by Tiya Rayne
“Gotdamn, Baby, your shit is so fucking good.” Jackson growled as my wet walls clenched around his bare dick.
I was spent. My body went limp against his chest, and this point Jackson was doing all the work. He placed a kiss against my sweaty forehead as he carried me back over to the couch, still inside my contracting walls. He took a seat and allowed me to straddle him. I placed my forehead to his and he lifted my ass and rocked into me.
“I love you, so fucking much.” He admitted in a whisper.
“I love you too.” I whimpered as my orgasm started to build back up.
I was finally able to move again on my own accord, grinding my hot pussy down onto his lap, moving my hips like I was hula hooping.
“That’s it, Char. Ride this dick, baby.” His head hit the back of the couch as I took over.
I planted my hands by his head on the couch and started to lift my hips and drop down with a swirl.
He smacked my ass and I purred for him, kissing his lips and sucking his tongue like I would his dick. I felt his body tense underneath me, signaling his release. The sweat was beading on his forehead. Jackson could hold off an orgasm for forever. He usually would only allow himself to come if I’d had at least four orgasms first. Which I loved, but that’s not what I wanted right now.
I moved faster on him, grinding my hips. “Let go, Jackson. Give me what I want. Come inside your fiancée.”
That did it! He roared his release, his hot semen bathed my walls as he folded in on himself wrapping his arms around me. He held me tight to his chest as he continued to pump into me from beneath.
When his orgasm finally faded, he continued to hold me to him. Our heartbeats were synched as we caught our breaths. Jackson stroked my sweaty back.
“Anytime I’ve ever gotten good news, I always called my Grams first. When I got accepted into Emory and Harvard. When I pledged my sorority. Even when I got my first client. I’ve always called Sadie Rose to share my excitement. On the day I have the best news to share, I can’t call her.”
“Yes you can.” He said as his hands made slow circles on my back. “Just call her.”
I looked up into Jackson’s hazel eyes as he stared down at me.
“You didn’t see the look on her face.” I explained. “She saw those pictures, and she took their side. They don’t want me around, Jackson. You’re the only one that wants me.” I closed my eyes and listened to his steady breathing.
Jackson didn’t say anything else. He just held me in his arms, exactly where I wanted to stay forever.
***
“Ms. Jefferies, your two o’clock is here.” My secretary Patricia said through the speaker phone.
I pushed the intercom button. “Thank you, Patricia. Send him in.”
“I’ll get that information back to you before the end of the day.” Paula, one of my employees said as they all stood to head out of my office.
“Make sure that you do.” I scolded her lightly as I escorted her out of my office.
Troy gave me a silent nod. He knew I was pissed about this meeting. Thankfully, I was still on a high from Jackson proposing.
I smiled as my two o’clock appointment walked into my office.
“Detective Myers, how are you!” I greeted Sean with a kiss on the cheek.
I was dying to tell someone about my engagement. It had only been a day since Jackson popped the big question. He hadn’t exactly given me a ring yet, but I didn’t care. We had talked about what we wanted in a wedding. The only preference Jackson had was that we did it as soon as possible. I believe he thought I would change my mind, I wouldn’t.
Since I’d never really dreamed of getting married in the first place, I didn’t really have any ideas either. I didn’t care for a big wedding, especially since I wasn’t talking to my family. I would even go to the court house, but Jackson didn’t want that. He said since we were only doing it once, we might as well make it special.
I grabbed Sean’s hand and lead him to the small sitting area.
“Damn, girl! What’s got you so excited!” he took a seat and I sat down beside him.
“Well, I have some very exciting news and you’re pretty much my only friend, so I wanted to share it with you first.”
Other than Devin, Sean was my only other friend. Despite our sexual relationship, we had a close bond.
“So what’s this big news?”
I grinned as I took a moment to build up the momentum.
“I’m getting married!”
Sean blinked a few times as if his mind had completely blacked out. I waited for him to say something.
“Umm, Sean you ok?”
He shook his head. “Sorry, I blinked out.” He said with a laugh. “So, you’re serious? You’re actually considering marrying this guy?”
“Yeah! I mean I never thought I would get married, but Jackson is different. I love him.”
Another stare down from Sean.
“And he still wants to marry you without you being able to have kids?”
I was a little thrown off by his question. Sean knew I couldn’t have kids, he of course didn’t know why, but he made it sound like me not having kids should have been a deal breaker.
“Yeah, he understands and is ok with it.”
He shook his head and stood to his feet.
“You haven’t even known him long? What if he’s crazy? What if he’s using you?”
I shot to my feet. “I’ve known him long enough, and I would know if he’s crazy.”
“Like you knew with Cliff?”
My head snapped back like I’d been slapped. I expected Sean to be happy for me. Maybe a little disappointed that he and I could no longer hook up, but I didn’t expect him to be like this.
“I’ll admit, Cliff was a surprise, but Jackson is nothing like Cliff.”
“Are you so sure? Do you know he was on trial for murder? A sixteen year old black kid was stabbed to death because of him.”
