Jasper: Book 2 War & Piece Chronicles

by CORY CYR

  I had told Rumour the truth. If I lost Daisy, it would propel me into an endless pit of despair. Fady was correct in her assumption that my need for anal centered on not seeing the women’s faces. Yet I found thinking of Daisy while inside her was soothing and stabilized me.

  When did I tell her about the demons that haunted me? And would it push her to reject me? I had been barely a teenager the last time I was this terrified. I couldn’t bear her knowing the monster I had shoved deep into my soul. I didn’t want any of my nefarious past to touch her. There was no way for me to gauge her reaction.

  I also needed to confide in Kai and Reese first. I owed them that much. We had never judged each other, though we fought like brothers, usually about insignificant things. Since the minute we had met each other, they always felt I had held back. Kai called it a “stick up my arse,” while Reese referred to it as a “chip on my shoulder.” I prayed that revealing my past would not make them turn away. I’d never had male siblings, only sisters, and witnessing disgust combined with sorrow in both men’s eyes would destroy me.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Daisy

  I never heard Jasper come into the house. Of course, I was in the kitchen, seasoning steaks and getting together the fixings for sweet potato casserole and hush puppies. I’d found a country station on the radio and was dancing around to the loud music. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I caught him out of the corner of my eye. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, smiling.

  “Crap, you just scared the bejesus out of me,” I uttered as I jumped.

  “Do go on. You’re a remarkable dancer. I’d go out on a limb and say I’ve never seen anyone better.”

  “Are you joshing me? I mean, it is country dancin’, and I don’t suppose you do that sort of thing.”

  “I’ve been told by my sister that I was born with two left feet. Men my size don’t dance, but do go on. I enjoy watching you, especially scantily clad.”

  I turned off the radio. “I’m wearin’ plenty of clothes. You just have a dirty mind.”

  “I do agree with your assessment. If you knew what I was thinking, you would most likely slap me.”

  “Probably thinkin’ the same as me.”

  He pulled me close by thumbing the belt loop of my jean shorts. “I would very much like to kiss you… if that’s permissible.”

  “You’re the boss,” I said as he pulled me off the floor to his lips. His kiss was soft and controlled as he hugged me tighter. “I missed you,” I admitted, wrapping my legs around his waist and locking my ankles. I clung to him as he carried me to his room, tossing me on the bed with a devious smile.

  He took off his tie and then removed his shirt.

  I crawled to the edge of the bed and undid his belt and unzipped his pants.

  “I assume we have time,” he questioned as he kicked off his shoes and socks, then shimmied out of his slacks and grabbed a condom.

  I had a hard time believing this man wanted me. I’d never seen anyone so perfect before. Jasper could have any woman he chose, yet he picked me. I never dreamed I’d get the chance to be a part of the life of a man like him. I was going to have to start going to church again, because clearly, I had God to thank for Jasper.

  “I wasn’t sure how that electric grill worked, but everything else can go into the oven when you’re ready to barbecue the steaks,” I said, tugging at his white briefs.

  He laughed as he shed his underwear. “Are we impatient, little country? You’re a mite overdressed for my taste,” he stated as he pulled the tie holding my shirt together.

  I lay back on the bed as I unzipped my shorts and waited while he tugged them off.

  “No bra or panties. You are truly in a rush.” He fisted his taut condom-covered cock. “Is this what you want?”

  I nodded as I spread my legs wide. He entered me without any foreplay, sinking deeply into me as my hands clung to his biceps.

  “This is where I belong,” he whispered, beginning a slow stroke.

  Heat coiled in my belly as he rocked into me. I greedily felt my muscles clench around his shaft. I yearned to feel him without a condom to diminish the sensation between us. My skin began to tingle as Jasper rocked into me. As the spasm of release took over, becoming sweet torture, my body arched. I undulated my hips to cause more friction between us, holding on to him as he pounded into me.

  “Jesus,” I screamed as my orgasm took over, flooding my senses.

