B017GCC62O (R) (17 page)

“Please don’t be mad at me,” Jack whispers. “I had to go do that. I had to kill them and stop them from hurting anyone else.”

How can I be mad at him for what he did? It’s something he had to do to find himself. I’ve killed for much less than what Jack has killed for. It’s not my place to judge.

“Please,” he begs me, and it’s only then I realize that I haven’t answered him yet.

“I’m not mad at you, Jack. I understand what you had to do.”

He rushes forward and grabs hold of me. He lifts me against his still wet chest. He then takes a few long strides and tosses me on the bed.

He follows, landing on top of me. We both gasp at the impact and then he kisses me. He kisses me hard, with the same need and hunger I’ve been feeling for him.

Jack is right. We can talk later. I get lost in his kisses, forgetting the past and only living in the moment.

This is it.

This is the moment we finally let go of our pasts that have haunted us for so long. 

This is the moment we find ourselves in each other.

I’m never letting him go after this, and by the way his hands are roaming my body, I know he’ll never let go of me.

The first time I had sex was out of spite. It meant nothing. The second time was forced on me. This time I’m doing it for myself. I’m doing it for Jack. I want him to know how much I love him and how special I know he is.

I want this so much!

Excitement pulses through me. I quickly yank my shirt off and by accident my hand slams into Jack’s jaw. Hard! He grunts with pain and we both sit up. I can only stare at him wide-eyed.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

He looks at me, his eyes intense with need. He drives his body back against mine and his hands go to my hair. He pulls my face to his, our mouths greedily resuming the kiss.

He lays me back down on the bed and his one hand finds my breast. I can feel a wisp of ecstasy. I place my hand on his side and then suddenly he jerks away from me.

Breathless, he stares at me for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” I start to apologize. I must have tickled him.

“River, just relax,” he says. “No touching my sides and no hitting me.” I see the spark in his eyes and I realize he’s teasing me. He lowers himself back to me again and his fingers caress my cheek. “It’s just us here.” He kisses me once and then whispers against my lips, “It’s just you,”
kiss
, “and me.”

And then his mouth starts to move lower, down my neck and to the curve of my breast. He quickly gets rid of the bra, takes one of my nipples between his lips, and sucks.

It feels so good that I arch into him, wanting him to do more to me than just kiss.

He must sense my need because he starts to move down again, his mouth placing soft kisses over my belly, and then his hands are on the button of my shorts.

He pushes up to his knees and I watch as he pulls the shorts down my legs. Once he’s rid of the shorts he leans over me.

I look up at him and I see the most beautiful man. His face looks rugged and handsome. His eyes are twin pools of heat and want. He placed a hand on either side of my head, keeping his upper body up. Of course I stare! Even all the scars can’t rob him of his beauty, and only lend to his manliness.

One hand slides into my undies and he pushes a finger deep inside of me, his palm pressing against my clit, just like he did when he made me come the other night.

My hands find his shoulders and I hold on for dear life as he pulls his finger out and then thrusts it back in. My hips start to move along with his hand, riding out the pleasure he’s creating.

When I can’t stand much more, I throw an arm to the side and yank the drawer open. I grab the condom I stole from Adam’s room when Jack and I started fooling around. Rather be prepared than left out in the cold when you need a condom most. I tear the foil packet open and taking his cock in my hands, I roll the condom over his hard length.

I fall back on the bed. Jack takes hold of my knees and opens my legs wide, to accommodate his body.

He presses his body down on mine and then our eyes meet. I feel his cock press against my opening and then he slowly slides into me. He closes his eyes and drops his head to my shoulder as a low moan drifts over his parted lips. “River,” he breathes my name, making it sound like a prayer.

His cock fills me, stretching me impossibly. At first it hurts a little because it’s been so long for me. He pulls out and then even slower than the first time, he enters me again.

I see the total bliss on his face. He keeps a torturous slow pace and it’s starting to drive me wild. My nails dig into his ass and I try to urge him on by lifting my hips to meet his.

Luckily for me it works, because he starts to move faster. “Harder,” the word slips through between gasps for air.

