Hope for Us All: A Hope Series Christmas Novella Read online

  I leaned back and narrowed my eyes.

  "You like the show because of the laughs and the good times and the happily-ever-afters each week, but you forget about the mess the characters had to wade through to get there."

  "Okay, we're taking a break from Games of Thrones. It's way too dark for our fragile minds at the moment."

  "Can we still play Jon Snow and Ygritte?" Jackson asked with raised eyebrows as he laid me back on the couch. He pulled my legs over his lap, crawled up behind me, and pressed his hardness into my center. His hand slid down the front of my pajama bottoms.

  "Jack's right upstairs," I said, grabbing his arm.

  "He asleep. Just be quiet." Jackson smirked, and his fingers rubbed me in the most perfect way. My head fell back, and Jackson latched on to my neck and sucked life back into me. He shifted onto his side and we contorted our bodies to face each other as he slide my bottoms down. I ran my hands through his hair and down his back.

  I reached into his shorts and squeezed his ass. He groaned as he slid his shorts down. I shifted again to wrap my hands around his member, and guided him to my entrance. With my legs over his lap, Jackson pressed up into me.

  Oh God, he felt good.

  His hips moved in short thrusts, and I met each one. I tried to hold in my moans, but after the day I had, I needed to scream and cry out. I needed the release.

  Jackson covered my mouth with his own, kissing me, muffling my moans of pleasure. It was so hot and so sexy. My orgasm was powerful; made more so by trying to keep quiet. All that pressure and intensity needed an outlet. I held Jackson close. He had his own body-shaking release. When he regained coherence, he looked into my eyes with so much love; I thought my heart would burst.

  "You are a proper lover, Jon Snow," I said and laid a small kiss on his forehead.

  He laughed and kissed my cheek and my lips. He pressed his tongue into my mouth and our taste buds sampled the mix of Asian food and endorphin-releasing sex.

  Like that, we reconnected.

  Chapter 5

  The office was quiet over the last two days. Adam canceled our lunch, which was good. I didn't have an answer for him.

  I left the office early on Friday to get ready for the party.

  Sitting at my vanity, giggles from the kitchen invaded my bathroom and made me smile.

  Jackson's laughed echoed in my ears as I pulled on my dress and checked my reflection one last time. I grabbed my shoes, and joined my guys in the kitchen.

  When I entered, they both stopped laughing and stared.

  "What?" I asked.

  "Wow, Mommy. You look nice," Jack said.

  "Thank you, sweetie." I kissed his forehead and rubbed the flattened his hair.

  Jackson stood up and took my hand.

  "Beautiful," he whispered against my knuckles as he kissed them. The heat in his stare stirred something deep inside of me. The red dress slid over my curves like a second skin. He ran a hand over my hips and settled it on my ass.

  "You look pretty handsome yourself, Mr. Mitchell.” I patted him on his broad chest and adjusted his red silk tie. The black tailored three-button suit fit him perfectly.

  We all turned as Julia, my housekeeper, scampered into the kitchen. She dropped a basket of clothes on the floor and gasped.

  "Aye, muy bonita, Señor, Señorita," Julia said as she gave me a wink and a nod. Julia had been with me since we moved to Arizona.

  "Thanks, Julia." Jackson grinned. He leaned over and kissed Julia on the cheek. She squealed and rubbed it in.

  "Jack. I want you in bed by nine, please." I pointed at him.

  "Aw, Mom. It almost Christmas break. Tomorrow’s like a throwaway day at school." He stood with his hands on his hips.

  "It doesn't mean you can sleep through it." I kissed him again. "Be good and don't give Julia a hard time. We'll be home at ten o'clock at the latest," I said to Julia.

  Jackson placed his hand on top of my ass and flexed his fingers.

  "I don't know. We might get a room at the Biltmore and stay the night," Jackson said, with a sexy grin.

  "Why would you want to stay in a hotel?" Jack asked and scrunched his face when the adults laughed.

  "We'll be home." I shook my head, and we left.

