Before I had a chance to come down, Jackson had taken off his clothes and sheathed his bulging cock, which looked strained and ready to burst inside the condom. Without warning, he grabbed me by the legs and hoisted me forward, shaking the table underneath me. Then he lifted me up, carried me to the couch and folded me over the plush side arm. My face was planted into the seat cushion, so I hoisted myself up by the elbows and looked over my shoulder. My ass was propped up and he used his knees to spread me farther apart. I was so exposed and probably would’ve started to become self-conscious but when I saw how aroused he was for me, his eyelids heavy while he bit his bottom lip, I actually relaxed and lifted my ass even farther in his direction.
His palms rubbed circles on my bottom, then he touched my puckered opening with his fingertip. “You’re beautiful everywhere,” he whispered, using my juices to wet his fingers and tease my back opening, inserting a finger into me. It was so good inside me, and when he began to stretch me even more, I let out a whimper from someplace deep and dark. Then he took his cock and rubbed the tip along my back opening, and I stiffened because I was unsure I wanted him to invade me in such a way, at least not yet.
“Don’t worry, baby. Not going to take you here now,” he replied to my nonverbal concerns while continuing to rub himself on me. “I’ll be taking this ass, but not tonight. We’ve got time.”
My entire body relaxed and I dropped my head onto the cushion, letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Before I was able to take in another, he speared his finger into my back opening while plunging his cock into my pussy. He was no longer patient or gentle. I thought this time would be for him alone, believing there was no way I could come again so soon, but as he leaned over my bent body and pummeled me like a jackhammer in both my openings, another orgasm built fast. While one of his fingers was exploring my ass, the other hand wrapped around me and began rubbing my clit. I had never been fucked so thoroughly or so hard before in my life, my breasts jiggling wildly back and forth as he pounded me with his cock and fingers. My orgasm was coming and my walls were tightening, and just when I thought I couldn’t feel any more pleasure, he thrust yet another finger in and out of my ass in time with his cock. I let out a guttural moan and clenched with my rising release.
“Jesus, fuck, that’s it, baby. Squeeze my dick with your pussy. Squeeze it hard!”
I did as he told me, squeezing my muscles around his huge dick. I raised my upper body on my elbows, supporting my weight so I could look back and see this incredible man plowing into me. And watching him let go, his eyes rolling back as he moaned and growled over me was enough to unleash my own climax, barreling over me like a tsunami wave. My vision got blurry as white heat burned my body and brain.
He collapsed on my back, keeping his cock inside me as he wrapped his arm around my middle, cradling my breasts in his hands. Our ragged breaths dragged on, and his length softened inside me.
“Better take care of this.” He hoisted himself off of me to dispose of the condom. I immediately missed his heat and pressure, but I was too spent to move a muscle.
He came back with a damp washcloth and proceeded to clean me up with soft strokes between my legs that felt more luxurious than a warm bath. Then he rolled me over so I was facing him and picked me up, my arms automatically going around his neck. Jackson brought me to his bed and tucked in behind me so we were spooning. The sun had just set, so I knew it was still early, but I couldn’t help but drift off into a dreamless, perfect sleep.
I awoke to a vacant bed, with the scent of sex and Jackson still on the sheets. I stretched long and swung my legs over the side and found my overnight bag, completely emptied. I got up and rummaged around and found everything put away, the contents in the bedroom dresser and adjacent bathroom. Seemed he had unpacked for me while I was sleeping. I shuffled over to the basin and splashed some water over my face while taking in my reflection above the sink. I definitely had sex hair and my cheeks were still flushed from all I did with Jackson. I threw on some jeans and a sweater.
Jackson was in the next room, stoking the embers in the fireplace, in the main room of the house. He was lost in his own thoughts, staring at the flickering flames while remaining bent at the knees in a crouched position. No other light emanated from the room and I couldn’t help but be entranced by his masculine beauty.
He must have felt my presence in spite of me not moving much because he looked up and his eyes and mouth got all soft and warm, making me melt on the spot.
“Now there’s a sight. Sleep good, babe?”
“Like I was in a coma.” I walked over to him. He scooted back so he was leaning against the couch while still seated on the ground. He widened his legs so I could sit in between.
“See you found your stuff.” He wrapped his arms around me and breathed in my scent. “And you still smell like me. I like that.”
I took in his husky voice, letting the sound of it drip off me slow, like honey. I stared into the fire, hypnotized instantly by the dancing flames.
“You hungry?” he asked while gently rubbing his lips back and forth on the nape of my neck.
Hungry for food? No. But for him, hell yeah. Seemed my hormone-soaked brain was letting its wishes be known to me.
“Not yet, although I should be. We haven’t eaten since this morning.”
“Well, I’m starved, so we can either go out or stay in and cook.”
I swiveled in place in order to face him, our lips just inches away from each other. “You have groceries? How?”
He chuckled with a smile that warmed his blue eyes. “You were dead to the world, so I ran out and picked up some things we’ll need over the next couple of days. Wanted to give us the option of holing up in here without the need for the outside world. But if you want to stretch your legs and get some air, we can do that too.” Then his eyes fell on my mouth and he absentmindedly licked his lips. “Although I’m getting tempted to starve just so I can get another taste.”
