Dirty Ugly Toy (43 page)

James stands there, momentarily distracted by the girl, gaping at her in horror.
Yep, fuck you, buddy. I win.
Jessica relaxes in my arms and it’s as if a lifetime of worry rushes out of her in one breath. She knows this is over.

“I left him and went home. After I confessed everything to my mother, she took me to the hospital where I was processed for rape.”

A rumble of voices ripple through the crowd.

“I’ve never seen this girl before in my life!” James roars.

Jessica straightens her shoulders and shouts over the crowd. “James Dixon, my estranged husband, abused me for years. He pushed me down the stairs and I lost my unborn child, Grace, because of it. I fled the country and him for fear of my life.”

James snaps. His face turns purple and he charges. I barely register the fact that he’s carrying a gun until he’s raised it right at us. Without hesitating, I twist her in my arms at the same moment a pop blasts from behind me.

Pause.

I’ve asked for many and God gives me this one as if it could be the last.

Nothing else matters but the warmth of her body in my arms. The ways she smells, always clean and delicious no matter what shampoo or soap she uses. How her silky hair tickles my mouth that’s pressed to the top of her head. Our seconds are stretched and I greedily live in them.

One second.

Two second.

Three second
.

“Brax.” Her voice is raw and shaky.

Was I too late?

“Shh, baby, please tell me you’re okay.”

She’s sobbing but lifts her chin up to inspect me. “I’m not hurt. Are you shot?”

I shake my head at her and we both turn to look over at the scene. A crowd of people are gathering around where James was standing only moments before. Between them, I see his crumpled frame on the floor having been the recipient of an Atlanta PD bullet.
Good fucking riddance.
Several officers are ushering people away from the scene and I let out a relieved breath of air.

“It’s over. It’s finally fucking over.” Tears stream down her pretty cheeks messing up her fancy makeup. I want to take her back to the hotel and scrub her face clean like it belongs.

“No, it’s not over,” I say with a smile. “It’s only just beginning.”

“My Dark Prince Uncharming showed up on his black horse and saved the day,” she says to which we both laugh. The steam from the shower clouds the air around us and I hug her to my chest. Her smile falls though and she regards me with a serious stare. “Thank you, Brax. Thank you for coming for me.”

I flash her a crooked grin and drag her under the spray of the hot water with me. “You didn’t think I’d let you go that easily did you? You’re mine, Jess. All mine. If you leave, I’ll always chase you. I’m the big, badass lion and you’re my cute little bunny. That’s just the way it is.”

She stands on her toes and kisses me. “You caught me Mr. Badass. Does this mean you’re going to eat me?”

Images of her lying spread open for me on my white fur rug back home cause my mouth to water and my cock to respond with excitement. “Baby, I’m going to eat you every day until you beg me to stop. And when you do, I’ll just gag you with your panties and have my way with you anyway. What do you think about that?”

She reaches between us and latches onto my cock. “You’re so romantic,” she teases.

My fingers grip her ass and I lift her. Pushing her against the cold tile wall, I then let her guide my length into her hot center. My dick jolts in pleasure the moment I’m seated inside of her. With her, it doesn’t matter what we do. As long as my body is connected with hers, I’m fucking ecstatic. Having not been with her in days, our reunion is short, rough, and to the point.

“Yes!”

The moment she cries out in pleasure, I let go of the shred of control I was gripping onto and cum inside of her. I lose myself to the sheer bliss of the slick, tight heat that owns me.

“I want to show you something,” she says with a hopeful, almost shy smile once we come down from our high.

After we’re showered and clean, I guide her to the fireplace, snatching the comforter off the bed first. This Atlanta hotel room doesn’t have floor vents but it does have a fireplace and that’s close enough. Before we go to sit down, she stops me.

“Wait, let me get my purse.”

My eyes follow her naked frame as she fetches her purse. Her wet hair hangs in front of her shoulders brushing against her nipples and it turns me the fuck on. I can’t wait to get her over here so I can make love to her all damn night.

I sit and once she’s settled between my legs, I wrap the comforter around us. She stretches her toes out toward the fire, like always, and starts to rummage through her purse that sits on her lap.

“I guess I won’t be needing this,” she says absently as she pulls out a large kitchen knife. “Well, unless you get out of line. In that case, I’m definitely keeping it.”

My laughter booms through the room and her giggles in response make me so fucking happy. “What were you going to do with that thing?”

“Kill that bastard.”

I kiss her still wet shoulder. “Good girl. You’re my feisty little bunny.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you it was him, Brax. I’d only wanted to protect you and . . . ” she trails off.

I hug her against me. “It’s okay. We figured it out.”

“I never got to give you your birthday present,” she tells me, her voice shy. “I’ve been dying to give it to you but now I’m worried you may not like it.”

I smile. “Show me.”

She tugs out the hideous pink abomination and I burst into hysterical, full-bodied laughter. The tears are streaming but it’s from being tickled and so fucking happy. “Oh, Jess, and to think I couldn’t love you any more than I already do.” I take the pink socks with bunnies all over them and hold them up for a closer inspection. They were on clearance for two bucks, hence the orange price sticker she failed to remove, leftover from Easter probably, and they’re in the women’s largest size. But they’re perfect. Fucking perfect. “How’d you know socks were my favorite?”

A sigh of contentment rushes from her. “Let’s just say I’ve picked up a clue or two about you since I’ve known you. You’re pretty easy to figure out if we’re being honest here.”

I chuckle and kiss the top of her head. “From here on out, I want to know everything. I want to know every detail of your parents and brother, of your past with James, your time in London. Everything. I want to know every detail about my woman.”

