Anna and Jackson

by Tigris Eden

  He looks down at his wife and she looks up at him, smiling with tired eyes.

  “No, I’m okay, Anna, really. I want to be here for your big celebration.”

  “Honey, you were here for the celebration. Now it’s time to get some rest. That little Cavanaugh needs his momma in tip-top shape.”

  Treat mouths thank you before standing and pulling Joey with him.

  “Night all.”

  “Night.” Jackson and I say at the same time. I watch the two of them walk out of the bar, and my gaze falls on Rudy who is watching India dance with some guy. Rudy doesn’t look happy. Eventually something will have to give.

  “You happy, baby?” Jackson asks a little later. We’ve been drinking and talking while everyone is on the dance floor.

  “Very.”

  His eyes are serious as he searches mine.

  “How about you make me the happiest man?”

  My heart stops beating. I can’t breathe. I must be dreaming because there is no way Jackson Storme just asked me to marry him. No fucking way. This is some massive hallucination. Possibly another dimension.

  “Are you?” I clear my throat. “Are you asking me what I think you’re asking me?” I whisper.

  “Yeah, baby, I’m asking you what you think I’m asking you,” he whispers back.

  I swallow.

  I swallow again.

  “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  His answer is to slide a black velvet box in front of me. I can’t open it. Don’t want to touch it. I’m scared, but not for the reasons he’s most likely thinking.

  “Baby, what’s wrong? You look like you’re getting sick.”

  His hand shoots forward to grab the box, but my hand slams down over his and I look him in the eyes, dead serious when I say, “Don’t you dare touch that box, Jackson.”

  He’s holding his breath. I don’t want to make this awkward and I have to make it right.

  “Yes.” I nod eagerly. “Yes!”

  I jump into his lap, squealing like a crazy person who’s won the lottery and showering kisses all over his face as he slides the ring on my finger. I can feel him laughing as he hugs me to him. He is just as relieved as I am that I said yes. I look at the ring and gasp. I’ve seen this before. In a picture in the hall of Jackson’s home. It’s a huge marquis diamond with blue sapphires.

  “I’ve seen this before?”

  Jackson squeezes me tight. “It was Nana Storme’s. My grandmother would be happy to know you’re the one wearing this ring.”

  Wow. Just, wow.

  “You ready to go home?” he asks into the crook of my neck.

  “I thought we were celebrating?”

  “We’re going to celebrate at home, darlin', and if I have my way, we’re going to celebrate all fucking night.”

  I couldn’t argue with that.

  We say goodbye to everyone at Harry’s after getting hugs and loud congratulations and make our way home.

  We barely make it through the door. Jackson is kissing me before he even opens the front door. My hips hit the wood with a thud. His hard body is demanding and pushes into mine. His lips are punishing, sending raw pleasure straight to my core. I push against him, trying to get my hands any and everywhere he’ll let me. We sound like animals as we make out on his front porch, plastered to the front door. We push and pull against each other. Both of us trying to get closer to the other. Finally, the door’s unlocked and Jackson pushes it open, taking him and me to the floor. He turns at the last minute taking the brunt of our fall. Our teeth crash together in pain. We pull back from each other laughing hysterically.

  “Jesus! What are you trying to do?” I pant against his chest. The front door is wide open for all to see. His hands wrap tight around my waist. Jackson’s fingers dig into my hips as I try to get up.

  “You okay?” he asks in a serious tone.

  “Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me, good thing I had you to catch my fall.”

  “That was no simple task.” His voice is playful.

  “Seriously?” I huff.

  Jackson kicks out with his foot, slamming the front door. He rolls us until he’s on top. His eyes melting into mine. I can’t catch my breath, bare emotion gazes back at me making me speechless. I don’t know what to say, how to respond to him. Instead, I lift my face to his and seal our lips together, hoping that I communicate through action what I can’t through speech. I am smitten, head over heels in love with Jackson Storme, and I’m ecstatic he’s asked me to marry him. I take control of the kiss, and this time and he lets me. I eat at his lips, suck on his tongue, and make sure to express my enthusiasm by grabbing tight to his shoulders. My hands travel lower until I’m lifting his shirt up over his head for the few seconds we break apart. The muscles in his arms bulge and the veins strain against his skin as he holds himself above me. His eyes fill with lust as he drinks me in.

