Tough Love (Hidden Secrets) (15 page)

“Shannon
open the door please.”

“What
the hell is going on here?” I mumbled to myself confused.

Opening
the door, “How-”

The
minute I opened the door, I was immediately wrapped in strong arms and pressed firmly against a hard chest. The mixture of emotions cause me to freeze up and do nothing.

Kissing
the top of my head over and over, “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick.”

“Jack?
Jack! How did you know I was here?”

“You
don’t know?” He pulls back and looks at me confused.

“No
or I wouldn’t have asked.”

He
starts laughing. “The boys called me said that you were sad and couldn’t come to the phone. They told me about where you were…They’re pretty observant just so you know. Anyway with the help of Jason, I found you and came right out.”

Pulling
away from him, I walked down the hall to check on the boys. They were still sleeping. They were lucky too. If they were awake right now, I’d probably yell at them again. Sighing, I walked back out to the living room, past Jackson and out onto the deck. I needed space and then again I needed him. Even though I wanted away from him for a while, after the feeling I got cooking supper, I was glad he was here.

He
wrapped me in his arms from behind me, resting his head on my shoulder. “It’s beautiful out here.”

“My
dad found this place when he was out hunting with his brother. He bought it that year and we’ve come here ever since. I stopped coming out here when my parents died. This is where I feel them the most. It hurts to be here, but I want the boys to have those same memories I had here.”

“What
happened today?” He whispers into my neck as he kisses lightly.

“Have
you been with her?” I squeak out.

“With
who? Rachael? God no!” He pauses a moment, then turns me around to face him. “Is that why you left? You thought I lied to you?”

Looking
into his eyes, all I could do was nod. His eyes portrayed disbelief and hurt. My chest tightened from the look in his eyes.

“How
could you think I’d lie to you? Shannon, I’ve been nothing but honest with you since we met. I’d never dream of lying to you.”

“B-but
you’re not answering my question,” I stammered.

“I’ve
never dated or slept with Rachael. The most I’ve done with her is have her tag along to important events where going alone would have left me open to the socialites at those events. She knew up front it was just a business arrangement. I’ve never led her on.”

“Jack…”

Before I could say anymore his mouth sealed over mine claiming mine in a passionate kiss. I moan loudly and wrap my arms around his neck. He tightened his arms around me and deepened the kiss further. After a bit I broke the kiss. Resting my head on his chest, he rested his chin on my head.

“I’m
sorry, but I don’t have a whole lot of faith in men. Seeing her so upset about you and I…” I shrugged.

“I
know you don’t have any proof, but you can trust me Shannon.”

We
stood out there for a little longer before going inside and cuddling on the couch while we watched television. The day was wearing on me and soon I fell asleep.

* * *

The days passed quickly and it was the weekend. Jane and Larry came out today. They wanted to see the boys. Jack told them that’d be great because he wanted to spend some time alone with me. I hit him on the shoulder as he said it, but he just smiled.

Once
Larry and Jane walked in the door, the boys were all over them. They were really attached to the Williams and it worried me. If Jack and I didn’t work out, I worried how they’d handle it, especially Sebastian. We all shared a nice dinner, then Jack told his parents that we were going for a walk.

We
strolled along the shore in peace and quiet. It was the first time in so long that I’ve not been running after the boys, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Actually, I was nervous, if I were to be honest.

“Are
you sure they’re okay?” I asked Jackson looking back at the cabin.

He
laughed softly. “Trust me, if my parents can handle me and my siblings the boys won’t be an issue for them.”

When
I met Jane and Larry, I liked them immediately. They reminded me a lot of my parents. Sebastian liked them instantly too, and that never happens. Mom and Dad would be shocked if they’d been here to see it. The thought of my parents sends a chill down my spine. I missed them every day. A huge part of me had died with them.

“Hey,
what’s wrong?” Jackson asks, grabbing my arm and pulling me to a stop.

“Just
thinking. Sorry. You weren’t talking to me, were you?”

When
Jack and I first met, we constantly butted heads. Now, as sad as it might be to say this, he was my best friend. His friendship has kept me from losing it over the past few months. I was happy for his friendship. Okay I’d be lying if I didn’t like being his girlfriend too, but that wasn’t the point.