Then he brushed his lips over mine, his tongue tracing the seam of my mouth, and I opened to let him in. He tasted so good, and his natural masculine scent made my core clench. He took my mouth in deep while holding me tight within his frame.
A music ringtone went off and I knew immediately by the song choice, James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind”, who was calling me. I broke away, effectively killing the mood.
“That would be my mama calling.” I pulled away from his embrace. “Probably should get that.”
He stood up, offered me his hand and helped me to my feet. “You catch up, I’ll cook.”
The last thing I wanted to do was talk to her, but I knew it was better to get it over with than blow her off. Eleanor Montgomery Renwick was not a woman to be ignored. Kinda like an angry beehive that way.
I answered and before I even had a chance to say hello, she launched into emotional orbit. Loudly.
“Lauren Elizabeth Renwick, where on God’s green earth are you? I’ve been calling you for hours!”
“Mama, I just spoke to you last night. Why are you so worked up?”
“Well, pardon me, li’l miss independent, but the last time we spoke you were upset about Keith, and then when I called to check on my baby girl, there’s no answer on your home phone. So answer my question: where are you? Are you back at the house?”
“Um…” I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her the truth: No worries, Mama. I’m just hanging out with a biker-bar-owning, tattooed bad boy I picked up like a tramp in a sailor port. No need to worry. Give daddy kisses from me! “I’m just hanging with friends. No need to worry.”
Jackson was chopping some vegetables at this point and raised an eyebrow at me without missing a beat on the cutting board. I could tell he was not happy I was covering up my whereabouts.
“Which friends? Myer and Wade?”
I sighed. “No, Mama, not them. Don’t fret so much.
I’m fine. How are you and Daddy?”
“Don’t try to change the subject. I worry about you is all. If you were living at home, I wouldn’t worry so much.”
“Mama, how many times have I gotta tell ya, I’m not coming back to Asheville. I’ve got a good life here. I’m happy, okay?” At this point, I felt my embarrassment heating my face and neck, so I turned away from Jackson.
Suddenly, my phone left my hand and Jackson was in front of me.
“Mrs. Renwick? Jackson Sullivan, how are you this evening?”
I hurled myself forward, attempting to swipe the phone out of his hand, but he was too tall and too fast for my moves. “Jackson! Give me back my phone!”
He ignored me with a smirk and kept talking.
“Yes, you can say I’m a friend of your daughter’s, but I’ll give it to you straight, we’re more than friends… Yes, I like her very much… No, just met recently… We met at my place of business… Yes ma’am, I own my own business… Yes, I understand she’s quite a catch… Well, the fact that I stole the phone out of your daughter’s hand so I could speak to you personally should demonstrate I get the importance of family… Yep, good talking to you too. Lauren will call you in a couple of days.”
Then, he hung up. On my mother.
My mouth hung open like a trap door. “Y-you did not just do that! Tell me that didn’t just happen.”
“What?” he asked while shutting down my phone and tossing it back into my open purse.
“Why did you do that, Jax? Are you nuts?”
I could tell by the expression on his face that he wasn’t taking my anger seriously.
“Best to rip the bandage off quick, don’t you think?”
I blinked in reply. Speechless.
“Besides, not real into being labeled the ‘friends’ you’re hanging out with.” He grabbed a pan and threw the cut veggies into it, turned on the gas burner and started adding a slew of spices. While I appreciate a man who cooks for me, I was less than thrilled that he was carrying on as if the discussion were over.
“Would you have preferred me saying to my mama, ‘Oh hey, I’m just shacking up for a few days with this guy I met last night in a biker bar. Oh, and Mama? I gave away the milk for free before the strike of midnight, New Year’s Eve. Aren’t cha proud of your baby girl now?’”
He eyeballed me while tossing in what looked like marinated steak strips. The smell wafted in my direction and my stomach growled loudly in response. He placed a cover on the pan and reduced the heat, then stalked over to me in what seemed like one long stride.
“I get it, Lauren.” His grip tightened around me. “But you’ve got to understand some shit about me.” Without waiting for my acknowledgement, he continued, “First, I grew up in a house full of women. Under one roof was my mother, grandmother, my sister, an aunt and two cousins. Not just women, mind you. Irish women. My grandmother, mother and aunt are first generation in this country, and they still believe they’re living in their American version of Limerick, which means there’s no such thing as ‘I’ or ‘mine’ or ‘mind your own business’. They’re in your business and everyone else’s business and won’t bat an eye doin’ it. Drove me crazy, but learned quick they came from a pure place, wanting what was best for me.
“Another thing you need to know about me is I like control and I often take over. I’ll try not to bulldoze you, but more often than not, I’m going to do what I’m going to do. What you need to figure out is if you’re the kind of woman who really has a problem with that or if you’re the kind who thinks she should have a problem with that, but deep down, in places she doesn’t examine much, actually gets off on her man being what he is and how he looks out for his woman.”
I stared at him while processing what he just said. “So am I to understand that, after twenty-four hours, I’m your woman now?”
