Mistaken Identity (14 page)

“Because I
was taught anything is possible if you’re willing to work hard enough. I mean
look at me. I started out doing local commercials, and now I have a lead role
on
Paranormal Investigation
. If I
could do that, I refuse to believe I can’t make a marriage work with the woman
I love.”

“You love me
now, but what if I change?”

“Change is
inevitable. The key is to do it in tandem,” said Jett. “Your eyes say you think
I’m full of shit.”

“No, I think
you’re incredibly optimistic.”

“The nice way
of saying naïve, you think we’re doomed.”

“No,
not necessarily.”
She sighed. “I’m just … cautious.”

“I can’t
blame you with your parents, but it makes me sad. I want you to see the beauty
committing yourself to one person and sticking with them through thick and thin
can be. I’m not saying it’s easy. My parents have had some knock-down, drag-out
fights, not seen eye to eye, and gone through periods where they loved each
other but weren’t madly in love the way they had been before.”

“What’s their
secret? How did they get through everything?”

“They took
their vows seriously, worked through each obstacle in the road, and in their
words came out stronger for it.”

She shook her
head.
What would it have been like to
grow up with them for an example?
 

“You know,
after everything with
Lis
I’d begun to think my ship
had wrecked on the reef, and there was no coming back. I thought maybe it was
the price I’d pay for being so successful.”

“Really?
You always
seem so upbeat and positive.”

“Yeah, after
I met you.” He glanced up and met her eyes, taking her hand. “Before that day I
was a wreck. Skirting the edge of clinical depression, I wasn’t eating enough,
sleeping enough, every day I got up and found myself sucker-punched with the
fact that I was on my own. Everyone thought it was a broken heart, but it was
more than that. I had to figure out who I was without her.”

“How do you
mean?”

“When all
this insanity started to happen she was there for me. An anchor to my old life,
and the person I was raised to be. With her gone I got excessive, drank too
much, dated too much,
got
wild. After too many times
waking up feeling like dog shit scraped off the bottom of someone’s shoe I knew
it wasn’t what I wanted for myself. Which left me to ask, what did I want, and
how was I going to get it? Being a celebrity is scary. You don’t know who likes
you for you, and who wants to use you in some way. It makes dating … next to
impossible.”

“Why not see
other actors?”

He wrinkled
his nose.

“I’ll take
that as a no.”

He laughed.
“Listen, I’d be a hypocrite if I held what they did against them. It just makes
it harder on a couple. I’ve seen it, especially if one begins to do better than
the other. My schedule is insane enough. How would I ever see someone who had
one equally as crazy? Plus, I’m old-fashioned enough to say I’d like a more
traditional family unit.”

“I hope
you’re not trying to hint at me quitting my job to stay at home.” Her eyes
flashed.

“What? No.”
He shook his head. “I want the baby to have the kind of childhood I did. Where
we can show him or her all the things we liked to do. You know a small town
up-bringing.”

“Now that I
get, and I agree. I have no desire to live in a big city permanently. Does that
mean you want to live in my hometown?”

“I think it’s
best for now. How much can you travel with your job?”

“A fair
amount, technology being what it is.” She smiled. “Does this mean we can sneak
on to set and have a little fun? I’ll admit to wanting to…” She cleared her
throat. “Christen the desk in your office.”

“I know a
guy.” The dark gleam in his eyes made her panties wet. “How about a tour of the
house
... starting
with the bedroom.” The dampness
between her legs spread as her core began to ache, a familiar predicament with
Jett.

“Sounds
good to me, fiancé.”
One moment he was seated beside her, and the
next she was held tight to in his arms as he stood. He moved like lighting.

“Say it
again.”

“Fiancé.”
The world
still felt foreign, but she liked what it implied, Jett being all hers for an
eternity.
Them
being together and committed wasn’t the
thing she had a problem with. The thought of standing in a church, saying vows
while everyone looked on, and she was stuffed into a stifling, white gown made
her skin crawl. Jett flicked his tongue across her lips, and the mental battle
evaporated like water in the sun. Moaning, she tightened her arms around his
neck, bringing him closer. Her stiff nipples pressed into his chest. She opened
her mouth. Their tongues met, caressed, and reacquainted, in a slow, sensual,
melding she felt down to the tips of her toes.

She nipped
his bottom lip and dug her fingers into his broad back.

“Ugh.” The
grunt went straight to her pussy.

“I don’t
think we’ll make it to the bedroom,” she croaked, her voice cracking.

“Don’t have
to tell me twice, beauty.” He turned and sank down onto the couch with her in
his lap. Tipping back she held his neck and rubbed her pussy along the bulge in
his pants. Her breath faltered, paused in her chest as she rotated her hips,
grinding hard.

“Shit,
Kansas.” He seized her hips, stilling her movements. “I’m not coming anywhere
but inside that molten pussy of yours.” Snaking a hand up her white dress he
tugged at the bow at her hip.

They’d come
to a compromise about his mistreatment of her lingerie, and stocked up on the
kind that tied. The right side gave away, and he made quick work of the second,
yanking the material free. Moving her back to perch on his knees he freed
himself from the constraints of his pants. He lifted her up, placed her above
his tip and let her body weight and gravity take care of the rest. The turgid
cock loaded her, bringing immense pleasure with a dash of pain as her muscles
struggled to acclimate. She liked it best like this, when she was wet and not
quite loosened up. Tensing her muscles she sealed up their connection.

