A Little Bit of Truth (Little Bits) (32 page)

Then she places her hands on my chest and looks up at me, she tells me to look ahead and grip her elbow with one hand and her back with the other. I do so and hear the camera begin to click every few seconds.

Then she wraps her hands in my hair, the air she blows from her mouth as she exhales turns to mist between us. The lights of the city twinkle in her eyes, I find myself mesmerized. The camera continues clicking as I bring my hand up to cup her cheek and my thumb brushes under her eye. Her face turns toward my hand and she kisses my palm in the sweetest way.

Next she presses her forehead under my chin and kisses the column of my throat. I cup the back of her neck and close my eyes. Fucking magical. We’re posing, but at the same time we’re not.

Right now I feel more than I’ve ever felt with anybody. Right now I know what it is to feel and right now, I like that a lot.

Marie looks up again and smiles fondly at me, letting me know she’s feeling exactly how I’m feeling. The same look passes between us like the one we shared at the hospital. It’s then I realize Marie doesn’t kiss, not because she doesn’t like to as she says, but because a kiss to her is more than just a kiss. It’s a declaration of love
and emotions she probably doesn’t understand and probably hasn’t felt often, if ever.

Right now, she’s giving that kiss to me. It’s gentle, it’s sweet,
it’s the total opposite to how she usually is. Distant, aloof and seemingly unfeeling. Right now, at this moment that I’ll hold to me forever, she’s open. If I look close enough I can see right into her soul and it tells me somewhere deep down in my unromantic heart, that her soul is meant to be mine.

“I’ll cherish it forever,” I say to h
er and kiss her furrowed brow.

She may not know what I mean, so I show her in the way she shows me. By claiming her mouth in a gentle yet searing kiss that leaves us both breathless.

Holding to me tight, the knowledge that it may have taken a while but I’m finally in love with somebody and as unconventional as our relationship has been, I don’t think I could ever be happier about this fact.

Cavemen

“Guess who just sent me an email,” Marie shouts from the kitchen, then she pads towards me wearing nothing but my shirt. My mouth curves up in a smile as she, without realizing how seductive she’s being, crawls up the bed towards me, her eyes on her phone. “Listen to this.” It takes everything that I have not to whip my cock from beneath the blanket, grab her head and slam home while saying, “Hello,” in a weird accent.

“I’m listening,” I pull her onto my lap
(instead of whipping my cock out and forcing it into her mouth as she’s about to talk and that would be bad manners), her ass rests between my legs and her head rests back against my chest, directly below my chin.

“I know you probably don’t want to hear from me,” Marie reads aloud and scoffs at what she reads. “But I need Jacob to know how sorry I am. My intention was never to harm him, not in the slightest. I pray he knows this. It tortures me every second of every day knowing that what I did caused him pain and almost took his life. I was stupid and desperate for his attention. The reason I’m messaging you is because his email has changed
so I can’t contact him myself.”

“Not the one you used, my official Jacob Stone one,” I explain when she turns to look at me with a quirked brow. Probably thinking I’d changed it and not told her. “Continue.”

I pepper kisses along her neck as she reads aloud, “I know he didn’t press charges and for that I’m grateful. His agent told me it was because he couldn’t be bothered to deal with all of the attention it would bring. I’ve been fired which is less than I deserve. I should be in prison. What I planned to do, I knew it was wrong.” Marie scoffs again, her hand squeezing her phone tight with anger. “Of course it was fucking wrong you stupid bitch. Does she even realize that what she was going to do was rape?”

“Don’t say that, it makes me sound like a victim.”

Marie flips around to face me, a scowl marring her beautiful features, “You are a victim. Fucking psychotic bitch.” I cup her face with my hands and peck her on the lips. “Stop that, I’m trying to…” Peck. “Moan.” Peck. Giggle. “Jake.” Peck. Snort. “Stop it nerd, I’m not finished readin...” Peck. “Yet.” Peck. Then I suck her lower lip into my mouth and pull her back against me.

“You may continue.”

