Chapter 46 Anna
Chapter forty-six
Anna
T
he sound of squealing tires has my head snapping up from the potatoes I’m whipping together. I hear the kitchen door to the patio click and see my husband walk in, my dad following behind him.
“It’s over, Baby. You never have to worry about Daniel Brenner again.” I collapse into Keaton’s arms, the feeling of relief taking over me.
“He took the quiet option. He will be selling the company and leaving the state, hopefully by Thanksgiving.”
“But what if he doesn’t,” I whisper quietly.
“Then we expose him for fraud. I contact the SEC and FBI, and they hit him where it hurts. His pocket. We can also move forward with the civil suit. Press charges for the crimes that he committed against you.”
I reach up and run my hand over the hair covering his jaw.
“I don’t ever want to see him again. I just want him to disappear from our lives.
If we press charges, there will be hearings, and I don’t know that I can stand being in a room with him again for as long as I live.
So, let’s just hope he moves far away and leaves me and every other woman on this planet alone. ”
Keaton presses a kiss to the top of my head. “I love you, Anna. Thank you for giving me another chance.”
I smile at him. “Thank you. Not just for what you did, but for believing me. For choosing me.”
He turns his head to press his lips to my hand on his face. “Always you. From the very beginning.”
Across the kitchen, standing with my mom, I meet my dad’s gaze. He looks tired. Hollow.
“Anna Laura, I owe you a thousand apologies, but I’ll start with this one. I’m so sorry for allowing my friendship with someone to hurt the thing that matters the most to me in this world. You.”
“Dad, you don’t,” I begin, but he holds a hand up halting my protest.
“I owe you so many more, but I also want to let you know how incredibly proud I am of you. You stood your ground. You told me your truth. You believed in yourself.”
My dad’s arms are open for me when I reach him from across the kitchen and we pull each other into an embrace. “I love you, baby girl. And I promise to prove it for the rest of my life.”
Keaton and I walk into his place, and I glance around. It doesn’t look any different than the last time I was here. I have to remind myself that it’s only been a couple of days even though the weight of the events have felt like years had dragged on.
I texted Skyla to check in and see how things were with her and if she minded me spending the night with Keaton instead of hanging with her.
I feel bad about ditching my friend who flew all this way to see me, but apparently, she’s already become a regular down at Kalli’s Corral and was planning to meet up with someone there.
She was, however, very eager for the details of mine and Keaton’s reconciliation.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Keaton asks, but I shake my head. It’s late and all I want is the comfort of my husband.
We walk up the stairs slowly, neither of us speaking. The need for one another is so strong that you can feel the desire in the air around us. When we walk in the bedroom, I realize the only thing I need is him.
I reach up, threading my fingers in his hair. “Thank you. I know I said it earlier, but it’s not enough.”
“Baby, you’re enough.” His mouth found mine before I could continue expressing my gratitude for the way he protects me. The way he believes in me. The way he loves me.
The fear, the fury and the ache of the last few days are poured into that kiss as his hands move with purpose tracing the curves of my body. He breaks the kiss, his hands at my waist. “I need you.”
“Me too,” I breathe out.
Keaton’s fingertips skim over my skin with reverence, leaving behind goosebumps in their wake. He takes my lips again, then presses a kiss to my chin. Then to my neck. Then to my shoulder.
“You’re safe now,” he whispers into it. “You’re mine. Only mine.”
“I always was,” I breathe into him, allowing my own hands to explore his body.
The muscles he works so hard for ripple under my touch.
A shudder runs through him as I raise his shirt and my skin presses against his.
I allow my fingers to outline the muscular set of abs he hides underneath just before I move to his belt.
“Anna, you don’t have to do that.”
I let out an annoyed sigh.
“I really wish you weren’t so against me unbuckling your pants.”
Keaton chuckles, “By all means, keep going.”
With his permission, I remove the obstacles in my path, then pull his pants and boxer briefs down to release his thick cock standing at attention, ready and waiting. My tongue darts out and licks my lips while Keaton runs his fingers through my hair.
I gently hold him at the base and run my hand up his length, following it with my tongue on the underside of his shaft.
“Fuck. Your mouth feels amazing.”
His words spur me on, and I coat his tip with my tongue.
When I finally take him into my mouth, the both of us are so charged we could release on the spot.
“Baby, please, I want to sink myself inside your sweet pussy, but your mouth is too fucking good. If you don’t stop, you’re going to be drinking every drop of me. ”
My clit throbs at his words, wanting the attention he’s offering me, but my mouth isn’t finished exploring.
I continue to move up and down his dick, taking him all the way to the back of my throat, then dragging my lips back up to the tip.
With my hands on his thighs, I can feel them begin to shake.
A sign that he’s close. I break my rhythm to focus just on the head, sucking, licking, tugging until the salty taste of him begins to fill my mouth.
“Fuck. Anna, yes. You are so fucking good at this. At everything.”
I’m relentless, not finished tasting every bit he can offer me and the fact that he is losing control just makes my desire that much stronger.
When I’m finally satisfied, I sit back and look up at him, licking my lips to show him how much I love what we just experienced together. “You are way too good to me, Anna.” He runs his hands through my hair. “Can I keep you?”
“Hmm, how long are you thinking?” I tease.
“I was hoping for forever.”
“Forever sounds amazing.”
When Keaton is recovered and recharged, he makes love to me in the house that has become my home in the time I’ve been here at Cheatham.
Just like the man I met that one night in Vegas, he was strong but gentle, assured but sweet, and everything I needed tonight.
And in the quiet after, curled against his chest, I finally let myself believe the worst is over and our happily ever after can truly begin.
We are safe.
We are home.
We are together.
Forever.