by Talty, Jen
Jasper coughed, then chugged his beer. “That just makes it worse, but if you must know, Derek stopped by.”
“What did he want?” she asked. Three times, Valerie had cornered her, begging her to be a bridesmaid at the wedding. Three times Ashley declined and informed her cousin that no way would she even attend.
Finally, Ashley had enough and tossed Derek’s affair in her face. For a second, Ashley thought Valerie might ask who the woman had been, and then Ashley would have seriously considered letting the cat out of the bag. Of course, the cat, as in Valerie’s sister, showed up at the tail end of the conversation, looking a little white around the edges.
This was not a good way to start a marriage. Secrets and lies only destroyed people.
“He babbled on about something that didn’t make much sense.” Jasper laced his strong fingers through hers, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.
“Can you be specific?” she asked.
“He doesn’t like Jasper, so he’s just trying to cause trouble. Nothing any of us should concern ourselves with,” her father said.
“I hate to say this because I’m enjoying the handsome men I’m sitting with, but I’m going to be glad when this weekend is over, and I don’t have to look at Derek, Valerie, or her sister.”
“On that note, I’m going to hit the hay,” her father said, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ve got an early flight.”
“I’ll walk you to the elevator,” Ashley said, before turning her attention to Jasper. It was odd how much she felt like she’d known him his entire life. Normally, she’d be uncomfortable having her father meet her boyfriend—was Jasper her boyfriend? “I’ll be right back, so don’t move.” Boldly, she cupped the side of his face, gazing into his rich eyes and giving him a quick kiss. His pupils widened slightly, which made her belly roll with that pitch of excitement right before a roller coaster plummeted down that first steep fall.
“I won’t move a muscle.” He stood, stretching his hand out to her father. “It’s been a real honor to see you again.”
“Likewise, but I’m guessing our paths will cross again soon.” Her father guided her from the pool area to the lobby. After the incident with Derek, it had taken her awhile to be able to look her father in the eye again. The shame and humiliation of having her naked body ogled over by the men under her father’s command still haunted her heart.
Her father had been telling her for the last ten years that she had nothing to be ashamed of. That she did nothing wrong and he’d never once been embarrassed by what she’d done, only by what Derek had done.
Which to her was one in the same. She’d let Derek take the pictures, so he’d have them for his private viewing while deployed. She doubted she’d been the first girlfriend of a soldier to do it. Even so, Derek had made it dirty. Pornographic.
And she hated him for it.
“I like Jasper. Why don’t you want to start something up with him?” her father asked, once inside the hotel lobby. “You make for a cute couple.”
“Honestly, Dad, yesterday was the first I’ve seen him in months, so don’t go calling him my boyfriend just yet.” Everything about Jasper made her want to take that leap of faith that he wasn’t a liar like Derek had been. But first, she’d need to see how things were when they got back to Lake George. It could be they were just caught up in a whirlwind moment and when they returned to real life, they could see where their relationship might go.
That was the biggest cop-out. Of course, there were sparks flying and had been since he showed up for his first physical therapy appointment.
Attraction didn’t make for a lasting relationship.
If she even wanted one.
Not to mention, Jasper had to decide what his next move would be with his career, and Albany might be only an hour south.
It wasn’t Lake George and she wasn’t about to give up her little slice of heaven.
“You said yet. I take that as sign of hope.”
“Don’t count on anything,” she said.
“He’s quite taken with you.”
She smiled. “I do like him a lot.”
“He’s one of the good guys, and if it helps, your father approves.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a man crush,” she said, as the elevator doors swung open.
Her father laughed. God, she loved that laugh. It was throaty and low, and when she’d been a little girl, she’d recorded it, so she could listen to it anytime he’d been deployed, and she’d been feeling sad.
“I love you, sweet girl.”
“I love you too, Dad.” She gave her father a long embrace before watching him step into the elevator. She stood there for a moment, collecting her thoughts. Jasper had a been a surprise in many ways. He made her feel whole again. Even when Derek showed his ugly head, Jasper’s presence gave her strength.
“You look deep in thought,” Jasper said from somewhere behind her, making her jump.
“Geez, you scared me.”
“Sorry, but I got worried you might not be coming back. You’ve been gone a long time.”
She rested her hands on Jasper’s shoulders. “Awe, feeling a little lonely?”
“That, among other things,” he said, his hands firmly planted on her hips as he brushed his mouth over hers so softly it tickled. “Where’s your father?”
“Went to his room, why?”
He didn’t answer. Instead he heaved her to his chest and kissed her again. This time with intent. His tongue swirled around in her mouth, searching for something in every crevice.
A few people walked by, their heels clicking on the floor. She knew she should pull away, but God, it felt so good to be in his arms. He drew her in like a dark sky that gave way to the bright stars and moon.
The elevator dinged.
She took that as a sign to head upstairs.
“Excuse me,” her father’s voice echoed.
