7. Adrian
7
ADRIAN
“ A drian, is that really you?” Dawson asks as he sits next to me on a park bench. “Is everything okay? It’s not often I see you twice in the same week.”
“Or month,” Milo, aka Beast, adds.
I manage to tear my eyes away from Evergreen Books & Trinkets just long enough to acknowledge the two men next to me. Normally, I’d make an excuse to leave, but nothing can put me in a bad mood today. Not when Amelia is just about to leave work and I get to spend the rest of the day and night with her.
“Things change,” I tell them.
Beast scoffs and shakes his head. “Not around here, they don’t,” he mutters under his breath. The imposing man tugs at the long sleeves of his shirt, making sure they are covering his arms.
Like Dawson and myself, Beast is former military. The scars on his arms tell the story of why he was discharged, though he seems to be self-conscious about them. I get it. If I could hide the ugly mark tearing through my left brow, I would. Unfortunately, wearing an eye patch would only draw more attention.
Ever since meeting Amelia, however, I find that the hangups I used to have about my appearance and my general awkward, off-putting demeanor are fading into the background. She saw right through my bullshit and met me where I was at. She soothed the aches and pains and built me up into a better man than I ever thought I could be. And it's only been a handful of days since we met.
“So, are you going to tell us why you’re here?” Dawson asks, breaking into my thoughts.
“Waiting for my girl to get off work,” I say, basking in their shocked expressions.
“Wait, the guy who only comes into town like four times a year found himself a girlfriend?” Beast asks, folding his arms over his chest.
“Girlfriend… sounds so trivial. She’s more than that. Amelia is everything to me.” I think I’m more surprised than anyone that those words came tumbling out of my mouth. I meant every single one, but I’m not usually so forward or articulate with my emotions. I guess that’s another thing Amelia is changing in me for the better.
“Damn,” Dawson says with a low whistle.
“Well, shit, man,” Beast grumbles. “I mean, congrats. I guess.”
Dawson nudges Beast, who shoots him a glare and then shrugs his shoulders.
“I think what Beast means is that we’re happy for you,” Dawson says, trying to smooth things over. “Amelia, huh? She works at the bookstore?”
“Surprised you’ve been inside a bookstore,” Beast jokes. Or, at least I think he’s joking.
“Ha ha,” Dawson sarcastically replies. “I like supporting local businesses. Local authors, too. Travis Holt writes some incredible military fiction. I have a sneaking suspicion we might have another author in town, but that’s yet to be confirmed.”
“Who knew you were such a gossip?” I tease.
“Me? Naw. I’m just good at blending in and happen to also be good at listening,” Dawson informs me. “So, how did you and Amelia–”
“Shh,” I command. I make a fist and hold it up, elbow bent, in the universal military signal to stop, shut up, and pay attention.
Both men follow my gaze, all three of us narrowing in on a suspicious man loitering outside the bookstore. Everything in me is on high alert as we watch the man peek into one window and then the next before crouching down behind a bush. What the hell?
Just then, a thin, middle-aged woman pops out from behind another bush, scurrying over to where the suspicious man is hiding. It takes me all of two seconds to figure out who these fuckers are. Amelia's meth-head, piece of shit mother and stepdad.
A low, guttural growl boils up from deep in my core, and I’m ready to strike at any second.
“We got your back,” Beast tells me, his voice barely above a whisper.
“What’s the plan?” Dawson asks.
I’m thankful for these men. We don’t talk often, but the bond of brotherhood is as strong as ever. They don’t need an explanation, they simply follow my lead and trust that I have my reasons.
“Long story short, they are here to steal Amelia away. They fucked around and now it’s time they find out who they’re dealing with.” Beast and Dawson nod. I motion for one to go around the right side of the building containing the bookstore while the other takes the left. I head straight for the front door, needing to intercept my woman if necessary.
Amelia waltzes out of Evergreen Books & Trinkets with a radiant smile on her face when she notices me. Her expression changes as soon as she sees the seriousness in my eyes, sensing something isn’t right.
“There you are, you ungrateful bitch!” the man hiding in the bushes screeches before wrapping his grubby hand around Amelia’s arm.
“Don’t you fucking touch her!” I roar. I lunge forward, tackling the man to the ground and forcing him to release his hold on Amelia.
