Guarding His Sunshine (Men of Valor Springs #9)

Chapter Nine

Missy

I yank the curtains open with a grin, the morning sun spilling its golden light across the front yard. I haven’t had sleep this good in a long time, and one look at the bright sky tells me it’s going to be a beautiful day. I blush at the memories Howard and I made last night, the intensity of our connection, and how Howard brought me back to his bedroom and we made love again and again.

My heart flutters at the thought, and I can’t help but wonder what this means for us. We didn’t exactly confess our love for each other last night, but we came close. The connection I have with him is unlike anything else I have ever experienced, and I don’t want it to end. Will it? Once my stalker is taken care of, I have a career to get back to. I hope I do anyway. I haven’t dared to contact my manager yet, and Howard hasn’t mentioned any calls from the man. When I do speak with him, I’m sure he will be angry. The question is, will he cancel my contract with the label?

If I do have a career to return to, how will I keep Howard in my life while pursuing my dreams? He has his own career in Valor Springs. He wouldn’t want to follow me, would he?

No. I am not going to allow myself to overthink this. I’m just going to have breakfast with the man I love and spend the rest of the day with him. I don’t care that we’ll be locked in all day. It’s enough that he’ll be here. Whatever the future holds, I’m determined to enjoy the present.

I’m practically skipping down the hall, and my grin widens when I smell pancakes. My mouth waters at the thought of fluffy stacks drizzled with syrup.

I’m so caught up in my excitement that I don’t notice the slight chill in the air as I hurry toward the kitchen. But I skid to a halt when I reach the front room, my heart dropping like a stone when I spot Howard by the open front door, clipping a leash to Bear’s collar. Confusion washes over me, and my smile falters.

When I woke up this morning, I envisioned us together in his kitchen, sipping coffee and enjoying a lazy morning, but instead, he’s preparing to leave. “Hey,” I call out, leaning against the wall. “Going somewhere?”

He looks up and flashes me a smile, but there is something in his expression that puts me on edge, and it occurs to me that he might regret last night. Did the intensity of our connection scare him, maybe? Is he… God, is he tired of me already?

“I can practically see your mind running, princess. Slow down.”

He’s right. I’m jumping the gun here. I force in a deep breath and return his smile. “So, um, where are you going?”

“I’m taking Bear to the vet,” he says, confirming that he’s leaving.

“I’ll come with if you give me a moment to get changed—”

“No need, we’re already late for his appointment,” he cuts me off, and my stomach twists in disappointment. I wasn’t just looking forward to having breakfast together but to spending time with him. I don’t care if it’s at home or at the vet’s…

“I’ll be quick,” I manage to say, my voice barely above a whisper, excitement completely draining from my face. “I’ve had to get ready in record time when I have shows, so I can be fast.”

He gives me that apologetic smile, one that makes my heart flutter despite the moment. There is something in those gray eyes that leaves me unsettled, questioning again if something changed overnight.

Howard gets to his feet, crossing the distance between us, and his mouth is down on mine before I can say a word. “Nothing’s changed since last night, princess,” he rasps between kisses, and I wonder not for the first time if indeed he can read my mind. “You are still the only woman I want. The only one I need. I’m just taking Bear for a routine vet visit, and we’ll be back before you know it. I didn’t want to wake you up, princess. Just relax and enjoy some breakfast while you wait for us to get back. We’ll talk when I get home.”

Then what’s with the guilty look in your eyes ? I want to ask, but I push it back. It’s probably my insecurities talking, so I refuse to show them. “Okay, I’ll be waiting.”

“I promise, we’ll be back soon,” he says, pushing back to look at me. There’s affection in his eyes when they lock with mine, but it doesn’t quite ease the sinking feeling in my chest. I watch as he grabs the leash and slips out the door with Bear. I walk to the window and watch them climb into his truck before driving off.

With a sigh, I head to the kitchen. I might as well enjoy the pancakes while they’re still hot. I’m probably overthinking, and maybe the guilty look in his eyes was because he was taking Bear to the vet and leaving me home alone. Now that makes more sense. I would have loved to be there with them, but we’ll have the rest of the day to spend together.

Feeling better already, I pour myself a glass of orange juice and fix a plate, hopping onto the counter and digging a fork into my syrup-covered pancakes. I moan as it practically melts in my mouth, and the heartache from earlier eases. If I didn’t already love Howard, his pancakes might be the thing to do it. I dig into the stack until I’m stuffed before pushing the plate away with a happy sigh.

