Jackson's Destiny (Sawyer Brothers #2) (10 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

Bailey

I had spent the last five days talking to different doctors and the therapist that had been assigned to my mother. As a group and even sometimes on our own, we shared our fears and sorrows as the counselor listened. Each day I walked away feeling exhausted and empty. So the moment I looked through the peephole in the door and saw Jackson’s face, my heart lurched in my chest. He would never understand just how much it meant to me that he came all this way to support me. And the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Therapy was intense, and I had started to retreat into the dark place I’d been in after Gabe died, when I’d felt like everything around me was caving in, drowning me slowly.

Jackson being here gave me back a sense of the girl I used to be, and the one I became again when he allowed me to break down his walls. The girl that let go and lived in the moment, who was free-spirited and happy.

His kiss was urgent and so full of passion, and my body trembled with my need to have him even closer. I wanted him to take over, to wash away the heartache of the last few days and make me feel only him. Tonight I only wanted to be lost in Jackson. He was my savior in this crazy mess.

“I had to see you. Waiting was no longer an option.” He groaned as he took my mouth once more, devouring me little by little. “It’s felt so much longer than a few days, baby.”

He trailed his lips down my neck as I let my head fall back, giving him room to roam. God, the rough tickle of his stubble against my skin drove me even wilder. I combed my fingers through his hair, and a deep groaned escaped him as he went lower until he reached the base of my neck. I was already in overdrive, but the moment he trailed his tongue along the dip between my breasts, my knees grew weak. Thank God for low-cut shirts; at that moment, I believed they were the best thing ever created.

“I don’t think I can go slow, sweetheart. Not the first time, anyway,” he whispered against my skin.

An uncontrollable whimper escaped me. “I don’t want slow,” I assured him as I began to undress. He immediately joined me, lifting his shirt over his head and letting it drop to the floor. “I need you hungry and insatiable.”

Without warning, he lifted me from the floor and not so gently placed me onto the bed. The anticipation of his dominance made my heart race.

He hooked his thumbs under the waistband of his shorts and began lowering the only piece of clothing that separated us. My gaze drifted lower as I watched with hungry eyes. He truly was a magnificent creature. It was almost unfair how cripplingly beautiful he was.

“You’re giving me that damn look, baby.” His voice was strained.

Allowing my gaze to shift upward, I smiled knowingly. “What look?” I asked innocently before biting my lower lip.

I watched in amazement as he knelt on the mattress and began moving toward me. As he lowered his body over mine, I instinctively opened my legs, allowing his hips to settle against me. Evidence of his arousal pressed against my center, and I moaned.

“You’ve got that hungry look in your eyes. Like you want to attack and conquer,” he whispered as he thrust his hips slowly, stroking his cock against my slickness. “Like you want to devour me.”

“Because I do,” I moaned. “I want you so badly.”

He covered my mouth with his and ran his tongue along mine. “Take me,” he said as he rolled over and took me with him.

I now hovered above him as he looked up at me with longing. Wasting no further time, I wrapped my hand around his hardness as I lifted myself up, then guided him toward me.

We had used condoms every time we’d been together. Even though we’d had the talk about birth control and clean bills of health, going without them was a step we hadn’t yet taken. But tonight all I wanted was to feel him fully without anything between us.

As I lowered myself over him, his eyes fluttered shut as he gripped my hips and thrust upward, seating himself fully inside of me. A deep moan escaped us both.

I waited to move until he opened his eyes and locked his gaze on mine. His grip loosened as I started to move, allowing me more room.

“Feels good.” Jackson’s voice was so husky and sexy. He began moving his thumb over my clit in almost perfect timing with the thrusting of my hips. “Never felt this good, never,” he assured me, his eyes locked with mine.

I nodded, because nothing had ever felt this good for me, either. The connection I had with Jackson was something I had never before experienced. It wasn’t just sexual, it was emotional, and the intense feelings were overwhelming. Familiar heat rose in my cheeks and neck. My legs tensed and began to shake as he continued to rub his thumb against me.

“Let go,” he whispered. “Let me have it, baby.”

Throwing my head back, I rocked my hips faster as I raced toward the orgasm I was hanging on the edge of. “Yes,” I groaned. He gripped my hips harder, and once more I thrashed in pleasure. “Oh my God, yes.”

Before I had completely recovered, Jackson flipped me over and began slamming into me, racing toward his own release. He was like a caged animal that had just been released, and it was incredibly erotic.

