“What? Wha-what do you mean?”
All the hard left his eyes as his thumb brushed the apple of my cheek. “I want you in my house, in my bed. I want to wake up with you every day.”
“We see each other practically every day and I sleep over most nights.”
“It’s not enough. I’m greedy, I guess. I want all of ’em.” His hands started rubbing up and down my back, making my skin shiver and my nipples pucker. I felt his gaze shift down, noticing my reaction, so when his eyes found mine again, I wasn’t surprised his lids were hooded and lazy. I started squirming right there, turned on and deeply pleased he was rock hard. I pressed against him and both his hands took hold of my bottom, giving me a squeeze, encouraging my movements. I started shimmying up and down his length while he slowly unzipped the back of my dress, the sharp teeth scraping against the metal and my skin. As the cool air hit me, I shivered like before and again he noticed, a small, sly smile curling at the corner of his lips.
“You getting all wet for me, baby?”
“Mmhmm,” I purred in his ear as he pulled off my dress. His mouth slammed on mine and I sucked on his tongue like it was his cock, fisting and grabbing his hair.
“Fuck!” he groaned. “I need that mouth on me.” I practically bounced off his lap while he unbuckled his belt and shoved off his jeans and underwear at the same time, kicking them and his shoes off to the other side of the room. He kept his shirt on and, for some reason, seeing him still partially dressed turned me on even more. I grabbed his hips, pulling him closer to me, my mouth level with his cock. I took hold with one hand while cupping and fondling his balls with the other, as I wrapped my salivating mouth around his length. He tasted so good, like spicy musk and man, my man. His head reared back while he fisted my hair in his hands.
“Ah yeah, baby,” he growled, looking down at me as I worked him with my hand and mouth at the same time. “So pretty…yeah…just like that…love the way my dick feels going down your throat.”
Max was a dirty talker in bed and I loved it..His nostrils flared and his eyes were almost fully dilated. But then he pulled away from my grasp and lifted me into his arms and walked over to my dining room table. Most of it was still piled up with wedding-planning paraphernalia, but without hesitation, he held tight around my waist with one arm while doing a wide sweep with the other. Papers scattered everywhere as he laid me down on top. I cocked an eyebrow and bit my bottom lip, unable to hold back my smile. He had a devilish smirk on his face.
“Had to bring you to the dining room because I know you don’t like me eating in other rooms in the house,” he teased, then dove right between my legs and proceeded to feast on me as if I were his last meal. My back arched as I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of his tongue lapping and sucking on my clit.
Just as I was getting close, he stopped, and my eyes flashed open, ready to protest until I felt him surge his cock deep into me. I moaned, loving the feel of him, when he cleared his throat.
“Hold on to the sides,” he ordered. “I’m going full-on.”
Before I could even register what he meant, Max started fucking me hard. I reached to the left and right of me simultaneously and held on tight to the sides of the table, ensuring I wouldn’t slip. Then he took his thumb and rubbed my clit while the finger of his other hand pressed into my rear, mimicking the motions of his surging hips and cock into me. The sensations were overwhelming, like an accelerating bullet train, and I let out sounds I didn’t even recognize as my own.
“You’re getting so fuckin’ tight,” he said through gritted teeth. “That’s it baby…come for me…milk my dick. Squeeze it with your cunt. Ah fuck!”
“Oh God!” I crashed and exploded all over, blinded by flashing bursts behind my eyelids. I felt my whole body shake with my orgasm, an uncontrollable shudder quaking through me.
Max came hard right afterward, into my body, letting out a sound like a lion’s roar. I wrapped my arms around him. I kissed the sweaty skin under his jaw, along his neck and shoulder, tasting his salt on my lips.
“The things you do to me…” I whispered.
He laughed, making every part of him vibrate. “Likewise, babe.”
“I hope so.”