Dawson comes running when he sees Amelia’s mother launch herself onto my back and start clawing at me. He restrains her easily, not hurting the woman, simply peeling her off of me and holding her hands behind her back. She’s all skin and bones with infected sores on her face and arms. While part of me truly empathizes with the harsh reality of what addiction looks like, the bigger part of me wants her and her husband to fuck off and leave me and my girl alone for good.
Beast is about to jump in and help, but I have the man pinned to the ground with a knee on his back and a hand wrapped around his neck.
“Call the cops,” I tell Beast. He nods and takes out his phone.
I look over my shoulder and see Amelia huddled next to the bushes, her arms wrapped around her knees while she trembles. “I’ll be right there,” I tell Amelia. “Be strong for me, sweetheart.” She nods, then tucks her head down, resting her forehead on her knees as sobs shake her shoulders.
Less than two minutes later, police sirens fill the air as they speed down the road. Before they reach us, I dig my knee further into this fucker's back, making him yelp in pain. "You want to get to Amelia, you're going to have to go through me, understood? She has people who love her, and who will protect her at all costs. You treated her like shit and used her as a bargaining chip. Once you're out of prison for assault and presumably holding a fair amount of drugs on you, I will find you and make damn sure you never go near my woman again."
The pathetic loser chokes out a cough and manages to squeak out, “Yes. Yes, just let me go.”
I do as he says, but only because the cops are here. They slap cuffs on both Amelia's mother and stepdad, then pat them down. Sure enough, they both have drugs on them. One even has a gun that I'm sure is stolen. That should put them away for a while, but I'll make good on my promise. No way in hell are these two going to be near my Amelia ever again.
The two are thrown in the back of separate police cars and I rush over to Amelia’s side, crouching down next to her and speaking softly to the terrified woman.
“It’s all over, angel. They’re gone. You’re safe now.” I place a hand on her shoulder but she tenses and jerks away. I understand, but it pains me all the same. “Can I take you away from here?”
“Yes,” she murmurs, taking a shuddering breath. Amelia lifts her head, looking at me with tears streaming down her face.
I scoop my woman up in my arms, cradling her against my chest as I walk us to my truck. Buckling her inside, I run around the vehicle and hop in. I know I need to follow up with Dawson and Beast and thank them, but right now my priority is getting Amelia home.
When I pull into my property, I make quick work of unbuckling my woman and carrying her inside. I set her down on the bed and crawl in next to her, holding my precious angel as she curls further into my embrace.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t get there sooner,” I whisper. “I saw him and was about to confront him when…” I can’t even say it. Seeing that fucker’s dirty, grimy hand forcefully grab Amelia has rage clouding my vision. That’s not what my woman needs right now, however.
“It’s not your fault,” Amelia whispers. “You saved me, Adrian. You saved me from so many horrible things. They… they were going to…”
“Shh, baby. We don’t have to talk about it right now. I will always be here. I will always protect you and cherish you. You’re mine as much as I’m yours.”
Amelia nods and clings to me, burying her head in my shoulder. Her tears soak my shirt and I hold her close, rubbing her back and giving her all the time she needs to feel whatever it is she’s feeling.
Her tears eventually run dry and she peels herself off of my chest enough to lock eyes with me. "Thank you, Adrian. I don't even know how to repay you for the kindness you've shown me. I was so scared for so long but with you…" She nibbles on her bottom lip, her eyes leaving mine while she searches for the right words. "You make me believe I'm worthy of love."
My chest aches at her words, but I also know there’s hope. She’s starting to see how much I value her and how precious she is to me. I want to show her how much she’s loved every single day for the rest of our lives.
I rest a hand on her cheek, drawing her face back toward mine. She closes her eyes and sighs so sweetly, letting my touch ground her and bring her back into the moment.
“I love you, Amelia. I need you to know that.” Her eyes snap open, a look of longing and disbelief shining back at me. “I love you for who you are, for so many reasons. You don’t have to say it back, I know it’s fast?—”
She cuts me off with a kiss that speaks for her. When we come up for air, Amelia looks at me with those golden eyes that pierce my soul, breaking and healing me at the same time.
“I love you too, Adrian.”
I breathe in her words and let them fill my lungs, seeping into my bloodstream and pumping through my heart. Every beat is for her. I don’t have words, so I show her what she means to me in a way I know she’ll understand.