“How generous of you,” she continues despite her suppressed smile. I know she loves the attention I dote on her really. Which is a lot. I can’t keep my hands off her and if I’m not touching her, she’s touching me. Which shows me she can’t keep her hands off me either. “Where was I? Ah… Yada, yada, yada, knew it was wrong… Jacob is a great man, I fell for him and I fell for him hard.” Yikes. “But he showed no interest in me and I’m ashamed to say that this made me crazy. I promise to stay out of his way and I wish you both all of the happiness in the world. He deserves it and I have no doubts you do too. Take care and once again, I’m deeply sorry.” Marie looks thoughtful for a moment. “I should sell it and buy myself a new camera.”

Then I laugh and I laugh hard. “Well, at least that’s over and done with.”

“What’s not over and done with is the fact you announced to the world that I’m your girlfriend and now I have seven reporters camping out on the street.” She’s not kidding.

A week ago we kissed again while Marie’s camera caught the entire night that we stood be the river. Since then it’s been work as usual for her, for me I’ve had to do a bit of damage control regarding the Beth situation. They pulled the plug on the movie which sucks for the cast and crew, fortunately they won’t lose money. Insurance will cover it.

According to the tabloids, Beth and I broke up and Beth left because of it. I simply told them Beth and I parted but the movie was pulled due to me becoming ill and needing a break. During my time in hospital with an unknown illness, the director decided to go a different route. Which is only half of a lie.

Then they asked me, “It’s thanksgiving in two weeks. Who are you spending it with?”

To which I responded, “With my girlfriend.”

They gasped and asked, “I thought you and Beth broke up?”

“We did, because my heart belonged to somebody else but Beth and I will remain friends, she’s been totally understanding of the whole thing and I wish her the best.”

To which the nation apparently swooned and my fan base went crazy digging up dirt on Marie. Thanks to Maya’s awesome legal team and her own personal damage control team, Marie’s past, the self-defense killing included has been kept out of the tabloids. Sure it was in the newspaper when it happened and many people know about it, I just don’t want Marie’s happiness ended because of a headline saying… Jacob Stone bedding a murderer. She’s not a murderer, not in the slightest but I know how callous and cruel the tabloids can be and they’ll twist anything to sell their editions without giving a single thought about the person they’re hurting and traumatizing. I hope nobody will be interested enough to go into it too far but I think this hope is a little too ambitious.

When they do, I pray our connections can keep it out of the spotlight.

At present they’re mostly looking for ex-boyfriends, drunken fights, how fat her ass isn’t and how big her boobs aren’t and what shampoo she uses.

The first day they showed up on her doorstep she told them it herself. As her brother escorted her to her car she called out, “
I’m twenty three, I’m a size six, a thirty two double D, I love cinnamon swirls and pumpkin lattes, I have an obsession with sparkly things, be it a waterfall or a diamond necklace and I like to think my ass isn’t fat so don’t print otherwise. I’m not with Jacob for his money as he has yet to buy me anything, here’s hoping it’s a new camera or a car or maybe my own personal slave. Or maybe an island with a waterfall.” Then she ended with a kiss blown and the words, “Much love!” And even went as far as to wave out of the window like the Queen of England. This made me laugh. Everything she said made me laugh. Apart from the near to end bit, where she said I’ve never bought her anything. This is true which now has me panicking about Christmas.

I’ll pick what she said and get her a new camera. If I could get her a waterfall I would but I don’t think they’re for sale.
Also, she has no need for an island, plus I doubt she’d enjoy it as much as she’d enjoy a new camera.

Well, at least that’s settled.
Now to just buy one.

Shit. If I get Marie a gift I have to get everyone else a gift too. I hate shopping.

Jacob
:
Trade you my shopping list for your kid for however long your Christmas shopping takes??

Maya
:
And tickets to your next film premier. I want to be upfront and beside you and Marie looking sexy in a dress your personal stylist has made for me and hair that all women will be jealous of.

Jacob
:
You already have hair that most women are jealous of. Not including Marie because her hair smells like coconut and is so soft you can barely feel it. Deal to the rest of what you said.

Maya
:
Awesome. Be at mine at eight thirty on Saturday with Marie and your list.

Jacob
:
This includes your gift. You know that right? Including your birthday present.

Maya
:
Why not just ask Marie?