He raised his head, leaning his weight on elbows, gazing hard yet lovingly into my eyes. “Know it.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it, Jess,” he went on. “I can’t even begin to describe how much I get off on how you let go for me, that under the prim and proper schoolteacher is a wildcat just for me.”
I blushed deep and turned my head. “Can we talk about something else?”
He chuckled and moved his hips, making me feel him inside me—still semihard—even after his orgasm. My lips parted while my eyes glazed over.
“Yeah, total wildcat,” he confirmed.
“All right, but only for you,” I said. “Let’s keep this to ourselves, shall we?”
He gave me one of his warm smiles, the kind that made his eyes crinkle in the corners, making his usual badass self more accessible. “I’ll keep your secrets. And I’m keeping you, too.”
“I hope you get to keep him too. I hope he’s careful, honey.”
It was my mother’s voice. I closed my eyes and prayed it was her being overly cautious, not a warning of things to come.
Chapter Fourteen
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Kyle muttered while fishing for his keys in his jacket pocket. “Is it even going to be open this early?”
“Oh, they’re open,” my sister confirmed to her grumpy-in-the-morning fiancé. “It’s a Vienna tradition. And we better hurry or all the good ones will be gone.”
It was the morning after Thanksgiving and all of us were at my house. Their house was making astounding progress, but not enough for them to move in. So my sister and her man were staying with me through the long Thanksgiving weekend. Even though they lived two doors down, Max and Piper were with us too. I had to admit, I absolutely loved having everyone here, the house bursting at the seams, filled like a warm, content belly.
It made me wish I hadn’t shot Max’s idea of living together down so fast. Several weeks had passed since that day and he had not made mention of his wish even once since then. It wasn’t like I was ready to forgo my beliefs in marriage, but having him and Piper under my roof, with Max in my bed? It was like I could fully breathe again. I knew I wasn’t supposed to think that way, that I should be totally happy on my own, but truth was, I was a family girl. I was at peace having a full house.
Who was I kidding? I was at peace having Max by my side.
“The good ones? What good ones?” Piper asked as she walked into the living room, still in her PJs.
“We’re picking out a Christmas tree, honey,” I told her, watching as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She walked straight over to me, headfirst, giving me a loving head butt to my middle. Without thinking, I started running my fingers through her white-blonde hair.
“Why are we getting a tree now?” she half whined, half yawned. “It’s still Thanksgiving weekend. And it’s sooo early!”
I silently giggled, shaking my head. “It’s a Lockhart tradition, kiddo. So get dressed.”
“Can’t I just stay back here?”
“Not a chance, Pipe,” Max answered as he sauntered into the room, a crooked smile plastered on his face. He had on a tight navy-blue long-sleeved henley that hugged his taut, muscular frame like a second skin, along with his well-worn jeans. Of course, I’d seen his closet and all his jeans were equally weathered.
“Go get dressed,” he directed, “otherwise, no Jammin’ Java run for you.”
She straightened up lightning fast, her eyes bugging out of her head. “OhmigodIlovethatplace!” she said in a mad rush, taking off for the guest room and slamming the door behind her.
“She likes coffee?” I asked him.
He slung his arm over my shoulder. “No, she likes hot chocolate with more whipped cream than drink.”
Sam and I laughed and he gave me a quick wink.
“Throw in some puff pastry or a cookie the size of her head and she’s on a sugar high for the rest of the day.”
“I’m ready! I’m here!” she called out while skip-running down the hall. “Let’s get going!”
Samantha glanced at her watch. “Wow, record time. The power of hot chocolate is strong with this one.”
We piled into two cars and headed over to the Maple Avenue lot, where the local high-school drama club always sold Christmas trees as their winter fundraiser. Piper and I crammed into the cab of Max’s truck and Kyle and Samantha took theirs. I hadn’t even had my coffee and yet I was brimming with excitement. While most people I knew viewed the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday shopping day, in my family, it was always the day we bought our Christmas tree for the season. My mother was certifiably kooky for anything related to the holiday and wanted to kick off the festivities as soon as possible. Tree trimming usually occurred over the same weekend.
