Stricken Unveiled (Stricken Rock #2) (33 page)

He comes back on. “Sorry about that. I’m
almost to the suburban now. I will be home shortly. I will stop and
grab a bite to eat for us and some movies at Redbox if you want,
unless you want to leave the condo to go to another location? I can
take you to Johnathan’s or Stacy’s or wherever else you want.” He
says his tone back to its usual sweetness.

“I don’t want to leave. I like the bedroom
it’s my sanctuary. And I sure as hell don’t want to go to
Johnathan’s. Just come home and we can lounge and keep the crazies
at bay.”

A knock at the door.

“Fuck another person’s knocking. What do I
do?” I ask worried.

He growls into the phone. It kind of sounds
like Johnathan’s but deeper and darker. This must be a male
thing.

“Don’t answer it. I will be home soon.” He’s
frustrated, it’s difficult for James to sound angry. He’s hard and
scary looking but his patience keeps his darkness at bay.

We hang up. I grab the basket off the table
and food from the kitchen after I close all the drapes. I take off
James’s robe and hang it back on the bedroom door and slouch back
into my favorite space.

My phone sings. ‘Hush my love don’t you cry,
everything will be alright, close your eyes and drift in
dream.’

It’s Johnathan goody! Not.

“Yes? How may I help you?” I ask answering
his call. I haven’t spoken to him in what feels like forever.

“Are you alright?” he’s panicky.

“I’m fine. James is coming home and will take
care of this new issue. Do you find it comforting that a new
problem arises almost daily since you’ve been out?” I sass.

I lay back against the headboard of the
beautiful bed. I probably shouldn’t be talking to him in here. It
might taint the serenity. But I’m too lazy to get up.

Pulling a child out of the bag I pop it into
my mouth and crunch down to help ease my rising temperature.

“Ashley did it. I guess she wasn’t as okay as
we thought about me leading her on again.” He breathes heavily into
the phone.

“Ya don’t say? What else is in the news that
I should be worried about?” I’m such a sarcastic bitch with him.
It’s like a light switch that comes on when I hear his voice now.
It’s hard to be sweet and loving when all I want to do is castrate
the man.

“That one photo of me and the topless woman
is all over the internet. She must have sent it to more people than
you. Also they have photos of the band leaving the hotel Sunday
morning with the women headed to the plane and now the pregnancy
and girlfriend thing with you.”

“I guess I’ll stay off the internet then. Can
you ever be safe and stop doing this? Seriously. And threatening
James isn’t the best way to get you in my good graces or his.” I
scold.

“I know I’m sorry baby. I love you. I want to
see you today. But I guess that’s now off limits. Unless… you want
to come and stay with me? I could have James and Davis keep an eye
on things and we can spend some time together. I meant what I said
this morning. I want to be in you so badly. Use my cock or my
tongue. I want to make you feel good.”

“You do realize how ridiculous you sound
right now? Use your cock after just yesterday you had a woman’s
hands all over it. No thanks. I think I’d rather use B.O.B or
Claire. Maybe even a tire iron but not your cock. Now, I am going
to spend the next few days with James and you’re going to do the LA
concert on Friday. Then after San Diego you’re going to get some
help. Get a counselor and see him four days a week. You’re going to
attend A.A meetings and you’re going to practice abstinence
including with me and other women. That includes no sex, blow jobs,
hand jobs and whatever other kinky shit you could come up with to
wiggle out of saying you’re still abstinent. Then after you work on
yourself we can talk. I’ve tried to the hand-holding thing. You
have to do this for yourself and your children.” I state and he
listens, I can hear him breathing hard but I know he’s tuning
in.

“Will that win you back?” he sounds
desperate.

“Maybe, but you have to put in the work.
You’ll always have me in your life Johnathan and I’ll always be
your friend. I love you so very much. I don’t know why sometimes
because I think I’m an idiot. But I do. And I am going to take care
of these babies and stay with James. He will hold my hand through
this and so will Stacy. You need to concentrate on you. Then after
you do what is best. We will talk. But until then I think we need
some separation. You do your work. I’ll help from my end using
Stacy and James to run stuff through. And you do your job and try
to stay out of trouble. I think its best.” I say calmly.

It’s true after all is said and done
Johnathan needs to get healthy for himself and doing all that he
has isn’t it.

