AJ's Salvation

by Sam Destiny

  "Aly hated the movies. She always had. The dark room, and the fact you don't have much privacy never suited her. She used to say that dates belong in an atmosphere where you can exchange deep, meaningful looks and secrets smiles. Taking her to dinner will work if it's a cozy restaurant. She hates show-off restaurants where you can't pronounce the meals and have a plate as big as the table without anything on it really. She's the fries-and-burger kind. And of course, you couldn't get her with the roses ... she likes them meaningful, and it must be a single rose or no roses at all. She loves colorful flowers. She ..." Jam actually stopped himself as he noticed how Spencer was looking at him.

  "Why did you ever leave her?"

  Jam laughed. "I never left her."

  "Oh," Spencer commented, paling. Just then, Jam realized how that sounded.

  "No, I mean that she and I never really were an item."

  "You have a child together." Shit, true. He hadn't even thought about that.

  "It was one night. She ... I ... this didn't exactly work out the way we wanted it, and she moved away anyway, so ... you know." Spencer's jaw dropped, and Jam made fists in his pocket.

  "You’re a real jerk. I guess that's what Aly needs to get off, huh? No wonder a nice guy like me couldn't get her in bed," Spencer taunted, and Jam wanted to punch him right there.

  "Watch your mouth, buddy. Alessia is an amazing woman. The thing between us is complicated, and I'm not going to try to explain it to you. I never planned for her to stay alone after she left. In fact, I was sure she had found someone by now, but it seems you just weren't the one for her. I bet you always asked her if it would be okay to kiss her, too." The way Spencer's eyes glittered with anger told Jam he had hit a spot. "Dude, you don't ask a woman you want if you can kiss her. You frame her face, draw her in, and then kiss her until she's gasping for air. Women want to be owned in certain aspects of life. Sweeping her off her feet won't happen with polite questions," Jam explained, wishing he could do exactly that to Aly now. He wanted to possess her and make her knees weak.

  "Yeah, or you give her a child and always tie her to you. Whatever you did, you certainly made her addicted to you. But you wanna know something? You aren't here to stay, so I guess there'll be a time when she'll need a shoulder to cry on, and I'll be there to come in—the hero on his white horse. She’s amazing, you’re right about that, and one day, she'll see I'm her safest bet," Spencer snapped, and Jam just wanted to reach out when a papery hand closed around his fist.

  "Young man, come and help me get those beans down the shelf, will you?" Jam looked at Dorly and then up at his son, who was still flipping through the magazines. When he focused back, Spencer was gone, and it was probably better that way, too.

  "Alessandro, come on," he called, and instantly, Lesso complied.

  "Hey, Dorly! You should have told us you needed something. We would have brought it," his son exclaimed, giving the elderly woman a hug.

  "I had no idea you two handsome men would be buying groceries today. Besides, I'm glad I'm here." She gave Jam a sharp look, and Jam pulled his shoulders up until they almost covered his ears, looking sheepish. "You do better if you stop antagonizing Alessia's friends," she went on, and Jam nodded.

  "I didn't mean to. He just made me so mad."

  Dorly just shrugged. "Because you worry he's right. You wanted to leave today, remember?" Jam knew that, no doubt, but he planned to come back.

  "You should’ve heard how he talked about Aly." Jam defended himself, and Dorly patted his arm while Alessandro kept putting stuff in her shopping cart.

  "Two of those, darling," the old lady told Alessandro and then looked back at him. "He's hurt, Jamison. He worked hard to get Alessia where he wanted and then you come in and she doesn't remember his name. Besides, I heard the way you talked about her, and I think that was enough to make anyone jealous," Dorly explained.

  "It doesn't matter. I should find him and apologize."

  "Nah, boy, no reason. He certainly needs to know that Alessia needs passion, not polite. Especially if you plan to leave her to him." She snuck a sidelong glance at him, but he didn't care. He didn't plan on anything besides getting home and cooking for her so he knew she was with him and no one else.

  Aly was beat. She had been on her feet all day, and as much as she had looked forward to spending the evening with Jam and Alessandro, she now wanted to crawl onto the sofa and read.

