Her breasts had been driving him crazy for years but today they were framed by the low neckline of the dress she wore in a way that made him burn to touch them. He spent hours thinking about kissing, sucking, and nibbling on every inch of those luscious breasts. He wanted to clamp her nipples and hear her squeak with pain then watch as her eyes dilated with arousal.
Just thinking about turning her ass rosy-red with his belt then putting her on her knees in front of him had his cock hardening. Jenna’s bottom lip was fuller than the top lip, and it had a little dimple in the center that made her look like she was always pouting. Remembering all the smart-ass remarks she had made to him over the years, he decided stuffing her mouth with his cock would be a good way to put an end to her bratty behavior. He knew Jenna would pretend to be shocked at the dirty, nasty things he wanted to do to her but inside she would be screaming “Yes, yes, yes.” Too bad he never intended to get involved with her.
“Sir, may I speak?” Kelly asked him, her voice soft and hesitant.
Jackson looked down at Kelly, then smiled. Nodding, he placed his hand on her lower back and led her aside. “I’ve already given you permission to use my name and speak whenever you like, Kelly.”
Kelly licked her lips then said, “I don’t understand my purpose for being here.” She looked around. “This isn’t the kind of party I’m used to attending. When does the fun begin?”
“That’s a lot later tonight. Right now it’s a combination graduation party for Addison Matthews and a barbecue for some local friends. I needed a companion for the day so I invited you.” Even as he spoke, he could see her clever mind analyzing the information. He tried to distract her by guiding her toward another group that included several friends from Club Mystique.
“Then, right now I’m camouflage?” she asked, grinning then looking around. “Which one is she?”
Ignoring her question, he said, “There’s Dania. Didn’t you say you wanted to talk to her?”
Kelly pursed her lips, scanned the yard, then said, “The platinum blonde in the peach-colored dress and the yummy heels standing next to the hot redhead wearing the someone-please-come-here-and-fuck-me outfit.”
Narrowing his eyes, Jackson frowned. “Mind your own business.”
“Oh, come on, Jackson. You said I could say anything I wanted to say. Besides, we’ve been friends for years and don’t forget I’m a bartender, which means I’m really good at reading people. Tell me what’s going on. Why are you avoiding her?” Leaning forward, she quietly asked him, “Is it the dad thing?”
“What?”Jackson was surprised that she would ask him that and be so near the truth.
Shrugging she smiled at him. “You’ve spoken about your adoptive parents, Jake and Katherine Ramsey. You’ve even mentioned your mother a couple of times but you’ve never said anything about your dad. Want to talk about it?”
“No. Just let it go.” Leading her over to their friends from the club, he pulled his sunglasses from his pocket, put them on, and then watched Jenna from the safety of the tinted lenses. A little frown appeared on his lips as he noticed she’d cut that beautiful mass of platinum hair again. He’d spent hours fantasizing about burying his hands in her hair while she sucked his cock. In his fantasies he made her look at him while he fucked her mouth. Her jade-green eyes would be dark with arousal but he would make her wait a long time before he let her come. Knowing that he had put half a world between them and that Jenna was safe in Texas had gotten him through a lot of bad nights. He let his smile slip away as he acknowledged to himself that it was getting harder and harder to stay away from her now that he was home for good. He only resisted the temptation to take a chance and go after her by remembering what a disaster his real parents’ marriage had been.
His parents’ constant fighting had made their home life a nightmare. The early fights had been his father accusing his mother of cheating on him, which she had tearfully denied. Then, eventually, the fights had changed to his mother yelling that his father’s jealousy was ruining their family, and his father yelling that her fucking every man she encountered was what was ruining their family. The worst moment for Jackson had come after one of his parents’ fights when his mother had told him he was just like his father. A week later they had died in a car wreck, but the memory of his mother saying that had stuck and he’d decided then that he would never fall in love and put a woman through that kind of hell. A promise he’d managed to keep until Jenna.
