Breathe Again: A Love Story Read online

  “I love you Mellie,” he whispered into my ear, before slipping inside me. I was already wet and ready, and he slid in easily. I gasped, and clutched onto his shoulders for support.

  “I love you,” I said, as Jackson began rocking in and out of me. It was the most delicious feeling in the world, being filled by this man. It made me forget everything, just us, the way we really were with each other.

  We moved against each other for a long time, breathing heavily into one another and whispering so that those on the outside of the wall wouldn’t hear us. It was exciting and exhausting in the best way possible. Eventually, too soon, I felt that now familiar clench inside of me, and pulled Jackson even closer as he came inside me.

  Jackson collapsed on top of me, but moved to his side so he could keep me in his arms. Our legs were tangled, our breathing heavy.

  “What was that all about?” Jackson said in between labored breaths. I just snuggled under his chin, and kissed his strong jawline. He smelled amazing, just like always.

  “I just missed you too,” I said quietly.

  We stayed quiet for a few moments, just enjoying the feel of the sun on our bare skin. I don’t know that I’d ever been naked outside before, but it was definitely something I would do again, if I could.

  “I’m sorry about earlier, at the lot,” he said eventually, shifting me so he could look into my eyes. I just shrugged, and went to grab the cover up that I’d dropped next to the chaise. Jackson didn’t let me put it on though, instead forcing me to look at him too. “Really, I’m sorry. I made sure they have your name on the list permanently, so that won’t happen again. I promise.”

  I just nodded. “It’s fine, nothing to worry about Jackson.”

  Jackson almost growled. “It’s not fine. I went and found Heather after you left, to ask what the hell happened. Apparently it just slipped her mind. She’s pissing me off right now, and I’m about to fire her ass.”

  I looked up at him, and I knew my face was horrified. “You can’t do that Jackson. You’ve told me yourself that she makes you sane.”

  “Yeah, well, she’s a pain in the ass these days. I don’t know what’s gotten into her, but she’s arguing with me all the time. Keeps complaining about random shit. I’m over it.”

  I sighed, and pulled myself from his grasp before putting the cover up back on. I didn’t bother with my bikini.

  “Give her a little bit longer Jackson. I haven’t even had a chance to really meet her, and I know you’re making her do stuff for me too. It’s not fair. I’m sure she doesn’t like having to make arrangements for me, and whatnot. That’s not her job.”

  Jackson rubbed his face, which had tanned a bit since he was filming so much outside. It was a good look on him, and made me want to take my cover up right back off.

  “That shouldn’t matter. She works for me, and she shouldn’t have a problem with you.”

  “Well, just think of it from her perspective sometime. I’d like to meet her sometime, and not just in passing. She’s a big part of your life too.”

  Jackson just grunted, and got up from the chaise to head inside, leaving me sitting alone. I sighed, and got up too. I wasn’t sure what we were doing for dinner, but I did need a shower after that exercise session.

  The bathroom in the main bedroom was huge, even bigger than the bathroom at Jackson’s apartment. There was both a Jacuzzi tub and a large shower, with tiled walls and three shower heads. I turned on all three, taking advantage of the fact that this was at least supposed to be a vacation. For me, at least.

  I was in the middle of washing my hair when Jackson stepped in with me. It didn’t surprise me; he liked getting into the shower with me when we were at his apartment.

  “I’m sorry I left you out there,” he whispered into my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist. The water beat down on both of us, and I just sighed. I still couldn’t believe this was my life sometimes.

  “Don’t apologize Jackson, it’s not your fault. We don’t need to talk about her right now,” I said, moving my head so I could rinse out the shampoo in my hair.

  “Here, let me,” he said, moving his arms from around my waist so that he could rub the rest of the shampoo out of my hair. It felt divine. I sighed when he started massaging the conditioner into my scalp, and then began washing my body with the bar of soap provided by the hotel. I closed my eyes, focusing on the feel of his large, strong hands as they made their way up and down my body. His touch still made my stomach flutter, made me feel safe and wanted. He was good at expressing his emotions through his touch.

