9. Henry
Chapter 9
Henry
The howling wind is doing a number on the power lines outside, and just like that, darkness swallows the living room. As far as I’m concerned, not having power makes the situation all the more perfect. The fireplace crackles with a vengeance as I finish laying out the makeshift bed, the warmth battling the chill seeping through the walls of the house. The wind howls outside, but within these walls, we’re cocooned in an unexpected tranquility.
“Cozy,” Shay comments, her voice laced with a wonder that’s contagious.
“Practical,” I correct her, a smirk pulling at my mouth. “We’ve got enough wood to last us till doomsday. And food. My great-grandparents built this house. It’ll see us through whatever else the weather throws at us.”
She chuckles softly, settling down onto the blankets with a poise that doesn’t quite mask the undercurrent of nerves. I can’t blame her. We’re trapped by a blizzard in the house, and she’s with a man she’s still learning to trust. Hell, I’m still learning to trust myself around her.
I plop down beside her and grab a couple of battery-powered string lights from the box near the tree. I drape them over a nearby chair, illuminating the room in a soft glow that dances across Shay’s face, casting shadows that make her look even more beautiful. The colors reflect in her green eyes, catching the firelight like they’re glowing from within.
“Better?” I ask, watching her reaction as closely as I’ve watched every move she’s made since this storm began.
“Much,” she says, drawing her knees to her chest, looking every bit the picture of vulnerability. She hugs her arms around her legs, her chin resting lightly on her knees. Despite her sunny disposition, she has a fragility I want to protect as fiercely as I would the ranch.
“Tell me more about your family,” I venture cautiously, breaking the comfortable silence between us. It’s a bold move, one I wouldn’t usually make, but I want to peel back the layers of mystery surrounding her. I need to know what’s shaped her, what’s made her strong enough to end up here with me.
Shay hesitates, her gaze falling to the flickering flames. She picks at the edge of the blanket, her fingers twisting the fabric in a nervous motion. “Well, my dad, um, he isn’t a good man. Drinks a lot.” She swallows hard, and the weight of her words pulls me deeper into her world. “When I lived there, it was bad. He was mean. Verbally. Physically. I thought moving out would change things, but whenever I went back to see Mom, it was like I never left. I was slapped as often as I was when I was a kid. And Mom just accepted it. Still does.”
Her voice shakes slightly, but an undercurrent of resolve keeps her from breaking. My hands clench into fists at my sides, anger bubbling low in my gut at the pain she endured. She shouldn’t have faced that kind of hell, not alone.
“Sounds like hell,” I murmur, my tone low and controlled. I force my fists to relax. She doesn’t need my anger right now. She needs to know I’m listening.
She nods, biting her lip. “It was. That’s why I needed out. I couldn’t take it anymore, watching my mom deal with her cuts only after cleaning his bloody hands. I’m never going to live like that again.”
Her eyes lift to meet mine, a steeliness in their depths, a survivor’s resolve. It stirs something deep inside me, something primal and protective.
“Guess we both needed something different,” I say, the truth of the statement settling in like the snow outside. “You know you’re safe here, right? With me?”
“From the moment I stepped through the door,” Shay admits with a soft smile. “Even though you looked like a thunderbolt ready to explode, my instincts told me I was safe with you.”
“Good.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Because for the first time in a long while, I’m... happy. With Shay. “I know I’m not an easy man to live with, but I would never lay a finger on you in anger,” I say gruffly as I stoke the fire, sending a cascade of sparks dancing up the chimney. The warmth battles the chill from the corners of the room, and I’m aware of that same warmth melting the frost around my heart. It’s been there so long that I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to feel anything else.
“Your turn,” Shay says, her voice soft but firm, like she knows she’s asking me to cross a line I drew in concrete.
I push a log until it settles with a satisfying crackle. I can’t look at her, not yet, if I’m going to get this all out. I poke at the log again before I continue.
“Dad was a SEAL. He started preparing my brothers and me to be SEALs before we learned how to ride bikes. I guess that’s why we followed in his footsteps.” The words feel strange and foreign, coming out after being buried for so long.
“Tom and Angus too?” Shay asks in surprise.
