Take Me Home (Small Town Bachelor Romance)

by Abby Knox

  “You taste so good, Maggie. Really, really good.” He tongued her sweet and spicy little clitoris, which was tight and responsive to his mouth. Maggie exhaled little lusty moans, which grew louder and louder, making him even harder and hotter. She encouraged him to go as deeply as he could by thrusting upward each time his tongue sank into her.

  He looked up and saw she was caressing her own breasts. Um, no. He was not having that. He stopped and looked up at her.

  She gasped, “Don’t stop, baby.”

  “Hands up, Maggie. Let me do it.”

  “I can’t help myself.”

  Oh really. Jack would have to fix that. He removed the bandana he wore around his neck to catch sweat and gently wrapped it around her wrists. “Is this OK?” he asked.

  “Hell yes.” She grinned, keeping her hands above her head and away from the action. Jack got back to feasting on her core while teasing her nipples with his thumbs. The dual delights carried her much closer to climax than he was ready for her to be. He pulled back for a bit and let her squirm.

  “You like that?”

  “Yes. Please.”

  “Say my name.”

  Her voice shook with pleasure and frustration. “Jack.”

  “Add the magic word.”

  “Please, Jack!”

  Oh, she was out of her mind with pleasure. The idea that he’d brought her there made his cock even harder, begging to sink into her. Keep control of yourself, Jack.

  He slowly conceded to her begging and worked over her lower lips with his mouth and tongue with the lightest of pressure at first. Maggie thrust up to encourage him to go deeper, to bring herself closer, but Jack teased a little longer with feathering kisses along the inside of her milky thighs. He could feel his pre-cum seeping out. Maggie was squirming and begging. Jack had her right where he wanted her.

  “My cock is ready for you, Maggie.”

  She managed to squeak out, “Condom?”

  Shit.

  “Babe. I don’t have one,” he said. Fuck. This is why you don’t tackle her ass in the loft, you idiot. You’re not prepared. Especially when she makes you ready to come like you’re a horny 17-year-old.

  “OK,” she said.

  “It’s all right. I’ll just finish you first and then—”

  Maggie cut him off. “Do it. I don’t care. I want you inside me now.”

  Jack hesitated. “Baby, everything we talked about, I don’t want to bring a baby into this mess…”

  “Please fuck me now, Jack. I’m about to come and I want you right there with me.”

  With her full consent, he sank his cock deeply into her pussy, his mouth latched to her breast, as her body slammed into an unhinged, animalistic climax that had her screaming out his name and contracting around him. Jack exploded fully, deeply into her as she milked him dry.

  Jack locked eyes with Maggie as they came in unison. So far, this was what some might call a pretty unsuccessful breakup. What had she done to him? He was done for. There was no other woman for him. He was going to keep her, come hell or high water.

  When he untied her wrists, both her hands held his face and he kissed her lips, sharing her spicy juices with her mouth. She drank him in and sighed, running her fingers through his hair.

  “If this is the kind of roll in the hay I can expect when you’re in a bad mood, I can’t imagine what a good-mood fuck is like.”

  He laughed and planted small kisses across her collarbone as her body trembled with the aftershocks of her orgasm, his cock still nestled inside her. “You are an amazing woman, Maggie.”

  She purred. She actually made a purring noise. “I don’t know about that, but I’m better with you.”

  Jack didn’t know if this was true. His only hope was that she was confident in how amazing she was. Not just at sex—which was of course mind-blowingly good—but at everything she touched. He couldn’t understand how Alex could have voluntarily missed out on time with this woman. If he ever met that creep, Jack didn’t know whether to thank him or lay him out with a haymaker punch to the face. He might try both and see how it felt.

  Whatever. That dude fucked up and missed out.

  What Maggie wanted was simple. She wanted time. As far as Jack was concerned, there was no other way he wanted to spend his time, whether in the pasture, in the barn, or in a courtroom, or in a bedroom, than with Maggie. If that’s what she wanted, she would get it.

  Maggie

  The big day finally arrived. It was Maggie’s wedding day. She had known Jack for such a short time, and he was ready to marry her. Like a real man. Not afraid of commitment. Commitment was the least of her fears, and nothing else was going to get in the way of starting her life with a perfect man.

  Well, he was far from perfect, but he was perfect for her.

  She pulled the deep purple dress on over her head and the soft fabric felt cool and comfortable against her skin. She was glad she’d picked something non-traditional for the ceremony. Besides, after the wedding, they could go right across the hall for the silly little hearing about the assault matter and she’d be suitably dressed for that. She stepped into her wedges, which also felt good on her feet while giving her legs and ass a little boost in the curve department.

  Maggie picked up the mason jar on her dresser and removed the small bouquet of wildflowers she had picked that morning. White and yellow daisies. She even had to admit to herself she looked beautiful, but part of that was attributed to Jack. She was so excited to get started on their life together, and he brought the happiness out in her face.

  In the city, she wouldn’t be caught dead in a purple print dress and wedge shoes. But here she felt right at home and comfortable.