His hands move behind my shoulders and he lowers his body flat against mine. His fingers dig into my skin. His one leg moves in under my thigh, opening me up even more, and then he goes back to slowly fucking me, but this time it’s so deep with the way he’s positioned our legs.

He lifts the right side of his body and looks down between us. My eyes drift down and together we watch as he pulls out and then pushes back into me. It’s a huge turn-on, watching his cock thrust into me.

He’s pinning my body down so I can’t meet his thrusts. He’s in total control and I realize that’s what he needs. He needs to be the one fucking me. All I can do is let one hand find its way into his hair, while the other hand grabs hold of his arm resting next to me.

With each deep thrust my body starts to wind tighter and tighter.

Jack lifts his head and his eyes focus intensely on mine. They start to shine with unshed tears and it makes my heart melt. “I love you, Jack,” I whisper.

He presses his forehead to mine. I feel his hard body sliding against mine. I feel his cock filling me. I feel his breath on my lips and it all works together, taking me to the peak of ecstasy.

My body arches against Jack’s and then his body tenses over mine, and we come together, our bodies greedily riding out the pleasure we’ve created.

He doesn’t pull out immediately, but instead holds me. We keep breathing each other for a long while.

~*~

Jack is different … in a good way. He still asks questions. He still spends his days outside. We’ve resumed his writing and reading lessons, and we’re eating and sleeping together again.

But he’s different. He’s not as childlike as I remember. Yes, the sex might have something to do with it, but I think it’s more. It’s as if he’s at peace with himself. He doesn’t stumble over his feet to do what’s asked of him. He doesn’t leave the room when someone else comes in.

He looks comfortable in his skin.

I keep looking for any cracks, or signs that he might be putting up a front, but I can’t find any.

I’m busy with the books when Adam knocks on the door.

“Hey stranger,” I greet with a smile. I haven’t seen much of Adam since he’s been back.

He takes a seat in the chair across from mine. “Are you finally going to tell me what happened?” I ask. I haven’t been able to get anything from Jack, so I’m hoping Adam will tell me.

“No,” he says, without any hesitation. He pushes a hand through his hair and says, “Think of it as a boys night out.”

“It was hardly a boys night out, Adam!”

“To us it was. We had a road trip, a huge bonfire, got some beers on the way back.” He smiles as if that’s all it was.

“A huge bonfire? Really?”

“River, you know what Jack and Sophia’s been through. You’ve seen first-hand how a slave is trained. Jack deserved his revenge.”

“I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it!” I snap. I get up and stalk around the desk. “I just want to know what happened. Will something come back to bite us in the ass when we least expect it?”

“No. No one left the property alive.” Adam gets up and places his hands on my shoulders. “We’re safe and that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“That we’re safe?” I ask.

“I think it’s time we retire. We’ve been saving slaves for years. I have Sophia now. You have Jack. We have all the others and we’ll be risking all of their lives if we bring someone new here.”

“So you want to stop?” I pinch the bridge of my nose, not sure how I feel about stopping.

“Yes.” Adam pulls me into a hug and then whispers, “I think you’ve paid enough for your father’s sins. It’s time you live your own life now.”

He pulls back and then smiles a huge smile at me. “So … I was thinking it’s time we put all the crap behind us and focus on the good and what better way than to celebrate with a wedding.”

My mouth drops open. “You’re getting married?”

Adam starts to laugh as if it’s a huge joke. “Not me. I’m thinking that maybe we can organize a surprise wedding for Christopher and Maddie?”

A huge grin spreads over my face. “That’s the best idea ever. There’s nothing like a celebration to bring everyone together again.”

Adam throws his arm around my shoulders and says, “I was also thinking of asking Jack to help my build another guesthouse, one Christopher and Maddie can move into.”

I throw my arms around Adam’s neck from excitement. “Yes! Of course. That’s a great idea!”

~*~

Seeing as Christopher and Maddie like to sneak off for their private moments, it’s easy to get everyone together without them knowing about it.

As soon as everyone is squashed into the living room, Adam says, “We have to make this quick. We’re going to organize a secret wedding for our lovebirds.” A collective ‘aww’ sounds up from the girls.