I chuckle, knowing she’s referring to how different we are in temperament, although Angus is more guarded, like me. “Yeah, a few years after me. Tom loved it. Angus had… a tougher time of it.”
Shay frowns, but doesn’t push for more information. It’s one of the things I admire about her—she’s a good listener and respects the privacy and boundaries of others. Angus will share his story with her one day, I’m sure, but it’s not mine to tell.
“Dad and the Navy made me who I am,” I continue. “Loyalty, honor, and discipline mean everything to me. Or they did until…”
“Your ex?” Her head tilts, that damned cute nose crinkling in concern.
“Until I came home to find my wife with someone else.” The confession is like ripping off a scab. “I loved her, Shay. And she…”
Shay scoots closer, bridging the gap between us until our shoulders touch. Her warmth seeps into me, calming and comforting. “She didn’t deserve you, Henry.”
“Maybe,” I concede, my voice a rough whisper. The pain is still there, but it’s duller now, like a knife that’s lost its edge. In truth, it’s faded with each day Shay has been in my life.
“Love is supposed to be a fairy tale, right?” Shay chuckles, but there’s no humor in it. “At least, that’s what I thought. But my dad taught me differently. He taught me it was more like a horror story.”
“Is that what you still think?” I ask, turning to face her.
“Since meeting you?” She hesitates, then lets out a breath. “I don’t know. You make me want to believe again. To hope that maybe there’s a different ending for me. For us.”
“Hope’s not a bad thing to have.” My hand finds hers, fingers intertwining naturally. “Not at all.”
“Even for us?” Her question is a whisper, but it’s as clear as if she’d shouted it.
“Especially for us,” I affirm, knowing the truth of my words. “We’re both a little broken, but maybe we fit together.”
“Like two busted wheels on a shopping cart? A little wobbly, but we still get where we’re going.” A small laugh escapes her, and the sound is sweeter than any music.
“Only you could compare us to a shopping cart.” I chuckle, squeezing her hand and reveling in the trust and respect growing between us. It’s unexpected. But I’m not about to let it go. Not this time.
I lean in, my lips finding hers in the glow of the fire. It’s a soft kiss, a promise more than anything, and her response is gentle but eager.
A smile tugs at my lips as I pull back. “We’ve both got our share of scars, but maybe we can start to heal them. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but… what if we try to make a life together? This thing between us, it’s caught me off guard, but I’m willing to dive in if you are.”
Her green eyes, usually so full of sunshine, now hold a gravity that tells me she understands the weight of my words. She nods, her hair brushing against her cheek as she moves. It’s a sight, her looking up at me with those emerald eyes full of trust.
“Making this real, being your wife for real, would mean more to me than a title or an escape,” she says, her voice earnest. “I wasn’t hunting for love when I met you, but you and your family have shown me something I didn’t know was out there. And yeah, I want that. I want all of it.”
“I want it all too. With you,” I admit, leaning in for another kiss that seals our unspoken vows. Together, we’re more than we ever thought possible.
The kiss deepens, and the world outside ceases to exist. The howling wind, the biting cold—it all fades away, leaving only the warmth of Shay in my arms. Her touch soothes the parts of me I thought were too damaged to heal.
I pull back slightly, enough to see her face. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips slightly swollen from our kiss, and her eyes glisten with something I can’t quite name but recognize all the same. Hope. The same hope that’s been quietly blooming in me since the day she walked into my life.
“Shay,” I murmur, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “This… us… it’s not about the ranch anymore.”
Her lips part, and she stares at me like she’s trying to piece together what I’m saying. “What is it about?”
“It’s about us.” The words come easier than I expected, steady and true. “You. Me. What we could have together.”
A soft smile spreads across her face, tentative but genuine. “You mean that?”
“Every word.” I tighten my hold on her, needing her to know how serious I am. “I didn’t think I’d ever want this again, Shay. Hell, I didn’t even think it was possible. But you’ve changed everything.”
Her fingers curl into the fabric of my shirt, anchoring herself to me. “You’ve changed everything for me, too, Henry. I didn’t think I’d ever feel safe again, let alone… wanted.”
“You’re more than wanted,” I say, my voice rough with emotion. “You’re needed. You’re everything I didn’t know I was missing.”
