The Beauty Series Bundle (38 page)

“I’ll be fine. I’ll call for you if I feel weak or if I need anything.”

He agrees but reluctantly. I go into the bathroom and shut the door because I need walls between us. I feel tears coming and I don’t want him to see me like that. He already feels terrible for not being there to protect me from Blake.

I start the shower and the tiny bathroom almost immediately fills with steam. I lift my tattered dress over my head before I toss it in the trash. I stand naked in front of the mirror to assess the damage.

I touch the large bruise still forming on the side of my face. It’s tender. Scrapes and blue discoloration mark my arms and upper body. The cut on my forehead is held together with adhesive and makes me feel as though I’m a piece of broken glass that can be put back together with a little glue—except I don’t feel put back together at all.

I can’t look at myself anymore, so I step into the shower and begin the process of trying to cleanse tonight’s events away. I wash my body repeatedly but what I’m feeling refuses to be scoured off. And I’m afraid it won’t be for a while.

I
turn back
the bed so it’ll be ready when Laurelyn’s out of the shower. I remember she didn’t take clothes into the bathroom with her, so I open a few drawers in search of the things she might need. I find bras and knickers in the top dresser drawer and I recognize many of the lacy ones she used to wear for me. I hold up a pair and smile as I recall the way she looked wearing them.

Those are some beautiful damn memories.

I delve through more drawers and find the pink jogging pants with the word LOVE across the bum. I love these pants and I know she wears them when she wants to be comfortable, so I take them out. I’ve missed seeing her in them. After I take them from the drawer, I notice a man’s T-shirt beneath and a sickening envy immediately strikes me. I pluck it from her drawer for a better look and recognize it as one of my own. I never missed it being gone. The discovery makes my heart swell until it’s almost ready to burst. She missed me.

The bathroom door is closed and I knock lightly instead of walking in unannounced, but I don’t like it. We stopped closing doors not long after our relationship began and I’m feeling a little uneasy about her reasons behind doing it tonight. I don’t want her to close me off. I’m afraid this attack might cause her to put up some of those old walls it took so long for me to tear down.

“Come in.”

The bathroom is full of steam and it rushes toward me when I walk in. “I brought you some clothes.”

“Thanks.”

“Need anything else?”

She doesn’t answer at first—and I wonder if she heard me—but then I hear her answer with the softest voice. “Yes.”

I stand waiting for her to tell me what she needs, but she doesn’t. “What do you need, babe?”

“You.”

“Okay. I can sit with you while you finish your shower.” I shut the lid on the toilet.

“No. I need you in here with me—in the shower.”

I admit that’s unexpected. She’s just been attacked and almost raped. I wouldn’t expect her to have sharing a shower in mind. Maybe she just wants to be close so she can feel safe. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

I can’t make myself believe this is normal, but it’s what she’s asking. “Okay.”

I strip and pull the curtain back before stepping into the hot water with her. She reaches for me and puts her arms around my midsection. She places the side of her face against my chest and the water pelts down over both of us. “Please don’t think I’m crazy for what I’m about to tell you.”

“Baby, I know you’re not crazy.”

“I know the way I’m feeling isn’t logical. It’s all in my head but I feel like I can’t get him washed off my body. I feel dirty.”

“You’re not dirty, love.” I think what she’s feeling is completely natural. I don’t know what to do to make it better for her, but I decide to do the only thing I think might help. “Turn around for me.”

I reach for the shampoo as she circles and squeeze a generous portion into my hand. “I’m going to wash your hair and when I’m finished, I’m going to wash every trace of him from your body. You’ll never have to feel him on your skin again.”

I have no idea if touching her is the wrong thing to do or if it will cause her more harm than good. I want to think it’s the right thing since she asked me to come into the shower, but I have no way of knowing until I do it.

I massage her scalp gently as I shampoo her hair. I hear her sigh and I take that as a good sign, so I repeat the process with the conditioner before moving on to her body.

I begin by massaging her back with body wash because it feels like a safe place to start. And because that’s where I found him when he was attacking her—lying against her back holding her face down against the floor. I’m furious all over again as I see the image of him attempting to rape her.

I shake my head as though it will make the image go away. It doesn’t, but I can’t let Laurelyn know what’s on my mind. It will only upset her more to know I’m picturing her attack, replaying what I saw almost happen.

Her tense muscles gradually begin to relax and I’m encouraged. Laurelyn is the medicine that heals all my pain, so I don’t know why I questioned being the same kind of relief for her.

