Fatal Seduction (Fatal Cross Live! Book 3)

by Theresa Hissong

  Blood boiled in my veins at the thought of Cash touching my Abby. Penny shouted out a warning to either Cash or myself, but I didn’t care. I launched at him, taking the pretty boy to the ground. My hands bunched up in his shirt as I pulled his face close to mine; our noses touching. “You do not touch my Abby!”

  “Then you need to claim her and make things right,” he ordered, pushing me away to stand again. I fell to my ass and covered my face with my hands. “I don’t want your girl, and your actions right now prove to me that you love her. Don’t fuck this up for a third time.”

  “Are you ready to go home with me tomorrow?” Penny asked, her left hand resting on her hip…the other one held a phone out in front of her. “Call her, Braxton, and hope like fuck she takes you back.”

  “She doesn’t need me in her life.”

  “You need her,” Cash pushed. “I’d never seen you happy before Abby came on tour with us. Yes, you were still a grumpy asshole, but you smiled a lot more.”

  “I can’t call her.” I shook my head and backed away from my sister’s outstretched hand. I didn’t need to hear Abby’s voice, because if I did, I was afraid I’d crumble.

  “Then I’ll call her for you,” Penny offered, pressing a few buttons on her phone.

  I heard the ringing on the other end as Penny held the phone loosely to her ear with the volume turned up as high as it would go. It seemed like forever before the line clicked and her voice came over the line. My heart shredded in my chest when I heard her crying.

  “What…what is it, Penny?” Abby sniffled across the line.

  “Abby,” I gasped as I took the phone from my sister. “Baby, are you okay?”

  “Braxton?” she whispered. “Where is Penny?”

  “She came to Louisville.”

  “Penny!” Abby cursed on the other end of the line. There was some rustling that sounded like bedsheets being moved and then the line went silent.

  “Abby?”

  “I’m sorry she came there, Braxton,” Abby said softly, a small hiccup breaking her voice. “I can’t do this anymore…I’m sorry for everything.”

  And the phone clicked…ending our call.

  “Son of a bitch!” I roared, stopping myself from throwing my sister’s phone across the bus. A protective side of me flared; one I hadn’t felt in a very long time. My Abby had just apologized for something that wasn’t her fault. The pain in her voice set me on edge.

  “I need to go home.”

  “I have a plane ticket already waiting for you,” Penny calmly told me, glancing at Cash. He nodded and walked off the bus, leaving us alone.

  “When do we leave?”

  “At five in the morning,” she replied, walking up to me and wrapping her arms around my waist. My sister hugged me tight, whispering, “It’s going to be okay, Braxton. Everything is going to be okay.”

  I didn’t realize until then that tears were streaming down my face.

  Chapter 26

  Abby

  I’d never given up on anything in my life…until now.

  Braxton was beyond any help I could give him. I’d thought if I could show him how good it’d been all those years ago, he’d snap out of his guilt and anger at what’d happened to me, but I was wrong.

  It was early morning, and I pulled a pillow over my head to try and block out any sounds. I needed to sleep. I’d spent the last three nights tossing and turning between bouts of tears. This had to stop. I wasn’t a weak woman, but his rejection destroyed me. I had to shake off the pain of losing Braxton again.

  A thump outside my bedroom door woke me from my sleep. I jumped from my bed and started toward the door, but screamed when it flew open and a silhouette of a man was standing in the doorway. Fear rushed up my spine, and I made a quick assessment of the items in my bedroom I could use for a weapon. I began to tremble when I found none.

  “Abby,” Braxton cooed, causing my legs to wobble. It was his voice, but not as harsh as he usually sounded. No, this man’s voice was tender. I had to still be dreaming, because Braxton was on tour and he sure as hell wouldn’t show up at my apartment just before daybreak.

  “Abby,” the man repeated, but this time, his voice was edged with worry. I shook my head to clear the cobwebs of the last few days and blinked a few times. When my eyes cleared, I saw him.