  “He can’t help you now,” Jasper answered, shattering my world. “I—” he started but stopped short.

  Our breathing had become short heaves of air.

  “I guess you’re hungry now?” I asked, my fingers interlacing with his.

  “Yes, starved. Did I make you famished?”

  I laughed. “I’m always hungry, especially when I burn off so many calories.”

  “I did all the work.” He snorted, rolling off me, his hand carefully guarding the condom, then tossing it in a trashcan.

  “But I cooked, so that counts.” I retrieved my shorts and shirt from the floor, then walked to the bathroom. By the time I came to the living area, Jasper had dressed in shorts, a tank, and started the grill.

  “We could go swimming after dark. I rarely use the pool, and we could be sans suits.”

  “Are you asking me to skinny dip, Mr. Kendrick?”

  He shrugged. “Yes, I suppose I am. One thing I’ve not done, at least not with another person.”

  “We had a swimming hole we used when I was in high school, so it’s been a long time. And I’ve never done it with someone I cared about.”

  Jasper stopped, as if in thought, and put the steaks on the racks. I’d already been in the kitchen and put the sweet potato casserole in the oven and gotten the hush puppies ready so I could pop them in during the last ten minutes of cook time.

  I noticed this man was complex; he went from very hot to aloof. I wasn’t sure if it was just me or if he was like this with everyone.

  Once we’d eaten, we sat watching the sunset.

  “This really is a beautiful place,” I commented as I took a sip of my sweet tea. “You’ve lived here for how many years?”

  “Five, give or take a few months. Yes, it’s quite tranquil once you get past the work, politics, and bullshite,” Jasper answered.

  “There’s politics?” I asked, confused.

  “Anytime you combine a tropical setting with young, single women and sexually charged men, there’s always politics.”

  I was still confused but had a feeling what I’d heard in passing, the gossip surrounding the three male owners, was what he was talking about. “Are you trying to tell me something, Jasper? Because I already got the lowdown on your sex life.”

  He set down his beer. “Did you now? And you’re still here. I thought you’d be running away in shock and dismay.”

  “I kinda heard it before we… you know—”

  “Fucked.” He finished my sentence. “The gossip must not have surprised you. You already knew what kind of man I was after I performed oral on you after only knowing you less than two days.”

  “But I knew there was much more to you than what they said after you took me under your protection and promised me safety. You let me stay in your home. Not many men would do that.”

  “Maybe I allowed you to live here so I could have my way with you… eventually.”

  “I don’t believe that, Jasper. If you truly wanted just sex, you could have taken it anytime. And I would have let you.” I shook my head. “No, you have a heart.”

  He laughed, swallowing the last of the beer. “You’re the only person who thinks so. According to most, I am both heartless and soulless.”

  I scooted next to him and sat in his lap, sweeping hair out of his eyes and pressing my forehead to his. “They’re wrong. Besides, at this point, my opinion is the only one that should matter. Because there is goodness in you, Jasper.”

  He kissed me, massaging my tongue with his. The inte
nsity went from our lips to removing clothing in an almost frantic way.

  “Don’t worry. No one can see through the hedges. Go get in the pool while I grab us some towels,” he said, standing naked.

  The water was warm. I ducked my head under as I swam to the deep end then back again. “It feels amazing,” I announced as Jasper walked down the pool steps. “And I love looking at you,” I added as he swam to me.

  “And I you.”

  “I’m sure you have a trove of women.”

  “Not anymore. I promised you honesty, Daisy. That woman I was seeing, the one I mentioned before, I ended it.”

  “Is she the one you went to all the nights you were gone?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

  “Yes. I was with her longer than any other woman, although I did occasionally stray. There were no promises made, and she knew I would never be tied down to just one.”

  I broke from his embrace and swam to the stairs, sitting there to think about his words. He had left a previous woman for me, and when he grew tired, he would leave me for someone else.