Jacob
:
Fine I’ll ask Marie.

Maya
:
But I want the premier tickets!

Jacob
:
Get Marie those shoes she’s been wanting for ages for me. I can’t remember what they look like. Don’t let her see them.

Maya
:
Done and done! Loryn just asked if you could have Amelia too. Lucas is away with James to some conference and she wants to join us.

Jacob
:
Deal.

Maya
:
Brilliant. So… You good?

Jacob
:
Yeah, I’m good. You good?

Maya
:
Yeah :-) Marie good?

Jacob
:
Marie is great. James good?

Maya
:
James is good. :-)

Jacob
:
Good.

Maya
:
Good.

And that’s that. Little does Maya know I have no intention of writing a list. I’ll just tell her to pick shit they want and give her my card. Or maybe I’ll give it to Marie. Or maybe I’ll just do it myself, I’m not sure if I want to give away my credit card. Not that they can max it out in a day. At least I hope they can’t.

Fuck it. I can trust Marie with my card surely.

How many men have said this and regretted it? How many women for that matter?

“Cold,” I moan as I dart inside and wrap my arms around myself. Snow is falling, all around me, no song intended. It’s so fucking cold. “I need blubber
under my skin.”

“How about your own personal
human heater?” Jacob suggests and exits the bathroom wearing my dressing gown. It’s fluffy, it’s purple and it reaches his knees. I giggle at the sight and hastily throw my coat off, then my shoes and the rest until I’m standing in my sweater and jeans.

He walks over to me and opens the robe revealing his nudity, I press myself to him and wrap my arms around his torso, my cold fingers f
lat on his back make him yelp, which I laugh at. Then he wraps the robe around me and holds tight with his arms. His skin is always warm, I love this.

“Good day at work?” he asks and carefully walks me into our room. I bury my face in his chest, feeling the light spray of hair tickle my nose.

“Yeah, we’re booked until Christmas. I have so much to do,” I say around a yawn. People seem to be buying family portraits for Christmas cards and such. It’s a good idea so I’ve offered to put them onto a card myself. I make a couple of extra bucks this way. Definitely worth it.

I’ve even done a few home shoots this week. My first ever but I’ll need another photographer at this rate. One that shares a similar vision to my own or our results may clash. Then again, people might want something different to what I can give them. I’ll think about that in the New Year, right now I’m handling things brilliantly in my own opinion.

And I must admit, coming home to this on a daily basis has to be the highlight of my day. I think he strips nude and puts on my gown just to warm me up when I get home. I love it.

Of course he accepts a blowjob too if my brother isn’t present.

“My mom wants to come for Thanksgiving,” Jacob says against my hair and inhales deeply. “Is that okay with you?”

Is he seriously asking me that? “Yes. That’s fine with me, it’ll be nice to see her again. We’ll have to put her in a hotel though. Even if I kicked my brother out of his room for her stay I wouldn’t put her in there. He’s clean and tidy but it still smells of idiot male.”

“I’m male,” he remarks, pretending to be insulted.

“Yes but you’re not an idiot, nor do you smell,” he rubs his nose along mine briefly before tucking my face back to his chest.

“What if I buy a place in the city?”

I snort, “You rarely spend time here. Seems a bit of a stretch to buy a place that’s never going to be used.”

“Right,” he says with tense shoulders. “Good point.”

I kiss the column of his throat before releasing him
and heading into the kitchen to refresh the coffee pot. Jacob follows me. He has something on his mind, I don’t even have to look at him to know this.

“Go on,” I prompt and take two cups from the cupboard. He still hasn’t spoken by the time I’ve got the creamer and sugar ready. “Jake?”

“Well, I was thinking you could live there,” he says, his eyes darting all over my face as if bracing himself for a reaction he’ll need fast reflexes for.

“You want to buy a bigger place that I can live in?” My quirking brow quirks. “Are you asking me to move in with you Jake?”

He shrugs, “I’m already living here with you.”

“No, you stay here when you’re not working. You only have one suitcase here. Which is only unpacked because I unpacked it.” I laugh, because it’s funny he thinks that. Now I regret laughing because he’s glaring at me.

“But I’m still here every day.”

