Noah is waiting for me in the living room wearing a black shirt, black pants, and a Batman cape. Can’t fault the kid for having awesome superhero style.
“Alright, Batman. Let’s go save the world.”
Noah and I return from the store about two hours later just as Elle and Kennedy are getting out of bed.
“Welcome back,” Elle greets us as Noah runs into the house like he hasn’t seen his mother for days. “What did you all get?”
“We’ll talk about it later. How about I make everyone breakfast and you can take a bath or shower or whatever you do to relax?”
Elle surprises me as she walks over and wraps her arms around my waist and rests her chin on my chest. I wouldn’t have pegged her to show this kind of affection in front of her kids, but I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Are you suggesting I spend a non-concrete amount of time in the shower, merely soaking in the warm water, without fear that my children will run out into my asshole neighbor’s yard and bug him?”
“Yes, that is what I am suggesting.”
“And what about the asshole neighbor?” she asks as she raises one of her eyebrows in a mocking glare.
“He may just find a way to keep the kids entertained for a while and join you.”
“Ah, yes. That would definitely be an asshole move.” She rises on her tiptoes and moves her hands to my shoulders so that she can whisper in my ear. “Maybe I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
This sexy side of Elle leaves me speechless, and as she steps away, she trails her hand down my chest and across my cock restrained in my jeans. I hear the door click to the bathroom and I take a moment to readjust myself before turning my attention to the kids perched on the barstools.
“Alright, who wants pancakes?” I ask and I’m answered with the high-pitched squeal of the kids in acceptance.
Somewhere along the way I got flour and water all over myself, a rookie move, so I take my shirt off and ball it up to take home later. The kids are curious about my tattoos so I answer all of their questions as best as I can, always reminding them that their mom sets the rules. I’m pretty sure Elle is going to find her kids covered in marker later this afternoon.
Just as I’m plating the third doughy creation for Kennedy, the perfect shape of a particular girl mouse, a knock sounds at the door. I turn off the burner and listen for Elle, the shower is still running in the hall.
“Y’all sit tight, okay?”
“Yes, Mister Jackson,” they reply in unison.
A series of knocks sound again, an urgent staccato of beats, before I can get to the door.
I open the door wide and I instantly know who is on the other side, Elle’s ex-husband Dan.
His confident smile falters as he looks me over and then he grimaces as he asks, “Who are you?”
“Doesn’t matter.” I cross my arms over my chest, blocking his view of the inside of Elle’s house.
“I want to see my daughter. It’s her birthday. Where is Elle?”
“Well, that’s not going to happen and her birthday was yesterday. And Elle is indisposed,” I allude, loving how the man’s face turns a sick shade of red.
“What are you doing with my Elle?”
“Elle is no longer your concern if memory serves.”
“She’s my wife!” he argues and tries to push past me, but I don’t budge. Though Dan is lean and muscular, I stand about four inches taller than him and I have about twenty-five more pounds of muscle. But even if I was smaller, I am not letting him into this house without Elle’s consent.
“Sir, I suggest you leave before I have to contact the police for trespassing.”
“That’s my wife!” he shouts as he tries to push past me again, his hand falling as he comes in contact with my chest.
“Ex.”
“I don’t want my children around a troublemaker like you. Before I know it they’ll be joining a gang and doing drugs. I don’t know what Elle even sees in you.”
“Like I mentioned, she’s not your concern. And you know nothing about your children or me. Now, I’m only going to ask you one more time to leave before I have to call the cops.”
“You ain’t calling nobody,” he fumes as he stands before me with a blue bag dangling from his fingers.
Luckily, my brother has picked the perfect time to show up. He parks on the street and climbs out of his county-issued SUV and makes his way over to us. I smile over Dan’s shoulder at him and he nods in understanding. We’ve spoken about Elle before so he’s smart enough to deduce that this is her ex.
“I received a call about a disturbance. Can you tell me what’s going on?” Cooper asks, but Dan just tosses the bag on the porch and stomps away.
“What was that all about?” Cooper asks, and I relay everything that happened this morning and what I perceived happened last night.
“That’s a good idea about a security system. I can come by later and help you install it. Hey, shouldn’t you be at work?” he asks, but I’m already backing away from him and into the house.
“No, I should be in the shower. I’ll meet you at my house in thirty,” I explain as I shut the door in his face.
I do believe there is a woman in the shower waiting for me.
Chapter Nine – Elle
Our tryst in the shower doesn’t last too long; of course, I had already been willing and ready for about fifteen minutes. But those fifteen minutes were some of the most relaxing in my life. Even when Dan and I had a nanny, or the kids were at their playgroups, I could never truly relax. My mind was always in “mom mode,” but for some reason, I trust Jackson explicitly.
After our shower, he explains how he woke to find Noah sitting at the counter eating a bowl of cereal and when he asked Noah about it he had explained that he had seen a person. I wonder if Noah made it up. But Jackson details that he had gone outside to find footprints in the dewy grass just outside the front bedroom window – Noah’s bedroom window.
I want to scream and shout and move to the other side of the country. I can’t even protect my babies in our own home. I pace around the living room contemplating what I need to do, but I come up with no resolution.
