Double Betrayal (Surviving Book 3) Read online

  I paused and turned to look at him. It would be easier than going back inside and facing the questions of my brothers and Phil, especially seeing as it was obvious what I had been doing out here.

  I nodded. “Please.”

  I straddled the bike as the giant brought the engine to life. A deep, sexy rumbling sound echoed around the dark space. I wrapped my arms around his delicious abdomen, suddenly feeling seriously warped about what had transpired between us. He’d fucked me on his bike and was taking me home as if nothing monumental had happened to my lady parts.

  Fifteen minutes later, I jumped off of his bike and said an awkward goodbye. I wasn’t naïve; I knew what one-night stands equated to, and usually, I was the one tiptoeing out once the guy fell asleep. But this seemed odd, like there should have been more. I shook my head because I supposed that was exactly what I wanted. No strings attached, no emotion, just a quick shag. I waved goodbye and raced up the garden path to Jack’s house. I paused at the threshold, feeling conflicted about coming here after what I’d done. Would Jack know? Did I smell of another man, walking into his home? I pulled my shirt away from my chest and sniffed at it. Yes, there was a lingering scent left behind by the giant. I glanced down the street to where he had ridden away. I knocked on the door and entered as I always did. I didn't need an invitation.

  “Jack? Izzy baby?”

  “In here,” shouted Jack. I followed his voice to Izzy’s pink explosion bedroom. I knotted my fingers in front of me, each step taken bringing more guilt and shame. I walked through the door to see Jack sitting on her bed with her curled up in his arms in her knickers and vest. Her little cheeks were ruddy and her little arms and legs were all blotchy.

  “Baby girl, what’s wrong?” She lifted her sleepy head and made a sad little face and held out her arms. I suddenly felt incredibly dirty and icky, but I swallowed it down.

  “Mummy,” she said weakly. I didn’t say anything; I simply crawled onto the bed with her and Jack and lay down beside her. Her little body was burning up.

  “You take her temperature?”

  He nodded. “Thirty-seven.”

  “When did you give her the Calpol?”

  “As soon as I got off the phone with you.” He ran his fingers through his daughter’s hair and sighed. He hated seeing her when she was poorly. I squeezed his hand reassuringly.

  “Get the thermometer and we’ll take it again; the Calpol should have kicked in now.” I was right, after checking, her temperature had come down a little. I checked her arms and legs. The rash looked suspiciously like when her allergy flared. “She have anything with strawberries in?” I asked, looking up at Jack. He shook his head, scowling at me.

  “Of course not,” he snapped.

  “Okay, I’m just checking.”

  I pulled Izzy away from me and smiled. I lifted my hands. “What did you have for dinner at Ellie’s today?”

  “Marie made us fish and little round potatoes with grass on them. And yellow ice-cream.”

  I laughed. She meant minted potatoes, but add any herb to her meals and she thought it was grass. She tapped my chest, gaining my attention. I looked down at her and smiled, wagging my index finger at her. “What?”

  “We played in the paddling pool and we had big, big bubbles. Alan let us use Ellie’s special bath bubbles,” she signed and smiled. Izzy had become good friends with Ellie, Louise’s little sister, after meeting at their house. I had taken Izzy with me one time when I went to see Lou, and Ellie had popped in with her mum. Since then the two had been inseparable. Ellie had even learnt a little sign language. Izzy was born profoundly deaf, so she had two tiny pink hearing aids, but at that moment she wasn’t wearing them. Usually, she talked more than signed, but when she had them out it was as if she felt the need to sign.

  I pulled her to me and gave her a tight squeeze, nuzzling my nose into her hair and taking in her scent. I loved that little girl with every beat of my heart.

  I frowned when I got a faint smell of strawberries.

  “Baby, the special bubbles Alan used—what colour were they?”

  She titled her head to the side, thinking. “Disney princess colour.”

  I laughed and nodded. In other words, they were pink. “I think, Jack, I found the cause of the rash, but I need to just ring Marie and make sure. It’ll also explain the temperature.”

  He frowned but nodded. I slid from the bed and reached the door just as Izzy called for me. “Mummy-Emmy, where Uncle Cas?” I smiled; I’d wondered how long it would be until she wanted her idol.

