by Wilder, L.
“Jackson,” she rasped as she wound her arms around my neck, pulling me closer. Needing to feel her skin on mine, I trailed kisses down her collarbone as I slipped my hands behind her and unclasped her bra. Her fingers raked through my hair as I lowered my mouth to her breast. Heavy breaths and low moans filled the room as I brushed my tongue against her nipple. Her head fell back, and with her eyes closed, she mumbled, “You feel so unbelievably good.”
Goosebumps prickled across her skin as my fingers trailed down her abdomen. I quickly unbuttoned her jeans and lowered the zipper, and as she lifted up, I slid them down her long, slender legs. A little whimper escaped her throat as I eased my hand between her legs, slightly grazing her center. My touch was feather-like, just enough to drive her wild, and when she could no longer contain herself, she bucked her hips forward, begging for my touch. I slid my fingertips inside her and had just begun to stroke her as she moaned, “Oh God, Jackson, don’t stop.”
I brushed my thumb against Reece’s clit and felt her body start to tremble. Knowing she was close, I ran the rough pads of my fingers across her g-spot. When I increased the pressure, her breath quickened, and her head dropped forward as her entire body tensed with her release. I couldn’t wait a minute longer. I had to have her.
She was still recovering from her orgasm when I withdrew my hand and removed my jeans. I turned towards her, and just as I was about to ease on top of her, she placed the palms of her hands on my chest and coaxed me to lay back on the mattress. When Reece started to move over me, I reached for her hips, lifting her as I settled her over my cock. As she raked her warm, wet center across my throbbing erection, she leaned forward and kissed me hungrily. I loved the feeling of her mouth on mine, but I wanted to be inside her. Hell, I thought I’d lose my mind if I had to wait another second.
Feeling the same need burning inside of her, she raised up and asked, “Do you have a condom?”
“Side table. Bottom drawer.” Reece reached into the drawer and handed me the small square package, and as soon as I slid it on, she was back on top of me. While she leaned over me, the heat of our breaths mingled between us until the anticipation became too much. Her hand lowered between our bodies as she slowly stroked me. Inching herself down over my cock, a fevered hiss slipped through her lips as she took me deep inside. Fuck. She felt so fucking tight, so warm and wet, and I wanted to savor every second, feel every sensation, but the building need became too much. I was doing my best to keep it together. “I’ll never get enough of you, Reece Winters. Not if I have you every minute of every day. It’ll never be enough.”
Her pace quickened, and even though it felt incredible, I needed more. Unable to control myself, I brought my hands up to her hips, guiding her back and forth. Her nails dug into my chest as her hips bucked against mine, meeting every thrust with more force, more intensity. “That’s it, baby. Don’t stop.”
“Oh my God, Jackson!” she said, and I could feel her muscles contracting all around me as my body became tense while I struggled to hold back my own release.
“Come for me, Reece.” Her hips rocked against mine, faster and faster in a feverish rhythm until, finally, she let out a tortured groan. With one last deep thrust, her body became tense, and her breath stilled as her head fell back. She clamped down around me, making it impossible to hold back as I came deep inside her. “Fuck.”
I held on to her hips, holding her in place as I caught my breath. Her body trembled above me, still shuddering from her release. She lowered herself onto my chest and lay with her heart next to mine, neither of us moving as our breaths started to slow. I ran my fingers through her hair as I whispered, “You’re mine now, Reece. Every single inch of you.”
She looked up at me with love in her eyes as she whispered, “Didn’t you know … I’ve been yours since the first night we met. Nothing’s changed. I’ve always been yours.”
CHAPTER 16
Reece
After a long, restless night with very little sleep, I found myself sitting across from Angela Roswell, Chief Prosecutor for the city of Memphis. Even though I was exhausted and barely coherent, I could tell that she was a go getter. It wasn’t because of how she was dressed or how she wore her hair, it was the way she spoke, the way she carried herself with poise and confidence, and most of all, it was the look of determination in her eyes. I had no doubt that she could handle whatever came her way. After recounting everything I’d witnessed at Jason’s apartment and seeing the picture I’d taken on the fire escape, not only was I relieved to hear how confident she felt as far as winning the case, but that Navarro would be convicted of first degree murder. It was even more reassuring to hear that the judge denied Navarro bail after learning the FBI had named him as the primary suspect in another local murder. Considering the amount of evidence and Navarro’s history, Roswell requested an immediate trial, and the judge agreed. I’d hoped that meant we would go to court in a couple of weeks, but sadly, that wasn’t the case. We’d have to wait two and a half months before that would happen, and just like Detective Rayburn, she was concerned about my safety and requested that I go into protective custody. While I refused, I assured her that my safety wouldn’t be a problem.