  “You needn’t worry, little country. My heart is in your capable hands. I’ve never given it to another, so I don’t know how inadequate it may be. But whatever this is between us means something more than I’ve ever known with another,” he declared, swimming over to me and resting his head on my thighs.

  “I can’t share you with other women. I’ve never done it, and I won’t be wantin’ to do it now. It’s like giving you a green light to cheat.”

  He looked up at me, his eyes the deepest cobalt enhanced with inky lashes. “My vow is to you only. I can’t imagine being with another, knowing you would consider it a betrayal of the worst kind.”

  “Are you sure? I need to make sure you’re all in, because a few weeks down the line, you might be changin’ your mind, and that would hurt me.”

  “I think you’ll find once my mind is made up, nothing in heaven above or hell below will change it. You belong to me, Daisy Jones, and I to you.” He stared at me pointedly. “Now that we got that business out of the way, I feel the need to return the favor you provided me at lunch. Please be so kind as to sit on the deck and put a leg on each shoulder,” he commanded in the deepest, sexiest voice I’d ever heard.

  Lord have mercy, I could have come right there.

  He spread my lips with two fingers as he allowed his thumb to brush my clit. His hands went to my ass and propelled my sex to his mouth. This was definitely hotter than the first time. Since my legs were on each shoulder, I grabbed a handful of wet hair. It was like breaking a horse—on my part—quite a bit of bucking until you reeled him in. He licked my labia with careful precision as a nervous flutter set in my stomach. His tongue probed in a circular motion, stealing whatever breath I had left.

  Convulsions of pleasure coursed throughout my body as I tried to squeeze my knees together but couldn’t because of his head. I gazed at Jasper, who had his eyes closed as his licks intensified, soaking him in my arousal. I began to thrash as his tongue buried itself deeper inside. I whimpered loudly, my legs finally giving way and parting.

  “I’m going to come,” I confessed, my voice cracking.

  His smoldering glance pushed me over the edge as I submitted to orgasm. Flashes of light and bright colors took over as my body sagged in release. I panted with gratification, and Jasper removed my legs from his shoulders.

  “I’m guessing you enjoyed that?”

  “Oh, you bet. You get better each time. You’re very good at it, but I suppose you’ve had a lot of practice.”

  He frowned. “Daisy, whoever came before you holds none of my interest now. I realize my sexual past is most likely a sore subject. I can’t take it back, but it is the past. I can only swear to do good by you if you’ll let me.”

  I jumped back into the pool and swam into his arms, kissing him. I had trusted Maynard, and now he wanted me dead. But I believed Jasper. He acknowledged being a flawed man when it came to relationships. I sensed he was holding back, but even having a small piece of him meant everything to me. I wanted to be enough for him. To give him everything he craved, emotionally and physically.

  Because of my husband, I had no idea what the future held for us, but I desired one with Jasper. I could only hope he felt the same way.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Jasper

  One Month Later…

  Two cups of tea later and I had decided it was now or never. I’d procrastinated long enough. Never one to worry about what might happen because I’d always had total control, now my concerns tortured me. I’d deposited five million dollars into an account that Fady set up in the Caymans before she left. My fear was she would ask for more or publicly out me. Not that I didn’t have the funds, but knowing she had the knowledge to ruin me as well as others continued to eat at me. And I hadn’t told my best friends or even Daisy yet. I couldn’t keep creating excuses for keeping this from them. If any of them found out before I had a chance to explain, it would make an already intense situation arduous.

  Daisy and I had developed a routine. There was no doubt that I loved her, but I hadn’t told her as of yet. Of course, she hadn’t uttered the words either. I might be in this situation by myself. And the way I’d handled women in my past, I was deserving of her not actually committing to me. I had no plans to be as stupid as Kai and get married, but I wanted her. She made me happier than I’d ever been. She made me laugh at jokes I would never have found amusing and consider a future I’d never thought possible. We cooked, talked, and she even tried to teach me to dance. The woman showed me how to make fun of myself.

