Chapter Nine
Zayne
Istare at Emma, trying to process. Is she saying she's in love with me? I'm afraid to hope, but I hope anyway. It's a powerful thing when it's all you've got.
"Why are you so sure I'll break your heart, baby girl?"
"I don't know." She shrugs helplessly. "Maybe because you make me feel something I'm afraid to lose."
"What's that?"
"Like I'm not alone." Her earnest, fearful expression cracks my heart in half. She's carried a helluva lot for a helluva long time, more than anyone should have had to carry. Fears about turning out like her mom, grief over losing her parents, and responsibility for Gran and Bets she had to grow up way too fucking fast. That kills me for her.
"I've been responsible for everything for so freaking long, Zayne. Carrying it all is exhausting. And then you come along and promise me that I'm safe. You make me feel like maybe I could lean on you, but I've never had that. I don't want to lose it, and I'm terrified if I let you get any closer, I will."
"Fuck," I growl. Of course, she's scared she's going to lose it. She's lost more than anyone should, far before she ever should have. Of course, she's afraid to let me in when it means opening herself to the possibility that she could lose more. But she's worked herself into knots over nothing.
I'm not going anywhere. There's not a damn thing she could do that would change my mind. Even on her worst day, she isn't capable of inflicting the kind of damage her mother inflicted. That's simply not who she is. She's bright and shining and pure, all the way down to her foundation.
And I'll work my ass off to guard that part of her, to protect it like the treasure it is. That's my job as her man. To let the world harden me so she stays soft and sweet. To use my back as a shield so nothing ever touches her.
I fucking hate that she's spent so much of her life afraid she'll end up alone, but hell will freeze over before I let that happen.
"You aren't going to lose it, Emma," I murmur. "I'm not goin' anywhere. And I don't give a shit what Gran and Bets do. I've been to hell and back for this country. You think I wouldn't do the same for you and those two old ladies to keep the three of you together?"
"It's not fair to ask you to help me with them, Zayne."
"You aren't asking, lamb. I'm telling you this is how it's going to be," I say, making the choice for her. "You wobbled your gorgeous ass into my office and stole my heart. Whether you want it or not, it's yours. So you might as well get used to the idea of me sticking around. You might as well prepare yourself for the fact that I'm going to be here, driving you just as fucking crazy as they do."
I release her, taking a step back to unbutton my shirt.
"What are you doing?" she asks warily.
"Showing you something." I quickly work the buttons through the holes before slipping the shirt off my shoulders and tossing it over the end of her bed. Her eyes eat me up, making my cock throb. But I ignore the greedy bastard for a moment, reaching for her hand. "Do you know what this means, baby girl?"
She traces her fingers over the tattoo on my chest, her touch searing me. "Familia ante omnia," she murmurs, reading the script inked there. "Familia means family, but I don't know the rest."
"It says family over all. It means family comes before everything." I tug her back into my arms, tipping her head back until those pretty blue eyes are locked on my face again. "They aren't just words inked into my skin. They're precisely the way I've always lived my life. My family comes before everything else."
"I love that," she whispers.
"You're family now, lamb. Gran and Bets are family now."
"Zayne." Her expression goes soft as her fingers dance over the delicate lines of ink.
"I'm in love with you, Emmaline Cooper. Madly, wildly, crazily in love with your gorgeous ass. So I'm going to need you to be brave and trust that I'm not going anywhere. Not today or tomorrow or the first time Gran and Bets cause a problem. Not the fifteenth or fiftieth time, either. You're family, and I don't give up on my family."
She blinks up at me, awe stamped across every delicate line of her face. "You mean that, don't you?"
"Which part?"
"All of it."
"Every word." I brush my lips across hers.
"I love you too," she whispers.
For the first time in my life, I know what perfection feels like. And for the first time in my life, I know exactly what heaven looks like. It's this curvy little lamb staring up at me with desire in her eyes and love on her lips.
"You can't take it back now, Emma," I warn her. "Not the words, not your heart, not any of it. You're mine now."
"I think I've always been yours, Zayne." Her gaze flickers over my face. "At least, I have been since I met you. Maybe even before. You feel inevitable, like fate."
"Fuck," I growl, claiming her lips. I pour my fucking soul into it as she slips into place in mine, lighting it up like a brand on flesh. Only, there is no pain. There's just pure fucking rapture.
She kisses me back just as deeply, her tongue working with mine as if she intends to live off the taste of me. I'll let her. Christ, I think I'd sell my soul at this point to keep this woman kissing me exactly like she can't get enough.
She mewls, coming back for more again and then again just like I did in the bathroom earlier. It's as if she's as helpless to stop herself as I was. She does nothing in half measures. When she fights, she fights for all she's worth. And when she surrenders, she surrenders every little piece of herself.
They're all mine now to worship however the fuck I want. I might just start on my knees where a motherfucker belongs. At least that's the plan until she slips her hand between us, running it across my pecs and then down my abdomen, bolder than she's ever been.
My entire body reacts to her touch. I tremble at the feel of her skin against mine. My dick throbs, begging her to continue her little exploration a little further south.
