JACKSON’S DARK DAYS…
“Richard? Why are the police here?” Mom frantically calls from the front door. Jordan and I stand from the sofa. When her face sees mine, she wails and collapses to the floor. I don’t know how she knows, but she does. We run to her and the three of us sob. I’m clutching on to Mom, and Jordan has his arms around both of us.
“I need to see him,” she shrieks, attempting to stand up. Jordan and I hold her still.
“No. Mom, you can’t. I’m so sorry,” I tell her sadly.
She begins cursing at us and clawing at me so I’ll let go but I don’t. Just like I wouldn’t let Jordan see, I won’t let my mother see. I wish I could take those horrible images from my mind and burn them away. There’s no way my family will ever have to bear that scene in their memory banks.
She finally gives up on her hysterical attempt of escaping my arms and lets me hold her. “Boys, I am so sorry. So, so sorry.”
Me too, Mom. Me too.
The morning sun seeped into my room and blanketed his hard sleeping body. He was quite beautiful, especially in such a peaceful form. I slid out of my bed, trying not to wake him. His soft breathing let me know that he was still blissfully asleep. I picked up my camera from the dresser and snapped the photo. From a few other angles, I captured the shots I wanted. It was like I had a dark-headed angel in my bed, and he was gorgeous.
When I climbed onto the bed to get a better angle, his eyes suddenly opened and his hand shot out and grabbed my thigh. He grinned at me, looking impossibly more beautiful. I took another picture of him.
“What kind of creepy person takes pictures of people sleeping?” he asked, laughing at me.
“I take pictures of beautiful things and you are one of those beautiful things.”
Pulling the camera from me, he started taking pictures of me as I tried pulling the sheets over my naked body.
His eyes raked over my body, and when they met mine again, they were smoldering. I gasped at his heated gaze, and he stole one more photo before setting the camera on the bedside table.
“You’re a beautiful thing too, you know. Every day I am still shocked you’re mine. Still amazed that you would pick me out of everyone. I’m broken but you want me anyway. That makes you perfect in my eyes,” he revealed, lowering himself over my body and gently kissing my lips.
“Are you kidding me, Jackson? I’m broken too. That’s what makes us perfect for each other. We understand each other’s pain. It makes us stronger. I thank God every day for the way things happened, because if they hadn’t, I would never have found you. When I look at you, Jackson, I can see into your soul. I hope when you look at me you can see into mine as well. You’re all I ever wanted. You’re all I’ll ever want.”
His vulnerable eyes met mine again and we stared into each other’s souls in the way that was unique to us. He positioned himself at my folds and slid easily in. His eyes never left mine as he slowly pumped into me. This wasn’t sex or making love. This was the joining of two broken souls, making one strong, perfect one.
When we finally came simultaneously together, a tear escaped my eye. He wiped it away with his thumb and kissed me softly on the lips again. “I love you, Andi.”
This moment was one that I wished I could bottle up and save for a rainy day. “I love you too, Jackson.”
“Will Jordan be there?” I asked Jackson as we pulled down his mother’s street.
“He’s supposed to, and so is Pepper,” he answered, looking at me and we both laughed. It was still debatable if Pepper would be there or not. She hadn’t seemed thrilled at the idea of having dinner with him and his family. Jordan was unstoppable when it came to her. I just hoped that he liked her as much as I thought he did. If she ever decided to crack her icy exterior, Jordan would be worth cracking it for.
George stopped the car and got out with us. Trish insisted that he join us for dinner. Quite honestly, I thought she was sweet on the adorable British man.
We walked inside and the smell of roast swirled around me, instantly making my stomach growl. Jackson laughed beside me and I elbowed him in the ribs.
“Come in, everyone! The roast is almost ready. Can I offer you all some wine?” Trish asked as she breezed around the kitchen.
We all accepted her offer and watched as she finished up the supper.
“Where’s Jordie? Does he plan on coming? Is he bringing a date?” she inquired, her voice hopeful.
