Mistaken Identity Read online

  “Jett!” Her head popped up. “You did not.”

  “Nope, but you should’ve seen your face.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I told him you were amazing, beautiful, intelligent, funny, and all mine, so he’d better not decide to get a case of wandering eyes.”

  “You’re sweet.”

  “No, I’m serious. Scott thinks the darker the berry the sweeter the juice.”

  She released a strangled laugh. “You did not just say that!”

  “I did.” He gripped her thighs and spread them wider. “And the way I consider it your berry is overdue for some harvesting.” Plump nipples hardened and poked out through her thin tank top. He swooped in, sucked one into his mouth and rolled the other between his fingers.

  “Oh.” Her head fell back, exposing her long, graceful, neck. He nipped the tender pebble, continued to roll its twin, and moved up with soft kisses until he reached the heartbeat in her neck. His tongue laved, tasted the salty skin and sucked it into his mouth. A primal instinct to mark her drove him.

  “Jett.” She gasped, writhed on the counter top, a wicked, wanton thing. He pulled away, admired the purple brush left behind.

  “I want to be buried deep inside you, Kansas.”

  “Bedroom is at the end of the hall to the left.”

  He scooped her body up in his arms. She attached her lips, a frenzy of lips, and tongues. Loneliness faded away and a ragging inferno of want remained. Quick strides led him to her room. With reluctance he detached his mouth.

  “Lights?” he rasped.

  “Switch to your right on the wall.”

  He clicked it up with his elbow, spotting the queen-sized bed a few feet away. Resuming the kiss, he stumbled toward the bed. Like a vintage bottle of whiskey her flavor got better with time and tasting. Her fingers settled into his overgrown hair and yanked. He growled.

  “Need you now, Jett.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” He set her down onto the bed, and they ripped their clothes off. Bending down he slipped the preplaced condom from his jeans and crawled on to the bed.

  “You’re even more beautiful than I remember.” He leaned down, placed the foil beside her on the bed and kissed her belly. The muscles quivered, and he tilted his head back to meet her eyes and smirked. He kissed and nipped a path to her belly button and dipped his tongue inside. She hissed, her hips lifting off the bed, and he swirled his tongue around the shallow concave.

  “Oh.”

  The breathy sigh was music to his ears. “I’ve spent too many nights dreaming about your sexy little noises. You’ll be hoarse by the time that I’m done.” His traced a line up her body, between her full breasts. He sucked the skin into his mouth, and she arched.

  “You tease.”

  He released her flesh, moving down to the underside of her breasts. “Mhmm. The way you’ve tortured me with that silky voice of yours over the phone I figured it was payback time.” Her skin broke out into goose-bumps. Her thighs rubbed together beneath him. Wetness spilled from his tip. Giving her pleasure damn near sent him into an orgasm.

  “Evil, evil man.”

  “No, I only play one on television.”

  “D-Dex Kimber is not evil.” He sucked her right nipple into his mouth, massaging its twin. “Oh!”

  He hummed.

  “If you don’t get that thick prick of your inside me, you’re going to miss out because I’m going to come.”

  “First time’s for you.” Reaching down he circled her wet clit once, twice, and then he thrust home.

  “Jett!” Her walls clamped down on him. Held his fingers in a tight embrace as her body shook. When her tremors calmed he pulled his fingers free and brought them to his lips. He sucked her ripe juices off and groaned. Even better than I remembered, damn, how is that possible? The buttery, rich, salty, treat made him want more. His cock twitched. Later. He picked up the silver square, ripped off the top, and sheathed himself.

  “You ready for me, Sas?”

  “God, yes.”

  He lined himself up to her center and eased in. Her muscles sucked him in, accepted him like a lover returned from a long trip.

  “You’re always so wet for me, Kansas, and tight.” He grunted. His hands rested on either side of her head. She flexed.

  “It’s my turn, Paranormal boy.”

  He moved back and surged back in. Her hands flexed on his forearms.