  Once he was done washing me, I did the same for him, though he had lean down so that I could wash and condition his hair. I ran the same bar of soap over his back, and across his chest, down his stomach and to his thighs. Every part of him was so strong and solid. He was a work of art. And he was all mine.

  When I made my way back up his other thigh, and began washing his hips, Jackson grabbed my hand. It startled me, and made me drop the soap. His strong grip pulled me back up to him, and he had his lips on mine. We’d had sex in the shower before, but this felt different, much more erotic and intense. I was still full from when we made love out on the patio, but knowing that I was about to get Jackson again made me even wetter.

  Jackson licked the water that was dripping down my neck, making me buzz with anticipation and want. His hands moved from my wrists to my hips, and down to my butt, pulling me into him. He was hard again, ready for me. I grabbed his face, forcing his lips down to mine. I licked and sucked his bottom lip, before pushing my tongue into his mouth. He reacted immediately. He grunted, and I felt myself being lifted up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and suddenly he was inside of me. He walked us over to the wall of the shower, and I felt the cold tile against my back. We weren’t under the water anymore, and if it weren’t for Jackson’s heat filling me, I would have been shivering.

  For the second time in less than an hour, I felt myself reach that edge, before falling over completely. I didn’t try to resist; I knew Jackson was waiting for me on the other side. I shattered, my body convulsing around him. His arms had changed me in, his hands on either side of my head.

  “Oh god,” I screamed, not caring who heard us. Jackson immediately lowered his mouth to mine, claiming me, and forcing me to scream into his mouth instead. As soon as I did, I felt him pour himself into me, again, and shudder violently. He went on for a few seconds, groaning into my mouth.

  Eventually he pulled his mouth away, looking into my face earnestly. He looked so concerned, it made me laugh.

  “What?” he said, pulling away from the wall and wrapping his arms back around me so I wouldn’t fall. I tried to disentangle myself from his grasp, but he wouldn’t let me.

  “Nothing,” I giggled. “I think you broke me.”

  Jackson growled, and stepped out of the shower. He still didn’t put me down, and instead just wrapped a towel around the both of us. He grabbed another towel before heading into the bedroom.

  He didn’t put me down until we were next to the bed. He set me down carefully, and wrapped one of the towels around his waist. I reached for the other towel, but he held it out of my reach.

  “No, let me,” he said. I just nodded, and sat back. I still had water dripping off of me, so I just hoped the bed would dry before we were back later. Jackson began drying every inch of me, from the soles of my feet to behind my ears. It was both erotic and sweet at the same time.

  “What are we doing tonight?” I asked as he wiped the water from each one of my fingers.

  “I don’t know. I thought we could just grab dinner somewhere, maybe walk around downtown?”

  I nodded. “You don’t want to go to dinner with everyone else?” I asked.

  Jackson was done drying me, so he threw the towel onto the bed. I reached for it, so I could wrap my wet hair. “I don’t know, not really. I guess I just didn’t want to expect that you would want to go.”

  So that was the reason? Part of me w
as thinking that he didn’t want me to be there, but I still wasn’t convinced. “I think we should,” I said finally. “I’d like to meet Blake, and Lucy. Unless you don’t want me to.”

  Jackson gave me a look that I knew meant he thought I was being ridiculous. “Of course I want you to meet them, I just didn’t think you’d want to tonight. Since, you know, this is supposed to be our break.”

  I thought about it for a moment, but then nodded my head. “No, I want to. Let’s go. We can spend all day tomorrow together.”

  Jackson’s smile was huge, and I knew he really did want to go. I’m glad I said so.

  He kissed me on the forehead, before leaving me to call Blake and let them know we were coming. We had a little over an hour before the reservation, and so I got to work. I knew that everyone was going to be there, and I suddenly felt a little nervous. Sophia would be there too, and I still wasn’t entirely sure what her intentions were with Jackson.

