A Reason To Breathe (16 page)

“Jack?”

“Yeah, Baby?”

“I’m drunk, and you’re here and very, very hard up against me, I’ve got an idea.” Jack ran his nose down my throat and back up to my ear.

“What’s that?” He whispered in my ear, and then nipped my lobe gently.

“How about you take me to lunch at your house and fuck me?”

“Jesus, are you real?”

“Last time I checked.”

“Let’s test that theory then.” Jack nipped my neck and then opened his truck door and lifted me into the cab. I watched as he pulled out his phone and called the station to say he was at lunch for the next hour, then he climbed in the cab, gave me a sexy grin, started the truck, pulled out and headed towards his house.

*
                            *                            *

       “Jesus, you’re fucking drenched,” Jack hissed as he slid his hand into my panties, swiping a finger through my folds.

I was trying to kick my boots off when Jack slammed me into the closed door of his house, pressing into me. Capturing my mouth, his hands pulled up my skirt and then moved into my panties, slipping two fingers inside. While his fingers built a fire inside me, I tried to hold still but the feeling was so intense, I started riding his hand.

“Jack,” I cried out, trying to find release, when he growled, “Fuckin’ beautiful the way you light up for me,” then he withdrew his hand and picked me up, carrying me to the sofa, and setting me down next to the arm. He grabbed my skirt and pulled it up, then slid my panties off. “Turn around,” he barked as he undid his jeans.

I wasted no time and turned to the arm. Jack moved in close behind me and ran his hands up both my sides, taking my turtleneck with them, pulling it over my head. With nimble fingers, he unhooked my bra and slipped it off my shoulders, then with a hand to my back, pushed me forward till I was laid out across the arm. “Gonna ride you hard, Baby, so hold on,” Jack hissed and I whimpered as Jack stepped up between my legs and then tapped them.

“Open up, and let me see you.” Like I was hypnotized and could do nothing but what he asked, I opened my legs wider for him, giving him the view he wanted. Jack ran his hand down my ass, then entered my core with his fingers, spreading my wetness, and plunging back in again, stoking the fire within me. I swiveled my hips, keeping rhythm with his hand, and when I felt his hard cock against my leg, I pushed back wanting to feel him enter me.

“You hot for me?” He whispered in my ear as his fingers curled up and hit the spot. Oh, god, the feeling that was building was incredible, consuming, then his thumb rubbed my clit, his fingers tapping my core again, and I knew it was going to be huge when I came.

“Jenn, you gonna ignite for me?”

“Yes, Jack,” I whimpered, my hand digging into the couch, needing something to hold onto and brace myself against. This feeling he was building in me was earth shattering, and I felt like I would fall, if I didn’t hang on.

“You wanna feel me stretch you tight?”

“Please, Jack, fuck me.” Jack removed his hand and then positioned his cock at my entrance, and growled, “You got it, Baby,” then he slowly, with the patience I didn’t have pushed into me. I couldn’t wait; he’d built me up to a boiling point, and I needed the friction. I slammed back against him and seated him to the root. “Fuck,” Jack groaned, while I kept pulling out and slamming back into him.

“You want my cock?” He thrust deep, “You want the burn?” He slapped my ass, and that caused my core to contract around him. Jack hissed and pounded me even harder. But it still wasn’t hard enough; I was out of control with need for this man, his hands and cock were taking me places I’d never been before, and I needed more of everything.

“Jack, harder.”

“Fuck yeah,” he hissed and started pounding me so hard I thought I’d split in two. His rhythm became a perfect balance of slamming, and hip swirls; that hit every nerve. I was right there, and then his hand came forward and met at my breast, pinching and pulling my tight budded nipple. My head flew back onto his shoulder, and I screamed his name, silencing the sound of flesh slapping against flesh. Jack grunted, then bit my shoulder, holding me in place, as he slammed his own climax warm into my core.

His thrusting slowed and became more of a caress, as I turned my head and found his mouth, battling with his tongue. As the kiss ended, he wrapped his arms around me and held me tight against his chest. I felt his lips at the crown of my head, and what I thought was a whispered, “Christ, fucking perfect.” Considering my climax was pretty fucking amazing, I nodded and agreed.

