Bad Boy's Bridesmaid (47 page)

Chapter Eighteen – Leah

Jack’s injury
tortured him beyond the pain of a sprained knee. It stole his purpose in life.

It broke my
heart to see him so upset, frustrated, and panicked. I couldn’t even help.

I never felt
more helpless than watching when his teammates had picked him up off the field.
The pain overwhelmed him by the time he reached the locker room. He’d rested on
the exam table, hands covering his face during the assessment.

And what scared
me the most?

He didn’t fight
when they immediately sent him to the hospital.

Fortunately,
he’d suffered only a sprain. Unfortunately, it would force him onto crutches
and off the field for the rest of training camp.

Not a good way
to start the season.

But he was still
working his ass off, even when the doctors and I told him to take it easy. He
couldn’t run the drills, but he trained his upper body in the weight room,
studied the playbook, and helped to call the plays at practice to assist the
team.

Jack was full of
surprises.

His car pulled
into the garage, but it took him longer to move now. I stood as he limped into
the kitchen. He aimed for the den, but he gave up after only one step
downstairs. His fingers curled into the bannister, and I darted to his side to
help before he did something stupid.

“Can I get you
anything?” I pointed to the fridge. “I made some dinner…but the baby didn’t
like the smell of chicken tonight. I can pop it into the oven for you though.
It’ll be ready in twenty. Can I get you something more comfortable to wear than
the suit? Sweats okay?”

Jack set his
jaw. His duffle bag crashed at his feet. “I don’t wear
sweats
unless I’m
sick. I’m not sick. I’ll find my workout stuff.”

I took the step
instead of him, pressing my hands into his chest. I wasn’t eye-level to him,
not even close. And I wasn’t anywhere near intimidating, especially with my
tummy swelling enough to be noticeable under the tank top, but he
would
listen to me. I’d make him.

“Jack Carson, go
sit on the couch and rest.”

“Not in the mood
to
rest.
”

“It’s only been
a week. You can’t rush healing. Stop moping, sit down, and
rest
your
knee.”

Jack’s eyes
narrowed. I never thought I’d miss his condescending smile. This welling anger
wasn’t him. The moody, irritable, disheartened man wasn’t the same one who
could charm with a whisper and delight with a kiss.

It wasn’t just
the injury, it was everything. The coaching staff riding him. The media. The
pain.

Me.

How could I
bring him back?

He tried to push
past. “I should do some core work.”

“You’re not
working out now.”

“I have to,
Kiss.” His words were too sharp. He apologized. “Look, the team is depending on
me. They need me to be healthy. I have to keep training on whatever I can or
else…”

He spoke so
painfully, and his expression twisted.

God, he was
guilty.

Jack was
guilty
for getting hurt.

And everyone
accused him of being selfish. Including me. How wrong was I about this man?

I brushed my hands
along his face, touching his hardened jaw line and the angles of his cheeks.
Nothing on Jack was ever soft—not his body, never his cock—but, for once, I saw
something that was.

His heart.

I caressed him,
forcing those deep, steel blue eyes to look at me. “Jack, you’re going to be
fine. Stay off that leg so you can go back to the team—”

“I’m missing
camp. I’m missing pre-season games.”

“But you’ll be
ready for the regular season. Game one, starting under center. I promise. You
just need to relax.”

His lips thinned
into a frustrated line. “I don’t know how to relax without…”

“Without what?”

“Going out.
Getting a drink. Having a night with my friends.” He shrugged. “Can’t do that
after that bar fight…”

I hoped it
wasn’t just the bar fight keeping him well-behaved.

I hoped it was
me and the baby and the work we did on the nursery after he came home from
practice, aching and bruised but eager to build mobiles and bouncers.

I hoped it was
the prospect of a nice dinner, a quiet night, a mocha milkshake with a handful
of cranberries. If nothing else, Jack tolerated the weird pregnancy cravings
better than I did.

But I doubted
anything could truly change him. There was no reason for me to force the life I
hoped he’d lead on him. Instead, I had to make home just as interesting as
heading out for a night of trouble and fun.

I could do fun
while pregnant.

And I could
certainly do his brand of trouble…

I tugged on his
hand, biting my lip just to capture his attention. “Come with me, Mr. Carson.”

He resisted my
first tug, but he could never resist the shimmying promise of my hips. God only
knew how much longer I could use my wiles. Soon I’d have to exploit my swelling
tummy.

I had a feeling
he’d like that more.

“What are you
doing?” Jack’s eyes darkened as I lured him to the couch. He limped, but he
didn’t complain, even as he winced before sitting.

“Just relax, Mr.
Carson.”

He smirked.
“Kiss, I think you’re trying to seduce me.”

“I think you’re
right.”

“This some weird
pregnancy thing?”

“If it was,
would it matter?” I dropped to the floor before him, hands on his knees. “Be
honest.”

“Absolutely
not.” His voice deepened as I gently kissed along his good knee. He should have
elevated it, but only one part of him perked upright. His cock bulged against
the suit trousers. “I think I like you like this.”

“Like what?”

“Ravenous. On
your knees. Serving me.”

“
Serving
you?” I arched my eyebrow. “This isn’t serving. This is…tending to your needs.”

Jack grunted as
I rubbed my hands over the noticeable bulge in his pants. “How is that any
different?”

“It’s much
different. I’m not getting you off. I’m taking care of you.”

In more ways
than just his body.

In ways I wasn’t
ready to admit yet.

