Fallen Woman

by Stephie Walls

  Shaking my head, I didn’t know how to make him understand without telling him everything. “Is what I tell you confidential? I know I’m not your client, but I need to know you won’t do anything with what I’m about to share without my consent.”

  When he gave me his word, I told him my story. All of it. From Ryan, to the Family moving me here, to meeting Jase, and my arrangement with his friends. I confessed my indiscretion with Holland that night in the limo and my assumption of what happened the night we’d gone to dinner. I admitted there was a rape kit as well as a drug test positive for Rohypnol in the vault somewhere. I could tell by the look on his face, the way he stopped writing to stare at me, he hadn’t known the truth of what I’d just shared. He’d known pieces, but certainly not the whole…because Jase didn’t know the whole.

  The truth was ugly and sobering. I stood firm in my decision to do what I had to do in order to take care of my children, but I was aware of how I came off looking from the outside. I’d sold myself to a group of high-powered men. They bought my time and one had bought my affection. It would be easy for Holland to turn the truth around to make me look bad. And when the other guys were brought in, they would confirm the contract existed. The only one who hadn’t paid me to go out with him was Jase, but I was now living in his home…with my children…while he sat in jail. He appeared the pimp to my call girl, the innocence of their help lost in time and translation. When this got out, it would destroy all of them—including Jase.

  “You have to find a way to protect him, Hart. Everything that happened was innocent. Jase truly tried to help me, to help Emmy. He wasn’t trying to do anything dishonest or illegal. He had no idea anything happened with Holland until last week. He told me he would take care of it, but I didn’t know this would happen. I thought he’d argue with him, tell him off. Never in a million years did I think Jase Lane would risk everything for me.”

  “Surprise. He did.” Hart gathered his papers and told me he would be in touch. He expected Jase to be released this afternoon, but we would need to be in his office in the morning.