Jack comes sauntering in with a bowl of cereal. He really loves the stuff. He’s been eating a lot more since his ‘road trip’ with Adam. He’s also been making his own choices. It’s as if he finally realized he’s a free man.

He walks over to where I’m sitting and sits on the arm of the couch.

“We’ll prepare everything down by the chapel. Jack will help with things there. We’re having it a week from now, so that makes it next Sunday at two in the afternoon.”

“Is there anything we can help with?” Diane asks. I’m surprised that she’s so excited.

“You can all take turns helping us prepare the food?” I say, not wanting to leave them out of the preparations.

“How are you going to explain all the food to them?” Jamie asks.

I point a finger at Jack. “Have you noticed how much he’s been eating lately? Just say it’s for Jack.”

“Blame me,” Jack says between bites and it makes everyone laugh.

“Okay, now get back to work and remember to not let it slip to Christopher and Maddie,” Adam says.

Everyone goes their way. I kiss Jack on the cheek and go to the office. I want to place the order for the building materials Adam and Jack are going to need to build the new guest house.

I walk over to the desk and look through the papers for the one Adam gave me earlier, when the door closes. I glance over my shoulder and watch as Jack walks toward me.

“I’m just about to place the order for the building materials. I’ll let you know when it’s all ready for you and Adam to go get.”

Jack comes to stand behind me and he places his hands on my hips. He presses his chest to my back. “Have I told you that I love you?”

A smile spreads over my face. They are his favorite words. He tells me at least once a day.

I pretend to think on it. “Hmm … I’m not sure.” He spins me around so I’m facing him. I can’t stop the laughter from bubbling up my throat. “Maybe you should remind me,” I tease him.

His hands drop to the button of my shorts and he makes quick work of getting them off, along with my undies. He lifts me to sit on the table and then with one sweep of his arm, he shoves all the papers to the floor. I rest back on my elbows and watch as he frees his already hard cock from his jeans. He fishes a condom from his pocket and I grin. He must’ve gotten it from our room before coming here.

I watch with lust filled eyes as he rolls it over his cock and then he grabs hold of my hips and pulls me right to the edge of the table. He takes hold of his cock and rubs it between my folds.

He presses the tip of his cock into my wet opening and I fall back with a thud. With one hard thrust he pushes into me and it makes me arch my body from the desk.

Jack grips my hips hard and starts to thrust into me, hard and fast. The surge builds so fast in me that my body tenses until it feels like I might split in two.

His breaths are hard as he towers over me, but his eyes are soft. I love how he only sees me when he fucks me.

He doesn’t slow down and my body starts to slide up the desk. There’s nothing for me to hold onto.

Jack’s fingers dig harder into my hips as he keeps me in place. The sound of skin slapping is loud and erotic.

His movements grow jerky and I feel him come. He slows his thrusts to deep, bliss filled strokes. He brings one hand between us and he presses down on my bundle of nerves, and that’s all it takes for me to explode.

He keeps thrusting slowly in and out, making my bones turn to jelly.

In such a short space of time Jack has gotten to know me intimately, and he’s become a master at knowing what makes me melt.

~*~

Chapter Twenty Three

Jack~

I’ve been keeping so busy that there are times I forget to eat, but luckily River, Miss Ella or Sophia always remember to feed me.

Adam helps where he can but there are times he’s needed elsewhere, but I don’t let it slow me down. I really enjoy working with my hands, building things, creating something beautiful – it brings a calmness to my soul  that I’ve never felt before.

I love it here on the plantation. It’s really become home to me. Adam and I have become friends, my first friend – someone I can trust with my darkest secrets and life.

River has finally accepted me as a man. It feels good to look in her eyes and to see all that she feels for me shining bright and warm.

Miss Ella … she’s become the mother I’ve lost. She spoils me rotten, and hell, I’m not going to stop her. The other day I tore a hole in my shirt, it hooked on one of the slabs of wood. Miss Ella took the shirt from me right there in the kitchen and she said she would fix it. Sure enough, the next day it was hanging in the closet, all patched up.