Watching Jack sink a solid ball into a hole on their pool table, Selena hopped down from a stool at their home bar and walked over to the table with her pool stick.

Selena bent over, the stick loosely sitting between her fingers. Pushing the cue forward, she knocked a striped ball into the hole whilst another made it into the opposite hole.

She smiled as she stood back, sucking her teeth. "C'mon bubba, face it, you're just not as good as me." She bragged, leaning on her stick.

Jack looked at her from across the table and shrugged. "Whatever you say, big head." He joked as he began walking around the table, eyeing his next move.

Selena chuckled then watched Jack begin to shoot in another ball, acknowledging every detail of his movement.

His muscles stiffened as he leaned over the table, shooting his shot, three solids went in. "Baby, I think I'm better than you." He smirked.

Selena rolled her eyes, getting a snicker out of him.

"Momma." A small voice draws their attention to the doorway of the home bar to see their seven year old son. "There's a box on the doorstep for you. Your name was on it."

"Did you try to bring it in?" Selena asked, getting a simple nod in response, making her sign. "Dyl, what did I tell y'all about opening the door without me or your dad there?"

"Sorry, mom." He apologized, staring down at his feet.

"Did you finish your homework?" Jack asked, following Selena and Dylan out the room.

"Yeah. I can play my games now?"

"As long as you're done, I don't care."

Once they got to the front of the house, they could see the door open with a box halfway through the door.

"Dylan, I thought you said you brought it inside?" Selena asked looking down at him.

"It was to heavy, so I tried to push it."

Selena bent her legs and tried to heft it up, but she let out a struggling squeal.

Jack scoffed. "Move." He lifts up the box with one hand and carries it to the counter in the kitchen.

Taking a knife from his belt, Jack cuts open the box and moves aside to let Selena dig through it.

Jack takes a peek inside to see toys piled on top of clothes. "This has been the stuff you've been ordering lately?"

"Yeah. Other stuff too." Selena handed Dylan two toys and a video game. "Put these in your room and tell your sister to come here."

Dylan ran out of the room, quickly coming back with Naomi and the dog.

Naomi let out a large gasp. "Is that the stuff you bought for me, mommy?"

"Mhm. Here you go." Selena handed her a dress, a coloring book, and a new Barbie. "Put the dress in your drawer, don't wrinkle it."

"Thanks, mom!" They both said, running off with Grizzly following behind them.

"What'd you get?" Jack asked.

"A whole lot of books." Selena begins pulling them out one by one, only searching for the one she was most eager to read.

"My little bookworm." Jack smiled, taking a look at the books that she was putting to the side. "I'm gonna build you a library. Like put a lot of shelves around the entertainment room and fill them with books you plan to read."

Selena gasped and snatched out the book, hiding it behind her back.

Jack looks at her curiously, a book in his hand. "Everything okay?"

"Yep. Can you carry this up to the room?"

Jack nodded and put all the books back into the box then began carrying it upstairs. Selena keeps the book behind her back, away from Jack's gaze as they walk to the room.

"I'm gonna go to the store. You want anything?" Jack asked, backing out of the room.

"No, I'm fine. Love you."

"Love you too. I'm gonna take the kids."

Selena nodded and waited until she heard the door shut to go out on the balcony and begin reading her book.

Before she opens it, she blushes at the artwork on the cover.

A blonde girl was pressed against the wall with a tall and muscular man in between her legs with his lips pressed to her neck.

Erotic.

The second book of the Midnight Passion series.

They were the most talked about books over the past two years. They were steamy and sexy books. Selena wasn't into these kinds of books, but she wanted to see what all the hype was about and then she soon understood.

"Why are you taking forever to kiss him?" Selena mumbled, growing frustrated with the teasing this book was doing.

"Kiss who?"

Selena's body grew hot as her husband peered over her shoulder, reading the words on the pages.

"She remained tightly bound, arms still attached to the headboard, her legs still wide open, her glistening heat on display."