“I’m not sure, Mom. Last I heard, he planned on coming and he was going to bring Andi’s roommate. You never know with him though.”
She smiled and handed us our glasses. We sipped on them while Trish asked George if he wanted to go to church with her tomorrow. Jackson cocked an eyebrow at me over his wineglass and I grinned.
“Mom? Where’s my favorite lady?” Jordan’s voice boomed from the living room. Her face lit up as she ran from the kitchen. I loved how close this family was. It was such a far cry from my own. We walked into the living room to see Jordan hugging Trish.
“I’m still upset with you, Jordie. You haven’t visited in weeks. Jackson definitely moved into first place for favorite son,” she teased.
Jordan grinned at her, handing her a box of Godiva’s chocolates. “Who’s your favorite son now?” he asked as she shrieked, snatching the box from him. We all chuckled at them.
A knock on the front door grabbed our attention, and Jordan reached behind him, opening it. His smile was huge as he motioned for Pepper to come in. She frowned at him but broke into a smile when she saw me.
Jordan introduced them. “Mom, this is Andi’s roommate, Pepper. Pepper, this is my mother, Trish.” Pepper let out a yelp of surprise when Trish pulled her in for a hug. She’d learn that this was an affectionate family, especially Jordan and his mother.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Pepper. You are such a lovely girl. Perfect for my Jordie,” she praised as she let her go. Pepper started to protest but Trish interrupted her. “Roast is ready!”
Trish scampered into the kitchen, George following behind her.
“This is not a date!” she hissed at Jordan once Trish was out of earshot. He only grinned at her, further pissing her off.
Jackson and I tried to suppress our smiles but it was hard. There was so much sexual tension rolling off those two. Pepper needed to just get over it because I was absolutely positive she would enjoy herself once she did.
She glared over at us. “I’ve got somewhere to be in an hour so let’s get this over with.”
Stomping into the kitchen after Trish, she left the three of us to laugh after her.
Trish outdid herself once again. The roast was tender and amazing. When she brought out the chocolate cake, I almost died and went to heaven. It was fabulous. The dinner went surprisingly well, and even Pepper smiled a few times at Jordan’s elaborate stories of him and Jackson as kids. When Trish offered everyone some coffee, Pepper stood.
“Thank you, Trish, for dinner. It was wonderful. I must get going now though. My dad is taking me to a movie later.”
“Oh, hon, you’re welcome. Please visit again. I love how full my kitchen is right now. We haven’t had this many laughs in this house in quite some time.”
Jordan got up to walk her to the front door. From my position, I could see them standing at the front door. They were arguing in hushed tones. Those two were impossible. Suddenly, Jordan took her cheeks into his hands and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. My jaw dropped as I elbowed Jackson, catching his attention.
The kiss lasted a few moments, and I could see Pepper melting in his grasp. But suddenly, her body tensed and she jerked away from him. Her hand flew towards him, slapping him hard across the cheek. Jackson and I gasped.
Jordan reached for her hand but she yanked it away, bolting out the front door. What the hell had just happened? Angrily, Jordan turned on his feet and stalked back into the kitchen.
“That girl is impossible,” he huffed as he heaved himself back into his chair.
We all sat quietly for a moment before George changed the subject and started talking about the Elton John concert that was supposed to be coming to Central Park soon.
Jordan’s jaw clenched and unclenched continuously. I couldn’t believe Pepper was so against dating him. When I got home, I was going to drill her on why she was being so difficult.
JACKSON’S DARK DAYS…
“Your father was a part of some less than legal business dealings. There may even have been some shell companies involved. Now that he’s passed on, one of the men he did some business with is demanding to know where his cut is. The man, Lou Jennings, is quite influential so we have to tread lightly with this. It won’t sit well for him if we just ignore it. He wants to settle but it will be pricey. Two other smaller companies have also come forward with allegations against Compton Enterprises. They are all willing to avoid a lawsuit if you pay the money this company supposedly owes them. We can try and fight them all in court, but I fear it will just open up a huge can of worms this company can’t afford to deal with,” our company attorney Joel Dickson tell us.
