Altering Authority (14 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

When he came back, a couple of hours later, Tatum was just walking, albeit very slowly, out of the bathroom. Her hair was wet and the room smelled like her shampoo. Her mother walked out behind her, drying her hands in a towel. She looped her arm through her daughters and helped her over to her bed where she produced a brush out of her purse and began brushing Tatum’s hair. “She’s being released!” Donna told him with a smile. It was uncanny how similar they looked.

Jagers face lit up. He laid the bag of clothes he was carrying down on the floor by the door. Donna had apparently already brought Tatum all of the necessities. She was wearing a pair of sexy, yet comfortable looking yoga pants and a long sweater that, unfortunately for Jager, covered her ass.

“I want her to stay with me,” he said looking at the oldest woman and then at Tatum. “I want you to stay with me. May will be around to help out with the boys. I got new sheets for the bed…” he said reluctantly, remembering the last time Tatum was at his house and what the boys said about Melanie ‘sleeping over’.

Tatum smiled, as if new bed sheets would be the determining factor in whether or not he would be the one to take care of her. Such a short period of time had gone by between that night at his house and now, yet so much had happened. He was here, with her and she was going to be just fine. They were healthy and wanted to be together. Nothing else mattered.

Donna looked worried and apprehensive. “She has a hard time getting around Jager. Not that I don’t think you are capable, it’s just that…” she looked at her daughter, who was smiling back at her, looking entertained. “She can’t really lift her arms to wash her hair. Moving around… You know. With your kids and whatnot. Showering is a bit of a task. It’s a group effort.”

Jager knew what she was getting at, but he had his heart set on it. “It’s up to you Tate. You know the boys will be fine. Donna, you’d be more than welcome to stay as well. It’s a pretty big house. Not compared to yours, but I have a spare room.”

Tatum melted. Seeing him plead like this for her made her smile one of those dorky smiles. The kind that wouldn’t go away, no matter how hard she tried. She nearly laughed at his interpretation of a ‘spare room.’ It was an unfinished basement with a futon. Picturing Donna down there, in her expensive clothes, clutching her Hermes bag… it was pretty amusing, she thought.

She let him suffer for a minute in silence. She was an ass like that sometimes. Finally, after he began pleading with his eyes, she said, “Ya, I’m going to stay with Jager mom. It’s fine. His boys are good. I’ll be fine.”

Donna was worried, disappointed, but ultimately, her daughter was a grown woman. What could she do? So she just nodded.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

When the doctor came in later that afternoon, he released Tatum. Donna and Phil filled out the required paper work while Jager went to grab a wheel chair. They all headed back to Jagers house. Donna drove Tatum because the guys only had their bikes.

Jager had prepped Connor and Matthew before her arrival. They knew not to run and jump at her and they listened well. Tatum was concerned that they would be afraid of her. She knew her face was busted up pretty bad, however Connor shocked them all once again by pulling away from May and reaching out his hands for her as soon as she came in. She leaned over to him, attempted to hold him, however her ribs protested and she had to hand him back. She knew that recovery would be a challenge, but the look of rejection on his face nearly killed her. She kissed him on the head and smoothed his hair out of his eyes. “We can snuggle in a minute bud,” she said to him and winked at Matthew.

Jager helped her onto his bed. He didn’t lie, the sheets were new and clean. The best part was that they smelled like him. He put a couple pillows up against the headboard and lifted her feet to help her slide in comfortably. He took the meds out of her bag and laid them next to her on the night stand. He stared at them for a second and then opened the drawer and put them in there instead. She raised her eyebrow at him. “In case the boys get curious,” he said and smiled.

There were so many things that he thought of, being a parent, which never crossed her mind. Cooking with the inside burner, not leaving drinks on the floor next to the couch, and now this. She didn’t know why, but it made her proud that he was such a good father. As if to say, ‘ya, he’s hot
and
a great dad,
and
all mine!’

He straightened the blankets on her then and looked around before leaving the room and returning with her mother. Connor was in his arms, his fingers in his mouth and Matthew trailing behind. He turned his TV onto cartoons and Matthew crawled up into the bed, ever so gently and sat next to Tatum, resting his head on her chest. She wrapped her arm around him.

Donna watched the boys with concern as Jager laid Connor down on the other side of Tatum. He too moved carefully, and laid his head on Tatum’s legs, still sucking on his pointer and middle fingers. Donna was amazed. She knew the life these boys must have grown up in. She knew what they went through losing their mother, yet they were so well behaved. It made her regret keeping Tatum from Phil even more.

