Page 88 of The Sacrifice
“Jackson.” I grab both sides of his face, not caring that I’m standing there with only a T-shirt, bra, and socks on, and his pants are undone. “I didn’t feel cheap or used. I felt craved and wanted. You don’t have to sweep me off my feet with flowers and champagne. I want your passion. Your spontaneity. Do you honestly think I’d be turned off because you couldn’t wait to be inside of me? That’s hot as fuck and warms my heart. I’ve always worried that you’d find me boring and would get tired of–”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Subconsciously, I’ve always been afraid there will come a day when you walk into the house and say some twenty-year-old girl, who can suck a football out of a garden house, wiggled her tight little ass in front of you, and you want to trade me in for that younger model.” The washing machine jerks as the air conditioning kicks on, sending a blast of air into the room.
He leans his forehead against mine. “That’s not going to happen. You’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I’ve never been in a relationship because, I was waiting for you to realize I’d grown up. That I wasn’t some punk kid trying to lead your brother down the wrong path. That I could be responsible and someone you could respect.”
Tears sting my eyes. “You’re all those things. You’re a fantastic father. A phenomenal lover. And a loyal friend.”
“Thank you.” His eyes twinkle as he smirks. “My dick is getting cold.”
“Yes.” I nod. “And there’s semen dripping down the inside of my leg.”
He winks. “You’re welcome.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“I know.”
I bite my lips together to keep from laughing. All the tension from the last few weeks is gone and replaced with a sense of familiar warmth. He’s the other half of me. I need his humor and infectious spirit to keep from getting too deep into my head. Life is too short to waste all of it on worrying. Maybe just a little bit. I’m not ready to quit cold turkey.
“Get your pants on so I can tell you about Roxanne.” He lets go of me and fastens the button of his pants. He doesn’t bother to zip them or tuck in his shirt, and he’s never looked better.
How is it that guys look good after sex? If I looked into a mirror, I’d break the damn thing. I grumble as I shove my feet into my leggings and pull them up. They slide over the sticky wetness, causing me to cringe. Yeah, I need a shower. And soon.
Once we’re settled on the sofa, he frowns. “That’s not close enough.”
I scoot closer. “Better?”
“No.” He hauls me onto his lap until I’m straddling him with my knees on either side and his arms wrapped around me. “That’s almost better.” He tips his head to one side. “Arms?”
“Yes, sir.” I lace my arms around his neck. “Better?”
“Yes. That will work.” He rubs his thumbs along my back. It’s a slow, steady rhythm that soothes and comforts me. “Roxanne signed over her rights three weeks ago, but I had to wait for a court date before it was official.”
“I’ll never understand it.” My chest constricts with pain. Pain for Hadley. One day she’s going to find out who her birth mother was and be devastated she gave up her rights without a fight. That day will break her heart. But I promise to be there to soothe her tears and tell her that her dad and I love her. “But I’m happy.”
“Me, too. Her loss is our blessing. Hadley will never doubt how much she’s loved.”
“No, she won’t.”
“The security company I hired to gather dirt on her, sent two agents out to tip the scales in our favor.” He cups the back of my head as if he can’t stop touching me. “She’s taken up prostitution.”
“Wow.” I jerk my head backward and stare at him in disbelief. “That’s….”
“Not shocking. I’m never going to regret screwing Roxanne because of my daughter.” He shakes his head. “But I sure was a fucking idiot that night. Roxanne is a mess, and I knew it.”
“We all screw up.” I wrinkle my nose. “I was engaged to marry a guy that I never saw because he made a comment one time that he loved adopted children and his job fit my boyfriend-material criteria.”
His big hands cradle my face. “Baby, I’ll adopt as many babies as you want. One. Five. Ten.” He cringes. “Maybe not ten. That’s kind of a lot of kids.”
“I’m fine. It’s okay. I love Hadley. She fills my heart, and I can’t wait to watch her grow up. To see her first steps. To hold her hand on the way to kindergarten drop-off. To watch her first dance recital when she stands in the middle of the stage and doesn’t move. I’m down for all of that. I don’t need anything else but the two of you.”
“It’s whatever you want. If you decide you want more kids, you tell me. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll jerk off in a plastic cup. Screw you while you’re standing on your head. Go through mountains of paperwork to prove what a great catch I am. It doesn’t matter. I’ll do it.”
A tear slips down my cheek.Holy fuck. I almost let this guy get away. What’s wrong with me?“I love you.”
He digs his hand into his pocket and pulls out a black box. “Well then, you’d better make an honest man out of me.” His eyes dance with humor as he winks. “I can’t have people talking about us living in sin. My reputation is above reproach.”