“No,
but your face didn’t look like it was happy thoughts. You want to talk about it?” He asks, running his hands up and down my arms.

“Not
really, but you’re going to make me, aren’t you?”

“No,
but if you need to talk, vent, about whatever it is, I’m here for you, Shannon.” He said sincerely.

Giving
him a small smile, “I know.”

Turning
around, I walk back toward the cabin. Neither of us said anything for a while. The crickets play their songs to the moon and stars. The wind was strong, but it was almost a reminder that life was continuing. A shiver ran through me. Life was continuing for me, but not for my parents.

“I
was thinking about my parents,” I mumbled as we found a log to sit on under some trees.

“You
want to tell me about them?”

“They
were amazing. A lot like your parents actually. It was kind of nice to see them go through the pregnancy with the boys.” I laughed sadly. “My dad was a wreck toward the end. Any change in her breathing, facial expressions, whatever, he was grabbing their bag and running out the door, often times leaving my mom behind.” I fell silent as I remembered them.

“You
miss them,” he stated.

“More
than anything. I hate that because of me, my brothers will never know what amazing parents they were. Before long they’ll forget them and it’ll all be my fault.” My voice broke.

“How
can you possibly believe that?” Jack asked astonished.

“Because
it’s the truth!” I snapped. “I hated them. I hated that they never thought of me before themselves or the boys. I hated that my life slipped away from me because I was too busy helping raise the boys. I hated them and then they died.”

Standing,
I started back into the trees. I just wanted to get away from him, from everyone, and be on my own for a moment. There was no way I’d let him see me break down. Tripping over the root of a tree, I stumbled into a small clearing in the trees. Looking up, I could see the moon was full and almost carried a reddish/pink hue. Shadows of tree branches surrounded it as if it was cradling it there.

“Hey,”
he touches my arm gently.

“Please
just go,” I plead for him to leave, never taking my eyes off the moon. Silently praying that the moon will give me strength that I don’t feel right now.

“I’m
not going anywhere,” he states firmly.

Taking
my face in his hands, he forces me to look at him. The wind picks up and my hair is blowing all over the place. He stares down into my eyes. I’m stuck, unable to move. His eyes drop to my mouth and my breath catches in my throat. Leaning down, he softly brushes his lips over mine in a whisper soft touch. If I wasn’t watching his every move, I might have mistaken it for the wind. The breath that had just caught in my throat whooshes out of my lungs to be lost in the wind that now seemed to almost swirl around us.

“Damn,”
He breathed before sealing his lips firmly over mine.

Chapter Seventeen

Jackson

The
urge to kiss her hit me strong and forceful. The urges I have when I’m around Shannon are nothing like any I’ve ever experienced before. Here I thought that I was closed up and off forever and then she walks into my life with those two incredible boys.

I
half expected her to pull away, telling me to leave her alone, but she didn’t. She leaned into me, wrapping her arms around my waist and kissed me back. My heart was hammering in my chest so hard that I was afraid it was going to stop beating all together. She pulled me even closer and the kiss deepened. Pushing my tongue into her mouth, it danced with her silky smooth one.

Moaning,
as my hands lowered from her hair down to her butt, lifting her up. Her answering moan and feeling her legs wrap around me sent a moment of panic through me causing me to pull away. Resting my head on her shoulder, still holding her.

“Wow,”
she breathed.

I
laughed. “You can say that again,” I mumbled into her neck.

We
made our way out of the clearing back to sit on the log that looked over the lake. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and held her against my side. We were quiet for a while, neither of us really caring to speak about what happened back in that clearing, that feeling that shocked me to my core in just that one kiss.

“My
mom and I got into a fight before they left.  I told her I couldn’t help with the boys anymore because it was time I got to have a life. She and dad were going on a month long vacation that they didn’t bother asking me if I’d watch the boys until she was walking out the door. Two weeks into their trip, I was exhausted. Sebastian’s night terrors were bad, he wasn’t sleeping. I remember thinking how much I hated my parents for leaving and yet again I couldn’t be Shannon. I was Sam or Sissy Shan Shan. Then they call to tell me that they’re gone. They died and I hated them.” She says sadly. Raising her head, she looks at me. “What kind of person am I to hate my parents and later even more because they died, leaving me to raise the boys on my own?”

