JAGGED EDGE: A BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE (ALPHA MALE) (8 page)

Chapter Nine

Jag

The plan to rest didn’t go so well. In the morning, Jag felt sore and stiff, as if he’d hiked the night before. But it was a good sore, like he imagined it was for Sammi. Hers would be more extreme; he wondered if she would be able to walk.

He really hoped she would, because they needed to get to the top of that mountain.

She would definitely be walking with a little hitch in her gait, because he’d fucked her hard and long all night. Jag watched her orgasm in every position he could. He did it with his fingers, his cock, and his tongue. All in all, she’d had four orgasms…and in the end, what probably was one long orgasm, a steady state of ecstasy.

Her body reacted like pouring gasoline on fire. The other guys she’d been with had been fuck ups, that’s all. Jag had needed to wake her up in the night and take her. And she’d been ready for it as well, kissing him with passion that never seemed to end.

She’d rode on top of him. And he wished he would’ve been able to see her breasts bouncing and her curves shaking, but night had fallen, and he’d only had the sensations of her gripping him, which had definitely been enough.

Jag had come three times last night. When he’d been with other girls, he’d be lucky if he would ever get off. There was something special about Sammi. Even her pussy conveyed that on an instinctual level.

She blinked hard as she woke on the mattress. “I’m all sticky. Too bad we can’t go for a dip in that river.”

He smelled like her, he knew, and he loved that fact. Sammi tasted and smelled delicious. Just from her scent, he’d been trained to get hard.

Jag dressed. Sammi still hung back in the bed, a Jagged Edge original. It was a prototype created in order to cover as much space as possible, but be compact while folding and still be comfortable. And last night, they’d tested its durability as they crashed into it, over and over.

“You make me happy,” Jag admitted. “I want to wake with you every morning.”

Her eyes sparkled and her hand slapped her chest, like she’d been dealt a blow to her heart. “It’s my morning breath that did it, isn’t it?”

“How charming, Sammi.”

“Let me grab us some gum. Then we’ll need to wash up…”

Sammi crawled onto her knees. She let out a long groan when she noticed her stiffness, and, he knew, the soreness between her thighs. Meanwhile he checked her out, naked, on all fours.

He pecked her with a quick kiss. “Why wash off when we’re only going to get dirty again?”

Sammi beamed. “Okay, I’m down for that. We don’t have to go anywhere. And then you’ll have that helicopter pick us up on the mattress at the end, right?”

“We’ll stay in bed for days. But no, I want to get to the top of that mountain.”

Sammi noticed his change in demeanor. Damn, he should’ve known she would discover anything he tried to hide. She knew him too well.

“What do you have up your sleeve, Jag?”

When he said nothing, she started to tickle him. Jag stumbled out of the tent.

“Are you planning on waving that flag at the top? Is that how you’ll mark your territory?” she asked and pointed.

That’s when he realized he’d not zipped his fly. His cock hung out, flapping around as he fled her tickling. His blush rose up his cheeks to his ears.

“Let’s get ready, but first I’ll cook us some breakfast.” Breakfast would change the subject. Besides, Sammi seemed okay with letting it go.

For breakfast they had grilled cheese, muffins, and berries. It was a hearty breakfast because they needed plenty of carbs to climb. After eating, she insisted she wouldn’t be happy until she got clean, so they dipped down to the nearby stream, filled their canteens and after purifying it, washed themselves off—the naughtiest bits especially.

Sammi covered herself with a cocoa lotion and then streaked some kind of gel through her hair that smelled like vanilla. She was a walking dessert by the time she was through. And Jag knew that after they got to the peak, he would need to have his fill again.

Let’s hope this doesn’t prove too challenging…

Except he knew she would be able to handle it. If not, he would carry her up himself. It was the perfect romantic scene to top this trip off.

Once they were clean, their camp dissembled, they started their journey. By mid afternoon, they’d been trekking long and hard up hill. It had been the toughest part, he told her, as she struggled to keep up.

But Jag slowed his pace whenever she fell behind. It was important that they do this together. Despite her sore legs, she held a cheery disposition the whole time. Sammi pointed to several animals on the way and kept a steady lookout. There were rabbits, some deer, and even an eagle soaring as it searched for its first meal of the day.

