Broken Soul (Jackson Family 3)

inessa

My body was pleasantlysore the next morning, especially between my legs where Jaxon had taken my virginity the night before.

He had been a careful lover. I hadn’t expected that from a brute like him, especially with the way he’d treated me in the hallway. But he had been gentle, taking extra care not to hurt me too much until I had practically begged him to do so.

And I had begged him.

I couldn’t believe I had let him touch me so easily. The moment he began to undress, I craved him. I wanted to touch every indentation of his abs, lick that delectable V, caress his hard, thick cock. God, and his chest. It was so wide and broad, and his arms had been even better, the muscles in them flexing with every single move he made.

I’d never craved a man’s touch before in my life. I was mostly terrified of a man touching me in any way, shape, or form, considering one too many times, I’d stepped out of line and had been knocked stupid by my own father.

After a while, you learned that there were very few good men in the world. Hadn’t Jaxon proved himself to be no better last night when he’d wrapped his hand around my throat and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of fucking potatoes?

Yeah, but his grip also didn’t hurt, and he put you down gently, my inner voice reminded me.

I sighed because he had. He hadn’t hurt me at all. Despite him reminding me of my place, he had been gentle with his touch.

He hadn’t meant me a single bit of harm.

The bedroom door suddenly opened. I jerked my eyes open, watching as Jaxon strode into the room, holding a tray of food. I sat up, holding the blanket to my breasts to keep myself covered. He set the food on the bedside table. I tightened my hold on the blanket when he ran his eyes over me.

With a sound of frustration, he paced over to the bathroom door and snatched down a black robe before tossing it at me. “Put that on,” he growled as he turned to give me his back.

Swallowing nervously at the apparent anger he was feeling, I quickly pulled the robe on, hating that his actions hurt me. Why was he mad at me? I’d given him what he wanted last night, hadn’t I?

I cleared my throat when I had the robe tied, hiding my body from his view. He turned to me, and after noting that I was covered, he grabbed the tray and settled it over my legs. “You need to eat.”

My frown deepened. “You’re not eating,” I accused.

He shot me a deadpan look that made me feel like a reprimanded toddler. “It is ten in the morning, Inessa.” I flinched at his scathing tone. “I’m up by five A.M. every morning. I have things I have to do. Not all of us can lay around in bed all day.”

I felt like a child once again being scolded by my father for daring to draw when I should have been helping my mother in the kitchen instead, already learning wifely duties as a kid.

“Eat,” Jaxon commanded. He grabbed something out of his pocket and tossed it on the bed beside me. “You may reach out to your friends and let them know how you are. Contact with your family right now is forbidden.” I didn’t have any qualms about that, but I was definitely surprised by the freedom of being given a phone. He gripped my chin, yanking my face towards his. I swallowed nervously. “Every phone call and text message on that phone can be tracked, Inessa. Do not try to pull a fast one on me, you hear? This is your life now. You are my wife. The faster you accept that, the better.”

He released my chin, and I nodded. He growled softly in annoyance. What did I keep doing wrong?

“Words, Inessa. I know your vocal cords work. You were all too willing to use them yesterday to call me a monster and to tell me that I would never touch you.”

I licked my suddenly dry lips. Any appetite I had was gone. “I understand,” I whispered.

Without another word, he strode from the room. I bit back tears. I didn’t know how to feel. Jaxon was being a dick, but again, his grip on my chin had not caused pain, and he had given me a phone.

I’d never owned a phone before. Even living with my parents and my grandparents, whenever I made a phone call on the home line, someone with authority stood over me, listening in on my conversation.

Freedom was foreign to me. I didn’t know what to do with it.

Remembering Jaxon’s order to eat, I ate what I could stomach and then set the tray aside, deciding to go get a shower. I didn’t know what I would wear, but I needed to bathe.

My phone suddenly went off beside me, making me squeak in fright at the loud chime. I picked it up and after figuring out how to unlock it, I read Jaxon’s message to me.

All of your clothes and other personal belongings were brought in early this morning while you were sleeping. I’ve put everything away in the closet.

I walked into the closet, alarmed to see one side of the closet had been set aside just for me. Everything was hung up, and the two dressers were filled with my clothes. Anything else that was not clothing, such as my books and diaries, were still in their respective boxes.

I grabbed what I needed and got the quickest shower in history before pulling on the loose-fitting jeans and t-shirt. None of my clothing hugged my frame. In fact, my ball gown for the engagement party and my wedding dress were the tightest things I’d ever worn in my life.

Revealing my figure was considered a sin in the home I grew up in. If my father could have gotten away with it, I was sure he would have dressed me as a nun. But my grandfather would have had a coronary.

When I stepped out of the bathroom after brushing my hair, I was shocked to find Emmaline and Juliana in my room. Emmaline smiled at me. “I was hoping you were dressed,” she said. “Come. We want to show you around and get to know our new sister-in-law.”

“Um,” I swallowed, “is this okay with Jaxon?”

Juliana frowned, looking to Emmaline. Emmaline’s smile didn’t falter one bit, though I could see the concern in her eyes for me. “The men are not that controlling, Inessa. Come on. I’m sure Jaxon would like for you to get to know your home.”

I slipped my feet into a pair of ballet flats before following her from the room. I listened to her and Juliana talk, though Juliana was much quieter than Emmaline was. But Emmaline carried the conversation effortlessly and even spoke to each guard we passed, calling them by their actual names.