TWENTY-TWO

Jared

Holy fuck.

If LeBlanc’s patrol car hadn’t happened by, just as I went after that Taylor fucking Torrence in the parking lot, I might’ve killed the guy. As it was, John had to put in some muscle to stop me from pounding his face to a pulp. I can’t remember a time, not even on the ice, where all I saw was red.

“Easy, man,” John’s voice had sounded by my ear, as his arms banded around me, pinning mine to my side. I was impressed. Even though I initially struggled to get free, his steel hold never let up. “Think, brother. Think. Don’t make it any worse than it already is.”

“I’m gonna sue you,” the motherfucker lisped through his busted lips. “Officer, I wanna file charges.”

“Shut the fuck up,” John snapped at him, surprising both of us. “I’ll deal with you in a minute.”

When I turned my head to find Mia, she’d disappeared, but a woman standing in the door of the clinic motioned inside.

“Let me go,” I growled at the man still holding me pinned.

“Are you gonna behave?” I almost lost it at his sardonic question, but the urge to see Mia was greater.

“Yes, man, let me go. I need to see to Mia.” Without further argument, he released me and I made a straight beeline for the door.

I hadn’t counted on the damn doctor to block my way to her. I probably would’ve nailed him too if he was younger and fitter than the seventy or eighty years he looks to be. God she looked so small, curled up into herself with her face chalk white, and the moment I saw my opening I had her up and in my arms.

She was still there, mostly because I was reluctant to let go. Even as the doc, Rueben, sat down after introductions, and pointedly ignoring me after, started softly talking with Mia. In fact, I was so keen on keeping her close, I didn’t even object when LeBlanc walked in and announced he would pick Jordy up. He said he’d bring her home since he needed to ask me some questions. That’s when reality hit home; I might be in some serious shit.

Mia sits quietly beside me in the car as Jake swings open the gate to let us through. The OPP cruiser is already parked in the driveway.

“Are you in trouble?” she asks timidly, spotting the cruiser.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” I respond with more bluster than I feel. The truth is, I may have just created a whole new reason for the press to hound me, and on top of that, cost myself any chance on a position with the Colts. They don’t take kindly to coaches who can’t keep their cool. Wonderful. I’d better get on the phone with Brian, see what damage control he can do. But first I have to make nice with our local law enforcement, who happens to have his eye on my sister. I swallow hard.

I have to swallow even harder when we walk in and he’s sitting casual as you like, across from my sister who is feeding Ole. Mia’s slight squeeze to my hand holds me back from walking up and shutting his eyes for him. Probably wouldn’t be a great idea to beat up a member of the press, and a police officer, all in one day. Instead, I let go of Mia’s hand, who rushes to my sister’s side, and jerk my head sharply in the direction of the kitchen when I catch LeBlanc’s eye. I don’t wait, assuming he’ll follow, as I dive into the fridge for a beer.

“A little early for that?” he says, grabbing a stool at the island and eyeing the bottle in my hand.

“Not after the fucking morning I’ve had,” I snap back.

“Good point,” he concedes. “Maybe I’ll take one, too.” I give him a long stare before grabbing another beer from the fridge, slamming it down in front of him.

“Isn’t there a rule you’re not allowed drink on the job?” I snipe, watching him take a long tug from his bottle before he sets it down.

“Probably,” he shrugs, “good thing my shift ended an hour ago. I was on my way home when I saw you charging through the parking lot.”

Christ knows I don’t want to like the fucking guy, but damn he doesn’t make it easy. I drain half of my beer before pulling a stool to the other side of the counter so I’m facing him.

“Okay,” I sigh, looking over his shoulder to where the girls are sitting, talking softly. “Tell me how fucked I am.” One side of John’s mouth tilts up in amusement when I glance back at him.

“Mr. Torrence is pissed.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I snap. “But not nearly as pissed as I am. He’s messing with my family. Mia, she...” I stop when John lifts his hand.

“I get it,” he quickly interjects. “If you’d just tossed the damn camera and got in his face it would’ve been one thing, but Jesus you did a number on him. He’s dead set on pressing charges, it didn’t seem to matter much what I said. I managed to hold him off till tomorrow. Told him to get some ice on his face and come into the Bracebridge Detachment in the morning to file his complaint. Give you a chance to get your damn ducks in a row before this charge becomes official. As it is, my ass is dangling on the line.”