Eye roll, “Yes but you’re away again in two weeks and back again for Christmas and away again
until January which is only for a couple of weeks. Then you leave again until the end of March. And I don’t even know how long you’re back for that time.”

“But we get on great when I’m here. Don’t you want a nicer house?” He groans and then winces. Fortunately for him I don’t take offense at his words.

“My house is fine.”

“Our own space, our own place. I’ll sell my house in LA. I’m never there anyway. The first place I come is here.” Wow, he’s being serious. “Or we can keep it as a place to escape to whenever we want. I’ll think about that later. I guess there’s no rush on that.”

“There’s definitely a rush on this,” I motion between us both. “What’s brought this on?”

He runs his hands through his hair, the robe falls open revealing his semi hard rod to my appreciative gaze, “Wil
l you get your mind out of the sewer for a few minutes?”

I giggle a bit, “That’s usually my line.”

“Christ Marie, I’m asking you to move in with me and you’re turning this into a joke.”

“And I’m saying it’s too soon. Besides, you are never here. What’s the point?
”

His determined gaze holds my own, “The point is
we’re together now right?” I don’t respond for a moment, mainly because I’m wondering what the point of his question is, his face drops. “Right?”

“Yes, obviously.” Duh. And again I can’t help but wonder why would he even ask that?

“So that makes you mine.” This is a statement said in a way that tells me not to argue. I don’t, I like his claim. “And I look after what’s mine.”

“Right,” where’s he going with this?

“So I want to provide for you. I’ve been thinking about it a lot and we’ve known each other long enough to take this step.”

My heart stammers
and drops to my stomach with a splash. “I like my independence.”

“Then you can keep this place too, to prove that you can afford to provide for yourself,” let’s pretend that this wasn’t said with a snarky attitude.

My determination turns to anger, “There’s no need to speak to me that way. You’re asking someone who has always taken care of herself to suddenly accept the fact that she’s no longer allowed to.”

“Too fucking right, get used to it.”

“You’re being a prick!”

“I’m being a fucking man! I don’t want you paying rent and bills when I earn a hundred million times more than you. It’s my job and even if I was earning less than you it’d still be my. Fucking. Job. Do you get me?”

Shit. Shit. Shit. “Why not wait until next year? What’s the rush?”

“I want it now.” Oh how petulant! Now I get it.

“So because I’ve said no you want it immediately with no objections? Like a spoilt child.”

His tone is warning, “Marie.”

“No. I won’t be told what to do if I don’t feel comfortable with it.”

“You’ll never feel comfortable if you don’t try.” His hands grip my shoulders. “I want us to get a nice place, big enough to host guests. Keep this place, give it to your brother I don’t care but I don’t want you providing for me anymore. It’s making me feel…”

“What Jacob, what’s it making you feel?”

“I don’t know, less of a man. It’s embarrassing.”

I roll my eyes, “Then you move into your own fucking place. I’m staying.”

“You’re coming.”

“Staying!”

“COMING!”

“Dudes, chill the fuck out. I’m still hung over from last weekend,” Mason whines as he enters the kitchen.

“Mace,” I demand. “Help me out here.”

Jacob and I both stare at him expectantly, his hand which is holding the carton of milk stops midway to his lips. He glances between us both. “Normally,” he takes a swig and puts it back. He’ll tell Jacob. I smile smugly at my other half, waiting for the verdict. “I’d agree with you just to piss pretty boy off. But in this case I’ve got to agree with him. You’re his woman therefore it’s his job to care for you. To provide for you.”

Okay, so Jacob has the smug smile and I’m the one gaping at my brother. “What century are you both from?”

“He’s not saying you can’t provide for yourself, clearly you can. He’s saying he wants to provide for you. Most girls would jump at the chance and what you said before was a lie. Your college education was from a scholarship provided by Maya’s father. That included living expenses and you didn’t have to use that money on living expenses because Maya moved you into her place, you stayed there when she was in Europe too,” Mason bites into an apple after his brief summary of the past few years of my life. “You’ve never even bought your own car. You’ve always taken Maya’s and before Maya’s you took mine when I went to serve my country.”

“Okay, he may have a point but it’s not a valid one,” I say haughtily.