  We pulled up to the historic hotel twenty minutes later.

  Jackson put his arm around me as we rode the escalator to the second floor. His hand gripped my hip, his touch possessive.

  "I don't care if it's in the hotel or back home,” he whispered in my ear. “I’m fucking you in that dress.”

  I smiled up at him and bit my lip to keep the quivering to a minimum.

  The team owner and his wife greeted us as we stepped off the escalator.

  "Jackson. Carrington." He shook Jackson's hand and leaned over to lay a whiskey-infused kiss on my cheek. "Don't you two look amazing?

  "Carrington." His wife took my hand. "Thank you so much for all the work you did for this event. It's fabulous already. I'm so happy you’re on our team."

  I caught Jackson shaking his head and grinning.

  He was proud of me.

  I was pretty proud of myself. I enjoyed contributing to something so worthwhile when most of what I did was meaningless.

  Maybe not to the guy signing the million dollar contract, but it would happen whether I was there or not.

  What we did tonight, would make a difference.

  For the event, we created a secret Santa auction. Items such as food, drinks, photos, and souvenirs related to the auction item, sat on small round tables. The details of the auction item were a secret.

  I grabbed Jackson's hand and walked the floor explaining the auction as we greeted teammates and firm employees along the way.

  I showed him the table covered with wine, cheese, and chocolate. Making a quick stop at the table covered in champagne bottles, crystal flutes and a cake shaped like the Eiffel Tower.

  "How do we know it's a trip to Paris?" Jackson asked. "It could be a Paris themed party or a gift certificate to that French place we hated.”

  I rolled my eyes at him.

  "Believe me, it's not a Paris Themed Party." I winked and he pulled me close and kissed my cheek. We grabbed a glass of champagne from the table and went to find Anna and James.

  They stood next to a table covered in dumbbells and protein shakes.

  "You work out for a living. Why do we need a gym in the house?" Anna asked.

  "So I can spend more time at home." James turned to Jackson and me. "Hey, guys."

  We exchanged hugs and kisses.

  "Carrington, tell her how practical a gym in the house is," James said.

  Before I could open my mouth, Anna spoke.

  "You just don't want me working out with Justin." Anna pushed James in the chest.

  He grabbed her hand.

  She leaned up and kissed him. "I love it when you get jealous."

  "Hey Man, be careful," Jackson hit James on the arm. "This gym might include a year's worth of private, training sessions with Justin."

  James looked at Jackson, at me and then back at Anna. We all laughed as James pulled Anna away from the table.

  Two hours in, six tables had already gone. From my mental calculations, we had raised over thirty-five thousand dollars. It was funny to watch these uber-rich people trying to outdo each other. When the item was won, the MC would read the full package and each one exceeded the rooms expectations.

  The money went to the Cardinal's Foundation. They supported several charities, but the Christmas event was earmarked for a local charity that helped women and children affected by domestic violence. It was a cause near to my heart for obvious reasons.

  I didn't bid, but instead, I worked the room, coaxing and cajoling the bidders to offer more. I turned out to be a pretty good fundraiser, and I loved it.

  In the last twenty minutes of bidding, the trip to Napa was on the auction block.

  With the bidding ending soon, I searched for Jackson. James caught my eye,
and I nodded for him to go ahead. He bid ten thousand dollars and won. Anna and I jumped up and down like drunken schoolgirls. I hated that Jackson was missing this.

  "Where is he?" Anna asked.

  "I don't know. I'm going to go find him." I kissed her on the cheek and worked my way to the crowd.

  When I passed James, he stopped me.

  "Merry Christmas to the two of you for like the next five years," James said and laughed.

  I grinned and hugged him.

  "Have you seen my man?" I asked.

  "Yeah, he was out on the balcony with Adam a few minutes ago." James pointed at the balcony.

  My heart seized, and my insides clenched.

  Oh, no.

  I blinked and scampered to the balcony.

  I found Jackson standing at the railing. He was alone, his back to me.

