Damaged In-Law (23 page)

Chapter Nineteen

The town car crawls along the unevenly paved streets of my
tiny town on the Hudson River, attracting all manner of curious looks from my
neighbors. I grin breathlessly through the tinted windows, my heart bursting
with relief at arriving back here at last. It hasn’t even been a month since I
left my modest, cozy apartment to attend Avery’s memorial service, but it may
as well have been ten years. I feel like Odysseus, returning home after the
Trojan War. Of course,
he
had a loyal partner waiting for him. The
status of my own partnership is a little less certain.

My landlady Bernadette is ambling down to the mailbox
(escorted by three corgis, as ever) as the town car pulls up to our building.
Her mouth falls open in a huge “o” of delighted surprise as I give Lionel a
quick farewell squeeze of the hand and swing myself out of the car.

“Oh my goodness, sweetie!” she crows, pulling me into a
crushing bear bug. “You’re back! I’m so glad you’re back. Look at your hair—my
god
.”

“Thanks Bern,” I reply, trying to keep from getting
swallowed up by her massive, pillowy bosom. “It’s good to be home.”

“I’m gonna need all the details of your Hollywood
adventure,” she goes on, shuffling along beside me as I head for my apartment,
“But I can wait until after you see that gentleman caller of yours.”

I stop dead in my tracks, starting at my frizzy-haired
neighbor.

“My…what?” I breathe.

“The man who’s come by to see you,” Bernadette explains,
herding her dogs back toward the building, “He’s been here all day, just
sitting on the landing outside your door. Didn’t you know he was coming?”

“No,” I say softly, my pace quickening, “No, I can’t say
that I did.”

I break away from her side, wishing I’d gone with less
ambitious heels today. Racing to the stairwell, I feel my feet fly out from
under me as I dash over a patch of black ice on the driveway. I lurch forward
at the last moment, clinging onto the railing that leads up to my second story
apartment. Brushing back my tumble of platinum locks, I pull myself shakily to
standing and peer up the wooden steps.

And in a moment, I feel like I could fall right over again.

Jack is sitting at the very top of the landing, his feet
planted firmly on the last step. He’s wearing his favorite dark wash jeans, a
black tee shirt, and a well-loved leather jacket, as ever. There’s a cigarette
balanced between his fingers, a thin trail of smoke rising up into the overcast
sky. His dark stubble only accentuates his defined jaw, and the brooding
expression that’s been lingering on his face breaks like a storm cloud as he
sets eyes on me.

“Smooth entrance, Cal,” he says, his voice husky.

“Yeah, well…” I gasp, managing to remain upright in the face
of his stunning presence. “It’s not like I need to perfect the art of standing
for the red carpet anytime soon.”

“What do you mean?” he asks, taking a drag as I walk up the
steps toward him.

“We’ll get to that later,” I reply, stopping right before
him, “I want to start with—what are you doing here?”

“Got kicked out of The Rogue,” he shrugs, “Apollo doesn’t
waste any time. But fuck it, right? Stick them with the bill. They’ll get to
pay for all the shit I broke last night.”

“So you came up here instead? To my dinky little Upstate
apartment?” I ask, “Why not just fly back to your place in California?”

“I couldn’t call to see where you were…my fault for smashing
your phone, I know. But I figured you’d be here, one way or another,” he says,
“That’s all that matters. It’s OK that I came, isn't it?”

“It’s fine,” I tell him, swallowing down a woozy smile as I
nod at his smoke. “I thought you quit that ages ago?”

“Yeah, well. It’s been a stressful day,” he says, with a
laugh that doesn’t reach his eyes. “How do you feel, Cal? Are you OK?”

“Not exactly,” I reply in all honesty, “But I think I’d feel
better with a good cup of coffee. Want one?”

A small smile tugs at the corner of Jack’s perfect mouth.
“Are you inviting me inside, Callie Benson?”

“That does appear to be the case,” I smile back.

“Even after this history-making shit show of a weekend?” he
presses, raising an eyebrow.

