Virgin Marriage by Alexa Riley

Chapter 7

Skyler

Irun my finger down Jason’s jaw, watching him sleep. He looks so relaxed right now that I don’t want to wake him, but I know I have to get up. The sun is starting to set and without having to look at the clock I know it’s time to get ready for work. I lean into him and give him a kiss. He’s always so put together it’s nice to see him like this. I should probably wake him because he’ll likely get grouchy at me later for not doing it, but he’s so relaxed I can’t bring myself to wake him up. He needs the rest; he lets things weigh heavily on him. Ever so slowly I slip from my day bed.

I’m going to need a bigger bed if Jason is staying over more. But then I scratch that idea because I enjoy how close we have to be when we share it and there’s no room for either of us to go anywhere. My body still buzzes from our lovemaking and I bite my lip as I stare down at him in my bed. He’s almost as big as the thing but he looks like he belongs here—maybe because he does. He even said he loves me.

I should have said the words back. I was so shocked and I just wanted to soak it all in. They were so foreign to me even though I heard my mother say it to my father, but I don’t recall them ever being uttered to me. I clear my head of thoughts of my parents. They’re no longer a part of my life and from now on Jason’s going to be my family.

I go into my bathroom and slip on my work uniform. I grab my cell phone and keys before I shut the door and lock it behind me. Jason said he tracks my phone, so he’ll know how to find me and I don’t need to leave a note. I’m sure he’ll text me when he wakes up and I smile thinking about the grumpy look he’ll have on his face when he realizes I’m gone. I wish I could stay, but a girl has to work to pay her bills.

The whole way to work I smile thinking about all the things we’d done. I can almost feel his hands and mouth all over me and it makes me feel so light and free. It’s silly to compare the love I had for my mother to Jason because she was evil and vindictive. She’d hurt anyone to get what she wanted and the only person that didn't get her wrath was my father. That was because he had a sick obsession of his own and enjoyed the way my mother treated him.

He didn't care that she ignored me because he only cared about himself. I was the accident and I think my mom thought it would help tie my father to her more. It didn't work because he didn't care if I was there or not. If anything, he got more annoyed if I took my mother's attention from him.

I was supposed to fall in line and stay out of the way, but after they realized the mistake they’d made having a child, it was easy to leave that life behind. They would toss money my way so that I’d stay out of their hair—from nannies to boarding school and then they tried to push me into college. I was over it and over them.

I left and they never came looking for me. I never looked back and that was almost a year ago now. For some reason, I thought at one point maybe they would track me down but they didn’t. I don’t ever see Jason being that way because I’ve seen how his family is. They all love each other so much and he even said himself they would try and hog my attention and he wasn't ready for that yet.

I get that now. We need our time alone because we’re fresh and new. It took everything in me to not call him back last night, but it was good for me. I got to let my mind settle and to rethink everything, even some of the crazy things Jason had been doing this whole time. At the end of the day he was doing what he thought was best for me.

Isn’t that what’s always important? If you truly love someone you put them first and that’s what he’s done. He left because he thought it was the right thing to do even though he was really there the whole time. He promised me he’d never do that again and I believe him. I don’t think he could leave if he tried. Last night tested all of his control.

I clock into work and grab my cleaning cart. When I get on the elevator I look to the top floor button. I don’t know why but I press it. It’s the one that used to go to Jason’s floor. The button lights up before the door closes and the elevator starts to rise.

When the elevator opens I’m surprised to see a front desk. I step out and bring my cart with me. There was nothing left on the floor before and as I glance around I can see now the place is filled. My eyes go to the mounted sign behind the front desk, where I see Fisher & Taylor etched in glass.

He really did get it all back, not that it mattered to me. I would be happy snuggled up on my day bed with Jason in my tiny studio apartment for the rest of my days, but Jason’s a driven man. He would take pride in taking care of me and the thought has my hand going to my stomach. I could be pregnant right now for all I know and I can’t help the bubble of excitement that rises.

Our family would be so different from the one I’d grown up in. My child and I would never be alone because I have a new family now. I hadn't been looking as I drifted through each day and now I’m going to have it all. Jason isn't going anywhere and the world is so different now that I have someone to lean on. I didn't realize it until this exact moment and when it hits me I know what I have to do. When I get back home I’m going to say the words to him I should have said already. I love him.

The elevator chimes and I turn to see who it is because I shouldn't even be on this floor.

My mouth falls open when I see my father step off the elevator and his eyes roam over me in my cleaning uniform. He glances to the cleaning cart before he sees the sign behind the front desk and he looks over at me in disgust.

“You clean for them?”

I haven't seen him in over a year and that’s the first thing he says to me? His face is filled with confusion.

“Yes, I clean,” I answer, and I know he’s never cleaned anything a day in his life.