Watching her and Addison, he acknowledged that Addison was beautiful but Jenna was unique. She had no idea how her sensuous innocence and over-the-top curvaceous body drew men like him to her. Or how the expressions that flashed across her face fascinated him. One moment she would be smiling and laughing, the next somber and quiet. Those later moments were rare, but they bothered him and made him want to take her into his arms and protect her from whatever it was that put that look in her eyes.
Other times, like today, those eyes and the dress she wore, sent a silent challenge to him. The soft innocent color of her dress blended into her lightly tanned skin, making her appear almost naked. From where he was standing he couldn’t see a panty line beneath the body-hugging material of her dress. Not even the narrow strap of a thong. Seeing Ben and Mac standing on either side of her, their eyes glued to her chest, a surge of anger flooded him as he realized they were looking down the gaping front of her dress. He figured they could see her areolas and possibly even her nipples.
Dropping his gaze to the fuck-me-if-you-dare stilettos on her feet, with their wide cuff-like leather straps that buckled around her ankles, he quaked with a surge of arousal. Damn, he loved shoes like that on a woman but not on Jenna and especially when other men were looking at her. Knowing who was responsible for those shoes, he sent a threatening glare toward Addison then grinned when her eyes met his and she took a step back. The longer he looked at Jenna in those damn shoes, the more he thought about the things he shouldn’t want and could never have with her.
Knowing he couldn’t go over there and jerk her away from those other men without raising a lot of brows, he searched the crowd for his older brother, Cade. When he saw him stalking in Addison’s direction, his eyes narrowed, he knew Cade would deal with the situation. Jackson allowed himself one last glance at Jenna and was shocked to catch her staring at the front of his jeans where the brass buttons were digging into his stone-hard cock. He saw her lick her lips, and for a moment he contemplated tossing her over his lap and blistering her ass in front of half the population of Rendezvous. When she raised her eyes to his and smiled, Jackson glared at her then turned away, hoping like hell that she would keep her distance. If she came near him today, there was no way he would be able to resist taking her.
“Are you okay?” Kelly asked then dropped her eyes after seeing the closed expression on Jackson’s face. “Oh,” she said. “Sir, uh, may I help you?”
“Hell yes, pet.” Jackson slipped his hand to her lower back and guided her toward the house and his bedroom upstairs. If he didn’t get some relief he was going to do something he and Jenna would both live to regret.
* * * *
Left totally stunned by Jackson’s rejection, Jenna lost her happy smile as she watched him lead the brunette into the house. Knowing where they were going from the look on the brunette’s face, she swayed as the blood drained from her face and the warmth left her body. Shivering, feeling faint, she looked toward Addison and found her with Cade, one of his large hands curved around the back of her neck, holding her in place while he talked to her. When he waved his hand down her short, tight red dress then flicked his index finger against the center of her bare chest, she knew they weren’t having a nice little chat. Today just didn’t seem to be their day.
Desperate to hide her unhappiness, Jenna turned her back to the crowd and blinked her stinging eyes as the reflection of the sun on the pool filled her vision. Forcing herself to take several deep breaths, she reminded herself that this wasn’t the first time J
ackson had rejected her, and it wouldn’t be the last time either. No matter how many degrees she earned, or how successful she became, to people like Jackson Ramsey and Ellen Jones, she would always be the girl from the poor side of town. Jenna wrapped her arms around her waist and acknowledged to herself that she was no longer the chubby young girl in hand-me-down clothes and cheap shoes who had dared to try to be more.
She gripped her sides hard, her fingers turning white as her nails dug into her skin through the thin material of her dress. She had decided long ago that there simply wasn’t any other explanation for the way Jackson treated her. When Addison’s father had moved Addison and her governess, Maggie Lamont, to Rendezvous, the Ramsey family had claimed Addison as part of their family. Then, when she and Addison had become friends, that friendship had extended to her and the Ramseys had treated her like a beloved little sister.
