Imperfect Justice (30 page)

“Don’t forget dealing with a pregnant woman,” Misty teased. “Moody, sick, and tired isn’t a fun combination.”

“I’d take you any day over Dad. He’s never been a day at the beach and of course now he’s even more difficult.” Jared paused and wiped his mouth with the napkin. “I did have a talk with him, by the way. I told him whether or not you and I get married is none of his business and he needs to lay off.”

Misty was sure that the conversation hadn’t been easy for Jared but she was proud of him that he’d had it. His habit was to do whatever it took to make his father happy and gain his approval. Now he was doing the exact opposite.

Just as she was beginning to think that being married to Jared might be pretty wonderful.

“How did he take it?” she asked, finishing her last bite of toast. She’d cleaned her plate and once again marveled at her new pregnant appetite. Before the baby she’d grab a muffin or a toaster pastry before getting to work.

“He was shocked but then he backed off when he realized I was damn serious. I told him that you and the baby come first.”

Jared said it with such conviction she had no doubt he was serious and if it came down to it, he would choose her and the baby before his father. The thought was more than overwhelming. It was the stars and the moon. He was committed to her whether they had a piece of paper between them or not. So why not add the piece of paper and make it truly official?

All he had to do was ask her again.

“That had to be difficult for him to hear. Was he upset?” She liked Gerald Monroe. He was only trying to do what he thought was right even if it was none of his business.

“Actually he gave in kind of easy.” Jared saw the look on her face and laughed. “Yeah, I was shocked too which leads me to believe that was only the battle. He’s saving up ammunition for the war. He always was a long game player if you know what I mean.”

“He won’t give up?”

“My father doesn’t know the meaning of the word surrender. He’s full speed ahead at all times.”

Jared stood and began to clear the table while Misty ran suds in the sink for the dishes. “Even now?”

He sighed and stacked the plates on the counter next to the sink. “I don’t know. His emotions have become erratic and unpredictable this last year. He might drop it forever or be loaded for bear the next time I see him. There’s no way to know. But I’ll make sure I’m prepared if he does bring it up again. This is between you and me.”

She laid her hand on his arm and gave him her best encouraging smile. The situation with Jared’s father was likely to only get worse and never improve. The medication had stabilized his condition but it wouldn’t work forever. “I’ll be here with you every step of the way.”

Jared pulled her into his arms and she shrieked as her sudsy hands made contact with his t-shirt. He simply laughed and pulled her closer, not caring about being wet and soggy in the least.

“You and the baby are the best things in my life. I want you to know that.”

“I feel the same. I’m really happy,” Misty confessed, words of love on the tip of her tongue. But a rash of fear ran through her and she lost her nerve. There was still time this weekend to tell him of her love. Besides, if she were honest, she hoped he’d say it first. This morning he’d come so close. Closer than she’d ever imagined.

Misty and Jared were lying in front of the fireplace later that day watching television. Misty had slid the roast into the oven and Jared had put on a movie. He was correct when he said he didn’t have any chick flicks but he did have a great sense of humor and they settled in to watch
Beetlejuice
as the temperature outside dropped.

“More hot chocolate?” Jared asked, pausing the film and pointing to her mug. She nodded and he padded into the kitchen in bare feet to warm up more milk. “Are you sure you’re okay watching this movie? It’s one of my favorites.”

“Mine too.” Misty played with the fringe on the blanket they were lying on. Screwing up her courage, she sat up and took a deep breath. She’d been waiting for the right moment all day. “So I’ve been meaning to ask you…I found some leather straps attached to the bed when I was making it this morning. Is there anything you’d like to tell me about that?”

Jared froze, the spoon in his hand ceasing the circles it had been making in the cocoa mixture. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

Misty stood up and walked over to where he was standing in front of the stove. “You need to turn the burner down if you’re not going to stir that.”

Muttering an expletive, Jared lowered the heat on the pan. “This will be done in a minute.”

“So you’re plan is to convince me I didn’t see what I actually saw?” Misty queried. “Does that usually work for you?”

Jared sighed and let his head fall back so he was staring at the ceiling. “No. Shit, I don’t want you to think I’m some sort of pervert or monster.”

Misty took the spoon from his hand and stirred the cocoa before lifting it from the heat and pouring it into the two mugs on the counter. “I don’t think either of those things but I do think you’re avoiding my question. Obviously I’m not the first female you’ve brought up here.”

“No. Does that make me a jerk? Do you hate me?”

He looked genuinely concerned that she was pissed off.

“Jared, what you did before you met me is something I really can’t be angry about, now is it? I know you’ve dated more than your fair share of women and I assume you slept with most, if not all of them,” she explained patiently. “From all appearances, you may have had kinky sex with some or many of those women. I’m going to assume not all of them were into bondage but I could be wrong. So long story short? No, I’m not mad. Are you ashamed of your sexual peccadilloes?”

She lifted both mugs and walked back in front of the fireplace, settling on the blanket. At first it didn’t look like Jared was going to follow her but he finally did, sitting across from her. “I am not ashamed. I just don’t want to scare you.”