She kissed her daughter on the head, assured that she was in good hands and made her way out to the kitchen. She wasn’t used to constantly being surrounded by people. Even with Bill, his guys kept to themselves. Here however, Sugar was sitting on the counter while Bobo was standing between his legs, despite the multitude of other places he could be standing, drinking a beer. Phil was at the table with Gary and a couple of other men were back and forth between there and the living room. Two other women walked in then. The oldest one she assumed was Jagers mother.

She walked around and kissed everyone and then finally settled on Donna. “I’m Jeannie,” she said, looking Donna up and down, holding out her hand, “you must be the infamous Donna.”

Donna returned her steely gaze. One thing she could do right was stare down a bitch. “That’s me,” was all she said.

Jeannie turned to look at Phil and then back at her. She looked Donna up one last time and then said, “How is she?”

“She’s in the room with the boys.”

Jeannie didn’t waste another second trying to be cordial. She turned and gave Phil’s shoulder a squeeze on her way into the room. Ava followed her.

Matthew saw them but didn’t lift his head from Tatum when he said, “Hi Grandma. Hi Ava”. Jeannie walked around and kissed all three of her boys on the head. Jager was lying on his stomach at the foot of the bed, watching cartoons. Tatum smiled at her. It made Jeannie a little jealous. This girl was black and blue and was still the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen.

“How you doing sweetheart?” she asked.

“I’m better now. These guys are helping,” she replied, rubbing Matthew on the head.

Connor had dozed off, but Jeannie knew that Tatum was serious. Those boys, all three of them, had a way of brightening any room.

“Want me to get him to bed?” Ava asked, pointing to Connor.

Jager sat up then, noticing his sleeping baby. “Naw. Thanks though. I got it,” he smiled and lifted the boy off the bed. “You need anything while I’m out here Tate?” he asked. She smiled and shook her head.

Jeannie came to sit next to her on the bed. Ava took Jagers spot. “If you need anything at all Tatum, just let me know.” Ava said.

Tatum nodded again.

“What’s on your mind darling’?” Jeannie asked, rubbing Tatums leg on top of the blankets.

“It just must look weird to you guys hey? Me. Here. In this bed?”

Jeannie and Ava looked at each other, confused.

“I just mean, he was with April for so long. This was her house, her bed. Yet, here I am, snuggling with her kids and her husband taking care of me.”

Jeannie smiled. It was the most sympathetic Tatum had seen her look since coming to San Francisco. “She’s dead hunny,” she said deadpan. “It’s not like you’re having an affair. You make him happy. He makes you happy. The kids love you. Stop over analyzing everything and just enjoy it.”

She knew Jeannie was right. She didn’t even know what made her say it.

Jager walked back in then. “I’m kicking everyone out now,” he said and the two other women stood up. Jeannie walked over and kissed Tatum, followed by Ava, and then the procession of everyone else in the kitchen. She was thankful that a couple of the guys just waved at her from the door.

Donna and Phil stayed, washing dishes in the kitchen, while Tatum, Jager, and Matthew stayed in the bed. He passed her the pain meds and eventually she fell asleep.

When she woke up a few hours later the room was dark and empty. She could hear the low voices in the living room, and the occasional squeal from Connor. She desperately wanted to brush her teeth. So slowly, she pushed her feet over the side of the bed. Having one broken rib is a lot different than having many. If she stepped too hard, her body would vibrate all the way up to her ribs and it hurt. So she scuffed slowly, it was better. Walking over to her bag in the corner, she attempted to bend down to open it but inhaling at the same time proved to be torturous. The ‘Ah!’ that came out of her mouth sounded more like a whisper. She straightened herself and leaned her forehead against the wall, next to the door frame, and tried to catch her bearings. It took longer than she was comfortable with for the pain to subside.

There was no way anyone could have heard her however at that moment, Jager opened the door and walked in. “Jesus Christ Tate. What are you doing?” he said, flinching, expecting to find her in bed, but opening the door to find her right next to him.

She was still in too much pain to answer him right away, choosing to leave her head where it was until she could breathe properly.

“What is it? Are you ok?” he dipped his head and touched it to hers and began gently rubbing her back.

“Mmm…” she said and slowly turned, pressing her back to the wall and facing him. Even in the shape she was in, he still managed to turn her on with the slightest touch. This time was different than before however. All that was stopping them from
really
being together was a couple of broken bones.

She didn’t work out anything of their future yet. She lived on one side of the country and he on another. She had her business, he had his. It would be difficult but they both knew compromises would have to be made. They couldn’t live without each other.

His hands slid from her back down to her hips and he put his forehead to hers. “You need to ask me for help Tate. I promise I don’t care what it is, I want to help you,” he said quietly, sincerely.

