Kincade's Rose (Megalodon Team) (18 page)

Tyson slid her down his body and smiled at
her reaction to feeling his body against hers.  “We do have some things to do,”
he admitted.

Jayde walked over to her grandmother. 
“Mey-maw, can I ask you something?”

Reaching for her granddaughter’s hand she
said, “Of course, dumplin’.  What’s on your mind?”

Jayde led her grandmother to the divan in
the parlor and sat down beside her.  “What kind of accident was Kinden in?”

“Accident?”  Her grandmother looked at her
strangely. “What the devil are you talkin’ about, chile?”

“Ron called me and demanded that I come
home to take care of Kinden because she was in some kind of accident and needed
in-home care.  I haven’t gone to see her ‘cause I’m frightened of what I will
find,” Jayde confessed.

Her grandmother swore.  “Ain’t nothin’
wrong with her!  That child fell down and fractured her ankle.  She just didn’t
want to do anything for herself so she whined to your mother, who no doubt had
him call you.”

Jayde scowled.  “Do they think so little of
me?” she muttered.  “Thanks Mey-maw.  I will see you this evening.”

“I’m so sorry, dumplin’,” Regina said
softly.

Tyson was there to help Jayde stand.  Side
by side they walked to the door and said goodbye to her grandparents.  Jayde
kissed them both and Tyson kissed Regina and shook Ben’s hand.  Soon they were
headed back to the hotel.

“

Jayde climbed out of the shower and went
through her usual routine of baby oil and baby powder.  Soon, she was standing
in front of the closet looking over her clothing, unsure of what to wear.

“You’re rocking back and forth, little
rose,” Tyson’s voice reached her from where he lounged on the bed.  “Why are
you scared?  I will be there if you need me.”

Running her soft hand over her face Jayde
answered, “I’m not scared.”

“You always rock back and forth when you
are scared.  I have learned that about you,” he told her.

She turned her head and met his gaze, her
own eyes growing sultry.  “What else have you learned about me?”  One of her
fingers trailed down the thick collar of her robe.

He crooked his index finger at her.  “I’ve
learned many, many things about you.”

“Like?” she prompted even as she approached
him slowly.

“Like, chocolate tastes even better when
it’s eaten off your silken skin.  That you are ticklish behind your knees.” 
Tyson sat up and removed his shirt, bearing what God gave him to her eager
eyes.

“Dear, God, you’re fine,” she said
huskily.  She was drawn to him as if by an invisible string.

Tyson slid to the edge of the bed and
brought her between his legs.  His hands lingered on the white sash that kept
his gaze from its treasure.  “And you are stunning.”

“What else do you know about me?” Jayde
asked.

He looked up at her.  Her hair fell over
one shoulder and he reached up to touch it.  “I know you love to rock climb.  I
know you love to paint.  I know you sing in the shower and hum when you are
concentrating.”  He pulled on the tie of the robe, exposing her naked body to
his eyes.

“I know you purr when you are about to have
an explosive orgasm.  I know how your body reacts to my every touch.  How your
nipples harden just by me looking at you like this.” His voice was a low timbre
of seduction.

“Okay, okay.  I get it Tyson.  You do know
me.”  Her body was on fire for him, but she did have some questions for him. 
Tightening the robe back around her brown body, she straddled his lap.  “Now I
have a question for you.”  Her manicured fingers traced his pectoral muscles.

“Ask away, my little rose.”  His hands only
clenched the material that kept her luscious body hidden from him.

“When did you get that tattoo?”  Jayde was
talking about the one on his left bicep.  It was of a trident, prongs up, that
was crossed with a double-sided axe.

“After we got back from Belize and the men
told me all about this amazing Amazon who had saved my ass.”

Curious even more she asked, “What would
possess you to get the trident and a battle axe?”

“It’s a sagaris,” he said as he trembled
beneath her soft touch.

“A what?” Jayde tipped her head to the side
watching him carefully.

“A sagaris.  A weapon used by women in
rituals and battles.  Eventually it became a symbol for the Valkyries and the
Amazons.”

Jayde cupped his face in her hands,
bringing it up so she could meet his gaze.  “Why would you wear a symbol for
warrior women?”  A warmth began to spread throughout her body.

“Because, the trident is a symbol of the
SEALs and the sagaris is a symbol of the Amazons.  So together, it is us.  SEAL
and Amazon whose lives are intertwined forever,” he admitted.

“Tyson,” she mumbled as her lips grazed
his.  “I have never received such a wonderful gift.”  To Jayde it meant the
world.

“Jayde, when they told me what you’d done I
was so full of pride I just about burst.  It was a way for me to always display
how much you mean to me.”

“Can I have one?” she asked.

His eyes grew wide. “You want a tattoo?”