Pulling
her on my lap, I cradle her against my chest, kissing her head over and over. “You are only human. Raising two toddlers that weren’t your own, that’s hard enough, but then add in Sebastian’s needs. Princess, it’s only normal to get angry. It doesn’t make you a horrible person. It only makes you more normal.”

She
wrapped her arms around me tightly. “I miss them so much.” She sobbed into my chest.

Lifting
her head, I kissed away her tears. “You are so strong and so sexy…God are you so damn sexy.”

She
laughed at that. “Okay. Moment over,” she tries to joke.

“To
hell it is,” I growl.

My
lips smash down on hers in a fiercely passionate kiss. This woman has been driving me insane since she came into my life. Her sassy attitude and goddess good looks… Damn I was a puddle at her feet.

Shifting
her around so her legs wrapped around me, I moved to a kneeling position and slowly lowered her to the ground. The kiss intensifies and I start grinding into her. My hands moved down to the hem of her shirt before pushing under and running my hands up to her breasts. It was like holding a rare gem in my hands. I’ve longed to feel them, to see them. Breaking the kiss long enough to pull her shirt over her head as well as my own.

Her
hands began to run up my stomach feeling every inch of me under her them. My breath was coming in short frantic pants as I worked to keep myself  from just taking her right now. Groaning as her hands moved back down my stomach, I lean over her.

“If
you don’t want this right now, stop me because once I undo your bra I won’t be able to stop myself.”

She
shifted under me and removed her bra, smiling up at me. Then I watched as she bit her lip, no doubt nervous with what she just did. My eyes travelled down from her face to only be greeted with a sight that cannot be described in words.

“Damn,”
I breathed right before I leaned down and claimed her mouth again.

My
hand roamed down until my hand surrounded the flesh melons that were fit just for my hands. She moaned as I began to massage her breast, pinching her nipple between my fingers as I squeezed. Shannon arched her back off the ground breaking our kiss. My mouth immediately moved down to her amazing breasts.

“Shit,”
she hissed as I took her breast in my mouth.

I
swirled my tongue around her nipple before slightly grazing my teeth across them. I could spend all day just feasting on her breast. Their taste, firmness yet so soft, they were addicting. Growling as she rubbed against me again.

“I
can’t wait any longer. I’m dying to be inside you right now.”

“Yes,
please,” she breathed.

Quickly
we shed the remainder of our clothing. I’m leaning over her looking into her eyes. She was so damn sexy, breathtakingly beautiful. I wasn’t sure how I got so lucky, but in this moment nothing mattered but Shannon. Pushing her legs further apart, I slowly began to push into her. My breath hissing through my teeth with each inch I push in.

“Damn
you’re so tight,” I gritted my teeth.

Finally
pushing all the way in, I had to hold myself still to keep from blowing my load right then and there. Leaning down, I kissed Shannon tenderly. Slowly I began to move my hips. Damn, she’s so damn tight. She lifts her legs and wraps them around my waist and raises to meet my thrusts.

“Yes,”
she breathes and it’s the sexiest damn sound in the world.

“Fuck!
It’s been too long…baby I’m not going to be able to last long.”

“That’s
fine neither am I,” she moans as her legs tighten around my waist.

Leaning
up, I pull her with me. She wraps her arms around my neck and tightens her legs even more around me. My thrusts are deeper and faster now. Shannon moans and throws her head back as she shifts her hips with each of my thrusts. My hands tighten on her ass as I grew closer.

“Oh
fuck!”

“Yes,
Jackson. I’m about to…” She cuts off as I feel her tightening around me.

“FUCK!”
I roared as my own climax took over me.

I
lowered her back down to the ground and thrust into riding out the last of our orgasms. Exhausted and satisfied, I collapse on top of her. It wasn’t until Shannon spoke did I move.

“Jackson,
I can’t breathe.”

I
laughed into her neck, before raising up on my arms. “I’m sorry.”

She
lifts her hands and cups my face, “That was amazing.”

“Next
time will be so much better, I promise.”

“Well,
I’m not complaining about this time so,” she rose up and pressed a tender kiss to my lips.

“Looks
like we are getting a cold bath since we are covered in mud.”

