by Wilder, L.
“He’ll have to tag along.” As he opened the door, he motioned for me and Nanook to move forward. “Come on. We need to get going.”
After Nanook and I were settled in his SUV, Jasper went back and gave the cabin one last check, locking all the doors and setting the alarm. Once he was done, he got in the driver’s seat and started the engine. I could feel the tension radiating off of him as he backed out of the driveway and started down the mountain. We both sat there in utter silence as he drove into the darkness. I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but it was clear that he was on edge. His eyes were glued to the road and his knuckles were turning white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. I didn’t figure it was a good time to bombard him with my inquisition, so I decided give him some time to calm down. Unfortunately, it took longer than I expected. An hour had passed and he still hadn’t said a word, and the same fierce expression was still there, making my anxiety grow to an unbearable level. Unable to stand it a moment longer, I finally turned to him and asked, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on, or am I just supposed to guess?”
His tone was cold and completely without feeling as he replied, “The man who came to the cabin tonight was sent to kill me.”
“What?” My breath rushed from my lungs as I looked over to him with complete and utter shock. “Why would someone want to kill you?”
“I can think of a few reasons, but I don’t know for sure.”
“So, you don’t have any idea who hired him?”
Anguish flickered in his eyes before he turned his focus back to the road. “There’s one possibility that comes to mind.”
“Who?”
“Let me worry about that. Right now, I just want to get you somewhere safe.”
“Okay.” I glanced back at Nanook and felt a twinge of jealousy when I saw that he was sleeping soundly in the back seat. My adrenaline had worn off and I was beyond exhausted, but under the circumstances, I found it doubtful that I could actually sleep. I looked out the window and tried to calm my rattled nerves, but I wasn’t having much luck. After another hour passed, I looked back over to Jasper and asked, “So, where are we headed?”
“My folks’ place.”
“Where’s that?”
“About forty-five miles west of Memphis.”
“Memphis, Tennessee?”
“Yeah.” He glanced over at me as he said, “We’ve got another four hours’ worth of driving, so you might want to try and get some sleep.”
“What about you? Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m fine.”
I knew he was far from fine, but I wasn’t going to push. Instead, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. It wasn’t long until I drifted off, and I didn’t wake up until we made it to the city limits of Somerville. When Jasper saw that I was awake, he said, “We’re getting close.”
“Okay.”
It was just after four in the morning when we started down an old gravel driveway that led up to a large, ranch style home. It was hard to see in the dark, but with the front porch light shining bright, it felt warm and welcoming, making me feel less apprehensive about staying there for the night. After he’d parked the car, we got out and started grabbing our things from the back while Nanook ran around the front yard, taking care of his business. Once he was done, we headed up to the porch. When we reached the front door, Jasper reached up and took a key from the ledge. “They’re still in bed.”
“Do they know we’re coming?”
“No.”
“Won’t we freak them out by just walking in like this?”
“Doubt it. My dad sleeps like the dead.” He unlocked the door and whispered, “He won’t know we’re here until they see my truck in the driveway.”
“And your mother?”
“She knew I was here the minute I pulled up.” He shook his head as he closed the door and headed up the stairs. “She has some weird mother’s intuition or something.”
“Okay.” I followed him into a large corner bedroom and placed my bag on the dresser. When I turned around, Jasper had already taken off his t-shirt and was making quick work of his boots and jeans. “What are you doing?”
“Gonna crash for a bit. You should do the same.”
“You’re going to bed like that?” I fussed as I watched him crawl into the bed and pull the covers over him. “What if someone comes in?”
“No one is going to come in, and if they do, it’s not like they haven’t seen it before.”
“But—”
Before I could finish my thought, he pulled back the covers and said, “Baby, get over here.”
“Fine.” I pulled off my jeans and slipped in the bed next to Jasper, spooning him with my back against his chest. When he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer, I could feel something poking me in the back of my thigh. I glanced over my shoulder and warned, “Don’t even think about it.”
“What?” he asked innocently.
“I’m not fooling around with you in your parents’ house, Jasper!” I inched away from him as I scolded, “There’s no telling what they’d think if they heard us messing around.”
He gave me one of his looks, then reached down between us, and seconds later, he held up the remote to his TV. A smirk crossed his face as he tossed it to the side and said, “You’re safe for now. I’m gonna need a little shut eye, but when I wake up, that will be a different story.”
His hand aimlessly drifted down my stomach, and before I realized what he was doing, he’d slipped through the hem of my lace panties and had his fingers between my thighs, caressing me. His touch felt so good, too good, making me quickly forget my earlier protest. I arched my back against him as I hissed, “Jasper.”
“So, you still don’t want to fool around in my parents’ house?”
I could feel the warmth building down below as he continued to tease me, and there was no way I could say anything but, “I don’t care about that anymore.”
“Good.” And just like that, he pulled his hand away, leaving me longing for more. “I’ll remember that when I wake up.”
Overcome with frustration, I grabbed my pillow and whacked him with it. “That’s just wrong, Jasper Nichols.”