After I have my meltdown, Jackson shows me the security system he purchased this morning and I almost propose to him. This man. This man that I barely know and has at any given time angered me so thoroughly that I consider setting his house on fire, went out and bought a security system to protect my children and me.
“I’m going to install it with Cooper this afternoon, but I have a suspicion of who it may have been.”
“You do?”
“Your ex came by this morning while you were in the shower. That is why it took me so long.”
Truthfully, I had thought he needed to run next door to get more condoms.
“Dan? What did he want?”
“He came by claiming that you were still his wife and that he wanted to see his daughter and give her a birthday present.”
“Hold up,” I say, holding my hand up in the air for emphasis, which just causes Jackson to chuckle. “My ex-husband, who so much as didn’t even call on Kennedy’s birthday even though he was sent an invitation to her party, decided to show up at my house at six in the morning and demands to see my kids?”
“In a nutshell, yes,” he replies. “I’m fairly certain he was peeking in the window to try and find a way inside. I want you to be careful, Elle. It seems like his head isn’t screwed on too tight.”
I plop down on the couch and rest my head in my hands as despair washes through me.
Why can’t I just move on with my life? Why can’t he just take the hint that it’s over? He is the one that cheated on me and is now filling my spot with my ex-best friend Sky. What a nightmare.
“Jackson,” I begin as I look up at him. My eyes follow his path as he takes the seat next to me and grasps one of my hands between his. “What am I going to do? What would you do?”
One of his rough hands reaches u
p and strokes the light stubble on his chin, the same stubble that left burns on my thighs in the shower. I squirm in place as I remember how it felt to have the scruff rub against my skin.
“I think,” he begins, bringing me back to the moment, “that you’re the mother and you know what’s best for your children. I’ve never been a parent, so I don’t think that I’ll have sage advice for you. But as the brother of a cop, I can tell you that you absolutely need to bring this to your lawyer. If he is only allowed certain visitation, he shouldn’t be stepping over those bounds he was given.”
“You’re right. I guess I should call Sara.”
“Good. For now, just relax and enjoy the day. I’m going to go watch a game with my brother then I’ll be back over.”
“Jackson?” I say as he stands from the couch.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you,” I whisper, unable to find the words needed to express my gratitude.
“You’re welcome, Elle.”
I watch him leave, that fantastic backside covered only in that dark denim, his back muscles bunching as his arms swing slightly with each step. God, he’s gorgeous.
As a promise to Noah and Kennedy, we spend the rest of the morning watching Noah’s movie from last night and making slime. I don’t know what parent decided to gift Kennedy a slime-making kit, but I hope that they get a case of explosive diarrhea. This stuff goes everywhere and is impossible to clean up. But the kids are laughing as we sit out on the back deck making slime of multiple colors.
After fixing the kids some hotdogs for lunch, I join them outside with a book, waiting for Sara to arrive. I called her after Jackson had stepped out of the house and she said that she wanted to meet with me today.
I bring a book out onto the patio, a romance novel I’ve been dying to read for the past few months. Sara’s mom had recommended it to me. Just as I open to the first chapter, I hear the kids greet Jackson and Cooper from their clubhouse. I haven’t met Cooper officially yet, but as he walks beside Jackson, I can see the family resemblance. The only difference is their shade of hair color.
“So, you must be the new neighbor,” Cooper claims by way of a greeting.
I stand and walk down the patio steps to address them. “That would be me. You’re the asshole’s brother?”
“God, I like her,” Cooper claims as he teases his brother. “If you’re single please let me take you out.”
I can feel the blush growing rapidly on my cheeks at his request, honestly not sure if he is joking or not.
“Pretty sure she’s taken, Coop,” Jackson replies as he steps toward me, one of his hands sliding below my chin and tilting my face toward him to press a kiss against my lips. “Hey,” he whispers against my mouth and I lose all train of thought.
“Um, hey.”
We stare into each other’s eyes, neither of us needing words to know what the other is thinking. The silence grows around us and from the corner of my eye I watch as Cooper grabs a bag from the table and dumps it open. But my focus isn’t on him, it’s on the way Jackson’s eyes pierce through me seeking my deepest and darkest secrets. The way the flecks of green in his eyes mix with the blue as his gaze seeps through to my soul.
It’s a heady feeling, this sensation of longing and hunger as it rushes forth. It’s nothing I’ve ever experienced before and it leaves me almost gasping for air. I shouldn’t have this reaction to Jackson, or anyone. I should be busy sorting out my life and making sure that my kids are taken care of. But in this perfect, beautiful moment as the world swirls around us, all I feel is. ..love, and that is terrifying in and of itself. I’ve never experienced a love that knocks you on your ass and bleeds you dry. The kind that demands everything that you have without seeking anything in return. A love that becomes such a part of you that you feel complete for the first time. That kind of love has only been the stuff of fairytales in my experience, but for some reason, I can sense that whatever is happening between Jackson and me is going to be the roller-coaster of my life. The question is if I’m ready to strap myself in.
