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His voice slurred and faint, he said, "A week after I got to New Orleans, Christian had his legs blown off by a roadside bomb in a hellhole halfway around the world He was my real brother The brother who accepted me for who I was He was the only one who ever did, aside from Rayford He was my only real friend" A sweet s openly now, but silently, tears running down my face, my free hand in a fist in my mouth to stifle the sobs

Jackson murmured, "Christian had no family, so he came to live with me He was in so much pain all the time, as much physical pain as I was in eo down to a bar on Bourbon Street and drink during the day, and I’d go with hiirl I knewwhat she was, of courseI knehat she did But at least it was honest They both understood Not likeer He licked his lips and turned his head with a sigh, and his face looked heartbreakingly vulnerable without its usual arnant Had a paternity test It was Christian’s He died before Cody was born Never got to hts to et a call every once in a whilebailood for"

Jackson fell asleep with his hand inpath down his tehtly as I could, and sobbed

I cried for a long ti to his slow and steady heartbeat Finally when I had nothing left, I sat up, wiped my eyes, slipped off his shoes, and settled a blanket over him I went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face I called Mama and told her how much I loved her, how lucky I was to have her, how she and Daddy were the greatest parents in the world

Then Italk with Cle because the warm, soft, unmistakable curve under my left palm was a woman’s hip

Dream woman had an incredibly sexy hip

She also sainst my chest

All of that helped to distract from the odd fact that I had a headache and my mouth tasted like bourbon This was a really vivid drea on a nice, fluffy pillow, hed in sleepy pleasure when I pulled her tighter against me and nuzzled ently cupped her ass, she sighed again, arching her back and rubbing againstawesome dreaoodness Like so I wanted to soak inor taste I found the nape of her neck with ue over the delicate bump of her spine She breathed the softest, sexiest moan, which was even sexier because it wasAttila the Hun leading his arn lands I pressed it against her, curling my hand around her hip to draw her close She rowl from deep inside my chest

I opened my mouth over the curve between her shoulder and neck She tilted her head back, giving me better access to her throat I trailed ently bit down, felt her shiver She made a restless noise and squired it slowly up her waist and over her rib cage, to her breast It was full and heavy in hly sensitive When I pinched it, she jerked and moaned, this time louder A thin layer of cotton separated her skin froue I needed that ain

I found the hem of her shirt and pushed it up iently squeezed

"Yes, Jax," she breathed, arching

I rolled her under me, pinned her down, and sucked her taut nipple intothrough me

I rockedout when I tested that hard bud with hs were open around ed breathing was in ether and went slowly back and forth fro the fullness of the globes, then stroking

"Please," she panted "Oh, please don’t stop More"