“I could get used to this,” I hum, climbing off the counter to clean the dishes, figuring I’ll probably vacuum the house next or something. I need to make myself useful while I’m here. I put everything away once I’m done with the dishes, and I’m about to figure out what I need to do next when my thoughts are disrupted by the doorbell.

That really was fast. Howard must have forgotten his keys or something.

The skip in my step is back as I make my way to the front door, but my face falls when I peek out to see a delivery man standing on the porch. Howard just left, of course he isn’t back yet, and what are the chances he’d forget his keys?

Get a grip, Missy!

I open the door, forcing a smile to my face to greet the delivery man, but my face freezes when he speaks. “Hello, Missy,” the man says with a wide grin, and it takes a little too long for me to snap out of my stupor, and by the time I go to slam the door, it’s already too late. He jumps toward me and forces his way into the house. His eyes drop to my body, and I shiver with fear when I realize I am yet again dressed in nothing but Howard’s t-shirt, one that barely reaches mid-thigh, exposing my legs. It was an outfit choice that was meant only for Howard’s eyes.

My heart sinks to my stomach, and I tremble. God, I shouldn’t have opened the door.

I notice the man is momentarily distracted by what I’m wearing, and I take that chance to sprint down the hall, running straight to the bathroom, heart pounding in my chest. I slam the door behind me seconds before he crashes straight into it. I press my back against it, my hands trembling as I fumble with the lock, feeling the cool metal against my skin. He curses from the other side, kicking the door and making me jump away from it in fear.

“Missy, open the door!”

I glance around the small room, searching for something to use as a barricade if he tries to get in, and I know he will. There is not much I can use in the bathroom, and I doubt the toilet tank lid will be of much help in blocking the door, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use it as a weapon. Maybe I can smash it over his head if he manages to break through.

“Missy!”

I don’t respond, drooping to the floor and hugging my knees to my chest as I realize how dumb I’ve been. It’s the kid from the gas station, I suddenly realize. There was something off about him, but I was too jumpy and scared to pick up on all the clues that spelled trouble.

I missed it.

“Melissa Sullivan, open this fucking door before I find something to break it down!”

Shit, that’s not good. If he leaves, there is no telling what he’ll find in Howard’s home, maybe even one of the guns he keeps in his closet. I bet breaking the door down wouldn’t be hard either with enough force. No, my silence won’t do. My best chance right now is to engage him and hope my cop gets home in time to save me.

“Who are you? Why the hell have you been stalk—following me?” I call out, pushing down the panic that threatens to choke me. “What do you want?”

“Open the door, and we’ll talk.” His voice comes through deceptively gentle, and it takes me by surprise for a moment. He’s not the beastly figure I’d pictured in my head. I remember his baby face and bushy brows, things that made me drop my guard around him.

“No,” I whisper, hoping my voice carries to his side. “I…I want to know you first and your intentions for me. Don’t you think you’d lock this door if you were in my place too?”

Long beats of silence pass before he finally decides to speak. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted you, Missy. Watching you has saved my life.”

Then why didn’t he approach me like a normal person? I figure asking that out loud might set him off. “How?” I humor him.

“My life was so mundane and pointless, and then one day, your face popped up in a video online. It was a clip from one of your shows, and I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I wanted to know you, but then I found out you were dating that bastard, Sebastian Foster.”

“How did you find out where I live?”

“Weeks of following you around like a love-sick puppy led me to your place. When I saw you in person for the first time, I knew it was you I wanted just as certainly as I knew I’m the best man for you,” he says, and it’s almost romantic—in a sick, twisted way. “Then you let him touch you!”

My head whips up at his words. “What do you mean?”

“I was there in the woods when you let that beast touch you, and you were moaning like a bitch in heat!” he rages, kicking the door, and I jump, my back hitting the cupboard. “In the middle of a fucking park, you let him touch you!”

He was there? Oh God! My mind races with all the possible scenarios that could have happened that night. He was so close, and Howard and I had been too wrapped up in each other to be on our guard.

I gasp, replaying that morning and Howard’s possessive words. Had Howard realized we were being watched?

“You ran away from the city and into the arms of a monster. You need to pay for that. For spitting on my love by letting that animal touch you.”