She slid her good hand up his arm. “I wish I was better,” she said and opened her eyes to look up at him suggestively before remembering that her face looked ridiculous and buried it in his neck. The feel of his hands on her hips was doing wonders to alleviate the pain.

Knowing what she was hinting at, he wrapped his arms around her tighter and kissed her temple. “I can make you feel better…” he whispered against her, closing the door and locking it.

She shivered. “I want to. So bad. I just… can’t. Jager, I hurt
so
much.”

He leaned down and kissed her, slowly, holding her bottom lip between his for a moment. A trail of goose bumps ran down her neck and into her back. “We’ve got forever to get to that Tate.” He moved his lips to her jaw and then down her neck. “I just want
you
to feel better.” He pulled up her sweater and slid his hands underneath, where he lightly traced his fingers up her spine. The other hand hooked in the waist band of her leggings. She stepped closer to him, just a little, so that her breasts were pressed against his chest. He began pulling her pants down and she inhaled slowly.

He got down on his knees in front of her and helped her to step out of her clothes. He kissed her bruised knees, working his way up her left thigh until he reached her hip. He skirted his way around the one place she was dying to have him, kissing her side, her lower stomach. He started at her belly button then. So slowly and softly she almost didn’t even feel it, he began inching his way down. The anticipation of him reaching the spot had her on the verge. She wrung her fingers in his hair, using it to steady her, as she began shaking uncontrollably. Finally, his tongue slid in between her lips, landing in the exact right spot. She moaned quietly, forgetting about the dull throbbing in her ribs due to her standing for so long and instead focused on the other throbbing.

As if he knew that she couldn’t stand any longer, he stood and lifted her gently to the bed. She braced for it to hurt, the movement of him picking her up, but it didn’t. She sat for a moment and he lifted her top off over her head. She didn’t remember the last time she wore a bra, because of the way the wire dug into her ribs. He took off his sweater and pants before climbing over top of her. He kissed her gently on the mouth and trailed down her neck to her breasts where he sucked them both. She moaned as quietly as she could, not wanting anyone to hear them. She couldn’t believe they were here. That he was doing this to her. It was almost enough to send her over the edge alone.

When he reached her ribs, he brushed his lips over them gently, flinching when he saw the bruises. They covered her entire stomach, more so on the left than the right. Even in the darkened room, the light that shone from between the blinds illuminated the purple, blue, and yellow blotches. She noticed his scrutiny and attempted to cover herself with the sheets but he brushed her away. He moved back up to her mouth and began kissing her with a renewed sense of purpose. His hand slid down her stomach and he wasted no time now getting between her legs. Typically, he’d make her beg. Make her ache for his touch. But this was different. He just wanted her to feel
good
. She was the boss this time. He’d give her anything she wanted.

She bent her knees as he slid one finger into her, then two while he rubbed his thumb over her most sensitive spot. Her breathing deepened, the knot in her stomach tightened as his fingers started going faster. She broke off their kiss and tilted her head back, just when he knew she was about to come, he pulled his fingers out and slid down her body.
Maybe just a little bit of teasing
he thought with a devilish grin.

His right hand slid under her, where he cupped her ass before spreading her leg open wider. His left hand traced the inside of her thigh and she clenched the blankets tighter in anticipation as he trailed his fingers up and slipped two back inside her again. He kissed the inside of her other thigh, following the same path his hand just took, with his lips. Keeping his fingers inside of her, he explored her with his tongue. The warmth and wetness of it had Tatum biting the pillow to keep from moaning out loud for everyone in the living room to hear. He sucked and kissed his way up to the top and began working her where she wanted him most. He knew she was on the verge so he moved slowly, pushing his tongue hard onto her.  While one hand squeezed the inside of her thigh and the other picked up the pace again, his fingers sliding in and out so easily he gave himself a mental pat on the back.

“Fuck, Jager…” she said as her body tensed and she felt like everything inside of her would shatter. She came and couldn’t help the moan that escaped her mouth. Her grip in his hair tightened and when she was done, he knew that he would have to go and take care of himself in the bathroom. Everything about what had just happened had him ready to go. Fuck, he could have gone just by her calling his name. He licked his lips and moved up to kiss her neck. She turned her head so that she could kiss him back. What started out as a lazy, post-orgasmic-make-out session quickly turned into more.

Breathing deeply, Tatum pulled back and looked at him. “I want you, inside,” she whispered, her eyes pleading. “Please,” she began when she saw that he was about to protest. “Just go slow.”

He wanted nothing more in that moment but wasn’t sure it would be ok for her. She could barely walk, let alone get fucked. “Believe me Tate, right now, it wouldn’t even be worth it. I’ll do anything else. I’ll make you come consecutively for the rest of the night if you want. I just don’t want to hurt you. I want to make you feel better.”