Breathe in and out, focus on easing the pain.

“Yeah.”

“Why would it?” I whisper.

“Most women find it...slutty.”

I close my eyes, letting out a deep, painful breath. “Well, I’m not most women.”

Jackson is silent a moment, before he murmurs, “No, you ain’t.”

~*~

SERENITY

The hospital is quiet, so we get in right away. The nurse asks questions, but Jackson shuts her down quickly. She accepts only my name. He tells her I am in trouble, and that kind of information can’t be given. She seems to accept this, maybe because Jackson is giving her a serious ‘don’t fuck with me’ look. She gets a doctor, who goes over me. He checks everything, straps my ribs, and gives me some good painkillers, and then we’re on our way home.

The ride is quiet. I’m grateful to Jackson for taking the time out to help me, when he really didn’t have to. By the time we arrive home, it’s well after midnight. We slip inside the house quietly, as Addi will no doubt be asleep. I turn to Jackson when he flicks the kitchen light on, and for a long moment, our eyes just meet and hold.

“Thank you,” I say quietly.

He nods, dropping his keys onto the counter. “Anytime.”

He’s about to turn away, when I whisper, “Why are you helping me?”

Stopping, he turns and meets my gaze dead on. “’Coz you ain’t got anyone else, ‘coz I know how it feels to be trapped, and ‘coz I fuckin’ want to.”

God.

He wants to?

My heart begins beating so hard, I struggle to breathe. Jackson gets to me; he makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. There’s been no one in my life that’s ever made me feel like this. I had a boyfriend for a few months, but it didn’t last. My father made sure of it when he found us naked, after a poor attempt at my first sexual encounter. My father beat him nearly to death. Pathetic, isn’t it? You have a father that hates your guts, but will beat any man that goes near you, just so he can push his authority. He wasn’t doing it out of love for me; he was doing it for his own benefit.

It’s terrible, tragic, and pathetic, but it’s the truth. I’ve been with my father, following his every command, since I was a little girl. I was never going to touch anyone at the club, and they learned very quickly to stop trying. I never got to go out much; I was forever babysitting, or working the bar. And now, my heart is pounding, my body is shaking, and if I’m willing to admit it to myself, my pussy is throbbing. Shit. I want Jackson. I. Want. Jackson.

This is so wrong.

But I can’t stop it.

I step up close, gently going up onto my tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. His entire body jerks, and his hands shoot out to steady my body, holding me still. I shudder at the feeling of his hands on my hips, and the urge to press myself against him, is massive. I pull back, and for a solid few seconds, we just stare. I can see the lust in his eyes, and as much as I am trying to hide it, I know he can see it in mine. I lower my eyes to his lips, and Christ, I want to kiss him. He’s older than me. He’s the enemy. I’m lying to him. Yet, I want to kiss him.

Before I can think about it any further, my face is moving closer to his. I feel his fingers tighten around my hips, and his entire body stiffens. He makes a growling sound, and the moment my lips graze his, he hisses. God, his lips - soft, supple, and tasty. The kiss is no more than a graze, feather soft and light. I feel only a moment of his lips against mine, before we’re interrupted and snapped back into reality.

“Daddy, is that you?” Addison calls down the stairs.

Jackson lets me go, and I stumble, taking two steps backwards before getting my footing. I let out a loud wince at the tightening in my rib area. Addison walks into the room, looking sleepy and disheveled. She doesn’t even notice that Jackson and I are panting and look anywhere but at each other.

“There you are Serenity; I was looking for you earlier.”

“I was having some pain. Jackson, um, took me to the hospital.”

Her eyes widen. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Daddy, you should have called me.”

Jackson tears his piercing gaze from mine, and stares at his daughter a moment before grunting, “I’m goin’ to bed.”

Then he’s gone. I hear his door slam, and I feel my heart ache.

“What’s his problem?” Addi asks, staring at the stairs he just disappeared up.

“I don’t know, maybe he’s tired.”

She gives me a look, and then sighs. “I can’t believe you were in pain and didn’t tell me.”

“It didn’t really come on until this afternoon. I’m ok now.”

“Are you sure?”

I smile weakly, and nod. “I’m sure. I’m going to get some sleep, ok?”

“Yeah, ok. Night honey.”

“Night Addi.”

I walk up the stairs slowly, and then I slip into my room. I can see Jackson’s light on, and I feel my heart thump. I hate that I want him. It’s so wrong. I have to cut it off, now. If he found out what I was doing, he’d likely kill me. I can’t hurt him like that. I can’t have any sort of feelings towards him. It would be so wrong.

I crawl into my bed, and pull the covers up over my body. It takes me a moment to find a position that doesn’t hurt. I’m lying down, light on, just staring at the roof when my door opens. I lift my head to see Jackson standing at the door, shirtless, panting, and giving me a stare so hungry it has me clenching my legs together to stop the ache. He walks in, stopping at the edge of the bed and looking down at me.