Jack chuckled then glanced down at Selena. "He has her tied up like a hog and he hasn't even kissed her yet? Shit, I'd be pissed to."

Before she could even blink, Jack snatched the novel out of her hands, making her jump out of her seat. "Stop, Jack!"

Jack uses his height to an advantage, his arm raised up, he easily keeps the book out of her reach, making her leap for the it.

Once his arm grew tired, he began to read lines from the book as the palm of his hand pressed against her forehead, keeping her pushed at a distance.

"Please let me cum. I can't take it anymore." Jack let's out a moan as his head falls back, his eyes fluttering. "Johnny gives her a single hard thrust and says, 'All good things come to those who wait babygirl."

Jack drops his hand from Selena's forehead and closes the book with a smirk. "It's not the kids who's gonna be getting coal in their stockings this year." He says with a laugh. "They don't have safe words or anything? Seems like he was giving it to her too hard."

Selena finally snatched the book out of his hands. "They do!" She spat, then muttered the next two words. "It's pineapple."

Jack barked a laugh, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Why is that everyone's safe word?" He shook his head, his laughter trailing off. "At least it isn't beetlejuice or anything weird."

Selena fell back into the chair with her arms folded. "This story has suspense and mystery and drama. It's not just about sex, so don't judge me."

"I'm not judging anyone...anyone, but you, you dirty sex monkey." Jack teased, making her glare up at him.

"Shut up. I am not a sex monkey."

"I knew I should've pimped you a long time ago."

"That's not true!" Selena hit his arm. "Maybe you could learn something from it."

Jack's jaw dropped for a short second before his lips emerged into an arrogant grin. "What? About S and M? Chains, whips, and all that kinky stuff?"

"No! About respecting me."

Jack's eyebrows rose. "I do respect you. And I most definitely respect you when we're making love or when we're fucking. I never make you do something you don't want to do and I'm never to rough with you."

Selena thought for a moment then shrugged loosely. "Okay, maybe it is about a little kink."

"Oh, really? I think you should teach me then." Jack picks her up and throws her over his shoulder, making her drop her book.

He carries her into the room and sets her on the edge of the bed. He stands back and smiles at her. "Whenever you're ready."

"Huh? We don't have anything to be kinky with and I wasn't planning on doing this. This takes time and dedication and I'm not prepared."

"I'm sure you don't need handcuffs and whips to be kinky. You just bark orders like you always do."

Selena rolled her eyes and stood up, not sure exactly what to do.

They were never into this kind of stuff and she was used to Jack being in charge during sex, not her. He always knew what he was doing and he was good at being in control.

"Okay...well, you can't touch me until I say you can." She said, watching Jack sit on the edge of the bed.

"I can't touch you?" He scoffed. "I don't think I'm capable of not touching you, babe. Isn't that the whole point of sex..." Jack reaches out to graze her arm with his fingers. "The touch of your lover?"

Swatting his hand away, she scowls at him. "No, touching." Selena then pressed her lips together, humming in thought. "Do you keep your ties in the dresser?"

"No, I keep them in the closet so they don't get messed up."

She then went into the bathroom where the walk in closet was. She searched for where Jack kept his ties then soon found his tie holder and pulled it out then returned to the room.

Jack furrowed his brows. "That weak thing?"

"It's not about hurting you. It's about you listening and doing as I say."

Selena straddles his lap and put his arms behind his back, delicately and easily, tying his hands together.

Selena puts her feet on the floor and rests her hands on her hips, observing him and quietly planning her next move. "I should've taken your shirt off first. I guess that could wait."

"If you untie me later after you build up my frustration, then I'm not letting you retie me, so do it now." Jack told her.

Selena untied his hands then pulled off his shirt, revealing his toned body and tattoos. "Second rule is, you can't talk either." She lowly spoke, tying his hands again. "Not until I say you can."