“The
lake is going to be freezing.” She shivered.

“I’ll
warm you up later.” I wink.

I
slowly pull out of her then stand, reaching out a hand I pull her up to me. Kissing her tenderly before I pick her up and walk into the water, where both of us were rushing to help the other get clean. It was as we were getting dressed that we realized we’d have to get our clothes wet if we didn’t want to tip off my parents.

Once
we were back in sight of the cabin, I started chasing her. I loved hearing her laugh and excited squeal. It was no wonder where the boys got it from. They were so much alike. She had just got on the deck when I ran behind her, grabbing her around the waist and spun her around. Setting her down, I turned her around and kissed her on her lips.

“You
two need to get in here and change your clothes before you catch your death.” My mom said.

Laughing,
I looked at my mom who had the biggest smile on her face, “Yes ma’am.”

Once
in dry clothes, Mom and Dad fill us in on the boys and how they were in bed. It was then I shared the conversation about Hell/Hail. They found it just as funny as I did. Shannon offered Mom and Dad one of the spare rooms. They graciously accepted it. Shannon and I cuddled on the couch and fell asleep there again.

“Does this mean their getting married?”

“It
has to. Look at them.”

“No
that is not what it means. They are dating and fell asleep watching television.” I hear my mom correct the boys.

“But
they love each other right?”

“I
don’t know sweetie, but I think they care about each other a lot. Come on now, let’s give them some peace okay?”

Once
I heard them leave the room, I nuzzled Shannon awake. “Good morning beautiful.”

“Good
morning,” she said stretching.

“What’s
the plan for today?” I asked, kissing her neck.

“I
guess we need to head back. You need to get closer to work and I need to touch base with Nick see how things are coming along.”

“Only
if you want to. I don’t want to force you to come back to my house.”

Smacking
my arm, she laughs. “You aren’t forcing me. I like falling asleep in your arms.”

“I
like it too. So back to reality we go, huh?”

She
nodded her head and climbed off the couch. By lunch we were all headed back to town. Honestly, I was a little disappointed myself. I liked the privacy we had out there. Going back to town, we had Jake to contend with if he was still in town. Right now it seemed like we were in a little bubble. I’m afraid of when it’s going to pop. No I’m terrified for when it pops.

* * *

The weekend went by great. The boys settled in well. Sebastian hasn’t had a nightmare since they’ve moved in there, but Shannon says that worries her. I think Shannon stresses so much over what the boys are going to think or how they are going to react for everything that she struggles to accept the change in routine as well.

This
Monday was busy. For some reason there were far too many people scheduled today. Glaring through my wall at Rachael, I know she’s the reason for this. So here it is after my normal lunch break and I’m still sorting through patients. Dropping the folder down on my desk I walk out to the waiting room just as a crying Shannon comes in the door.  Immediately everything can wait, nothing was there, just me and her. She ran right over to me and kissed me long and hard. When she broke away, I was breathless.

“Okay,
I love that hello, but you’re crying. Why are you crying?”

“You,
you did it. You’re the reason I saved my house,” she sobbed into my chest.

Wrapping
my arms around her, I walked her into my office and shut the door. Sitting down on the couch, I rocked her as she cried. I was also making a mental note to kick Nick’s ass for telling her.

“I’m
sorry baby, but I didn’t want to see you lose your connection to your parents. Are you angry with me?”

“Yes
and no. When you did that, we weren’t even together. Why would you do that?”

Cupping
her face and making her look at me, “Even though we weren’t together, I still cared about you. You’re happiness means a lot to me.”

“Thank
you. I’ll pay you back somehow.”

“Don’t
even start! I don’t want the money back for that. You and the boys deserve it. Period.”

She
wipes the tears from her face and stands up. “I’m sorry. You are busy today.” She walks out into the hall.

“Hey,”
I hurry to her. “I’m not going to be taking a lunch today it seems. I’ll see you at home though okay?”

“I’ll
have supper and a nice massage waiting for you,” she wiggles her eyebrows.

Leaning
down, I kiss her softly, “See you at home.”

I
watch her leave and wish I was walking out with her. Instead I’m stuck in here because my receptionist is being a bitch. Thankfully Shannon understood. Honestly, I still don’t know how I got so lucky.