Love Song Series Box Set

by Emily Minton

  “I’m on my way,” he says before the line goes dead.

  I slide my phone off and put it back in my pocket, hoping I’ve made the right decision. A large part of me thinks we should shield Jenny from this shit, but another part thinks Jenny needs to be part of this. It’s her family too, and she’s not a baby, even though I think of her as one. She’ll want to be here for her momma. She’ll want to take care of Julie. Right now, Julie needs all the care she can get. Just as I turn to walk back in the house, Mack walks out the door.

  “Son, we need to talk.” I hate that he always talks to me like I’m a damn kid. I’m thirty-one years old, and I’m not his fucking son. I sigh a little, but figure I deserve whatever shit he’s getting ready to throw at me.

  “I know you love her. She loves you too. I think you’ll do right by her this time. With that said, you need to know that if you hurt her again, I’ll cut off your dick and shove it up your ass.”

  I’m not really sure, but I think that was Mack’s ass-backwards way of saying he trusts me. “I won’t hurt her again. I promise you that. I can’t. If I lose her this time, it’ll kill me.”

  He looks at me for a moment then sticks out his hand. “Enough said. Let’s get inside and take care of our women.”

  We walk through the back door just as Matty comes through the front door. Kristen goes right to him, and he wraps his arms around her. He places his mouth near her ear, and I can see him whispering to her. Then he raises her face to his and places a soft kiss on her lips. What the fuck?

  Julie comes over and puts her arms around me. She leans forward on my shoulder and whispers, “See, I told you there was never anything between Matty and me.” She’s right. If I ever had any doubt in my mind about Matty and Julie, it’s gone now.

  I stay quiet, wrap my arms around her, and give her a little squeeze.

  Julie looks up, her face full of concern. “What do you think is taking so long?”

  “I don’t know, baby, but I do know that Brandon’s strong, so don’t worry yet. Just wait for them to call. We’ll worry then if we have to.” I kiss her on the forehead and hope to God that it won’t come to that.

  Pop and Shane arrive a few minutes later, with Shane carrying a sleeping Jenny in his arms. We all spend the next four hours pacing, drinking coffee, and trying to keep the women calm. When the phone rings, everyone goes still. I think we’re all afraid to pick it up, terrified about what we may hear.

  Finally, Angie answers, ”Hello?”

  Chapter 19

  Julie

  Brandon will be in the hospital for a while. After he’s released, his military career is over. He’s coming home with a piece of metal floating around in his chest, but at least he’s coming home. The doctor says one wrong move and Brandon could die. A big part of me wants to cry, but I know what could have been, and I’m just thankful he’s coming home at all.

  There were five other soldiers in the Humvee with him. All of them were friends of Brandon’s, and all five of them died. My brother is just lucky that he was tossed from the vehicle, away from the majority of the devastation of the bomb. So right now, I’m thanking my lucky stars that my brother is alive.

  Jase and I left Uncle Mack’s a few minutes after the military representative called. I just couldn’t stand to be around everyone. I felt like I was being smothered. Everyone kept asking me if I was okay. Did I need anything? Could they get me something to eat or drink? They kept hugging me and telling me how much they loved me. It was all just too much. I wonder if this is how Jase felt after his mom passed away.

  “Is this how you felt?”

  He cuts his eyes to me before looking back at the road. “What are you talking about?”

  “After your mom died, did you feel like I was smothering you?”

  Instead of answering my question, he asks one of his own. “Is that what I’m doing? If it is, just let me know. I want to be here for you, but I don’t want you to feel boxed in.”

  Boxed in, yeah, that’s a good way to describe it. “It’s not you, but everyone else was treating me with kid gloves. They have been since I got home, but tonight was worse.”

  “They love you, Julie. They just want to be there for you.”

  Staring out the window, I try to think of a way to explain how I’m feeling. “I know they do, but I need for them all to treat me normal again. I just want to be the Julie I used to be, not the woman they all feel sorry for.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Huh?” I ask, looking back at him. “What?”