She nodded. “Like yours.”

“Why would you want to mar this perfect
skin?”  He pushed her robe to the side placing kisses along her shoulder.

“To show you just how much you mean to me,”
she purred and trembled.

“You don’t have to get a tattoo to show me
that.”

“What if I want to?” she insisted.

“Then I will take you there and hold your
hand the whole time.”  His kisses moved lower.

Jayde’s head fell back.  “Good, ’cause I
was thinking of having it done on my left breast.”

Tyson snapped her back upright and had her
face right in his.  “I don’t think so,” he deadly growled.  “Shoulder fine,
back fine.  Breast—not in this lifetime.”

“Just making sure you were paying
attention, sailor.” Her grin told him she was jesting.

“I am always paying attention to you.”  His
mouth anchored itself onto hers and for a while, words were exchanged with
touches.

Two hours later Tyson was washing his
wife’s back in the shower.  He’d just finished loving her body in ways neither
of them had ever dreamed about with other people.  He was sore and he knew she
was as well.  But the shower’s hot, pounding spray did ease their tired muscles
a bit.

“I don’t want to go to this, Tyson,” Jayde
said as his soapy hand continued stroking over her back.

“Then don’t.”  His lips suckled on the
curve of her shoulder.

“I have to go.  I can’t spend the rest of
my life running from them,” Jayde complained.

Tyson took ‘them’ to mean her parents.  “I
will go with you if you want.”

“Nothing would give me more pleasure, but I
have to know I can stand up to them on my own.  I can’t always be intimidated
by my family.”  She leaned back against him, rubbing her lathered body against
his only to turn and press her chest against him.  Her eyes dark with desire
she murmured, “Oh, dear, now we are all soapy again.”

“And will be well rinsed by the time we get
out this shower.”  Dear, God, how this woman made him insatiable with lust! 
Tyson and Jayde made love until the water turned cool.

Well later than they’d expected, Jayde found
herself right back in front of the closet.  It was after five and the gathering
had already begun.  “I just don’t know, Tyson, what should I wear?”

Tyson, who’d dressed in a pair of ripped
blue jeans and a black tee, sidled up beside her.  “Well, what about this
one?”  He pointed to a dress that was pale bluish-purple.

“Okay.” Jayde pulled the dress off the
hanger and in moments stood in front of Tyson with a question in her eyes.

It was simple but very elegant.  With thin
straps tied behind her neck, it showed off her full chest and defined her
waist.  Her shoulders were erect and even though she trembled slightly.  The
dress fell to just below her knees, showing off her smooth legs.

“Stunning,” he said with a healthy
appraisal of her body.

“I guess so.” She attempted a smile. 
“Well, since I am already an hour late, I guess I should be going.”

Tyson gathered her close.  “You will be
fine.  Don’t forget, I will be near if you need me.”

Those words made her feel like she was
ready after all.  “Okay.” Jayde walked to the door and picked up her purse.

“Umm, Jayde?”

“Yes, Tyson?”  She turned her head fast
causing her hair to billow around her shoulders.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”  He
stood there with his muscular arms crossed over his powerfully built chest.

Damn, he’s fine!
  She cocked her
head to the side and looked at him.  “I don’t think so.”

“I do,” he drawled as he crooked that
finger at her.

“What makes you think that will work?” she
asked, arching a brow at him.

“Come here, woman. Come here and kiss your
husband,” he ordered.

“No,” she refused, trying to keep the smirk
off her face.

“No?”  His eyebrows rose in disbelief.

“No.  You come to me.”

“As you wish, my little rose.”  He began to
stalk her and she moved back until she was against the door.  “As you wish.”

He slid his tongue into her waiting mouth
and dueled with hers.  Jayde moved into his body and wrapped her arms around
his waist.

“Feel better now?” He asked as he pulled
back.

“Much,” she moaned.  “Can’t we just stay
here and forget the rest of the world even exists?”

“Of course.  But your grandparents would be
disappointed.”  He caressed her cheek.  “Go on.  Have some fun.”

It was a very reluctant Jayde who headed
out of the hotel to her car.  So focused on her upcoming dilemma, she didn’t
notice that Tyson had emerged from the hotel behind her.

Sliding behind the wheel, she turned on the
engine and pulled out onto the street, heading for the park.  Upon arriving,
she parked her car and sat for a moment to gather herself.  Jayde could see her
family laughing and running around in the grass.

With a firm nod to herself, she left her
car and headed towards them.  As she walked, her eyes strayed to the park’s
basketball court and just about tripped over her own feet. Her husband was there
watching the action.  She could have sworn he nodded at her.

Jayde walked confidently—on the outside—up
to her family.  Not quite as ready as she thought she was, Jayde approached her
grandparents first.  “Hello, Mey-maw, Pey-paw.”  She kissed them both.

