Chapter 13 Sophie #3
“It’s not your fault,” he says. “He didn’t text you or call you or—”
“No.” I shake my head. “Nothing. I thought I was pretty clear when I threw the damn ring at him and—”
The elevator doors open and we run out, heading toward Benny’s room. Our room, I guess, since I decided not to get my own. Staying with Benny felt comfortable. Too comfortable, considering sleeping with him felt like sleeping with a damn teddy bear. A giant one.
I swipe my card and we enter the room quickly and immediately, and I head for the bed. I sit, hanging my head in my hand. “We should be down there, helping them.”
“Benny can take care of himself.”
“Matthew’s down there too!” I yell.
“Matthew’s not a kid, Soph. He can handle himself just as well as Benny, and besides, Benny needs someone who can handle him.”
I bite my nails as I consider going down there. “Maybe if I actually talk to Keaton, I—”
“Absolutely not, Soph! The man cheated on you. Broke his promise to you. Not to mention he hasn’t called in days. If it were me, I would never have done that, and you sure as hell can bet that if I did something to piss you off I’d be on my knees begging for forgiveness.”
He sits next to me and I look at him with watery eyes. “Now my brother’s weekend is ruined.”
“No, Sophie, it’s not—”
The tears come like rain and I can’t stop them.
“Sophie…” He pulls me into his arms, holding me tight, and I wrap mine around him instinctively. I bury my face in his chest as I cry.
“No man who loves you will ever make you cry,” he whispers. “I’ll never make you cry.”
I look up at him through tear-stained eyes and I see the truth there. Maybe it’s always been there and I was just too blind to notice.
“Never again,” he says as he leans down and kisses me. I melt in his hold, crying as he kisses my mouth, then my cheeks. He brushes away the tears as he kisses me again and I can taste the saltiness of my tears on his lips.
I pull him back into the bed, needing to feel his weight, his hold. His arms were always my safest, most comforting place when I was broken. And now…
He kisses me, holding me close as I pull him against me.
“Sophie,” he whispers, leaning his forehead against mine.
“Promise me,” I say, looking up at him. “Promise me you’ll always be here.” I run my hands down his arms. “That this will always be here.”
He nods. “Always.”
I kiss him once more with all that I am. The kiss is slow, but I deepen it. Needing him to understand. My world is falling apart, but Elijah…
Elijah has always been able to put me back together. I only hope he can do the same now.
My hands rove down his sides as I try to find the waistband of his pants.
Keaton’s words reverberate in my mind. I know the last thing I should do is what I’m doing right now. But this feels right. Especially with my ex-fiancé downstairs…
Being with Elijah feels right in a way being with Keaton never did.
My hands slide around to his front, finding his cock, and he sucks in a breath. “Sophie, we don’t have to—”
“Are you telling me no?” I ask. “Are you saying you don’t want this?”
He shakes his head. “No, I’m not saying that at all, I just—”
“I want you to make it all go away, Elijah,” I say. “I want you to erase him.” My sob escapes my throat without warning.
“Sophie…”
“Please,” I beg. I can feel his cock hardening beneath my touch.
He licks his lips. “Are you sure?” he asks, his voice shaking. “Are you sure you want me to—”
I nod, kissing him slowly. “Yes, Elijah,” I whisper. “I want—” I shake my head. “I need you to make love to me. I need your love to chase away the pain.”
I let out a soft breath. His hand finds mine as he pushes me off and sits back on his heels and for a moment, I think I’ve really destroyed things now. He’s going to run. Going to tell me I’m a mess and he’s not going to save me, his arms are no longer my home.
But instead, he looks at me and carefully, slowly, unbuttons his shirt.
“Okay,” he says, and the weight of that one word is heavier than any steel beam.
I sit up, watching as he undresses himself for me. My gaze roves over him, over his perfect physique. The slivers of chest hair I long to run my fingers through. The smooth muscle and cut of his hips. I stare at him in awe and mutter, “You are so beautiful.”
His cheeks flush as he clears his throat. “So are you.”
He leans forward to kiss me, his fingers finding my hair as he pulls me into his space. His kiss turns feverish as we fall to the bed together, a tangled mess of limbs and tongues and warm skin as he peels my dress off of me.
His mouth trails kisses all over me from my neck to my nipples, which he slowly teases with his tongue.
I arch my back from the sensation alone as he travels down my body, kissing a trail of fire everywhere he goes.
When he gets to my pussy, he wastes no time diving in.
Where Matthew’s eagerness was shocking and new, there’s something vaguely familiar and comforting about the way Elijah caresses my pussy with his tongue, how he gently sucks and nibbles my clit.
I come without warning, and just as I do, he stops, lining himself up with my entrance.
“You sure?” he asks.
I nod, knowing he needs to hear the word as much as I do. And for the first time, I’m not afraid to tell him the truth. “Yes.”
He guides himself inside of me slowly, his breath labored and heavy.
“You feel so good,” he says.
