by K. Webster
He pulls away from our kiss and rests on his palms on either side of my head caging me in. Our eyes meet as he thrusts slowly, almost lazily into me. I love the intensity he stares at me with. That although his gaze is heated and borderline scary with need, the love and protectiveness over me shines through, comforting me.
“I’m fucking you, Nadia Jayne. It will always be me.”
I nod and stare into his beautiful orbs that let me peek at his good soul. If I were capable, I’d climb inside of him and cocoon myself with his love.
“Touch your clit while I fuck you. I want to watch you come all over my dick, pretty girl.”
His words ignite a match within me and I eagerly slide my fingers between us. My sensitive bundle of nerves is throbbing with the need to come and I’m all too happy to help out the cause. Me, touching myself, while he devours me with his hungry gaze has me soon writhing beneath him.
“Look at me when you come, beautiful. Say my name when you do it.” His commands are breathy and hoarse. He’s barely hanging on by a thread. I crave to yank at it and unravel him forever.
“Oh, God,” I murmur as the exhilarating sensation of an orgasm born by love begins to spread like wildfire.
“Say. My. Name,” he grunts, his thrusting becoming more powerful.
“Donovan!”
The second I cry out his name, I am sucked into the vortex of an all-body consuming orgasm. Years of stress and pain, melt away as pleasure and love whip around me. His heat floods through me as he too loses himself and his thrusting slows until he all but collapses on my weakened body. We lie conjoined, our bodily fluids mixing together as if they were created to do so, and remain motionless. Our heavy breathing is the only indication we’re both still alive and here on this earth.
“Te amo.” My words are soft and but a whisper.
But he hears them.
Even with time and space and questions separating us, I felt like he always heard me, especially during the worst of times. Times I’d been a victim of Logan’s brutality. It was always Donovan cutting through the haze of my hate and pain. He was the voice of reason. My comfort. My sanctity.
“I love you too, baby,” he murmurs, his face buried somewhere in my hair.
I smile and run my fingernails up and down his shoulders.
“Donovan?”
He lifts up and regards me with a lazy smile I want to lick. “Yeah?”
“Will you marry me?”
His laughter fills the room and warms my soul. “Crazy girl, you’re not supposed to be the one asking.”
I pout when he slides out of my body and climbs off the bed. His ass, all firm curves and muscle, tightens as he strides over to the dresser in the room. He opens it and retrieves a small blue box I recognize as Tiffany’s. I’m going insane with need to see what’s inside but he disappears into the bathroom. When he returns, the box is gone but he’s carrying a wet cloth. He’s already wiped himself clean so when he sits down on the edge of the bed, he gently wipes away any remnants of our lovemaking from me.
I’m antsy and can’t sit still any longer. “What was in the box?”
He flashes me a smile. “Before you disappeared, I bought you this.” His palm reveals a dainty solitaire diamond ring. It’s not flashy or gaudy but it’s not small by any means. It seems perfect.
“You held on to it all this time? Without knowing if I’d ever come back?” I question with tears welling in my eyes.
He grasps my hand and slides it on my ring finger. “I knew if I could ever get my hands on you, you’d let me put this ring on you too. Just had to find you first.” His wink has my heart fluttering around in my chest.
I admire the ring and beam at him. “I love it. But…”
He scowls and it’s so cute. “But what?”
“Won’t people think we’re crazy? You marrying your stepdaughter? Like you used to worry about?”
His hand tugs mine and he brings it to his lips. He kisses the knuckle above the ring he just gave me. “Fuck those people. Since when do we care? It’s always been the Donovan and Nadia show. If they can’t accept us, they can fuck off.”
I sit up on my knees and attack him with a kiss. I’m straddling him with him inside of me again before my next breath.
“Fuck me, Daddy,” I tease with a wicked glint in my eyes. “And then tomorrow take me to the courthouse and marry me.”
He slaps my ass with both palms and urges me to ride him faster. His teeth find my tit and he bites down. When I moan, he chuckles. “Anything for you, dirty girl.”