“Consider it a little taste of what’s to come,” he chuckled. “For now, we both need to get some sleep.”
I saw the exhaustion in his eyes, making it impossible to stay mad at him, so I didn’t argue. Instead, I rolled back over and settled into my spot. After few minutes, I finally shook the haze and settled down enough to fall asleep. We were both sleeping soundly when the bedroom door flew open and I heard, “I knew you were here! I could just feel it!”
Without moving from his spot, Jasper mumbled, “Hey, Mom.”
Nanook sprang to his feet and rushed over to Jasper’s mother. She knelt down and as she started to pet him, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?”
“Wasn’t exactly something I’d planned.”
“Well, we’re so excited to have you here. It’s been too long. Are you hungry? I could fix you some—” She took a step towards the bed but quickly stopped and said, “Oh, I didn’t realize you weren’t alone.”
Jasper rolled his body towards the door, facing her as he grumbled, “We’ve had a long night. You mind giving us a minute?”
“Of course, honey.” Clearly embarrassed, she started for the door and told him, “I’m sorry for intruding.”
I nudged his stomach with my elbow. Taking the hint, he told her, “You’re not intruding. Just give a chance to wake up and shower, and then we’ll come down for breakfast.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Take your time.”
“You mind letting Nanook out for me?”
“Sure.” She patted her leg as she said, “Come on, boy. Let’s go outside.”
Once the door closed, Jasper rolled back over and put his arm around me, quickly falling back asleep. Knowing his mother was waiting on us to come downstairs, I eased out of bed and took my bag into
the bathroom. After a quick shower, I threw on some fresh clothes and braided my hair. I’d just started putting on a little makeup when the scent of bacon cooking made its way up the stairs, making my stomach growl. I finished getting ready, then went over and sat on the edge of the bed, and gently nudged Jasper. “Hey. You need to get up.”
“Hmmm.”
I felt guilty waking him after so little sleep, but I knew his mother was waiting for us to come downstairs. I nudged him again as I said, “Jasper.”
I didn’t get a response, so I decided to try a different tactic. I slipped my hand under the covers, letting my fingers slowly drift down his chiseled chest and past the hem of his boxer briefs. I took him in my hand and slowly started stroking, and in a matter of seconds, he was fully erect and groaning in pleasure. I tightened my grip as I moved my hand up and down his long, thick shaft, relishing the fact that he was so affected by my touch. It wasn’t long before his eyes eased opened and he rasped, “Madison.”
“Oh, good. You’re awake.” I immediately released my hold on him and pulled my hand from his boxers, quickly moving away before he could stop me. “We need to get downstairs.”
“Now?” He pulled back the covers, revealing the enormous tent he was pitching as he fussed, “I can’t go anywhere like this.”
“A cold shower should help.”
“Is that right?” He pulled himself out of bed and stalked over to me. “You are so gonna pay for this. You know that, right?”
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” I wrapped my arms around his neck as I eased up on my tiptoes and kissed him. “Consider it a little taste of what’s to come.”
“Um-hmm. I see how it is.” Jasper leaned down and planted a hard, demanding kiss on me, leaving me completely breathless, then he backed off and said, “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He took a quick shower, then minutes later, reappeared in his room wearing only a towel around his waist. After taking some clothes out of his bag, he let his towel drop to the floor, and a mischievous smile spread across my face when I saw that he was still aroused. As he slipped on a clean pair of boxers, he glanced over at me with his eyebrow cocked high. “Just remember … payback is a bitch.”
“I look forward to it,” I replied, sounding overly confident.
“We’ll see about that.” He continued putting on his clothes, and once he was completely dressed, he opened his bedroom door. “You ready to meet the folks?”
“I guess.” As I followed him down the hall, I asked, “What are you planning to tell them about me?”
“Hadn’t really thought about it.”
“Don’t you think you should?”
“I’ll figure it out as I go.” When we started down the stairs, there were several voices coming from the kitchen, and Jasper let out a deep sigh. “Looks like the folks have company.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No. Probably just my brothers, but only one way to find out.”
He reached for my hand and led me down the hall. When we stepped into the kitchen, one of the younger men with dirty blond hair sprang up out of his seat as he shouted, “Well, I’ll be damned. You’re really here. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes!”
“Hey, little brother. I see you haven’t changed a bit.”
“Don’t see a need to change perfection,” he boasted.
I stood back and watched as his brother walked over to Jasper and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly. The others quickly following suit, and suddenly the room was filled with hugs, kisses, love, and laughter—the kind you find when you’re with family. Seeing the joy in Jasper’s eyes tugged at my heart, making me fall for him even more.
11
Jasper
“Who’s your friend?” Levi, my youngest brother, asked as he looked over at Madison with one of his sly smirks.
“This is Madison … she’s visiting from New York.”