I jump again, pressing further back when he kicks the door, and I can see the frame splinter. I stand and grab the lid of the toilet tank and hold it up like a baseball bat, ready to swing the moment he breaks through the door. He kicks the door again, and I watch with horror as the frame gives way. I brace myself for whatever is coming, but rather than my stalker coming through the broken door, I hear a ferocious growl followed by a scream.

I cower in the corner, my eyes locked on the door. I strain my hearing and catch a series of pained groans and low snarls. I cry out when I hear a loud thud followed by rough grunts as something hits the floor.

Then there’s silence for several long minutes. A whimper climbs up my throat when I catch the sound of someone trying to pull away the broken door.

Is this it?

Is this how I die? I’ve been running for so long, and this feels like the end of the road for me. God, I should have told Howard I love him when I had the chance.

I brace myself for whatever the stalker is going to do, but I hear it, that familiar voice that I love so much.

“Missy? Princess, are you okay? Talk to me!”

Before I can utter a word, a set of strong arms wraps around my body, and I catch the warm scent of cedar. I sob with relief and slump against those strong arms, boneless, letting him take all of my weight.

He’s here!

“I’m sorry, princess,” he rasps into my neck. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

God, he’s here! “It’s not your fault,” I whimper, burrowing into his arms.

“It is,” he says thickly, and I catch the pain in his tone. “It’s my fucking fault he got so close, but it’s the only way I could catch him. The only way I could put an end to everything.”

The meaning of his words doesn’t immediately register, and when it does, I push back from the embrace, my eyes wide with shock. There is remorse in his eyes, and I break our eye contact to look past him to where a man is lying unconscious just outside the room. “You set me up,” I choke out, jumping to my feet, and he follows, stepping in front of me and blocking my view of the guy on the floor. “You used me as bait to lure him out.” I don’t know how to feel, and the conflicted feeling intensifies when he doesn’t immediately deny it.

The guilty expression I read on his face before he left makes sense now. “I am so fucking sorry, baby. I wanted to catch him. I knew he was watching the house, waiting for me to leave. I wanted to be rid of him so he’d stop torturing you!” he says gruffly, stepping into my space and backing me to the sink. “I love you, Missy. It killed me that this was the only way I could catch the bastard once and for all. It killed me leaving you vulnerable in this house, but I had to do it. I had to stop him.”

That murderous look on his face is back as he talks about my stalker, and a part of me is scared for the man lying on the floor. “You should have told me, then at least I would have been prepared.” At the very least, I would have been ready to defend myself.

“I wasn’t sure you’d agree to my plan.” He’s probably right, and I want to be mad at him for blindsiding me the way he did. There is no telling what the man on the floor would have done to me if I hadn’t managed to escape or if he’d gotten through the door before Howard returned. “I wouldn’t have let him touch a hair on your head,” he says, once again reading my mind. Or maybe I’m just that easy for him to understand. “I was right behind him when he walked in, and when you locked yourself in the bathroom and he started talking, I wanted to record what he said, get his confession on record so there’s no denying he has been the one stalking you.”

“He said he did it because he was in love with me.”

“That isn’t love,” Howard says, sliding his hand around my waist, and I gasp when he lifts me onto the counter. “If it was, it would never have occurred to him to hurt you or scare you as much as he did.”

My eyes briefly stray to the door. “Where’s Bear?”

Howard lets out a chuckle. “He’s out in the hall, standing guard. I called it in, and my partner will be here soon to arrest that bastard. In the meantime, Bear is making sure he doesn’t try to make a run for it.”

“Howie…” I gasp when his mouth drops to my neck, licking the pulse drumming against my skin. My panicked eyes move to the man on the floor again, and my stomach lurches at what might have happened. Howard must sense my distress because he straightens and pulls me in tight to his chest, wrapping me up in a hug. I feel him drop a kiss to the top of my head. “I swear to you, Missy, I would never have let anything happen to you.” I can hear the truth in his words, and I’m about to respond when there’s a commotion from the front of the house.

A moment later, Bear gives an excited yip and a uniformed cop pokes his head into the bathroom. “Sorry to interrupt,” he says, “but I heard there’s some trash here that needs taking out?”

Howard laughs as he pulls away from me. “Yeah, Danny. Thanks for getting here so fast.”