The trail rounded the side of the hill in a less punishing incline. At that point, things became much easier. As it grew later, it worried him that they might not get to the top in time.

He wanted to get this off his chest. He wanted to declare his love to her right now. Jag hated wasting time, and he hated having anything hang over his head that he couldn’t confirm. Jag had a promise to keep to his father. And another promise to keep to Sammi’s mother. A promise to himself as well. He wouldn’t be an idiot this time and falter in his resolve.

After devouring energy bars, they were ready to go again. Jag held her hand through most of it, like when they’d gotten to the very top and needed to scale a small wall. Jag climbed up himself. He dropped halfway and then helped steady her, giving her the direction she needed. He was amazed at her spirit and determination. Sammi Jo was one girl he would never underestimate.

Finally, with the sun beginning to set, they reached the summit. Jag was a big bag of nerves. The peak looked out upon the serene Virginia mountains, the sunset bathing the winding river below in golden light.

Sammi approached the edge, but didn’t get too close. It was a long way down. She stood there, silently admiring the beauty.

“Please turn around and come here.” Jag pulled out the secret from his bag. And when he revealed it, he didn’t want her to go tumbling off the side.

Jag dropped to his knees as she came close.

“What are you doing?” she asked, chuckling at first.

But soon when she noticed how serious he looked, the realization of what might be happening dawned on her. Still confused, she stared at him blankly, waiting.

His voice sounded meek. Jag never got this nervous, and while he might have been anxious, it all hinged on her response. He cleared his throat and he looked up at her with the most charming smile he could muster.

“Sammi Jo, you are the love of my life. Always were and always will be. I don’t want to waste any more years away from you. I’ll be by your side always, I promise, if you will…”

Jag brought out a white box. He popped it open and the emerald cut diamond sparkled radiantly in the sunset.

“No way,” she screamed. Sammi slapped her palm over her mouth to stop from screaming again. Tears sprang from her eyes and began to trail down her cheeks.

“Will you marry me, Sammi Jo Kingston?”

Sammi let go of her mouth and bellowed, “Yes!” her voice booming off the mountains. Jag slipped the giant ring on her finger before sweeping her up into his arms.

As she cried tears of joy, Sammi kissed him. Their lips unsealed, she pulled back and lifted her ring up to let it catch the sunlight.

“It’s so beautiful.”

“You’re so beautiful,” Jag said. “And that’s just the engagement ring. Wait until you see the band.”

“It’s already big enough,” she said as she buried her face against his chest. Jag held her there as she cried silently. He’d never admit it, but his eyes started to tear up, too.

Sammi

A glow stayed with Sammi long afterwards. Jag went back to his hotel and Sammi went back to her apartment. They couldn’t stay out in the woods forever.

But they did decide on staying an extra day, mainly to have the privacy of their tent. If the first night was wild, the last night in the woods had been deeply satisfying.

He dropped Sammi off at her apartment with plans on meeting again the next day. As soon as he drove away, she picked up her cell phone and thought about calling
anyone
who would listen. The pictures she texted to her friends as they looked over the pristine, untouched Virginia wilderness at the peak with her shimmering diamond ring in frame had gotten a strong reaction from her friends.

But she hadn’t talked to her parents yet. Partly because she feared what her mother would say. Dad would probably be excited, although he never did want to believe his little girl had grown up.

No one else would be available to brag to. Dad and Mom would be home, and she might as well call and get it over with.

They could be happy for her, right? Even Mom?

Stomach churning, she thumbed her parents’ number on her phone.

Mom picked up by the third ring. “Hi Sammi, how’d your camping trip go? Have you been back for a day now?”

How would Sammi explain?
No, Mom, actually, I loved the way he fucked me so much that I had to stay and get laid for another night...

She wouldn’t come close to saying that. “We wanted to climb another mountain so we stayed another night, but that’s not what I’m calling about.”

“What’s going on?” She was worried something had happened.

“Relax, it’s good news. Well, depending on how you take it.”

“Oh, Lord.”