As soon as we left her office, we went back to the clubhouse to gather Tate’s and my belongings that were packed up for us and let Jackson pack as well. In no time, we were on the road. After driving for several hours, I realized that Gus wasn’t exaggerating when he said that Jed’s cabin was miles away from everything. It was like we entered another world as we headed up into the highest, most desolate region of the Appalachian Mountains. While the scenery couldn’t have been more beautiful, with the colorful autumn foliage falling from the trees, and the exquisite mountainsides, there was hardly anyone around. I quickly realized this part of the country was definitely not a tourist attraction. There were no cute little shops filled with t-shirts and knickknacks, and there certainly weren’t any restaurants or your usual convenience stores. When we did happen upon someone, they were far from friendly. They didn’t smile or wave as we drove by. Instead, they stood like statues with their old wicker hats pulled down low, glaring at us with fierce expressions on their faces, making me feel like we were encroaching on their land. While it gave me the creeps, Jackson and his brothers didn’t seem to notice their odd behavior. It was like they were completely oblivious to the fact that these people didn’t want us here. Beyond concerned, I turned to Jackson and asked, “What’s the deal with this place?”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you not noticed how these people are looking at us like we have three heads or something?”
“Oh,” he scoffed. “Don’t worry about them.”
“How am I not supposed to worry? They look like the kind of people who’d shoot first and ask questions later.”
“That’s because they are, but that’s a good thing.”
“And how is that a good thing?”
“You gotta think … these people live up here for a reason. They don’t want to be around other people. They like their privacy, and when outsiders come poking around, they feel threatened and take matters into their own hands.” He shrugged as he continued, “Once they realize who we are and that we’re staying out at Jed’s place, they’ll see we don’t mean any harm and they’ll ease up a bit. Besides, it’ll be nice to have them keeping an eye on things. If someone comes snooping around, these folks will be the first know about it.”
It was clear that Gunner had his own set of concerns when he said, “I haven’t seen any cable lines for miles. Do they even have TV up here in these parts?”
“He had a satellite, but I’m not sure if he still does,” Murphy answered from the front seat.
“What about Internet?”
“I’m sure he does, but we’ll see when we get there.”
Gunner slumped in his seat as he stared out the window and said, “How do these people survive without internet or TV?”
Jackson laughed as he a
nswered, “I’m sure they make it just fine, and if I had to guess, I’d bet they’d say they don’t need such luxuries.”
“TV is not a luxury, Riggs,” T-Bone argued. “It’s a fucking necessity.”
Murphy patted him on the shoulder as he said, “Don’t worry. I’m sure he still has that old VHS player you can borrow.”
“VHS? What the hell?” Gunner complained. “I didn’t know those things were still around.”
“He might even have some old cassette tapes you can listen to,” Murphy teased.
T-Bone shook his head as he looked out the window and said, “I’m good with anything but fucking banjo music.”
Like they could read his mind, they all smiled wide as they started to hum the infamous tune from the movie Deliverance. As they strummed their imaginary banjos, their humming got louder and louder. When the melody finally stopped, they all burst into laughter, making it clear that they were all very amused with themselves. I, on the other hand, didn’t find it nearly as funny. The memory of that movie gave me the creeps, especially considering where we were. Thankfully, as we continued up the mountainside that apprehensive feeling started to fade, and it completely vanished when we pulled into Jed’s driveway. His enormous ranch-style home was nestled in a thick of maple trees with a large pond in the front yard. There were large barrels filled with bright yellow flowers cascading down the front porch and an old rope swing hanging from one of the trees. It looked so inviting, unlike Jed himself. Wearing a pair of oversized, worn-out denim overalls, Jed stood on the front steps with a shotgun in one hand and a pipe in the other. He remained standing there until we’d parked.
When T-Bone and Murphy got out, he walked over to them and asked, “You boys have a good trip?”
“Yes, sir. We did,” Murphy answered. “We appreciate you letting us hang out at your place for a while. I hope we aren’t putting you out.”
“Not at all. You know you’re welcome any time. The missus loves it when you boys come down for a visit.” He glanced behind him, making sure she wasn’t close by when he said, “She’s been on my ass all morning about all kinds of nonsense. Maybe she’ll settle down now that you’re here.”
“I hope for your sake you’re right.” T-Bone chuckled as he said, “Cause we all know … when the wife’s not happy, nobody’s happy.”
“You ain’t lying there, son.” Jed glanced over at our SUV and the one the prospects’ drove, which was parked behind us as he said, “I’m sure you’ve got a lot to unload. Why don’t you head on up and get settled? We’ll have dinner ready in a couple of hours.”
“Dinner? You didn’t have to do that,” Murphy told him. “I hope you didn’t go to a lot of trouble on our account.”
“Hell, no. I didn’t go to any trouble at all … Now, I can’t say the same for Sue Ellen. She’s been cooking for two days.” His brows furrowed as he whined, “Damn house has been smelling all kinds of good, but she won’t let me have so much as a bite of any of it.”
“Oh, man.” Murphy chuckled as he said, “Well, you’ll have to make up for it tonight at dinner.”
“Damn straight. We’re eating high on the hog tonight!” He smiled wide as he patted his round belly. “Now, you boys get a move on. I’ll be ready for some grub soon.”
“You got it.”