I cup the back of her neck and draw her in for another kiss. She opens up for me and I savor her taste, caressing every inch of her mouth. It belongs to me.
Continuing my exploration of Amelia, I run my hand down her throat and over her collarbone, my mouth following close behind, nibbling and sucking on her sweet skin as I go. I feel her breath hitch, her back arch, her chest pressing against my lips as I devour her.
I roll us so she’s on her back underneath me, then peel her shirt and bra off. “Can I show you how much I adore every inch of you?”
Amelia nods, her hands roaming up my chest as she looks up at me with golden eyes filled with desire and awe.
I cup her perfect breasts, weighing them in my hands and flicking her pebbled nipples with my thumbs. Pushing them together, I lick her cleavage and kiss the tops of her perky tits before sucking a nipple in my mouth.
My hands slide down her torso, giving my mouth access to the sensitive underside of her breasts. I nip at one and then the other, earning me the most delicious whimpers from Amelia. My fingers work on ridding her of the last of her clothes while my mouth trails kisses down her stomach, pausing only to lick around her belly button and dip my tongue inside.
I reposition myself, leaning back on my heels and bending down once more to give her pretty little pussy a kiss. I’ll come back to her later, but for now, I need to worship every inch of Amelia and memorize all of her most sensitive spots.
She’s wriggling underneath my soft touches and kisses, but I’m not done yet. I circle my fingers around her left ankle, running my other hand up the inside of her thigh. Lifting her leg up, I kiss the inside of her ankle, up, up, up, until I reach the tender skin behind her knee, where I bite and kiss away the sting.
Ghosting my nose and lips up the inside of her thigh, I bring both of my hands up and spread her legs. Wide. My tongue snakes out and licks the seam where her leg meets her torso. Amelia bucks her hips, so I lick her there again before moving to her other leg, repeating the process until she’s shaking.
I look up and see Amelia watching me with hooded eyes. She lets me explore her body in reverence, soaking up the attention and love I’m showing her. I’ll always give her this. Every damn day.
I press her legs wide open for me again, then swipe my tongue through her soaking wet slit. She moans so beautifully for me, rubbing her wetness against my face. I can tell she’s on edge already, worked up from the way I just devoured her body.
My hands steady her hips while I drink from her, lapping her juices and sucking her folds. Amelia is trembling, whimpering, and writhing. I love knowing I'm controlling her with the tip of my tongue.
I could stay here for hours, teasing her, tasting her, keeping her on the razor's edge. But I have so many other things I want her to experience with me, so I suck her clit into my mouth and graze my teeth over the sensitive ball of nerves. Amelia cries out and convulses underneath me, her back arching, knuckles turning white from gripping the sheets, and legs snapping around my head as I suck down her cum. She's fucking squirting into my mouth and I am so close to coming in my damn jeans.
When the last tremors of her orgasm fade, I crawl back up her body and take her mouth in a sloppy kiss, spreading her cream all over her mouth. It makes me so fucking hard getting her messy. I sit up and Amelia follows me like a magnet, still panting from our kiss.
She grabs at my shirt and I help her get it off before quickly stepping off the bed and stripping off my jeans and boxers. She’s spread out before me, offering herself up. I can’t believe she’s all mine. This fucking goddess laid bare before me. I’ll make sure she never regrets letting me in.
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Fucking love your body, your curves, your skin. I’m addicted to you, sweet girl. Can’t believe you’re all mine.”
She meets my gaze and bites her lip, still unable to really take a compliment, but trying for me.
I get on the bed, ready to crawl between her legs, but she sits up and places her hands on my shoulders, turning and guiding me to lay on my back.
Amelia straddles me and leans down to kiss me, sucking my tongue in her mouth and just fucking devouring me. She breaks the kiss and licks her lips, a heat flickering in her eyes.
"I like being on top," she whispers into the shell of my ear before licking it and sucking my earlobe. My sexy-as-hell woman sinks her teeth into my neck and I growl. It feels so fucking good.
Amelia trails kisses down to my torso, where her hands roam my chest, abs, and hips. Her lips and tongue trace the contour of my muscles, memorizing every dip and plane. Her teeth scrape my nipples and I groan at the contact.
And then, she places a sweet kiss over my heart.
“Mine,” she whispers.