Somewhere along the way, though, something had happened and Jackson had stopped smiling at her or even acknowledging her existence. His attitude had triggered her rebellious nature and she’d begun doing everything she could to annoy him. Apparently she had succeeded, as he had ignored her existence for the past five years with the exception of that one encounter at the river. Which suited her just fine, she told herself, but she was still unable to control the trembling of her lower lip.
From the other side of the house, the ranch bell rang and everyone began moving in that direction for the barbecue that filled the air with its mouthwatering aroma. Glancing in Addison’s direction again, Jenna saw Cade brush his fingers down Addison’s cheek before he grabbed her hand and led her toward the woman waiting impatiently for him on the patio. Addison glanced back and winked before the three of them disappeared around the corner of the house. Jenna waited until the last of the crowd followed them, and then she turned back to the pool, sighing with relief, thinking she was alone and could finally let her tears fall.
Sniffling, she wiped the tears from her eyes then began to turn but her heel caught in a groove between the tiles, throwing her off balance. She fell sideways, her head hitting the edge of the pool before she splashed into the water, her scream smothered by the water that flooded into her mouth. Choking, she flailed her arms trying to stay afloat and instead sank into the deepest end of the pool. Telling herself not to panic, when she felt her feet touch the bottom, she bent her legs and pushed off, aiming her body toward the side of the pool. Her hands reached out for the edge as she wished she had accepted Addison’s offer to teach her to swim.
Over and over again she broke the surface, gasped in a lungful of air, and felt the smooth tiles of the pool brush by her fingers as her oxygen-starved muscles grew weaker. Feeling herself losing consciousness, she sobbed as her tears mixed with the water and an image of Jackson flashed into her mind.
* * * *
Jackson twisted the last brass button into place, cursed, and then helped Kelly to her feet and cursed again. What the hell did a man say in a moment like this, he wondered? Maybe something like “Sorry, pet, but I can’t keep it up because you don’t have platinum hair and jade-green eyes?” He cursed again.
“Sir, may I speak?” Kelly asked.
“Permission granted,” Jackson said, dreading what she had to say to him.
“The body knows what the heart wants, Sir,” Kelly said.
“Thank you, Kelly.” Jackson felt relief for a moment, and then thought what the hell? What if this was a permanent condition and only the sight of Jenna could arouse him? “Shit!” For the first time in his life he was almost speechless.
“If you ever want to talk about it, I’m willing to listen.”
Jackson ran his hand down her hair then smiled. “I know you are, pet, and I appreciate the offer.”
Kelly nodded then smiled when her stomach growled with hunger as the lunch bell rang.
Chuckling, Jackson released her then walked to the window and looked out, seeing the empty backyard. “Looks like we’ll be just in time for lunch.” As he turned away, he saw a dark shadow at the bottom of the pool. “Shit! Get Cade to the pool, Kelly.” He tore by her, his feet pounding down the hall, taking the stairs three at a time then pushing through the patio doors at the back of the house. His boots dug into the grass as he sprinted across the yard and jumped into the pool. Seeing the body at the bottom, he dove toward it, his heart seizing in his chest when he recognized Jenna. Grabbing her wrist, he felt her delicate bones grind together as he swam for the surface, jerking her with him.
“Here, Jackson,” Cade yelled at him as he knelt on the edge and held out his hands. Jackson held Jenna up and Cade lifted her onto the concrete surround. As Cade turned her head to the side then placed his ear against her chest, Jackson leapt from the pool and knelt beside her. He could feel his control slipping as water ran down his face and mixed with his tears.
“Start resuscitation,” Cade said.
Jackson tipped Jenna’s head back and breathed into her mouth then waited.
Cade listened for a heartbeat. “Again.”
Jackson breathed for her again then waited and felt overwhelming relief when Jenna coughed out some water then began to gasp for air. Jackson turned her onto her side and rubbed her back. “Get me a blanket,” he ordered, not giving a damn who did it as long as it was done. He continued to hold her on her side as she began to cry, gasping his name over and over. When one of his younger brothers, Luc, dropped to his knees and began to wrap a blanket around her, he jerked it out of his hands. “Don’t touch her.”