Nothing about him has changed, except I don't see my mother, but she’s never far from his side. My father enjoyed my mother's obsessiveness over him, but he also enjoyed other women equally, something that sent my mother in a rage. She never took the anger out on him, but I wasn't so lucky. But he only cared about himself and not what happened to me. It’s probably why he enjoyed that she was so obsessed with him. Together they were toxic.

“Is there something you want?” I ask.

“I want to know why Marco Taylor and Jason Fisher are snooping around in my life.” He raises an eyebrow at me. He always does that when I’m doing something that annoys him.

“That would be me.” Jason’s voice booms through the office and I turn to see him standing in the doorway that goes to the stairs. He clears the distance between us and he moves to stand between my father and me. I have to move a little to see around Jason’s massive form and my father takes a step back.

“Do you do that thorough of a background check? Even checking the people who clean your building?” His face scrunches and he still hasn't asked me anything else.

I now have an idea of what Jason spent last night doing when he wasn't with me. I don't have anything to hide, I just don't care to talk about it. There’s nothing to really be said because all I did was go to school and stay out of the way.

“You own this building?” I ask.

“As of last night,” my father answers for Jason. “His new company bought it.”

“The people you’re asking about is your daughter,” Jason growls and his voice is low and deadly.

“Yes, my daughter.” My father annunciates the word and I can see Jason’s back tense.

My father takes a step back.

“I went looking into your life because my girl here is terrified of blood. I want to know why.” He takes a step closer to my father.

“Because she’s a silly girl, that—”

Jason lunges forward and has him by the throat before he can finish his words.

“I’d knock your teeth out, but like I said, my girl doesn’t like blood.” He slams my father against the wall, making him look like a rag doll. I shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as I am. I don’t want Jason going to jail.

I walk over and gently place my hand on his arm. “He’s not worth it. Him or my mother. Trust me on that.”

He shakes his head and I know he can’t understand their actions. I’ve been there and at times it’s still hard for me to understand how someone could treat their child like that. Some people just aren’t good people. You have to learn to stay the hell away from them and not let their crap get on you.

“You want them gone?” he asks.

“It’s why I left. I was leaving them behind,” I admit.

The one advantage to my parents being so cold to me was I didn’t harbor feelings for them. I felt a loss, not knowing what others had and what it felt like to have a family. A part of me even thought maybe I was like them because I so easily left them behind. Then there’s Jason who lights up my whole world and he made me realize I’m nothing like them.

Jason takes a few more steps before he pushes the elevator button. The doors slide open and he tosses my father inside.

“Get out of our city,” he tells him before the door close.

I stand there shocked as my father rubs his neck where Jason held him and nods his head. As I watch the doors close, I realize this is the last time I’ll ever see him, and I’m grateful.

“He didn’t fight you,” I say in wonder.

“That’s because I dug into his life, which isn’t as shiny and nice as he likes people to think,” Jason answers.

I honestly don’t want to know what that means. I was done with them when I walked out over a year ago.

“I’ve always had a thing about blood,” I admit, to change the subject. I think Jason got the idea it was over something that happened to me. Maybe it was, but I remember falling down and skinning my elbows. I went running to my mother for help and I had blood everywhere. She lost it because I’d ruined the dress she’d just put on for a night out. She screamed and went on and on about her dress. I stood there taking it with blood dripping down my arms. I knew in that moment, even at seven, my mother was never someone I could count on and I was in this alone.

Jason turns to face me fully as his hands come up to cup my face in a gentle hold. I think that’s why when Jason was suddenly gone it hurt so much. I’d finally had someone and then I didn’t. Little did I know he was always there. He would always be there for me and I can count on him. Even now he showed up out of nowhere to take on my father for me.

“I love you, too,” I tell him, and he lifts me in his arms.

“I should spank your ass for getting out of bed.” He leans down and kisses me. “Love you more.” His sweet words have me smiling against his mouth and thoughts of my family are long gone. As they should be.

“How did you find me so quickly?” He must have woken up right after I left.

“Billy called.” I roll my eyes. Of course he did. Why didn’t I think of that?

“You really own this place?” I glance around as he sets me on the front desk.

“Yeah,”

“So, you’re my boss,” I tease playfully and he smirks. God, he looks good like this. More relaxed. This is how I want us to always be.

“Maybe we should christen the office.” He starts to tug at my clothes.

“But my boss might get angry,” I joke, helping him unbutton my uniform.

“Trust me. He’ll be far from angry.” I laugh, but it’s cut off when he kisses me.

“Say it again,” he commands as he starts to push his bare cock inside me.

“I love you.” I moan the words over and over again as he makes love to my body. I’ll never doubt this man again. He loves me and I will always love him.

I might have run from one family, but I ran right into another. But now I know there will never be any more running.

I’m home.