A knocking noise sounds from around us bringing Jackson and I back into the world of consciousness, his face reflecting some of the same emotions that I’m sure are showcased on mine. We turn in unison to find Sara standing at the patio table with a smirk gracing her lips.
“Well, hello you two.”
“Hey, Sara,” I say as I step away from Jackson. “Have I introduced you to Jackson?” I ask, and for the first time, I actually fear what Jackson’s reaction may be. Sara is gorgeous, I’m a good enough friend to recognize it and not let it worry me. Usually. But today I wait for that glimmer in Jackson’s eye. That look of interest that passes on most men in her presence.
I visibly relax when I notice that the look never comes. Instead,his gaze stays focused on me, his eyes only darting toward her when I ask if they’ve met.
“Ah, so you’re the neighbor I’ve heard so much about. I believe we crossed paths a while back, but we have never met officially. I’m Sara. Elle’s lawyer and best friend.”
“Jackson, the asshole neighbor,” he claims as he reaches out to shake her extended hand just as I shake my head. I’m not ready for Sara to know about my potential relationship with Jackson. She’d end up pushing us together quicker than I can prepare a no-bake cheesecake, and I’m just coming to terms with the fact that I may actually feel something for him.
“Jackson, I need to go over some things with Sara. Do you think you could help Cooper?” I ask, blatantly steering him away from us. Luckily he nods his head and moves to the side of the house to exit the backyard.
Just as I take a seat across from where Sara stands, she says, “That was some kind of look passing between you two. Are you sure that there isn’t more going on?”
The heat rises on my cheeks; I can feel it, that flood of shame as I keep a secret hidden from my best friend.
“No, he was just giving me a hard time for asking him and his brother to install a security system for me. You know, typical bully stuff.”
She seems to contemplate my words and then nods as she accepts them. I almost want to ask her about Cooper since she had seemed anxious around him when we saw them in the restaurant last time, but I keep my thoughts to myself as she pulls out some paperwork from her bag.
“What are these?” I ask as she places three different piles in front of me.
She points to the stack on the left and says, “This here is your documentation of what occurred this morning with Dan visiting on a non-approved day without an invitation. It also documents how you believe that Dan was trespassing on your property during the night. I simply need you to sign it. If the judge wants to bring this to court, you’ll need to complete a signed statement.”
“Okay.” I nod, read through the simple statement and sign, then I point to the stack of papers in the middle.
“This,” she begins, “is the paperwork stating that you would like a restraining order against him for you only. We don’t need to do this today. I want you to think about it, but I highly recommend issuing it. Him coming here today is not a good sign, Elle.”
“How will I share the kids with him?”
“Well, that’s something I also want to talk to you about. Just hang onto the restraining order paperwork for now. If you fill it out just let me know and we can talk about it, but I am concerned about him just stopping by like this. That’s not something he would normally do. In our meetings he made it seem like he wasn’t interested in the kids at all. Do you know if he and Sky are having trouble?”
“No, I’m not sure. It’s not like I asked,” I reply.
“Hmm,” she murmurs. “I think we may need to speak with a few friends and family to determine if things are rocky. He may be attempting to win you back, Elle.”
“That’s crazy, I don’t want him back. He has pretty much ruined my life up to this point.”
“You may not, but what about the kids?” she asks, and my silence hangs in the air. She knows that
I’d do anything for my kids, even consider going back to the man that made me feel worthless, so long as they were happy. “I just want you to remember how you felt when you found out he cheated and knocked up Sky. All of the secrets and lies, Elle. I don’t want that for you, even if the kids beg.”
Sara makes a great point. I had never felt so small as I did the moment I caught them walking out of the doctor’s office that Monday after dropping the kids off at their playgroup. The office was the same gynecologist and obstetrician office that I used, so I knew there would only be one reason that they would be leaving together. I watched as Dan kissed Sky as she pointed at the black and white images in her hands and I remember never being kissed that way. Not until I met Jackson. The kind of kiss where you forget your surroundings and the noises around you fell away.
I didn’t stay long to watch their interlude. Instead, I rushed over to Sara’s office and told her what happened, what I saw. That night she went home with me to confront him and Dan only smiled smugly as he confessed to his affair.
Remembering how everything I knew crumbled around me sends shockwaves through my system. It’s as if I’ve been transported back to that day. The nausea and fear are resting on the precipice ready to push me over the edge.
“Elle?” Sara asks as the bile begins to build in my throat. “Hey, I have good news too. Let’s forget about Dan for a moment, okay? Here, take a sip of water,” she suggests as she pushes an unopened bottle of water toward me. I greedily accept it.
“Now, for the good news.” She joyfully bounces in her seat as she takes the first set of papers and puts them in her bag and shoves the second set in my direction. She lays out two stacks of documents from the third stack.
“What’s all this?” I ask as I eye them wearily.
“These, my amazing best friend, are potential contracts.”
What?
“We had spoken about it in passing, but I’ve been dodging phone calls like crazy asking for you to provide the desserts at a few restaurants. Since it got out that the Secretary of State loves your lemon pound cake, people are very interested.”
Stolen Nights (The Stolen Series Book 1) Page 13