  I went to my bag, and pulled out the black dress I’d brought. It was one of the few that I actually brought with me from Kansas, and the same one I almost wore on my first date with Collin. I was so glad I didn’t actually wear it then, and that I’d saved it for a night like tonight. Though, back then, I don’t know that I ever would have believed it if someone had told me what exactly I was supposed to be saving it for.

  I hung the dress up in the closet, and then made my way back into the bathroom where my toiletries and makeup were, and got to work. It had cooled down enough that I could wear my hair down, so I dried it and put a little curl in it. Then moved onto my makeup, keeping it simple like always.

  I only had a few minutes left once my hair and makeup were done, so I quickly put the dress on, snapped my grandmother’s pearl necklace into place, and then slipped on my black pumps. I was taking one last look in the mirror, making sure everything looked alright, when Jackson walked back into the room.

  He whistled when he saw me, and I felt myself blush. He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me. I could see us both in the mirror now, and I couldn’t help but feel like we actually looked like we belonged together.

  “You look amazing Mellie Rose,” he said, whispering into my hair. I turned my head toward him, and rested my forehead against my cheek.

  “Thank you,” I said quietly, inhaling his scent.

  We stood there for a moment, before Jackson spoke again. “I have something for you.”

  I turned again, so I could look at him fully. “What do you mean? You didn’t need to get anything for me.”

  Jackson just shrugged, but I could see the smile in his eyes. “I know, but I wanted to.” I watched warily as he pulled something from his pocket. It was a little bag; a little blue bag, and I felt my heart speed up.

  “No,” I said, eyeing the bag suspiciously. Jackson just laughed.

  “You have to open it before you refuse,” he said, holding his hand out. I didn’t budge, and he laughed again, reaching out to grab my hand so he could give me the bag.

  I took a deep breath, and opened it, turning it over so drop whatever was inside into my hand. Out dropped two pearl earrings, each with a small line of diamonds that ran up to the earring itself. They matched my grandmother’s necklace perfectly.

  “I know that you have your ears pierced, but I’ve never actually seen you wear earrings,” Jackson said quietly, taking a step toward me. I just stared at them in my hands.

  “They’re absolutely beautiful,” I said, and I noticed that my hands were shaking. Jackson put his hands over mine, to keep them from shaking, and I closed my eyes.

  “Do you like them?” He whispered, pulling me closer to him. I just nodded, and felt a tear slip from my eye. “Then why are you crying? I don’t want you to cry?” he said, and I could hear the alarm in his voice.

  “I love them,” I said, not even caring if my mascara was running. “It’s been so long since I’ve gotten anything like this, and I just…I just don’t know what to feel right now. Thank you.”

  Jackson kissed my forehead. “Good.” He held me for another minute, while I let myself cry. Finally, I pulled myself away so that I could put them in.

  “They’re perfect,” I said, when I turned to look at myself in the mirror. Jackson hadn’t turned with me, he was still turned toward me, watching. I couldn’t decipher the look on his face, but I knew then that nobody had ever loved me like he did.

  Chapter 19

  We took Jackson’s convertible to the restaurant, which blew the curls in my hair into a tangled mess. I didn’t mind much; we were laughing and kissing too much for me to care. The cool night air also brought a little natural pink to my cheeks, and I loved it. I felt natural, free, not all done up and plastic like I used to feel. Jackson was in an especially flirtatious mood too, which made me extra giddy. He kept his hand on my thigh, playing with the hem of my dress the entire way there. Even though we’d already had sex twice that day, I knew we wouldn’t be sleeping that night. The thought made my heart race.

  We were meeting everyone at a small Italian restaurant, one of the few nicer restaurants in the small town. It wasn’t for any special occasion, really. According to Jackson, he usually did this once every few weeks with his cast. We pulled up to the valet, and I’m pretty sure the kid almost peed his pants when he realized whose car it was, and that he’d actually get to drive it. It made me laugh, which made Jackson smile, as we made our way into the back of the restaurant.