I fucking love Donovan Jayne.
A lot can change in three weeks. In my life, everything changed. The dark burden I’ve carried for nearly ten long years has been lifted. Every single day, I find her, my sweet baby sis, in my kitchen cooking breakfast. I still have to rub the sleep out of my eyes and pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.
“Uncle Kasper? Can you stay home and play Minecraft with me?” Tay questions from the bar while he watches his mother flip bacon.
I walk over to him and ruffle his light brown hair. He’s a cute little kid, even if he does look mostly like Logan and is a painful fucking reminder of what transpired to bring him into this world. Kase hasn’t recounted what happened in detail to me, but I’ve read her testimony. Rape. Torture. Physical abuse. All things Nadia suffered from as well. Although, once Nadia came along, my sister was spared from almost all of that.
A pang of guilt washes over me. I still haven’t spoken to Nadia like I want. There’s so much I need to say to her.
“Sorry, little man. I’m swamped up at the station. Maybe you, your mom, and your sister could come visit me for lunch, though. We could go to that diner you like so much where the chicken nuggets are shaped like dinosaurs.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Will Ames be there?”
My heart swells at the mention of my girlfriend, that’s what she is despite her eagerness to not “label” what we are. “She meets me every day. I know she’ll be glad to see you again. When I talked to her on the phone last night, she said she had a geode for you.”
His nose scrunches up. “What’s a geode?”
“It’s a rock. Kind of ugly on the outside but beautiful on the inside. She says it’s purple. Do you like purple?”
He nods, a toothy grin spreading across his cute face.
“Eat up, sweetie,” Kase says and sets a plate full of scrambled eggs with a side of fruit and bacon in front of him.
When he starts eating, she finds her way into my arms. I hug her to me. My sister is finally here. After all this time, I’m still completely fucked in the head over this.
“Any plans for the day, little bit?” I question, my voice hoarse with emotion.
She nods and pulls away to dish up more food on a plate. “Mom is going to come over and see the kids for a bit. She looks better than I remember.”
“Now that Dale’s out of the picture, she’s finally getting her life put back together.”
I accept the plate and sit down to eat. We’re all quiet, each of us lost in thought. I’ve made sure Kase and Tay have been put into counseling—the best our city has to offer thanks to Donovan. They go twice a week and I hope it’s helping. Tay seems like your typical seven-year-old. But Kase sometimes walks around with a glazed over look in her eyes.
If I ever speak out against Logan, she completely shuts down. Ames tells me you can’t help who you love…even if that person is a psycho prick. And unfortunately Kase loved Logan in some warped way. He did father her two children but I don’t see how she feels anything in her heart for him.
Once breakfast is over and I’ve kissed them all goodbye, I head out to my Camaro. Again, thanks to Donovan, I haven’t been bombarded by the media or nosy citizens. Apparently, his umbrella of protection really does cover my family too. When our story first hit the news, this town was a goddamned circus. But Donovan coordinated a one-day media event with CNN. He and Nadia handled the interviews, giving the media some
thing to sink their teeth into, which kept them away from my family. All requests and correspondence goes through him. In a nutshell, they all stay the fuck away from me, my sister, her kids, and my girlfriend. I’m not complaining and am thankful for Nadia’s bravery.
Today, the air is extra brisk. A snow storm is on the horizon. Tay’s never seen snow so I’m hoping he’ll get his wish.
I sink into my seat and fumble with my music. Once I’ve turned on “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, I put my car in drive and cruise toward the station. It still feels weird sitting in Logan’s office. I’m interim Chief until Mayor Dunaway officially appoints the position to me. With good music starting my day, the drive to the station is a quick yet relaxing one. The stress I used to carry with me is no longer present. Soon, I’m hustling into the building to escape the freezing ass wind.
“Mr. Jayne is waiting to see you,” Lena says as I enter.
I nod my head and stride down the hallway. Sure enough, Donovan leans against the doorframe of my office. “Hey man,” I say as I unlock my door. “What’s up? Any word from Logan’s attorney?”