  At Biddy’s Salon on the Square, the stylists treated her to champagne while fixing her hair into an up-do and doing her manicure and pedicure. Jack had insisted she take his credit card, again. Technically, she did take it, but it stayed in her wallet. Maggie used her own money from her cashed paycheck to pay for her hair, makeup, hands and feet.

  She was so happy with her up-do, so happy with her entire look and so happy to be running off to marry her wonderful man that Maggie tipped everyone with what remained of her paycheck. She didn’t need the money. She had everything she needed. Or was about to.

  The sun warmed her face when she stepped out of the salon. Maggie closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment before crossing the street to the gazebo where her sister and Jack were waiting. As she approached, the happy butterflies in her stomach performed a dance at the sight of Jack in freshly pressed blue jeans, a sport jacket, pressed white shirt and purple tie to match her dress. Her sister had arrived, too, and she had even pinned a matching boutonniere of tiny wildflowers to Jack’s lapel. He smiled as he met her halfway down the walk and offered her his arm. They made their way together into the gazebo. Carrie and Ever arrived, just as they’d promised, to bear witness.

  Her sister approached and gave her a quick hug and a kiss, whispering that she was so happy and surprised for her. “I just wish Mama could be here.” True. Mama should be here, but she had her blessing. And no doubt there would be a giant party as soon as Mama returned home from Greece, whenever that may be.

  Carrie looked like a Mother Earth goddess in her bohemian-style dress with her two little cherub boys peeking out from behind her skirts.

  Carrie held Maggie’s bouquet for her as Jack took Maggie’s hands in his. They gazed into each other’s eyes as the judge, the honorable Drea Diamond, officiated the ceremony. Everything was perfection. Jack’s crooked smile reached his gray blue eyes and his hands squeezed hers.

  This was really happening.

  Everything around them was a blur. Maggie’s only care was getting lost in Jack’s gaze, anticipating the moment they would be declared husband and wife so they could make it official with a kiss. Would he be gentle and cup her face? Would he draw her close? Would he be daring and use his tongue? She blushed, remembering all the ways in which his mouth had explored her body
already. What did he have in store tonight, she wondered.

  Maggie barely heard Judge Diamond’s words as he formally asked that if anyone had any reason why these two should not be married, to “speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  But the next voice that spoke up did, in fact, register. It was all too familiar. Familiar in such a way that it was the only voice that could have changed the course of this day.

  “I got a reason they can’t get married. The groom is the bride’s daddy.”

  Chapter 12

  Maggie

  The moment Maggie became aware of what was going on, she was buckled into the passenger seat of her sister’s car.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To get your things.”

  “I can’t go back there right now.”

  “I know. Just let me handle it. You’re going to stay with me for a few days.”

  “Where’s Jack?” A ball of panic rose in Maggie’s throat.

  “Sweetheart, Jack had to go to his protective order hearing, do you remember?”

  “I have to go back, I said I’d go back and help him.”

  “Honey, everything is a mess right now, you can’t go back there. We are going to lay low until everything shakes out. We’ll get this garbage with your bio mom straightened out and everything will be back to normal and I’ll help you.”

  Her “bio mom.” Maggie started to shake uncontrollably, like she’d been locked in a freezer. She crossed her arms over her chest and saw gooseflesh rising on her skin.

  “What is she doing here…? Why did she come here?”

  Lily pulled the car into the driveway of the farm just in time to grab a blanket and put it around Maggie’s shoulders. “Honey, look at me. You’re in shock, you may be having a panic attack. And no wonder. What that woman put you through. You fainted, you’re having some kind of PTSD episode from seeing her again, but you’re going to be OK.”

  Everything that happened before she blacked out was flooding back now. Her biological mother, Dottie, had suddenly appeared after more than ten years. Last time Maggie had laid eyes on Dottie was when the court had allowed a supervised parental visit when Maggie was 10. Dottie had sat and smoked and stared at her the whole time. “What’s that Jane woman putting in your head? She’s poisoning you against me. The whole system is against me. You lied to the police, you lied to your social worker. Ain’t you and Miss Jane just a fine couple of peas in a pod? Staring down at the world from your high horses down on my sorry ass for what I done. What did I do to you, missy? What did I ever do besides carry you in my body for nine months and do the best I could?”

  “You know what you did.”

  “You tell me because I don’t know.”

  “You slapped my face so much I cried until I threw up. Then you shut me in the closet while you were on the pipe and messing around with your boyfriends.”

  “I slapped you because you talked back when I told you to stay in your room, and maybe I shouldn’t have hit you so hard. I was high and now I’m straight, and I said I was sorry.”

  “And you let your boyfriend whup me.”

  “Because you ran away when I tried to whup you for sassing me.”

  “I want to go home.”

  “This is your home. This is your home. Wherever I am is your real home and don’t forget it.”

  As soon as Maggie had reached the age to decide, she told the court she never wanted any visits with Dottie Jensen again.

  She had grown up after that, being reassured almost daily by Jane that none of this was Maggie’s fault. She didn’t do anything to suffer the violence she had suffered. That her mother was a broken person who needed help.

  Twelve years had passed and Maggie had put herself together quite nicely. And then the second Dottie showed up, everything came crashing down.