I was already shaking my head. “He was not involved. In fact he was acquitted and all charges were dropped.”
“Is that what he told you?” Sean laughed and threw his hands up.
“That’s what I know.” I stated folding my arms over my chest.
My good mood was gone and now I was pissed. First of all, how dare he ask me all these goddamn questions about my life decisions? What I decided to do had shit to do with him. Secondly, why the fuck was he looking into Jackson’s background.
I asked him that last question.
“Because someone has to look out for you, Charli.” Sean said stepping towards me. “You are my best friend, I’ll do anything for you. I don’t think marrying this guy is a good idea.”
I stepped away from Sean and headed to the door. “As I’ve said before, I don’t need anyone to look out for me. And I definitely don’t need you to tell me what I should do.” I grabbed my door and held it open for him. “I told you this news because I thought you were my friend. Clearly, some lines has crossed. You need to leave.”
Sean stood in his spot for a moment too long, like he had no plans of leaving, but then he walked over and stood in front of me.
“I’m sorry. And you’re right. If he makes you happy, Charli, then…… I just want you happy.”
He planted a kiss on my cheek and headed out of the door. I closed it behind him.
Although it didn’t go as planned, I was still happy about my decision to marry Jackson.
***
That afternoon I hung my keys on the hook as I walked into Jackson’s kitchen from the garage.
“Babe! Let’s do Thai tonight for dinner.” I said heading towards the living room looking down at my phone. “I’m in the mood for Pho….” My words died down when I looked up from my phone to find my grandparents sitting on the couch where just yesterday I fucked Jackson.
Jackson stood to his feet and walked over to me.
“What’s going on?” I asked him. “What are they doing here?”
“I
called them, Baby!” I rolled my eyes and turned away from Jackson, but he grabbed my arm and turned me back to face him. “I couldn’t ask you to marry me without asking your grandfather too, and we can’t plan a wedding without the most important people in your life there. I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to work this out with your family.”
“You had no right, Jackson.” I yanked away from him. “I told you I wasn’t ready.”
“Char…”
“No!” I said interrupting him. “You are out of……”
“That’s enough, Duck!” Grams scolded cutting me off. “Now you stop carrying on like that. This man cared enough about you to reach out to us in order to fix this mess between us. Now you are going to sit your tail down in that seat, and talk to us.”
I crossed my hands over my chest defiantly, but I sat down in the chair.
“I should go….” Jackson announced.
“No, son!” My Papa said towards Jackson. “You’re family now. You need to stay here and hear this.”
Jackson nodded his head and sat down in the chair across from me. I avoided his eyes. Despite what Grams said, I was still pissed at him.
“Now I heard what happened at the hospital.” Papa started. “And I don’t like none of it.” He cut his eyes to Grams and then back to me. “And if you would have been around when I heard of it, you would have heard me putting everyone in their place. I don’t fault you for what happened. Even if I would have took my last breath that day I would not have blamed you. Look at me.” Papa demanded and my watery eyes finally looked at him.
The disappointment and disgust I planned to see on his face was absent. He didn’t look at me like the others or Grams that day. He looked at me like he always had. Like I was the little girl that waddled behind him like a little duck every day.
“Don’t hold your head down or hide your eyes from me. You could never disappoint me, Duck. I know that’s what you thought. The family made you feel that way, and that’s not right. Family isn’t perfect. We are flawed, problematic, and we don’t always agree. Sometimes we hold grudges against people that don’t deserve it. People that have no fault in the hurtful act that was done. And honestly, I am going to take blame for that. I let secrets stay buried too long and ignored the rot that started to fester. I couldn’t see how it was infecting the family. My pride wouldn’t let me fix it. But, I’ve since done the right thing.”
“What are you talking about, Papa? What secret?”
Papa shook his head. “I plan on telling you all about it at family dinner Sunday.”
I was already shaking my head. I was not going to family dinner.
“NO!”
“No?” Papa repeated.
“Charles, how about you let Jackson show you that back yard you been talking about. Let me have a minute with Duck.”
Papa looked over to Grams for a moment, but then nodded his head. Jackson and Papa stood to their feet.
“Right this way, Mr. Jefferies.” Jackson said showing my Papa to the sliding glass door.
“Call me Charles or Pop.” Papa smiled at Jackson.
Jackson nodded his head as they both disappeared out of the door.
“He’s nice.” Grams voice brought my attention back to her. “And fiiinnee.” She sung the last part.
I smiled briefly, but turned away from her.
She continued. “But most importantly, he loves you. That boy wear his heart outside his chest for you. He looks at you the way Papa use to look at me.”
I didn’t comment that Papa still looked at her that way. The room remained quiet. I didn’t know what Grams thought was going to come out of this, but I was sure it wasn’t this.
Finally Grams sighed. “You’re not your mother, Duck.”
“I know that.” I retorted angrily.
Grams held up her hands in surrender.
“Ok!” she said with a smile. “Well, I’m still going to say sorry.”
The room fell back quiet again.