“Drunk sex is pretty perfect.” Jack chuckled and tightened his arms around me, kissing and nipping my neck. We stayed that way for a few moments, nuzzling and kissing, when suddenly Jack bent and picked me up and headed down his hall.

“Shower and then coffee,” Jack ordered.

“No shower, I’m too noodle legged to stand,” I begged.

“I’m not letting you drive till you’re sober, so coffee and shower, or you can stay here and sleep it off.” Liking the idea of climbing into his warm bed, I nuzzled his neck and purred. “Bed it is,” barely left his mouth, as I was thrown through the air and landed on his bed. Jack landed on top of me, looked at his watch and grinned.

“Twenty minutes left on my lunch, I only need five to change, think I’ll use that time to help you sleep.” Liking this idea a lot, I replied, “You gonna talk about it or get to work?” Jack grinned bigger and replied, “Yes Ma’am,” then got to work helping me sleep, and it must be said; I slept like the dead!

Chapter Seventeen

Kryptonite

       I woke to the moon shining through the window. My head was pounding, and I had to think about where I was. Jack’s face filled my mind, and I remembered our lunchtime tryst. Feeling around for the lamp on the bedside table, and turning it on, I cursed myself when the light hit my eyes. What on earth possessed me to drink that much?  
Oh yes, Mayor Hall, douche bag extraordinaire.

Looking around Jack’s bedroom, I saw clothes scattered on the floor, his tastes in décor were rugged…plain, simple, all man. He had a huge knotty pine log bed, black comforter, and black sheets. Instead of pictures, he had some type of Indian art hanging on the walls, which were painted a warm toffee color. His chest and the dresser matched the bed, and from the looks of the hand turned wood, I’d say he bought it locally from the master carpenters you see around the area.

I sat up, thirsty and needing a drink; I turned to the edge of the bed, and saw a large glass of water with two pills lying next to it. Smiling at tough Jack being thoughtful, I took the pills and drank down the glass. Putting my feet to the floor to stand, I looked down at my body and saw no clothes.

“Yup, still naked.” I needed my clothes and a shower but obviously not in that order. I grabbed a t-shirt from the floor, threw it over my head and then headed down the hall to find my clothes and purse.

The rest of Jack’s house was decorated the same as his bedroom. Warm, honey colored pine log furniture, graced the living room and dining room. To say Jack embraced his Colorado heritage would not be wrong. Surprisingly, most of the house was tidy and well kept, the only exceptions were his bedroom with his clothes on the floor and his kitchen, which opened to the living room. He had dishes stacked in the sink, which didn’t surprise me either; Jack didn’t seem like the type of man who cooked, and washing dishes was more than likely a low priority on his list. All in all, the house was very Jack, and I loved everything about it.

Grabbing my clothes and purse, I headed back down the hall to his bedroom. Pulling my phone from my purse, I checked any missed calls; I’d missed five, two from Mandy, one from Lorraine, one from the Mayor and one from Jack. I wasn’t about to call the Mayor back, now that my mind was clear. I realized Jack was right; he’d kept filling my glass, aware of my unease and hoping to get past my defenses, bastard, so I hit redial on Jack’s number.

“You awake?” Was Jack’s hello.

“I am, hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking a shower?” I turned the shower on to warm the water, and then turned around to finish the call.

“You’re calling me from the shower?”

“Of course not, I’m calling you from the bathroom before I get in the shower.” There was a long pause, so I called his name wondering if the call had been dropped.

“Jack you there?”

“You expect me to work knowing you’re naked in my shower?” That made me smile. He’s such a man.

“Ah yeah? I didn’t call to bother you; I just called to see when you would be home so I could get my car?”

“Based on my speed, I’d say in about ten minutes,” he purred down the line and I felt my heart rate speed up. What is it about this man that I can go from being a grown woman to acting like a teenager with her first crush? Not caring at that point, with memories fresh in my head from this afternoon, I had good reason to be excited.

“Ok, I’ll see you when you get here.” I tried for alluring, but it came out kinda croaked, though I didn’t think he cared when his reply came back with a tight, “Right. See you in ten.”