Last year had been our first Christmas without my parents and no matter how much I asked or cajoled or out-and-out begged, I couldn’t get Samantha to participate in any holiday traditions. So, I had gone to the lot on my own, picked out a tree based more on my ability to maneuver it on and off the hood of my car than its inherent botanical glory. So, it was small and a bit sparse through the branches, especially after I had accidentally dragged it on its side up my porch steps and into the house.
It had looked like I was going for a replica of that pathetic, paltry tree in the animated Charlie Brown Christmas special. Later, Samantha walked in from one of her many Home Depot runs, took one look at it, and burst into tears. Even after I tried filling it in with our ornaments and a ridiculous amount of tinsel, Samantha would barely look at it.
What a difference a year made. Now I was with a man I was madly in love with, who was equally crazy about me, along with a child I adored and my sister and her soul mate. As we drove to the lot, I snuck a peek at both of them, my heart and lungs filled with crispy cool air, euphoria and promises to come.
After we parked, Samantha, Piper and I were ordered to procure coffee and hot chocolate for our small troupe while the “boys” chose a tree. Considering it was unusually cold for this time of year, I wasn’t surprised that Sam and Piper were more than happy to hover in the warmth of the coffee shop. I watched them scurry forth, but I lingered back for a beat, my arms hugging myself while I jumped up and down in a feeble attempt to keep warm.
“Hey, I thought you said it would be packed here,” Kyle called out from inside the lot.
“It usually is. The cold must be keeping the crowd away.”
“Uh-huh,” Max teased. Even though it was freezing outside and he was only wearing his leather jacket and knit cap, he still didn’t fret or rush, sauntering over to where I was standing by the car between the lot and the coffee shop. “I know my girl. You just wanted to get your Christmas joy on as soon as possible,” he said, wrapping his arms around me while gazing down, his expression warm and soft.
“Well, at least we’ll get our pick,” I offered.
“Mmm,” he answered while staring at me.
I scrunched my brows. “What?”
His shoulders bopped with quiet laughter as he brushed some of my hair out of my eyes. “It’s not even December yet, and already, it’s the best Christmas of my life, thanks to you.”
My lips parted, his words falling into a dark hole deep within me, filling me up. “Max…”
“Shh, don’t say anything,” he ordered, then gave me a quick kiss on the tip of my nose. “Just go get me coffee, woman. Oh, and one of their breakfast sandwiches. Your man needs fuel.”
I gave him a wide smile, shaking my head. “Yes sir,” I replied with a two-finger salute. I was so high, I practically skipped to the shop.
I heard the sound of a car accelerating, tires screeching across the asphalt, relentlessly slicing through the surrounding quiet like a knife. I spun around and saw a car speeding by, with a guy in a ski mask hanging out the window.
He had an automatic weapon in his hands, and it was aimed right at Max. He was almost at the tree lot, but not close enough.
There were some trees, but not a lot of cover.
A staccato series of pops came next, like firecrackers. Except I saw Max’s body twist and contort. I think I screamed. I know Samantha did behind me because I turned and yelled for her and Piper to take cover in the shop.
And then I bolted toward my Max, full speed through hardening cement; I couldn’t get there fast enough. He was lying there, staring straight ahead at nothing. I landed on my knees, scooping his head into my lap.
“Someone call 911!” I yelled out.
Kyle was with us now, talking to Max and to me, but I couldn’t hear him anymore. I just cradled Max’s face with my hands. Was he so cold because of the weather or was he losing too much blood?
My hands were covered in his blood, and that was when I realized he had a head wound. I tore off my scarf and wrapped it around him tight, trying to stop the bleeding.
I could see Kyle’s lips moving, his hands on Max’s chest, also trying to quell the flow. I couldn’t hear a sound. I was in a silent bubble of madness.
I looked down at Max, his breathing rapid and shallow. But just then, his eyes locked onto me, turning soft and sweet.