“Yours,” I confirm. It’s all hers. All of me.
Amelia looks up and flashes me a brilliant smile. I reach down and pull her up, crashing my lips on hers. She takes what I give her, and she gives it right back in the sexiest game of tug-of-war with our tongues.
She lifts herself up on her knees, hovering over my painfully hard cock, and fucking impales herself on me. We cry out at the same time, our connection intense and earth-shattering.
My hands slide up her thighs and grip her hips as her hands rest on my pecs, giving her the leverage she needs to bounce and find her rhythm. She rocks on top of me, grinding her sweet pussy on me before lifting up and slamming back into me. From this angle I can see her stretching wide for me, her pussy lips looking obscene as they swallow my huge cock.
“Jesus, Amelia. So… fuck . So fucking good,” I grunt out.
She’s shaking, her body desperate for release. I grip her ass and sit up, keeping her in my lap. She moves her hands from my chest to the headboard behind me, rolling her body and swiveling her hips, taking me deeper than before with this new angle.
“Holy shit, Amelia… Fuck, yes,” I growl.
She throws her head back, her hair tickling my legs, sending another wave of sensation straight to my dick. Her tits bounce and jiggle so beautifully for me as she rides me hard and fast. I latch on to one hard nipple and suck it into my mouth, swirling my tongue around the sensitive nub.
“Adrian! Adrian, I can’t hold on, I can’t, I’m…”
“I’ve got you. Come for me, sweet girl. I’m right here.”
Amelia shouts my name as her body snaps around mine, her legs trembling, her pussy spasming, squeezing me in a velvet vice grip. I hold her up by her hips and fuck up into her, reveling in the way her cunt squeezes and massages me.
In a flash, I flip us over and bend her legs so her knees are practically up by her ears. I slam into her, fucking her hard and deep.
“Adrian, ohmygod ,” she cries out.
Amelia stretches her arms above her head and lays her palms on the headboard, pushing her body further into mine as I thrust up into her tight, hot cunt.
“That’s it. So fucking good. Shit!” I’m so close, her pussy feels too good, watching her body shake beneath me… God, it’s going to send me over the edge, but she has to get there first.
“Play with your pussy, baby, need you to come one more time,” I grunt.
“Adrian… I can’t, I can’t…”
“You can. Do it for me, Amelia. Touch your silky, sensitive clit and show me what a good girl you are.”
One arm slides down her body, stopping to squeeze her juicy tit. I almost fucking lose it. Her fingers crawl down her curves and then she slips two fingers over her clit and rubs herself. She gasps and writhes beneath me, her limbs jerking as she winds herself up.
“That’s it, Amelia. So fucking gorgeous. I’m close love, so close.”
I pound into her as she blurs her fingers over her bundle of nerves and bucks her hips. Then I feel her two fingers on either side of my dick, touching us right where we meet.
“Jesus, Amelia, I, fuck…”
Her eyes are locked on my cock as it pistons in and out of her and I can’t stop my orgasm. As soon as I explode, she snaps, her tight pussy gripping me and coaxing out all of my cum. Her head thrashes back and forth as she says my name over and over, like a goddamn prayer.
I set her legs down and then lean forward, crashing my mouth onto hers. I’m still deep inside of her, feeling the walls of her pussy flutter around me, pulsing out the last of her orgasm. Amelia tangles her fingers in the hair at the back of my neck and pulls me closer, deepening our kiss until all of the air is sucked out of my lungs.
I finally break the kiss, wishing I didn't have to breathe so I could just bury myself in everything Amelia has to offer me. I slide out of her and shift my weight so I'm not crushing her with my large frame. She's still on her back, propped up a little by a pillow. Her fingers are still gripping my hair like she doesn't want me to go anywhere. I lay my cheek down on her stomach, facing her. That seems to satisfy her.
She plays with my hair and strokes my back, her touches gentle and so different from the way we were just together. I look up and see Amelia smiling down at me, her fingers combing through my hair. I’ve never felt more loved. She’s so fucking everything, and I’m somehow lucky enough to be in her life. In her arms. In her heart. Closing my eyes, I let her sweet touches relax me.
We have more details to work out, like when she’s moving in, how she feels about a winter wedding, and how many kids she wants, but right here in this moment, I know. I just know. Everything will work out as long as we’re together.