Wanting to be clean by the time he got home, I jumped in the shower and washed my hair; he didn’t have conditioner;
 men are so lucky like that, so I focused on soaping up my body. I grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste and brushed my teeth in the shower. “She just woke up drunk breath” was an instant mood killer in my estimation. While I was rinsing, I heard the bathroom door open, and I turned to see Jack pulling his shirt over his head, while locking his eyes on mine. His focused gaze moved down my body, then back up, as he kicked off his boots, unzipped his jeans and pulled them off and then opened the shower door stepping in behind me.

“You missed a spot,” he whispered as he grabbed the soap, rubbing it back and forth between his strong hands.
 
Jack standing there like that, water rolling down his body, clinging to the ripples of his muscles, my brain was incapable of speech. My mouth was open, but no words came out.

He twirled his finger indicating I should turn around, so I turned for him, praying at the same time my ass didn’t look as huge as I thought it did. I felt his warm soapy hands come up to my shoulders, and he started massaging. His hands moved down my back, kneading my muscles as he went, till he reached my ass and whispered, “Spread your legs, Baby.”

Bossy, even in sex, I decided I love this most of all about Jack, so I spread my legs without a moment’s hesitation, and sucked in a breath when his fingers hit my folds and gently massaged in erotic foreplay. “Put your hands on the wall, and don’t move,” he crooned in my ear. I turned my head and looked up at his rugged face, needing to feel his mouth on mine I leaned up to kissed him. His head came down and met mine, our lip’s meeting and then with tangling tongues; he took the kiss deeper, releasing his hunger. Forgetting he wanted me to put my hand on the wall, I turned into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck and getting as close as I could. I reached my hand down and grabbed his cock, running my thumb across his crest, causing Jack to rip his mouth from mine and threw his head back hissing “Fuck.” I was lowering myself to my knees; his hands in my hair and his eyes hooded, watching me, when the lights went out.

I couldn’t see Jack in the dark, but I could feel him tense and then he reached forward and turned the water off. He helped me to my feet, kissed me once and said, “Don’t move I’ll get you a towel.” In the dark, he somehow opened the door, found us each a towel, and wrapped me up tight in it. “Stay here,” was all he said, and then I heard him exit the room.

There was no light coming under the door, so I figured a fuse had blown. I dried off and found the shirt I’d worn and threw it over my head, then moved to the door, feeling my way. Turning in the direction of the living room, I kept my hand on the wall for balance and was getting ready to call out to Jack when I heard a loud crash. Startled, I moved quickly in the direction of the sound, calling out “Jack,” when I heard struggling in the living room. I could see two figures battling in the dark and ran towards them, the only thing on my mind was helping Jack.

“Jack,” I screamed as I reached the struggling forms.

In filtering light, I saw an arm raise high and what looked like a knife, glinted from the rays of the moon.

“Jenn, get back.” Jack shouted, and I heard a whispered voice say, “You’re corrupting her, I have to kill you.” A chill ran through me, and I knew this was the killer. I reached around for anything to use as a weapon, but only met dead air. I need something, a fireplace tool, anything I could hit this man with. Then it hit me; Jack was a sheriff; he carried a gun.

“Jack where’s your gun?”

“Goddammit, get the fuck out,” Jack bellowed. I turned when he shouted and watched as the knife came down and heard someone grunt. “JACK,” I screamed, then saw an arm swing and connect, forcing someone’s head back and down they went. Frozen in place, not knowing which man had gone down, I started to move back in fear, when the man still standing turned, and ran towards me. When he reached me, he stopped briefly, and I felt his hand brush against my arm, running down the length of it in a caress, then he turned and ran out the open door in the kitchen.

I don’t know what possessed me, but I ran to the door and looked outside. I heard an engine start, and saw taillights, at what looked to be a truck, speed off down the street. “Jack.” I shouted then turned and ran back into the living room, falling to my knees, reaching around the floor searching for him.

“Where are you, Jack,” I started crying and then mumbling “Don’t die, please don’t die.” My hand felt a bare leg, and I ran my hand up to his stomach and felt it moving up and down. Needing him to wake up, I started shaking him. “Jack,” I sobbed. “Jack, wake up,” really ugly sob. “Please don’t die, Jack, please come back to me.”