I’m still standing behind her when I move my soapy bare hands up to her neck. She lifts her chin and rests her head against my chest as I make my way down her body. I circle her breasts and her nipples become hard pebbles beneath my fingers. She leans harder against me and I tell my cock to behave because it isn’t the right time. He doesn’t listen. He never does when it comes to her. And I can’t really blame him—she’s wet and naked and pressing her beautiful body against mine.

My palms move lower and skim her stomach before I slowly approach touching her between her legs. This is going to be the problematic area and I’m afraid of her reaction. She may think it’ll be fine but change her mind the moment I touch her. It might make her think of what he tried to do to her.

I’m slow and cautious as I inch my hand lower. I hear her breathing increase. I’m apprehensive, unsure if she’s beginning to panic. I decide to not take any chances and my hand retreats. I can’t risk the harm I could cause by continuing.

She reaches for my wrist as I’m pulling my hand away. “Please don’t stop. I want you to keep going,” she says as she pushes it lower. “I’m not afraid.”

Maybe she isn’t but I am. I fear she’s pushing herself too hard and too fast because she thinks she needs to prove something. “You don’t have to do this right now.”

“I know but I want you to touch me. This is what you and I do, and I need to know that he didn’t ruin the way you feel about me.”

Fuck! This is about me. She’s afraid I won’t want her because of what he did?

I turn her around so I can see her eyes. “Baby, I love you and there’s nothing anyone could do to change that—especially him or what he did to you. Trust me when I tell you that I could never stop loving you because of something like this.”

She rises on tiptoes and kisses me, biting my lower lip and tugging on it with her teeth. “I need you to show me.”

I have to trust her word. If she says this is what she needs, then I have to have faith in her. “Here or your bedroom?”

“Bedroom. This shower is too small for everything I want you to do to me.”

She turns off the water and pulls the curtain. She steps out and stands dripping on the rug as she waits for me. I’m not sure my second foot is on the bath mat before she puts her arms around my shoulders and jumps up to wrap her legs around my waist.

Luckily, my reflexes are quick and I catch her under her thighs before she lands on her bum on the floor. “Damn, baby. You could’ve warned me.”

“Sorry. I’m just anxious.”

I carry her to the bedroom and the cold air chills both of us. I toss her playfully onto the bed. I slide in beside her and the sheets absorb the water beads on our bodies. “We’ve just fucked this bed up.”

“Not yet, we haven’t,” she says as she pulls me on top of her. Our wet bodies slip effortlessly against each other and it’s exhilarating to have her slide against me, skin on skin. She brings her legs up around my waist and squeezes me closer. “I want you to fuck me like you mean it. Don’t you dare hold back because you think I’m fragile; I’m not and I won’t break.”

Aggressive isn’t a good choice for us right now, even if she thinks it is. “I know how strong you are.” I kiss the side of her face where there’s an unpleasant reminder of what that bastard did. “I don’t need to see you tolerate rough sex to be convinced of that.” I kiss her forehead just below the laceration. “Don’t make this about him.”

She puts her hands on my face and strokes her thumbs over my still-wet cheekbones. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” And now I want to show her how much.

I move my lips over hers and she follows my lead for the slow, seductive kiss I want to give her. She slides her fingers up the back of my wet hair and I feel drops of water roll down my neck. Her hands leave my hair and glide over my shoulders and down my back through the moisture unclaimed by the bed linens.

Relaxed legs replace the tense ones squeezing my waist. She lets them fall apart beneath my weight and I recognize it for what it is—her giving me domain over her body. I take great pleasure knowing she trusts me enough to do so.

I move my hand down her body until it’s between her legs and that’s where I cup my hand around her and begin rotating in a circular motion with only the slightest pressure. My mouth is still pressed against hers but neither of us is concentrating on the kiss. I know the task she chooses for me to focus on.

I gradually apply more pressure and I feel the increase in her breathing against my mouth. She begins to lift her hips in rhythm with my hand’s motion and I close in on her most sensitive area. I know how to top it off quickly for her, but I wait because I want her to enjoy this for a while longer.

She rides my hand harder and I sense her immediate urgency. “Do you want me to make you come?”

“Oh, God, yes,” she says with panting breath against my mouth.

I slide two fingers inside her and place my thumb over her erogenous nub. I apply light pressure with a gradual increase as my thumb slides back and forth. “I’ll always take care of you, baby.”

I feel her entire body tense, followed by the internal rhythmic spasms against my fingers. Her legs tense as she arches her back. It never gets old seeing her this way. I’m still amazed by how hard she can come and how beautiful she is when she does.

When the rush of her orgasm is over, she relaxes and looks up at me hovering above her. “You’re so good at that.”

