Redemption and Regrets (Chastity Falls, #4) (27 page)

Braiden’s eyes closed, and he breathed in deeply. When they opened again, they were lighter somehow. Glittering with acceptance. He slowly lowered his head and traced my mouth with his lips. Slipping his arm underneath my shoulder to anchor me to him, Braiden stretched out over me, sliding himself between my legs. Despite the layers of material separating us, I could feel his need for me as his free hand worked the buttons of my blouse, popping them open until it slid off my skin, and his mouth connected with the curve of my chest. Heat pooled low in my stomach setting my body on fire. I would never get enough of him.

"I want to taste every inch of you, but I need to be in you, Cara. I need to feel you wrapped around me."

I gasped as his fingers slipped into my jeans and glided between my legs. "Braiden ..." It came out breathy, but his mouth captured my unspoken words. He broke away moving down my body and taking my jeans and panties with him. I watched through hooded eyes as he stood at the foot of the bed and undressed. He was beautiful. The dips and planes of his smooth muscles. Strong arms and that perfectly imperfect face.

"What?" he asked, his hands lingering at the waistband of his boxer briefs.

"Nothing," I replied honing in on his erection. He was teasing me, drawing out the moment, and I writhed on the bed, rubbing my legs together to try to lessen the ache.

"Say it."

"Say what?" I asked innocently.

"Tell me how much you want me."

I smiled over at him; if he needed reassuring, I was happy to oblige. "I want you, Braiden. I want you so much I can't think straight."

His hands pushed down the dark material, and he kicked them off before coming to hover over me again. One of his hands grabbed one of my wrists and cemented it above my head. He did the same with the other, anchoring me in place while he lowered himself between my legs. Eyes locked on mine, he pushed into me slowly, filling me completely. He wasn't wearing a condom, but this time, I didn't care. I didn't want anything between us.

"I'll never hurt you," he whispered burying his head in my shoulder as he pulled out and drove back into me. Pulses of pleasure shot through my body, and I rolled my head back into the pillow lost in the feel of him.

"I'll always protect you." His words cracked, his breathing rapid, and I arched off the bed matching his rhythm. Harder, faster, he went at me like a man starved. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I let him possess me. I felt the telltale signs of his impending orgasm; his legs tensed and his hand gripped my wrists tighter. He came violently, his whole body trembling, as my hands ran up and down his back letting him know I was here at this moment with him. I wasn't going anywhere.

This was real.

I just hoped he realized it.

He pulled back, staring down at me, and said, "I'll always love you."

And I knew he would.

~

“D
oes that mean you’re glad I came?” I leaned up and looked down at Braiden as he lay back against the pillows.

“I still can’t believe you’re here.” His hand brushed away the hair falling over my eyes, and my body shivered under his touch. My heart was so full I felt like I might combust.

“Believe it, big guy. You can’t get rid of me that easily,” I joked trying to lighten the mood. Everything was always so intense with Braiden, but it didn’t need to be anymore. Not now that we were together.

Braiden froze, his fingers still wrapped around the stray hair. “I wasn’t trying to-”

“Hey.” I dipped my head pressing my lips to his. “Stop, okay. I know you didn’t want to leave. I know you thought you were doing the right thing. None of that matters now. I’m here, you’re here, and no one is going to split us up again. No one.”

He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, before pressing his forehead to mine. “Okay. Okay.”

It was as if he was reassuring himself that this was real. Even after making love to me, twice, he still didn’t believe I was here. That I had chosen him over my father. Over my family. If he needed time to adjust to the idea, we had time. We had a whole lifetime ahead of us. I would love him until he couldn’t doubt my choice. Until he knew with absolute certainty that my feelings for him were pure.

That he was my family now.

Braiden Donohue was my life.

~ Braiden ~

I
inched the covers off me, careful not to disturb Cara as she slept soundly beside, and pulled on my jeans. Grabbing my cell off the table, I slipped outside and jogged my way over to the diner next door. It was a run-down place on the side of the highway. I entered and scanned the room.

“Is it true?” I didn’t give O'Connor a chance to say anything as I slid into the booth.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Apparently, my daughter is more like me than I gave her credit for.” His brows knitted together and a hundred scenarios played out in my head of the conversation they’d no doubt had. Cara had refused to give me any of the real details and had just said that while he didn’t like it, she was here with his blessing.

“What the fuck does that mean?” I didn’t like him insinuating Cara was cut from the same cloth as him. She wasn’t. She was pure and good and everything we weren’t.

“Calm down, Braiden. You should be happy. You got what you wanted, didn’t you?”

Running a hand over my head, I glanced back at the motel. Seeing Cara standing there had sent my world into a tailspin. “You’re letting her go. Just like that? After everything you said?” I asked feeling a stab of doubt build in my gut.

O’Connor shifted uncomfortably. “I know you’ll keep her safe, Braiden. It seems you made more than one ally during your stay with us. My wife assures me you’ll do everything in your power to give Cara the life she deserves. A life that she cannot have if she remains in Seattle.”

“You know I will.” He had to know. Frankie O’Connor was the type of man that did whatever it took to protect his own, and I would do the same. Cara deserved the world, and I would give it to her. Fuck, I’d give her the moon and the stars if I could.