Our biggest concern is Logan tearing the lid off what happened with Frank’s death and the cover up that followed. Since Logan broke federal laws that also implicated some local judges and his case is such a high profile one, the Supreme Court took the case. He’s being held in a maximum-security penitentiary in Florence, Colorado until his hearing. With five counts of kidnapping, five counts of attempted murder, two counts of non-consensual sexual acts using violence or force including non-consensual sex with a minor, multiple counts of racketeering, and the countless laws he broke while in his employment as a government official, he’ll no doubt be put away for life. Donovan and I both hope they’ll execute him by lethal injection but our attorney says he hasn’t done anything hefty enough to warrant that judgment.
“Actually,” he grunts as he follows me into the office. “Yes.”
I shed my coat and then take my seat. “What is it?” Anxiety swells in my chest. Donovan has the best attorney this side of the US but I still worry. He doesn’t deserve to go to prison. Nadia and Van need him.
He tugs a folded piece of paper from his pocket and pushes it toward me. I frown as I pick it up to read it. The outside has Donovan’s name scrawled in Logan’s familiar handwriting.
Donovan,
I know you don’t understand my reasons and you hate me for everything I did to the woman you love. I’m not about to explain myself to you or anyone else. But, I’m betting you’re sweating it right now. Wondering what I will tell them about the past. Here’s the deal... We may not be friends right now. And we certainly haven’t been for a while. Yet, that night, you were my brother. That night, I’d have done anything for you. I did do everything for you. I have no regrets and like we vowed outside Len’s Tatt shop all those years ago, we take it to our grave. My tattoo reminds me each day of that. Just like your brother’s name we both have inked on us. You have my word.
Harmony after annihilation.
I hope you have finally found the harmony you had your sights set on. Please take care of my children. And Kasey is your responsibility now. Look after her. Taylor would have wanted you to carry that torch since I’m no longer able to.
PS – I never would have allowed them to drown…
Logan
I read the note three more times before I look up at him. His jaw clenches and his eyes darken.
“I guess we have our answer,” I say with a huff. “But my sister isn’t some burden. I’ll take care of her, Donovan. You have your hands full with your family.”
He carefully folds the letter once I give it back to him and tucks it in his front pocket. “I will always make sure you guys are taken care of. That’s what family does for one another.”
I laugh and can imagine Taylor looking down on us with a triumphant smile on his face. “Is that what we are? We’re one big pretty fucked up family then, huh?”
He chuckles. “That we are.”
“It’s snowing!” a cheery voice chirps from my doorway.
I lift my gaze and lock eyes with Nadia’s molten chocolate ones. I’ve never seen the girl smile so much in her life. She’s happy. Truly fucking happy. And that makes my heart swell.
“Tay’s going to be thrilled,” I say as I stand and grab my coat. “Do you care if I steal your wife for coffee?”
Donovan darts a questioning look at Nadia and she nods.
“Just drop her off at the lodge when you guys are done. I have some work to get caught up on,” he agrees.
He draws her to him and kisses her lips so gently, as if he thinks she’s made of glass. Their love is thick and palpable and fills the space around us. A month ago, I’d have said it was perverted and sick, considering their age difference and what he was to her when he was married to her mother. But like Ames says, they’re in love. And I’m jealous of that kind of love. I wonder if Amethyst and I will have anything remotely as intense one day. With the way things ignite anytime we’re near each other, I’d say we have a pretty good shot.
“Coffee, huh?” Nadia questions as I usher her out the door. “Is this where you kidnap me? I’ve gotta say…been there, done that. You’ll have to do better than that.”
I roll my eyes. “Not funny.”
She laughs as we head to my car and I find myself laughing too. Once we get inside my warm car, I hand her my iPhone.
“Play something good,” I say with a growl.
She bites the end of her glove and tugs it from her hand. As if she knows which song she’s searching for, she scrolls down through my selection. This. Our love for the same kind of music. That’s Donovan’s doing. He pushed that shit on everyone.