  The private room just looked like a cozy restaurant, with its own bar and fireplace, and a large round table set for twelve in the corner. It seemed like we were the last ones to arrive, though it wasn’t much past eight o’clock. As soon as we stepped inside, I was almost attacked by a little redhead, who threw her arms around me.

  “Mellie!” the little firecracker exclaimed in her sweet British accent. “I’m so excited that I finally get to meet you! I’ve been telling Jack to bring you around for weeks now, but he hasn’t been listening to me. He’s afraid I’m going to scare you off, I think.”

  I just laughed. A few months ago I probably would have been startled by her greeting, but I was already endeared to little Lucy Morgan. Jackson had told me quite a few stories about them, how he considered her to be like a younger sister. She was a sweetheart.

  “It’s lovely to meet you too Lucy,” I said, returning her hug. She pulled away, but didn’t let go of my hand.

  “I can’t believe you’re actually here! I’ve known Jack for almost five years now, and he’s never once brought a girl to dinner,” she said, as she led me away from Jackson and to the bar at the back of the room. I looked back helplessly as he laughed at us; she hadn’t even said hello to him. “I knew that you had to be special, and he’s been telling me stories about you Mellie Rose. I just know we’re meant to be great friends.”

  I laughed. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you too Lucy. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while now, but the time just never seemed right.”

  We were at the bar in the back, and apparently Lucy had already finished off one gin and tonic. She sat me down at the stool next to her, and motioned for the bartender to bring her another drink. I ordered a glass of red wine.

  “So, how did you meet Jackson?” I asked, once her attention was back on me. Jackson had told me a bit about the two of them, but I wasn’t sure clear as to how they actually met each other, since she was nearly nine years younger than he was.

  “Oh, I’ve known Jack for five years now, when we were in Eleven Days together.” I vaguely remembered that film; it was about a teenage prostitute, and Jackson was a cop determined to save her. It was gritty, and had earned Lucy her first, of three, Oscar nominations. Quite an accomplishment for a twenty-one year old. “We’ve been in three movies together since then, and this is our second with Sophia here too. I think they like the chemistry that we all have on screen. I don’t mind, obviously, Jackson’s like my big brother.”

  I smiled. “He talks about you like a sister. It’s no wonder; h
e has only brothers, so I think he’s always wanted a younger sister to take care of.”

  Lucy beamed. “Oh yes, he’s wonderful. He’s the same age as my brother would have been, so it’s nice to have him as well.” Jackson had briefly mentioned a brother, but I wasn’t sure what happened. I felt uncomfortable asking, so I just took a sip of my wine. Apparently she noticed my hesitance, because she continued without me asking. “My brother, Ethan, died when I was just sixteen. They would be the same age, so maybe I take advantage of Jack’s kindness sometimes.”

  “Oh, don’t say it like I that,” I said. “Jackson would be upset if he knew you thought you were taking advantage of him. He loves you, in his own big brother kind of way.”

  “He does!” she exclaimed, taking a drink from her gin and tonic. Her enthusiasm made me smile; it was rare to find someone so genuine and sweet as Lucy was. I was glad I met her. “He loves you too, I can tell,” she said, winking at me.

  “So he says,” I said, smiling down into my lap.

  “And he would be upset at you if he knew you questioned it,” she said, giving me a knowing look. Man, this girl was sharp.

  We talked for a bit longer, until Jackson came to interrupt us. I was sitting on one of the stools in front of the bar, and he slipped an arm around my waist. “Mellie,” he said, “This is Blake Hannigan, the director of the film.” Next to Jackson was a man not much older than he was, with blonde hair and a thin face. He was attractive too, but in a different, more distinguished way.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, holding up my hand. Blake smiled, and shook it.

  “You as well,” he said, his eyes raking over me. I tried not to let it get to me, as his gaze moved from my legs and up to my chest, but it was hard not to notice. I felt his eyes all over me, and it made my skin burn. Jackson was too busy giving Lucy a hug to realize what was happening, so I just cleared my throat, and tightened my grip on him. “Jackson’s told me so much about you.”