“I knew you had secrets, Duck. I didn’t know you had quite that many.” She chuckled. “I always assumed that one about your aunt Jo. I remember telling her she looked pregnant one time, and then all of a sudden she didn’t. And Kiesha and Roy,” She shook her head. “That is just a mess. But that Keva one nearly took me out.”
I didn’t fight the smile that spread across my face.
“Eli and I laughed about that one for a while.”
We were silent again.
“How is everyone doing after…all that? Bet they’re still blaming me?”
I knew they were. That’s why I hadn’t answered any of their calls or messages. I could imagine they thought it was my fault everything came out.
Grams shrugged her shoulders. “Not really. Everyone knows that what’s done in the dark eventually comes to the light. It was never your job to be the family secret keeper, in the first place.”
“I know.” I admitted.
“Duck, you have to learn that family will fuss and fall out. We will disagree and judge and be ugly towards one another, but at the end of the day, we have each other’s backs. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Because life is too short, and there is nothing worth falling out with your family forever over.”
For the first time I looked my grandmother in the eye.
“I don’t know about that Grams. There are somethings that just can’t be forgiven.”
Grams did that thing she always did when she was reading me deep beneath the surface. This time, I didn’t hide it. I didn’t cover up my truth with an easy smile or a subject change, I displayed my pain directly in my eyes where she could read it. If she would only ask the right question, say the right thing I would tell her everything.
“Well to those things, I would say let the Lord handle it.”
Just like that, I shut down. I wrapped my pain back up in my perfectly erected façade and smiled.
“Alright, Sadie! Let’s give these young folks back their house.” Papa announced walking back into the living room followed by Jackson.
Grams and I both got to our feet. I stepped into Jackson’s open arms and wrapped my hands around his middle. He dropped a kiss on my forehead.
“I’m sorry! I just wanted you to be happy.” Jackson whispered.
I looked up at him with a small smile. He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. He knew something was bothering me.
“It’s ok. Thank you!”
“Well now!” Papa said interrupting our moment. “I gave Jackson my approval for this marriage. And he told me he promises to have you at the house for Sunday dinner.”
“Did he really?” I asked cutting my eyes to Jackson.
“It’s going to be a big deal this Sunday. We need you to be there. We’re getting the family together to hash out the mess I’ve made.” Papa smiled over at Grams. “Now come here little Duck and give me a hug. I’ve gone too long without one.”
I obliged with the biggest smile on my face. Just like when I was a little girl, Papa’s hugs had the ability to cure anything.
Papa wrapped me in his arms and kissed the top of my head.
“I like him.” He whispered in my ear. “You did well.”
That night I slept fitfully. My nightmares were back. That should have been a sign of what was to come.
TWENTY-SEVEN
“You look like you’re going to vomit.” Jackson mentioned as we pulled up to my grandparents’ house.
The driveway was already full with my family’s cars. Looks like everyone was already here. A new Cadillac was parked behind Papa’s truck. Probably the Pastor again.
“I have a bad feeling about this.” I turned back to find Jackson smiling at me. “What?”
He chuckled. “I’m sorry, but remember that day at my parent’s house? You laughed at my nerves.”
“I shouldn’t have.” I grunted. “You see how that turned out right?”
Since I sent the picture of Mouse at the bar to J
ackson, a lot of the pressure from his family died down. His mom even called me to apologize about the whole thing and wanted me to come back for dinner. I told her I would, but we had yet to go back.
Jackson’s brother and sister in law was a different story. Both still equally disliked me, and I equally didn’t give a shit. Jackson’s brother even tried to show up at my job to tell my boss what a disgusting person I was, he nearly shit his pants when they announced he had a meeting with the President of the company and I walked in. His dumbass left my office so fast, you would have thought Satan had walked in instead of me. Since then, he and his annoying ass wife had stayed out of our face.
“This isn’t going to be good, Jackson.” I pronounced in a somber voice.
He grabbed my hand out of my lap and brought it to his lips to kiss.
“You know there is nothing they can say or do that will change my mind about you. But I really think you need this. Your family is close and they’re a big part of you.”
I rolled my eyes and he laughed again.
“Ok, how about this, because I made your grandfather a promise, and I am trying to get on his good side so I can marry his granddaughter, we go inside for just a second. If things get uncomfortable, you let me know and we can leave. Deal?”
He gave me a smile and those dimples flashed. I swear his ass could get away with anything as long as he showed me those dimples.
“Fine!” I sighed in surrender. “But you’re fucking me all night long as a reward. And none of that let me recuperate shit.”
Jackson tossed his head back and let out a hearty laugh.
“You know damn well I don’t need to recuperate. I’m going to make you pay for that comment later.”
Just the mention of it made me excited.
Jackson opened the door to his truck, but stopped before climbing out. He closed the door and turned back to me. I knew this look. He was nervous about something.
“What’s wrong?”
He tugged at his beard, cutting his eyes towards the house and then back to me.
“I want to give you something before we go in, but I don’t know how you will feel about it.”