I slowly undid
the zipper on his pants, surprised by how my mouth watered and core clenched
just imagining what lurked beneath. I released his monster cock. He was thick
and hard, and this perfect pleasure was the absolute perk of sharing his bed.
Nothing better existed than his hands on my hips, lips on my neck, and shaft
buried inside my wanting slit.

Jack groaned as
I pumped him, actually bucking his hips to get closer to my mouth. It hadn’t
been that long since we last touched, but it ached us both. After the fight at
the fundraiser and his injury, we didn’t have time to talk about anything
dangerous. We worked out our usual emotional truce in each other’s arms.

Jack burst to
life in my hands. I hadn’t realized how much he needed something physical to feel
whole.

Or maybe it was
more than simple pleasure?

Maybe it was my
touch?

That was a risky
hope to an already fragile heart.

His growl
thrilled me as I leisurely took his cock into my mouth, letting my lips tease
softly around the head. I flicked a playful tongue along the sensitive
underside. He loved that. Loved that I did it for him. Loved that I looked up
at him, held those bandit blues, and pleasured him as he was meant to be
savored.

He groaned my
name.

Whispered his
praise.

I expected him
to get rough. His hand tangled in my hair, but he didn’t yank. His fingers
touched my cheek. He guided me to the spot that tensed his every muscle.

“Kiss…you’re so
good at this…”

It wasn’t
talent. It was adoration. I took more of him into my mouth to avoid speaking.

God, I had no
idea what I was doing around this man anymore. Suddenly just pleasuring him,
trying to distract him from an awful day and his pain became something
more.

I wasn’t helping
him to relax. I
worshipped
his cock, memorizing every ragged breath that
passed over his lips. I wanted him to feel better. I wanted him to be happy.

I just…

Wanted him.

His words
stirred me, layering me in a quick heat that only served to make everything
more complicated.

“Kiss…strip.
Now.”

His shaft popped
out of my mouth, slippery and shining with my attention. I lapped at the tip,
tasting the salty pre-cum that trickled from the head. More where that came
from.

“What do you
want, Jack?”

“See you…” He
groaned as I jerked him off. “Let the see the bump. Let me see what I did to
you.”

Oh, there was
something absolutely primal about this. I bit my lip. “But I’m…getting bigger.”

His eyes
widened, wild and aggressive. “Yeah. And it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever
seen.”

Jack helped me
as best he could without moving his knee. His fingers clutched at my shorts,
ripping them down. I smirked and pulled my top off, shivering as his attention
turned feral when the bra dropped from my shoulders.

I was all
curves. All natural. Soft and dark and swelling in both my chest and tummy.

His cock pulsed
harder. Stiffer.

“Suck me.” His
order was sharp, and it only stirred me more. “Now, Kiss. Suck me while you’re
naked and carrying my baby.”

I dropped back
to my knees, guided by his cautious hand so not to hurt me or the baby. That
only made me want him more.

I never thought
Jack Carson would care about someone else. He took his pleasure from my mouth,
but he touched me with such gentleness. He whispered a sensual gratitude I
longed to make him groan again.

His cock
throbbed in my mouth. I licked and kissed and caressed. Sucking him off was an
experience, and I proved how much I liked it by swallowing as much of his
length as I could. When I drew up for air, his eyes narrowed on me.

Studying me.

Marveling at my
body.

So intense. So
comforting.

Was he always
like this?

Was it a change?
Since when was Jack
Trouble-Maker
Carson
compassionate
about
others? Especially when he had his cock sucked by someone begging to let his
thick flesh pump between her lips?

The damn
hormones raged through me. I didn’t know whether to sit, cry, or admit how
wrong I was about him.

My core heated.
I needed him. I couldn’t last another second without feeling him inside me.

I sucked his
cock just to earn his pleased profanity. He hardened, tensed, and was ready to reward
my efforts. But Jack read my expression. He saw that desire, and it raged
through him just as fierce. He helped me to my feet, but I didn’t let him move.
I wiggled into his lap and he guided me over that glistening cock.

“Look at you,
Kiss. No one can doubt you’re mine.”

Neither did I
anymore.

His whisper
sliced through me. “You want me?”

“Always.”

“How bad?”

Pure honesty.
“More than I’ve ever needed you.”

His cock warmed
my slit. He held me in place, staring into my eyes as I slid over him.

A single stroke
and I was completely filled.

Stretched and
taken and desired.

I weakened over
him, but Jack was there to hold me. He captured me in his arms and groaned with
me as our bodies melded the same desperate need that first crashed us together.

His hand passed
to my tummy, resting over the tiny bump. His voice raged, hard and muffled
against my kisses.

“Nothing sexier
than this…” He flexed his hips. I gasped as his cock struck even deeper. “You
straddling me, fucking me while…while…”

I arched, trying
to suppress the need to explode over him. “While what?”

He moved as best
he could with the injured knee. “While you’re pregnant with my baby. God,
you’re so fucking beautiful. Natural. How you should be. Always. Drives me
crazy.”

I moved my hips
against him, reveling in just how big his cock was when completely impaled in
me. “I waited for you…”

He grinned. “You
wanted this cock?”

“Yes.”

“Wanted it
inside you?”

“Every minute of
the day.”

His satisfied
hiss punctuated as he slammed my hips. “There’s nothing better in this
goddamned world. Let’s do this forever, Kiss. Fuck the damned championship. I
only want you.”