“It’s like a vise
grip,
Sas
.” Placing her hands on his shoulders, she
got to her knees, brought her legs up onto the couch, and planted her feet on
either side of him. Grunts of pleasure fell from his lips. Eager to hear more
she set a relentless pace, impaling herself over and over. Transfixed by the
exquisiteness of his face while wrapped in the throes of pleasure, she couldn’t
take her eyes off him. Walls fluttering she tilted her angle, determined to
take him with her.

 
“Are you going to come with me, Jett? Are you
going to fill my pussy with your cum?”

“Fuck yes.”
 

A few more
thrusts,
and she was flying into the space where there was
no pain, only she and Jett floating on a swell of ecstasy.
Hot torrents of seed pumped into her, spilling over, dripping down
onto her thighs and his lap. Slumping over to catch her breath she pressed
against his chest, marveling at the way their hearts beat together in
double-time.
Yes, this was the man she
could spend the rest of her life with. Did it really matter what venue they
used to get to that point?

****

Cleaned and
refreshed after a short nap, he took Kansas to the store to do some shopping.
The thought of her sleeping on anything he’d shared with
Lis
made his spine itch. A bed, comforter set, and clothing later they were back at
the house, preparing to leave for dinner at his parents.

“How do I
look?”
 
She spun in a circle.

The knee
length, soft pink dress, nipped in at the waist before it belled out, turned
her skin into a tempting shade of milk-chocolate. Her hair was swept to the
side, baring a long, graceful, neck. The only thing missing was a ring.

“Absolutely
stunning.”

“Thank you.
I’m ready.”

“Let’s head
out.”
 
Hooking an arm around her waist
they walked down the stairs from the bedroom and out the door to his black
truck. He studied her in his peripheral vision as he drove. Highlighted by the
fading rays of the sun she was a vision. Shifting in his seat as unease spread
through his body, he rolled over a rapidly forming concept in his head. Every
day that passed without a wedding made him more nervous. She was a skittish
colt ready to take off if she was spooked. The love in her eyes told him she
was ready, and his heart said it was right.
 
I need to make this happen before something
frightens her into changing her mind. Hell, her mother getting her alone would
be enough to do that. It should be criminal to come at your child with a verbal
battering ram and go to town.
 

“The sky here
is amazing! It’s true! Everything is bigger in Texas!” The childlike glee in
her voice made him chuckle.

“I thought
you realized that the first time you saw me naked.”

“Oh,
Sweetie, careful.
Your head won’t fit inside the cab if you keep
that up.”

How could I have thought anyone other than this
woman was meant for me?

“You’re
amazing, Kansas.”

He glanced
over. The surprised look on her face angered him. For someone this incredible
to not know their worth was unthinkable.
I might not be able to hit a lady, but I’m sure Sky wouldn’t mind.

“Thanks?”

“I wish you
could see yourself through my eyes.”

“You know I
already agreed to marry you, right?”
 

“Exactly
why you know I’m sincere.”

A hush fell
over the car, and she shifted in her seat.
Time to change the subject.

“How are you
feeling?”

“Pretty good,
not too much morning sickness today, I can only hope it’ll last.”

Reaching out
he squeezed her knee.

Ten minutes
later he pulled up onto the street he grew up on.
 
The driveway was full, so he parked on the
street.

“How many
people are here?” Kansas asked.

“Mom, Dad,
Scott, Sky, her husband Randy, and their two kids, Sandy and Brett.”

“That’s a lot
of people.”

“Don’t be
nervous. They don’t bite unless it’s warranted.”

“Not as
reassuring as I think you meant it to be.”

“I’m telling
you, they’ll love you.” Getting out of the car, he walked around and helped her
out. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

His
reassurance went in one ear and out the other as she remained stiff. He walked
her around the side of the house to the back yard where everyone was situated.

“Hey guys,
we’re here.”

“Jett!”
The friendly
chorus made him grin.

 
“Oh isn’t she gorgeous, Jett!” His mom stood
from her seat beside his dad and walked over.

“Mom, this is
Kansas. Kansas, this is my mom, Lorraine.”

“Hi.” She stuck
out her hand.

“Oh we don’t
bother with handshakes around here.” Lorraine pulled her into a hug.
 

“Oh-okay.”

“Don’t worry.
You’ll get used to us Walkers soon enough.”
 
She walked over to him and issued a fierce hug. “So good to have you
home again. Usually we have to wait
months
in-between
visits.
I’m liking
the effect she has on you all
ready.”
 

I hope you keep that attitude.

His mom
turned, and he sent Kansas a reassuring smile, grabbing her hand as they headed
toward the rest of the family.

“Hey everyone,
this is Kansas. Kansas, this is my father, Harold, my baby brother, Scott, Sky,
who you met earlier, her husband, Jonathan, and her two kids, Sandra and
Brett.”

“Hi,
everyone.”
Kansas waved.

“Hi,
Kansas.”
The echoed sentiment made them both smile.

“Mother, will
you dish up food? Everyone can get to know Ms. Kansas while we put food in our
bellies.”

“Thank you
for coming to dinner, dear.”

“Thank you
for having me.”

“It was our
pleasure,” his father said.
 
The picnic
table was lined with an airy, white, table cloth. Various foods were placed
single file in bright colored ceramic bowls: baked beans, grilled corn, potato
salad, and corn bread.
 
His mouth
watered. A flurry of activity and motion unfolded as his father moved to the
grill,
and everyone else rushed in to meet Kansas in person.
As the night wore on Kansas began to relax, and her personality sparkled.
Watching her laugh with Sky like they were old friends reinforced the fact
Kansas was meant to be a Walker. He caught his father’s gaze over the table,
communicating with his eyes he wanted to speak with him alone.