“Keira, make sure you let Julian help you. You’re not steady enough on those crutches yet to get around on your own and the last thing you need is to fall and hurt yourself more.” He kept his voice soft, not wanting to scare her. She still flinched a little but then threw her shoulders back with a nod.
Her courage astounded him. He looked over at Julian, who gave him a nod as well. He would watch over her, as he’d been doing these past few years. Saxon knew he blamed himself for what had happened to her. However, Keira wasn’t the only one who’d been traumatized. Julian would need help as well, and it would be more difficult to reach him.
“This wasn’t your fault, Julian. You did all that you could to protect her. There’s only one person at fault here.”
The man who had done this to him. Saxon would do whatever it took to protect them from him. They might not be his subs, but they were now firmly under his protection.
“Thank you, Joel. For everything,” Keira whispered. “As soon as we can, we’ll get out of your way. We know you’ll want privacy.”
He’d told them about Aspen on the flight home. As much to give them some distraction from the long, painful journey as anything else. They’d been so glad for him he’d known it had been the right move to make.
“I can’t wait for you to meet her in the morning. Now get to sleep.”
They both nodded tiredly. He moved up the stairs. As he entered the bedroom, he caught sight of her lying in bed. She had left the curtains open, and the moonlight drifted in, bathing her in soft light. She was hugging a pillow, and, as he moved closer, he saw that she was wrapped up in one of his T-shirts.
She’d missed him.
He moved into the bathroom and took a hot shower, trying to ease the kinks out of his muscles. He slid into bed, nearly groaning in relief to be lying flat. Almost immediately, she rolled into him. He should be too exhausted to react to the feel of her body next to his, but it seemed his cock didn’t care about how tired he was, he wanted her.
He studied her face, saw the dark patches under her eyes. He wasn’t about to wake her when she was obviously exhausted. He closed his eyes.
She placed a leg over his waist. “Joel?”
“I’m here, baby.” He rubbed his hand up and down her back. “Go back to sleep.”
He felt her move and opened his eyes to see her leaning up on her elbow, staring down at him with a big grin. “Joel, you’re home!”
She threw herself at him, and he caught her to him, kissing her. He’d meant it to be soft and gentle but it quickly turned hard. Passionate.
“Joel, you’re back. You’re back. Oh, I missed you.”
The words sent arousal surging through him. He reached down to cup her ass. “I missed you too, sprite.”
She ran her hand down his chest. He rolled her onto her back, looming over her so he could study her features. He ran a finger under her eye. “You look tired. You should be asleep.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need sleep. I need you. Please.”
He groaned. “I should be strong enough to resist, but I’ve spent these last few days wanting you, thinking about all the things I would do when I got back to you.”
He kissed her again before pulling back and reaching for the bottom of the T-shirt she was wearing. “Stealing my shirts, sprite?”
“I wanted to feel close to you, Sir.”
He smiled. “You can steal my clothes anytime. But when you’re in bed with me, you’re naked. I might have to punish you for that.”
“If you must, Sir, I shall suffer through your barbaric punishment.” She placed the back of her hand on her forehead dramatically.
“Oh, suffer, will you?” He whipped the T-shirt up over her head and started tickling her. She laughed. Damn, how he’d missed that sound. With all the shit he’d been mired in these last few days, her laugh was like a shower cleansing his soul. He felt lighter instantly.
“Mercy! Mercy!” she called out.
He straddled her hips. He couldn’t go slow tonight. He needed her too much. “There’s no mercy for you. Place your arms above you head and keep them there.”
Her eyes heated, her body melting beneath him. “I want to touch you, Sir.”
“You’ll be touching me, not just with your hands.” He swung off her then moved her down the bed before kneeling over her once more. Only this time, he straddled her head. He placed one hand flat on the mattress and grabbed his cock with the other.
“Open up, pet.”
She opened her mouth and he slid inside. Fuck. Her mouth was hot and wet, wrapping around him, sucking him in. Jesus. Maybe this was a bad idea. He was already on edge and her mouth threatened to send him over. She ran her tongue up and down the shaft, taking him as deeply as she could.
“God, sprite, you have no idea how good you feel around me. I could die a happy man.”
But this wasn’t where he wanted to end things and, all too soon, he drew back, moving down her body. He suckled on her nipples, biting them gently then lapping at them with the flat of his tongue. He laid next to her and reached down to cup her mound. “Spread those legs. Are you wet for me, pet?”
“Yes, Sir. I want you. So badly.”
“I know I haven’t been gone that long but being without you has been hell.”
“For me too.”
He climbed off the bed. His control was shot. He needed to have her. He grabbed a condom from the drawer by the bed and rolled it on before moving back to the bed.
“On your hands and knees, pet.”
She rolled over and he slid in behind her, running his hands over her ass. He gave it a sharp slap and she cried out. He grabbed hold of his cock and guided himself inside her, sliding deep. She cried out, her pussy fluttering around him. She took him easily. She was so wet for him.
“Pet, you feel too good. I can’t last.”
“Take me, Sir. Please. Please.”