I hook my leg around his hip, drawing him closer, needing more of him. Every inch, every touch, shatters a part of me I didn’t realize was broken.
He kisses me as he fits himself inside me, bottoming out.
“So do you,” I whisper as I wrap my arms around him.
I thrust up against him, coaxing him to move, and he does. We move together like a well-oiled machine. Like we’ve always known this rhythm. Like we’ve done this a hundred times, even though it’s the first.
His mouth latches onto my breast and he sucks the right one while his hand finds my clit and starts to stroke it as he builds his thrusting rhythm.
“I love you,” he whispers, trailing his lips up to mine once more.
I gasp as he rocks me gently, his thrusts maddening.
“I know,” I say as he starts to pick up the pace. My orgasm culminates, barreling toward me as the last decade rises to the surface, every bit of wasted love and affection needing to be expunged from my system in only a way that Elijah can elicit.
“I love you too,” I tell him, and it’s the truth.
I do love him. I’ve loved him all my life.
Just as I love Benny. And Matthew.
My orgasm hits me hard and I crumble beneath him.
He groans as he stills and the pulse of his cock, the familiar warmth filling me, renders me boneless.
He holds me as he empties himself into me, kissing me, the side of my mouth, my neck.
All while whispering that he loves me and will never let anyone hurt me.
And I believe him.
I close my eyes as I let exhaustion hit and he slides out of me.
And I feel an immense relief.
I feel free.
He gets up, and a moment later I feel him cleaning me up with a warm cloth. When he’s done, he curls up beside me, spooning me as he buries his face in my hair, and we drift off together.
I awaken to the sound of the unlocking door, and immediately panic when I see Matthew and Benny walking inside.
Because Benny looks like hell. He’s bleeding from the temple and has a split lip.
“What the hell?” I ask as I leap out of bed, grabbing for the robe on the bathroom door.
“I don’t think you have to worry about Keaton anymore, on the plus side,” Matthew says.
“Why?” I panic as I move to get a warm cloth to clean Benny’s wounds. He swats at me, but I don’t pay him any mind as I say, “You look like shit, Benny. You’re going to fuck up the pictures tomorrow.”
He chuckles. “That’s what concealer’s for, princess.”
“What did you do to Keaton?” I ask. I’m terrified to know the answer because if Benny looks like this…
I can only imagine what Keaton looks like.
“Told him if he came near you, I’d beat him within an inch of his life.”
“It was pretty badass,” Matthew says.
“Not helping, Matt,” Elijah says as I pat Benny’s temple. He winces.
“Guess the party’s off tonight,” Elijah says with a huff.
“Your mom and dad told security to throw him out if he tries to start shit,” Matthew says.
“My mother?” I exclaim in shock.
Matt nods. “She was pretty badass too.”
“That cheating asshole ain’t coming anywhere near our princess,” Benny says, looking up at me with cloudy blue eyes. And then I realize the glimmer in his eyes is the same one I’ve seen in Elijah’s. In Matthew’s.
Love.
“I protect what’s mine,” he says cooly, and for a moment, it’s like time stops. I’m aware the others are watching us, but all I can focus on is him.
“And I’m yours.” I lean down to kiss him. “Always have been,” I whisper against his lips. He holds me close as I let him go, and this time when I finish cleaning him up, he doesn’t fight me.
I lead him to bed, where Elijah is now in his underwear, Matthew sitting with his hands on his knees in the chair next to the bed. I help Benny into bed, crawling in beside him, and Matthew sighs, moving to get up.
Elijah moves too, to grab his clothes. “I guess we’ll head out,” he says.
“No.” I stop them, looking at both of them. “Stay.”
Benny curls close to me and I feel his breathing even out, though his body’s still shaking. As hard of a front as he puts on, I realize it’s all for show. Things affect him more than he lets on.
I hold him against me. “Please.” I look between Elijah and Benny. “I need you.” I look to Matthew. “All of you.”
Matthew looks at Elijah, then at Benny. “You okay with that, old man?”
Benny holds up a hand and flips Matthew off. “Fuck you, Matty. Just for that, you get the fucking cot.”
Matthew makes an obscene gesture that Benny can’t see and I can’t help but laugh.
Elijah scoots closer to me and then the bed dips as Matthew plops on top of all of us, squashing us. Benny yells, Elijah curses, and Matthew’s bright eyes meet mine.
“Fuck the cot. If we’re having a sleepover, I’m sleeping in the damn bed with you.”
I laugh, shaking my head as he leans in and kisses me.
My cheeks blush as Benny mutters, “Shut the fuck up and go to sleep.”
“Or what?” Matthew presses. “You gonna beat me up too? You couldn’t beat up a toaster right now.”
Elijah settles his arms over me as Benny shifts, throwing the covers off. Matthew winks at me as he gets underneath them, wedged between Elijah and me, giving Benny enough space that I can hold him closely.
And with the warmth surrounding me, Benny’s breathing softening, and Elijah’s hold on me, I let sleep come for me once more.