Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 14
BELL
I fall backwards on the mattress and bounce. “This one is soft.”
“The fuck you looking at?” I sit up to see Jackson glaring at a man in the store. I’d guess him to be a few years older than Jackson. He’s got a whole hipster vibe, his hair partly up in a bun.
“Nothing, I ah. Nothing.”
“Then go stare at nothing somewhere else.” I put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing because it’s not funny, but it kind of is.
“Jacks, he’s only mattress shopping.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize it’s the first time I haven’t been suspicious of someone in a long time. I know it’s because Jackson is here with me. I’m safe.
“No, he was watching your tits bounce.” I look down at my boobs. I’m in a sweater and jeans. The sweater is a bit snug.
“You’re crazy.” He offers me his hand to help me up from the bed.
“Crazy for you.” He drops his mouth down onto mine. I melt into him, forgetting that we’re in public. I guess PDA doesn’t bother me. I never got the chance to try it before Jackson. “You like that one?” He motions to the bed.
“Shouldn’t you try it out too?”
“I saw how bouncy it was. I like it.” I giggle, shaking my head at him.
He grabs a salesman, and in no time, he has the thing bought and paid for. They don’t have anyone that can deliver it today, but Jackson has a whole team of people. With one call, he has a truck and three men loading the mattress onto it and taking it back to my place. Jackson has them toss my old one in the garbage, saying my spare room should be for my art supplies. Most of them are still in boxes.
I’ll open some and take a few things out, but then I always stop for some reason. I can’t put my finger on why. In my old place, I wasn’t some clean freak, but I kept things in order. Here, not so much. The boxes are starting to symbolize the state of my life. I think on some level I believe I’m going to have to run again. So I don’t allow myself to get too comfortable.
“You all right?” Jackson wraps his arms around me from behind. I relax into his hold. I love having him here with me.
“I should unpack.”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“That’s not true. I’ve had to do a lot of things I didn’t want to do.”
“Baby.” He turns me in his arms. “You want to go back to the city?”
“No,” I answer honestly. “I suppose that’s the silver lining in all this. If it weren’t for what happened, I wouldn’t have found this place, those chickens, or your sister. She’s pretty cool when she’s not accusing me of witchcraft. And I can’t forget the couple next door, they're full of laughs.”
“And me.” I didn’t know Jackson could pout, but there it is. It does not make him any less handsome.
“Oh yeah, you too,” I tease.
“You’re hard on a man’s ego.” He lifts me off my feet, his hands going to my ass.
“You’re always hard, Jackson.”
“Can you blame me? I made you come hours ago and then I spent the next hour watching you bounce around on beds. A man can only take so much.” I wrap my arms around his neck.
“I already told you that I wanted you to do all those things to me that you said.” I haven’t been able to stop thinking about his words. I don’t know how something could sound dirty and sweet at the same time, but Jackson somehow did it.
“I guess we should test out our new purchase.” He doesn’t wait for my response. He quickly carries me to the bedroom, placing me down on the bed. I watch as he pulls his shirt off over his head. Without thinking, I reach out and run my fingers down the hard solid ridges. The man really is a piece of art. Everything about him exudes strength, and not in that pretty boy in the gym way with a million abs. No, this is raw strength. It’s who he simply is without having to try.
“I get to be the only one that ever gets to do this?” I ask as my fingers trail down farther to his belt. “None of those Faiths?”
“Faiths?” he repeats, confused.
“Good answer.” I go for his belt. I’ve become less shy around him since we’ve been spending every night in bed with each other. If anything, he’s been driving me a bit crazy. My body is screaming for his touch, but more than that, I want to touch him everywhere.
I jerk his belt free, my fingers going for the button of his pants and flicking it free. Then a loud banging sounds through the house. “Guys!” Marly shouts.