His blue eyes darkened and his jaw tightened. “Baby, you were my woman the minute I slid my cock into that sweet pussy of yours. Told you, I don’t fuck around.”
I stopped breathing, but somehow managed to speak. “Am I also to assume that you taking over that call was your way of announcing that you’re my man to my family?”
“Yeah and also to alert them that I’m the kind of man who looks after what’s his. Your mama gives you the third degree because she wants you to be okay. What she and you will learn fast enough is that I make sure what’s mine is more than okay. You’ll be fucking content and if you’re not, you and I will sort that shit out to make it that way.”
“So am I to assume that if I’m waiting for an apology, I’ll be waiting a long, long time?”
A shadow of a smile played on his gorgeous lips. “Yeah baby, I’m thinkin’ you shouldn’t bother waiting for that.” He chuckled and then gave me a warm squeeze, and I found myself not arguing with him or waiting for what wasn’t coming.
Chapter Four
Rule #3: Keep the mood light—don’t share what upsets you too soon.
Let your crazy out all at once.
Jackson and I—as an us—were new. Brand new. We had spent a weekend together, less than a week, if you’re the kind who keeps track of those things. And those days, I was exactly that type.
Too new to have a solid foundation built. Too new for what happened when we got back to Jackson’s house after our trip.
She was sitting on his front step, looking even more beautiful than she did in her photograph, if that was possible. Her long, chestnut-brown hair had golden streaks that matched the amber of her eyes. Even though we were in the middle of goddamn winter, she looked as if she had just gotten back from days in the sun. She was stunning, and I suddenly felt small and pale and faded in comparison.
Since we rode back on his bike and I had my arms wrapped around him, I felt his whole body freeze up the minute we pulled in the driveway and she came into full view. The smile she offered him seemed lit by a thousand lights and I knew instantly, before she opened her mouth or looked in my direction, that she was a former lover of consequence and that she wanted him back. She had come unannounced because she was confident that all she had to do was show up to claim what was hers. I got off the bike and removed the helmet, as did Jackson. She looked over at me and narrowed her eyes.
“Who the hell is this bitch, Jackson?” She was pointing her finger at me like she was accusing me of some arcane witchcraft or black magic.
Wow, she didn’t waste any time on pleasantries. I looked over at Jackson, waiting to see how he’d respond.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Lex, what the hell are you doing here?”
Great start. He didn’t even bother clarifying who I was.
She noted the same thing as I did. I could tell because she flashed me a nasty smirk before making her expression all soft and doll-like for him. “Baby, can we talk—uh-lone?”
He placed his hands on his hips and looked down at the ground while shaking his head, and it bothered me that I didn’t know him well enough to understand what that gesture of his meant. I grabbed my bag off the bike and took a step back. “Jackson, it looks like you’ve got your hands full here. Maybe I should go.” I definitely said it more like a statement than a question because I wanted to be anywhere but there.
His eyes shot up to mine and he grabbed my bag from me with one hand while pulling me toward him with the other, my waist now in his strong grip. “Lauren, you’re not going anywhere. Hear me?”
My heart made happy somersaults and I could sense that his ex was quietly seething a few feet away. He turned his head in her direction. “Lauren’s my woman now, Lexie. And you are not welcome here.”
She looked at me, slowly, up and down, and must have determined I was still not of consequence because she just flipped her luscious locks over her shoulder, walked a couple of paces toward us and gave him a seductive look that would’ve incinerated the pants off of any red-blood
ed man. It was filled with the confidence earned when a woman was used to getting her way.
“Baby, wasn’t too long ago you wanted me in your bed and your ring on my finger. I’m back to give you all that and more. So, whatever this is—” she wagged her finger between Jackson and me, “—doesn’t compare to you and me.” Then she turned to me. “And what’s your name? Lauren? You need to get away from my fiancé. Now.”
My stomach lurched and I backed away from Jackson. He tried to hold me in his grasp but I was faster this time. He had asked Lexie to marry him. How long ago? Maybe he was actually engaged, had a fight, and I was the byproduct of him straying after a bad spell between them? Was she the love of his life? I may have been calm on the outside, but my head was spinning and my pulse was racing something fierce. I looked over at him.
“Are you en-engaged?”
Jackson scoffed and his eyes shot daggers in my direction. “Hell no, we are not engaged.” He glared at Lexie. “You may have worn my ring, but you ain’t now and you never will again. I am completely over your bullshit.”
Lexie chewed on her bottom lip and looked up at him, like a little girl being chastised. Yeah, it was completely nauseating.
“I was stupid, baby. I know that now.” Lexie grabbed on to his jacket with both hands. “Jax, I made a mistake and I’m back now to fix it. I’m better now, really. So tell this bitch to go away.” She glared at me. “Tell her I’m your woman and you’re going to make me your wife.”
Bile rose in my throat and I wished I could disappear. As much as she came off like a brat, I couldn’t deny the fact that a long-term relationship that almost led to a marriage weighed a heck of a lot more than what was essentially a weekend hookup. As much as we had talked, I didn’t once hear him mention Lexie. That could mean that he had worked the brunette bombshell out of his system and she was no longer an important part of his story to tell.
Rule Breaker Page 6