“Well, hello there, Madison. I’m Jasper’s brother, Levi.” He extended his hand as he gave her the once-over. I wasn’t surprised by his behavior. From the time the kid could talk, he’d been a player, always trying to get the unattainable girl, and he usually pulled it off. I never understood how he didn’t even have to try. Just like today. He was wearing a t-shirt with his garage logo on it and a pair of stained jeans. His long hair was pulled in a fucking ponytail, but with his cocky attitude you’d think he was Mr. GQ. Seeing the way he was checking out Madison made me wish I’d taken her advice and given some thought as to what I was going to tell my family about her. “She’s gonna be staying with me for a while.”
“Hi, Madison.” With a warm smile, my mother extended her hand. “It’s nice to have you here.”
“Hi, Mrs. Nichols,” she smiled as she shook my mother’s hand, “Thanks for having me.”
My father came over and smiled as he said, “She’s a pretty little thing.”
“Dad,” I warned.
“What?” he asked defensively. “Just telling it like I see it.”
“Thank you, Mr. Nichols. You’re awfully sweet.”
“None of that Mr. and Mrs. Nichols stuff.” Dad shook his head. “Clare and Roger will do just fine.”
She gave him a bright smile and replied, “Okay, I’ll do my best to remember that.”
“You two going to be in town long?” Grady asked from across the room. His arms were crossed as he leaned against the stove in his black slacks, white button-down dress shirt, and perfectly styled hair. By looking at him you’d think he was some uptight stockbroker with dollar signs on his mind, but I knew better. My younger brother had a heart of gold and always put others first, but he’d still managed to do well for himself. From the way my father talked, his bar was doing better than ever. “Or are you just passing through?”
“We’re just here for the night.”
“What?” Mom fussed. “It’s been years since you’ve been home, and we only get you for one night?”
“I’m sorry, but there’s not much I can do about it.” I looked over to Dad and said, “I’ll explain everything later.”
“Well, at least we can spend the day together,” Mom said sounding hopeful. When she saw my expression, she knew that wasn’t going to happen and sighed. “Can you at least be here for dinner?”
“I’ll do my best, but I can’t make any promises.” I glanced over at Madison as I said, “I’ve gotta run by and see Devin after breakfast. I’ll know more after that.”
“Devin?” Grady asked. “I didn’t realize he was still around.”
“He is.” I hated to get him involved in all this mess, but he was my only hope. I had to find something that would help me hunt down the person who’d put the hit on Madison, and he was the only one I knew that might be able to decipher the code. Trying to change the subject, I reached for Madison’s hand and led her over to the kitchen table. “The food looks great, Mom.”
“I made sausage gravy. I know it’s your favorite.”
As we all sat down, I said, “Go on and pass it my way before Levi gets a hold of it.”
“That’s just wrong, man,” Levi whined. “I’m a growing boy. I need my nourishment.”
“You’re twenty-four and built like a damn rock. You’ve had plenty of fucking nourishment.”
“Boys,” Dad cautioned.
We all fixed our plates, and the conversation died down while we gorged ourselves with Mom’s home cooking. As I sat there looking at my family, feeling the love that we all had for one another, I silently cursed myself for staying away for so long. I’d let myself think that I was doing the right thing, that I was doing them a favor by being gone, but I was wrong. When we finished eating, Grady looked over to Madison and asked, “What do you do in New York?”
She glanced over at me before answering, “I work at an art gallery.”
“Is that where you met Jasper?” my mother asked.
“Yes, ma’am. It is.”
Madison
’s eyes lit up as she remembered the moment—a moment that, no doubt, I remembered quite differently than she did. Madison went on to explain how I’d come into the gallery to see a painting. At the time, she hadn’t realized the door she opened, making my parents think it was okay to start hammering her with questions … from where she’d grown up to what her parents did for a living, but she never skipped a beat. With absolute ease, she answered all of them, and she’d done it without giving away too much of what was happening between us, until my father asked a question she wasn’t sure how to answer. “So, how did you end up staying with Jasper?”
“It’s complicated. Let’s leave it at that.” Before either of them had a chance to respond, I stood up and said, “I need to head into the city.”
“How long will you be gone?” Madison asked with concern.
“A couple of hours.” As much as I hated leaving her behind, I’d already taken a huge risk by bringing her to my family’s home, and I didn’t want to add to that with the possibility of having her seen while I went to meet with Devin in the city. “Are you going to be okay here until I get back?”
“Sure, I’ll be fine.”
“Of course, she’ll be okay,” my mother assured me. “Now, you go tend to your friend. We’ve got things covered here.”
I gave Mom a stern look as I told her, “Take it easy on her.”
“Don’t worry, Jasper. We won’t scare her off,” she huffed. “Besides, I have a feeling Madison can handle herself just fine.”
“I’m sure she can.” I reached for Madison’s hand and led her out of the room. Once we were out of earshot, I said, “I’ll get back as soon as I can.”
“I know. Just be careful and stop worrying.”
“Okay.” I leaned down and kissed her briefly. “See you soon.”
As soon as I walked out the front door, Nanook came racing over to me. I gave him a quick scratch on the head and said, “Need you to stay here, bud. I’ll be back soon.”
After getting him settled, I continued towards my SUV. I was just about to climb inside when I noticed my father walking in my direction with Grady and Levi following close behind. Damn.