“Love you, Gingersnap,” he mouthed.
“I love you, too,” I returned. “Please don’t leave me…hold on…hold on.”
He still had a smile on his face, even as the light died behind his eyes.
Chapter Fifteen
We were in the same hospital where our parents had died.
Someone had contacted Max’s dad and stepmom, and watching the color drain from their faces as they received the news was almost as devastating as hearing it myself.
Kyle had already met with the police, offering his eyewitness statement since he got a decent look at the car and plates, along with the driver of the car. Now he was in a huddle with members of the Order, a few I recognized and most I had never seen before. I had thought they’d all be ex-military, biker types, but there were men and women in suits, some looking like they came right out the sidelines of their kid’s soccer game. I didn’t know what to think anymore.
“C’mon, Jess. Let me take you home,” Samantha urged. “Let me be strong for you.”
I blinked and rubbed my eyes but didn’t say anything. I searched around the room, and my gaze locked with Max’s stepmom, who was walking over to me, wringing her hands.
“Honey, we’re going to take Piper back home with us. She’s exhausted.”
“Where is she? I should say goodbye before y’all go.”
She pointed across the lobby. She was fast asleep in her grandfather’s arms. My throat closed up. “She’s still so little,” I choked out. “It’s too much for her.”
Samantha took my hand. “I know she is…there’s nothing else to do right now. Let me take you home, okay?”
“But I don’t want to leave him here. I don’t want him to be alone.”
“We’re here, Jessica,” Kyle interjected. He startled me. I hadn’t even seen or heard him come over. “Go home. Clean up and get some rest. There’s nothing for you to do right now…all right?”
I nodded…or at least I think I did because in the next breath, I was home, naked in the shower and there was blood everywhere. Max’s blood.
“Oh God, I’m…I’m going to be sick.” I held onto the rail and sank down onto my hands and knees, retching my guts out. A long string of yellow bile came up.
Just then, Samantha yanked back the shower curtain. “Ah geez, Jess…” She climbed into the tub with her clothes on and pressed me against her.
“I’ve got you. It’s going to be okay. You hear me? We’ll make it through this.”
She grabbed a washcloth and soap and scrubbed every inch of my skin, even making sure to get the dried blood out from under my fingernails. She washed my hair and then dried me off, putting my big, fluffy robe on and putting me to bed. She must have borrowed a pair of my pajamas because Sam was out of her wet clothes and crawling in next to me.
“I can’t do this again, Sam-Sam,” I whispered as she held me, smoothing down my hair. “I-I’m not strong enough.”
“You’re the strongest person I know, Jess.”
I scoffed and closed my eyes. “Since when do you believe that?”
I felt her lips on my forehead, giving a kiss just like our mother used to. And then she sighed. “Ah sweetie, don’t you get it? You’re a pure soul, the most empathetic, generous person I’ve ever met in my life. That takes more strength than anything. It’s easy to go through life and let it harden you, but it takes real strength, and a grace borrowed directly from God, to be able to face the anguish of living and still have an open heart and a gentle spirit.”
“Then why were you always acting as if I were made out of glass? Constantly hovering over me, making me think you thought I was weak?”
She placed her cool, soft palm on my cheeks and gazed at me. “Because I was afraid if anything ever happened to you that I would break and never recover. I couldn’t survive it. You’re my compass, Jess, not the other way around.”
I tried letting her words sink in, but I was in a fog, unable to fully connect the synapses in my mind. Like a wave, exhaustion hit and I felt my lids get heavy.
“It’s all right. Sleep, honey. I’ve got you. I promise, this time you can fall apart and I’ll be here to catch you.”
Epilogue
“I can’t believe so many showed,” I said to my sister while peeking out from the vestibule of the church. “I don’t even know half the people in there.”
I scanned the aisles, recognizing a smattering of faces. Toward the back, occupying the last couple of rows, were a bunch of men and women in dark suits.
Girl Breaker Page 16