Jacob sighs and grips the back of my neck, “I get it. Baby, honestly I do. Just do this. For me?”

“I’ll think about
it,” I grit out, because no matter the circumstances or the pretty words or anything said to convince me, in my head it’s still too soon. My heart fell silent long ago so she has no input. Only logic rules my thinking. Logic tells me I don’t want to move in with Jacob yet, we barely know each other. It’s a huge commitment, one I’m not ready for. Next will be marriage or I’ll accidentally get pregnant. At present I have the IUD so that’s not possible right now, at least I hope it’s not. Maybe we should start using condoms too just in case.

What was I saying?

Shit. Stupid flaky mind.

“Can you give us a minute?” Jacob asks Mason rather nicely. Which shocks me as he’s usually a cock to him and Mason is one back. They must have just bonded over their mutual agreement. Freaks.

“Sure bro,” Bro? Did Mason just call him bro? What the fuck kind of realm did I just step into?

We wait for him to leave before our conversation continues. I really don’t want to talk about this anymore but it doesn’t look like I have a choice.

“It’s too soon,” I say with a finality to my tone that I pray he doesn’t argue with.

My prayer goes unanswered. “It’s not. Like you said, I’m hardly here in the
New Year. You can adjust and so can I and then next year I’ll take half a year off or something.”

“We’ll talk about this after Thanksgiving and Christmas. There’s no need to rush Jacob.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. This is really annoying me now. “I’m getting a headache.”

“So that’s that?”

My face softens when I see his defeat, I try a different tactic, “When I’m not so stressed from everything that’s happening I’ll think about it properly. Right now it’s too soon for me. We only just ‘got together’ a week ago. I’m not sure why you want to rush it but I’m hoping we can address that later when my head isn’t pounding and I’m not exhausted from being on my feet all day.”

“Ma…”

“You can’t force me to feel something just because you want me to feel it,” I watch his face as it slowly sinks in. He sighs and scrubs his face with his hand, “Okay?”

He nods, “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Are we good?”

He smiles and nods before pulling me back inside of the dressing gown, my front flush with his, “Yeah. We’re good.”

“Did we just get past our first fight?” I smile and tilt my head back to look up at him.

He tilts his head down and smiles back, “Get rid of your brother, I feel like we should have make up sex.”

“You think so huh?”

“Yeah, definitely. Reckon he’ll fuck off or should we get a hotel?”

I release his back and stretch my arms above my head with a loud and rather unattractive yawn. “I’m kind of tired. Tomorrow?”

His mouth drops open, “No. Don’t start that now. I swear to god.” His dick sticks out proudly between us. “If you start that I’m taking you in your sleep, I don’t care. I’m horny I need it. Now bend the fuck over I’ll be done in a minute.”

At this I laugh because I don’t think he’s joking.

So I do. I close the door and bend over and in less than five minutes we’re both finished and an hour after that we finish again in bed.

“So,” I say to the two mini women sat on the ground in front of me, cards in their hands. “Wh
o wants to play snap?” Because they suck at poker.

“Evelyn’s eating the cards,” shit. I look from A
melia to the chubby little ten month old baby girl and snatch the two soggy cards from her hands.

“Help me out here kid, what the heck do babies like to do?” Okay, so maybe asking a
five year old for help isn’t the best idea.

“My daddy says all they do is poop and sleep and cry and eat. In that order.” Amelia gives a shrug that makes her look older than she is. “She likes to pull hair too. Ooh, ooh, and she likes to beat Uncle James with DVD cases.” Now these last two I have witnessed.
Heck, I’ve witnessed that entire list. Some of it’s cute, the pooping and crying… not so much.

“Okay, so no cards. How about we watch a movie?” I suggest and look at the humongous TV with its many gadgets. “Which one’s the DVD player?”

Amelia sighs, stands and presses a button on the remote. She then presses a button on the wall and the wall fucking opens revealing row upon row of Blu-ray DVDs. Holy fuck. I’m in movie heaven.

Hey, she even has a few of mine on here.

“Barbie!” Amelia demands. I cringe and hold up Lord of The Rings. She cringes. Fine. Barbie it is.