Jordan is visibly pissed. He’s lives and breathes this company, so this not only shocks him but it angers him as well. Dad just keeps f*cking with us, even from the grave.
“So what you’re telling us is that we need to pay out or potentially have our company ruined with lawsuits?” he growls at Joel.
Unfazed, Joel nods his head. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Unfortunately, Richard left you guys with a huge mess. I don’t know what all exactly he was involved in, but this could potentially ruin the company if you don’t cooperate. Mr. Jennings has a lot of money and could make your lives a living hell.”
I rub my face with my hands. Finally, Jordan slams his pen down on the table. “Set up the meeting, Joel. We’ll try to negotiate something with this a*shole. I’m ready to f*cking move on. This is our company now, and we run things differently.”
Jackson had his laptop perched on the arm of the sofa as he answered messages on his site. My head rested in his lap while I read the first book in the series. It turned out to be better than the movie and I was having trouble putting it down. He brought a hand down to my hair and gently stroked it. This moment was serene and blissful.
When his phone rang, he dug it out of his pocket.
“Hey, Jordie. What’s up?” he chirped.
Yelling could be heard through the phone. Jackson tensed and sat up. I lifted off of him and tried to hear what was going on that had him a bundle of nerves. He glanced at me and flew off of the couch and toward his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
Whatever they were speaking about had him pissed. I could hear him yelling back at Jordan. My stomach did flip-flops because he had reverted back to Cold Jackson when he jumped from the couch. I could feel the knife in the wound Dr. Sweeney had spoken about. Blinking back some tears, I tried to read some more of my book.
Finally after a few quiet moments, I decided to check on Jackson. I opened the door and found him sitting on the bed, running his hand through his hair. It appeared he was still on the phone but was just listening to Jordan. I started backing away to give him privacy. His cold eyes met mine and he glared at me.
“What the f*ck, Andi? I came in here to speak privately to Jordan. You’re being a f*cking snoop!” He stormed toward me and I backed away from him, hating the look in his eyes. The door slammed in my face and my heart.
Tears began falling down my face as I shakily grabbed my book and purse. I slipped out the front door and ran to the elevator. Once downstairs, I bolted down the street and hailed a cab. On the cab ride back to my apartment, I cried hysterically in the back seat. The cab driver, being from New York and having seen it all, didn’t even flinch or look my way in concern.
Why was Jackson shutting me out again? I had thought we were past all of this. I knew his secrets now, so why in the hell was he doing this to me again?
Once I was back in my apartment, I sighed, relieved that Pepper and Olive weren’t there. I wanted some time alone. Slipping into my bedroom, I set my stuff down and closed the door. I walked over to my bed and sat down.
Seeing my camera, I reached over and began scanning though the pictures. The first one was of me. My mouth was parted and my nipple peeked above the top of the sheet. I actually did look beautiful and happy there. A tear raced down my cheek. The next few were of me laughing. When I got to the next one, my stomach ached.
Jackson was looking at me, grinning. His barriers were down and he was mine in this picture. This was the Jackson I knew. Cold Jackson was an ass, but I missed him too. The next couple of pictures were of him sleeping, and he was amazingly beautiful. Why did he insist on pushing me away?
Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. I was crying loudly when my bedroom door burst open, revealing my beautiful, angry Jackson. He stormed over to me and pulled me from the bed into his arms.
“I’m so sorry, Andi. All I do is f*ck up with you! Jordan snapped me out of the zone I was in by hanging up on me after I yelled at you. It all came crashing over me. I was such a jackass to you. This is why I don’t deserve you. I mess up too much. When you were gone, my heart f*cking shattered to bits. I can’t live without you, Andi,” he revealed, squeezing me to him.
I didn’t answer him. I just continued to cry into his chest.
