Repair Me (Kin #1)(52)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I looked right at the man, realizing what was happening. “You’re blackmailin’ me?”

He put his hands up. “Let’s just say that I think we can come to a mutual agreement that will benefit us both. Your family can keep what’s theirs and my daughter will be able to bring her child up right.”

“You’re insane! I won’t agree to that!” What he was asking of me was ridiculous. I wasn’t going to give up my life to be tied down to someone I didn’t even like.

“I have the authority to take the business and the house as early as next week. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you may want to rethink that decision.”

“Why didn’t Ash come to me with this news? I want a paternity test before I agree to anything. I should discuss this with my dad, too. There is no way in hell that I’m signin’ my life away without more proof.”

He put his arm on my shoulder and I pulled away. He put up his hands. “I’ll give you two days. If you take my deal, the tax problems disappear. If I haven’t heard from you, I’ll sign the paperwork and proceed with the property seize.”

I watched him walk out the door before picking up an empty bottle and tossing it into the wall. It happened to be the second that Sky walked back into the apartment. She crossed her arms. “What the hell?”

“It’s nothin’!”

She walked over and started picking up pieces of the glass. “This isn’t “nothing”, Ford. What did Ashley’s dad want with you?”

I walked over and started helping her. “My dad didn’t pay his taxes. He wanted me to know that we needed to come up with the money soon. I was just pissed about it.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, but I couldn’t stand to tell her the whole truth. I’d gotten another woman pregnant and now I was stuck making a huge decision. I could be with Sky or protect my family. How had I gotten myself into this kind of situation? Even if I chose Sky, she was going to find out about the baby and leave me anyway.

I stopped picking up the pieces of glass and pulled her into my arms. “Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?”

She kissed me on the lips and picked up another piece. “Yes, I do.”

“What do you say we get out of here and go stay at your house tonight? I don’t feel like bein’ around my family anymore today.”

She smiled. “My parents are out of town. We have the house to ourselves.”

“You should have told me that sooner. I didn’t feel like bein’ at this party, at all.”

If I would have just stayed at her place I wouldn’t be trying to run away from the truth now. I wouldn’t know about the pregnancy or the taxes. I’d be alone, in bed, with Sky.

“Pack light. I don’t plan on wearing any clothes once we get there.”

Hearing her say that almost made me forget about my worries. Sky was the only person that made my life bearable. Imagining one moment without her was making me feel sick to my stomach. I’d opened up my heart and let her fill my life with hope. Her father had even offered me a way out. How was I going to be able to walk away from a future that I was so close to being able to have again?

I wanted to be pissed at my father, but the truth was that Ash’s father would have found something else to blackmail me with. In a small town like ours, he could destroy your life and make everyone hate you in just days.

My mother was back, and for the first time in a long time, my dad was happy. I had to consider that my mother really did want to change. If it helped my father stop drinking, wasn’t it worth giving them the chance to find out?

I had to keep quiet and not ruin my life until I knew for sure what was going on. I wasn’t willing to lose everything, not this time!

Chapter 23

Skylar

We didn’t even say goodbye to anyone when we left the party. Ford was driving and I could tell he was in rare form. He turned up the music and beat his hand on the steering wheel, like he did when he had a bad day at work. I reached over in the seat and wrapped my arms around him, which seemed to relax him a bit. “Are you okay?”

He kept looking at the road, but leaned over and kissed me. “I am now.”

“If something was really wrong, you’d tell me right?” I was worried that he was keeping something from me. I knew the tax thing would upset him, but he seemed to be taking this so personal. I didn’t get it.

“You’ve got nothin’ to worry about, darlin’.”

We had small talk on the way to my house, but nothing else serious. I was too afraid to make him upset again. The closer we got to home, the better he seemed to be. When we pulled up out front, he turned the truck off and looked at me. “Do you want to take off our clothes now, or wait until we’re inside?”

I reached up and touched his cheek, running my hands over his stubbly face. “If we take our clothes off now, we may not make it into the house.”

He kissed my nose. “Good point.”

Ford wasted no time getting out of the truck and walking to the front door. I handed him my keys and let him open the door. He walked in and tossed them on the table, before turning around and lifting me into his arms. “What are you doing?”

He kept walking, taking us straight upstairs. “I’m taking your ass up to bed. I need to be inside of you, right about now.”

Far be it from me to fight him on something he obviously needed. Besides, I was feeling a little on edge seeing him act so uptight. When his cousins had told me that the man was Ashley’s father, I felt sick to my stomach, imagining the worst possible reasons for him to be paying Ford a visit. When I walked in and saw him tossing that bottle against the wall, I knew something was wrong.

Ford removed his shirt as soon as he sat me down on the bed. He leaned in and kissed me full on the lips, while pulling my dress over my head. He reached back and unhooked my bra as we continued to kiss. My br**sts freed and his hands were all over them. His eagerness gave me chills as his hands began to explore other parts of my body.

I unbuttoned his shorts and used my feet to get them pushed down. His boxers were next to be tugged off. With just my panties left, I lifted up my ass and let Ford pull them off of me, partly with his teeth.

He pushed me down on the bed and grabbed one of my legs, rubbing my foot as he kissed the base of my ankle. I pointed my toes and watched him kissing his way up to my knee and then my inner thigh. My ni**les tingled every single time I felt his wet lips leaving a part of my skin. As the air would hit it, the tingles traveled to the ends of my limbs.