“Jayde, so glad to see you,” Regina said as
she kissed her back.

“Hello, Sister,” a woman’s voice reached
her.

“Hello, Kinden.” Jayde didn’t even have to
turn around; she would know that loathing voice anywhere.  But turn she did and
met her sister’s glare.  “Glad to see you are doing well; I was sorry to hear
about your accident.”

Kinden scoffed and tossed her head back.
“Like you even care! You didn’t come down to see me!” 
Or take care of me
,
was what she didn’t say.

“I don’t want to argue with you, Kinden,”
Jayde said as she moved away to greet more cousins.

Kinden followed and was soon joined by
Ron.  “Then why are you here?  What reason could you have for coming?” Kinden’s
scornful voice raked Jayde’s heart.

She turned away from the relative she’d been
hugging and faced her two eldest siblings.  “I don’t know what I did to make
you hate me, but let’s just not talk to one another.  And why wouldn’t I be
here?” she asked.  “The last time I checked, I was still a member of this
family, no matter how much I wish I wasn’t.  And regardless of how low you
think I am for not dropping my whole life and running down here to take care of
you when you fractured your ankle, I would never miss Mey-maw and Pey-paw’s
anniversary.” Forcing herself to relax, Jayde took a deep breath. “So unless
you have something nice to say to me, just keep your flippin’ mouths shut
around me!”  Jayde walked off and glanced over to the basketball court.  Tyson
was still there e watching the game.

“Hello, Daughter,” her mother’s voice reached
her.

“Mother.”  Jayde responded with the same
amount of feeling.  None.

“I see you finally decided to come home.”
No hug for her daughter.

“I am here for the anniversary.  I will be
leaving in a few days.”  Jayde wished she had Tyson beside her as she spoke to
her hateful mother.

Porscha Porter huffed.  “Your father won’t
like that.”

“So what else is new?  I haven’t been able
to measure up since I was born.”  Jayde walked off.  She said hello to her
other brothers Sam and Darnell, and her other sister Chantelle, who was
Darnell’s twin.

Sitting with some cousins, Jayde felt a
hand rest on her shoulder, caressing her bare skin.  She felt immediate
revulsion.  Shrugging away from the touch, she glanced over her shoulder and
into the dark eyes of George.

“Hello, George,” she said, determined to be
polite.

“Hello, Jayde.” He leaned over to kiss her
but she backed away.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you
think you are doing?”

“Getting a kiss from my fiancée.”  His hand
shot out and grabbed her arm.

“I am not your fiancée and let go of me.” 
She pulled away from him.

“You will be soon.”  His eyes ate up her
face, sending more chills down her spine.

She shook her head.  “No.  George, I meant
what I said in New York; I want nothing to do with you.”

His own eyes narrowed into slits and he
advanced on her slowly.  “I don’t think…” He stopped and looked towards the
court.  “Excuse me, but there is some white boy looking over here.  I’m going
to go find out what the hell he thinks he’s looking at.  We will continue this
later.”

Jayde followed his line of sight and sure
enough Tyson was standing and looking directly at them.  She shook her head
slightly but knew it didn’t matter; Tyson would not stop defending her.

Tyson watched as the muscular black man
strode across the grass towards him.  The second he’d touched Jayde, Tyson had
narrowed his gaze; when he’d bent down to kiss her, Tyson had growled in his
throat; but as soon as his hand had reached out and grabbed his wife, it’d been
on.  Tyson’s warrior body was ready for battle.

“What are you looking at, white boy?”
George snarled as he approached the ball court.

Tyson shrugged.  “Just wondering what kind
of guy has to manhandle a woman to get her to pay attention to him.” He totally
sized up his opponent.  It wouldn’t be an even match between them and he
wouldn’t back down, even if he’d seen Jayde shake her head against the
inevitable confrontation.

“That’s my fiancée, boy, not that it’s any
of your business.” George gestured for the ball.  “You play?”

“Yep,” Tyson said.  “Didn’t look like she
wanted anything to do with you.”

“You like looking at black women, man?” he
sneered.

“I like looking at
beautiful
women.”  Tyson stepped onto the court and waited for George to join him.

“Well, keep your eyes off mine,” George
warned.

“Name’s Kincade.  What’s yours?”

“Not that I see us being friendly and all,
but it’s George.”  He threw the ball straight into Tyson’s stomach.

The game was on.

An hour later both men had stripped off
their shirts and ran up and down the court dripping sweat.  Even people from
the reunion had gone over to watch the game.

Tyson gave as good as he got.  The men used
cheap shots and underhanded blows.  They’d both been knocked to the ground and
were bleeding from superficial wounds.  Eventually, Tyson dunked on George for
the last time and won the game.  He nodded and offered his hand to George, but
the other man took a swing at him.