  She went around the back, wanting to feel the water around her feet and enjoy the calm for a few minutes before finally going inside. Laughter and music instantly greeted her, as well as a mouthwatering scent. Walking quietly to the kitchen, she watched how Jam and Alessandro danced through the kitchen. It was rap music, which made her want to cry out in protest until she realized that kids were in the song, too, and it was about astronauts and heroes. She had never heard it before, but the boys seemed to have the lyrics down already.

  Jam spotted her and held up his hand. “Everybody freeze!” Instantly, Lesso stopped, his hip cocked to the side. “Don’t turn around, but we’re being monitored,” he then explained, whispering to his son.

  “A woman?” Jam looked over Alessandro’s shoulder and then nodded. “Is she hot?”

  Jam looked at her again. “Pretty much,” he agreed.

  Lesso waved him off. “It’s just my mom. She won’t tell anyone we’re dancing,” her son decided and then turned to her, smiling. He wore an apron, just like Jamison, and she wanted to take a picture.

  Jam’s features softened as she picked up her son and placed him on the counter. “You look exhausted,” he commented and reached out. But she avoided his touch, bending down to tug at her son’s clothes. Philomena’s words stuck with her, and this was insane. Then again, this was Jam, the only guy she had ever wanted. And she was lonely. Very lonely. Who could blame her for wanting a little time in paradise? She could, and she knew she would regret it once Jam went back, but maybe, just maybe it was worth it. After all, wasn’t that saying ‘better loved and lost than never loved at all’?

  “I’m …” She trailed off because she wasn’t sure if she was mentally or physically exhausted anymore.

  “Champ, turn around,” Jam called, coming over to her.

  “You got it,” her son called, turning his back toward them. It took a second until Aly realized what Jam was aiming at, but by then he had already reached around her, bent her back a little, and grinned with mischief in his eyes.

  He was kissing her as if he hadn’t seen her in forever, tasting of rosemary and something sweet, then he stood, straightening her. “Hey,” he beamed, obviously feeling pretty proud of himself.

  “Oh, Jam,” she whispered. She wouldn’t be able to resist him. Ever.

  “Can I look again?” Lesso called, seemingly getting bored.

  “Sure thing. Rosemary. I want it,” she commented, catching her breath while biting her lip. Jam’s eyes got dark, and she wished they were back in high school. She wanted to be brave and talk to him. She didn’t want to give him any chance to turn her down. God, how she wished she had avoided Jam getting anyone else’s kid. She wanted him to be the father of her kids.

  “Champ, tell your mom what we cooked while I prepare the table,” Jam ordered and Alessandro nodded, taking her hand to lead her over to the stove. He could barely look into the pots, but he still pointed at them all.

  “We wanted you to have something you don’t get every night, so we cooked some steaks, made potatoes that we then … what was it called?” He scrunched up his face in thought. Eventually, he shook his head. “We threw them in butter and some green stuff that smells like Dorly’s candles. And we made salsifies. They look like asparagus, but they taste a lot better.” Alessia did a double take.

  “You tried them?” she asked in utter disbelief, and Lesso nodded.

  “And he liked them,” Jam interrupted, coming back in. “Wash up, we can eat.”

  Aly cleaned her hands alongside her son, making sure they were dry before they went to
the table. There was a candle burning. Jam had foregone the tablecloth, and she was thankful for that. Alessandro had a tendency to pull on the material and make everything tumble over.

  The food was incredible. The beef was soft on her tongue, just the right kind of cooked with only a little rosy color left. She hated blood and couldn’t eat anything that was still spilling onto her plate. The potatoes were well done and bite-sized. The mixture of herbs came off well, and she couldn’t get enough of it. Alessandro didn’t have any of the potatoes, which didn’t surprise her. He only ate them if they were fried and cut into wedges. She didn’t trust her eyes, though, as he had two helpings of the vegetables; the salsifies vanished quicker than she’d ever expected.

  She stayed silent while Lesso told her about his day at school and the way he and Tom had teased some younger girls.