  Though I was allowed to leave, I wasn’t dumb enough to believe this was over, nor that I wouldn’t be implicated in some way. Horrific thoughts ran through my mind from the time I left until the time Jase walked through the door that night.

  ~~~

  The moment I heard the garage door open, I ran to meet him. I needed to see he was safe and whole—my imagination had him roughed up and bloody. I’d seen the pictures of what happened to Ryan when he was murdered, and I couldn’t stop replacing his face with Jase’s until I saw him in the flesh. His eyes drooped, evidence of his exhaustion written all over his face. My arms found their way around his neck as I buried my face in his skin.

  “I missed you, too,” he cooed into my ear.

  I struggled to maintain my composure. Somehow, our relationship had done a one-eighty in a very short amount of time. His confession allowed me to express my true feelings for him, and it was as if we’d always been together.

  “Come on, let’s go inside. I want to see the kids and go to bed.” He kissed me on the temple and I reluctantly let him go, but he grabbed my hand to escort me in.

  He called up the stairs to the kids from the kitchen, and the thundering hordes came racing downstairs to greet him. Emmy led the pack, launching herself into him from the steps.

  “Daddy!” she cried out in joy. “Did you get to play with the policeman?” Her innocence made me smile.

  The four of them crowded around him, all dressed in pajamas, wanting to hear his story. He offered it to them in exchange for bedtime and herded them like cats to Trace’s room. As much as I wanted to follow, I let him have time with them alone. They needed it, and I could tell he lit up when they all hugged his legs.

  He finally joined me in our room—well, his room I now lived in. The moment he walked through the door, he started removing his clothing, throwing it on the floor as he moved. My breath hitched, caught in wonder inside my lungs, burning the longer I held it. The pounding of my heart pushing on my ribs, my pulse raced with anticipation. I knew he was tired, but I desperately wanted to feel him against me. I didn’t want to talk about the last two days or anything else. I needed to connect with him in a way we hadn’t before.

  Walking turned into stalking as he approached me on the bed. The need in my mind was mirrored in his eyes. Lust. Desire. I should’ve been nervous, apprehensive…but as he reached for me, I was filled with warmth, and my lips turned up in a smile.

  His hand grabbed mine, pulling me gently from the bed to stand before him. Every movement was calculated and executed with precision. A tiny gasp escaped my mouth when he released my hand, and his fingers trailed up my arm, around my shoulder, and behind my neck. I never took my eyes off his. The gray searched my face, and I hoped he could see the love reflecting back at him. Agonizing, waiting, anticipating his touch, I licked my parted lips and invited him silently to touch them. When his eyes closed, mine followed, and he connected us with a kiss.

  It started slowly as he coaxed me to open and allow our tongues to meet—to dance in a desire-filled waltz. When his other hand cupped my ass, our tempo changed to a tango, and I couldn’t ignore his length pressed into me. His hands moved, caressing my skin, lifting my shirt over my head, breaking the kiss long enough to remove my clothing. But even as the excitement built, he took his time, as though he was capturing every inch he touched, committing it to memory. His lips moved down my neck, trailing kisses along the way, neglecting nothing. A shiver crept up my spine as he gave attention to my neck. My mind screamed at me to interact, take part in the game being played, but my body refused to move as I stood there, indulging in the pleasure.

  We’d been naked in the shower once before, but somehow, this felt different, more intimate. I was completely vulnerable—bare. He handled me with care like he knew I was fragile. Or maybe it was his way of showing me how much he cherished me. Every stroke of his finger, every kiss of his lips, awakened a desire that had been dormant for so long. A serenity, euphoric bliss. Nerve ending after nerve ending was lighting a fire of sexual desire as he continued his exploration.

  I stood, waiting for him to continue. My eyes remained closed to feel every sensation with sensory perception alone—no visual was needed. I wanted to experience Jase…not see him.

  When he chuckled near my ear, I grinned. “You want to join me over here?” Slowly, my lids parted to find him perched on the bed behind me.

  All I could muster was a moan of agreement. “Mmm.”

  Lying down next to him, I stared longingly into the eyes that captured my heart long before my mind would admit it. I held his gaze as he moved over me, hovering, before he nestled himself between my legs. His chest was propped up, his weight on his forearms, while his hands played in my hair.

  “I’ve thought about this so many times. I wondered if I’d ever get here, and now I can’t imagine ever leaving,” he confessed.

  I didn’t get the impression he was referring to his physical location so much as his emotional one. Before I could respond, his hips made a slow, deep rotation, pressing his body into mine in the most sensuous way. I longed to be connected to him, feel him in a way I’d only felt one other man. Regardless of what had happened with Holland, I’d never have any recollection and refused to taint my idea of how special this union was between a man and a woman. Holland may have stolen something I didn’t offer him, but it was a gift I wanted to give to Jase.