  Maybe Adam didn't tell him.

  I approached Jackson and wrapped my arms around his waist.

  He stiffened from my touch.

  "So you and James bought Anna and me a trip to Napa." I squeezed him. "James said it's our Christmas present for like the next five years."

  I laughed.

  Jackson didn't.

  He unhooked my arms and dragged me off the balcony, through a door, and into an empty hallway. It smelled of spoiled food and hurt. I jumped when Jackson spoke.

  "When were you going to tell me?" His face was red and scrunched. I knew that look all too well.

  "I wanted to see how I felt about it first before telling you," I said as I stepped toward him.

  Jackson stepped back and placed his hands on his hips.

  "I didn't want to worry you before the game." I reached for him.

  He held his hands up in front of him.

  "I don't believe this." He dropped his hands. "You're considering this?"

  "No. I mean. I'm not, not consider it." Not the right thing to say. "Jackson, I'm sorry. You're right. I should have told you. Things have been so crazy lately with Christmas and the game and the wedding plans. It wasn't high on my priority list for us to deal with yet."

  "Whether you're leaving me or not is fucking big deal," he said. The pain and confusion dripped off him.

  "Leaving you." I grabbed his coat lapels. "Who said anything about leaving you?"

  "If you're in Orlando, then you're not here with me. Where you belong."

  "Can you please stop with the caveman talk?" I exhaled, shook my head, and stepped back. "It's a great opportunity, and your family lives in Orlando, Mr. Griffin lives in Tampa. You said yourself that you want our kids to be close to their grandparents."

  "That's what fucking planes are for," Jackson yelled and looked around.

  "Jackson, there's no guarantee you're going to be in Arizona next season. Once your contract is up, you could sign with another team or get traded again. Orlando is a great home base for us. That way we don't have to worry about Jack changing schools every few years and we have family close by." I said, carefully laying out my practical argument.

  "Oh, my God." Jackson blinked back tears, and it broke my heart.

  Practical fucking sucked when it came to matters of the heart. I tried another approach.

  "Jackson, I'm not leaving you. I want you. I want to marry you." I grabbed his face and made him look at me. "We don't have to decide anything tonight. Let's just get through the holidays, and we can discuss it later."

  He opened his mouth, but shook it off and touched my face. The tenderness in the way he touched me broken by already broken heart.

  Why was I always hurting him?

  "Come on. Let's go home." Jackson wiped his face. He grabbed my hand and pulled me through the event room and out to the car. We didn't stop to speak to anyone, and the car ride home was silent.

  I couldn't fault Jackson for being concerned. All the breakups in our past were my fault. I accepted that, but this wasn't the same thing. I would do everything I could to convince him this was different.

  When we arrived at my place, we sat in the car for a minute.

  "I'm going home." Jackson fiddled with the knobs on the center console of his Mercedes. "We're practicing at the stadium in the morning."

  "Jackson—"

  "Hey." He cut me off. "It's no big deal. You're right. We'll talk about it after the holidays."

  He feigned a smile, but his heart wasn't in it.

  It wasn't unusual for him to drop me off at home when they practiced at the stadium. It was normal. He didn't stay at my house every night.

  Jackson leaned over the armrest and placed his lips softly on mine. He pulled away when I tried to deepen the kiss.

  "Get some sleep." He patted my arm, and I was dismissed.

  I decided not to take it personally.

  I strolled up the walkway backward, giving him a second to change his mind. I wanted him to follow me and make good on his threat to fuck me in my dress.

  The look he gave me when he saw me in it the first time was the polar opposite of the look he gave me as he waved and pulled away from the curb.

  I bit my lip and let myself inside.

  "Aye, Ms. Carrington. You're home," Julia said.

  "Hey." I wiped my face.

  "Where is Mr. Jackson?" she asked.

  "He's staying at his place tonight." I tried to keep a straight face. "I'm going to bed. You staying here tonight or going home?"

  "I go home," Julia answered. "After I find out what happens." She pointed at her show and giggled.

