Chapter Thirty-Seven
I'm fucking relieved that she said she was tired. I could feel her body getting tense as the moments ticked over. When she first mentioned Arthur, my heart fucking sunk to my stomach, I thought she was going to say that she's been running for him this entire time.
I was surprised when she said how nice he was.
And while I've not seen evidence of that, she seems to believe it. The man has a seriously dark reputation, the shit that we have heard about him makes our skin crawl. I need to talk to the guys. We know her uncle works with Tommy Larson, so I’m surprised to find he’s also working with Arthur Black.
I want her with me, I want her in my room, my bed.
She stalls a little as I bypass hers and lead her directly to mine.
Pulling her through the door, she stops in the middle of the room as I close and lock it behind me.
I lean against the door and watch her for a few seconds.
She doesn’t turn around, she stands facing the window and I see her wrap her arms around herself and dip her head forward.
Her body heaves as she takes in a few deep breaths.
Then I see her body begin to shake, and my heart tightens when I realise that she's started to cry.
I take the two long strides it takes to get to her and wrap my arms around her, my chest to her back. I pull her to me, resting my chin on her shoulder, my cheek leaning against hers, damp from the tears she's already shed.
"Dragonfly," I whisper. "Talk to me, please. What's going through your head?" I plead.
She swallows and takes a few shaky breaths. She leans back into me, her head tilting slightly toward me. "It's all just a lot," she says through tears.
I remove my arms from around her, taking a step back and the leading her over to my bed.
I sit on the edge and then slide myself further back and then pull her over to me.
She hesitates for a second, but I give her hand a small tug, encouraging her to climb onto the bed and straddle my legs.
She stops just above my knees, and as much as I want her closer, I don't push her to. I want her to feel comfortable.
"What do you mean by a lot? Talk to me," I tell her, my hands resting on the tops of her thighs, my thumbs rubbing back and forth.
My eyes are drawn to her soft pink lips as she licks them, before biting the inside of her cheek. I tilt my head a little as my eyes take in every inch of her face. The small freckles she has under her left eye, the slight flush of her cheeks. Her honey-coloured eyes, dull and tired.
I lean forward, my hand coming up, my fingers tucked under her chin, my thumb gently holding onto the tip of it.
Barely touching, but holding her there, I lean forward and we both close our eyes as I place the lightest of kisses on her lips.
I feel hers ever so slightly twitch, and when I pull back, I see the smallest of smiles.
"Please," I say to her. She closes her eyes and nods. She dips her head and begins to twist her hands around one another. I want to stop her, I want to help her relax, but I figure she's trying to gather her thoughts.
"I'm not really sure, it's all just a lot. Running, the hospital, Mason getting hurt. Being here. I saw the way everyone reacted when I mentioned Arthur. And I've heard the rumours, but Ice—"
"Max," I interrupt her. "Please call me Max when we're alone."
"Oh. Okay," she says with a smile.
"Max. I swear he’s been nothing but nice to us. I've never told him what my uncle does, but I think he knows."
"What makes you think that?" I ask.
"Because every time he comes into the diner, he asks me if I need help, or if there is anything he can do for us."
"Excuse me?" I sit up, pulling her to me. I can feel the anger rise, concern building. Why the fuck is he asking her that?
"No, wait. It's not like that. Please, just hear me out," she says, her face awash with panic. I nod, my hands gripping her hips, not enough to hurt but enough to hold her in place, and enough to keep me grounded.
"I won't tell you details, because it's not my information to share, but he had a daughter, a little older than I am.
She's not here anymore. But after I did that drop off, he used to come into the diner often.
He'd always sit in my section and talk to me about her during my breaks. I told him things about Mason and me, and our parents, but I never gave him details about living at my uncle’s and he never pushed for it. "
"Okay, baby. I'm sorry. If you've heard the rumours, then you know that is all we've heard about him. We don't know anything else. But I'll trust that he's kind to you. And that’s all that matters." I grip the back of her head and pull it toward mine, forcing her to rest her forehead on mine.
She's so close, I can feel the heat of her breath on my face. She smells like vanilla, and I breathe her in, her scent and her warmth calming me. She pulls her head back a little, her eyes flicking back and forth over mine. She licks her lips then bites her bottom one. I see the conflict in her eyes, she’s battling with something.
I’m about to ask her, but I’m distracted when her hands move under my kutte, over my T-shirt.
She slides them over my stomach and onto my sides, gently squeezing.
I glance down, then back up. As our eyes meet, I see hers filled with desire.
She leans forward and I'm shocked when her lips connect with mine. It takes me a second, but that’s all it takes for her to have doubts and begin to pull away.
I grip the back of her head, holding her in place.
My lips slowly part and I run my tongue along the seam of hers, encouraging her to let me in.
Her grip on my sides tightens as she opens her mouth, giving me access.
My tongue slips through her soft, warm lips and into her mouth.
I run it around her tongue, gently rolling it then sliding it across the top.
My other hand, placed on her lower back, pulls her even closer to me, and as her pussy juts up against my rock-hard cock, she tenses slightly and lets out a small squeak before recovering and moving her tongue over mine, both fighting for space, both fighting for control.
I concede and pull my tongue back into my mouth, with hers following quickly.
As she slips it past my lips, I grab it and gently nip at it with my teeth, holding it in place.
I feel her smile and it's all I need to keep going.
I move both of my hands to the hem of her hoody, or my hoody, rather, and tug at it, pulling it up to her arms. She breaks the kiss before I do, pulling back and raising her arms in the air, letting me remove her clothing. I bite my lip when I see her white lace bra covering her breasts.
Pulling the hoody over her head, I throw it to the floor and lean forward, my lips gently kissing her neck, then along her clavicle.
I run my fingertips over the top of her breast, her breath hitching from the contact, gliding them to the centre then flattening my hand out and sliding it up her chest. My finger moves to the right side of her neck, my thumb on the left.
I give a gentle squeeze then tip her head back, before bringing my lips back to her body.
I kiss the dip in her neck and then trail kisses all the way down to her cleavage.
Her breathing becomes heavy as I run my tongue over the curve of her breast, then over the lace, adding pressure to the point where her nipple is.
She sucks in a breath as I clamp my lips over it and suck on the material, using my teeth to add a little pressure.
Her hands find their way into my hair, and she clenches, her grip pulling at the strands.
The sting has me craving more. I move my mouth over to her other breast, giving that just as much attention.
"Max," she breathes out, pulling my head back, forcing me to look at her. "I need to tell you something." I sit back, my hand remaining on her neck, my other hand resting on the bare skin on her side.
"I've never done this before," she whispers, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. I squint my eyes at her, a little confused, at first, but then it clicks. She means sex. Holy shit. My stomach swims, my body heats.
"Baby," I say, a little breathy.
"I'm a virgin," she confirms.