  He pulls back.

  I whimper.

  He pulls us both from the floor and turns me towards the room.

  “Leave the shoes and the panties on. Everything else comes off.”

  His hand lands playfully on my ass as he pushes me forward.

  “You coming?”

  “After I lock up. And, Anna?”

  I turn toward the sound of my name, Jackson’s silhouette clearly outlined in the dimly lit hall.

  “Yes?”

  “Be ready for me, baby.”

  His voice is smooth like honey, with a hint of darkness. I do a full body shiver as I start unzipping my dress. I leave on my underwear and stiletto heels. I feel stupid standing in the middle of the room in nothing but shoes and panties. Should I pose on the bed? Too cheesy, Anna. Okay, what did he want me to do? He hasn’t given me any other instructions. I sit down on the bed eagerly waiting for him to return. The lights are still off and there is only a sliver of light coming in through the window. I recline on the bed, when I notice the fragrant smell of roses and feel the petals on the bed.

  Jumping up off the bed, I run to the wall, hit the light switch, and can’t help the tears streaming down my face. They aren’t in any shape, just scattered across the bed and pillows. Some have fallen on the floor. When did he have time to do all this? Jackson’s voice is at my ear as his arm wraps around my waists. It’s like he’s in my head, answering my question before I’m even able to ask.

  “Treat and Joey came back to the house when they left early to do this for us. I know asking you to marry me at Harry’s wasn’t the most romantic. I wanted tonight to be special. It means something to me you’re willing to be my wife, Anna, and although I’m not a hearts and roses type of guy, I wanted you to know there was effort put into tonight.”

  “Baby, I don’t need hearts and roses. Just you. Always you.”

  I reach up, grabbing him around the neck. His head is resting on my shoulder, caressing me with his lips. My stomach clenches tight as the feelings churn deep. Jackson walks us over to the bed and gently lays me down. His massive body hunches over mine and his eyes roam my face, then my chest, and down to my stomach and between my legs. I savor every second as my skin lights on fire from his avid gaze.

  “Words fail me at times; you’re in a class all by yourself. Beautiful on the inside and out, Anna. Thank you for loving me. I want you to know, you mean everything to me, and I’m going to spend the rest of our lives proving to you just how much.”

  His lips trail down my neck, to my breasts and lower to my stomach and hips. He taunts me with open mouth kisses until my body can no longer lie still. I fist the sheets as his tortuous movements ignite a delicious yearning inside. A rolling wave of pleasure causing cataclysmic bursts of sexual energy.

  “Please,” I beg. “I need you.”

  “Where,” he asks kissing against the inside of my thigh. “Show me where, Anna.”

  My hands move between my legs, the wetness coating my fingers as I shove my panties to the side and slide two fingers deep. My back arches up from the bed. I’m so sen
sitive. Jackson’s large hand grabs my wrists, gently moving my hands out of the way. Then his mouth is there at the waistband of my underwear. The heat from his breath soothing me only for a second before his tongue slides against my skin, pulling me further under his spell. He doesn’t taste me, not yet. He sits back on his knees watching me writhe beneath him before he bends to one side of the bed, stretching and finally reaching his target. A strap. With cuffs. He goes to the other side of the bed, and grabs the other strap, placing them both by my legs. My eyes widen in shock as grabs my ankles and yanks me halfway down the bed until he’s able to cuff my legs to the straps.

  I’m wide open. I can feel the air from the air conditioner. It hits the dampness of my skin. I shiver, not just from cold, but the raw need I can see in his eyes. Eyes haunted by many things he never allowed me to see before, until tonight. I realize just how scared he is. My big strong man is allowing me to see his inner demons, knowing that I’ll take all he has The good and the bad, and I’ll still love him as I do now, how I always will. There’s something more. Something deeper hidden further down, something he has yet to share. My trust in him will remain strong, because whatever it is, it’s something he hasn’t worked up to telling me yet. I know in time we’ll get there, and for the first time in a long time, I’m not scared. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together.