Luc held his hands palms out toward Jackson as he stood and stepped back. “Okay, bro, just take it easy.” Luc glanced at his twin, Logan, then shrugged.
Picking Jenna up, Jackson felt her arms slide around his neck as her head dropped to his shoulder. He pushed his way through the crowd and carried her around the house with Addison and Cade following a step behind him. As they reached his truck, Cade reached around him and opened the door then moved aside so he could set Jenna on the seat. As he began to release her, she began sobbing and begging him not to let her go.
“It’s okay, angel. I’ve got you.” Jackson pressed his lips against the soft skin of her neck and felt her hands tighten on his shirt as he began to turn around and ask Cade to drive them when he saw his youngest brother Zane running toward them from the direction of the stable.
Zane’s hair was mussed, his shirt unbuttoned. Behind him two brunettes trailed along together, giggling as they tried to smooth each other’s hair and straighten each other’s dresses. As Zane reached the truck and saw Jackson and Jenna’s wet clothes and the tears on Addison’s face, he moved to the driver’s side and opened the door. “I’ve got this, Jackson. You hold Jenna and I’ll drive.”
Jackson nodded as he slid onto the seat with Jenna on his lap, only one thing on his mind—getting her to the nearest emergency room to make sure she was okay. Glancing at Cade, he said, “Zane will call you as soon as Doc has seen her.”
* * * *
Three nerve-racking hours later, Jackson returned with Jenna. He ignored Jenna’s demand to be put down and carried her into the house and up the stairs with Addison one step behind them.
Addison smiled at Jenna, happy to see her. “Jenna, you look just like a swaddled baby wrapped up in the blanket like that. Jane and I prepared a room for you.”
“Which way?” Jackson turned and glared at her.
“The room on the left,” Addison pointed down the hallway. “The one next to your room.”
Jenna looked over Jackson’s shoulder and mouthed “help me” as she gave Addison a pleading look. When Addison sent her a fake puzzled look, she narrowed her eyes then mouthed “you better help me” and narrowed her eyes.
Addison hugged her own arms around herself, pursed her lips, and made kissing motions. “I called the hospital and they said you were okay.”
Jenna gave up as Jackson stepped into the bedroom then turned around, the quick move making her dizzy.
“Whatever you’re planning you better for
get about it right now, Addison.”
“Me? I’m not planning anything,” Addison stood back and watched as he put Jenna down on the bed.
Jackson sent a disbelieving look her way as he grabbed the edge of the blanket he had wrapped Jenna in, and with one strong tug, he sent her rolling across the bed. Naked, she came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the mattress, her arms and legs spread wide. An evil, satisfied chuckle left him as she squeaked with surprise.
Jenna covered herself, one arm hiding her breasts as her other hand covered her mound. “Jackson!”
“Relax, angel, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen a thousand times before,” Jackson told her as he swept his eyes over her lusciously curved body, stopping on a small tattoo at the top of her bare mound slightly above and to the left of where her slit began. Without thinking he tried to brush her hand away.
“Stop that.” Desperate to hide the tattoo from him, she turned onto her right hip, giving him a great view of her nicely rounded ass.
Grabbing the sheet, he tossed it over her, letting it billow into the air and slowly drift down as he watched her closely. Just before it settled over her, she slid onto her back. He dipped his head down beneath the sheet and got a good look at the tattoo. Realizing it was a replica of his brand, he felt just about every drop of blood in his body flood into his dick as he looked at Jenna.
Jenna blushed as she saw recognition in Jackson’s darkening eyes. Tying to distract him, she told him, “You may have seen a lot of lady parts but you’ve never seen mine.”
“Mine,” he said quietly, his voice raspy. “Everything on this land with that brand on it belongs to me.”
Jackson's Sub [The Doms of Club Mystique 2] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 4