  “I told him that was no way to treat a girl and asked him if he’d ever treat you that way. He promised he’d apologize to the girls tomorrow,” Jam assured her before she could say anything at all.

  “We weren’t really mean. We just pretended spiders were on their clothes,” Lesso pouted, but Jam just gave him a stern look. It was exactly what she would have done, and she liked that a lot. “I will apologize,” the boy promised then, and she sighed, pushing her plate away.

  “So about that movie.” She changed the topic, and the boys grinned at each other.

  “We picked,” Lesso started, looking expectantly at his father.

  “The Chronicles of Narnia,” Jam finished, and Aly’s jaw dropped.

  “Fairy tales?” She made sure she had heard right.

  “Mom, it’s a story with heroes and sword fights. Do you even know Narnia? There’s war in Narnia! Kids need to save the world.” She knew for a fact Alessandro didn’t know Narnia, so she guessed Jam had influenced him.

  “I’m gonna change into comfy clothes,” she announced, pointing at Jam to follow her.

  “Can you prepare everything? I need to wash my hands. I’ll clean the dishes once you two are in bed,” Jam said to his son, and Alessandro marched away while Jam followed Aly upstairs. In her bedroom, she moved to her closet.

  “Thank you. I don’t know what you did with my son, but I could’ve never convinced him to watch this. We’d discuss him wanting to see the Die Hard movies because all his friends have, and I’d get mad until he ended up walking straight to his room. And usually he just eats green beans and a little meat. I … thank you.”

  She reached for the hem of her shirt, waiting, but he just lifted a brow. “Turn around, I want to change,” she prompted, and he started to laugh. It made him look boyish and young, especially as he combed through his blond hair, giving him that ultra-sexy, just-out-of-bed look.

  “I’ve seen you in a bikini when you were still so young you didn’t need a top,” he commented, making her blush.

  “Turn. Around.” This time, it wasn’t a plea. He cocked his head before finally turning around. Aly did the same, just to make sure he wouldn’t have anything to see if he did decide to peek. Her heart was racing in her throat, so she decided she would talk some while changing. Opening her dress behind her back, she lowered her head.

  “I’m sorry for the disaster in the café today,” she whispered, being strangely aware of the fact that she was left standing in nothing but her underwear while her absolute dream guy stood across the room, staring at the door.

  He couldn’t remember what she talked about. In fact, Jam couldn’t even remember his own name as he looked over his shoulder at how Aly wiggled out of her dressed, pulling some sweatpants on. She pushed first her left, then her right leg into the material, giving him the perfect view of her ass.

  “I had totally forgotten about that meeting until my friend, Phil, picked me up this morning.” That actually got his attention; no matter how hot she looked bending even farther to put on some socks. Was Phil another one of her admirers?

  “She luckily kept a clear head all day.” She. Phil was a girl. Perfect, it meant he could go back to staring at her perfect curves without needing to worry. Aly just pulled her hair up into a messy bun, which seemed to be her favorite home look. She stared out the window while doing so, stretching with only her bra and sweatpants.

  “Those women were terrible. I mean I already thought it more than impolite that they couldn’t stop staring at you, but that they even stayed quiet the whole time? Please, who does that? Anyway, the moment you left, all hell broke loose. They …”

  She was babbling. The realization hit him right in the gut, and he had to take a deep breath. “Aly,” he interrupted, noticing that his voice sounded rough while his body seemed to move toward her of his own accord.

  “Yes?” she squeaked.

  “You’re rambling,” he told her and then saw how she drew in rapid, little breaths.

  “Well, you make me damn nervous. I haven’t been naked around a guy in forever, so excuse me if I’m worried that maybe I’m not attractive. Not that you’d know since you’re a gentleman who didn’t turn around to watch me change,” she snapped defensively.

  She had a top in her hand that she pulled over her head, but before it fully covered her upper body, Jam had placed his hand left and right on her ribcage, right below her bra. He stood behind her, and she drew in a sharp breath while she moved in so close that their bodies were touching. He lowered his head until his lips brushed the outer shell of her ear.

