Chapter 34
CHAPTER 34
He moved so fast, my head spun. One minute I was pinned against the wall, with his fingers deep inside of me, and then I was being dragged down the hallway, and we pushed through the back door.
I stumbled into the dark back alley. There was a picnic table against the wall. Jackson spun me around, so my hands were flat on the table. I groaned as I felt him flip up my skirt and then he pulled my panties down my hips.
I looked around franticly, completely aware that anyone, at any moment, could walk outside and see me naked from the waist down, legs spread and bent over the picnic table.
“Jackson,” I gasped, looking over my shoulder. “Someone could see us.”
“So, let them watch.”
I heard the rasp of a zipper, and then his huge glorious girth pushed up inside of me. I mewed, my head dropped forward as he filled me completely.
“You like that? ”
“Oh God,” I groaned, as I felt his big hands on my hips. He began to thrust into me without apology. Goosebumps covered my skin as I felt him pull my hips back and push harder up into me. He was huge, plundering into me without apology. The cool air on my naked skin was a contrast to the searing heat that was threatening to combust me. His movements were relentless as he penetrated me with both force and speed. I felt his teeth nip my shoulder, but all I could focus on was how filthy and erotic it felt to be taken in such a primal way.
“You think that maybe Mark wanted to bend you over the pool table and take you like this?”
“No,” I gasped, my entire body in overdrive. Rushes of pleasure washed over me with each powerful thrust.
I felt so exposed, and this situation felt so dangerous, so forbidden, all I could do was hold myself up against that table while my husband invaded me with a fierceness that was uniquely Jackson.
A dangerous throb pulsed inside of me as he pushed me towards the edge. I didn’t want this to end. I fought my climax.
He grabbed my hair and yanked my head back. “I think my wife needed a little reminder who she’s married to.”
“I remember,” I whimpered. My legs shook so hard that they were threatening to collapse beneath me. All I could focus on was his rigid length that invaded me with each delicious thrust. His big hand came around my neck, holding me in place and with that, I spasmed around him, flying apart with an earth-shattering orgasm.
“That’s it,” he hissed. And then he crushed me with long hard strokes before he swore with his release.
My entire body shuddered around him. Jello legs shook. Heart pounded. I stood there, clutching that table, while he pulled out. I heard his zipper come up and then strong hands pulled up my panties. He flipped my skirt back down over my thighs.
I turned around. We looked at each other. Both of us still breathing hard. He dropped a hard kiss on my lips. “Don’t forget again.”
After that performance. I just might .
I was half dazed as he took my hand and led me back into the bar. He dropped me back off to where the women were still sitting around talking. On shaking legs, I dropped to my seat.
“Hey, where did you go?” Lauren asked.
“Just went to get some air,” my voice shook. I looked over to where Jackson stood and talked to some guys. He took a sip of his beer, his eyes never leaving my face. I looked around the bar. Harper was nowhere to be found.
My husband had wholly ravished me. In a public place. I wanted to laugh and cover my face and blush with embarrassment. Instead, I just sat there with the women. I laughed and talked, pretending that everything was okay, but my body felt like it was in overdrive.
Countless times, I would look up, my eyes seeking out Jackson. It didn’t matter where he was. Talking to his buddies. Playing pool. Sitting at the table. Every time I looked up, he was already watching me with a dark, impossible-to-read expression on his face. A look that made my knees weak.
I should be furious about how he manhandled me. I should be insulted that he thought I would cheat on him with the skinny, gentle kid who was teaching me to play pool. The truth? I loved every single second of his intense gaze, the ferocious way he took me and how it made me feel so desired and wanted. It filled me with hope.
The strange idea that Jackson could be jealous of Burger kid filled me with more hope than I had felt in months. There was an equally good chance that this was just the Navy SEAL part of him that didn’t like to lose, but I clung to the idea that maybe there was a tiny part of him that cared.
By the time we left the bar, I was dead on my feet. It was a good four hours past my usual bedtime, and I wanted to lie down and shut my eyes. We were silent in the cab, and I felt myself nodding off. I felt Jackson lift me across the back seat and then I was snuggling up against him.
“Thanks,” I mumbled. Loving how warm he was, how good he smelled.