Jasper pressed his cheek against hers. “Is that your dad?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
Her father tried to look mortified, but she saw the amusement in his eyes, and that meant the world to her.
“You forgot this,” Jasper said, not looking in her father’s direction as he pulled something from his back pocket, waving it in the air, keeping his face hidden behind hers.
“That’s what I came back down for.” Her father snagged the envelope from Jasper’s fingers, who buried his face in her neck. “You two have a good night.” Her father stepped back into the elevator and disappeared as the doors closed.
“That was embarrassing,” Jasper said, kissing her neck. “Want to take the stairs, giving him a chance to get to his room before we enter one of ours?”
“That’s a bit presumptuous, don’t you think?”
“Nope.”
She laughed. “Let’s go to your room.”
“Negative. I’m right next to your father.”
7
Jasper hadn’t meant to slam the door shut, but he couldn’t wait any longer. He pulled Ashley hard against his chest and crash-landed on her lips, as her hands clasped behind his neck.
Reaching under her ass, he hoisted her up, wrapping her hot legs around his waist. He took one step and twisted his knee.
He groaned as he stumbled but managed to keep his balance.
“Put me down,” she demanded.
He wasn’t going to argue, but he wasn’t going to let it ruin the night. He made it to the bed, laying her gently on her back as he slid his hands under her dress, tugging at her skimpy panties.
“Let me take a look at your—”
“Later,” he murmured, lifting her dress over her hips, exposing her perfectly shaven womanhood. He wasted no time in burying his face between her legs. He kissed and teased, enjoying her hands massaging his scalp.
“Jasper, really, your kn—oh, God.”
He smiled against her sweetness. His fingers and tongue probing, finding the places that made her toes curl.
&n
bsp; “You don’t play fair,” she whispered.
He was too busy to reply. He wanted her thoroughly satisfied before he even thought about his own pleasure.
Giving her gratification meant more than his own indulgence.
There had only been one other time in his life where everything changed on a dime and since then, his life had been smooth sailing.
Only he’d never realized how lonely his existence had become. He always believed that because he’d had his health and was out of his mother’s grip, life couldn’t get any better.
Then Ashley walked into his life and became the water he needed to stay alive.
Her body jerked as she fisted his hair, her legs clamping around his head. Her hips rolled with his hand as he slowly kissed the inside of her thigh, tracing a path to the back of her knee.
“Let’s get you out of this dress,” he said, tugging at the strap on her shoes.
A long moan escaped her lips. “Only if you get naked with me.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
Careful not to put too much pressure on his bum knee, he slowly undid the buttons on his dress shirt, staring down at her while she wiggled out of her dress. Her nude body sprawled out over the bed like an angel floating above the clouds. She rose to her knees, pulling out a few clips from her hair, letting it bounce over her perky breasts.
“I could get used to this view,” he said. His voice low and filled with deep desire. Her tanned skin glowed in the moonlight that busted through the glass of the window.
She took his hand and placed it over her breast.
He sucked in a deep breath as she reached inside his slacks, her warm fingers curling over his length.
“Could you get used to this?” Her deft hands undid his trousers. Lowering her head, she looked up at him, licking her lips, her hot mouth covering him like a well-fit glove.
He rocked back on his heels, staring at her. His chest rose up and down with each choppy breath, but his lungs never completely inflated with air.
His eyelids fluttered as the room blurred in the background. He had no idea what love felt like. His mother didn’t understand the word, and she didn’t have a loving bone in her body. The men that came in and out of her life she’d used for purely selfish reasons, and it wasn’t just about sex. His mother learned how to control men at a young age to get what she wanted, making her one of the most feared women in the drug world.
Even after he’d been freed from his mother’s horrifying grasp, he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to fall in love. Putting other people first became second nature after watching the way his mother treated those in her service, making the concept of laying down one’s life for a loved one an easy thing to do.
Except he never saw himself loving anyone. He figured it was just one more thing his mother had taken from him.
“Ashley.” He piled her hair on top of her head, tugging gently.
With her lips still coiled around him, she opened her mocha eyes, blinking wildly.
He eased her off him, cupping her chin. “You’re an amazing woman in so many ways.” After covering himself with protection, he rolled back, bringing her body over his like a blanket.
Their mouths melded together in the kind of deep, passionate kiss old lovers shared. It was familiar and yet filled with exploration of new sensations. Not only could he get used to this, he feared he’d die a long, slow painful death without her in his arms.
She pressed against his chest, raising her upper body as she lowered herself, taking him inch by inch, clamping herself around him like a warm cocoon. His muscles tensed as he took in a deep breath, focusing on remembering that he was a grown man, not a horny teenager unable to have any control over his ability to perform.
Her soft moans filled the room. Her hips rolled back and forth as she cupped her breasts. It took every ounce of energy he had to not explode.
He dug his fingers into her hips, forcing her to slow her movements, but it didn’t help. Raising up, he drew her nipple into his mouth, twirling his tongue over the hard flesh, biting gently, filling his mind with what his lips were doing.