“I can’t lose you from my life short stack,
you have to know that. Those babies are mine and I will be their
dad even if you won’t have me. I love you so much. I know I keep
ruining us. I don’t know why. I just wish my life was easier. That
my dad hadn’t murdered my mom in front of me, or beat me as a kid,
or that I wouldn’t have been put in foster home from the age of
ten. One of my foster moms made me fuck her when I was thirteen and
I did it. Then she’d do drugs with me and we’d fuck. I’m so screwed
up because of it all. I know that. The only love I ever knew was
when I was between a woman’s legs and they’d say they loved me. It
sounds wrong I know. But it’s true. I’ve never dealt with my
demons. I’m glad I finally got you to make we want to do that for
myself.”

“Oh god why didn’t you tell me about your
story Johnathan? I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me. Please baby. Don’t.
I know it’s why I am as screwed up as I am. But if I wasn’t so
screwed up I probably wouldn’t have met the boys in rehab and
started the band. I wouldn’t have met you and we wouldn’t be having
our babies. I wouldn’t change it because of that. But that’s my
past and you and those babies are my future. My only future. I know
I have to get shit straight. And I will do it. I will do it for you
and for us. I promise.” He sounds confident, and loving.

I hope that’s the truth because he said this
the last time. It didn’t work out so hot. I want to believe
Johnathan. I want to see a bright future. But I don’t. I can’t lie
and say I do. I wish I did. But with everything he’s done. I can’t
see past it all into the great world of wonderful loving Johnathan.
I’ve gotten perfect glimpses of the man I want to spend my life
with as he talks to the babies and orders my room service. Those
are so beautiful. Then the rest is muck and dirt.

“Just get clean Johnathan I have to go. James
will be home soon and I need to let him in. I’m proud of you if you
pull through this. And I do love you. Very much.”

“Ok…. I love you. Stay in for the next week
or so if you can. It should die down after that. It always
does.”

I hang up. It’s not that I don’t want to talk
to Johnathan or believe him. But I can’t keep doing this to myself.
If I wasn’t pregnant I would probably cope better. But every time I
think I am on the right path with this man it jumps off the deep
end and gets eaten by a shark. My life will just have to play
out.

The doorbell rings. I get out of bed and head
with barely any clothes on to see who it is.

“It’s me.” James says from the other side. I
open both doors for him and he slams them both shut and locks them.
His hand is full of groceries and movies.

“So how bad is it out there?” I ask, watching
him lay the stuff down on the kitchen table.

He walks over to me and grabs me up into his
arms into a huge hug pressing my face to his thick warm chest.

“There are three news crews, a few fans and
some paps.” He says caressing my back. I instantly feel better.
Talking to Johnathan can drain a lot out of a woman. “You need to
be back in bed pregnant woman in way too little of clothes.” He
stands back eyeing me then bends down and scoops me up. I
giggle.

“Put me down Calvin James I can walk.” I
tease laughing, wiggling in his arms. I like be handled like a
little doll. It makes me feel small in such a big man’s arms. What
woman doesn’t love that? Even if that said man is sexy, comforting
and old enough to be your father?

“No, pregnant lady needs to be off her feet.
This pregnant lady has been through too much in a damn week and I
am going to be her doctor. So I prescribe a week of strict condo
rest with a hunky older man. And I also prescribe that pregnant
lady cuddle with hunky teddy bear man three hours a day minimally.
Or she might get sick. And we wouldn’t want that to happen.” He
says with a straight face.

I am laughing so hard tears are pouring down
my face. James carries me like a baby into the bedroom and lays me
gently on my side of the bed. I haven’t even had time to check out
my basket yet from Claire. Now, I feel like an ass.

He heads to the door.

“Where is my hunky teddy bear going?” I ask
still busting up.

“To shower and slip into my pj’s. You my lady
should probably put some more clothes on.” He eyes me uncovered
sprawled out on the bed. I love this damn bed!

“It’s just a pair of panties and a cami
James. Do I look that bad? At least I’m not naked.” I tease
fingering my top, pulling it up over my belly a little to rest just
under my breasts. Taunting him. I know he hates when I’m not
clothed. Most of the time when he’s home I wear a bigger t-shirt
and panties. Which he seems fine with.