She keeps them above my waist, though, slowly driving me out of my mind. Right up until I boost her up in arms, trying to get some part of her where I want her.
Her legs encircle my waist, giving me a little taste of heaven as her pussy settles against my cock. Christ Almighty. If I'm not claiming her cherry and her womb soon, I'm going to snap.
"Oh," she gasps when she feels how fucking hard I am.
I wrap my hands around her, meaning to anchor her in place while I deal with the door. But Gran and Bets aren't the only two around here who don't know how to behave. Something flares in her eyes as she shifts around, wriggling against my cock.
"Fuck, that feels exactly like heaven."
She digs her nails into my shoulders and does it again.
I have her pressed against the door in two seconds, dry-humping her like my goddamn life depends on it. "Keep playing with me, and you'll be on your back, screaming my name before you can blink, lamb," I snarl, grinding my dick against her hot little center again.
"Who says I'm playing, Zayne?" she whispers back. Her nails rake down my arms, sending a bolt of desire right to my cock. "Maybe that's exactly what I want."
I buck my hips, growling. "You want me to fuck you through the mattress? Because that's what's going to happen if you don't behave. It's been a helluva long month."
"I just want you. However I can get you, Zayne. It's been a long month for me, too."
That's all I need to hear. Her every whim is my command.
I tear her thin pajama top down the middle, groaning when the fabric parts.
"Jesus Christ. Look at these." I bury my face between her tits. Who could resist? They're right there, looking like they were made for my mouth.
Her hand flies to my hair, holding me to her when I turn my head to the side, allowing me to drag one hard nipple into my mouth. She tastes exactly like she smells like fucking sunshine and magic.
I lavish attention on her tits, moving from one to the other until they're red with my marks, and she's writhing all over my cock, pleading for release.
"Are we movin' fast enough for you now, lamb?" I ask, peeling her away from the door to drop her on her bed. She bounces before sinking into the plush surface.
"N-no."
No?
Fuck. She has no sense of self-preservation at all. She's waving herself in front of a starving beast, curious to see if he'll take a bite. I have news for her. I may not be causing chaos like Gran and Bets, but I'm far from tame. If she wants me wild, that's exactly what she's going to get.
I pop the button on my slacks before crawling onto the bed over her. She stares up at me with those blue eyes that see straight to my soul, her cheeks flushed with desire.
"You're the sweetest little lamb I've ever met, Emma," I mutter, leaning down to brush a kiss against her mouth. "If you don't stop fucking with me, I'm going to teach you what lions do to lambs."
"Show me."
I growl, hooking my arm around her waist to haul her toward the center of the bed. She splays out in the middle of it, her arms flung wide as if she's inviting me to do my worst. If we're going to be staying here instead of at my place, we're going to need a bigger bed. Hers is too fucking small for all the ways I intend to put it to use.
"Stop me now if you don't plan to be carrying my kid before the end of the night."
"You want babies with me?" She smiles, her expression soft and sweet.
"Want them?" I snort derisively. "You'll be lucky if I don't keep you pregnant for the next ten years."
"I always wanted a big family," she whispers.
Well, shit, I guess I better get my ass to work then.
I brush another kiss across her lips before kissing my way down her body, stripping her shorts and panties from her in the process. Not a single inch of skin is left unexplored as I journey toward her juicy cunt. A spurt of cum shoots into my boxers when I'm face to face with that holy place, her legs splayed wide.
Her lips are spread open, her hard clit peeping from between them. Honey drips all the way down the crevice of her luscious ass, wetting her thick thighs.
"So fuckin' perfect," I groan, pressing a reverent kiss to her mound. She startles slightly and then moans. I shoulder her legs as far apart as I can get them, lifting her toward my mouth. My tongue runs along her lips, collecting her juices. As soon as they touch my tongue, I lose my fucking mind, exactly like I knew I would.
I attack her cunt like an unruly beast, not being polite about it.
She cries out, shock and ecstasy ringing around us as she grabs chunks of my hair. I use my teeth and tongue to drive her wild, not missing a single drop of the honey flowing from her. Her taste floods my mouth, and short-circuits my system. It still isn't enough.
I flip her onto her stomach, lifting her ass in the air to eat her from behind.
"Zayne!" she cries out, shocked when I pry her cheeks apart to shove my tongue between them. She chokes on a sob when I press the tip of it to her little asshole, taking everything that belongs to me like the greedy motherfucker I am. If she wanted soft and sweet, she shouldn't have played with fire.
Because I intend to burn the fucking bed down around us.
My hand comes down on her right cheek, as I bite the left, marking her there. Her startled yelp fades to a moan. She presses back for more, practically waving that ass in my face. I give her what she wants, eating both holes while I swat her cheeks. I smack her clit, too, fucking loving the way she sobs my name every time I do it. Loving the wet sound of my hand meeting her soppy pussy.
Her juices drip onto my chest, coating me in her, and still, I want more. I need it more than I need air or water or shelter. This right here is what I was made to do: spend my time on my knees, worshipping like an obedient little soldier. For her, that's precisely what I am. I may make the rules, but she holds all the power. She has since the moment I set eyes on her.
