Looking Out for Lexy (34 page)

             
Jack turned and knelt next to Lexy.  Ripping off part of his shirt, he carefully put the cloth to her head, wiping away the blood.  Her eyes slowly opened, focusing, as Jack's face came into view.  Was she seeing concern, love, on the face of the man she so desperately  loved?  Was it a dream or a nightmare?  Her mind battled to clear itself.

             
“I’m here, Lexy, sweetheart.  It’s me.  You’re safe now, baby. I’ll never leave you again.”  He continued to caress her face lovingly.  Jack picked her up with great tenderness.  Holding her close against his chest, he left the house and gently deposited her in the front seat of his rented car.

             
“Lean your head back, Lexy.  Close your eyes, sweetheart.  I’m taking you to the emergency room.”

             
“My head hurts.  I’m...I’m bleeding!”  A sob escaped her lips.

             
Jack pulled her close to him, keeping his arm around her tightly.  “Shhhh.  I’m here for you.  You’ll be all right.  It’s a good idea to have a doctor check you.  I’ll be there the whole time.  I won’t leave you again.  Close your eyes, sweetheart.”

             
He drove as fast as he could without making her nervous.  Jack's mind was racing.  He’d left her alone and his worst nightmare had come true.  God!  How could he have left her, knowing this might happen?  A grim expression etched his face. Lexy was breathing slowly and deliberately.  His arm tightened around her as St. Francis Hospital came into view. 

             
Pulling into the emergency stopping zone, he touched the brakes, slowing the car to a gentle halt.  Getting out of the car quickly, he strode around to her side.

             
“We’re here, sweetheart.  Come on, let me help you.”  Carrying her in his arms he walked briskly through the doors.  Spotting a nurse, Jack hailed her.

             
“She need a doctor, now!”  The nurse, seeing the dried blood on Lexy's head motioned him to follow her.  He trailed her into a tiny, sterile room.

             
“Lay her down here.  Someone will be right with you.”

             
Lexy moaned as he spread her out on the spartan table.  She opened her eyes, looking at him inquisitively.  “How did you get here, Jack?”  Trying to focus her eyes, the pain on the side of her head was becoming more pronounced.  “I...I don’t understand.”  Her clouded eyes were full of questions.  And accusations.

             
“Honey, I got home as soon as I could. I can’t believe I was so stupid.  That I didn’t see what was coming.  I left as soon as I knew you called and I couldn’t get a hold of you.  I could see how Tom was as soon as I laid eyes him.”  He’s seen enough violence in his time to know better.

             
“Lexy angel, sweetheart.  Can you ever forgive me for being so blind?”

             
“I...I...Gina.  What about Gina?  It’s her you want, not me.”  Tears mixed with the smeared blood on her face.

             
Jack gently wiped away the scarlet tears.  “No baby.  You’re just confused right now.  It’s you I  want.  It’s you I love.  Have always loved.  Since the first time I saw you, so long ago.  

             
He continued to soothe her.  “Tom will never hurt you again, Lexy.  He’s gone for good.  I’ll never let him near you again.  I’ve been such a fool.”  He laid his head on her lap.  Lexy stroked the dark hair she loved so much.
He really was here.
And he did love her.

             
Jack sat up.  He cupped her chin with both hands.  “Will you marry me Lexy?  As soon as you are out of here.  Right away?”  His dark eyes pleaded with her.  “Please say yes, Lexy.  I can’t...I won’t live without you.” 

             
What did he just say?  Something about marriage?  Lexy tried to clear the cobwebs from her mind.  “You...you want what?”

             
“Marry me, Lexy.”

             
She sighed and closed her heavily lidded eyes.  “Okay, Jack.  If you say so.”   The reply was barely audible.

             
He placed a tender kiss on her hot, dry lips.  “More than anything, I want you to be my wife.  And both the kids to be mine.  I will take care of you and the kids.  We’ll be a real family.  If you will have me.”

             
“Ummm.  Yes Jack.  A family.” Lexy fought to keep her eyes open.  The door opened suddenly with a jerk.

             
“Well.  Let’s see what the problem is.”  A young doctor stepped over to her.  Examining the top of her head he exclaimed, “A few stitches should do the trick.  We’ll keep you overnight for observation.”  Turning to Jack.  “She’ll be fine. It’s best if she stays the night in case there is a concussion.”  He glanced at the chart the nurse had started, and then at Lexy.

             
“Mrs. Kane.”  He paused.  “Please wait outside Mr. Kane.  The nurse will have you fill out a report.”

             
“But I...”

             
“You can see her when I’m finished.”

             
Jack was summarily dismissed as the doctor turned his back and began attending to his patient.  Outside, as he filled out the forms, he fumed.  As soon as Lexy was settled in, he had some business to take care of.  Tom!  He would make sure this never happened again.

             
Going to a phone in the lobby, he called the house.  Ryan answered.  Jack calmly explained that his mom was okay.

             
“I’m going to stay here with your mom.  You take care of Jessie.  We should be home tomorrow.  I’ll call first thing in the morning.”  He hesitated.  “I need your dad’s address.  And son.  We need to talk when we get back.”  Jack knew it wasn’t going to be easy to listen to what he had to say to the kids.

             
He planned to take Lexy and the kids to his ranch, away from Tom.  If the bastard caused any trouble concerning the kids leaving, Jack would make sure he saw the inside of a jail cell for a long time.  As it was, after the doctor read the report, Tom would have some explaining to do.  No matter what, he would pay.