“And hearing you beg shatters even more of my control.” He drew back, drove forward. His movements grew faster. Each thrust harder than the last. His balls grew tighter, orgasm building in the base of his spine. Around him the room started to fade. He needed to find release inside her. To feel her coming around him, sucking him in deep.
She cried out. He felt her clamp down. Then she came, screaming. And he was gone. One thrust. Two. Three. And he quickly followed her over.
He was home.
Saxon walked into Jake’s office. He’d crept out of bed about twenty minutes ago, not wanting to wake Aspen. After a quick shower and a few phone calls, he’d checked on Caleb and Jamie before making his way down to the sheriff’s office.
Curt, who had been one of the people he’d called, turned in his chair as he entered. He held a cup of coffee in one hand and his face was covered in a few days growth. He frowned as he saw Saxon.
Curt owned a security company. He hadn’t been running it long, but he was good at what he did. And Saxon knew he needed his help.
“This better be good, I got out of a warm bed to come here. And your call woke Jenna up.” And Curt was very protective of Jenna. With good reason.
“I won’t keep you long. I appreciate you coming.”
Curt raised his eyebrows. “What? No sarcastic come back about how I’m growing soft in my old age?”
“I don’t have time for that this morning.” And he’d been reluctant to leave his own warm bed this morning, and the sweet little sub who had been curled around him.
Jake leaned back in his chair and gave him a knowing look. “Impatient to get back to Aspen?”
“Yes.” He wasn’t going to lie. “I’ve been away close to a week. The last thing I want to be doing is talking to the two of you.”
Curt looked at him in shock. “Never pegged you for the settling down type. Or a family man.”
“You were wrong then, huh? You should be used to that by now.”
Curt flipped him the bird as he sat in the other chair across the desk from Jake.
“Still
an asshole,” Curt grumbled. “Thought Aspen’s sweet nature might have rubbed off on you.”
“Are neither of you are going to congratulate me?” Did they not think he was good enough for her? He got it. He didn’t believe it either. He had no idea how to be a good father or husband. But damned if he was going to give her up. He would learn. He would do whatever was needed for the three of them. They’d never want for anything. Including his love. He’d give them what they needed to feel secure. To know that he was there for them. No matter what.
But it did hurt that neither Jake nor Curt had said they were happy for him.
“Congratulate you on what?” Jake asked, looking puzzled.
“I thought you’d called us here to talk about Aspen’s troubles,” Curt added.
He stiffened, straightened. “What trouble?”
“Shit. You don’t know?” Curt looked over at Jake and grimaced.
“I thought Aspen would have told you,” Jake added with a frown.
Told him what? Worry churned in his gut. Was she hiding something from him?
But when had she had a chance to say anything? The first thing he’d done on getting home was fuck her. Then he’d snuck out of bed before she awoke. He ran his hand tiredly over his face. He’d have loved nothing more than to stay in bed with her this morning. To take her again. This time slowly and thoroughly. To talk to her. To check on where her head was. But he’d thought this conversation couldn’t wait.
And apparently there was more going on than he knew.
He leaned forward. “We haven’t had a chance to talk. I got home late and was up before she woke up. What’s going on?”
“All right, first things first.” Jake held up a hand. “There’s another reason you wanted to meet with me and Curt?”
It churned in his gut not to know what was going on with Aspen, but he thought it was a good idea to get this shit out of the way first.
“Yeah, you know I’ve been in Colombia,” he said to Jake.
“Yes, but you wouldn’t tell me much about why,” Jake grumbled. “Just that you had to go help some friends in trouble.”
“Yeah, well, they’re not exactly friends. Julian and Keira used to work for my brother. He had a thing for them.”
Jake raised his eyebrows. He’d heard of Cole but never actually met him.
“They’re submissives, well, Julian is a switch. Cole couldn’t understand their need to submit, he also didn’t like that he was attracted to both of them.”
“Meet a few of those sorts,” Curt said. “What happened to them?”
“I fucked up their lives.” He smiled bitterly. “Let’s just say I had a blow-out with Cole over them and left L.A. in a hurry. Didn’t even fucking think about them.”
“That was a long time ago,” Jake reminded him.
“Doesn’t excuse it. They quit working for him. It took them a while, but they realized that they needed to move on, find someone else. They started going to a club. They met a Dom who they thought was perfect. Until they accepted his offer to go on vacation with him. He took them to Colombia and showed his true, sick colors.”
“Jesus,” Jake said, sitting forward. “You went down there to get them? How did they get away? Do they need medical attention?”
“They managed to escape with the help of a servant. But not before he’d damaged them. Emotionally and physically. They’re not talking much. They’ll need Molly’s help.”
Jake nodded solemnly. “What about the Colombian authorities?”
“I didn’t contact them. Julian is sure this asshole had most of them in his pocket. I paid a doctor to see them privately.”
“Where is he now?” Curt leaned forward.
“That’s why I’m here. I don’t know. I wanted to go looking for him, but I had to get them home safe first.”
“So he’s still out there,” Jake said grimly. “He’ll come looking for them.”
“I think so, yes. There’s no record of them leaving Colombia, I made sure of that.” Money could do a lot. “And there is no reason anyone would think I would help them. We knew each other a long time ago. He only tracked me down through a mutual acquaintance.”
