by Piper Rayne
Her hands slide down my back, and she pulls at my shoulder blades when I thrust harder and grind deeper.
“It feels so good,” she says.
I place my forearms on either side of her head to hold my weight off her while I dust her face with kisses. Her forehead, her nose, her lips.
I groan, sliding in and out of her, and just when she gets that look in her eye and she bucks into me mid-thrust, I crash my lips to hers, pouring every feeling I have for her into the kiss. She’s changed me. I’ll never be the person I was before her.
She strips her mouth from mine on a breathy moan. “I’m gonna come.”
Sweat forms between our bodies and I hold one of her legs up to get deeper inside her. She cries out a moment later, and I continue going until my orgasm crests a minute later.
I don’t draw out of her right away, but instead we kiss, and our hands roam over one another’s body as though we’re cherishing the final notes of the last song of the night.
An hour later, I’m in a hotel robe when there’s a knock on the door. Two guys come in with room service carts, and I sign and tip them.
After they leave, Frankie comes out of the bathroom and climbs on the bed. “Oh, you do know your way to my heart.” She lifts the cloche lids, growing more excited with each one.
I get on the bed next to her, and we watch television and eat room service for the rest of the night. It’s not an eventful night, but it’s one of the best ones I’ve ever had. I finally feel as though a weight has been lifted off of me.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Frankie
* * *
The Uber parks along the curb, and I don’t wait for it to fully stop before I open the door and run into Ink Envy. Jolie’s there, teaching Gumdrop to lie down. Her head turns toward the door when the bell sounds, announcing my entry.
“Mommy!”
I bend down and she runs into my arms. I squeeze her so tightly, sprinkling her face with kisses. “Oh, I missed you so much.”
“Me too!”
The chime on the door rings again and Jolie peers over my shoulder, dislodges herself from me, and runs to Jax. He picks her up in one giant swoop, tossing her in the air before situating her on his hip.
Man, he looks good with her. It’s like dad crack and I’m a certified addict. I sit on the floor, taking in the sight of the two of them together. She tells him how Gumdrop almost laid down for her and how Dylan’s been helping her with him. Jax is just as enthralled by the conversation as she is.
“Want your gifts?” he asks her.
She wiggles to get free and he lets her down, then opens his suitcase since he’s the one who had the room to fit a giant M&M dispenser, a Paw Patrol stuffed animal, and all the other small things he just had to get her.
“Can we fill it now?” she asks when he hands her the green M&M dispenser.
“Yeah,” Jax says at the same time I say no.
I change my mind. “Sure.”
They both sit in the waiting room, him showing her how it works, and I head over to my station, wheeling my bag behind me.
“So how was it?” Dylan asks. “You going to go on the road?”
His tone says he’s joking, but I’m sure it’s something Dylan fears. It wasn’t that long ago that Ink Envy was suffering. Jax coming here saved it, and if Jax decides to leave, that would probably cause a huge rift between them.
“I’m happy here.” I sit down and put all my things back at my station. “This is where I belong.”
“It’s good to hear that.” Dylan smiles at me. “I was just showing Jolie your picture on Instagram. From what I see, you guys rocked it.”
My gaze falls to Jax as he looks at me and says, “She did. Don’t be surprised if you get some calls coming in for her. She’s going to be fully booked soon.”
“Good,” Dylan says. “And how about you? Miss it?”
Jax shrugs and Jolie puts her hands on his face, turning him to pay attention to her. After they fill the dispenser and get the M&M’s to come out, Jax returns his attention to Dylan. “Not one bit.”
Dylan’s shoulders release the tension he must have felt from both of us leaving to do a pop-up. With Jax’s reputation of running away, I think Dylan was more scared than he let on.
“Want to take Gumdrop for a walk?” Jax asks Jolie, and she jumps up.
“She’s been cooped up in here all afternoon,” Dylan says.
Jax grabs her jacket off the coat hook and holds it out for her. “We’ll be back,” he tells me, and he holds the leash until they get on the sidewalk.
“So?” Dylan asks.
I turn in my chair to face him and pull my legs up to my chest. “What?”
“Things going well?”
I nod.
“You have that look on your face.” He points at me as if I haven’t looked in the mirror since last night.
It might sound funny, but Dylan’s like the brother I never had. He knows things about me that I’ve never felt comfortable telling other people. He’s been there for me more than once in my life. So I know what he’s really asking.
“We’re together and it feels really good.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “It looks good on you, but—”
I put up my hand. “I know you have a history with him. But we talked a lot on this trip, and I think you’re underestimating your friend.”
“I’m not underestimating him.” Dylan looks at Lyle at the front desk. “Hey, Lyle, can you count inventory for me? I have to do an order.”
Lyle hops down from his perch and I sigh, knowing Dylan is about to give me some fatherly lecture.
Once Lyle disappears into the back, Dylan starts in. “I love Jax like a brother, but because I’m as close to him as a brother, I see his faults too. He’s a great guy, one I’d choose to have on my side all the time. But he’s got wounds, cuts so deep I’m not sure they’ll ever properly heal. I hope one day he wakes up and flushes out all that shit from childhood, but I also know he was dealt the shittiest hand a foster kid can get.”