  “That’s how I felt after Mom died. I felt like everyone was watching me, waiting for me to break. I fucking hated it.”

  “I’m sorry I treated you that way.”

  He ignores my apology, turning the truck right when we should have turned left. I figure he’s probably taking me to get something to eat, but that’s the last thing I want right now. “I’m not hungry, Jase. I just want to go home.”

  “We’re not going to get something to eat. I’m taking you to our place. You need some rest, and you’re not going to get it at your house with Jenny running around all over the place.” I want to correct him. I want to tell him that he’s taking me to his apartment, not ours, but I’m too tired to argue.

  “Jenny went back home with your dad.”

  “Yeah, but he’s going to bring her back after he takes her to get something to eat, so I’m taking you to get some sleep. I already talked to Bethany. She’s heading back to the house, so, she’ll watch Jenny when Pop drops her off.”

  Right now, sleep sounds amazing, so I just close my eyes and lean my head against the window. Within minutes, I’m out.

  I wake up in the bedroom I used to share with Jase. Everything’s the same, absolutely the same. The book I was reading the night before I left is still sitting on the bedside table. The picture of us at my senior prom is still on the wall. It’s all too much, bringing my past back at me full force. I shut my eyes for a second, trying to block out my thoughts of Jase and me together in this very room.

  After a moment, I realize shutting my eyes isn’t helping. The memories are still playing in my head, so I open my eyes and take the room in once more. Then I notice the sunlight bouncing off something on the dresser. I get out of bed and walk over to it. It’s Jase’s grandpa’s dog tags. Picking them up, I run the cool metal across my cheek.

  “I never put them back on. They weren’t mine anymore, so it didn’t feel right wearing them. I’ve kept them right there, waiting on you to come back,” Jase says from the doorway. He walks over to me, takes the dog tags from my hand, and slides them over my head. “This time, they stay on forever.”

  I place my hand on the cool metal of the dog tags and smile. I love the way they feel around my neck. The weight of them makes me feel whole again. “I’ll never take them off again.”

  Jase brushes his lips against mine lightly, then deepens the kiss as he lifts me into his arms. He carries me to the bed and lays me down gently, covering my body with his, while his lips glide across my cheek and down my neck. He flicks his tongue out, gently teasing the sensitive hollow at the base of my neck. I tilt my head back, giving him better access, which he takes full advantage of, covering every exposed inch with tender kisses and gentle nips with his lips and teeth.

  While his mouth is busy tantalizing my senses, his hand slips up my shirt until his fingers cup my breast, kneading the weight of it in his work rough hand. The scrape of hard earned callouses adds an extra layer to the pleasure he’s coaxing from my body. Quiet moans fall from my mouth, and I rake my nails down his bare back. Just as my hands skate across his shoulder blades, he pinches my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, causing my nails to dig into his muscle.

  Jase pulls my shirt from my body, leaving me in my barely there panties. His lips find my sensitive nipple and pull it into his mouth with gentle suction, while his hand continues itsassault on my other breast. “Oh, Jase,” I moan. My nipples are so sensitive I can hardly stand t
he pleasure. I thread my fingers through his hair, both pushing his mouth closer and pulling him away at the same time. I desperately want more, but the pleasure is just too much.

  After what feels like an eternity, Jase leaves my breasts with one last lash of his tongue against my peak then licks his way down my body, dipping his tongue into my belly button. Lightly, he runs his finger across my C-section scar and looks up at me a question in his eyes.

  “I had to have a C-section with Jenny. Our girl was stubborn from the start. She was breech, and nothing the doctors did could convince that girl to flip over.”

  Jase’s eyes fill with sadness and regret, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” His tone is full of apology, and the guilt I feel for denying him that right fills me with grief.

  We missed so much because of our mistakes. The feel of his lips moving across my scar, kissing every inch of the mark that gave us Jenny, causes my breath to hitch and tears to burn behind my eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you the chance to be there,” I confess.