Once they were back in the SUV, we all headed up to the cabin. Even though it was close to Jed’s house, you couldn’t even see it from all the trees, making it feel even more secluded as we made our way up the steep drive. When we finally made it up to the cabin, I was tickled to see that it was even more beautiful than Jackson had described. I loved everything about it, especially the porch that overlooked the stream. I could see myself sitting out on the swing, drinking my morning coffee as I listened to the birds chirping in the trees. There were three full stories with an outside balcony on each, and two chimneys with clouds of smoke billowing from the top. As soon as we got out of the SUV, T-Bone took Crow and Rider, two of the prospects, to check out the grounds. I was still trying to get used to the whole “protective-brother-club thing,” but I had to admit that I found comfort in knowing they were all there to watch over us. While we were waiting for T-Bone to finish up with the prospects, I looked over at Jackson and said, “This place is unbelievable.”
“I hoped you’d like it.”
“I don’t just like it. I love it.”
He smiled as he said, “Wait until you see the inside.”
By the time I got Tate out of his car seat T-Bone had returned, and once he’d assured Jackson that everything was fine, I followed Jackson into the cabin. Just like he’d promised, it was amazing. The living room was enormous with a gorgeous fireplace and a leather sofa with matching love seat. As I stood in the middle of the room, I could see the other two floors above me through the open stairwell which made the room feel even bigger. While it was beautifully decorated, it wasn’t overly done, and there was still a very masculine feel to it, especially with the large deer head that was hanging over the mantle and the chandler made of deer antlers hanging from the ceiling. “You were right. This is amazing, but it seems strange that a place like this would be out here in the middle of nowhere. I guess Jed’s one of those men who likes his privacy.”
“That he is.” Jackson chuckled.
“Well, this place must’ve cost him a fortune.”
“Yeah, that’s Jed for ya. He’s always wanted the best of the best.” Jackson motioned his hand towards the stairs and said, “You and I will stay up on the third floor. Jed set up a crib in the room next to ours for Tate, and there’s a full kitchen and bath up there, too.”
“Okay.”
Noting my apprehension, he asked, “Is everything okay?”
“The cabin is perfect, it really is … but we’re so far away from everything. What if something happens? How will the police be able to get to us—”
“We’ve got it covered, Reece. Not only do we have the best security system around, but Jed will be watching things from his place while Murphy and Gunner help me keep an eye on things here.”
“And if someone does show up? What happens then?”
His tone was firm and full of confidence as he said, “Then they’ll be handled accordingly … probably with a bullet in their head.”
“Umm … okay.”
“We’ve got this, beautiful.” He leaned towards me, and after a quick kiss on the lips, he said, “Now, why don’t you take Tate upstairs and check things out while I help the guys unload everything from the SUVs?”
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”
“We’ve got it. You go get settled.”
I nodded, then headed upstairs to see where we would be staying. Just like the rest of the house, the decorating was modest and comfortable. The bedroom had a king-sized bed with a large dresser on one side of the room and a sofa on the other. There was a flat screen TV mounted on the wall, and an outside door that led to the balcony. The bathroom had a walk-in shower and a whirlpool tub with a door that led into Tate’s room. His room was the smaller of the two, with a crib and a rocking chair. When I spotted a chest full of toys, I took Tate over to check it out. As I opened it, I smiled at Tate and asked, “What do you think? Pretty cool, right?”
He wiggled against me as he babbled, “Down.”
As soon as his feet hit the floor, he started digging around in the toy box, pulling out everything that interested him. In no time, he had a pile of trucks and trains scattered around him, and he completely forgot I was even in the room. When Jackson walked in with our bags, Tate held up one of the trucks and proudly said, “Wook!”
“Cool truck you got there, buddy.” Jackson set our bags to the side of the door, then went over and sat down on the floor next to him. “What else do you have here?”
“Car.” Tate picked up one of the little cars as he said, “Wed one.”
“I see that.”
Tate handed it to Jackson. “You pway.”
“Thanks, budd
y.”
I watched as Jackson toyed with the tires for a moment, then reached for one of the trains that was lying next to him. “Are there any tracks for the train?”
Curious, Tate got up and started digging around in the toy box once again. When he found several pieces of track, he handed them to Jackson. “Here.”
Jackson took them from Tate and quietly started putting the pieces together. Seeing that they were both entertained, I picked up a couple of our bags and said, “I’m going to take our stuff into our room and start unpacking.”
“Want some help?”
“I’ve got it. You two have fun.”
I watched them for several moments before heading into the bedroom to put our things away. I placed the luggage on the bed, and as I unzipped Jackson’s bag, I realized it was the first time I’d ever actually lived with a man. I had no idea how it would all work, but for some strange reason, I wasn’t worried. I looked forward to having this time with Jackson, and I hoped that it would lead to more time with him in the future. When I finished putting our clothes away, I walked over to the door and listened as Jackson talked to Tate. My chest tightened with guilt as they bantered back and forth. Being a father came so natural to Jackson. He was so sweet to Tate, so loving and tender, and if I hadn’t been so stubborn, he would’ve been in his life from the very start. Tate would’ve known what it was like to have a father, to know the kind of love that only he could give, and I hated that I had a part in keeping them from being together. I knew there was no way I could make up for what I’d done. I just hoped that the time would come when Jackson and Tate would be able to forgive me for the mistakes I’d made.