“So damn good,” he said before biting me gently on the neck and sucking as he continued to thrust in and out of me.

As I wrapped my legs around his waist, his ass tensed under my calves. He lifted his head and kissed me, mimicking his hips’ movements with his tongue as he sucked mine deep into his mouth. There was such incredible devotion in his kiss.

“Oh, yeah,” he growled as he gripped my hip with one hand and held my body still as he gently moved against me, his breathing ragged and labored as he buried his face in my neck.

Silence filled the room, and for the first time in days, I felt completely at peace.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Jackson

Even though Noah and Ryan had the ranch covered today, my internal clock still had me awake before five a.m. I woke with only a corner of the sheet barely covering me. When I rolled to my left, I found Bailey all balled up in the comforter; only the top of her head was peeking out.

I chuckled because the girl was a damn blanket hog. She always stole the covers. I scooted toward her and slid my hand beneath the blanket to seek out the treasure it hid.

The moment I made contact with her naked hip, my body reacted. It was impossible not to grow hard as I slipped my hand over to her lower back and splayed my fingers across it. She moaned and arched her ass up, only making it more difficult to control my urges.

I slid closer and pulled her body flush against mine before lowering my lips to her shoulder and kissing it softly.

“Mm,” Bailey moaned as she rolled to her side so we were facing each other. “Good morning.” She slid her hand between us, wrapped her fingers gently around my erection, and slowly began to stroke me.

“You stole the covers again, baby,” I said, trying to control the animalistic urges suddenly rushing through me.

“Only because I wanted you to come find me.” She looked over her shoulder and gave me that alluring smile of hers. “It worked, didn’t it?”

I lowered my hand along her stomach and felt her legs part to welcome my touch. “It sure did, sweetheart,” I replied as I slid a finger inside her. She bit her lip to control her moan. “Now that I found you, what would you like me to do with you?”

“Whatever you want,” she breathed.

Her eyes rolled back as I added a second finger. “Whatever I want, huh?”

“Yes,” she assured me, and I knew in that moment there wasn’t much I couldn’t get Bailey to agree to.

***

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Bailey asked timidly. “I mean, you really don’t have to.”

We stood on the lower level of the hospital, waiting for the elevator to arrive and take us three floors up to see her mother. I curled my hand around the back of her neck and stepped closer. I didn’t care about the man standing behind me, or the younger guy who had been watching Bailey since we walked up.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about. I love you,” I assured her. But her resolve was slowly beginning to fade away. “I came all this way to be with you, show you support. I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”

I lowered my lips to hers, and even though I didn’t want to, I kept the kiss simple. Placing my forehead against hers, I whispered just so she could hear, “There is no place I would rather be than here with you.”

“Thank you,” she replied softly.

The ding of the arriving elevator broke our moment, and I turned back toward the doors. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the younger guy once again watching my girl closely, and I regretted choosing to keep the kiss clean. The entire ride up, I held her close, staking my claim.

We exited the elevator, and I followed Bailey until she stopped outside of a door and looked back over her shoulder.

“Last chance to run.” She shrugged.

“Ain’t going nowhere unless you’re by my side,” I assured her with a wink.

She nodded and turned back toward the door, then slowly pushed it open.

The gray-haired man sitting at the side of the bed looked up and smiled. The moment he noticed me, he stood and gave me a questioning look.

“Dad,” Bailey greeted him. He stood and walked toward her, then offered her a gentle hug. Once he released her, she reached back, took my hand, and pulled me closer. “This is Jackson, the guy I told you about.”

The knowledge she had already mentioned me to her father made my mind race, and I wondered how she had explained me, explained us to him.

“The man who captured her heart,” he said as he held his hand out to me. I released Bailey’s and gave his a firm shake.

“She’s equally captured mine as well, sir,” I said with a grin.

“Call me Trevor,” he insisted.

I nodded, and he looked back at his daughter. I knew their relationship was strained, but I could see how much he loved Bailey in the way he looked at her. I found myself wondering if she could tell.

“Why is everyone gathered in the doorway?” A raspy, quiet whisper had us all looking toward the bed.

The blonde hair piled on top of the woman’s head in a messy resemblance of a bun reminded me of Bailey, but the smile sealed the connection between them, even though her mother’s smile was forced.

“Just being introduced to Jackson,” her father said, another indication they were both very aware of who I was.

“Come on over here, Jackson. It’s my turn.” Her mother motioned at me. “Let me see for myself.”

“Mother…” Bailey blushed with embarrassment.