  Although, what if it were true? What if—oh god—what if Jack really was her biological father? It couldn’t be possible. They had had sex! Many, many times! They had done so many things. Without protection. What if…holy shit. No. She couldn’t think about that.

  But it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. Could it?

  First of all, Maggie only slightly resembled Dottie. They had the same red hair, but their eye shape was different. The things that were different from Dottie were not similar to Jack’s. But none of that proved or disproved anything.

  In her heart, she knew the truth. She knew Dottie was lying because Dottie Jensen was a liar. And in the moment Dottie came in, metaphorical guns a’blazin, she saw Jack’s face. He did not recognize Dottie.

  Maggie had looked astonished at the sight of this woman she hadn’t seen in 12 years, and then looked to Jack questioningly. Jack had the genuinely quizzical look of an innocent man.

  “Ma’am?” he’d said to Dottie, just as polite as he could be, seriously confused.

  And Dottie had continued. “You, sir, are the biological father of that young lady right there, your bride. I know because I had sex with you 22 years ago and we made that beautiful girl. I just never told you, and I’m sorry.”

  Maggie had turned white as the blood drained out of her face and all extremities. “Jack?” she croaked. Jack was looking around like it had to have been a practical joke. But his first concern was Maggie. He had placed his hands on her shoulder.

  “Babe, I don’t know who this woman is or what’s going on, but I’m going to figure it out.”

  “Jack,” Maggie had said weakly. “That woman is my mother, Dottie Jensen. Do you…know her?”

  She could barely get the words out, but she had done it.

  “No…your mama is Mama Jane. I don’t know this woman.”

  “Dottie is my birth mother. Why is she here? Did you invite her?”

  “Baby, you’re talking crazy.” Jack had her by the shoulders and the last thing Maggie remembered was the muffled sound of his angry voice as she blacked out.

  Lily stroked Maggie’s face. The two sisters were parked at the farm. “You stay here, I’m going inside to get some clothes.”

  “But what about Jack?”

  “Jack might have some explaining to do.”

  “Jack didn’t do anything wrong. We’re getting married…”

  “Sweetheart, we are going to take a step back and wait to figure things out.”

  “But my wedding…”

  “That pretty much ended with me, Jack and the judge helping you to the car and the bailiff taking Jack upstairs to be questioned by the judge.”

  Maggie started to cry silently. Tears fell on the blanket, then from the blanket to the folds of her purple dress.

  “We will fix this. Do you know your blood type? That’s one way to figure this out. The other is DNA; it’s a much easier test than it used to be. I feel like this is all a setup to mess with you guys. I’ll help you. But if it’s true, if he is your daddy, I am sure enough going to murder somebody. That woman or Jack, I’m not sure which. I’m so mad I could spit rattlesnakes. I don’t even know. Now you stay here, I’ll be right back with your things.”

  Jackson

  One moment, Jack thought he was finally going to start his life with a partner. The only partner for him. His true love. Everything was perfect. But it turned out to be just a little too perfect.

  The next moment, total disruption and destruction. How did this happen? How did this woman claiming to be Maggie’s biological mother even know they would be here today, getting married? Moreover, he had never seen this Dottie person before in his life, let alone slept with her. The year Maggie was born was the same year he had been planning to marry Wendy. He had had no other sexual partners besides his fiancée at that time.

  But none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was that his bride’s knees had given out at the sight of this woman. So it was obvious to him that this woman had hurt Maggie in a very real way. When she had collapsed, he’d caught her and scooped her up.

  “Somebody get her some water!” he had shouted. Someone from som
ewhere had shown up with a water bottle. He’d held her on his lap on the bench inside the gazebo while everyone—the judge, Lily, Carrie, Ever and someone from the clerk’s office there to bear witness—all fussed around them.

  At least the bailiff had had the good sense to make Dottie keep her distance from Maggie after the collapse.

  When Maggie came to, she still wasn’t fully “there.” She locked eyes with Jack, and the look she gave him was…scared. Haunted. He never wanted to see that look from her again, and he would fight whoever he needed to, to fix this.

  “Baby, it’s me. Are you OK?” he had asked.

  Then the look on her face was pure panic. “I need to go.”

  “None of what Dottie says is true. I’ve never seen her before.”

  “OK, I need to go.”

  That’s when Lily stepped in and said she would be taking Maggie away to calm down for a little while. Jack had protested, but Lily stood firm. The two of them may not have been biological sisters, but they had the same fierce way about them.

  “Listen,” Lily had said, putting her hand out to stop him from talking. “My sister has just been traumatized. She needs me. You fix this catastrophe on your end, but I’m taking care of her until this whole thing is resolved.”

  Jack stood on the courthouse square and watched Lily’s car drive away with Maggie in it.

  A million things ran through Jack’s head. But instead of running amok, he picked the seven things to do in order to straighten things out and protect his woman.

  First, deal with Dottie. He had a mind to grab this odd woman under the arm and march her out behind the shed with a switch. Her ear in one hand and a switch in the other. Like his daddy had rightly done to him when he’d been caught peeing in the water trough at the age of 6. That was the one and only time Jack had mistreated animals. It seemed like this abuser had never learned her lesson.