She sighs. “I can do that. As long as you promise to tell me everything too. Rich explained that he isn’t your real dad while you were in Vegas and one day I want to know that story. I want to know how you found out Jimmy was linked to me and how you ended up at the ball. I want to know the good and bad parts about your mom. I want to know what upsets you and what makes you happy. And most importantly, I want to know what flavor of cake you want next year on your birthday.”

Her words cause a flutter of anxious bats in my dark heart to scatter but I straighten my spine. I can do this. For once in my life, I am whole. Jessica is responsible for that. If telling her the useless, boring stuff along with the gutting, stressful crap, is what makes her happy, then I’ll do it. It’ll be difficult and I’ll probably get pissed. I’ll say the wrong things and most likely try to shut her out when it gets hard. But I could never keep her out because she belongs on the inside with me—owning every piece of me. Things won’t be easy but that’s what makes it worth it. Anything worth having turns you upside down and shakes you until you can’t see straight anymore. Jessica dizzies me and I’ll gladly enjoy vertigo of the heart as long as she’s spinning the wheel we’re on.

“I promise,” I vow.

“Good, now one more thing. Promise me that you’ll love this next gift. Promise me that no matter what, this next gift means as much to you as it does to me. Because, Brax,” she says, her voice turning grave. “If you can promise me that, I can promise you my heart forever.”

“Jess, I promise. You’re mine. I gave you my last name for a reason. I love you and you’re not going anywhere—even if you do annoying shit like pull me into pools fully dressed, assume I’m a serial killer, redecorate my house whenever you want, and can recite corny movies word for word. I’ll go to the ends of the earth to track you down just so I can strip you down and make love to you over and over again. You’re the sun that warms me both inside and out. The world was way too fucking cold before you stepped into it.”

She still hesitates. “No more freaking out. And chill with the fucking mood swings. I need to know you can do this for me. I have my reasons. When you’re pissed, promise we’ll fuck it out and then have sweet, warm talks in front of the fireplace after.”

My lips find her shoulder again and I press a soft kiss there. “I’m an asshole, but you’re fixing me. Just like I helped those women and restored them to their full potential, you’re doing the same for me. I was dark and dirty and broken inside. But you reached in, found the goodness, and worked your magic. I’m powerless against you, Jess. And I’ve never been so happy to relinquish control.”

“And—”

I cut her off when I tickle her. “Enough, woman. Out with it. Whatever it is, just put it out there. I’m not afraid and neither should you be.”

Without any more hesitation, she tugs out a sack. From inside of it, she pulls out a pair of
I Love New York
socks. Being from New York, the slogan alone warms me. But the size is what causes me to pause.

Pause for a second.

Stretched into an eternity.

This moment is perfect and real.

And I want to live in it forever.

Two torn, brittle, ratty souls weaving together as one and creating something new and perfect.

“Say something.”

Her words jerk me from the frozen moment of time and the seconds begin ticking away again. Life suddenly seems too short. A means to an end.

“I love you,” I murmur and splay my hands out over her flat stomach that will soon swell with the growth of our child. “And this little one too.”

Her body wracks with unshed tears and I move her things out of her lap. Lying back, I pull her with me. We stay like this for some time, me holding her while she cries with pure joy and me smiling at what’s to come. Eventually, our happiness is overshadowed by the need for one another.

“Make love to me, Braxton Kennedy.”

I roll her over onto her back and stare down at her as I fist my cock. Her wet hair is frizzy and half dried. Bloodshot green eyes from crying look back at me and her nose is pink. Pouty lips part open and I moisten my own with my tongue before I drop down to kiss the most beautiful fucking woman on the planet.

She cries out when I enter her slowly. Each thick inch of me, her body graciously accepts. And when I’m fully pressed into her, I feel completely whole. She and I clinging together with our baby safe between us. My thrusts are slow and teasing and soon she’s clawing at me. Jessica loves the sweet but she also craves the rough.

“I love you,” I moan against her mouth as I start pounding into her relentlessly. This woman brings pleasure to every nerve ending in my body, but it’s the pure bliss she cloaks my soul in that always does me in.

Her climax is quiet, no screams and it causes me to lose it. Together, we come soundlessly, our mouths sealed, a matrimony of their own rite. Once we come off our natural high that only comes from the other, my cock softens and the evidence of our lovemaking trickles from her.

“I’m going to marry you,” I tell her smugly.

She chuckles and lifts a brow. “Technically, according to my passport and legal documents, I’m already your wife.”

I smirk at her. “But tomorrow, I’m buying you a big-ass ring and hauling you off to the courthouse to make it official.”

“My first husband ended up dead. You sure you want to take those odds? Besides, I thought a man was supposed to ask a woman to be his wife. Not make demands.” She’s amused and her playful grin has my cock stirring again.

I wink at her. “I can handle myself. Your first husband was a pussy. If you get feisty, I’ll just tie you up and punish you with my belt.” Her cheeks redden because she’s embarrassed that the very mention of my belt turns her on. The crooked smile of hers though is ratting her out.
Guilty, Mrs. Kennedy.
“And I’m no normal man. I’m different and so are you. That, sexy vixen and mother of my child, is why we’re so special.”

She tickles my sides and we both laugh until I’m driving into her wet pussy again. Our eyes lock and I thrust into her as if each one could be my last.

“Will you marry me, Jessica Kennedy?”

Her mouth parts open and she nods. She moans and then locks eyes with me. A playful fire dances in her green eyes. “Somebody has to take one for the team.”

Sliding my fingers into her hair, I pound harder and harder into her. With each second that passes, my cock feels as if I may explode with my release.

“I’m glad you’re on my team, baby.”

“I’m glad too.”