“Dylan—”
He doesn’t let me continue. “I see the way you look at him, and Jolie too. And you’ve both been hurt so much, I’d feel horrible if it happens again. Just be cautious, okay? Slow it down a little. You guys are moving so fast, and if I’ve learned anything from my time with Jax, it’s that fast scares him.”
I walk over and hug him. “That’s for your concern. But I’m a big girl and I can handle myself. I trust him.”
His eyes are wide. “You do?”
I nod. Maybe not fully until last night, but Jax’s ability to open up to me felt so much bigger than anything else. “I do.”
“Okay then.” Dylan picks up his laptop and buries his head in it as though he’s okay, but I wonder when the thought that Jax is going to break me won’t be something that burdens him.
A little over a week later, I walk into Sweet Infusion because Rian is having a big Valentine’s Day baking party where kids can drop in and decorate a heart-shaped cookie for free. Jolie’s been begging me to do it, and since I have a little time between clients, I decided now was the perfect opportunity.
She and I sit at a table with two other girls and their moms. The dads are along the wall, talking sports.
Kamea comes over and hands us a decorating tray. “It’s crazy in here.” We both look at Rian behind the counter, wiping her forehead with her sleeve. “She’s a bit stressed. But the turnout has been great, and people are buying, so it’s all good.”
Kamea bends down and explains everything to Jolie before running over to some new people who have just come into the shop.
The moms across the table smile at me, but they continue to talk about their plans for the big night. Sounds like each couple is going out for Valentine’s Day tonight even though it’s tomorrow.
“What do you think, Mommy, pink or purple?” Jolie holds up the icing packets.
“You do what you want, kiddo.”
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She picks purple—which I could have told her she would since it’s her favorite color. She licks the frosting off her fingers while she decorates the cookie, and more of the candies find their way into her belly than onto the cookie, but I decided a long time ago to pick my battles and this isn’t one worth fighting.
Jax was right, I’ve been booked up since the pop-up, and Jolie is the one suffering. My mommy guilt is huge.
Rian gets a break and comes over, pulling up a chair. “Hey, Jolie, I love your cookie.” Her hand runs down my arm. “How are things? Dylan said you’re killing it.”
I notice the stares of the moms on the other side of the large table. “It’s been busy, yeah.”
“That’s awesome. Dylan would never tell you, but he was worried you’d love it and you two would go out on the road.”
I laugh. “With Jolie?”
“He had this whole vision of the three of you traveling the world.” She laughs.
I knew he was worried. “Yeah, because I seem like a homeschool mom, right?”
We both laugh this time. I’d be tattooing and asking Jolie to repeat the alphabet to me.
“I told him that Jax already lived that life and there’s a reason he came back. And that you’re a mom before you’re a tattoo artist.”
I run my hand down Jolie’s hair. “That’s the truth.”
“Rian!” Kamea calls from across the room.
Rian stands. “We really need to have a girls’ night soon, because I need some details on what exactly is going on with you two.” She waggles her eyebrows.
“Definitely.”
Jolie finishes her cookie, and I’m about to tell her we need to go when the little girls across from us color on the sheets in the middle of the table with the crayons Rian’s provided. Jolie asks if she can color too.
“I have to get going. Can we take it next door?” I ask her.
Jolie shakes her head. I can tell she wants to interact with the girls across from her, because her eyes keep shifting in that direction.
“Rich, I want to go down to that wine store down the block. Can you sit with her?” the one mom asks and stands, allowing her husband to take her place.
The other husband takes his wife’s spot too and the women leave, laughing and smiling as they go.
“Hi,” the one dad says to me.
“Hi.”
“I like your cookie,” he says to Jolie. “I mean the decorating you did… never mind.”
We both laugh, and Jolie’s small forehead crinkles.
His face grows red and his friend rolls his eyes. “Nothing good comes from that sentence.”
“Sorry.” The dad shakes his head at me.
I wave him off. “It’s okay. I know what you meant.”
The girls continue to color, and the dad named Rich leans forward. “Have you been here before?”
At first, I don’t realize he’s talking to me, but I look up and he’s waiting for my answer.
“Yes, my good friend owns it.” I point out Rian.
He nods. “We’re from Peekskil. My wife wanted to do something with our daughter before we disappear into the city for Valentine’s Day.”
“It’s a great place. She’s really good with kids.”
Jolie glances up from coloring, so I know she’s listening.
“This is a great idea. God knows my wife will buy a dozen of something before we leave,” the other guy says. “I’d rather hang out at the tattoo place next door though.”
Jolie picks her head up. I wish I could cover her mouth, but that would be rude. I’m not surprised when she says, “That’s where my mommy works.”
“Really?” Rich asks, his gaze falling down my body as though he could see my tattoos under my jacket and jeans.
I check my watch because my client will be there in a minute. “Yeah.”