  “That’s man to you.” He winked as he bent to take her lips. The room was silent as they fed on kisses, and their bodies came together in an unhurried rhythm that suspended time. Gazes locked, their eyes spoke words they weren’t ready to say out loud. She tightened, and he let the earthquake inside him carry over into the abyss where they existed together in the most intense state of blissful pleasure possible.

  “We should shower.” Her husky voice anchored him back to the earth.

  “Yeah. I’m sure I’m getting heavy.”

  “No, I’m like the way you feel on top of me.”

  “Me, too.” He kissed her forehead, and pushed up. A whimper of protest slipped from her swollen lips as he pulled away and left the bed.

  “Where the bathroom?”

  “Through that door.” She nodded toward the door to his right and he nodded. “Meet you in there?”

  “Mmhmm.”

  He walked over to the bathroom, held the tip, and pulled the plastic free. Tearing off toilet paper he wrapped the rubber up, tossed it into the trash can. A moment later Kansas joined him.

  “Are you ready to shower?” she asked.

  “Yes.” He nodded.

  She walked over to the curtain, and he smirked.

  “You have a Tardis on your shower curtain.”

  “Oooh, cool points for knowing what that is.”

  They were both exhausted. The simple soap up and rinse off was quick and lacked the playful exploration he wanted but had no energy for. Tomorrow I’ll remedy this. Her body was definitely smaller, too. I might be paranoid, but I’m going to bring that up, too. Satisfied with his plans he closed his gritty eyelids and allowed the soft bed and Kansas’s body heat to lull him into a deep sleep.

  ****

  Kansas woke with a start. Tiny drops of sweat dotted her brow. Her stomach rolled. No! Not now, I’m not ready. She opened her mouth, swallowed air, and willed her stomach to settle. Copious amounts of saliva filled her mouth, and she eased from bed as fast as she could without waking the man snuggled up behind her. The door clicked, and she leapt in front of the porcelain object just in time to empty the contents of her stomach. The bitter taste of bile filled her mouth. Tears ran down her face. On, and on it went until there was nothing left. She spat, flushed the toilet, and rested her face on the cool tile flooring. After a few minutes she pulled herself up to standing position, turned on the faucet, rinsed out her mouth, and brushed her teeth.

  She opened the door and cursed her luck when she found a concerned Jett awake and sitting on the edge of the bed. A stern expression darkened his features.

  “We need to talk. I know you lost a good amount of weight, and I just heard you in there. You never mentioned you were sick on the phone. So, what’s going on?”

  “It’s a recent development.”

  “Not with the amount of weight you’ve lost.” He clenched his strong jaw. She squirmed under his gaze.

  “Well.”

  He wasn’t going to drop it, not after what he’d been through with Lis.

  “It’s not anorexia.”

  “Then what is it? Think long and hard before you tell me a lie, Kansas.” The steel in his tone shocked her. Damn he’s hot when he’s pissed. Her hormones shot through the rough, liquid flowed onto the inside of her thighs.

  “I don’t know how to say this.”

  “Oh my God, are you sick?” Color faded from his face, and his eyes took on a devastated expression that clawed at her insides. She took a deep breath. The world swam around her, and a hum sounded in the distance. Darkness swallowed her vision, and she
swayed.

  “Kansas!”

  Beep. Beep. Beep.

  The annoying tone dragged her from the comfortable shadows she was swathed in. Forcing open heavy lids Kansas blinked as her vision blurred. She moved her arm and winced. A painful sensation traveled through her hand.

  “Be careful, they have you hooked up to an IV. You were very dehydrated.”

  “Jett.” She turned toward his voice and rubbed her eyes. “Are we in the hospital?”

  “Yes, you were out cold, and I was terrified.”

  “Oh God, did you call an ambulance?” Visions of her concerned neighbors lined up outside the room and word getting to her father played in her head like a horror movie.

  “No, I took you myself in my rental car.”

  “Thank you.” His face was drawn and worried.

  She licked her lips. “What did they say?”