  “Braxton?”

  “I’m sorry,” he blurted, moving slowly into the room. He held his hands out like he was a suspect and I was the police. “Please don’t cry.”

  I didn’t even know I was crying again. So much for trying to be strong.

  “I can’t stop,” I admitted, using the back of my hand to clear my face.

  “Come here,” he ordered, reaching out to touch me.

  I didn’t know what came over me. I’d tried to harden my heart over the past few days, but as soon as his hand made contact with my skin, all reason fled. I rushed to fall into his chest. His scent enveloped me, and I was thankful he was there, because my legs gave out when I broke down, again.

  Braxton picked me up and cradled me to his chest, whispering into my hair. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but his deep voice soothed me, quieting the hysterics. As soon as he laid me out on the bed, he stepped back to remove his shoes and shirt. I watched him intently, praying that when I blinked, he wouldn’t disappear.

  “I’ve been the biggest asshole in the world,” he began, silencing me when I started to argue. He laid down next to me on the bed and cupped my cheek. “Please, forgive me for sending you away.”

  “I never blamed you for anything,” I admitted. I couldn’t seem to get wind behind my voice, so I opted for letting him pull me to his chest. His large hand pressed against my head, silently telling me to lay against him.

  “I don’t know if you can forgive me again. My life isn’t complete without you in it. I need you.”

  “And I need you,” I choked out, feeling more tears trail down my face. One splashed onto his chest, but he didn’t budge. “But I cannot keep doing this, Braxton.”

  “Damn it, Abagail,” he swore as his voice cracked, using my full name. “I’m sorry for being a complete asshole, and I fucking love you.”

  “What?” I breathed, tears pooling in my eyes.

  “I said…I fucking love you,” he replied, taking my lips before I could protest. He kissed me for several minutes before pulling away slowly. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I love you too, Braxton,” I admitted, touching the side of his face. “I’ve always loved you.”

  “I want to see you…all of you,” he ordered. “It’s time I manned the fuck up and faced what happened.”

  “Braxton,” I frowned, “you don’t have to do this.”

  “It’s time. I need to see them, Abby,” he replied, reaching for my hand. He held it up and examined the scarring in the natural lighting that came from my window. My hands were so tiny compared to his, and the silvery scars stood out in stark contrast to his tanned and tattooed skin. “I think seeing you hurt again jarred my stupid brain into pushing you away. I blamed myself for what happened and thought if I sent you home, you’d be better off, but I was wrong. It took Penny coming to Kentucky to make me see that I needed you. God, I was such an asshole.”

  “You weren’t being an asshole,” I replied, closing my eyes. “I understand. I really do.”

  “It’s going to be hard to not feel guilty for the things I’ve done, but if you will give me another chance, I promise to make you the happiest woman in the world.”

  “You don’t have to do anything but love me to make me happy,” I promised. “If you are ready to see me, I will let you, but promise me something?”

  “Anything,” he nodded.

  “Do not run from me again,” I replied, as he brushed the hair off my shoulder.

  We had to work through this, and I was going to do everything in my power to make things right between us. He had to come to terms with who I was now, and I knew it wasn’t going to happen overnight. Braxto
n needed to face these fears and guilt head on.

  “Never,” he promised, sliding off the bed. “Let me see you, Abby.”

  Without hesitation, I reached for the hem of my shirt and lifted it over my head. I knew he saw the milky white skin of my stomach first, because Braxton let out a soft growl. He grew silent when the scars on my left side appeared. I froze for a moment when I realized that he would have a harder time with the ones I kept carefully covered on my arm. With a deep breath, I removed my shirt and tossed it to the floor.

  I didn’t remove my bra, but I did reached for the button on my jeans next. I knew what I had to do. He swallowed hard when I stood from the bed and seductively removed them by leaning over and slowly sliding them down to my ankles, kicking the material free.