  “He’s at the mucky pub, baby, with Uncle Acis,” I signed.

  I called Marie, and true enough, Alan had added strawberry essence bubbles to the girls’ paddling pool. Poor Marie was mortified when I told her Izzy had had an allergic reaction to it.

  Jack walked out of her bedroom. “She’s asking if you can stay. I said I’d ask, but I didn't think you would want to–”

  “I can, if you don’t mind. I’d rather not leave with her feeling unwell. I can leave you to your weekend in the morning. She’ll just need some antihistamine and she will be fine.”

  He nodded and smiled.

  “I’ll text Cas to see if he can run over to my house and get me some stuff; I think he was the DD tonight.”

  “Okay.” He paused, looking anywhere but at me, and I knew enough about Jack to know he wanted to say something else. “You can—I mean, instead of getting Castor to—you could borrow one of my shirts. You used to like–”

  “Yeah, well, that was then,” I interrupted, my cheeks heating. At the saddened look on his face, I swallowed my snarky attitude, feeling like shit for snapping at him. “Thanks, though, if you don’t mind, I’ll take the shirt. It may be better than me telling Cas his princess is ill. You’ll end up with the whole tribe camping over.” I smiled to break the strange tension between us. It was always awkward when he brought up the past. I had no desire to remember that part of my life, although unfortunately, Izzy was a big white elephant of a reminder, but I loved her so much I wouldn’t change any of it. Not if it meant I didn't get my little Izzy. But standing before the man who had claimed my heart at a tender age and still hadn’t given it back, made situations like this mortifyingly awkward. I wasn’t still in love with Jack, but I would be a liar if I said I didn’t miss us.

  “Mummy-Emmy,” whisper shouted a little voice, followed by a gentle poke to my nose. “Mummy, are you awake?” Another poke. “Mummy,” she said louder. Then, as usual when I tried to pretend I wasn’t awake, she sat on me. “Are you awake yet?” she said in a sing- song voice.

  Very quickly I lifted my hands, snagging her around the waist and tickling her. “No, I’m still asleep; the sleepy monster is going to eat you now.” I sat up and laid her across my lap and blew raspberries on her tummy, making her squeal loudly.

  I lifted my head to smile at her flushed, happy little face. “Morning, beautiful girl,” I said and signed at the same time.

  “Morning,” she replied in her cute little way. I reached out and grabbed her hearing aids and slid my index finger over my ear, telling her to put them on. She was okay at lip reading, but she relied more on sign language and hearing aids.

  There was a loud squealing noise as she adjusted them into place and then smiled.

  “I hear you again now, Mummy-Emmy.” I pursed my lips and shook my head at her. “What?” she asked innocently.

  “You know what, you little monkey.” I pressed my finger to her nose. “You feeling better today?”

  She nodded, then frowned. “Why are you wearing Daddy’s t-shirt?”

  “Because, munchkin, I didn't have my pyjamas with me, so now I’m all smelly and need to go home and shower.” I pulled her to me and placed a big sloppy kiss on her cheek.

  “Can you come to the park with me and Daddy?”

  “Not today; it’s Dad’s time with you. I get to eat you all week,” I said grabbing her and pretending to eat her little arms, making her scream with lau
ghter.

  “Morning, you two pretty but noisy ladies,” Jack said grinning at us from the doorway. He scratched at his chest as he yawned loudly. I stared at him a moment, remembering a time when I would wake at his side in his bed or with him standing as he was, only I wouldn’t have gotten out of bed. I’d have beckoned him to join me. Sad regret slid into my heart at what we had lost, or should I say, what he stole from us. He was still a good looking guy; I mean, nowhere near the hotness of my giant, but he had a beautiful charm about him. And years back, he was my entire world; no man ever measured up to my Jack. Now looking at him, with his messy hair and creased clothing, he wasn’t at all swoon worthy, but he would have still been my world and my hunk, had everything not fallen apart. He returned my stare. His brown eyes, the same as my little darling Izzy’s, penetrated me, and I saw the same feeling reflected back at me. I internally shook my head and broke the staring spell.