  “It’s done now, baby. Time to live in the present and build our future,” he says, kissing his way down to my core.

  I can tell he’s determined to savor this moment, but I don’t want slow and gentle. I need him deep inside me, consuming me. I need him to chase away the past, and to do that, I want his cock. I tug his hair gently, urging him back up my body.

  “Come here, Jase.”

  With a shake of his head, he states, “No, baby. I’m going to taste you first. I’m going to lick this pretty pussy, and you’re going to come on my face. Then and only then will I fill you with my cock.”

  “But, I want you.”

  “No. First you come in my mouth, and then you can come around my cock.”

  Before I can respond, he sucks my clit into his mouth as two of his thick digits push into my wet heat. I push myself up into his mouth while desperately riding his fingers, seeking the pleasure only he can bring. He alternates between nibbling my clit between his teeth and laving it with his tongue, his fingers a constant massage against my walls. My entire being is overwhelmed. I know I won’t last at this rate, and from the way Jase is skillfully working me over, I can tell he’s just as desperate for me. He hooks his fingers, so each push and pull rubs against my g-spot, and redoubles his efforts on my clit, sucking it harshly. My hips push into his mouth desperately. My moans of pleasure have turned into nonsensical pleading.

  “That’s right, baby. Come for me. Let me taste you.”

  I’ve never been able to hold back when Jase talks dirty. My orgasm barrels down on me, my entire body stiffens as wave after wave courses through me. While I’m lost to my release, Jase loses his jeans and is over me once again. The heat of his length rubs through my slick folds, causing my body to jerk from the sensation when his cockhead makes contact with my over-stimulated clit. I lift my mouth to his and take his lips in a passionate kiss. Finally, he lines himself up and sinks into my pussy. After a few languid thrusts, he flips us so I’m on top. I push myself up so I’m sitting, the motion pushing his cock deeper than I can ever remember feeling him. My mouth drops from the intensity in a soundless moan.

  “You feel so fucking good. I swear your pussy was made just for my cock.”

  His words entice my hips to rotate, grinding him deeper still. I lean back, using his thighs to hold me up, while I ride his cock.

  “Fuck, look at how you swallow my cock.”

  My eyes follow his line of sight, and my walls clench from the erotic view of seeing him disappear inside of me. Seeing how our bodies meld together amplifies my pleasure, and I rotate my hips faster, starting a rhythm that will have us both tipping over the edge quickly. I throw my head back, losing myself in the moment. He pulls me back in the moment by pushing his thumb against my clit, and the pressure has my eyes rolling into the back of my head and my breath hitching.

  “So fucking hot,” he proclaims as my pussy starts fluttering around him, indicating my release. Suddenly, the world is tilting and spinning off its axis. When it’s stopped moving, I realize it was Jase flipping me to my back.

  He thrusts into me hard and fast, his lips on mine, devouring me. I’m holding onto his arms for dear life, terrified that if I let go, this moment will fade away like a wonderful dream. I know my nails are probably hurting him, he’ll have marks for sure, but I can’t let go. With one last thrust, he empties himself inside of me, and the warmth from his release tips me over the edge into bliss. Pulling away slightly, he rests his forehead against mine while we both attempt to catch our breath.

  “I love you, Jules. I love you so fucking much.”

  I hold him on top of me, wrapping my leg around his so he isn’t tempted to move away yet. My pussy still clenches around his cock as I come down from the heights of my orgasm. He grinds his hips, causing me to groan. “Baby, you keep doing that shit with your pussy, and you’ll kill me for sure,” he teases.

  The look on his face is priceless, and I burst out in a fit of giggles. I haven’t felt this free in forever. No matter what we have to face, I’m certain we will be just fine.

  “I love you, Jase.”

  “And I love you, baby. Always.”

  Jase

  We lay quietly for a while, my arms wrapped around her. I’m just about to fall asleep when I hear Julie’s voice.

  “I need to get home to Jenny,” Julie says through a yawn. “She’s probably up by now.”