  There was something on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn’t ready to give it to me. My hips began to meet his, rolling like waves in tandem. The storm was brewing in his gray irises, and I was ready for him to come crashing down like thunder. Jase was poised at my entrance hesitating—with the slightest tilt, the flex of my bottom, he’d slide right in. But just as I was about to take matters into my own hands, he kissed my lips, then tucked his head into my ear, and whispered, “I love you, Gia,” as the two of us became one.

&nbs
p; My back arched as he filled me, stealing my ability to return his sentiment. My nails dug into his sides, and he rocked back and forth as my body adjusted to his size. His thigh slid under my own, allowing him greater penetration and depth. Just as he repositioned himself for better leverage, he hit that spot that made my body hum and my heart sing. I could feel the build starting low in my abdomen, tightening in my butt, the tingle at the base of my spine. My entire being was fueled by his drive as he continued to show me how true his words were.

  Just as I reached the top of my sensual mountain, I clung by my tip-toes on the edge of the cliff. I struggled to hold on, to extend this perfect state of nirvana. The feel of his teeth catching my shoulder pushed me over, released my hold, broke my resolve, and sent me riding the frenzy of the tidal wave back to peace. Every inch of my body was in sensory overload. His touch caused me to flinch, but his absence made me ache. As he continued to roll into me, his body tightened, and he grunted, “Fuck,” in the most erotic growl I’ve ever heard.

  He lay motionless, still partially on top of me, but mostly to my side. The silence was apparent but not heavy, as though we were both enjoying the afterglow.

  “I love you too, Jase,” I whispered into the night.

  The warmth of his palm on my jaw as he turned my head to face him felt safe. He kissed me as though he owned me, not like he was through with me. “I know you do, baby.” His lips pecked the tip of my nose before he murmured, “Goodnight, Gia.”

  “Goodnight, Jase.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Having four children makes sleeping in impossible. It also makes privacy nonexistent. I hadn’t had the forethought to put clothes back on last night, and neither had Jase, so when the tribe came barreling into our bedroom, I wasn’t prepared.

  “Mommy!” Megan screamed as she entered the room, waking me from a dead sleep.

  She startled the crap out of me. Sitting straight up to see what was wrong, a flurry of words came out. “What Megan? What’s wrong?” My senses weren’t awake. My brain wasn’t functioning.

  “Jase can see your boobies!”

  “What?” I looked at her confused and noticed Derrick and Trace’s eyes were wide, their mouths agape, and little Emmy had climbed on top of Jase. Only a sheet separated her from his manhood as he tried to cover me and get her back on the floor. I grabbed for the blanket to pull it up to my chin, but the harder I pulled, the less it moved. When I finally jerked it hard enough, Derrick fell over.

  “Hey! Miss Gianna. You pushed me down.”

  Jase’s voice barreled through the room. It sounded two octaves deeper than normal and frightened me. “Out! Now.”

  Emmy started crying, the twins looked at him shocked, and Derrick bolted. The other three followed behind him, but not before firing off a hundred questions. Why weren’t we wearing clothes? Did we get hot? Do all adults have naked sleepovers? And my favorite, from Megan, “Do I have to take off my clothes for boys if my boobies get that big?”

  The man sitting next to me threw his back against the headboard and let out a blast of a sigh. I was mortified but not angry.

  “I’m installing a lock today.” He barked out the words as if his tone actually affected anyone. I just smiled and pulled my sheet-covered body up next to his and tucked myself into his side.

  “Would that be after we take the kids to school and go the lawyer’s office?”

  He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. “Ugh. What a way to start the day.” Two large arms cradled me as Jase pulled me on top of him. My legs fell to his sides, leaving me straddling his core. Within seconds, I felt his head at my center, his face blushed, and he pushed me down onto his waiting shaft.

  The moan that escaped was louder than anticipated, but I couldn’t help it. When I sat up, the sheet fell behind me, my breasts on full display. He rose off the headboard to meet them, capturing each one separately to lavish attention on my nipple as his hands encouraged my ride. This wasn’t the soul-searing encounter we had last night—it was pure, unadulterated fun meant to brighten the day. And a few minutes later, it did just that as my orgasm overtook my body, and he emptied himself inside me.

  I collapsed on his chest where he stroked my back for a few minutes before he reminded me of our agenda. We got up, showered, and started the day. I prayed there would be no more questions from the kids before we dropped them off at school, but what I should have done was told them not to discuss it with their friends.