  This was the only way I was going to get him to really look at me. Braxton was an alpha male in all ways, and I knew I had to show him that I was still the same woman he knew before the accident. Was I going to seduce him? Yes, yes I was.

  “You are beautiful,” he said as I righted myself.

  “I’m still me,” I said, my voice only above a whisper. “I just look different.”

  “I only see you…my Abby,” he said in wonder.

  Chapter 27

  Braxton

  In fact, I didn’t even see the scars at first when I looked at her. All I saw was the woman who owned my heart. The Abby I’d fallen in love with many years before. Her slender, yet slightly curvy body called to me, and the scars were just a part of who she was now. It didn’t define her like I’d made my mind believe they did for the past three years.

  She was just as beautiful with them as she was without.

  “God, Abby,” I said, dropping to my knees at her feet. My hands clasped onto her hips, and my lips landed on the scars above the waistband of her white lace panties. I placed soft kisses on the ones I could reach, and when I couldn’t reach them from my place on my knees, I stood up and made sure I paid attention to every single mark that was on her body.

  “Oh,” she moaned as I reached her neck. “Braxton.”

  “Does this make you uncomfortable?” I whispered, nipping her earlobe.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head just the slightest bit. “It feels so good.”

  “Touch me, Abby,” I demanded softly. “Like you used to.”

  Her hands clamped onto my shoulders, nails digging into the muscle there. I felt her shiver, and I pulled her body closer to mine. The lace from her bra scratched at my chest, but I didn’t remove it. I wanted her to do that.

  Those tiny hands caressed me as she continued her exploration. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back on my shoulders when she ran her palms over my chest, stopping to rub circles over my nipples. My cock responded and hardened behind the fly of my jeans.

  “You are driving me crazy,” I snarled, cupping her face. “I want to make love to you.”

  “What are you waiting for?” She winked, reaching behind to unhook her bra.

  I hooked my fingers into the sides of her panties and pulled them down her legs, stopping to place random kisses on the scars as I knelt again. When I stood upright, her hands returned to my shoulders. Those tiny hands squeezed, and she hummed appreciatively. That sound alone made me want to work out even more to bulk up just so she would touch me like that every single day.

  Abby’s fingers trailed down over my nipples and she flipped her hands over so she could skim my abs with the backs of her knuckles, stopping at the waistband of my jeans. She made quick work of the button and zipper, reaching in to wrap her hand around my cock.

  “Fuck,” I moaned as she dropped carefully to her knees, pulling my cock free so she could wrap her lips around it. I locked my knees when she took me to the back of her throat. “Fuck, Abby.”

  My fingers dug into her hair as I held her face, pumping into her mouth slowly. Those blue eyes I loved to stare into looked up at me with a heated desire that was familiar. When her cheeks hollowed out, I growled low in my throat.

  “Do you want me to come in your mouth,” I smirked, “or in your pussy?”

  A bright red blush covered the tops of her cheeks, and she shifted with the ache I knew was building between her legs. I didn’t say anything else as I stroked her chin, silently telling her to release me. When she sat back on her heels, I felt primal again. It was something I hadn’t felt in a long time, and I honestly thought I’d never have those desires again.

  “On the bed,” I ordered, “hands above your head.”

  “Yes, sir,” she whispered, scrambling up to get where I wanted her.

  I raised a brow at her when she kept her knees bent but together, hiding her pussy from me. I knew she was going to be a brat by the small smile that played on the corner of her mouth. I wanted to take it further, but at the moment, I just wanted to get lost in her soft touch.

  “I’m going to make love to you, my Abby,” I said, climbing up on the bed. “Open for me.”

  My hands shook as she spread her legs, allowing me to climb between them. I took her lips at the same time my cock found its home inside her. We both cursed silently as I began to move. The sensations were intense, and I closed my eyes for a moment when all of the good memories came rushing back in my mind. Her body accepted me and surrounded my cock with her warmth. Sweat beaded up on our skin as we began to find a rhythm. Her moans were soft in the beginning, but within a few minutes, had turned to heated curses. On her next breath, she begged for release.