“And yet you still went to get them,” Curt said, a note of respect in his voice.
“I couldn’t leave them there.” Saxon frowned. “And I feel some responsibility for them. They’re under my protection now. I think I hid the trail well, but I don’t like to leave things to chance.”
“What do you want from us?” Jake asked.
“I wanted to warn you about the threat since they’ll be staying with me.”
Jake nodded.
He turned to Curt. “Do you know an investigator that can look into this guy for me without raising any red flags? And I want to increase the security at my house, the club and the restaurant. It’s good, but I’ll feel better if you take a look at it.”
Curt nodded. “Consider the last part done. As for the investigator, I know a few but Jardin has a good one. I’m hoping to convince her to work for me.”
“Her?”
“Yep, her. And she’s damned good. He’s using her to help Aspen.”
“Help Aspen with what?”
Jake gave him a solemn look. “Protect her boys from her mother-in-law.”
He sat back, shocked. Then he cleared his throat. “Our boys. I’m marrying Aspen. And I’m adopting those boys.” Why hadn’t Aspen told anyone that they were getting married? He knew how Haven worked, if one person knew then everyone would. Which meant she’d kept it completely to herself.
Because she was ashamed? Of him? Of who he was?
No. It wouldn’t be that. More likely it was because she felt insecure.
“Hey, congratulations, man.” Jake smiled at him.
Curt reached across and slapped his shoulder. He attempted a smile but he was too worried over what they’d just told him.
“Tell me all of it.”
He was silent as Jake went through the old bitch’s threats to take away the boys. Then amusement filled Jake’s voice as he talked about the town’s plan to run Mrs. Hartfield out of town.
“Molly and Jardin have several recordings given to them where Mrs. Hartfield has talked about how much she hates this crappy little town with it’s terrible food, perverted people, and poor accommodations. And how she can’t wait to get those little brats and leave town,” Curt told him. “Doesn’t sound like a loving and concerned grandmother, does it?”
“She doesn’t want them. She gave Aspen money to abort them.”
“Unfortunately, that’s Aspen’s word against hers,” Jake said.
“I doubt she truly cares where they’re living.” Although he hated that he was being used to hurt Aspen. “Do you think she’s got a case?”
Curt shook his head then reached for his phone as it beeped. “Jardin says no, but Aspen seems to think she’ll bribe whomever she needs to in order to get what she wants. Can’t understand why she hasn’t done that, though.”
Jake narrowed his gaze. “Wish I knew why she wants those boys.”
“I might have an answer to that.” Curt put his phone down. “Jardin just left me a message. Said that his investigator has discovered she’s in financial difficulty. Seems she’s got a gambling problem.”
Saxon raised his eyebrows. He hated that he’d been gone right when Aspen needed him most. She had to be beside herself. He needed to get back to her. Crap, he hoped Keira and Julian slept in. He wanted to explain to her about them first.
“So she’s here for money?” Jake asked. “But how does coming after the boys get her any money?”
He smiled grimly. “Seems like its time I paid her a little visit. I’ll give Jardin a call.” And then he’d go release some of his temper on the old bat. She’d learn that no one threatened his family.
She woke up alone.
For a few minutes, she wondered if it had all been a dream. But his scent was too strong, the pillow next to hers was rumpled. He was home. But
where was he? She jumped up and quickly got dressed, determined to track him down. A cry from the boys’ room interrupted that plan and instead she went to get them ready for the day.
She carried both boys downstairs and walked towards the kitchen. Disappointment filled her as she found it empty. Where was he? She needed to talk to him about Winifred before he found out from anyone else.
Not to mention she’d missed him. She wanted to feel his arms around her. To hear him tell her that everything would be okay. She sighed as she set the boys down in their high chairs and made them some bottles. She squashed some banana for them to eat and then settled down at the table to feed them. As often happened with her two rascals, more banana seemed to end up on their faces and hands than in their mouths. She rose to grab a cloth to clean them up.
“Well, hello there. Looks like you two have been having fun.”
She spun at the strange voice, looking over in shock as two people she’d never seen before walked into the kitchen. Well, one of them walked. The woman shuffled along on crutches, her right leg held slightly above the ground. The man with her hovered close by, his arms held out as though he expected her to fall at any moment. She gave him an exasperated look.
“Julian, I’m fine. I’m not going to fall.”
“You’re still not steady on the crutches. You need to build up your strength again.”
Had she been in an accident? That would account for the injury to her leg along with the bruises that Aspen could see on her arms and cheek. But would that explain how emaciated and weak she looked? As though she’d been through a long illness. And the man with her didn’t really look much better. He had a scruffy beard, dark circles under his eyes, and his cheeks were too sharp.
“Hello,” the woman said. “You must be Aspen.”
“Yes,” she said cautiously, moving back towards the boys. She didn’t sense any threat but she still had no idea who these people were and why they were in her house.
Wait. Did they have something to do with why Saxon had left? Were they the friends he’d gone to help?
Saxon's Soul (Haven, Texas Book 5) Page 24
