Wilson's Hard Lesson (15 page)

A heavy silence filled the room before Nicole found the
strength to speak.

“Can you help me out?” she asked, holding up her arms like a
child asking to be picked up.

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Jackson said hastily, shaking his
head and clearing his throat.

He moved over the room toward her and held out his hand.
Nicole took it, and moved to stand with his support. She saw his eyes widen as
he took in her naked, wet body, and she saw his eyes linger hungrily on her
freshly shaven mound.

“You shaved,” he noted, his words hoarse.

“Yes,” Nicole said breathlessly.

Jackson said nothing, and helped her to get her leg over the
edge of the tub, and kept her steady as she stepped down the stairs. Nicole
shivered from the water still clinging to her skin, and also from the force of
her slightly building arousal.

“Let me get you a towel…” he murmured, and moved over to a
cabinet on the other side of the room. He withdrew a dark green, fluffy towel
and gently wrapped it around her shoulders.

“There,” he said with a smile, and she thought she heard
relief in his voice. Nicole had hoped that this would go on for a while longer,
and she felt a mischievous flutter in her stomach as she decided to press his
limits a little.

“Would you mind combing out my hair?” Nicole asked, her tone
sounding soft and innocent. “I don’t want it to tangle.”

Jackson’s expression dropped a little.

“Oh, sure,” he said. He moved over to a drawer, and
retrieved a wide toothed comb. He moved over and stood behind her, gently
running the comb through her hair. As he did, Nicole dried herself off with the
towel and wrapped it around her body.

“There,” Jackson said as he finished and put the comb back
into the drawer. “All set?”

Nicole nodded, but didn’t speak, looking up at him intensely
instead. Nicole made sure he was looking at her and giving her his full
attention before she untied the towel around her chest and allowed it to fall
at her feet, baring her body to him.

Jackson cleared his throat, and his eyes traveled down her
body and then back up. He looked into Nicole’s eyes, his own filled with
hesitation.

“You…” Jackson started to say, but trailed off. “You dropped
your towel.”

Nicole didn’t even look down at him. She stepped over it and
moved carefully toward him. She staggered slightly, and Jackson immediately reached
out to catch her, and she fell neatly into his chest.

“Jackson…” Nicole breathed out. She trailed her hand down
his front, and she heard him gasp as she palmed his erection through his jeans.

“Nicole,” he breathed out her name, and tilted her head up
to look at him. She felt her inner muscles clench at the hunger in his eyes.

Without another word, Nicole flung her arms around his neck
and pressed her lips against his. He groaned into her mouth and held her body
tightly against his. Nicole gently rocked her hips into his thigh, and she felt
his grip tighten around her middle. She whimpered slightly as he pressed
against her bruises.

“I’m sorry,” Jackson whispered softly, and loosened his
grip.

“Please,” Nicole panted as her sex began to throb. “Take me
to bed.”

Jackson looked down at her, and it seemed for a moment that
he was going to protest. But at length, his arousal must have drowned out his
concern, for he hastily nodded. In the next second, he gathered Nicole up in
his arms and easily carried her out into the bedroom and laid her gently on the
bed.

Jackson wasted no time, and began to tear off his clothing
until he was bare before her. Nicole nearly moaned just at the sight of him,
and she panted quickly with her excitement.

Jackson moved back over to the bed and began to lavish her
with kisses all over her body. He dragged his lips and his teeth along her
chest between her breasts, and Nicole thought her heart would combust. She felt
the tip of his member brush along her thigh, and she released a heavy, ragged
moan.

“Turn over,” Jackson whispered the command in her ear.

Nicole’s breath caught, and she felt a gush of wetness
between her thighs. She was sure that this was not so exciting for him, as he
must have been doing this for the last five years. For her, though, it felt
like the first time. She had always fantasized about being ordered around in
the bedroom, and to hear him tell her what to do served to turn her on
immensely.

Nicole did as she was instructed, and she allowed Jackson to
maneuver her so that her legs were resting on the floor, and her body was bent
over the bed. He used his feet to push her feet further apart, and Nicole felt
the cool air swirl over her exposed wetness.

Before she could fully process her change of position, she
released a small cry as she felt his lips place a kiss on her nether lips, and
his tongue snake out to gently caress her clit. His hands gently gripped her
hips and supported her as he worshipped her with his mouth.