Anticipating the move, Tyson instinctively
reacted and George went stumbling past him and Tyson twisted George’s arm
behind his back, putting just enough pressure on it so George couldn’t move. 
“I don’t like men trying to hit me,” he growled in George’s ear.

“Get off me, man!” George hissed.  “I’m
gonna—”

“You ain’t ‘gonna’ do nothin’, man, except
stay the hell away from Jayde.”  Tyson wrenched up on the arm he held.

“Jayde?  What the hell does that bitch have
to do with this?  Do you know her?” George asked.

Tightening his grip on the arm he held,
Tyson advised in a low growl, “Don’t use Jayde and bitch in the same sentence. 
Yes, I know her.”

“What is she to you?  Or are you someone
she met in Seattle?  Forget it man, you will never have her!” George spat.

Tyson gripped even harder, causing George
to wince in pain.  “Our relationship is none of your business.  But know this: 
if you hurt her, scare her, or even try to intimidate her, I promise you, there
is nowhere in the world that you will be able to hide from me.  I will find you
and I will—listen to me, now—I
will
do you such bodily harm you will
wish you were dead.”

George swallowed audibly.

“Do you understand me?  You are a man who
likes to intimidate women, but if you cause her one ounce of pain I will come
for you.  Now, tell me you understand.” There was not one shred of kindness in
Tyson’s tone.

“I understand,” George muttered.

“Good,” the deadly rumble came.  Tyson let
go of George as quickly as he’d immobilized him.  “Thanks for the game man,” 
Tyson said as he picked up his shirt and glanced across the park to look at
Jayde one more time. He still wanted to run over to her and announce to all of
them they were married.  But he respected her decision to tell them first.  He
headed for his Jeep, feeling her gaze on him the whole way.

Then, his pager went off.

“It’s pretty uncommon for a white man to
play basketball one-on-one in this area.  Especially a man we don’t know.”

Jayde turned towards the voice.  “Hello,
Father.”  She wanted to run after Tyson and yell for him to wait for her.  But
she didn’t.

“It’s been a while.”  Jonas Porter’s
impassive face looked her over.  “How are you?”

Most fathers gave their daughters a hug
when they saw them after a long period of time.  Not hers.  “Fine.  I am doing
well in Seattle.”

For a mere second she would have sworn she
saw emotion in his gaze, but then her mother yelled and it was gone.  “That man
could have hurt George!” she exclaimed as she came up on them.  “Don’t you care
your fiancée almost got hurt?”

Jayde looked at her mother.  “George is not
my fiancée.  Nor will he ever be.”

George came over and said, “Jayde, I need a
word with you.”

She didn’t want to, but she also knew this
discussion needed to happen away from her family.  They walked off a bit before
she stopped and leveled a stare at him.  “What?”

“Who is that man to you?” he demanded.

Jayde knew exactly who he was talking about
but still asked, “What man, George?”

“That Kincade guy.  He said he knew you.” 
He started to approach her, but then looked around and stayed put as if he
thought he were being observed.

“Leave me alone, George.  Just leave me
alone,” Jayde said.

“Oh, so you went to Washington and now got
too good for the rest of us?”  This time he did take a menacing step towards
her.  “Is that it?  Did you sleep with him?”

“I owe you no explanations.”  Jayde walked
off.

For the rest of the night, Jayde stayed by
her grandparents.  It might have been a coward’s way out, but it was all she
could do.  As she headed to her car, she noticed George following her, so she
increased her speed and drove off before he reached her.

At the hotel, she hurried inside and found
Tyson’s stuff was gone.  Her heart fell to her feet.  “Where are you, Tyson?” 
There was a note folded in half with her named scrawled on the top for her on
the mirror.

Jayde:

I wish I could have told you in person,
but I think it would have violated not telling your family about us.  I will
come back to you as soon as we return.  I love you.

~Tyson

He was gone.  Again.  What in the hell was
going on in the world that required him to leave all the time?  An ugly thought
filled her head: what if he was going to see Carrie?

Tired and sad Jayde fell into bed.  Her
dreams were filled with spiders and Tyson telling her he wanted Carrie. 
Thankfully, a pounding on the door awakened her around seven.

Exhausted she opened the door and came face
to face with her mother. 
Oh, dear God, it was too early for this!
 The
woman shoved her way into the room.
I should have realized she would have
someone follow me just so she could be a pain in my ass; she always has before.

“Well, I see you went and ruined things
with George.  Thankfully,
I
smoothed them over, so he’s willing to take
you back.  All you have to do is apologize,” Jayde’s mother said as she looked
through the entire room.

“Are you looking for something in
particular?” Jayde wondered.