I run both hands through my hair and drop my head, clasping them behind my neck. What a mess. What a goddamn mess.

“I appreciate it, man,” I finally manage, lifting my eyes.

“Good,” he says, grinning from ear to ear. “Then maybe you won’t cut off my balls and shove them down my throat when I ask your sister out.” I glare at him, grinding my teeth, but he just keeps on grinning. Finally he straightens his face and leans forward. “Although, you should know that wouldn’t have stopped me anyway.”

I look over his shoulder and catch Jordy eyeing his back, a little smile tugging at her lips before she notices me watching, and ducks her head, her face blushing red. Mia, sitting next to her, looks me straight in the eye, smiling big. I just shake my head and turn back to John, who’s smiling again, his eyebrow raised.

“Whatever,” I mumble, giving in. I guess she could do worse. “But you hurt her...? I don’t care if you’re the law around here, I will mow you down.”

“So noted.” Is the only response I get before he gets up, walks casual as you like over to the girls, says something I can’t quite hear, which has Mia smiling and Jordy blushing, and with a light touch to the baby’s head, he walks to the door. “I’ll be in touch,” he throws over his shoulder before pulling the door shut behind him.

I’d better go call Brian.

Mia

The moment the bedroom door opens, I’m awake.

Jordy had gone to lie down for a bit with Ole, and exhausted from this morning’s events, I’d followed suit. I’d walked up to Jared, who was still sitting at the kitchen counter, and pressed myself against him. His arms automatically came up to hold me there.

“Going to lie down for a bit,” I told him, to which he nodded in response.

“I have some calls to make.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. Not so much an apology as it was an expression of regret for what happened. He silenced me with his mouth, before he let me go, his eyes dark with worry.

Part of me wanted to stay in support, but I knew he likely needed some time and space to deal with the aftermath. So I dragged myself down the hall and fell facedown on the spare bed, exhaustion rendering me asleep in mere seconds.

“Hey,” Jared rumbles, leaning against the doorpost, looking at me with a slight lift of his eyebrows. I push myself up so my back rests against the headboard.

“Hey back.”

“Was hoping I’d find you in my bed,” he says suggestively, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. I shrug in response.

“It was tempting,” I admit. “But I’m trying not to overstep my boundaries.”

“There are no boundaries for you to overstep,” he drawls, lying down with his head on my stomach. My hand immediately finds its way into his hair, my fingers lazily massaging his skull underneath. He groans in appreciation, sending a ripple of awareness through my body.

“What did Brian say?” I probe carefully. He presses his face into the swell of my belly, groaning louder.

“Read me the riot act,” he mumbles, before lifting his head and facing me. “How are you?” I let my hand trail down the side of his face and still against his jaw.

“Other than that I’m worried about you, I’m fine. The nap helped.”

“Good,” he says, effectively evading my concern.

He crawls up the bed and shifts until he’s propped against the headboard, tucking me against him. I snuggle in gratefully, with my head on his chest and my arm draped over his stomach. We sit like that for a while, lost in our own thoughts, when the ring of a phone cuts through the silence.

“Let me grab that,” Jared volunteers, and with a light peck on my lips, leaves the bed. I follow suit, but aim the bathroom instead.

When I walk out minutes later, I find Jared standing in the kitchen, his back toward me. My purse is open on the counter, and he has my phone to his ear.

“I’m taking care of it,” I hear him say to, who I assume must be, Steffie. Hardly anyone else knows my number, let alone calls. “I know,” he says, clearly pained. “I’m not that guy anymore. You’re just going to have to trust me on that.”

Okay. That’s enough. It’s clear from just his side of the conversation that my bestie is giving Jared a hard time, something he doesn’t need after the day he’s had. I walk up behind him and steal my phone from his hand.

“....one complaint, and I’ll make your life a living hell. And one more thing...”

“Steffie!”

“Mia?”

“Yes it is and where do you get off tearing into Jared?” I’m angry and not afraid to let her know.

“Doug showed me this article. Said someone at work showed him. Jesus, Mia! I was worried sick. What has that man gotten you into?” I feel guilty I didn’t call her to give her a head’s up, but my hair stands on end when she tries to blame Jared.

“He didn’t get me into anything! He’s done everything in his power to shield me, literally has gone to bat for me. But you know what? I guess it was easier to jump to conclusions based on what you think you know from newspaper gossip, than to just ask.” With that I end the call, unfamiliar anger coursing through me.