Nicole squirmed at his touch and she moaned at the feeling
of his wet mouth against her sensitivity. She was nearing her climax, as she
felt her inner muscles start to twitch in anticipation of the pleasure she was
about to receive. Just before she would have come, though, Jackson pulled back.

Nicole whimpered at the feeling of loss, and she was going
to plead with him not to stop, but before she could get a word out, she felt
his hot tip against her, slowly sliding inside. From behind, it was even more
intense, and Nicole released a string of incoherent pleas as he slowly moved in
and out of her.

Nicole was once again nearing her orgasm as he picked up his
pace, and she delighted in the sound of his soft pants as he pounded into her. Nicole
released a high, keening moan. She felt one of Jackson’s hand slip down between
her legs, and his fingers circled her clit.

Nicole gasped, and her fingers tightly clasped the sheets
beneath her. Every muscle in her body twitched as her orgasm slowly spread
throughout her body, and finally crashed over her. She heard Jackson gasp and
moan as her inner muscles massaged him, and she felt him jerk as he, too
reached his end.

Nicole felt him soften inside of her, and she shuddered as
he gently pulled out. He helped her to lie back down on the bed, and she curled
up on her side. Jackson laid down beside her, facing her on his side. His hand
gently cupped her face, and he pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss.

Nicole smiled and snuggled into him, feeling safe and very
loved.

For the next several days, Nicole felt her bond with Jackson
growing stronger and stronger. They ate and drank and interacted together, and
all the while, Nicole felt a warmth build up in her stomach. She discovered
that he largely worked from home, so he was able to be there for her at almost
all times. Even when he left, he wasn’t gone for long. Nicole vaguely
considered never going back to work at all.

Nicole felt better and better every day under Jackson’s careful
watch. Her bruises were fading, and she found she could move with more
stability with each passing hour. She could clearly see that was a great source
of relief for Jackson, and she was glad that soon he wouldn’t have to watch
over her so carefully.

Eventually, though, it came time for them to go out into the
real world to dinner with their family and friends, and it seemed to Nicole
that Jackson was every bit as nervous as she was. Their nervousness, though, could
not really negate the fact that they had made their commitment and were going
to go.

Nicole had been shocked by the contents of her wardrobe, and
it wasn’t hard for her to select a nice, blue dress for the occasion. Jackson
selected a pair of dark gray slacks and a plain white shirt, as well as a gray
sweater. Nicole noted that he looked very good, and she had to work to keep
from looking at him too long.

When they were both ready, they got into Jackson’s car, a
very nice, sleek Mercedes Benz. Jackson opened the passenger seat door and waited
until Nicole was settled in the seat until he moved around to the driver’s
side. Nicole did not miss the way that Jackson gripped the wheel, and she saw
that his jaw was tight as he clenched his teeth.

“Are you okay?” Nicole asked softly, reaching over to place
her hand gently on his thigh.

Jackson looked over at her and raised his brows, seeming
surprised by the question.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, shaking his head. “Are you?”

Nicole nodded, though she could still feel her nerves
dancing around inside of her. Jackson turned the key in the ignition and the
engine purred to life. Jackson easily pulled out into the street, and started
toward their destination.

Jackson has suggested that they invite Angela and her
husband as well, and upon receiving that news, Angela suggested that they have
the dinner at her house. Nicole had liked the idea, and she presented it to her
parents, who were happy to accommodate.

Jackson knew the way to Angela’s house, and they arrived in
short order, pulling into the driveway.

Jackson turned off the car and got out, then crossed to open
the door for Nicole. No sooner had ne helped her out of the car than Angela had
stepped out of her home and waved at them from her doorway.

Jackson waved back, and Nicole smiled as the approached the
entrance to their friend’s home.

“Good to see you again,” Angela said. Jackson gave her a
kiss on the cheek in greeting, and Nicole allowed the woman to give her a
gentle hug.

“You beat the crowd,” Angela said as she ushered them
inside. Nicole immediately saw a man that she had never met, but recognized
from the photograph in her apartment.

“Hi there,” the man stood, his voice strong and deep. “I’m
James. I’m sorry about your accident.”

“Thank you,” Nicole smiled, and shook the hand that the man
offered.

“Here, both of you come sit down,” James gestured to a small
sitting area just outside of the dining room.

Nicole and Jackson moved into the room. Nicole sat down on a
small sofa, and Jackson took a seat beside her. He placed a hand on Nicole’s
knee, and began to nervously rub his thumb along her skin.