“I didn’t mean to shut you out. I’m still learning here. The company is going through some serious shit right now. We might get sued by several different companies. If we don’t settle particularly with this a*shole, Lou Jennings, our company is in major jeopardy. He wants a ridiculous amount of money. If we give pay him what he feels he’s owed, it will put us in a huge financial problem. It’s a complicated mess and we’re stressed to the max about it. I’m so, so sorry that I pushed you away instead of allowing you to be there with me for it.”
His confession warmed my soul even though I felt bad about what he was going through. He did love me but still had a hard time opening up. We could work through this.
“I love you, Jackson. More than anything, I need you to be open with me. Don’t shut me out. I want to be here for you through the good and the bad.”
“God, Andi. I love you so much. Promise me you won’t leave me again. Next time, just punch me in the gut because I’ll deserve it.”
“How about I make up for lost time?” I teased and punched him hard in the stomach. Must not have been too hard because his laughter boomed through the room. It was music to my ears.
I stood on my toes and kissed him, forgiving him once again. I’d always forgive this man. And as we fell to the bed in each other’s arms, kissing wildly, we spent the rest of the afternoon making perfectly imperfect love.
Jackson—A few weeks later
“Andi, I have to show you something,” I called to her from my office. She slipped into my office, closing the door behind her and locking it. Her sexy, long legs were shooting out from underneath her short suit skirt. My gaze skittered up her legs. Her perky breasts were peeking their tops out of her camisole under her jacket. My eyes landed there and I had trouble bringing them up to hers.
When they finally made it to her face, I see that she was grinning at me and my heart swelled. This funny, smart, gorgeous woman belonged to me. I smiled back at her and motioned her over.
“What is it, Mr. Compton? Make any new Harry Potter memes I need to see?” She was so f*cking hot when she sassed me.
“Get over here, smartass,” I growled at her.
She laughed and stood beside me, peering at my computer screen. Her laughter died when she read the email.
“Jackson! This is fantastic news!” she squealed, hopping into my lap. I’d just received the email from my attorney. My divorce was final.
She kissed me hard on my lips and suddenly I wanted to celebrate with my woman. I stood her up in front of me. Her heat-filled eyes met mine and she licked her lips. I f*cking wanted to pounce on her every time she did that. My dick bulged against my pants.
Quickly, I spun her around and pushed her down across my desk. Her hands shoved some papers into the floor and I grinned as it reminded me of our first heated session together over Ian’s desk. Long blond hair delicately fell around her. She was even more beautiful than the first time I f*cked her like this.
Grabbing the bottom of her skirt, I hiked it up over her hips, revealing her pale, perfect ass. My dick throbbed once I realized she wasn’t wearing panties today. She killed me when she did this. I spent half my day worrying if anyone would accidentally catch a peek and the other half of the day wanting to shove my dick in her. It made for difficult working conditions.
I slid one of my fingers into her body, and she moaned. She was always so wet and ready for me. I couldn’t ever get enough of her. Knowing what she liked, I slapped her bottom with my free hand. She groaned in desire, pushing her ass closer to me. Luckily everyone, including Bray and Jordan, had gone home already.
Her white cheek was now turning a deep shade of pink and I was about to come in my pants because it turned me on so much. I slapped the spot again, this time harder like she likes it. She wailed in pleasure, “Yes! Jackson!”
Her ass was bright red at this point. Just when she was about to unravel from her orgasm, I pulled my finger out of her. She shuddered at the loss.
Jerking off my pants as fast as I could get them off, I admired her sexy body as it waited for me. This woman was it for me. My life was perfect with her in it.
Lining my cock up against her opening, I teased her as I barely dipped it in. “Jackson, please,” she begged. Not being able to resist her, I slammed into her. I groaned and she cried out. Pumping in and out of her, I could feel myself about to lose control. Reaching around her, I rubbed her * and helped her orgasm get here quickly since mine was about to erupt.
Her breaths were coming fast and ragged. She finally screamed my name as I felt her p-ssy clench deliciously around my dick, sending my own release burning through me.
We were f*cking amazing together. What had started out as a weekend of fun turned into more than I could have ever imagined. I’d say she definitely won the game because I would be lost without her.