aware human being.
Once upgrades were done to the aging building, the store fronts started filling up. I kept one unit to turn it into a daycare. Angelic going back to work had always been part of our plans.
A daycare in the building would make our lives less complicated. This way either one of us could check up on our little girl during our breaks and lunches.
Daddy’s little girl.
I never thought I could love a woman, now I was in love with two.
My beautiful wife and my unborn daughter.
The tattoo on my chest was no longer separated. My Angel finally came along and filled the empty space in my heart. She never asked. I believe she already knew what it meant from the beginning.
I was the richest man in the world. It had nothing to do with my bank account.
Epilogue: Angelic
“This is all your fault,” I screamed at him as the nurse prompted me to push. I should have listened to him and had the damn epidural. I wanted to have some leverage to use when we fight.
And boy did we fight.
Maybe I wouldn't have egged him on if the makeup sex hadn’t been so fucking mind blowing. Knowing you didn’t have to worry about birth control did something erotic to the libido.
I couldn’t get enough of him.
I knew how excited he got when he found out we were having girl, but seriously, did the entire room have to be pink?
Sexist much?
The only renovation I didn’t haggle about was the magnificent shower.
I was told by many of the mothers at child birthing classes there was nothing like natural childbirth.
You will never forget it, dear.
Damn right I would never forget it. How could anyone forget they pushed a watermelon out their who-ha?
He wanted me to do this again.
Soon.
I understood he felt like we had to make up for lost time, but it wasn’t like we were ancient. I wasn’t even thirty.
It would be nice to have our children close in age. They would always have each other.
I wouldn’t make the mistakes my mother made. My family would always come first.
“You need one more big push, Mrs. Naile,” the doctor told me. I didn’t correct her and tell her Jackson and I weren’t married. I was sure we would get around to it eventually.
I did accept his proposal. It seemed ridiculous to have a wedding when I had no family to speak of and his was always jet setting somewhere. I wanted a quiet ceremony on the island, where we met. Where we reconnected. Where we created this little life I was giving birth to.
The anniversary of conception was only three months away. Getting married seemed like an excellent way to celebrate.
I didn’t know if it was the pregnancy hormones, all the sex we have been having or the new herbal remedies I had been taking, but the anxiety was gone.
Maybe it was knowing I would never have to face my demons alone ever again. I had a wonderful man to share that burden.
Maybe it was knowing this little life coming out of me would need me. For her, for Jackson, I could be a better person. For them, and all the babies to come, I could let go of the past and build my future.
Our future.
“Mrs. Naile, here’s your healthy baby girl.” The doctor put my daughter in my arms.
Jackson sat beside me and planted a wet slobbering kiss on my forehead, then one on his daughter’s.
“Katherine Angel Naile, meet your mommy and daddy,” I told her, though I knew she didn’t understand.
I named her after my grandmother. After all, if it had not been for her, I never would have gone to Brentwood.
I never would have met Jackson.
And I never would have had my happily ever after.
Acknowledgments
Thank you for taking this journey with me.
If you enjoyed Jackson’s and Angelic’s story, I hope you look forward to the new book in this small town series: Rock God Heir.
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Here is a sneak peak at Theo’s and Sabrina’s story.
She knew my secrets, my weakness. Would she let me have hers?
Theo
An unfortunately twist of fate put Sabrina Blakely in my line of fire. I had money, power and influence. I let her push me away the first time. I was not going to make that mistake again.
I need her to accept my love for her, no matter the cost.
He would never understand.
Sabrina
I’d spent the last two years rebuilding my life. I will not allow rock star Theo Bentley to tear it apart, again. I will do what is required of me and nothing more. Then he can return to the lavish rock and roll lifestyle that had caused me nothing but pain.
I can’t accept his love, it’s not worth the price.
Rock God Heir: Prologue
Two years ago:
I had to question my sanity in letting my best friend and room mate convince me to make this four our drive tonight. She worked a double shift and I had been in training all day. I hoped taking these backroad shortcuts was going to pay off.
The first three hours were quite as I let Nicole sleep while I drove. I knew I would be able to hunker down for the night once we got there. She would be up all night celebrating her boyfriends birthday.
If only she could have stayed asleep.
“What the fuck, Nicole! I am not giving my virginity to your boyfriend’s whore cock for his birthday. Who asks their girlfriend for a threesome for their birthday?”
I loved my best friend Nicole, but sometimes she drove me crazy with her wild ideas.
Like this one.
“He didn’t ask, I want to give him something special. Something no one else can.”
I should have been shocked by the seriousness of her plea, yet I was not. Nicole was a free spirit. It was what I liked about her the most.
I wished she could see how incredible she was. It annoyed the crap out of me that she felt she needed to offer up a sacrificial virgin to seek Adam’s approval.
“Come on, Brin, it’s not like you’re saving it for Mr. Right.” She gave me a sideways glance. I could see the anticipation in her eyes gleaming as her ruby red lips turn upwards in one of her sinister smirks.
“You can brag you lost your virginity to a rock star.”
“He isn’t a rock star,” I reminded her bluntly. “He’s in a band that plays in shitty bars in shitty towns.”
“He may not be a rock star yet,” she flashed me a huge shit eating grin. “I’m not supposed to say anything, but, the band signed on with a legit label. They’ve cut an album and will be going on tour soon. First the US, then Europe.”
“Seriously,” I snarked. “Someone actually likes that crap they play?”
“I think Adam’s going to ask me to go with him.”
I was shocked. It certainly explained all the overtime and extra shifts Nicole had been working. She was saving, hoping that dickhead of a wannabe rock star asked her to accompany him.
I didn't want to burst her bubble. I doubted she was going to get her wish. Rock stars were like sailors — a girl in every port.
I’d watched the groupies throw themselves at the guys. I also watched the guys
bring some of those groupies back to the trailers or motel rooms they stayed in.
However, Nicole was right. It wasn’t like I was saving my virginity for someone special. I spent all my free time studying. It left no room for dating.
But I wasn't going to throw it away on a whoring wannabe rock star.
“I may not be saving myself for marriage,” I sighed, “but I’m still not going to let him stick his whore cock in me. I know where that thing has been.”
“The guys call you frigid couch virgin.” She was frowning like she felt sorry for me that the guys made fun of the fact that, yes, I was a virgin and I slept on the couch, alone. “Don’t you want to put an end to all that?”
I pulled into a twenty-four hour convenience store to fill up on coffee. “Let me take over the wheel,” Nicole offered. “I’m not going to fall back asleep now and you could use the rest.”
“I can sleep when we get there, you on the other hand.” I didn’t need to complete that sentence.
“You don’t have to go straight to sleep. You could come with me to see the last set and hang out for a while. You might change your mind.”
I wasn’t going to get her hopes up. There was no way I was ever going to do what she asked. I was not a big fan of Adam’s. Even less now.
“What I want is to take a nap,” I scolded her as we switched places.
I was done discussing my lack of a sex life. I took my travel pillow and adjusted my seat.
“Wake me up when we get there.”
Rock God Heir: Chapter 1
Sabrina
I woke up in a cold sweat as I hit the floor. I’d fallen asleep on the couch with the TV on.
I was unnerved by the dream I had. It had been nearly two years since the accident that changed my life and took the life of my best friend. I felt the pain of her loss every day.
My leg throbbed. I’d better get in a hot shower and relieve the tension from falling asleep on the couch before the pain got any worse. I didn’t need a lecture from my workout partner and boss about taking better care of myself.
Womanizer Heir (The Heirs Book 4) Page 17