Page 71 of Stray

“You gonna come for me, Jackson?” I purr and look over my shoulder at him.

“Baby, you dirty talk me, and it…fuck, it’s going to be over.”

I pick up the speed, ignoring the water sloshing around. “Oh! Right there! I’m so wet for your hard cock, fuck me, fuck me like you own me!” I’m definitely not on Jackson’s level of dirty talk, but he seems more than happy with what I say as he grips my hips and starts bouncing me up and down on his cock.

“Say my name,” he moans. “Say the name of the one that belongs to you.”

“Ah! There…. There! Jackson!” I cry out his name, and he slams me down on him as I feel him come inside me. We lay on each other, my knees still spread on either side of his and my back to his chest. Both of us panting as we come down from our high.

“I don’t want you to leave,” I admit after a minute.

“Then I’ll stay,” he says against my damp hair.

“Always?” I ask and feel him freeze before sitting me up and turning me to face him. I kiss him softly and wrap my arms around his neck.

“What?”

“Will you stay here, permanently- live with me?” I watch his lips pull into a smile.

“Seriously?” He asks, and I nod without hesitation. He leans in and kisses me. “Yes, baby, always.

* * *

“YOU CHEATER! HOW COULD YOU!” I scream while looking at my boyfriend in betrayal. He gives me an unamused look.

“She’s my sister. And I told you, you are with Jensen, and Carter is with Wyatt and Mama.” I stare at the plates and bowls of ingredients to make gingerbread houses.

“You told me you would be with me.” I hiss while sitting with the brooding brother. Jensen is not talking to me because, evidently, I’m supposed to try and sabotage Niamh’s relationship so that she can continue to be single and he can crush on her in secret. “He’s not going to help.”

“Jensen!” Dorothy hits him with a candy cane. “You will perk up. This one is for your daddy.”

“Sorry, Mama,” Jensen mutters, sitting up and starting to help me build our house. We all work in silence for a moment, all thinking the same thing. We miss Morris.

My eyes glance from the table to the window where his bed was, and I can almost hear him giving me shit and chuckling at me for my lack of artistic abilities. I miss him. I miss him so badly it hurts. He gave me something I never thought I would have.

A home, a family, and love.

Morris ensured that I was set up with a home and a job when he left. He cared for me, loved me, and I loved him. I never got to tell him that or thank him for the talks, movie nights, and for teaching me how to be strong without being rough. He taught me it was okay to be vulnerable, and to open myself up to the possibility of love, and I’ll be forever grateful that he gave me this gift.

But as grateful as I am to have this, I’m selfish because I want more. I want him with us. I want him to see Wyatt grow, to see Jackson and I grow together. To bring Dorothy’s smile back.

I feel a tear slip, and I quickly wipe it away. My eyes lock with Jackson’s, and I see that we are having the same problem. In fact, we all are. None of us are making anything. We’re all just sitting here, looking off into the distance.

“Jesus Christ, suck it up and grow a pair.” I hear Morris in my head, and I have to force the sob from escaping.

“I have an idea,” I croak out, standing up. “Instead of teams and a competition, let’s do something a little different.”

* * *

Jackson laughs lightly as we walk into my house, well, our house. Or it will be next week when he moves his stuff over. “I can’t believe you got Carter to give up the competition for a group project.” I shrug, hanging up my coat.

“A gingerbread Rowe Ranch is way cooler than that pirate ship he was going to do. Which, by the way, that should disqualify him. That’s not a house.”

“Ahh, well, he would argue that men and women live and die on those ships. So to some, it is.” I give him a blank stare before shaking my head.

“That’s a lot of big words for him to use over a cookie house.” Jackson snakes his arms around me and kisses my cheek.

“It’s a very big competition. Next year, we will team up and take him down.” I spin in his arms, raising a brow.

---