It seemed like only a moment had passed and then Jackson was talking to me. “Come on. We’re home.”
I was so tired I felt drunk. I brushed my teeth and collapsed in bed.
I woke up to light streaming into the bedroom and the sound of Jackson talking to Chloe. I smiled into my pillow.
“What do you think, do you think this goes here?”
No response from Chloe.
“Well, look at this. It fits. Can you pass me the screwdriver? No? You’re just going to lie there and look cute?”
Silence from Chloe.
I moved to the doorway of Alien’s room. Jackson sat on the floor, head bent over a partially built piece of furniture. Chloe lay on her side and wagged her tail when she saw me. Jackson had already assembled the crib and the matching dresser.
He glanced up at me but didn’t speak. God this man confused me.
“Wow, you assembled Alien’s bed.”
I stepped over Chloe and walked over to the beautiful mahogany crib, running my hand over the smooth wood. He had placed the mattress in the crib. I looked down at the bed, and my heart pounded in my throat. One day Alien would leave the safety of my body and would be out in the world. Tiny and helpless. And I would be responsible for his care. The thought was almost paralyzing.
Jackson stood up behind me and slid the dropside rail down. “Here’s the clasp to move the rail up and down.”
As we stood there, it dawned on me that we were in this together. We were having a baby. I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. How had we gotten here?
“You ordered the crib,” he said. “From New York?”
I ran my hand over the tiny mattress. “Yes.”
“Okay, make sure you give me the receipt so that I can pay you back.”
My entire body froze. I looked over at him. He moved back to his project on the floor, the change table. I had ordered the bedroom set from an exclusive baby store called Giggle, in New York.
“For the furniture?”
“Yes.”
“I can pay for it.” Jesus. It wasn’t like I didn’t have the money.
“I provide for you.”
“Yeah, but I can help.”
“I’m your husband. I’m working. I take care of you and our bills.”
I looked over my shoulder at him. He looked up at me, his expression was clear.
“Why should you have to pay for everything?”
“It’s my job.”
My heart started beating at his somewhat old-fashioned view. “You’re serious?”
“Completely.”
It was preposterous that he wanted to pay for everything. The amount of interest I accrued from my investments in one month was more than Jackson made in an entire year.
“Can we talk about this later?”
“We can, but the outcome isn’t going to change.”
“We’re married now. My money is your money.”
“I don’t want your fucking money, Emily. I’ll never touch your money.”
I felt a weird lump in my throat. I almost couldn’t speak. It was the stupidest argument in the world, considering how much money I had, but it still made me want to cry.
Almost every friendship and every relationship in my life was built on the fact that I had so much. That he didn’t want any of it, made me want to cry. No one had ever said that to me before. It also made me want to share all of it with him. For the first time, I was in a relationship without my money. It felt so glorious and free, and it made me love him that much more. I looked down at him, unable to speak. He lifted his eyes up at me.
“Well, I didn’t know that. When I bought this furniture.”
His eyes narrowed. Thinking. “How much exactly did you spend?”
“Well, I think maybe we can implement your new policy starting today, or you can start unscrewing this furniture and put it back in the box.”
His eyebrows went up. “You spent that much?”
I winced. “I didn’t think about it.”
I hadn’t. I had never been on a budget in my entire life. I wasn’t a spendthrift, but I had always had more than enough for whatever I bought. It never dawned on me to limit myself. If I liked something, I bought it. And I had really liked this crib set.
He looked around the room. “Shit.”
The guy was contemplating sending it all back.
“Please. I like this furniture, and by the time you send this back, and the new stuff comes, you might be gone. And who will put it together?”
He gave me a derisive look. “You’re not going to tell me how much you spent, are you?”
“You might begrudge Alien if I do.”
He shook his head, a smile on his face. “Fine. But going forward, I pay for shit.”
I looked down at him. He didn’t love me. He loved another woman. But he was committed to us. Alien and me. Enough to share his earnings. Enough to create a home for us. Enough to spend his time walking Chloe and building baby furniture. His commitment was unwavering .
I walked over to him, leaned down in front of him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you.”
A big arm came around me and then he hauled me onto his lap. Two hands pushed my hair back as green eyes studied my face.
“What?” I asked, staring up into his face.
“Let’s have a fun day today.”