“
Especially
after,” I say, laying a hand on his knee.
His fingers close reflexively around mine as he crushes his cigarette in the
leftover snow.

“Lead the way,” he says, his voice a low murmur.

Suddenly, my body recognizes a craving for something far
more potent than caffeine. I feel my knees begin to tremble as I step around
Jack and unlock my front door. I feel for the world like I’m sixteen again.
Oh my god. Jackson Cole is in my house. He’s going to see my room. Shit, I hope
I didn’t leave any panties lying around…
As if he’s a stranger to my
underwear, at this point.

I tamp down my nerves as Jackson makes his way into my
modest abode, scoping the place out.

“I know it’s nothing fancy,” I say hurriedly, bustling
around the kitchen. “But ‘be it ever so humble’, right?”

“It’s perfect, Cal,” he replies, stepping slowly toward me.

“Oh. Thanks!” I squeak, grabbing the coffee pot and filling
it with water at the sink. “I’m pretty happy here. It’s a great town. Lots of,
uh, great hiking…and…”

“I don’t want to talk about the great outdoors right now,”
he says, his voice rasping. I have to set the coffee pot down in the sink as
Jack steps up behind me, resting his hands on the points of my hips.

“No?” I breathe, bracing myself against the kitchen sink.
“What is it you want to talk about, then?”

“Everything, eventually,” he goes on, closing the space
between our bodies. My back is pressed to his broad chest as his hands slide up
to the dip of my waist. “But right now, I just want to know one thing…”

“Yes?” I say softly, my eyes fluttering closed as his touch
soothes my raw nerves.

“Just yesterday, you said that you wanted to make a go of
being together,” he says, his voice a rough whisper, “Now, I know it’s been a
hell of day since then, but I have to know…Callie, after everything that’s
happened, is that what you still want?”

I spin around to face him, my heart in my throat. “Of course
it is,” I tell him, resting my hands on the cut planes of his chest.

“Don’t just say that without thinking it through,” he
presses, his hands holding fast to my slender waist. “What about
City in Red
?
Just because I’ve been fired, doesn’t mean you—”

“I quit the movie, Jack,” I tell him simply.

He stares back at me, astonished. “You quit?” he gasps. “But…What
about the money, Callie? You were going to start your writing workshop, and—”

“I’ll still start my workshop, don’t you worry,” I chuckle
softly, trailing my fingertips down his chest, “I could never keep working for
those monsters, Jack. After what they let happen to Avery, and the way they
treated you? They hurt the two people I love more than anything.”

“You love me, Callie,” Jack says. It’s not a question, but a
statement. A statement he savors in the saying.

“I love you, Jack,” I smile, surprised by the happy tears
that spring to my eyes.

“Even though I may have just destroyed my career, and any
chance at giving you an easy, comfortable life?” he presses.

“Look around,” I urge him, “Since when have I needed easy or
comfortable? All I need is you, Jack.”

“That’s what I love about you,” he laughs roughly, circling
his arms tightly around my waist, “That, and everything else you are.”

“As much as I’d love to hear you elaborate on that,” I
murmur, “I think your mouth is about to be rather busy…”

“That’s just fine. We’ve got all the time in the world,” he
grins, pulling my body to his.

Our mouths meet in an impassioned rush as I throw my arms
around Jack’s broad shoulders. I open myself to him at once, shuddering with delight
as his tongue sweeps against mine. My body is flooded with a wash of relief and
ecstasy as the taste of Jack makes my senses go haywire. Our mouths move in
unison, our hands clutching for as much of each other as we can hold.

Jack grabs hold of my waist and hoists me up onto the edge
of the sink. I wrap my legs around his sculpted waist, pulling him tightly
against me as I kiss along his thickly muscled neck. He shoves his hands
through my blonde curls, grinding his hips against me as I kiss every inch of
tanned skin I can find. A low moan escapes my throat as I feel him getting rock
hard against me, right where I want him.