  With every couple, there are boundaries. Some things can be pushed, others tested. Once you break down the walls erected, there’s nothing left to see but what was there all along. Jackson needs me just as much as I need him, and although my demons aren’t as heavily ingrained into what I am, they did help mold me. Just like his had molded him. There are still things I don’t understand, and as he stares down at me, I see it then, he vows to lay it all bare for me to see.

  Jackson Storme holds nothing back.

  The lace between my legs disappear, exposing me further to the cold air. His runs his hands up the inside of my thighs, spreading me wider. We don’t speak. Words are not needed. When the first glide of his tongue touches my soaked flesh, I cry out his name. Long strokes explore my inner heat. The gentle massage sends currents through my body, lighting me up from the inside. I can tell he wants to go slow and work me over until we’re both mad from it. He creates a beautiful friction with his tongue as his hands sweep beneath my ass lifting me up to his waiting mouth. My hands grab fistfuls of Jackson’s hair, making him grunt as I tug his face deeper between my legs. I can’t hold on to my release much longer. He’s built it into a monstrous thing that wants out.

  My mouth opens on a silent scream as heat sears its way through my body in intense pulses of pleasure I can’t control. My body shakes uncontrollably. If my legs were not being held down by the straps, I’m sure I would have broken Jackson’s neck. Or at least put him to sleep. The muscles in my thighs ache from the rioting storm that rolls continuously through my body and settles deep in my bones. I’m liquid. His hands slide up my body seeking places on me I have no idea could be so pleasurable. He scores my back with his fingers, making me shiver.

  “Next time, I want to hear you scream for me.”

  “Okay…” my voice is not my own as I try to get the words past my lips. I can feel the heavy length of his erection against my leg when he finally releases me from the straps. I am so worked up and pliant from his use, Jackson can position himself anyway he wants, and he’ll get no arguments from me. He grabs my thighs. They feel heavy but at the same time relaxed. He runs his hands down my legs until he reaches my ankles and lifts them to rest against his shoulders. I’m open and exposed, allowing Jackson the deepest reach inside me.

  I’m so wet from my orgasm he slides right in until he can go no farther. The heels of my shoes dig into his back, and Jackson hisses out in pleasure.

  I need him to move. Am about to beg him to, when he decides not to torture me any longer, but punishes me with his brutal strength. I receive no warning as his body pulls out only to slam back in. Damn, but it feels amazing. Jackson’s body pounds into mine repeatedly. He’s mindless, no longer concerned with the niceties of the act of lovemaking, but the rawness of what he considers to be a great fuck.

  A small second elapses where I think that some other woman has received this treatment, has experienced the sheer brutality that is Jackson when he’s like this. I’m angry and on fire at the same time. Pissed at him because there’s no such thing as halfway with him. He does things in full, not half measures. They may not have gotten his heart, but they experienced his body.

  My hands slide up to mark his back and I dig my heels a little deeper. I don’t want anyone ever mistaking who it is Jackson belongs to. No questions asked. He hisses and pushes into me deeper. His hands are on either side of my head as he thrusts harder. In this position, I’m pinned and limited to what I can do. Pulling him down to me only stretches me further. Will it hurt, yes it will, but the hurt will turn into pleasure soon enough. I arch my back, offering up my breasts. Jackson needs no instruction, his mouth latches on with a downward thrust connecting me to him in this sexual exchange. Every stroke of his cock pulls me deeper and deeper into a world where no one else matters but us.

  I cry out his name as another orgasm rises. A tidal wave of unfiltered desire washes over me. It drags me out into the universe only to slam my body back as ripple after ripple tugs on my insides until I can no longer hold back my screams.