The next couple of hours are a whirlwind of activity as Danny takes our statements and hauls my stalker away. My relief is immense. The nightmare is finally over. But as Howard and I settle into the quiet of the living room, a new worry settles like a weight in my stomach. Now what? Where does this leave Howard and me?

Howard drops down next to me on the couch and pulls me onto his lap. I drop my head onto his shoulder as I straddle him, molding our bodies together. “I love you,” I whisper, deciding in the moment to lay it all on the line. Whatever happens, Howard needs to know how I feel. “I love you, Howie. You saved me, and for that, I will only ever belong to you.”

My throat closes up as I wait for his reply. His body relaxes, and he falls forward against me, tucking his face into my neck as he speaks against my skin. “I love you, Melissa,” he breathes into my neck. “In a short few days, you’ve become my life.”

“I love you,” I say again, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. “I was terrified you had a change of heart this morning.”

“Let me show you then just how sure I am about my feelings for you.”

“Oh!” I gasp when he pulls me hard over the hard bulge in his pants, and I barely have time to respond before he slips his tongue between my lips. We lose ourselves in the kiss, breaking apart only long enough to shed our clothes. When we’re finally bare, he lays me back on the couch and begins to work his way down my body.

“Howie!” My back arches with a sob when he closes his mouth over my aching clit as my hands flap about, looking for something to grasp. My sex grows slick with arousal as he laps at it like a horny beast. “God… Howie… Oh!”

I cry out when he tracks his tongue hungrily over the valley of my sex, lapping at my arousal with such hunger it sends moisture pooling in my sex. A sob climbs up my throat when his middle finger enters me, making obscene wet noises as he slides it in and out of me, grunting as he licks at the juices coating my inner thighs.

My body is strung tight, inching dangerously close to a storm that only he is able to rouse inside of me.

I whine when he pulls away, leaving his thick digit inside of me as he settles back between my thighs. “Fuck, baby, I love the way you react to my touch. One kiss, and you’re already dripping for me,” he says gruffly, taking his cock in hand.

I whimper when he pulls his thick digit from my pulsing sex, and I moan when he inches his thick cock into me, slowly stretching me. “You belong to me, Missy. Only me!”

His mouth slams down on mine, and I sob as he starts hammering into me, his massive hands digging into my thighs as he takes me with violent thrusts that send my toes curling. The crude sounds of our lovemaking fill the room, and I try to restrain my cries, but it turns impossible as his rough grunts mingle with my pleasured moans. I feel him everywhere, the loud beat of his heart matching my own.

We’re animals, feeding on each other’s desire.

“I’m going to flood this tight little pussy,” he growls. “Breed you until you’re swollen with my child. Every inch of this perfect little body belongs to me!”

“Oh God, yes,” I sob, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and arching into his thrusts, my breathing growing labored as I feel that familiar tightening deep in my tummy grow stronger. “Yours. Only yours.”

“Goddamn right you are!” He drops his finger between us and strums my clit in firm strokes, sending me closer to the edge. “Come for me, baby. Want to feel your pussy come all over my cock!”

A strong current sweeps through my system, and everything tightens at once. My mouth parts with a scream as my sex clenches hard around his cock before releasing with an explosion that sends bright stars shooting behind my eyelids. I sob as he continues to pound me through the rough tremors, intensifying the orgasm. I claw his shoulders, rough shudders rocking my body, and he’s not too far behind as his muscles tighten before he fills me with his seed, roaring as he buries his release in my womb, thrusting wildly into me until I’ve milked him off every drop.

Once we’ve caught our breath, still tangled together on the couch, I can’t help but ask, “Will it always be like this?”

“I don’t think I’ll live to see a day when I don’t want you. When my body and heart don’t desperately crave you. You belong to me.”

I smile, sniffing back the tears that threaten to choke me. “You belong to me too. No more bringing damsels in distress home with you.”

His lip tugs upward as he fights a smirk. “You were the exception, princess. Always will be.”

“What happens now?”

“Well, your stalker is in jail, charged with stalking, breaking and entering, and attempted assault, along with whatever other crimes the DA can think of,” he says, pulling back to look at me. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

I nod, trusting him like I never have anyone else. “And us? What do we do now?” I ask.

“We live, princess. We’ll get married, you’ll become the superstar you are meant to be, and we’ll be happy. Together. Always.”