  “Every bit of you is perfect, Aly.” She bent her neck slightly, giving him access to her neck, and he let his lips wander down the side of her head. “Your legs are perfect. Your ass is perfect. Your shoulders are perfect. Your neck is perfect. Hell, even your anger is beautiful. You, Aly, are a dream. Besides, gentlemen are boring.” He nipped on her shoulder, feeling her tremble. He wanted her to a degree that scared him, especially as he had thought Collene had killed off every need to ever get naked with a woman again. Aly didn’t even need to try, and he was on the edge. “Gentlemen would’ve let this moment slip by unused when tasting your skin like that is –”

  “Mom, are you ever coming down again?” Aly jumped out of his arms, a flush working its way over her shoulders and up her neck.

  "Sure, baby, we’re coming. I'll be there in a minute." She was flustered, and Jam laughed silently. It was much too fun to watch her like this. Finally pulling that top down, she turned to him, heat in her eyes.

  "If he weren’t downstairs, Jamison Loane, you wouldn't be wearing those jeans much longer, boy. Now, move your pretty ass downstairs, so this girl here can take a minute to calm down," she fussed, pushing him toward the door.

  Jam walked downstairs, finding himself stomach to face with a ten-year-old who glared at him. "If you made her cry again, Dad, I'm not going to be happy," Alessandro promised, but before Jam could say anything, Aly came down the stairs.

  "I'm fine, baby," she promised, passing Jam on the stairs and walking into the living room with her son. The movie was set on pause.

  "Can I sit between Dad and you?" Alessandro asked Alessia, and Jam almost groaned as Aly nodded.

  "Of course," she told him, and he sat down, patting the spots to the left and right of him. Jam wanted to cuddle with both, not only his son, but he dutifully moved to Alessandro's side, smiling as Lesso instantly pushed himself closer to his side.

  Aly pulled up one leg as she sat down. They started the movie, and Jam could hardly believe how perfect this felt. Lesso commented on almost everything in the movie; a habit he seemed to possess ever since being small if you could believe Aly.

  Jamison found it hard to focus on the screen. If any of the teenage girl he once knew remained in Aly, she surely loved this movie. He watched her from the side, wishing he hadn't missed ten years with her, yet being glad she had been safe over the last decade.

  Reaching over the back of the sofa, he gently let his finger go up the side of her neck, seeing how she smiled and then moved a little closer so he could go through her hair. Without even looking at him, she pulled
the rubber band from her bun and shook out her waves. He finally returned his attention back to the movie, but he didn't stop caressing Aly. At one point, she kissed his palm, stealing a look at him.

  This was why men strived to have a family. This was a perfect moment of peace.

  Aly returned from tucking Alessandro in. He had fallen asleep between them, and she had carried him to bed because she hadn't seen enough of him that day. As much as she loved that Jam took the time for him, it was weird sharing her son with someone else, even if that person was his father.

  Jam was watching the final scenes of the movie, and Aly walked around the room, lighting some candles before she turned off the TV.

  "Hey, I need to know how it ends!" Jam protested, and she cocked her head, shaking it slightly.

  "You can do that some other time," she explained, settling down next to him again, facing him. Besides all the secrets he seemed to have, she didn't know much about him any longer. She guessed some stuff from the pictures Greg had sent her, but still, she wanted to know more. Plus, they needed to talk about what was between them because, as sure as she was that she was still in love with him, she had doubts about what he felt for her.

  "I know you said you came here because you needed to see that we're safe, but you could've left after seeing that. There was no need to talk to us," she started, not sure how else to approach the topic.

  "I said as well that I needed to see you and him," Jam reminded her, his voice cautious.

  "And you did that, too. I know you wanted to leave, and I begged you to stay, but Jamison, why did you really come? You've always been strong-minded. If you hadn't wanted to stay, I couldn't have convinced you. I know why I wanted to keep you here, but I can't figure out your motives."

  Jam lowered his gaze, taking a breath. "My affection for you is not as sudden as you think," he commented, and she sighed in exasperation.