  “Please, Braxton,” she begged, digging her nails into my ass as I pounded into her.

  “Hold on longer,” I ordered, although my demand held no weight.

  “I can’t,” she panted.

  My hands cupped her face, pushing a few tendrils of hair off of her forehead. I kissed her lips hard, pumping deep into her body as she screamed out her pleasure. My body tightened and I let go, floating on a high that no needle could provide for me anymore.

  “I love you, my Abby,” I cried into her neck. Tears fell over my lashes, but I didn’t care. The ice around my heart had thawed. I could actually breathe again. The fog that had hung over me for so long was gone. Everything felt right, finally.

  “And I love you, my Braxton,” she said, wiping away the wetness from my face.

  Epilogue

  Braxton

  My family was here. It was the last night on tour, and I’d flown my mom and sister to New York City for the largest show we’d ever played. There’d been almost fifteen thousand tickets sold, and everyone was pumped for the night.

  I pulled a shirt over my head as I exited the bunk area of the bus. My mom was just coming up the steps as I entered the living room of the bus. Her eyes sparked when she saw me smiling at her. “Ma!”

  “Oh, Braxton!” she squealed, rushing toward me. I hugged her tight and relished in her scent. It was home and love and everything I’d been fighting for the past three years. “You can put me down, son.”

  “Sorry.” I smiled, reaching out for Penny. She came to me quickly, and I did the same greeting with her I’d done with my mom.

  “You look happy,” she whispered in my ear.

  “I am,” I replied, setting her down. “Have you seen my Abby?”

  “Actually,” my mom blushed, “a handsome young man said he would get her for us.”

  “That’s Marshall.” I smiled, feeling better knowing that he’d be looking after Abby when I wasn’t around. We’d come to a common understanding: Abby came first in all things. “He’s one of our new security guys.”

  “I don’t know how I feel about all of the crazy fans that have been following that Bleeding Secrets band,” she frowned. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

  “Mom, we are safe,” I promised. “This is the last show, and we will be back home by tomorrow. After that, it’s time to write a new album.”

  “Then you get to do it all over again,” Penny cheered. “I’m so happy for both of you, Braxton.”

  “I’m happy for us, too.” I n
odded, smiling over my sister’s shoulder when I saw Abby walking toward the bus. My mom and sister turned, meeting my girl as soon as she reached the steps.

  The women giggled and hugged. It felt great seeing my mom with Abby. They’d always gotten along, and I had a feeling that they had seen each other often when I was away during those three years.

  I took a seat at the dinette and watched over the women in my life. I loved them all, and I’d been a complete asshole for far too long. It took me a long time to realize during my self-imposed exile from life, I’d been hurting them as well.

  Abby had agreed to return to the tour with me after the three day break when I’d rushed home to Seattle to beg her forgiveness. She’d been miserable, and so had I. Abby was my life, and I’d let my guilt rule me for far too long. Did I forget what happened all those years ago? No, I would never forget the accident that changed my life, because without that, I probably would’ve been dead from my heroin use. I’d been close to a downward spiral before that fateful night over three years ago, and that accident was the brick wall I’d needed to stop what I was doing to myself and the people in my life.

  I pulled Abby over to sit on my lap as my mom and sister made themselves comfortable on the couch. As the women talked, I felt the love they all had, and I realized my family was complete. These women were mine, and I’d failed them for far too long.

  “How much time do you have?” Penny asked, looking at the clock on the wall above my head.

  “Just enough time to spend with my girls.” I grinned, giving Abby’s thigh a gentle squeeze.

  The End…

  Look for Cash’s story, Fatal Intentions, coming next…

  About Theresa Hissong:

  Theresa is a mother of two and the wife of a retired Air Force Master Sergeant. After seventeen years traveling the country, moving from base to base, the family has settled their roots back in Theresa’s home town of Olive Branch, MS, where she enjoys her time going to concerts and camping with her family.