I’m relieved that she’s handled my intimate touch so well. I’m confident that she is going to be fine with me being inside her, but I still choose to proceed with caution. I press my cock against her slick slit and watch her face for any outward sign of stress. “You’re okay?”

“Yes. Please stop being weird about this. That bothers me worse than what actually happened. I don’t want awkwardness between us, so now it’s me telling you to leave him out of this.”

She’s right. I’m the one being weird and it stops here and now.

I kneel between her legs and grasp her behind her knees to pull her down the bed. I tap her on her hip as I tell her to lift her bum and I push both of the pillows under her hips before I drive deep inside her. She gasps and then smiles up at me. “That’s more like it.”

As I slide in and out of her in this different position, she never once takes her eyes from mine and I covet the deep connection I feel with her. It’s erotic—yet incredibly loving—and is something I’ve never felt with any other woman. Ever.

As I thrust into her over and over, I lose myself in her caramel-brown eyes, because it’s so easy to do, and I’m able to forget the night’s events. I feel it building and then my favorite part happens when I get to thrust as deep as I can inside of Laurelyn as I call out her name. When I’m finished, I remain inside her because these are the moments I love. I’m able to envision it all when we’re like this—our future as husband and wife with our children. And I always see it happening in Australia. Never here.

And I’m afraid that could be a problem.

I
fall asleep
in Jack Henry’s arms. I must’ve been content because I don’t wake once during the night. There’s no way I could’ve done that before we were separated, but something about being apart has caused a change in me. It makes it possible for me to allow him in my space while I’m sleeping.

When I open my eyes, he’s already awake. No shocker there. “Hey, you.”

He kisses the top of my head. “Good mornin’, love. Sleep well?”

Surprisingly, yes. “I did.”

He pulls me in for a hug. “See? It’s not so bad having me close.”

“I’ve never thought it was bad,” I explain. “I just wasn’t used to it. I endured last night just fine.”

He scoots away from me. “Endured? Hell, don’t do me any favors.”

I think I’m wearing off on him because that’s one of my lines. “I’m sorry,” I laugh. “Endure is a poor word choice. That’s not what I meant at all.” He lies back down beside me. “I just meant that I didn’t wake up once, so I was obviously content with having you in my space. Our space.”

“Our space sounds much better than your space.”

“Agreed.”

My stomach growls and I remember there are no groceries in the apartment since I’ve been away for weeks. “There’s nothing here to eat. I doubt I even have enough to scrounge up something for breakfast, so I’ll have to make a grocery run this morning. And you’re going with me.” I point to my nightstand. “Open that top drawer and pass me a pad and pen so I can start a grocery list.”

He stretches over to open the drawer and the sheet pulls back just enough for me to catch a view of his sculpted ass. I pull the sheet back a little more for a better view and run my hand over it. I can’t resist.

He laughs as he digs around in the drawer. “Hmm… what do we have here?”

I don’t care what’s caught his attention because I’m enjoying the view way too much.

When he rolls back, he’s holding the purple vibrator in one hand and the Bullet in the other.

Oh, shit. I totally forgot about those being in that drawer. I cover my blushing face with both hands. “A gentleman would have pretended he didn’t see those.”

“I think we’ve established that I’m only a gentleman in public—not in the bedroom. But I must tell you that it makes me feel pretty damn spectacular to know that you needed two of these battery-operated boys to replace what I did for you.”

As if that’s even possible. “You’d be mistaken if you think any number of those things could ever replace what you do for me.”

“They don’t have to replace. They can… enhance,” he suggests.

“You don’t need enhancing.”

He’s twirling the Bullet around in his hand. “Well, maybe we should try them out and see. You might like the kind of enhancing I do with them.”

I have no doubt I’d like anything he does to me while using them. “Now?”

“Unless the grocery store is going somewhere.”

“Smart-ass.” Of course, he means now. I don’t know why I’d think otherwise. He’s a morning man. And a night man. And an everything-in-between man. “Okay.”

He moves down in the bed. “Close your eyes and don’t open them. I want you to lie still and completely concentrate on the sensations.”

I reach for my pillow and put it over my face because I know me. “I’ll be too tempted to look.”

I feel him grab the back of my thighs and he brings them up so my feet are flat against the bed. He pushes my knees apart and the thought of what he’s seeing strikes me. I’m naked with my legs spread wide apart in the daylight. This is why he wanted me to close my eyes. He knew I’d feel uncomfortable in this position with him staring at my stuff.

It’s only a few seconds later when I hear the buzz. I didn’t use the things enough to know if there’s a difference in the sounds they make, so I have no idea which one he’s going to use.