“Whoa,” Jared’s deep voice sounds in my ear, as he wraps his arms around me from behind. “I love that you want to defend my honour, baby, but that’s your best friend you hung up on. She’s just worried about you. Needs to look out for you. I understand that.”

I turn in his arms and lift my face to him.

“But you don’t deserve that.” He shows a wry grin.

“I think we both know I deserve every bit of doubt she has. She’s clearly aware I have a reputation. One I created myself.” He shrugs a little sheepishly. “I may not be that guy anymore, but you can’t blame her for being protective. A guy who has a name for being a bit of a partier, drags her best friend, who happens to value her privacy, onto the gossip pages of the newspaper? I’d be pissed, too.” I feel a little sick to my stomach when he’s done talking.

“Oh,” I manage, ashamed I lost all sense of perspective with my own need to protect.

Jared bends his head and gently brushes his lips over mine.

“We make quite a pair,” he says when he pulls back. His eyes boring into mine. “The way we jump into battle for each other, you’d think—”

“You’re in love?” Jordy cuts him off as she walks in with Ole on her arm. “Yeah, that’s not exactly news,” she adds, as she moves past, heading toward the fridge. “What’s for dinner?”

My eyes are still locked on Jared’s, I’m sure mine are wide in shock, but his are warm and mildly amused.

“I think she’s right,” he mouths silently, causing my heart to skip a beat before settling into a faster beat. Before I can change my mind, I respond on a whisper.

“That’s quite possible.”

“We’ll have to address that later,” he says with a wink. “But first let me get some food into my sister. She gets cranky when she has to go without.”

“Hey!” Jordy lifts her head from the fridge. “I resemble that statement!”

I snicker and shake my head as the two of them start their now familiar sibling bicker fest. Stepping from Jared’s hold, I walk over to Jordy and take a bright-eyed Ole from her hands.

During a quickly pulled together dinner, Jared explains what he and Brian discussed this afternoon. Brian feels it may be possible to nip this in the bud before official charges are laid, if Torrence is presented with a onetime offer. He also suggested Marie Blumberg, the local lawyer, should be pulled in, given that Jordy’s ex is at the root of this issue. Jared had called her earlier, filled her in, and she’d wanted in on whatever was being put together. She apparently contacted Brian, brainstormed, and a proposal was being drafted up right away.

It’s clear Jared isn’t happy with what will be on offer; an exclusive interview with photo op, here at his house, not to mention exposing Jordy and Ole to the cameras—Marie’s idea—but Brian apparently feels it might kill two birds with one stone. By taking away the mystery, he hopes it will kill the attraction.

It’s not until much later, after we watched the latest Jason Bourne movie, during which Jordy fell asleep on the couch, and we’d all retreated to bed—Jared making it clear I was to share his—that Jordy’s earlier words resurface.

I carefully lower myself on Jared’s hard length after working him with my mouth, making him not only slick and ready, but myself as well. He’s sitting with his back to the headboard and his head tilted back a little. My hands are braced on either side of his head, using the frame for balance as I slowly, but deliberately move up and down on his glorious cock. My eyes are fused to his, and my mouth falls open as his hands on my hips force me down hard, while grinding himself against my core. I love seeing the dark red flush on his cheekbones and his pupils widen with need. It’s powerful—heady—to see how I affect him.

Other than the puff of our breaths, the grinding of our bodies, there is no other sound. I focus instead on the sensations he creates inside me, and feel myself building toward orgasm. When his hips buck up underneath me, signalling his own pending release, I let myself fly.

That’s when those words slip from his mouth.

“Jordy may have a point,” he whispers, still gasping for breath.

I freeze just as I drape myself on top of him, a little thrown at the reference to his sister at this moment in time. But the next words he mumbles, his face buried in my hair, reduce me into a puddle.

“Thirty-nine years old, and I can honestly say I have never, in my almost forty years, felt what I’m feeling for you. I’ve tried rationalizing it, tried compartmentalizing it, but I can’t. It’s big, it scares the shit out of me, and I clearly have no choice in the matter.”

I need a moment to let the full impact of his words wash over me. Then I lift my head and look him straight in the eye.

“I’m scared, too. And confused, and plenty torn, but I also feel more secure than I’ve felt in a long time. Even under these circumstances.” I lift my mouth to his and allow myself to get lost in his kiss, before I gently pull back.

“And I feel alive—you make me feel alive.”