Mistaken Identity (12 page)

Jett took a
deep breath and composed himself. It was odd seeing the mask come down as he
bottled his emotions. He rolled his neck. “I’m good to go.”
 

At least one of is.
“Come on.” Entwining
their hands she straightened and led him to the door.

“Should I be
touching you right now?”

Kansas
chuckled. “You are such a big baby.”

They reached
the door, and she issued a gentle squeeze to his hand before she let it go, and
opened the door.

“Hey
Da
—” The words died in her throat.
 
Beside her father stood Darla, tall, slim,
black spiral curls perfectly sculpted, and make-up flawless.
 

“Oh
my God!
Jett Walker! Reginald why didn’t you tell me this is who she was dating!”

“Dad,
what the fuck!”
 
Her Mother was supposed to be in Aspen right
now!

“Don’t you
have a nasty little mouth?” Darla’s glossy lip curved upward, and Kansas
growled in the back of her throat.

“Better
than a nasty soul.
I can pick and choose when I want to be foul-mouthed.”

“Kansas,
please.”
Her father held up his hands, and Darla pushed passed her to
enter the house. She remained in the door way, eyes narrowed.

“She showed
up as I was leaving, honey. I’m sorry.”

Clenching her
fists tight she bit back her retort. Now was not the time for her family unit
to fall apart. She was southern enough to want to do in it private, not in
front of a large-eyed boyfriend.

****

Jet felt like
he’d been dropped in a battlefield. The tension in the room was so thick he was
shocked no one had suffocated. The brisket on his plate was juicy and well
seasoned, but he couldn’t enjoy the flavor. It might as well have been wet
cardboard in his mouth. Between Kansas’s stony silence, and Darla’s non-stop
babble he was ready to rip his hair out.
 
Her father seemed to deal with it by acting like nothing was wrong.

“So, Jett,
how did you meet?” Reginald asked.

“At the
convention, she thought I was just a person playing my character. I wanted to
tell her, but I had to wait until we were alone.”
 
Her father’s eyebrows shot up.
 
“In a less crowded place.”
He added swiftly.
“Didn’t want to cause a mob scene or
anything.”

“Smart
thinking,” Reginald
said,
a thoughtful expression on
his round face. His skin was a few shades darker than his daughter’s, and he
wore his salt and pepper hair cropped short, and his eyebrows were thick caterpillars
above almond-shaped eyes. His skin was smooth with minimal wrinkles for a man
in his mid-fifties. He possessed the same calmness that Kansas exuded. It
should’ve been admirable, but it stuck in his craw that he let Darla talk to
Kansas the way she did.
Doesn’t he see
how it affects his daughter?

Darla came
off as a desperate pageant girl doing whatever she could to cling to youth,
money, and anything else she could get her three inch, jeweled fingers on.
 

“So, Jett,
how long are you here for?”

Uncomfortable
he shifted in his seat.

“About
another week.
Then I have to start filming in Atlanta.”

“
Oooh
, I’m sure Kans will miss you.”

Kansas
muttered under her breath.

“She’s
welcome to visit me any time.”
 

“Kans is such
a … simple girl. I’m sure she won’t want to risk being in all that limelight. I
mean, the press would eat her alive.”
 
Darla gave her a disgusted once over that made him grip his beer tight.
I’d never hit a lady, but I’ like to shake
that sneer of your plastic face, lady.
 

“Oh I don’t
know. She has a give
em
’ hell attitude I think serves
her well. She could handle them, couldn’t you,
Sas
?”
Wrapping an arm around her chair he did his best to lend her silent
support.
 
Turning her head toward him she
pierced him with a gaze so full of sadness it hurt his heart.
 

“Of course,
I’d just wave around my press badge and slip in under the radar.
 
Besides I have thick skin.
Comes
with the territory being a journalist.
Trust me, not everyone likes what
you write about them, and the instinct is always go for the fleshy bits of the
stomach in hopes of ripping and tearing me to shreds.”

“Ugh, must
you always be so vulgar?” Darla sighed and shook her head.

“I thought it
was pretty fitting. The paparazzi and tabloid reporters do seem to be comparable
to the scum of the earth.”

Darla placed
a hand on her neck and gave a chuckle.
“Price of fame right?”

“Hmmm.”
Jett took a
long draw of his beer.
 
A man would have to be buzzing to put up with
this for too much longer.

“What cut
your trip in Aspen short, Mother?”
 
 
Who
knew you could make the world mother sound so much like “fuck you”.

“Oh, I was
bored, and I wanted to come home to refuel and figure out my next move. I hear
you received some sort of accolade at the newspaper of yours?’

“She was
promoted to Lead Editor, Darla. It’s a huge honor.”

“Hmm.”
 
The disinterest in her tone made her unworthy
of the title mother.
Why
have a child
if you planned on treating them like that? No
wonder she’d spent her entire life running away from love and marriage.
 
A hand gripped his thigh. He turned his head
toward Kansas, who smiled.

“It’s all
right,” she mouthed.

No, it really isn’t.

“
I’m sorry,”
she mouthed, almost as if
she heard his thoughts.

“So what are
you intentions toward my little girl?” Reginald asked.

“Wow, you
don’t beat around the bush, do you, Daddy?”

“Nope.”
He narrowed
his gaze at Jett.
“Well, son?”

“That depends
on your daughter.”

“Jett!”
 
Kansas hit his arm.