I’m shaking with anticipation when I feel the vibration touch me. He starts at the top and slowly drags it down one side before bringing it up again. “Do you like that?”

I lift the pillow ever so slightly to take a peek at him. “You know I do.”

“Good.”

He moves to the other side and repeats the same movement. When he finishes, he slides what I’ve decided is the Bullet through my suddenly drenched center. Every time he brings it up, he directly hits my clit for only the briefest time. It’s not enough to make me come, but it’s enough to make me want to so badly, I’m ready to scream if I don’t. I’m certain he’s aware of this because he knows my body so well and he’s doing it to tease me mercilessly. “What about that?”

This time I don’t lift the pillow because I’m squeezing it too tightly. “That feels amazing.”

“Perfect. I’m going to throw in a little something else to spice things up.”

Good grief! What else could he do to spice this up?

I feel him enter me before the question is even completed in my head. He’s moving in and out of me and I feel the vibrations of the Bullet circling my clit over and over. It’s only enough to push me to the edge without falling over, but I know it won’t last much longer. “I’m gonna beat you there, buddy.”

He pounds into me harder and faster. “You wanna bet on that? Tell me how close you are.”

“Pretty close. I can see the finish line.”

“I’m right there with you, baby.”

Just when I think it’s going to take a little more to push me over the edge, he cups his fingers over me and the Bullet and presses it so that it vibrates against the whole area from my clit down to where he’s inside me.

And that’s when the postman delivers. Oh my God, is it ever magnificent!

I feel his hand wrap around one of my hips as he jerks me toward him so he can drive harder inside me those last few times as he comes. When he grits my name out from between his teeth, I want to scream, but I can’t. I’m speechless because the waves and spasms deep within have robbed me of my voice.

When it’s over, my arms drop lifelessly to the bed and the pillow remains over my face. He pulls out of me but I feel his hands on my knees continuing to hold them apart. “You’re so beautiful.”

“How can you tell? My face is covered,” I mumble from under the pillow.

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

Oh, shit! He’s saying my baby hatcher is beautiful?

“You’re so weird!”

“Never claimed I wasn’t,” he laughs.

I take the pillow from my face and smack him with it. “Get your weird ass up and shower so we can go to the grocery store. I’m hungry.”

J
ack Henry
and I are strolling through the market, both in jeans with T’s, but he’s wearing a ball cap for a team I’ve never heard of so I assume they’re Australian. He’s pushing the cart as I walk beside him. I’m tossing stuff from the shelves into the basket and I can’t remember a time when I’ve ever felt more domestic in my life. And I like it.

Mrs. Porcelli continued to do all of the shopping after I moved in, so this is the first time we’ve been in a grocery store together. I suspect it’s the first time Jack Henry has been inside a market in years, but he seems content to be here with me.

I’m reaching for something on the shelf when I feel his arms snake around me from behind. “What’s for dinner tonight?”

He’s obviously not been paying attention to the things I’ve been throwing into the cart or he’d have already figured it out. “I seem to recall you having a thing for my lasagna.”

“So good, it brought me to my knees.”

“It wasn’t the lasagna that did that,” I laugh. “But I’ll cook it for you, if that’s what you want.”

“Yes, please. And we’ll stop for wine on the way home.”

I’m about to tell him no one in town carries his wine when I hear “Jolene” ringing from my back pocket. “That’s my mom. I haven’t spoken to her in a while. I probably should take it. She’ll keep calling if I don’t.”

He kisses the top of my head before releasing me and I reach for my phone. “Hey, Mom.”

“I was calling to check on my baby girl. I wanted to see how life on the road was treating you.”

I dread this. “I’m not on the road. I’m back in Nashville.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“Yes. Something bad happened. Blake Phillips attacked me last night. I got banged up a little bit, so Randy thought it would be best to cancel our shows for the rest of the week. We only had a few left anyway.”

“What did he do to you?” I hear the horror in her voice.

I’m standing in front of Jack Henry in the middle of a grocery store. This is definitely not the time or place I want to have this conversation. “I’m buying groceries right now. Would it be okay if I call you when I get home?”

“No. Your dad and I are coming over so you can tell us exactly what that man did to you.”

Dammit. She has a key to my apartment and I don’t want her to beat me there and wander into my bedroom. I’m not sure we put the toys back in my nightstand drawer. “No, Mom. Don’t do that. Why don’t you wait until a little later? I’ll need to put away the groceries. Maybe you can come for dinner.” I look at Jack Henry and shrug. “But I have someone staying with me. Jack Henry is here.”

“Your Aussie guy?”

I look at Jack Henry and smile as I answer, “Yeah, Mom. My Aussie guy.” Hearing me say that makes him beam.