A question died on his lips. He agreeably nodded and let her continue.

Selena doesn't climb off his lap this time. She passionately kisses him, slowly pushing him back on the bed. She then kissed her way down to his neck.

It was nice not having a distraction. Jack was very touchy and that's what always made her vulnerable in bed, but now it wasn't like that.

Jack's body tensed as he watched her remove her shirt. She pressed herself against him, slowly kissing him, teasing him as much as she could. She pulled away, tugging on his bottom lip.

She uses her fingers to outline his solid abs that were cut like diamonds. Her hips pressed down against him, relieving him with some kind of pressure.

"God, Selena, I can't do this shit anymore." His body writhed beneath her, trying to get out of the restraint. "Pineapple, Beetlejuice, Mercy. Whatever that damn word is, I'm done."

Selena laughs as his shoulders and body shifts, wrestling out of the tie.

"I'm done, come here."

"Hey!" Selena whined as he wraps his arms around her, flipping them over. "You just broke the rules, asshole!" She said with a laugh as he sucked on her neck.

"I'm a Mercer." Jack's hands began to pull down her panties. "Rules don't apply to us."

Just as Jack started to unbutton his jeans, they heard a shattering noise of glass coming from downstairs, making the both of them flinch.

They then hear their daughter let out a cry of pain. The both of them jump out of the bed. Selena threw her shirt back on then stepped into her leggings as Jack was already out the door.

She raced downstairs, not to far behind Jack, and stopped in the kitchen to see Naomi and Dylan in the living room.

Naomi sat on the couch with Dylan standing next to her, worry written all across his face.

"Ow, ow, ow." Naomi whined, trying her best to look at her foot.

"I didn't mean to Nye. I'm sorry. Are you okay? Dylan panicked.

Jack and Selena notice that their glass vase was now shattered in pieces and across the carpet.

Naomi holds her foot up to Dylan, letting him take a look at it. "It doesn't hurt that bad."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I shouldn't be a cry baby." Naomi sniffled hard as she used the back of her hand to wipe off the tears on her cheek.

Selena takes a look at Jack's face. Fear grabbing his aura that quickly turned into an anger so chillingly cold that even she took a pause.

Jack walked into the living room. "Move." He puts a hand on Dylan's shoulder, pulling him back rougher than actually necessary before he dropped to a knee to look at Naomi's foot.

Dylan rubs his shoulder, nervously looking over Jack's shoulder to see Naomi's foot.

"There's a piece of glass in her foot." Jack informed Selena as she stared curiously at Naomi. "It's deep too. Go get some tweezers."

Selena goes to the bathroom down the hall and comes back shortly with the tweezers, kneeling down next to Jack, she pulls out the shard of glass and other small pieces that were stuck.

Selena stands up as Jack took a bandage and wrapped it around Naomi's foot, making her hiss in pain.

"Since we're done playing doctor, let's get something straight." Jack then rose to his feet, with a scowl. "That vase didn't knock itself over, now did it?"

"No." Dylan took a small step forward. "Dad, I'm sorry, it -"

"You better be sorry." Jack snapped, making everyone in the room, including Selena flinch. "Do you know how much that vase weighs? It could've fallen over and broke your sister's neck!"

Naomi's eyes shamelessly met the carpet where the glass was. "Daddy, we were just playing. We didn't mean to."

"I don't care. How many times have I told the both of you not to run in the house? Do you think I tell this just cause I want to?"

"No." Dylan muttered.

"Is it cause you don't respect me or the house that I pay for so you can have a place to stay?"

"No!"

"Right, so you just know more than I do."

Dylan avoids Jack's eyes, clenching his fist tightly, preventing any tears that were threatening to escape.

Selena puts a hand on Dylan's shoulder, watching as Jack opened his mouth to continue.

"You two need to respect me and the house and the rules, especially the ones that try to stop you from getting hurt. Have pride in your last name."