I only chuckled as I stepped up beside her bed and took a seat on the mattress next to her when she lightly patted it.

“My Bailey was right. You are very easy on the eyes.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” I replied, placing my hand over hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. I felt like I was on display a bit. I never got embarrassed, but I was now as her mother looked me up and down.

Bailey of course took the opportunity to call me out on it. She stepped up behind me, placed her hands on my shoulders, and leaned slightly over my left side. “Am I seeing this right? Jackson Sawyer is blushing. Wow, Mom, I never thought I would see that day.”

Her father chuckled, and the smile on her mother’s face made my embarrassment completely worth it. Suddenly the situation felt a little less tense, and we all settled into easy conversation.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Bailey

“So I only have less than twenty-four hours left with you. What am I gonna do with you?” I said as we stepped off the curb at the hospital and walked toward my rental.

“Well, I can think of a few things.” I looked up at Jackson and caught him wagging his eyebrows suggestively. “Actually, way more than a few, but we can start out slow.”

He smiled brightly, a satisfied look on his face.

I loved Jackson like this, happy and so relaxed. I was seriously worried about how things would go after I introduced him to my parents. But oddly, the introduction went so much better than I anticipated.

I stopped at the passenger side of the car, and he looked up over the roof at me from the other side. “What do ya say, wanna get creative?” His tone was completely serious, but there was a bright gleam in his eyes.

“You are so ridiculous.” I tried to act offended but couldn’t contain my laughter.

“Like you aren’t running all kinds of images through your mind right now. Me with your legs suspended above your head while I—”

“Bailey Boo!”

I smiled as I spun around just in time to catch my cousin Alena as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “Your dad told me you just left, so I ran. Me, running—” She pulled back and pointed toward her feet. “—in heels.” She arched her eyebrows.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Looking for you. I just got back to town. No more traveling, girl. I am over it. I hate living out of a suitcase.”

I looked over her shoulder when Jackson cleared his throat.

Alena smirked and placed her hand on her hip. “We know you’re there, Country Boy. But we’re having a moment here.” She looked back at me, and I laughed. Jackson’s eyes widened, and the idea of him being offended by that remark just made me laugh even harder.

Alena knew exactly what she was doing, and when Jackson figured it out, he rounded the car and headed straight for her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and pinned her arms at her sides as he hugged her. She laughed and wiggled against him, and despite myself, the display made me just a little jealous, even though I knew it was completely innocent. The two of them had hit it off when she was in Livingston visiting me and Amber after we moved out there. Keeping that in mind, I hid my distaste and forced a smile.

“Okay, smartass, now what’s your plan?” he asked her.

She stopped struggling and looked over her shoulder at him. “Stealing your girl here for a little girl time.”

Jackson shook his head in protest. “Hell no. I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon. I’m not giving away any of the time I have left. Besides—” He looked up and narrowed his eyes at me. “—Bailey and I were actually just going over our plans for the evening.”

“Please, being on her back all night long isn’t what I’m talking about.”

I bit my lip and held back my laughter.

He released her and moved to stand next to me. “Well, I was planning on being in bed part of the time. I like looking up and seeing—”

I placed my hand over his mouth and shook my head. He chuckled and kissed my palm, which made me forget all about his playful banter with Alena.

“Let’s take this cowboy out tonight and show him a little of Chicago’s nightlife,” Alena said. “Then again, I’m not sure he can handle it.”

She was taunting him. I knew the game; she played it well.

“Game on,” Jackson said as he stood taller, waiting for her to say more.

I had a feeling tonight would be interesting.

***

I laughed so hard, I snorted.

“I’m not shitting ya, she told me to take a fucking Viagra. Around the fire pit, with my brothers and Amber right there in earshot.”

Of course Jackson had to bring up our last encounter with alcohol. “I meant to say ‘Valium,’” I assured Alena through my laughter.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she held her side. “It’s okay. I mean, it happens to men all the time. It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she teased.

“Got no problems in that department. I’m packing one hell of a machine below the belt,” Jackson told her.

I smacked his shoulder, and he leaned back, throwing his arm over my shoulder. “What?” he asked as he closed the distance between us, then kissed my neck just below my ear. “You know damn well that’s true. All night long, baby,” he whispered, and my body betrayed me as I leaned closer, allowing him better access to taste my neck.

The alcohol was, of course, beginning to relax me. I felt hazy, and the featherlight touch of his lips against my skin had my entire body feeling as if it was on fire.