“And I suspect you’re happy about that?” Something about the way she asks makes me think she’s not pleased to learn that he’s here.

Happy is a severe understatement. “I am. Very much so.”

“Okay. Your dad and I will come for dinner and meet your boyfriend. What time?”

“Does six o’clock work?”

“Sure. See you then.”

I end my call and look at Jack Henry. “We won’t be dining alone.”

He doesn’t look thrilled. “I gathered as much. I knew I’d have to meet her at some point. Tonight is as good as any.”

He doesn’t sound thrilled, either. “What do you mean you’d have to meet her at some point? You sound like you already don’t like her.”

“She treats you poorly. It’s been tolerable from a distance because I didn’t have a choice, but now I’m here. I won’t put up with anyone mistreating you, and that includes her. I don’t care if she is your mum.”

Geez. I’m predicting this night isn’t going to go well. “It isn’t just her. My dad’s coming too. We haven’t talked about this, but they’re sort of back on again.” What am I doing? This is Jack Henry. I don’t have to pretend this is anything but what it is. “He’s still married and they’re sleeping together.” It sounds so dirty when I say it and I’m not sure which reason makes it that way—if it’s the married part or the fact that they’re my parents.

“Perfect. Another parent to set straight. I can get them both knocked out at the same time.”

This is going to be awful. “You’re not setting anyone straight tonight. I want them to like you and I highly doubt they will if you tell them what shitty parents they’ve been.”

He looks at me like he wants to argue but doesn’t. “I won’t tonight, but only because you ask it of me. It’s gonna be hard as hell to keep my mouth shut.”

“You can do it,” I encourage. “I know you can. And every time they say something that pisses you off and you don’t react, I’ll reward you with something special after they leave.”

“Bribery.”

“I prefer to call it a reward system.”

“Well, I do enjoy your rewards, so maybe this will work out well for me after all.”

I’m about to tell him how I figured he’d see things my way when I hear the voice of a young girl. “Miss McLachlan?”

I turn at the sound of my name—my stage name, that is—and see a young teen girl staring at me. “Oh. My. God. You’re the singer from Southern Ophelia, aren’t you? I’m a huge fan. Can I get your autograph?”

I’m still not used to this and it’s awkward. “Umm… sure.”

She digs through her purse and seems to come up empty-handed. “What about my shirt? Would you sign it?”

It’s not like I’ve never signed a shirt before, but it’s usually after a concert. And it isn’t being worn. It feels a little unnerving to be recognized out like this. “No problem.”

When I’m finished signing, she passes her phone to Jack Henry. “Would you mind getting a picture of us?”

He pulls his hands out of his pockets and takes the phone from her. “Anything for one of Miss McLachlan’s fans.”

“It’s the round button in the center. But I guess you already know that. I bet you have to do this all the time,” she giggles.

He looks like the cat that swallowed the canary. “I take some mighty fine pictures of Miss McLachlan, if I do say so myself.”

I try my best to keep from laughing at his sly remark about taking my almost-nudie pictures. He’s such a naughty boy and I’ll get him for it later.

“Thank you so much, Miss McLachlan. My friends aren’t going to believe I ran into you like this.”

When the girl is gone, Jack Henry is grinning from ear to ear. I can’t help but wonder what’s on his mind. “What’s with the shit-eating grin?”

“Oh… nothing,” he says as we begin to stroll down the aisle but adds, “Miss McLachlan.”

I
’ve never done
this before, so I’m nervous as hell about it. My parents, one of whom I barely know, are going to be here any minute to meet Jack Henry. My boyfriend. The man I love. The one throwing around words like always and future when he talks about us.

I want to throw up.

I’m terrified this isn’t going to go well. He already doesn’t like either of my parents and I don’t blame him. What if he can’t keep that dislike to himself and make nice? He’s opinionated and outspoken. This could be a total disaster. But even if it is, I’ll still love him. This I know without a shadow of a doubt.

I reach for the lasagna in the oven and touch my inner wrist to the top of the rack above as I’m taking it out. “Shit!” My body’s reaction causes me to let go of the dish and jerk my arm back. Luckily, the dish of lasagna survives, but I’ve burned the piss out of my wrist.

I run to the sink and immediately run cold water over it to stop the burning process as Jack Henry streaks into the kitchen. “What happened?”

“I burned myself. Rookie mistake.”

“Let me take a look.” Ah, the doctor is back. How nice to see you, Dr. McLachlan. It’s been a while. I pull my wrist from the cold water long enough for him to examine it. “It’ll be fine. Where are your zipper bags? I’ll make an ice pack for it.”