  “They ran tests, but they couldn’t tell me much, just that it wasn’t life threatening.” He reached behind her.

  “Yes?”

  “Kansas Collins is awake.”

  “We’ll send the doctor in right away.”

  She smacked her dry lips together.

  “Water?” he asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  He lifted the pink pitcher with the white lid off the night stand beside her and poured water into a cup with a straw.

  “Here you go.” He brought the cup up to her lips, and she closed her eyes enjoying the coolness as it coated her mouth and her throat. The straw was pulled away.

  “I don’t think you should drink too much. I’m not sure if I should’ve given you that.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Do you want to tell me what’s going on now?”

  She opened her mouth to speak and the door opened. A tow-haired middle-aged doctor with kind, blue eyes and a clipboard walked in.

  “Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty. I’m Doctor Singer. You gave us all quite a scare.”

  “Sorry.” She ducked her head.

  “No need to fret, I surmise you didn’t realize how depleted you were.” He turned to Jett. “I’m going to ask you to leave so I can give her the results.”

  “No, he should stay.”

  Jett squeezed her hands. “Sas, are you sure?”

  “Positive.” Oh what a play on words. The issue she’d been ignoring was about to come and smack her in the face.

  “Very well then, first off, she’s not anorexic by any means, Mr. Walker. I know you were very concerned about that. Do you have a history of that, Ms. Collins?”

  “No.” she shook her head.

  “Aaah, I see. I’m not sure if you’re aware of it, but you’re pregnant.” With those words the final nail in the coffin of hope was laid.

  “I’d begun to suspect.”’

  “How long have you been sick?”

  “The past few weeks.”

  “Do you have any idea how far along you’d be.”

  She did the calculations in her head. “Six weeks?”

  “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Jett whispered.

  She snuck a glance to her left. He was pale, his features were drawn, and his lush lips were pinched into a straight line.

  “Is Mr. Walker the father?”

  “You bet your ass I am, and if you leak a word of this I’ll slap a lawsuit on you and this hospital so fast your heads will spin.”

  “We don’t work like that here in Somerville, Mr. Walker. We respect folks’ privacy, even famous ones.”

  Pink rose in Jett’s cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful—”

  “It’s okay. It’s a lot to take in at once.” Doctor Singer smiled. “It’s you I’m worried about, young lady. You need to make sure you’re getting enough water, start a prenatal vitamin immediately, and make an appointment with an obstetrician. Are you dizzy often?”

  “No, this is the first time.”

  “Good.” Dr. Singer nodded. “Once we get you up to snuff with your fluids we can let you get out of here.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. You take care of yourself, Ms. Collins.”

  “Oh she will, believe me.” His voice was gruff, and his gaze burned a hole in the side of her head. She focused her attention on the blanket beneath her. Numbness filled her. Baby? How? They’d been so careful! Every time she heard abstinence was the only true form of birth control she’d snickered, but the shit was true. She swallowed. Her tongue felt glued to the roof her mouth, and shame filled her. This could ruin him!

  Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

  “Hey it’s okay, take a deep breath. Don’t panic. It can’t be good for you, er, either of you.”

  She peered over at him tears in her eyes. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  “Of course you didn’t.” He shook his head. “Is that what you’re worried about? I’ll think this is some kind of trap? You just got promoted to your dream position at work. Why would you throw all of that down the shitter?”

  “This could kill your career, Jett. I won’t let that happen!”

  “You don’t need to worry about that. All you have to do is lay back, relax, and let these IVs do their thing.”

  “How are you so calm!”

  “Because I’m not that upset about it. Sure, it’s not how I wanted it to be, but we’ll get hitched right away, and no one will be the wiser, or at least they won’t say it out loud.” He grinned, happy with his solution.

  “Who said I want to get married!”

  “You don’t want to marry me?” His face crumpled like a house of cards in the wind.