“You see what you do to me, Callie?” he growls, grabbing
hold of my ass and holding me fast against his hard, throbbing cock.

“I see. And I love
it
,” I whisper, catching his
scruffy face in my hands. “I can’t believe it’s only been a day since we’ve…you
know…”

“I don’t know,” he grins wickedly, running his hands up my
sides, “You’re gonna have to tell me.”

I fix my gaze on his mischievous face. How can one man be so
adorably playful and so shatteringly sexy all at once?

“Fine,” I smile back, running a thumb along his firm bottom
lip, “Two can play at this game…I can’t believe it’s only been a day since
we’ve had each other.”

He sucks in a sharp breath as I bring my hands to his
staggering cock, working along the impressive length of it.

“Well,” he growls, holding me fast as he runs his fingertips
up the length of my thigh. “I can’t believe it’s been a whole day since I’ve
gotten to make you wet…”

I moan deeply as he traces a slow line along my throbbing
sex. We’re still fully clothed here in my kitchen but I don’t know how long I
can last without taking him with all my might. I brace myself against the sink
as Jack pops open the button of my jeans and slides his hand beneath my cotton
panties.

“God, you’re already so turned on…” he groans, running two
strong fingers along the length of my slick sex.

“Can you…blame me…?” I gasp, as he rests his fingertips
firmly against my clit, tracing smooth, expert circles around the hard nub.

“I’ll never get over seeing you like this,” he breathes, as
I struggle to see straight. My words fall away as he rolls his fingers over my
aching clit. “I have to have you, Cal. Right fucking now.”

“Go on,” I manage to gasp, as I teeter on the brink of
bliss.

All at once, Jack takes me into his arms and carries me
across my tiny apartment. In just a few paces, we’re falling onto my little
twin bed, a tangle of searching hands and entwined limbs. Jack shucks off his
leather jacket and black tee as I slip out of my bomber jacket, raking my hands
along the perfectly defined lines of his abs. ripping open his belt, he lets
his jeans fall from his hips, his black briefs barely containing the staggering
enormity of his member. He lifts the black chiffon blouse over my head, tugs
away my black skinny jeans, and presses me back against the mattress wearing
nothing but my bra and panties.

“You’re gorgeous,” he growls, kissing down along my neck, my
collar bones, and my chest. With one flick of the wrist, he unclasps my bra and
lets it fall away.

“God, that’s good…” I breathe, as he brings his mouth to my
hard nipple, kneading my breasts with expert hands. 

“You like my mouth on you, huh?” he grins, flicking the tip
of his tongue against that pink peak.

“Uh huh,” I murmur. It’s all I can manage.

“Then you’ll love this,” he says, kissing down along my
torso, across the valley that stretches between my hips bones. My entire body
sparks with anticipation as he tugs my panties down my already-trembling
thighs. “Just lay back,” he tells me.

I fall back against the bed and let my knees fall open. A
shiver runs along my spine as I feel Jack’s warm breath against my wetness. His
lips trail along my tender inner thighs as he presses back on my knees. I’m so
open, so bare before him, but I don’t feel an ounce of self consciousness. I
don’t feel anything but his perfect, expert tongue as it runs along the length
of my aching slit. I shove my hands through my platinum locks as he laps me up.
He zeros in on my clit with the tip of his tongue, and I feel myself speeding
toward ecstasy. My back arches as he circles that hard button, pushing me
closer and closer to the edge. Pressing back on my legs, he wraps his lips
around that aching nub and sucks hard, circling it with that perfect tongue.

And with that, I’m done for.

I come hard and fast, my hips bucking with the force of the
sensation. As the wave of bliss crashes through me, I realize that Jack isn’t
done with me yet. I feel my body spinning through the air as he flips me onto
my stomach. He tugs my hips back, and I groan as I feel the hard length of his
pressing against me from behind. I raise myself to him, shivering with joy as
he grabs hold of my waist. He’s poised right against me, ready to split me open
with the strength of his need.