“What it’s
true.” He shrugged.

“Yeah, that
sounds about right. I like honesty, and the way the two of you interact. You
have my blessing. But tread lightly.” The mild mannered dentist from Somerville
was gone. “If you hurt my daughter I will do you bodily harm, understand?”

“Yes,
sir.”

“Excellent.
Now … where did you learn how to cook brisket like this?”

“My
father.
It’s an old family recipe.” He brightened.
Small
talk I can do.

“Okay, you
need to hold on to this one so we can be indoctrinated into the Walker family
and learn how to make this.” Reginald waved his fork in the air, and Jett
snickered.
See if Papa Collins agrees we
should get hitched.
 
 
The roll of her eyes told him she’d gotten his
message loud and clear.

With Darla
back in her corner the rest of the night went smoothly. By the time they walked
the couple out Jett felt pretty
good
about his
standing with them. When they closed the door he turned to her.

“What the
hell was that?” He nodded toward the door.

“That was my
beastly mother.”

“Yeah, why is
she broken?”

Kansas
laughed. “It’s a good description for her. She’s a bitter woman who’s not happy
with the way her life turned out. So, she nitpicks wherever she can, mainly on
me. When she got pregnant and it turned out to be a girl she expected a ‘mini
me’ she could dress up, groom, place into pageants, and live vicariously
through. I’ve always been my father’s daughter.
Big boned,
studious, geeky, and full of quirks.”
She shrugged. “When it comes to
her I can never do anything right. I’ve gotten used to tuning it out, and
learned not to care. She’s gone most of the time anyway.”

“I’m sorry—”

“It’s not
your fault.” She shook her head. “I feel bad for my Dad mostly. He’s stuck with
her. They’re old school, and divorce is not an option.”

“That’s no
way to live.”

“I think
that’s why he works so hard, and obsesses over his hobbies.”
 
She shook her head. “Now that you see how
fucked up my family is, you still want to marry me?”

“More than
ever, so I can immerse you in healthy family dynamics.”

“I think that
may be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, Mr. Walker.” She trailed
the back of her hand down his face, and he leaned into her touch. They watched
each other unabashed as they moved in as one to kiss. A jolt of electricity ran
through him as they shared a slow, meshing of mouths that could only be
described as a meeting of paired souls. Her hands roamed the planes of his back
as she took control.
 
Her mouth was hot
and insistent in his mouth with languid moves. Sucking his tongue into her
mouth, she mimicked the motions of lovemaking. Dazed, they paused to suck air
into oxygen starved lungs.

“Jett.”
 
Her voice shook, and her eyes glazed over
with unshed tears. “Show me what it feels like to make love.”
 
He narrowed his eyes, delved deeper into the
dark pools of her eyes. This was about so much more than sex. She was opening
herself up, trusting him with her heart.

“Always,
baby. Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Then hold on
to my neck.” Scooping her up into his arms he carried her bridal style down the
hall, feeling like this was a rebirth for them. A chance to start life with the
ghosts and skeletons in their closets
bared
to the
light and firmly placed in the past. His steps were slow and measured as he
kissed her thoroughly, sipping the nectar of her flavor and ginger ale from her
lips. She went to his head as surely as any champagne ever had.
 
Inside her room he lowered her on the bed,
kneeling in front of her.

“I want to
take my time with you.”
 
He removed her
flip flops and slid his hands under her long, maxi dress, massaging the tension
from her shapely thighs.

“Oh, that
feels so good.” Leaning back on her elbows she closed her eyes.

“That’s it,
Sas
, just relax.”
 
Her entire body was tight, wound up like twine on a fishing rod, from
her encounter with her mother. Moving higher, he rubbed her thighs. Her skin
was silk draped over soft muscle. The heat from her core beckoned when he
reached her inner thighs, and she spread them, granting his silent request for
more access. He lingered longer than he should, teasing them both. A fine
tremor started in her body. Her lips parted, and she released a sexy moan that
brought his half hardened dick to attention.
 
Trailing his hands back down her legs he gained his feet, grabbed the
hem of her dress, and helped her pull it up over her body when she stood.

The green, jewel-toned
underwear and bra set made her skin look edible. Tracing her collar bone with
the tips of his fingers he moved down to her clavicle and the swell of her
breasts. Her nipples hardened and strained against the material. Unable to
resist their lure he leaned in and sucked one into his mouth.

“Oh
Jett.”
She dug her fingers into his shoulder.

Whimpers and
grunts filled the room. He’d read up on pregnancy, and right now she was going
into hormone overload. The extra blood pumping through her veins came with an
added bonus, sensitivity. Entering the waistband of her underwear, wet heat
greeted his fingers, lubricated them as he slid them over her swollen clit.

“J-Jett, I’m
going to come.”

He released
her nipple with a loud pop. “I know, baby, let go. This one’s for you.” Their
gazes locked. “I want to watch you come apart for me, Kansas.”

Her lids
lowered, and her chest shook as he continued to bring her higher. Coal black
hair tumbled behind her like an inky spill of midnight. Her pulse jumped in her
throat, and her liquid brown eyes dilated. He paused to pinch her clit, and she
fell apart. A high-pitched scream tore through the house. Her body
spasmed
,
and her legs buckled. Holding her to him, he supported her weight as he kissed
her forehead.

“Oh
my God!
That was amazing!” Pushing back she tilted her head up. “What did you do?”

“Perks
of being pregnant.”