Over a year ago, I lost my husband to a drunk driver and I was there when he died at the hospital. That feeling of helplessness was maddening. It broke my daughter and left me empty missing my best friend. Now with Jack on the floor, not responding, I was reliving all those emotions again, and I started to panic. I couldn’t see what I was doing; I couldn’t see how bad he was hurt, so I stood and moved my way back down the hall to the bathroom where I’d left my phone and searched the countertop. Finding it among the towels, my fingers wrapped around the phone and I mashed buttons, so it lit up. Using the light, I ran back down the hall till I found Jack on the floor, with a huge slice in his shoulder and blood pooling on the floor. I looked him over for other wounds, and couldn’t see any, but with all the blood I couldn’t tell.

Jack eyes started fluttering, and then they opened wide and looked around. Relieved, I threw myself on him
 unable to stop the tears from coming, and started bawling. Great huge sobs came from my body, and all I could think was I couldn’t lose him too. Burying Doug had been excruciating, and losing Jack the same way, would have killed me.

I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders and a soft, “Shhh, I got you Baby, I’m not going anywhere.”
 I let out a cry and nodded my head in his neck. Then bossy Jack came back.

“When I fuckin’ tell you stay, you fuckin’ stay.”
 My headed snapped back at that, and I narrowed my eyes.

“What?”

“I was too damn busy worrying where you were to concentrate, Jesus, Jenn, when you got too close, I almost let him go to get you away.” That deflated me, of course he was right, dammit, I hadn’t thought about that when I rushed in.

“Sorry,” was all I could say.

“What am I gonna do with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Jesus, you’re a walking, talking, danger to me.” Hurt by his words I tensed and tried to move back. Struggling to stand up, he wrapped me up and buried his head in my neck, then started laughing.

Seriously?

“What’s so funny?” I hissed, but he kept laughing, and my ego took an even bigger hit. For some reason, instead of being pissed, I got choked up at him thinking I was a walking disaster, and the tears started coming again.

“Le…let me…up,” I cried, and Jack pulled his head back and even though he couldn’t see my face, he could hear the tears in my voice.

“Jesus, Jenn…You’ve got me turned inside out…. You’re a danger to me because the thought of anyone touching you or hurting you, brings me to my knees.”

“What?” I whispered, and he continued.
 

“Twenty years, not once in twenty years have I ever met a woman who tied my stomach in knots, and you stomped into my life four days ago, and just the thought of you, Christ… you’re my kryptonite, Jenn…
 
You’re
 a danger to 
me,
 because when 
you’re
 around, I can’t see anything else,” he answered hoarsely.

“Jack.”

“So, please, in the future, don’t be Lois Lane, just be my sweet Jenn and stay, yeah?”

I stared at his dark face and felt the warmth of his words run through me…
I was his sweet Jenn? 
So I answered him the only way I knew how. I threw my mouth to his and kissed him and then whispered in his ear, “Ok, Jack; I’ll stay next time.”

“That’s my girl,” he whispered back…then he grunted, and cursed in pain.
 

“Baby, I need to call the station, and get some clothes on.” I jerked out of my warm fuzzy haze and remembered he’d been stabbed, and then I moved into nurse mode.

“Lie still, and I’ll get a towel, we need to call an ambulance and have you checked out. He hit you, and you could have a neck injury, so don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

 
Using my phone for light, I ran back to the bathroom and looked for towels and first aid kit. While I was digging, I felt a hand wrap around my waist and pull me back. Jack took the phone from my hand, hit 911 and started talking to dispatch about the break-in, the fight, and the knife, all while holding me to his chest, then he leaned and whispered in my ear, “Babe, clothes, deputies are on the way.” I don’t know how he thought I’d find my clothes in the dark, but I reached down on the floor of the bathroom and searched till I found his and mine. A little wet from the shower, but better wet than naked, I pulled them on and with the light from my phone; Jack managed to get dressed as well, before the sirens in the distance were right outside. Jack grabbed my hand and pulled me up to his still shirtless body, and put his head to my forehead.

“Jenn, did you recognize this guy?”

“No,” I shook my head, “It was too dark.”

“There was something about him that was familiar, Jenn, I’ll figure it out, but until I do, you can’t be alone.”