“I’m not a child that needs your protection from the outside world. I may have been sexually inexperienced but that does not mean that I’m naïve about what goes on between a man and a woman. I’m also very open-minded and I’m not scared.” She blew gently on the steaming cocoa. “You know what’s funny? I thought that I’d be the one all embarrassed and blushing, not able to talk about this. But you’re the one that wants to squash the topic. If you don’t want to talk about it that’s fine. I’ll drop the entire subject and never bring it up again.”

“It’s not that.” Jared shook his head. “I think you’ve figured out that I like to be in charge. In control. Well, that extends to the bedroom. I like to be dominant in bed and through the years I’ve met women who prefer to be submissive when it comes to sex.”

“So you tied them up?” she asked. “What else did you do? And does it have anything to do with the locked nightstand drawer?”

A streak of red appeared on each of Jared’s cheekbones. “You have been a busy bee. Yes, there are some…what do they call them? Marital aids in that drawer. I locked them up because I occasionally lend the cabin to a friend and they don’t need to know anything about my personal life.”

Misty took a drink of her hot chocolate to give herself more time to formulate her question. “But you were willing to marry me and not do any of this ever again? That sounds like quite a sacrifice.”

Shrugging, Jared stretched out his long legs. “I never saw it that way.”

“Were you ever going to suggest we use some of these
marital aids
?”

“Honestly? As innocent as you were when we first went to bed together, I figured the last thing you’d want to do is have kinky sex with me. So no, I was not planning to suggest we use them. Maybe someday way in the future I might have.”

“When the sex got boring,” Misty finished for him. He hadn’t said it but it was right there hanging in the air between them.

Jared scowled and set his cup on the side table. “No. I was thinking about when you were more – I don’t know – more open to experimentation. Shit, I’m not sure I like being interrogated like this.”

He probably didn’t like it at all but she wasn’t done.

“Jared, I was inexperienced, not innocent. Two different things. If this is something you need that makes you happy sexually, it kind of bugs me that you were planning to keep it a secret.”

“I don’t need it,” he argued, hopping to his feet. “I just like it.”

“It? Can you be more specific? I really want to know what you’re willing to give up for me. What is it that you enjoy so much? Tell me.”

He smacked the back of an easy chair, his brows pulled down in frustration. He was pissed off at her for not dropping the whole thing but this was important. He was planning to shut off an important part of himself. It was a recipe for disaster if she let him. He’d grow to resent her eventually.

“You want to know what I like in the sack, Misty?” Jared’s mouth was tight and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I love tying a woman down and making her helpless for anything I want to do. I like denying her an orgasm until she begs. I like to spank naughty girls with my hand or a paddle until they beg me to fuck them. I like using nipple clamps and vibrators to drive a woman out of her mind with pleasure.” He threw up his hands. “Are you happy now? Does any of this make you feel any better? It can only scare the shit out of you. Make you afraid of me. I never wanted that.”

Misty slowly exhaled with relief. “I am happy. It wasn’t near as kinky as I feared. From what I’ve heard from Rayne about sex you’re actually pretty mainstream. I thought you might want a threesome or to tickle me with feathers.” She frowned and shook her finger at him. “I do not like being tickled on my feet. Got that?”

Mouth hanging open, he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “I don’t have any feathers. And I don’t want anyone else. I only want you. Are you saying you’re okay with this?”

Now it was her turn to blush. “I’m opening to experimenting with you. I trust you. I don’t think you’d ever hurt me.” She tilted her head. “You don’t want to hurt me, do you?”

“Fuck no.” Jared shook his head, a smile starting to bloom across his face. “Well, I’ll be. You might want to try a few things?”

It was as she feared. He really did want this part of his life but he’d planned to try and bury it deep so she’d never know.

“Yes, but you have to promise me something.”

“Anything. You name it.”

“Never, ever try and keep a secret like this from me. This is obviously an important part of you. If we have any hope of a future together we have to be open and honest with one another.”

“Can I be honest now?” he asked with a grin. His palm rubbed the fly of his jeans where the outline of his hard cock could be clearly seen. “Now that we’ve talked about sex, I’m really in the mood to do it. Can we go to bed?”

The movie and her hot chocolate were going to have to wait. She stood and walked toward the bedroom, giving him a shy smile over her shoulder.

Misty Foster was about to experiment. She was going to break out of her good girl mold once and for all. It was time to put the past firmly behind her and look to the future with the man of her dreams.

Chapter Twenty-Five

M
isty slid naked under the covers as Jared shed the last of his clothes. Shaking with excitement, she tried not to show any trepidation in case he misinterpreted it as fear. The fact was she was nervous but not afraid. Jared was so protective of her on a day in and day out basis he’d never do anything that would harm her. Or the baby.

Jared joined her on the bed, taking his time to kiss and caress her body. His rough hands stroked and touched her breasts until the nipples were hard and tight. Moving restlessly, she lifted her hips in suggestion but he simply chuckled and shook his head.

“From this moment on I’m in charge. That means I decide what we do and when we do it. If you want an orgasm you have to earn it.”

He’d given them freely up until now. “What do I have to do?”

“Obey,” he replied promptly. “Do as you’re told. Good girls get rewarded with pleasure. Naughty girls have to wait.”

Misty smiled teasingly. “Then I definitely want to be a good girl.”