He went quiet for a second and my heart quickened. Was this the part where he issued some final threat—the warning of all warnings? Instead, he said, “I trust you have some information for me?”

“I do. Here?” I glanced around the place. Except for the trucker seated at the counter tucking into his bacon and eggs, we were the only people around. O’Connor nodded and I filled in him on everything that happened over the last forty-eight hours. He listened intently, and when I finished, his mouth was pulled into a grim line. “I see.”

“So?”

“So you don’t need to concern yourself with this anymore. You no longer belong in this-”

I leaned in closer feeling the prickle of anger rising in me. “I sold them out to you and you’re not going to tell me what will happen to them?”

“Braiden, I’m giving you a chance at a normal life with Cara. Take it before it expires.” He slid his hand into his jacket and pulled out a document file. “This.” He placed the file down on the table. “Is everything that you need. Don’t open it until you get back to the motel. Cara should see the contents of it too.”

“I- I don’t know-”

“You love her, don’t you?”

A lump formed in my throat. He made it sound so insignificant. I didn’t just love Cara; I needed her. She’d changed everything for me, but it wasn’t until she was standing in front of me telling me that I was her choice that I realized just how much.

“More than anything,” I stated without a shadow of a doubt.

“Then take the envelope and don’t look back.”

I picked up the envelope feeling the weight of what it signified between my fingers. This was it. My fresh start.
Our
fresh start. A life with a girl I was never supposed to meet—let alone love. Sliding out of the booth, I met O’Connor’s eyes. It felt like I owed the guy somehow. I’d hated him—wanted him to pay for everything he’d done to my family—but somewhere along the way, the lines between enemy and friend no longer seemed so cut and dry. And now, he was giving us his blessing.

He was entrusting me with the single most important thing in his life.

“Thank you. She’ll be safe, I swear to you.”

A flash of emotion clouded his eyes. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I thought otherwise. Now go, before she wakes.”

“You don’t want to say goodbye?”

He shook his head as he tugged at his tie. “We said all we needed to say before she left.”

“Okay, well, I guess this is it.” A flicker of something came over me. I didn’t want to acknowledge it; I’d made my choice, yet I couldn’t ignore it. It was a part of me. “Just one last thing.”

O’Connor’s eyes narrowed in anticipation. “Yes.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask, and I’m not even sure why I’m asking, but if there’s any way to leave her out of whatever is going to happen then I’d really appreciate it. She’s a bitch, but she’s still my sister.”

“I can’t make any promises ...” He rose from the booth and stood before me. “But I’ll try. Family first, right?” O’Connor walked away from me without another word. The significance of his last words lingered in the air. I watched as he exited the diner and climbed into the back of his car. It pulled away and disappeared down the highway.

“More coffee?” a voice called from across the diner.

“No thanks.” I clutched the envelope in my hand and stared out of the window at the motel where my future lay sleeping. “I have everything I need.”

~ Jackson ~

I
dropped my cell phone onto the counter and leaned forward, dipping my head and squeezing my eyes closed.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Ana’s voice eased the turmoil stirring in my stomach. She wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head against my back. “Work?”

“Something like that,” I murmured turning in her arms and pressing my lips to her head. “How are my girls?” My hand slid to her stomach, feeling the hint of roundness, and Ana beamed. She glowed lately, and my heart melted watching her nurture our daughter growing inside her.

“I was sick again this morning. Twice. Your daughter has a lot to answer for. Don’t you, baby?” Her hands covered mine, smoothing circles over the small bump. In six months, our life would change in ways unimaginable.

For the last three years, we’d battled hard to forget the past and we were finally in a good place—the best place. Business was booming, and Ana loved her job at the local high school as a student counselor. We didn’t need this, not now, but it seemed the past had a way of creeping up on you and biting you in the ass.

“Jackson...” Ana stared up at me searching my eyes. She knew something was wrong, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her. Not yet. Not when our lives were damn near perfect. I didn’t want to take that from her. “What is it?”

I slipped an arm around her waist hugging her to me, burying my face in her hair. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Guilt twisted my heart. I hated lying to Ana, hated that this was already causing a divide between us, but when she found out, things would turn to shit pretty quick. So, for now, I would keep quiet and protect her from the shitstorm headed our way.

Ana pulled back and smiled up at me. Even after all these years, just the sight of her made my heart pound. It had simmered over the years, but it was still there. Our connection—my love for her.

"Okay. Well, I have to go in early. Larry wants to discuss arrangements for my maternity leave."

My eyebrow arched. "Isn't that a little premature? You have a while yet."

Ana laughed softly. "You know how he gets like; he likes to have a plan for all eventualities. I've told him it’s too early to start worrying yet." She captured my mouth in a lingering kiss before breaking away from me to grab her lunch bag off the counter. "Call me later. I love you."

The feeling of guilt multiplied as I watched her leave our house in East Tampa and climb into her car. We'd come so far; I hated doing this to her. But
he
helped us get out of that life—gave us a way out of Chastity Falls, it was the least I could do.

But fuck if it didn't feel like the past was coming back to haunt me.