Nicole couldn’t help but notice that Angela and James were
looking at them closely. She supposed that she had just been in a wreck, and that
maybe they felt awkward that she didn’t remember them. They looked between her
and Jackson with strange smiles. Nicole tried to dismiss her strange feelings,
and she resolved to ignore time.

They chatted in the sitting room for a short while, until a
knock on the door pulled them out of their conversations. Angela got up to get
the door, and Nicole felt Jackson stiffen beside her. She looked up at him,
concerned, and he gave her a tight smile.

James got up and moved toward the dining room, and Nicole and
Jackson followed suit. James guided Nicole and Jackson to their seats at the
table, though they did not sit.

Nicole’s parents moved into the room, and a broad smile
crossed over her face. She immediately went to them and embraced them in her
arms.

“We’re so glad to see you,” Her mother said as they hugged,
and her father smiled down at her, lightly stroking over her hair.

“I’m glad to see you too,” Nicole said, pulling back. These
were the only faces she had seen recently that she could actually remember, and
she felt a warmth at that knowledge.

When she had finished greeting her parents, she expected
them to go to Jackson, but they did not. Her mother greeted him with a strained
smile, and her father gave him a stiff nod, which he returned. Nicole frowned,
and wondered if her parents didn’t like him for some reason, and moreover what
that reason could be.

Everyone took their place at the table and Angela proceeded
to serve a fabulous meal of spaghetti and salad with wine. Nicole declined to
drink the wine due to the fact that she was still allowing her body time to
recover, and she didn’t want to consume alcohol and potentially slow down the
process.

A natural flow of conversation picked up, but she noticed
that Jackson was not relaxed or talkative as she was accustomed to. Her father
kept glancing between them, and she was beginning to become confused and more
than a little flustered.

After a while though, they finished their meals, and
everyone sat around the table just finishing up their wine and chatting a
little.

“So,” her father spoke, clearing his throat and looking
directly at Nicole and Jackson. “Is everything okay with you two? I mean… are
you good now?”

Jackson put his fork down forcefully on the table and hi jaw
worked as he looked angrily over at Nicole’s father. Nicole, for her part,
frowned in confusion.

“I mean… yes?” Nicole asked, feeling a little lost.

“I’m just trying to keep up with – ow!” her father raised
his hands in a gesture of innocence as his wife swatted him on the arm and
looked, embarrassed, down at her plate.

“Keep up with what?” Nicole asked, looking between her
father and Jackson, who was now openly seething, his hands clenched into fists
beneath the table.

Nicole’s mind was spinning and she had no idea what her
father was taking about.

“Keep up with what?” Nicole repeated, this time looking at
Jackson, who refused to meet her eyes.

The table was absolutely silent, and Nicole felt a cold
weight settling in her stomach. She suddenly felt very tired and overwhelmed.

“Well, we’re glad you all came out,” Angela said, her voice sounding
stifled to Nicole.

“Thank you for having,” Jackson said eagerly, taking that as
his excuse to stand up. “I’m going out for some air. Nicole, I’ll be watching
the door so I can help you out to the car. It was wonderful to see everyone.”

With that, Jackson took several long strides out of the
room. Nicole, still horribly confused, stood and moved around the table,
thanking Angel and James for hosting them.

She bid farewell to her parents, hugging each of them
tightly. Her mother gave her a tight, apologetic smile, and gently stroked over
her hair. Nicole smiled shakily back, and linked arms with her mother as they
both left the house.

True to his word, Jackson was outside waiting for her, and
he immediately held out his hand for her to help her down the stairs of the
porch. Nicole smiled at her mother and then took Jackson’s hand and allowed him
to lead her over to the car.

Nicole was quiet as Jackson helped her into the passenger’s
seat and she was lost in her thoughts as she waited for him to get in the
driver’s seat. Their drive home was silent, and the atmosphere between them was
tense. Nicole couldn’t help but feel slightly sick, and a little betrayed that
Jackson had deliberately kept something from her that was obviously a large
issue.

Ch. 11

They pulled into their spot on the street and Jackson got
out of the car, then moved over to help Nicole out and onto the sidewalk. They
were silent as they entered their home. They stepped inside, and Nicole moved
slowly through the hallway. Jackson closed and locked the door, and then
lingered there for a moment before following Nicole down the hall.

Nicole moved into the living room and sat down on the couch.
Jackson followed, and he paced slowly around the room, avoiding eye contact
with Nicole at all costs. Finally, Nicole could take the silence no longer, and
she resolved to address the problem.