She leans into me, resting her forehead against mine. “Show me.”
“My pleasure,” I rumble, sliding my hand through her silky hair to cup her nape and pull her in for a hard, heated kiss. I slide my other hand beneath her sweatshirt. “No bra, wife?” I mutter against her mouth when I find smooth, unfettered skin.
A whimper emerges from the bottom of her lungs as I cup her breast and softly circle the nipple until it tightens into a hard bud. She leans into me more heavily, as if her body is robbed of strength.
I slide my tongue along the seam of her mouth, and Shay opens at my silent command. The kiss turns demanding, my tongue gliding along hers, and all rational thought burns to ashes. There’s only Shay and the scorching intimacy we share.
She grasps at my sweatshirt, her hands searching restlessly over my chest. “Henry,” she moans, her neck arching as my tongue traces an intricate pattern on her throat.
I lift my head and smile in masculine satisfaction when I see the passion-softened curve of her lips and the haziness of her green eyes. “You’re mine, Shay. Do you understand?”
She nods dazedly. “I belong here. With you.”
I undress us leisurely, pausing often to claim her mouth with languid kisses. This morning, our coming together was quick and urgent, but tonight, I want to take my time, savor every inch of her soft skin and every sigh from her plump lips.
When I finally remove her panties and she’s naked, she presses herself against me with a whimper of relief. Her skin is warm and satin-smooth, her nipples rubbing the hair on my chest.
Shay reaches between us and curls her fingers around my cock. As she clasps me, it moves with a will of its own. A guttural groan escapes my throat before I can stop it. I watch her, her brow furrowing in concentration, her lips parting slightly as if she’s experiencing every sensation I am.
“You’re perfect,” I murmur, unable to keep the words from tumbling out. “Don’t rush. Take your time.”
Her eyes meet mine, a flicker of boldness in those verdant depths that takes my breath away. Slowly, her grip tightens, her strokes becoming more confident, and every nerve in my body ignites under her touch. It’s not just the pleasure she’s giving me—it’s the way she opens herself to this. To me.
And damn if I’m not completely undone by it.
I’m harder than I’ve ever been, my shaft ridged with veins and pulsing in time with my heartbeat. My voice is thick with desire as I guide her fingers to the head. “This is where it’s most sensitive.”
She gives me a shy smile. “I worked that out last night when I had you in my mouth.”
I groan as I remember her sweet mouth wrapped around me. My hips jerk as she strokes the broad tip and the small slit in the center until a drop of precum seeps out. It makes my skin slippery, and she circles the head with her fingertips before sliding her hand down to explore my tight balls nestled beneath.
I catch her wrist. “That’s enough for now,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Why?”
“Because I’m about to come all over your hand.”
She smirks. “And?”
I laugh low in my throat. “And we’re doing this my way,” I clarify, pressing her back onto our makeshift bed. “I plan to take my time with you tonight.”
I bend over her, my hot breath fanning her breast. The tip of my tongue teases her nipple, and she grasps my shoulders, straining upward. I nibble and suck lightly at the hardening peak, then move to the other breast.
“Henry,” she says desperately.
“Mmm?”
“I need more…”
I raise my head, satisfied when I see the flush on her cheeks. My hand descends to her stomach, and her hips lift in an arch. She moans in gratitude as my fingers slide through the triangle of curls at the apex of her thighs, finding the bundle of nerves hidden between her silky folds.
“Oh, Henry, don’t stop, please,” Shay moans when I remove my hand.
“I want something else,” I mutter, trailing kisses down her body until my shoulders are lodged between her thighs.
She raises on her elbows to look down at me, licking her lips nervously. “This is new. Are you sure you want to… Oh, fuck.”
Her elbows collapse, and she falls back to the bedding as I press her swollen folds open, my tongue touching the delicate peak between them. Diving in, I lick her in long, sinuous laps that make her quiver.
Her hips move instinctively, rising upward in repeated surges. I slide my hands under her ass, guiding her rhythm while my tongue strums, bathes, and bats her clit. Her muscles clench and pulse, and I know she’s close.