Carly Simon’s husky voice fills the car as she sings “You’re So Vain.” I cut my eyes to Nadia and her face is bright red as she giggles. She forces me to endure her over the top, loud-ass, off-key singing of that song as she uses the iPhone as her microphone to sing it to me the entire way to the coffee shop. When it ends, I flip her off.
“You’re a dick.”
She swats at me. “I learned it from watching you.”
We both smirk as I pull into the Mocha Bean, a quaint little coffee shop on Main Street. This is what’s so weird between us. I like her. I truly like her. She’s funny and selfless. When Kase breaks down crying, Nadia is over at my apartment in like eight minutes flat. I can’t help but love her for how she loves my sister. Their friendship had been brief and budding that first day before Kasey was taken but they picked right back up the day Nadia was forced down into that basement too. Their bond is tighter than mine and Kase’s is and we’re siblings. I’m thankful for Nadia. So fucking thankful.
Once we’re settled on a low comfy couch with a steamy cup of coffee each, I turn to regard her. She’s so serene and settled. It’s a good look on her. Her wedding ring glistens in the warm light. I still can’t believe she and Donovan went down to the courthouse and got married a couple of weeks ago on a whim. It was a surprise to everyone.
“Where’s Van?” I question.
She beams. Pride and adoration paint her pretty features. “With Mamá. She came over to the lodge this morning so Donovan and I could run some errands. He loves her so much.”
I grin back at her. Guilt, the ever present emotion, though, floods through me. Letting out a sigh, I narrow my eyes at her. “Nadia, we need to talk.”
She pats my knee and sets her mug down. “Water under the bridge, Kasper.”
I shake my head and run my fingers through my hair in frustration. “No, we need to talk about this. I’m sorry. For everything. I hated you for so long. Blamed you for something that was out of your control. It was fucked up. I’m fucked up.”
Her gaze hardens and she purses her lips together. “Your sister was stolen from you and I was the only witness. It’s understandable.”
I huff and set my mug down on the table beside hers. Taking her hand in mine, I squeeze it gently. “It was over t
he top. I turned into a fucking monster. Every day I thought up new ways to fuck up your life. To ruin you. Hell, I even tried to use you for sex. Don’t you see what an asshole I was?”
She arches up a dark eyebrow and smirks. “Was?”
I chuckle and roll my eyes. “I’m being serious. I kissed you. Put my hands on you. It wasn’t right, Nadia. I took advantage of you.”
“You weren’t the only one with guilt. When Kasey and I plotted on how we’d get out of our prison, we discussed in great detail how we’d involve you. I was prepared to sleep with you and make you fall in love with me if it meant you finding a way to get us out of there. We all played parts that we’re ashamed of.”
I groan. “I just feel so stupid. So fucking blind.”
“It is what it is. I have only ever loved one man and you only carried hate for me. It would have been awkward and weird even if we had gotten the chance. Luckily, you’re good at your job and put together the pieces before I was forced to see your ‘monster.’ That’s Ames’ cross to bear, thank God.”
Heat floods through me. I’m going to kill my girlfriend. “What the fuck, Nadia?”
She bursts into a fit of giggles earning us a glare from a college student studying at another seating area. “Who names their cock ‘monster’ anyway? Is it hideous or something?”
I yank my phone out and text Ames.
Me: You’re in so much fucking trouble, Lames.
When Nadia finally calms down, she sips her coffee and turns her twinkling brown eyes on me. “Thank you, Kasper. Thanks for seeing past your hate for me and being open to a bigger, invisible story. Without that, I could still be under Logan’s hateful thumb and they would still be down there.” Her smile falls and tears well in them. “You saved us. So quit your shit about feeling guilty. You’re my friend and if Donovan ends up traveling next month for an acquisition in California, I’m going to need someone to go see Aerosmith with. I can’t even take my best friend. Kasey likes country. Country!”
We both shudder at that dirty word.
“Okay,” I extend my hand to her.