“Young lady. Have you used B.O.B today?” he
raises a brow.

“No? Why?” I’m perplexed why he would even
ask that.

“You’re naughtier when you haven’t had a date
with him. You need to soon.”

“What? Why?” I’m confused again. I know I’m
frisky but that’s just me on a regular day.

“You don’t want to know why.” He grabs the
knob and opens the door and steps out. I leap out of bed and catch
him in the hall. I wrap my around him from behind locking myself
around his waist. He can’t talk to me like that and not tell me
why. This is confusing.

“Tell me.” I ask sweetly my face pressed to
his back.

“You my dear, if you haven’t dated B.O.B or
Claire in a while smell like sweet honey, which I know what it is
that I’m smelling. Plus you start flirting with me more. Like
pulling up your shirt or sucking peanut butter off my fingers.”

My heart is pounding my chest. I am so damn
embarrassed. I can’t believe I do that. I guess I do. But I wish I
didn’t. Not with James. For his sake not mine.

He unlocks my fingers and turns around.

I look up to his face. He smiles warmly. “I
don’t mind the flirting and there is no need to be all red faced.”
He reaches over and caresses my cheek. I’m burning up, so ashamed.
“But even if you got turned on enough and would want us to do
something. It can’t happen. I’m not saying you would. But it can’t
and it has nothing to do with Johnathan or Claire. And you are
beautiful. So it’s not about that either.”

“Is it because I’m so young?” I pout,
averting my eyes to the ground.

He barks a laugh. I wasn’t being funny I was
being serious. “No, no sweet girl.” He delicately tilts my chin up
with his hand. “Look at me.” He asks politely. I listen.

“Any man my age or older would die to have a
twenty four-year-old.” He smiles at me again. “But for the same
reason I don’t date and have sex. Is the reason it can never happen
with you, even if your hormones are begging for it.” He adds.

“How do you know my hormones beg that much?”
I ask softly. He seems to know more about me than most unless I
tell them. I don’t comment to him about my horny streaks. It’s
humiliating.

“I can smell you and I hear you in the
bathroom or the spare bedroom pleasuring yourself.”

“What do you mean you ‘hear’ me?” my voice
jumps a few octaves.

“It’s no secret Emily that you’re loud when
you… you know…” he gestures his hand in a circle, like he’s pushing
me to get the point. “Oh Jesus don’t make me say it.” His face
reddens.

“You mean I’m loud when I come? And you hear
me?” my eyes widen. Oh the horror!

Oh my god! I am seriously mortified. I turn
around and don’t say another word and he is just as embarrassed as
I am. He doesn’t do sex talk well. I go back into the bedroom and
close the door. I throw myself onto the bed. I drop the basket on
the floor. Toss the covers over myself to be protected. I can’t
believe this! I use B.O.B or my finger multiple times daily and he
hears it! Oh Jesus. I’ve only lived here for four days and he
already knows about all of it. That’s not good.

It’s now Sunday the follow weekend. I’ve been
cooped up with James in his condo for the past six days, except
once when I got to see my girlfriend who is leaving to go out of
town as we speak. She’s heading back to New York to help finalize
more work with the new ad agency. Planning on being gone for at
least the next six weeks. I think I might die not having her
pleasure me for that long. But we promised to text regularly and
that might help with how much I miss her already. We had dinner at
a nice restaurant on Thursday and she fingered me on the ride over.
In my pussy this time, not Anna. I actually came quickly. After the
restaurant we left and she took me back to the hotel in Malibu, the
one we spent our first night in. Anna got to come three times and
Claire got to come twice thanks to my fingers. It was hot and heavy
like always and we cuddled until nearly one a.m. James needed me to
come home because he wouldn’t be a very good bodyguard without me
to guard.

After the conversation with James I’ve been
putting off dating B.O.B or my own hand until he leaves for a few
minutes. This hasn’t happened often because there are paps and fans
and all those crazies parked outside of our condo round the clock.
Just leaving to see Claire was a headache and a half and our
pictures are already plastered all over the internet. ‘Johnathan
Striker’s girlfriend, dating CEO Claire Kennedy?’ or ‘Who’s the
better lover? Johnathan Striker or Claire Kennedy? Only Emily
knows.’