  “Yes! Yes! Fuck Yes!” I yell, my voice going raw as my body hits the peak of release, rocking my foundation. My arms collapse at my sides, sweat is dripping down the sides of my face into my hair. Jackson moves my legs from his shoulders, and he pulls out only to turn me on my stomach. He’s saying something to me, but I can’t understand a word. My ears are ringing. He’s whispering in my ear, then against my spine, down to my ass. I can feel his hands, but can’t hear his words. I am in the zone. A place where everything is a yes, or a head nod. For all I know I could be agreeing to anything, but anything Jackson wants Jackson can have. I feel my body being positioned. He’s lifting my hips and sliding two pillows beneath me. He knows I can’t hold myself up, my muscles are liquid.

  Just as my body begins to come down from the intense orgasm, I feel him entering me from behind. His hands grip my waist as he begins to move. Slow at first until he builds momentum.

  “I love you, Anna. So fucking much.”

  That I hear.

  His thrusts pick up speed and I know this time it’s about him chasing his pleasure, he’s given me mine multiple times over. It’s his turn to join me. I have to have a hand in that. I can’t just lie here like a zombie. A dead weight in this expression of emotions. I gather what strength I have left and lock my arms as I arch my back and spread my legs wider. The pillows are blocking my target, so I shove them out of the way, reaching down, grabbing the base of his cock between two fingers, and squeezing. Jackson grunts and his body falls forward, covering mine. I apply pressure, making sure I hold him as tight as he can stand without chasing his release away. My pussy clenches around his cock and Jackson’s hands grab my waist tighter. I know I’ll have bruises in the morning.

  “Damn, baby. You’re going to pull it from me.” He pants against my back. Droplets of sweat splash the spine of my back as he tries to hold out a little longer. I know he’s close when he begins grinding into my ass. Jackson rotates his hips, trying to dig further inside. My legs are as wide as I can spread them, so I arch more, allowing Jackson to slide in farther. My thigh muscles are straining, I can hear and feel his breath sawing in and out of his chest as he moves against me. I close my eyes tight as a sharp pain lances through my head. Fuck. I was close to orgasm again, only this one was going to be at the mercy of my head. This was by far the best and worst way to go. My heart picks up speed as another bolt of pain threatens to make an appearance. My body tenses, prepares for the next jolt, but it’s pleasure that washes over me instead. Pleasure followed by pain so sharp it has me cringing. Jackson feels my body change, knows he needs to reach completion. He
pulls out to the tip and thrusts back in repeatedly driving into my body. The sound of my ass hitting his pelvis bounces off the walls until his roar of pleasure overshadows the sound.

  Jackson falls on top of me, crushing me beneath his weight. He gently pulls out and rolls, taking me with him.

  “Headache?” He asks. His breath coming in harsh pants.

  “More like sex ache. They’re normal, Jackson. It’s only because tonight was intense. Doesn’t happen often,”

  He squeezes me to him, both our bodies sticky from sweat and our lovemaking.

  “You want me to get you some water?”

  “No, baby. I can do it. You stay here.” I lift my head, catching his lips with mine before getting out of bed. I grab his shirt off the floor, pull it on, and make my way to the kitchen. The cold tile feels good on my feet. The reality of tonight is slowly starting to hit me. I am going to be Mrs. Jackson Storme. I giggle like a schoolgirl. Married. To Jackson. I am going to be married to Jackson. I want to call Joey, but it’s late. I open the fridge, grab a water bottle, and am startled by Jackson’s silhouette in the kitchen. At least I think it’s his silhouette. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

  This isn’t Jackson. This is someone else. Cold, earth-shattering dread crawls up my spine. I am just about to scream when I see the flash of the metal blade in his gloved hand. The scream dies in my throat, and I never get the chance to warn Jackson.

  Pain explodes on my side. My body weakens as the man who stabs me catches me as I slide to the floor. The only sound I hear is the water bottle hitting the tile. I try screaming again but the only sound out of my mouth is silent air. My lungs are burning. Spots replace my vision, and my body gives a violet jerk when he stabs me again, and then, there is only darkness.

  Give and Take: Chapter 19

  Jackson sat up in bed when he heard the water bottle hit the floor. Dorky girl. She didn’t even bother turning on the light.

  “Anna, turn on the light so you can see, baby. Don’t go bumping into stuff. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”