  Our sex life flourished as I taught her the things I enjoyed and she, in true country fashion, would tell me, “Oh, hell no.” We’d had anal a few more times, until she admitted it was her least favorite sex act. She tried to cushion the blow by telling me it was because I had a “big ol’ cock.” Giving her pleasure was my ultimate goal, so I put all anal activities away, along with other things I saw no need to continue.

  Loving Daisy was enough. She had given me so much; it was the least I could do. She had moved her belongings and herself into my bedroom. Something I’d never contemplated with anyone, but I wanted her near. I think she figured out that Fady had been the other woman, because her departure coincided with my admission. Today, she would know why, and she would get to meet Kai. I had a sleepless night after deciding it was best to tell all three at the same time rather than repeat my confession.

  “So how goes the new accountant and your life in general? I should have made more of an effort to meet her months ago, but my home life is busy and there’s never enough time when I work here.” He waved a hand. “I’m making up excuses. I’m a deadbeat employer. Wait, Harriet hired her, so it’s her fault.”

  I looked up from my thoughts to see Kai laughing. He appeared happy, content. I’d only seen him a few times during the last few months since he had cut more hours to spend time with his wife and daughter.

  “How’s Tegan and Aria?” I asked.

  “My wife is busy, as usual, but my daughter, she’s a handful. And she seems to get bigger each time I see her. But I love being a father. I’m curious about this meeting you called, since we covered everything with Harriet concerning the billboards. The advertising department causing shit again? What do they want now? You in the nude?” he asked with a snort, sitting on the sofa.

  I shook my head. “No, it’s not that, but we do have things to discuss. I want to wait for Reese and Daisy.”

  “The accountant?” Kai appeared confused.

  Just then, Reese and Daisy walked in. He balanced a tray of coffee and cookies on one hand.

  “Look what I found on the way here, and she has baked goods. I thought you told me you had forbidden Daisy to bake anymore,” Reese announced as she grabbed the tray.

  “As if. Jasper has a hard time forbidding me, period. I think he sneaks into the kitchen to get cookies or pie when I’m asleep, then blames me if he ga
ins weight.”

  Kai looked at me, then her, then Reese. “Jasper, what’s going on? And why is our bookkeeper here?”

  “She hates to be called that. Prefers executive accountant,” I said nonchalantly.

  “Here you go,” Daisy said, removing my empty cup and offering me a steaming mug of fresh coffee, along with cookies. I raised a brow at her. “Don’t give me that look. I know for a fact you only drank tea and that gross protein powder this morning. Three cookies won’t kill you. It’s my mama’s recipe, the one you like.” She walked over to where Kai sat and handed him a cup and some cookies. “You must be Kai. I’ve heard all about you.”

  “I’d like to say the same, but I’ve only heard about Harriet hiring you. I suppose you’re Daisy Jones. Book—accountant extraordinaire and, evidently, a lion tamer.”

  She looked perplexed at his words, then responded accordingly. “Jasper’s not so bad when you get to know him. Very easy to tame.”

  I cleared my throat. “Enough. I’m sitting right here. Daisy, please sit on the sofa with those two hooligans.”

  “But your lap looks invitin’,” she said with a wink. The woman loved to goad me.

  “Stop it. Not at work. If you continue, you will be reprimanded tonight.”

  “Is that a promise or threat? Because both sound fine with me.”

  “Oh please, you two, stop. I can’t stand it. I’ll be tossing my cookies, literally,” Reese bantered.

  “Jealous?” Daisy asked.

  “Immensely.”

  As Daisy took a seat, Kai’s appearance was one of utter bewilderment. “What the hell is going on? I feel as though I’ve landed in an alternate universe.”

  “Let me catch you up to date.” Reese began as he bit into a cookie. “Jasper and Daisy are together.”

  “I’m not an idiot, Reese. I figured out that much, but I have to be honest. This appears to be more than sex.”