  An hour after dropping Derrick and the twins off, we were sitting in the waiting room of Hart Linland when I got an email from Trace’s teacher requesting a conference about his classroom discussion regarding the scene he and his siblings walked into this morning. I showed it to Jase, who rolled his eyes as I groaned out loud.

  “Can today get any worse?” I asked, not expecting an answer.

  Hart seemed to appear out of nowhere. “That’s never a question to ask in current company. And unfortunately, the answer is yes.” He shook Jase’s hand as he addressed me. “Why don’t you two follow me and we can talk privately.”

  Jase ushered me into the conference room by the small of my back and pulled out my chair before taking a seat next. The grave look on Hart’s face didn’t sit well with me, but I wasn’t running this show and didn’t feel it was my place to ask what had him so grim.

  “Holland wants to play hardball with you two. He’s now gone beyond pressing charges to suing Jase for medical expenses, lost time from work, and mental anguish.”

  My eyes rolled involuntarily at the stupidity of all this. I’d love to know the date Holland relinquished his man card.

  “How about I write him a check for an office visit, and when he removes his tampon, we can talk about what a dipshit he’s being?”

  I saw this same look in Jase’s eyes the night I told him what happened. Unbridled anger. “Jase…” I tried to talk him down, but he wasn’t having any of it.

  “No, Gia. Don’t Jase me. That piece of shit knows why I beat his ass to a pulp, and he knows he deserved it. Now he wants to act like a damn pussy after he took advantage of you in who knows what way. Fuck that!” He turned his attention back to Hart. “Tell him to bring all he’s got. I’m not backing down.”

  He put his hand on my leg. I covered it with my own and squeezed his fingers. He was fiercely protective—something I’d missed for years. We made eye contact briefly. I loved the way he softened every time he took me in.

  Hart stole our moment, bringing us back to the present. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Jase, unless you can convince Gianna to share her story, you beat up an innocent man. And even if she does share it, you still violated the law.” The look he gave me meant he wanted me to comply.

  Jase never batted an eye and didn’t consider what his lawyer was asking him to do. “Find another solution, Hart. That’s not an option.”

  “Then get out your checkbook because he’s not going away silently.”

  “What does he want? Surely his lawyer has given you a settlement offer of some sort.”

  “As of right now, he’s unwilling to settle and wants to take you to court.”

  I couldn’t stand listening to this. Knowing Jase was about to commit career and social suicide over me was more than I could stand. Jase kept talking, but all I could think of was his demise because of me. Ryan lost himself trying to protect me, and it cost him his life. “Can you threaten to use the information about the rape kit without actually releasing it?” I asked, interrupting their conversation.

  “No, Gia. There has to be another option.”

  “Like what, Jase? He doesn’t want your money. He wants your reputation. He’s trying to take you down. He doesn’t need you to pay those bills; he wants a public assassination.”

  “She’s right.” Hart stared Jase down. “He’s out for blood, and I don’t think there’s enough money in the world to get him to step back. He wants to humiliate you.”

  His steely gray eyes turned to me, the pain i
n them evident. He didn’t want to do this, but more importantly, he didn’t want me to, either. “Gia, I’ll fight it to keep you safe and out of the spotlight.”

  “Negotiations can be kept quiet, Jase. This can all be done behind the scenes. At this point, he hasn’t gone public, but it’s just a matter of time before the press finds out and splashes it on the front page. The two of you are highbrow in this town and well known.”

  Reluctantly, he conceded with the understanding it was to be used as a threat only. Hart was to do whatever he had to in order to keep the rape kit and my name from going public. I wished I could say I felt good about this, but everything in me told me we just started a war—a war I didn’t have the resources to fight, and one in which Jase could lose everything.

  Hand in hand, we left Hart Linland’s office. I’m sure he could sense my apprehension, but instead of mentioning it, he opened the car door to let me in. But before I could take a seat, he pulled me into his chest, squeezing me tightly to him. “I promise you. I will protect you at all costs. I won’t let anything else happen to you, Gia.”

  It was a nice sentiment, but not one he could honor. Unfortunately, life throws curves you can’t anticipate, and Jase couldn’t control the world or those in it. I’d lived through those nasty twists and just prayed this didn’t turn into another one. Instead of responding, I offered him my mouth, which he freely took, moving his hand to cup my jaw. Before it got out of control, he pecked me one last time, and then we got in the car.

  “Are we going to work?” I stared at him dreamily, wanting to be lost in him for hours, days…as long as the universe would allow it.

  “No. I’m exhausted and just want to go home and hang out.”

  I opened my mouth to protest and even started to speak, but I knew it would fall on deaf ears, so I closed my trap, grabbed my man’s hand, and allowed a hint of a smile to linger on my lips. I loved him, more so than I should. I’d never know how I got lucky enough for him to return those feelings.