             
“Mr. Kane.”  The physician poked his head out of the room.  “You can see your wife now.”  Jack didn’t bother to correct him on the name.  “She’s been given something for the pain and a sedative.”

             
Lexy smiled wearily as he took her hand.  “Don’t leave me Jack.”  She was fighting to keep her eyes open.

             
“Hush, angel baby.  Go to sleep I’ll be right here.”

             
“Promise?”

             
“Cross my heart.”

             
“The doctor said something about me being your wife.  Did you...”

             
“Tomorrow, honey.  Well talk about it tomorrow.  You need rest now.  Go to sleep.”  He stroked her hair lovingly.

             
Just then, an attendant came in to move her to another room.  Jack walked along, holding her hand.  She was asleep by the time they got to her room.  Jack looked down on her peaceful countenance.  He caressed her cheek.  She would remain asleep until he returned. 

             
A merciless look on his face, he stepped outside the door.  He and Tom would have one final
discussion
tonight.

(One week later)

             
Jack closed the door behind them as they entered the exclusive penthouse suite of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

             
“Do you think the kids will be all right?  It was wonderful of your aunt to come out right away like she did.”  Lexy gazed up at him with doubt in her eyes.

             
“They’ll be fine sweetheart.  Aunt Isabel will be in her glory.  Charlie was accommodating enough when I called to say they were coming.  I’ve always thought there was more to him than he was willing to show.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the four of them aren’t one happy little family by the time we get back.”             

             
“What about Ryan?  He seemed to take the idea of you being his father fairly well.  But, you never know how he will react once he really thinks about the situation.”

             
“Don’t worry, Lexy.  He’ll be fine.  He didn’t reject me.  That’s a step in the right direction.  We’ll be there for him when he needs us.”

             
“But...”

             
“Shhhh, angel.  Isabel will handle everything.  If she could handle me, she can handle my son.”             

             
“Now, come here, angel.  Your mine now, all mine.  I finally have something I can call my own.  I’ll love you forever, Lexy.  I’ll never hurt you.  You will always be able to count on me.”  He reached over, lightly tracing the line of stitches on her head.

             
“I will love
you
forever, Jack.  I’ll always be there for you too.  Always.”  She gazed at him with rapture. 

             
“Touch me, Lexy.  Love me.”

             
Lexy moved toward him.  He stood with his hands at his side, willing himself not to touch her first.  She reached out, unbuttoning his pants, slowly unzipping them.  An alluring smile on her face, Lexy tugged his trousers down.  Jack groaned inwardly, closing his eyes, as she took his hot shaft in her hands, caressing it gently.

             
“You are solo big Mr. Wyatt.  I don’t know if I can handle all of this.”  Her flushed lips touched his nipples, nipping at each one.  Her tongue darted in and out, tasting him. 

             
Jack emitted a strangled cry, his big, strong hands taking her shoulders, clutching her to him, perspiration already on his forehead.

             
“I'm all yours, baby.  You can handle me.  Show me what you can do.

             
“I can do a lot.  How does this feel, Jack.”  She continued to caress him as her mouth explored his hard stomach.  Jack moaned, fully aroused.  He lifted her up against his chest. 

             
“I want you Lexy, now.  God.  You do things to me, honey.  You are something else, lady.”

             
“Take me Jack.  Make love to me.  I need you to touch me.  I want you inside me.  Now.”

             
“Yeah baby.  I’ll show you what making love is.  When I’m through with you, you’ll think you died and went to heaven.”

             
“Stop talking and prove it to me, Mr. Wyatt.  Her voice was sexy, hot, teasing.   It nearly drove him insane.

             
“Yeah, I’ll prove it.  Come here, angel.  I’m going to make you beg for it.  Nice and slow.  Easy, baby, easy.” 

             
Jack  massaged her shoulders and neck.  Slowly, he began to unbutton her shirt.  One button at a time.  With his teeth.   He ripped each button off, kissing each spot.  When he reached her breasts, his hands slipped her blouse off her shoulders.  He took the front clasp of her lacy bra in his teeth and snapped it off.  Lexy was already writhing in his arms, her breathing heavy.

             
“Do you like this, Lexy?”  His mouth took one breast, taking the nipple easily between his teeth.  He ripped the rest of the buttons off with his free hand.  Lexy let what was left of the two garments fall to the floor.  She arched her back, thrusting her breasts into his mouth and hands. Her lashes fluttered shut as she steadied herself against the night stand.

             
“Beg me, Sexy Lexy.  Beg me to take you.”

             
“I’m begging you, Jack.  Please, make love to me.  All of me.  I’m yours.”  She was nearly breathless with blistering lust.  “Kiss me Jack, until I can’t take anymore.”   

             
“Say please again, Lexy.”

             
“Please. Please, Jack, oh please, take me!”

             
“I’m going to kiss your throat, Lexy.  Then, I’m going to bite your neck.  Then I’m going to-”  He started leaving a trail of liquid fire from her throat to her breasts. 

             
She cried with pleasure as his mouth found its destination. He persisted, his palms dragging along the curve of her body, touching every place on her flushed skin.

             
“Oh Lexy angel.  Angel baby.  I gotta have you.”

             
He slipped his fingers inside her, finding the nub, caressing it.  She arched her entire body toward him, unable to stop the tremors.

             
“God, Jack, Oh Lord.  Don’t stop.  Take me now. Love me.”  She whispered something in his ear.

             
He nearly lost control then.  “Yeah, baby, I’ll do that too.  I’m coming.  Feel me now.  Feel how hot and big I am for you.”