BRITTANY
Peppering kisses all over his handsome face, I find myself in his warm embrace. “I’m so sorry, Jason.”
“Don’t be,” he says as he hugs me tightly.
Pulling back to look at him, I ask, “How much trouble are you in for beating Elmer up? And how badly did you hurt him?”
“I’m not in any trouble, thanks to a nice captain who made sure the charges were dismissed by one of her judge friends.” He pulls me back into his arms and presses my head against his chest.
But jealousy courses through my veins as I heard the word, her, come out of his mouth. “Her, Jason? A woman helped you?”
With a sigh, he eases his hug and pulls back to look at me. “It was a woman, yes.”
“What did you do to get her to help you?” I ask, and feel a knot forming in my stomach.
His face splits into a wide smile. “Man, I wish I had a lie detector because I so want you to know I’m telling the truth.” He takes my hand and pulls me along to sit on the sofa with him. “Britt, the cop came onto me pretty damn hard. I was handcuffed, and she was all leaning over my back, pressing her boobs against me, and she even ran her hands over my dick.”
“What?” I shriek. “Jason, you let her?”
His eyes go big as he shakes his head. “Britt, did you hear me? I was handcuffed. My hands were behind my back when she did that. Anyway, listen. Okay, so she did all that, and I told her I wasn’t going to do what she wanted. I told her, no!”
Some relief moves through me, but the knot in my stomach is still there. “Then why did she help you?”
With a shrug, he says, “She just did. I didn’t touch her at all and she helped me, anyway. The thing is, I told her no. That’s literally the first time I told a woman that. Aren’t you proud of me?”
“Um, yeah. Well, of course. But I just don’t understand why a professional like that would try that shit on you.”
“It happens to me all the time. I can’t explain it. But I’ve learned to say no. You fill my heart. It’s all because if you, baby. I love you. I love you more than you can imagine.” He pulls me into a hug again. His lips touch the top of my head as he groans, “I missed you so much.”
“It’s hard to believe it’s only been a day. And not an entire one at that.” Looking up at him, I see nothing of what I thought I’d see when he looked at me after seeing that video. “Jason, how badly did you hurt that kid?”
“No bones were broken, if that’s what you mean. I did no permanent damage, which is amazing, seeing how mad he made me. That kid fed you drugs, baby. I don’t hold you responsible for anything on that video. I hold that little pervert responsible.”
His cell rings and he looks over at it as it lies on the coffee table. “I better answer that. They’re moving the baby to a children’s hospital.”
“What?” I ask, as I’m completely confused.
“Hold on,” he says as he picks up the phone. “I’ll tell you everything.” He answers it, “Hello.”
I don’t hear a thing. Then he looks at me and smiles as he puts the phone on speaker. Then I hear a woman’s voice, “He’s being taken in a helicopter. The rest of us are driving to Dallas. I’m sending you a text with the hotel information. There will be three of us. My mother and brother and me. You can put us all in one room.”
“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable if you each had your own rooms, Bea?” Jason asks.
I’m in shock as I listen as Bea answers, “You don’t need to spend that much money.”
“Nonsense,” he says as he waves his hand. “It’s no problem. I’ll get three of them. Let me know how he’s doing when you get there.”
“I will. Thank you, Jason. You have no idea how much better I feel now that the baby’s getting the help he needs. I’ll call you soon. Bye.”
He ends the call and looks at me. “Okay. The baby has pneumonia, and she took him to a hospital but she has no health insurance and they couldn’t send him to where he needed to be without it.”
“And you offered to pay for that?” I ask as I look at him with disbelief.
This man was saying he might not even have anything to do with the kid even if he was his. A few hours without me and he’s managed to find some compassion he didn’t seem to have before.
Maybe I am bad for him.
“I did. She called me and her brother got on the phone and out of the blue, it came to me to help the baby out. I also told her I’d set up a fund for him and he’d never want for a thing.”
“Wow!” I find myself feeling shocked he did all that.
“Also,” he says as he looks a little sheepish, “I told Bea that if I wasn’t the baby’s father and the real father didn’t step up that he could keep my name and I’d still be his father. You aren’t mad, are you?”
Shaking my head, I say, “No. Not at all. I’m kind of confused. All this time I’ve been telling you to do the right thing by the baby and you’ve seemed dead set against having anything to do with him. I’m not around you for a while and suddenly you become very generous. It’s confusing, is all.”
“I don’t know what to say. It just hit me, and I went with my feelings. I suppose not having you around and not worrying about hurting you had me freeing up my mind.”
He does do things differently because of me.