"Jack, that's enough." Selena gritted through her teeth, the mention of their last name irritating her, knowing where Jack was headed with that conversation.

Jack started on another sentence, but with a stern look from Selena, he quickly closes it and gains back his composure. He turns back to Naomi. "Can you walk?"

"I think so." Naomi placed her foot on the floor, her face instantly screwing up, but she nods anyway. "I can."

"Then walk up to your rooms and stay up there and think about what you did until it's time for dinner."

Dylan keeps his head down, but helps Naomi walk, as they both vanish quietly around the corner before Selena could get a word in.

Jack and Selena return to the bedroom. He sits on the edge of the bed and buries his face in his hands.

"Jack, that was to much and you know it." Selena closed the door behind her and stood in front of him. "You had no reason to be aggressive like that."

Jack lifted his head out of his hands and shot her a hard glare. "Aggressive? Get the hell out of my face with that Selena. I don't wanna hear this shit right now."

"Oh well, you're going to hear it." She barked. "I seen the way you handled Dylan back there. And I don't want to see you do it again. Do you hear me?"

"I was fucking scared Selena! Naomi screams like that and I think I'm gonna come downstairs to find one of my kids heads split open."

"I was scared too Jack, but I didn't handle them like that and I didn't bring the family's name into it. They're too young to even understand and besides they shouldn't even think their last name carries the reputation that it does. They're KIDS, Jack."

"So?"

Selena laughed humorlessly. "So? Kids act out and don't listen to their parents all the time. Raise your kids like Evelyn raised you, not how your foster parents did."

Jack looks up at her for a long moment, then swallows the frigid anger away. He fixed his eyes on the floor, truly ashamed.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to be like them. And I don't want to end up like my father." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm sorry."

Selena takes a spot next to him on the bed. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." She takes his face in her hands. "They love you, Jack, and I know it's frustrating sometimes, but you have to remember which direction you're avoiding."

Jack nodded. "You're right. I shouldn't have been such a dick."

"Come here." Selena pulled Jack into a warm hug. "You lost your temper, babe. You lost it out of fear just like any normal human."

"That's not me though. I don't have the liberty to do that. Not when you look at where I came from. I'll just apologize at dinner, and hopefully they'll forgive me."

Jack pulled away and kissed her temple. "Thank you for letting me know that I got out of control."

Selena smiled and nodded. "Let's go cook dinner." She grabbed his hand and pulled him down into the kitchen.

Selena began to cook as Jack made his way into the living room to clean up the glass.

Jack was beating himself up over this. He would never abuse his kids like the way he was. They were his whole world without a doubt, but sometimes he cared so much that he forgot they were only kids.

Selena called the kids down as Jack set the plates of meatloaf, broccoli, and corn on the table.

"Your foot okay, Nye?" Selena asked, taking a seat with the rest of them at the table.

Naomi nodded. "I just can't stand on it for long."

Selena was grateful Naomi wasn't still upset. Dylan on the other hand, avoided eye contact with everyone and kept quiet.

"Um, I want to say sorry to you two for yelling at you like I did." Jack began. "Especially you Dylan...I love the both of you and I don't want anything to happen to you. And when people get scared, they get angry, but it's only cause they care. But I promise the both of you that it won't happen again."

Dylan stays silent, but Naomi grins. "It's okay Daddy. I still love you." She told him, chewing on a piece of meatloaf.

Jack's eyes meet Selena's when Dylan doesn't respond. He purses his lips together to forbid the frown that was coming on. Selena rubbed his forearm as both of the kids finished their plates and got down from the table.

Jack even pushed his plate away though he wasn't done. He stood up and took his plate to the sink.

Once he turned around, he was surprised by a big hug that came from a small body. He smiled down at Dylan.

"I love you, dad."

Jack's heart grew warm as he rubbed Dylan's back, now feeling like everything was okay. "I love you too, son."

HELLA DRAMA NEXT CHAPTER. Stay tuned.