“What was my dad talking about at Angela’s?” Nicole asked
softly.

Jackson finally looked up at her, his expression grim. His
eyes were guarded, and he looked like he had aged several years just over the
course of dinner.

“Jackson?” Nicole pressed, still feeling sick.

Jackson sighed and shook his head. He moved over to where
Nicole was sitting on the couch, and he sat down in front of her on the coffee
table.

“Your dad was talking about us,” Jackson said slowly, and
Nicole listened eagerly. “Our relationship… was kind of falling apart.”

Nicole blinked at the news, feeling confused.

“We had been strained from the beginning when we were trying
and failing to have a baby,” he explained. “You and I both felt guilty. We just
became distant… we barely spoke. I spent all my time on different sites or at
the office, and you were giving tours of houses all the time. Our whole lives
were work.”

Nicole was slightly crushed by the news. She had thought
that she was living an ideal, happy life, and now she found out that her life
was practically in ruins and her relationship was almost nonexistent.

“You were spending a lot of time with your parents,” he
said. “They knew what was going on. And they were the ones who brought up the
divorce.”

Nicole’s heart jumped into her throat at the word. She felt
tears pooling in her eyes and she hurried to blink them away.

“You then brought the idea up with me,” he said softly.
“And… I told you it would probably be for the best.”

Nicole felt her heart break, and she couldn’t help the tear
that rolled down her face.

“It was only the news from the adoption agency that kept us
from splitting,” he explained. “We thought that maybe that would help… that it
would give us a reason to rebuild what we had lost together…”

Nicole listened silently.

“Still, at that point it would be a long time before we were
able to get him, and we decided to try and spend more time together,” he said
with a sigh. “Which turned out to be worse than ignoring each other. We fought
incessantly. It just built and built, and we were both getting worried that we
wouldn’t be able to fix it, baby or no baby. That’s actually what we were
fighting about in the car… when we got in that wreck…”

Nicole’s face slackened at the revelation.

“And the next thing I know, we were both in the hospital,”
he said softly. “I called our parents and your parents and mind both came up…
but then they left, and I was alone with you, and I had a lot of time to
think…”

Nicole had a good idea of where this was going.

“I realized then and there that I wanted to be with you
after all,” he said. “I wanted to get back to where we started, and fix things,
and be happy again.”

In spite of herself, Nicole felt her stomach flutter at his
heartfelt words.

“I was going to tell you as soon as you woke up,” he said.
“But then… you didn’t recognize me…”

Nicole remembered being startled by the strange man at her
bedside.

“And when we figured out that you had lost your memory,”
Jackson shook his head. “At first I was crushed, but then I realized that this
could work to our advantage. Your memory loss essentially wiped out all the
horrible things that had happened between us… like a clean slate… a second
chance…”

Nicole had suspected as much, and she remained silence.

“Nicole,” Jackson gently took her hands. “I know I should
have been more transparent about our past. But… I still love you. And I want to
be with you. And I want to raise this baby with you. I know that I won’t make
the same mistakes again, and I will work every day to cherish you and make sure
that you know exactly how much I love you.”

Nicole cried at his words, and she sniffled. His words made
her heart sing, but there was still and aching fear in the back of her mind.

“But…” Nicole spoke through her tears, her voice breaking.
“What if I make the same mistakes? What if we end up in the same exact place we
ended up in another five years?”

“I would rather take that chance than ever let you go,”
Jackson said, his words heavy. “I thought I was going to lose you in that
hospital, and the thought almost killed me. I don’t think I can make it through
actually losing you.”

Nicole wanted to trust in him and in herself, but she was
horrified at the thought of history repeating itself. Jackson looked up at her
with his dark eyes, and she looked back at him as his image blurred. She shook
her head and sobbed quietly, completely lost.

“I just don’t know what to do…” She squeaked out quietly,
sniffing slightly.

Nicole felt Jackson lightly cup her cheek and tilt her face
up to look at him. His thumb gently wiped away at her face, and he gave her a
tentative smile.

“Spend your life with me, Nicole,” he urged her in a soft
whisper. “Start over with me. Raise a child with me. Grow old with me so we can
watch our kids grow up, and find a low like ours. I know I’m not perfect, and I
know I will mess things up. But I promise not to deliberately push you away
like I have before. I promise that I will take care of you and make sure you
know where you belong- right here, with me. I love you. Please… stay.”