"Goddamn," I growl. "Lamb just became my favorite meal. I could eat you all night, Emma." I pull her clit into my mouth, sucking hard. "Maybe that's exactly what I'll do. Eat you all night." I stiffen my tongue, forcing the tip of it into her little hole. I want to taste the cherry on her. I fuck her with my tongue, giving her a little preview of what's to come.
"Zayne! Oh, God. What are you doing to me?"
Ruining you, I want to say, but I'm not stopping long enough to do that.
I smack her ass again, reaching around to grind my thumb against her clit at the same time.
She comes with a sharp cry, squirting all over me. I snarl against her pussy, losing what little sanity I had left. Before she's even finished shaking, I've got my dick out and have her on her back beneath me, pinning her to the bed with my body.
"Next time you do that, it'll be while I'm fucking my kid into you," I warn her.
"Yes. Please, yes." Her pupils are so dilated her eyes look black as she stares up at me, whimpering my name like it's the only one she knows. She locks her legs around my waist, letting me know just how much she likes my plan.
My cock glides through her sticky folds, her juices coating me. The heat of her sets every nerve ending in my body to firing at once.
Christ Almighty. I think I might actually be in danger of fucking her through the mattress here.
"I don't know how to be gentle," I say, distressed at the thought of hurting her. I'm so fucking amped up, I'm not sure I know how to be soft and sweet and give her what she deserves. But I'll rip my own goddamn heart out before I cause her the least amount of pain.
"You won't hurt me," she says, reaching up to place her palm against my cheek. The confidence in her gaze strengthens my own. "I can take anything you give me, so give it to me, Zayne. Make me yours."
A bolt of lust rips through me. I line up at her entrance, planting my lips beside her ear. "Give me what belongs to me, lamb."
"Take it," she breathes, her nails in my back.
I bury my face in her throat, fighting a roar as I thrust forward. I try to tell her that I love her, but all that comes out is, "Ah, Jesus fuck, baby girl."
I'm barely in her, and she's already got me hanging on by a thread. Her heels dig into my ass, her upper body arching off the bed. She writhes, caught in a net of pleasure and pain.
One minute, she's sobbing my name and clawing down my back, trying to pull me closer. The next, her hymen tears along the side of my shaft. Her teeth sink into my skin, muffling her soft cry.
I fall completely still, trying to give her a minute to adjust.
"Please, please," she chants. "Oh, God, Zayne."
"Breathe, lamb," I rasp. "Just breathe for me."
"I didn't k-know."
"Know what?"
"That it'd feel like this," she cries.
I lift my head to look at her. Only then do I realize she's not writhing in pain but in ecstasy. I just popped her cherry, and she loved every second of it.
I slip forward another inch. Her pussy clenches around my cock, another flood of honey spilling across my shaft.
"Jesus," I growl, the evidence of her pleasure snapping the bonds of my self-control. She can handle me. Fuck, I think she may own me.
I stop worrying about hurting her and start moving.
I surge forward and fall back, pounding into her as if I intend to imprint my cock inside her. Hell, maybe that's exactly what I mean to do. Ensure she remembers I was here even when I'm not. Aches for me as soon as I'm gone. Lives for this.
"So good, so good," she babbles, clawing my back all to hell.
I tip my head down, claiming her mouth in a punishing kiss. Her mouth moves with mine. She moves with me, meeting every stroke, matching my rhythm. If I was born to worship her, she was born to let me do it with her on my cock. She bites and scratches, leaving her marks littering my body.
I leave mine behind too, creating a roadmap of love bites across her skin. The hollow of her throat. Her breasts. Her right shoulder. Everywhere I can reach as I drive into her, lost in her and the powerful blasts of pleasure threatening to annihilate me.
I want to possess her, bury myself in her so deeply she can't ever get me out again.
That's my new goal in life. To spend the rest of it fucking her just like this. To spend it tying her soul to mine so tightly, I'll find her in whatever life comes next. Because now that I've had a taste of this? Now that I know she exists, and this is what we are together? There's not a single version of eternity that interests me unless I get to spend it exactly like this.
She's mine. Mine. Mine. Mine.
"Yes," she sobs. "Yes, I'm yours."
Only then do I realize I'm saying it out loud, growling the word mine every time I thrust into her. Her agreement fans the flames, sending me higher. I fuck her harder, deeper. Until I can't fight it anymore.
If she doesn't come soon, I'm going to explode.
I slip my hand between us, zeroing in on her clit. My teeth sink into the soft skin where her neck meets her shoulder. She practically levitates off the bed, gasping my name. She's right there, toes dangling over the edge.
"I love you."
Those three little words the simplest truth I've ever spoken send her free-falling over the side of the cliff. She creams all over my cock, her cunt locking down around my shaft as if she's commanding me to come too.
I go off like a bomb, pumping my cum into her in powerful spurts. I fuck her without rhythm, my hips slamming into hers again and again as I empty myself into her, claiming her womb.
It goes on for an eternity, leaving me blind and shaking. And more convinced than ever that I'll never get enough of this woman. Not today, not tomorrow, and not in this lifetime or any that comes after it.
I'm hers, permanently, unalterably. Forever.