“Oh, God,” Shay whimpers, suspended on the brink of climax. “Please, please?—”
Lifting my head, I lever my body over hers and enter her with a deep flex of my hips.
Shay cries out, her muscles instinctively tightening at the relentless intrusion. She shifts, trying to accommodate me. Stretched tight, she’s unable to take any more.
I pause, reminding myself that she’s still new to intimacy. Eager and enthusiastic… but probably still sore from last night and this morning. Hell, I’m new to this kind of intimacy too—not the physical act, but the trust, the connection. The way she looks at me as if I’m her entire world does something to me, unraveling all the barriers I’ve built over the years.
My mouth brushes over hers, and I whisper, “Easy. Relax, sweetheart. Do you need me to stop?”
“Stop?” she squeaks, looking horrified. “God, no! Don’t you dare. You’re big, and I’m sore, but I kind of like it. Is that weird?”
I chuckle, then groan as she clenches around me. “No, sweetheart. No such thing as weird when it comes to this as long as we both enjoy it.” I smirk. “Let me see if I can help…”
Sliding my hand between our bodies, I stroke her clit while I press forward in slow nudges.
“Oh! Y-yes, that helps, Henry,” Shay gasps, her fingernails digging into my hips.
Each surge of my hips draws a moan from her throat, and she bites her lip to hold in the sounds. Then I’m all the way inside her, gliding full and deep, burying every inch of my cock inside her.
I withdraw almost to the head of my shaft, then submerge the entire length with excruciating slowness, my chest hair teasing her nipples, my stomach brushing hers.
Shay bucks upward, her hips pushing into my long thrusts until she begs frantically, “Please don’t be gentle now. Do it harder, please?—”
My mouth covers hers, muffling her cries as I plunge forward. Her inner muscles cling to me with each withdrawal, the friction sending delicious spirals of sensation to the base of my spine. My climax bubbles in my balls, but I won’t give it free rein yet. I need my wife to get there first.
I renew my efforts on her clit, sliding, circling, and rubbing until she’s sobbing her need beneath me. Capturing her bundle of nerves between my thumb and forefinger, I pinch.
“Hen-ryyyy!”
My name emerges in hitched moan as her body shakes with violent spasms. Her pussy pulses and clenches around me, milking my cock until I explode inside her with a feral growl. I sink deep, as deep as I can go, sealing my pelvis to hers as my cock unleashes inside her, leaving me gasping for breath.
I watch, awed, as Shay continues to twitch and jerk with delight. Another wave of sensation rolls over her, and she moans and shivers with a second climax. Watching her come undone is the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. And in that instant, I know she’s the most precious thing in my life.
Catching my breath, I press kisses to her forehead, cheeks, and eyelids. After a few minutes, I move onto my side, tucking her against me. Shay stretches luxuriously as I spread her fiery hair over my chest. I fucking love her hair, love the subtle scent of coconut that clings to the silky-soft strands. Hell, I love everything about her. No use denying it anymore.
We stay like that for a while, wrapped in each other and the quiet glow of the room. The fire crackles softly, the fairy lights casting a warm, golden hue over us. It feels like the world has shrunk to just this—just us.
Eventually, Shay pulls back, her eyes searching mine. “So, what now?”
“Now,” I say, tilting her chin up so our gazes lock, “we make this marriage real, in and out of the bedroom.”
Her smile widens, and she nods.
The weight of that commitment settles over me, heavy and light all at once. It’s not something I thought I’d ever want again, but with Shay, it’s the only thing that makes sense.
I hold her close as she rests her head on my shoulder, tracing idle patterns along her arm.
“You know,” Shay says after a while, her voice soft, “I’ve always hated Christmas.”
I glance down at her, surprised. “Yeah?”
She nods, her eyes fixed on the flickering flames. “Growing up, it was always a mess. My dad drank too much, my mom pretended everything was fine, and I waited for it to all explode. It never felt magical, just… tense.”
I kiss her forehead, a silent promise that she’ll never have to feel that way again. “This Christmas is going to be different.”
“It already is,” she says, looking up at me with a smile that makes my chest ache in the best way.
Tomorrow will bring challenges: the ranch, the storm, the uncertainty of what lies ahead.
But tonight, with Shay beside me, I know we can face it all.