“Jason, that brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about.”
The moonlight coming through the large window behind us reflects off his blue eyes, making them glisten. Though there're no lights on in the large living room, a soft glow fills it. Jason looks amazing in the light and it makes my heart ache with what I have to tell him.
His hand squeezes mine. “What do you want to talk about, sweetcakes?”
“Time,” I say as I move my other hand over our clasped hands. “You need time, Jason.”
“For what?”
The way he’s looking at me, with a slight grin, has me feeling odd about what I have decided. But I forge ahead. “You need time to mend. Time to let things settle into your head. Jason, you and I need to slow way down. I’m taking marriage off the table.”
He shakes his head. “No, you’re not.”
With a nod, I say, “Yes, I am.” Moving my hand to caress his cheek, I look deep into his eyes. “Jason, you’ve been moving from one woman’s arms to the next, looking for something you’ve lost. I’m merely the next set of arms. A familiar set, a comforting set. But you need to know how to find comfort in yourself first. Then, if you still want to marry me, I’ll accept your proposal. But you have to mend yourself first.”
“Britt, I don’t understand.” His hands move over my shoulders and hold me tight.
“Your grandfather’s death hurt you. You obviously never processed it. You’re continuously looking for that comfort your relationship with him gave you. But you won’t find that in another person. You have to find that in yourself.”
“I love you, Britt, but you are no therapist. I know I want you in my life. Do I need you? The answer is easy. I do.” He pulls me tight and kisses my cheek. “It’s okay to need someone.”
Pushing his chest, I make him loosen his tight grip so I can look at him. “Jason, I don’t think it’s healthy to need anyone. Just look at what you were doing about that baby because you were afraid of hurting me. I want you to do what makes you happy or what you feel like you should do, without thinking about me or what I’ll think.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “Britt, I think you need to see my shrink. I love you, and I’ll always think about what it is I’m doing or saying and how it might affect you. Don’t you do the same for me?”
Taking a moment to ponder what he’s asked, I find myself agreeing with him. “But, Jason, I don’t want to be your crutch.”
“You aren’t. You are my rock, snuggle monkey. And I hope I’m yours. I’m striving to be, anyway.” Pulling me close to him again, he kisses the top of my head. “And you and I are getting married. I saw it all when that elevator opened. So don’t even try to think that you know best because you don’t.”
“Jason, I …” His mouth stops my words as he quickly pulls me back and kisses me.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I lean into him. His kiss is soft and sweet and takes all my thoughts away.
Gently, he pulls his mouth away from mine, leaving me barely breathing. “You wanted to say something, my love?”
“You sure about this? Are you sure you don’t want to take some time?” I ask and pray his answer is what I want to hear.
“I want you. I want every part of you. And I want you forever.” His mouth takes mine again and I know I’m home.
Wherever this man is, is where I belong. No matter what thoughts I’ve had about him needing time alone, I was wrong. His kiss seems to nourish me in a way I didn’t know was possible.
Suddenly his mouth leaves mine, and he lets me out of his embrace and gets up. Before I can ask why, he has me up in his arms, carrying me away. “Time for bed?” I ask.
He nods. “It is.”
Kicking the bedroom door closed behind us, he makes his way to the bed, tossing me on top of it. I giggle as I fly through the air, then land with a few bumps. His clothes start leaving his body as he quickly undresses.
Moving up to lie on a pillow, I watch him. His chest rises and falls with his rough breathing. “You look like you mean business, Jason.”
“I do,” he growls at me.
Grabbing my ankles, he pulls me down and has me undressed before I know it. “You make me feel like a rag doll in your hands.”
He stretches my arms up over my head as his teeth graze my neck, making me wet instantly. He moves his body over mine then flips over, pulling me on top of him. I sit up and run my hands over his tight pecs.
“I could sit here all night, just running my hands over your muscles, baby.” I lick my lips then lean over to kiss him.
He runs his hands over my ass, cradling it as he moves me down. Pulling my mouth away, I giggle, “Nuh uh, not yet, Romeo.”
“Come on,” he moans. “I really, really want you right now.”
Moving my body to the side of his, I kiss his neck as I run my hands over his chest and stomach. He wiggles and moans as I tease his taut nipples. Slowly, I stroke down his body until I reach his erect cock.
It’s hard as a rock as I run one hand down the long length. “Climb on, baby.”
“Not yet,” I whisper then trail kisses up his neck. “I want you to really want me.”
With one quick movement, he has me on my back. “I really want you right now.”
Seems my teasing is over and he’s going to get his way. And I’m not complaining one bit!