  “Right, little lady, I need to go home because I stink,” I said. She giggled and hugged me tightly around the neck. “Be good for your daddy, okay?”

  She nodded.

  “We’re going to the cinema to see the Moshi Monster Movie,” Jack said and signed.

  I smiled and fake whispered, “Make sure you get popcorn, too.”

  Izzy laughed, looked at her dad conspiratorially, and nodded.

  She jumped off the bed and they headed out of the bedroom for some breakfast, leaving me to get dressed. I met them both in the kitchen and said my goodbyes.

  “See you Monday, and no more strawberry bubble bath, lady,” I warned and she smiled.

  “Thanks again for coming over. I know you were out last night; I just didn't know what to do,” Jack said, following me to the front door.

  “Honestly, it’s no trouble. I’m glad you phoned. I was ready to head home anyway,” I said and blushed slightly when a flash of what had occurred raced through my head.

  “Okay, well—where’s your car?” he asked, looking down the driveway.

  “Oh—erm, a friend dropped me off,” I lied, and my face flamed.

  “Do you need a lift home then?”

  “No, no, honestly, I’m going to walk into town, get a few things, go home and crawl back into bed,” I laughed nervously. I didn’t know why I suddenly felt under the microscope, but knowing I had been sprawled out, screaming in ecstasy on the back of some bloke’s bike made me feel guilty and a cheat in some way, which was utterly ridiculous.

  “You always did like to stay in bed late.” Jack stepped toward me, closing the space between us. I swallowed and my skin itched with...with what, I wasn’t entirely sure. My body remembered him, sometimes craved the connection we’d had; he offered a security I subconsciously desired. I wanted to be loved, adored and held by a man I could love again, but my heart was shattered, destroyed by the memory of a life I lost, causing inconsolable grief to drown me.

  “I have to go,” I said abruptly and walked away, Jack calling a confused goodbye.

  Before town, I decided to go home, shower, and change into clean clothes. Feeling less crummy, I walked through town and called into a few shops to collect a couple of treats for myself for my night in with Alex Pettyfer and Channing Tatum. A tub of ice cream and bottle of my favourite Asti and I was set. I decided to completely overdo it on the sugar and called into the bakery to grab some of their vanilla slices. I needed sugar sweetness when my babygirl wasn’t at home; I missed her so much and the house was horribly quiet without her. My brothers didn't even come and see me when she was at her dad’s. It seemed like they treated it as their weekend off, too.

  The tinkle of the bell over the door and the smell of freshly baked bread made my stomach growl loudly.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” said Mr Petterson loudly as I walked through the door. I smiled brightly at him. He was an elderly gentleman; I think nearing his seventies, if not older. He’d been running this bakery since my mum was a little girl. It was a family concern, where it started with his great-great-great granddad and each male had taken over from there. I once asked why no girls were allowed to take over and Mr Peterson had laughed at me; apparently there had been no girls born into the family. There were seventeen descendant sons in total from the bakery’s first opening, not one daughter. All I could say was that was a lot of horny teenage boys to deal with. Castor and Acis were bad enough.

  “Good morning, Mr Petterson. Can I have two vanilla slices, please?”

  He stood on his tiptoes to peer over the counter. “Izzy at her dad’s this weekend?”

  I nodded. He gave me a sympathetic smile; he adored Izzy. She had charmed him one day by telling him his ginger snaps were the “best on the whole wide planet”. Yes, she meant world, but he laughed, and from that day she managed to get a free treat out of him every time.

  “’Ere, come over here a sec. I want you to try something for me.” I stepped forward to the lower side of the counter and he pushed three plates toward me with broken bits of cookies on them. “Try,” he said, motioning to the plates. He took a chunk himself and threw it in his mouth.

  I picked up the darker coloured one and tasted it. I closed my eyes as the velvet texture melted on my tongue. It was syrupy sweet and so soft. I picked up samples from the other plates and tried those. “I like this one best,” I said, pointing to the first plate.