“Jag proposed to me. We’re going to get married.”

Silence on the other end. Sammi’s anger bubbled and threatened to overwhelm her.

“I’m so happy for you, honey,” she gushed, although her tone betrayed her words. She sounded unsure.

Sammi, on the other hand, might’ve sounded
too
sure. Even she heard it.

“You don’t want me to get married,” she said flatly.

“I didn’t say that.” A pause. “Are you sure this is what you want? If you’re sure, then I’m sure. I’m not going to stand in your way. I’ll be happy for you if you’re happy. You know I’m just overprotective of you...”

“It’s okay, Mom. You have a right to be skeptical. I haven’t had the best luck before...or actually, made the best choices when it came to men.”

There were those damn self doubts again. But after the nights she’d had with Jag, she was doubt proof. No one would stop them from eloping.

“I’m happy, and I’m sure he’s the man for me. To be honest, I’ve always kind of wanted it.”

“Let me put your dad on the phone. He’s reaching for it like a two-year-old.”

“Did I hear that right?” Dad asked, out of breath. “You’re getting married to Jag?”

“That’s right, Daddy. Jag asked me to marry him and I said yes.”

“My little girl is getting married. This is horrible news since I don’t want to give you up just yet, but also...terrific news because I can’t wait to go to the wedding! And Perry Jagridge, wow. This is wonderful. I always knew you guys were right for each other.”

“At least someone believes in me,” she muttered.

“Wait till I tell Aaron. He doesn’t know yet, does he?”

“You might want to wait until Jag gets a chance to tell him.” Sammi started laughing. She knew he would try to spoil it and rib him somehow. Both dads were always pranking each other, beginning from their football days.

“Okay, I’ll be good and wait. I’m so proud of you.”

They talked for a few more minutes, but her dad was just blabbering near the end. She didn’t mind. At least someone would be there to heap praise on her.

However, eventually Sammi needed to end the call and go inside. Her dad definitely didn’t want to stop talking, but she promised that she would show up for dinner. She took a long shower and took even longer to get ready.

Around five, she left to go to her parents’. They’d be celebrating. They promised they would. Her dad said it himself.

Sammi couldn’t wait to see their reactions when she showed them the ring. For once, she felt like the starlet, not the C-list actress in the back.

Her exhilaration ran high as she rang their doorbell. She fidgeted as she waited for them to answer.

Mom answered the door, gave her a hug, and then invited her in. “Come in, sweetie.”

Her tone still sounded dour.

Dad wasn’t at the door, either. She expected him to hug her and spin her in his arms. But instead he sat in his recliner.

Upon her entrance, he gave her a hug, said a soft, “Congratulations,” and then sat back down.

“Did you see my ring?” she asked. Sammi held it up to him.

“Nice ring,” he murmured, and then focused back in on the TV.

Her excitement plummeted. Sammi stamped her foot. “What’s going on? Why are you not excited for me?”

Mom approached and asked her if she wanted to sit down. Dad glanced back and forth but he seemed to be hiding in his football scores.

“No, I don’t want to sit down.”

“Your father went over and talked to Perry’s father himself.”

They remained quiet after they judged her reaction. “So what?”

“Did you know that he was sick?” Dad asked her.

“Who? Aaron, Jag’s dad? No, what do you mean?” Sammi slammed her foot against the carpet again.

They were trying to sabotage this relationship again. Why the hell would it matter if his father was sick? How would that change anything?

Mom sighed. She grumbled over at her father. “Since he doesn’t want to say it, I will. Dad went over and talked to Perry’s father in order to talk about the wedding. He thought it would be better to talk about it face to face.

“But when he went over there, he answered the door looking frail and sick. Finally, he admitted that he’d been hiding because he didn’t want anyone to know he was dying. He’s got cancer. Your father is very upset over it, because he was his best friend.”

“Still is,” he said, looking pale.

Sammi clutched her gut. A wave of nausea made her want to throw up, but she held firm. This changed nothing...

Her mother continued, “Perry’s father brought up how it was important for Perry to get a wife. He made him promise that before he died, that he’d get married. So that’s why Perry’s been trying to move this along so quickly with you.