  “Okay, baby. You want to hit the shower first? I’ll wash your back, if you wash mine.” I smile and give her ass a squeeze.

  She giggles and swats my hand. “I don’t have any clean clothes, but you can take a shower now. I’ll grab one when I get home.”

  “There’s stuff in the closet. It’s your old shit, a few things I found around the house after you left. It’ll do until we get you home.” I run my hand over her stomach, resting it on top of our child.

  Julie pulls back and looks at me. “You kept my stuff. I saw some of it, but...” She looks around the room, slowly taking in all of the things she left behind. “Why would you keep all my things for so long?”

  “I always hoped you’d come home, so I never got rid of anything. Hell, even that basket of crafty shit you used to work on all the time is still sitting right beside the couch.” I lift up on my elbow and give her a gentle kiss. “Having all your stuff around made me feel closer to you.”

  Julie has a funny look on her face. She probably thinks I’m some kind of whack job. I know it sounds fucked up, but I needed her things near me. Shane and Matty have been on my ass forever about packing up all her shit, but I just couldn’t do it. Getting rid of her stuff seemed like giving up on her. That was something I wasn’t willing to do.

  “What did all your women think about that?” she asks quietly.

  Shit, I should have known she’d think I’d brought a ton of bitches here. My own brothers didn’t believe me when I told them about the ‘no whores in the house’ rule. I even questioned why I did it a time or two, but now I’m glad I never had anyone in our bed.

  “You’re the only woman that’s ever been in this bed, Julie.” She gives me a look that says she thinks I’m lying. “I swear, baby. Yeah, I fucked around a lot, but I’ve never brought any woman here but you. This is our place. It’s where we were happy together. I just couldn’t taint it with that shit.”

  I hope like hell she believes me because I meant every damn word I just said. I can’t let any more history fuck things up for us, not now that I finally have her back. I’m not sure what the look on her face means, but I hope to hell that her eyes tearing up is a good thing.

  Julie brings her lips to mine. “Did I mention how much I love you?” she whispers into my mouth. She kisses me, kisses me in a way that makes my dick hard again. She pulls away and crawls from the bed, then walks toward the bathroom door, buck-ass naked.

  “Thought you wanted a shower?” she says over her shoulder.

  Hell yeah! I jump out of the bed and smil
e all the way to the bathroom.

  Chapter 20

  Jase

  I cut off the truck after pulling into the parking lot. Looking over at Julie, staring out the window, my mind tries to come up with something to say to make her feel better. “Babe, he understands why you can’t be there.”

  It’s been almost three weeks since Brandon’s accident, and he’s getting better every day. The Army flew him into a military hospital in California two days ago, where he’s going to spend the next few months receiving physical therapy. Mack and Angie left to visit him this morning. Julie wanted to fly out there with them, but her doctor didn’t think it was a good idea. Her blood pressure has been running a little high, not bad, but enough to make me worry. The doctor says he doesn’t think it’s anything to be concerned about, but he still doesn’t want her flying across the country.

  She turns her head toward me and nods. “I know he does, but I still wish I was there.”

  She’s been real antsy, knowing he’s back in the states, so close, yet she can’t go to him. I need to distract her to help take her mind off everything. That’s why I’m taking her out. Plus, I want to talk to her about moving in with them. I have no idea how that will go down. To be honest, I’m terrified she’ll say no, but I’ll still try.

  After climbing from the truck, I walk to her side and open the door. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

  She grabs my hand and climbs from the truck. As we walk toward Mario’s Italian Restaurant, I run through all the things I plan to say to her. I have to convince her to let me move in. I want to be with Julie and Jenny all the time, but that’s not all of it. That fuckwad, Dean, has been calling her and Bethany all the time. They’ve had to change their numbers more than once, and the police are doing nothing to stop him. Both women are on edge, and I’m starting to worry about them being there on their own.

  As we step inside, Julie leans into my side. “We didn’t have to come here. I would have been happy eating pizza and watching Monsters Inc. with Jenny.”