  "Good night." I walked through my room and into my closet. I peeled off the dress, suddenly sad that Jackson wasn't the one peeling it off me. I missed him. I didn't like going to be without him.

  If we moved to Orlando, how was I going to survive day to day?

  That was the thing—I would survive. I’d done it since we broke up the first time, but surviving sucked.

  I told myself a long time ago that I would do whatever I had to do to take care of Jack and give him everything he needed and deserved. This job would allow me to do it, and he would be so close to his grandfather.

  During the season, we'd still be able to fly out for games. Seventeen weeks out of fifty-two wouldn't be so bad. We could handle it if it was right for our family. I would feel like I was contributing to our household. Although my hundred thousands are nothing compared with Jackson’s millions and Jack's billion.

  Thanks to his father's trust fund and being the only living male heir to one Joshua Elijah Butler, III, my son is worth more than a small country.

  I turned off the light and groaned into my pillow. It was a fantastic career opportunity, so I should want it, right?

  I couldn't even convince myself. How was I supposed to convince Jackson?

  Chapter 6

  I was wide-awake when my phone rang.

  "Hey, Baby," Jackson said. His tone washed over me, filled me up.

  "I missed you last night," I said.

  "I missed you, too." He sighed. "I'm sorry for getting angry. It was just a shock, you know."

  "I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." I sat up. "I wasn't trying to keep anything from you."

  "I know," he said quickly, and I heard his car door slam.

  "You on the way to the stadium?" It was six am.

  "Yeah." He turned the ignition. "Try to get a workout in before practice. You have a busy day?"

  "Not too bad." I settled down into the covers. "The office is quiet. Everyone's checked out for the holidays already."

  "I should get done around three. You want to go someplace with me this afternoon?" he asked.

  "I would love to." I smiled. "Where we going?"

  "It's a surprise. I'll pick you up around three and wear something casual. We'll be outside."

  "Oh, I was going to wear the red dress I wore last night." He didn't say anything. "I was giving you another chance to make good on your promise of what you wanted to do to me in that dress."

  He grunted and laughed.

  "No worries. I'll save it." I grinned. r />
  "You do that," Jackson said and hung up.

  When Jackson came into the office, you could feel the energy shift. It happened everywhere he went. It baffled me how many people in the world rooted for him. They wanted to see him succeed.

  Jackson poked his head in my office.

  "You ready?"

  His cheeky grin gave me a chill.

  "I am."

  I turned around to grab my stuff, but when I turned back, Jackson had stepped in and locked the door. He stalked toward me with sexy dark eyes peering through my soul.

  He stood in front of me. I had to tilt my head up to see him.

  "First things first," he said as he grabbed my face and kissed me like it had been years instead of hours since we saw each other last.

  I dropped my stuff and wrapped my arms around his neck. He lifted me, as I wrapped my legs around his waist. He kissed me hard, pressing his tongue into my mouth and groaning as I met his kiss with a firm kiss of my own. I arched my back and pressed into his hardness. He carried me over to my desk and set me down. He enveloped me in his arms and placed a long lingering wet kiss on my mouth. I moaned as his tongue slid over my lips, and he kissed me again.

  He released me with hesitation. One more second, I would be removing my panties, throwing my legs over his shoulders and screaming his name. Not the lasting image I wanted the firm to have of me. Lawyers didn't fuck their boyfriends in their offices.

  At least, not in the daytime anyway.

  We drove north through town in Jackson's car. It took twenty minutes. We were near Maestros; it was our favorite restaurant and our family post-game tradition.

  I loved how we had established these little traditions. It screamed family to me.

  We drove another ten minute to Paradise Valley. We turned left into a residential area. I spotted Camelback Mountain looming over the top of the houses. At the end of the next block, Jackson pulled over to the curb. We sat in front of a makeshift gate with a red bow wrapped around a cactus. I scanned up and down the street.

  I looked at Jackson, and his signature grin barely contained his joy.

  "I don't get it," I said.