The door opens, and I’m relieved to see Jax walk through. He smiles and winds his way through the room, seemingly having no idea that every woman in the room has taken more than a glance at him. The moms watch intently as he slides through tables until he reaches us.
“Hey, I just finished. Your client is due in now, right?” Jax glances at the clock on the wall.
I stand and he puts his arm around me, kissing me before sitting down in my place. We’ve shown a little more affection in front of Jolie, but still sleep in separate bedrooms. But we need to have a discussion with Jolie—soon.
Jax puts his arm around Jolie. “Where’s my cookie?”
Jolie laughs. “You have to make one.”
He puts his arm around my waist, patting my ass. Luckily, I’m facing the wall. “You go. I got this.”
Rian comes over and hands Jax a tray. “I figured you’re one of the kids,” she says with a sweet smile.
I chuckle.
“Funny, Rian. I would love to decorate a cookie. Usually I only like to decorate Frankie’s but…”
“Mommy doesn’t bake,” Jolie says as if Jax is crazy.
The entire table laughs, even the dads across the way, the one dad nodding at Jax for a good joke. The three little girls are talking, which is nice since Jolie is always around adults. First, they ask for specific colors of crayons, then they compliment one another on their drawings.
Dylan walks in. “Full house,” he says to Rian and kisses her. He bends down and kisses Jolie’s head. “Awesome job.”
The dads are looking at us, probably thinking we’re a blended family, but none of them ask. I should’ve known it would be the little girls who would.
“Who is that?” the one girl asks, pointing at Dylan.
“My uncle Dylan,” Jolie answers.
“And who is he?” the other one asks, pointing at Jax.
“That’s my daddy…” Jolie pauses. “I mean, Jax.”
Jax freezes and frosting drips all over his cookie. Rian grips my forearm as if I don’t know what a pivotal moment this is. My heart has literally stopped.
“Is that like a stepdad?” the one girl asks.
“What’s a Jax?” the other girl asks.
Jolie shakes her head and doesn’t look up. “He’s just Jax.”
Jax slowly sets down the cookie stuff, and when he rises from the chair, dread fills my veins, weighing me down and keeping me in place.
“Hey,” Dylan says to him.
Jax grips my waist and places a quick kiss on my lips. “I’m sorry… I just need to… I have to go.” But he stops and kisses Jolie’s head. “See you later. I forgot I have an appointment.”
“Jax,” Dylan calls.
But we all watch Jax leave the store. After the door shuts, Dylan looks at me. But all I can process is Jax’s apology. What is he apologizing for?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jax
* * *
My phone rings in my pocket, and I pull it out, seeing Holder’s name on the screen.
“Hey,” I say.
“I found your aunt and she’s willing to talk to you.”
I sit on a bench on the side of the road. What perfect fucking time. A reminder that I was given up before I could rely on anyone.
“Yeah?” I can’t manage to inject any enthusiasm into my voice.
“I thought you’d be more excited. I’m emailing you all her information. But there’s something you need to know.”
“What’s that?” I lean forward and put my head in my palm.
“She didn’t know about you. She didn’t know you existed.”
“Great.”
“But she does have an idea of who your dad might’ve been. I’m having my investigator look into it now. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
I nod.
“Jax?”
“I’m here.”
“Give her a call. She was excited to find out about you. I think it’s a good first step.”
I ask, “Where does she live?”
“In your old neighborhood.”
My heart squeezes. Could I know the woman? “Icing on the
cake.”
“Listen, I’ll let you go ahead and contact her while I try to find out about your dad. Sound good?”
I nod again before realizing he can’t see me. “Yeah, sure.”
“And please tell Frankie that you paid her lawyer’s bill. I’m surprised she hasn’t taken her business elsewhere thinking I can’t track my financials. She gave me another check a few weeks ago.”
I laugh because of course she did. “Okay, I will.”
“Good. This is all great news. Be happy.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“It’s what you paid me to do. Bye, Jax.”
The call ends, and I hold the phone as I lean forward on the park bench. Just a week ago, I felt as if such a weight had been lifted off me after Frankie and I hashed out what we wanted. But hearing Jolie call me Daddy then retract it so fast sent me into a tailspin.
I pick up the phone and dial her.
“Hey,” Frankie answers. I hear it in her tone—she’s unsure where we stand.
“I know you’re with a client right now, but I wanted to say that I’m sorry for running out. It’s just… a lot.”
She covers the receiver and tells her client she’ll be right back. “I know. I wish she could understand, but she’s only five, Jax.”
“Holder found my aunt,” I say, changing the subject. “I’m going to head over there now.”
“Oh, that’s great. Do you want me to go with you?”
“No, I just need some time, but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea either. So I just wanted to call.”
“Okay.” There’s uncertainty in her voice, but I can’t blame her.
“We’re good,” I try to reassure her, but the truth is that I’m sinking into a bubble of doubt that I’ll fail that little girl.
“Okay.”
“I’ll be home tonight,” I say, standing from the bench, needing to move.