  He nodded. “I thought I would try something different; these are my golden syrup cookies with a little secret ingredient. These ones are peanut butter. Those are white chocolate. But they each have a little something special.” He winked, making me smile. I pinched another piece of my favourite, avoiding his hand as he came to pat it away jokingly. I laughed loudly just as the door opened. I was still giggling at Mr Petterson when I turned to see the giant filling the doorway. My breath caught in my throat and so did the cookie, making me cough and splutter all over the place.

  “I seem to have this effect on you, pixie-girl,” he laughed, the bastard.

  I ignored him and looked back to Mr Petterson, who was watching us thoughtfully. “I’ll take Izzy six of those cookies, too, please.” He slowly counted them out, placing them into a brown paper bag. I tapped my foot nervously against the tiled floor, increasingly aware of the giant’s eyes on me. I’d washed all my makeup off and my hair was in a messy braid held together with princess bobbles. I could smell his clean, fresh scent from across the room, and I knew if I dared turn and look at him, he would be deliciously put together. I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth ached.

  “Here we are, beautiful, and I’ve put my favourite girl her usual ginger snap in.” He winked, making me smile. I handed over the money and turned to leave. My only problem was the giant was still blocking the doorway.

  “Excuse me,” I said, and hated how small my voice was.

  “Look at me, pixie-girl.”

  I clenched my jaw again and fisted my hands around my bags. I defiantly looked up into his green eyes and nearly melted on the spot. His sandy blond hair was all sleep mussed and mighty fucking fine, and his jaw was sexily covered in short stubble, making me want to scrape my fingernails along it or feel it between–

  “Again with the eye-fucking, Em,” he said in a low rumble so only I could hear. I swallowed as a flash of heat raced to the apex of my thighs. My nipples pebbled under the thin cotton of my bra. I needed to get home to the safety of dreaming about movie stars not sexy giants.

  “I need... Please let me past,” I said breathlessly, and cursed under my breath when he grinned at me. I wanted to stamp on his foot for being such an arrogant – gorgeous – bastard. He stepped to the side, holding the door open for me. As I passed, his hand caressed the small of my back, low enough to touch the curve of my arse.

  “I love this ass,” he said close to my ear. “Tell me, did you buy panties? Because I still have your other pair.”

  Fuck me!

  I cleared my throat and looked at him over my shoulder. “Pervert.”

  He chuckled, sending shockwaves through my body. Why t
he hell was he affecting me this way? I blamed my brothers; yep, entirely their fault. Their constant fanny-blocking had turned me into a wanton sex crazed maniac.

  “Guilty as charged, when I’m looking at your tight little ass.”

  “I have to go,” I said and hurried out of the shop, bashing my bags against the glass of the door. I rushed down the street, hating how the weather was uncharacteristically warm when I could have done with a slight chill to cool my heated body. God, I must have looked a total state.

  I reached the corner of the high street, ready to cross, when a large hand grabbed my bicep and pinned me against the wall.

  “I need to taste those cookies, Pix.” That was the only warning I had before his mouth covered mine. I gasped at the speed with which he moved. His body pressed against mine. The hard brick at my back and the hard body pressing at my front was like a wicked Emily sandwich. My arms dangled at my sides, holding my shopping in a death grip as he made love to my mouth, tasting, sucking, and devouring me. I was powerless against his assault and loved every bloody minute of it. His hands came up to tangle in my messy hair. God, how unattractive could one person be when faced with an Adonis?

  “I’ve dreamed of this fucking mouth all night. I need one more taste, Pix.” He slammed his lips against mine roughly, brutally beautiful as he ate at me. I dropped my bags in a loud clatter and held on to his thick waist. When the bottle hit the pavement and I heard a loud pop, I knew my Asti was no longer.

  “Come back with me,” he said, kissing a fevered path down my neck.

  “I can’t–”

  “Why?”

  Exactly, Em, why? No fucking clue, woman, are you insane? I shushed my inner tart. I needed to think of an excuse, but when the man’s mouth was suckling on my neck, I couldn't reason, whether I could breathe or not.

  “Em?”

  I made an embarrassing sound deep in my throat. He chuckled in response and pressed harder against me, his thick thigh sliding between my legs, opening my thighs.

  “I need inside you, Pix, and I’m getting real close to getting my cock out here on the sidewalk and fucking you raw against this wall.”