  “No! Yes! Aaah!” She tossed her hands up in the air, and hissed when the IV jerked. “I never thought I’d get married. A baby shouldn’t be the catalyst that changes that. Trust me, I know firsthand a child does not hold a family together.”

  “My baby in your belly changes everything. If you think I’m about to let my kid run around being labeled a bastard while we shuffle him back and forth because you have a hang up you’re out of your mind.”

  “Now you wait just—”

  “No, you wait! This isn’t two people who can’t stand each other or won’t make the long haul together winding up pregnant. This is us. You know what we have is once in a lifetime. I knew I wanted to be with you forever almost the day after we met! I’ve been waiting on you to realize it and get on board.”

  “You over-handed jackass.”

  “Call me whatever you want, but plan on a wedding date because it’s going to happen. I’m not letting you go, Kansas. I never was.”

  “You can’t force me.”

  “I won’t have to, darling. When you work it all out in the fabulous brain of yours you’ll come to the same conclusion. I love you, Kansas. I want forever with you.”

  “You don’t even know me.”

  “Only because you won’t let me.”

  The thought of her child growing up in a broken home like she had made her sick to her stomach. “What if we don’t last?”

  “I don’t think that’ll happen, but for the sake of argument, then we’ll at least have tried. What-ifs are no way to exist.”

  “I don’t know if I can be the wife you deserve, Jett. I’m damaged goods.”

  “Aren’t we all in some way? Hell, I bundled you up and toted you off to the E.R. thinking you had anorexia, not a normal response to someone fainting. Come on, Sas, be damaged with me.”

  His flippancy made her snicker. “Damn you, Jett.”

  He grabbed her hand and squeezed gently. “At least give me the two weeks to make up your mind one way or the other.” The offer took the immediate pressure off. She was going to do everything in her power to “how-to-lose-a-guy-in-ten-days” him.

  “Done.”

  “Cant’ say I like the wicked glint in your eyes, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

  “Nope.” She popped the P in the word with puckered lips as she dreamed up all the ways she’d send him running for the hill
s. By the time she was done he’d be happy to hightail it out of town. A stab of guilt sliced through her. It’s what’s best. He’s too kind hearted to see what’s best for him, so I’ll do it for us both. I can’t be the killer of someone’s dreams. The resentment he’d harbor over it would poison them both from the inside out, and she’d become the one person she despised most, her mother.

  Chapter Five

  His head reeled as he rested in the waiting room for her to be dismissed. A dad? The concept was still foreign. Talk about be careful what you wish were. A month ago he was praying he’d be a husband and a father, and today it was within his grasp. If I can convince Kansas we’ll work. Her mother had done a real number on her, and without knowing the full story he had no clue how to proceed. His parents always gave good advice when it came to relationships, but he didn’t dare bring this to their step until it was neatly packaged and wrapped in a bow. You didn’t have babies out of wedlock where they came from, and it’d be worse for her as a woman.

  You put me into this predicament, God. I’m counting on you to help me find the words to smooth out the kinks. There were a million different questions. Where would they live? How would it affect his career? What would their families say? He didn’t know too much about her father, Reginald. He owned a successful dentist practice in town. From a wealthy, founding family, he’d carved out his own standing and identity by going to into dentistry. He wondered how someone that strong willed could be snowed and manipulated by the same woman over and over.

  “Hey.” The soft spoken word brought his head up.

  Kansas looked nervous and unsure dressed in the black maxi dress he’d found in the closet and put on hastily. This subdued version of the woman with the large personality didn’t fit. Like an image distorted in fun house image, she was off.

  “Hey.” He stood. “You ready to go?”

  “Yes.” She glanced down at the floor. Do I touch her, or give her space? The forlorn expression she wore decided for him. He wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her to his side. Her body stiffened, and he held his breath. Will she pull away? An awkwardness that’d never existed between them materialized. The hush was louder than any noise as they shuffled out of the hospital like zombies. He led her to the navy colored rental car, opened the door, and helped her inside. Entering on the driver’s door he took a seat behind the wheel, buckled up and started the engine.