Still didn’t help.
Reaching between them, he found her swollen nub, rubbing and pinching, hoping to bring her to climax again.
“Oh, Jasper,” she said, dropping her head on his shoulder, grinding harder and faster, her body jerking as heat poured out of her and onto him in a sea of passion, colliding with his climax as they both groaned, calling out each other’s name.
Nothing could have prepared him for a woman like Ashley and as she collapsed on top of him, breathless, he caressed her back, staring at the ceiling.
For months, he tried to get her to go out with him on one date. He had no idea what would’ve happened if they had, but in this moment, he wanted to believe that everything happened for a reason.
“I’m going to take the training job in Lake George,” he said as she rolled to her side, her leg and arm decorating his body.
“Is that what you really want?” She stared at him with her chin on his chest. Whenever he spoke, it appeared she hung on his every word. That what he said mattered in some deep, meaningful way and would somehow better her life.
“I want to be near you,” he admitted.
She blinked twice as her lips parted. “I don’t want you to make a decision based on me.”
“I’m not, but it does play a role in my thinking. I’ve loved living in Lake George. I know I’m more equipped to be an instructor. I know you’re worried about my knee, but I wouldn’t be doing half of what was required of me in my current position.”
“What about physical therapy? Are you going to continue?”
“Yes. Will you take me back?”
She kissed his chest. “I can’t if we’re going to give this a go. But I can recommend someone in my office that is as good as me.”
“Couldn’t I have private sessions?”
Her smile stole his breath.
“Of course, but I’d still want you to go see someone until it’s the best it can be.” She reached down, rolling her palm over his bad knee. “With this kind of swelling, it’s not anywhere near where it should be, and you’re overdoing it.”
“We’re in bed, naked, and you’re lecturing me on overdoing it?”
“Welcome to a relationship.”
He palmed her cheek, kissing her lips gently. “I had to fall into one eventually, I suppose.”
Ring. Ring.
They both jumped at the sound of the hotel phone.
“It’s close to midnight,” she said, pulling the sheet over her body.
“Let me get it,” he said, reaching over her body to get the phone. “But it’s my room. I better get it.”
He snagged the phone. “Too late. Hello?”
“Jasper, it’s Riggs. Sorry to bother you. I tried Ashley’s phone, but got nothing. We need to talk.”
“About?” Jasper swallowed while Ashley mouthed ‘who is it?’
“That information Derek gave me. Can you come to my room?” Riggs asked.
That couldn’t be good. “Sure. Give me ten.”
“Who was that?” Ashley asked, pulling the covers up to her chin.
“Your father. He wants to talk to me about what happened earlier with Derek.”
She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him.
He’d never talked about his past with anyone since he’d been given his new life. There had been no reason to. For all intents and purposes, Marcus Nuniez was dead and gone, but something told him that whatever Derek had slipped to Riggs had to do with his past life, which could bring his mother’s wrath down on everyone he’d come to care about.
“What happened with Derek? You and my father made it seem like it was him just being his douche bag self.”
“It was. But your father called your room looking for me. I think I owe him a conversation.”
She drew her lips into a tight line. “What aren’t you telling me? I can’t stand ly
ing. I won’t tolerate it.”
He couldn’t blame her for her reaction, considering. Though, how was she going to feel if she knew who he really was?
“I’m not lying. Derek implied that I was dangerous.”
“Why would he do that?”
Jasper hiked up his pants, before sitting on the edge of the bed. He had two choices. Lie and that meant he and Ashley didn’t stand a chance. But she’d be safe.
Or, he could tell her the truth, which meant that she’d say good-bye to him anyway. “There is one thing in my past that only half a dozen or so people know about.”
“Are you a danger to me or my family?” she asked, her dark eyes laden with concern.
“Not me personally, but my mother certainly is.”
8
Jasper finished buttoning his shirt as he hightailed it down the hallway. Riggs stood at the doorway, waiting.
“What’s going on?” Jasper asked as he stepped into the room.
“You’re not going to like this.” Riggs handed him a piece of paper with an old newspaper clipping of Marcus Nuniez’s obituary and a picture of his mother.
“Fuck,” Jasper crumpled the paper in his fist, hurling it at the window. It hit the glass with a ping before floating to the floor unceremoniously. Jasper folded his arms, staring out the glass into the dark night. The moon danced over the ocean. He always knew that one day this could happen, and he’d be plucked from his current life, and tossed into a new identify.
Only, he knew that would never work. Once he was outed, his mother would never stop searching for him and kill him with her own two hands.
He’d been barely seventeen when the FBI agent first approached him as he hung out with some friends, cutting school. The agent had told him he had two choices.
Help him nail his mother and get a new life, free and clear.
Or end up in jail with his mother.
The only thing Jasper had known for sure was that he’d already been forced to commit crimes that he could have served at least seven years for. None of his crimes included hurting anyone, but his mother was just waiting for the right time to add murder to his rap sheet.
