Chapter 34
Ramsey
I've never felt more alive than watching her fall apart beneath me and never felt more like an animal than I do right now.
My chest heaves as I look down at Reese, my north star, lying on the forest floor utterly debauched.
Leaves cling to her sweat-slicked skin, her hair a wild tangle around her face.
Dirt smudges her cheek from where I pressed her into the ground.
My cum glistens on her lower back, marking her as mine in the most primal way possible.
She's the most beautiful fucking thing I've ever seen.
I reach over my head and grab the back of my t-shirt at the neck, pulling it off in one go. The mask falls off with it, landing beside her in the dirt. I stick the shirt in my waistband and reach down to help her up, my hands gentle now as I lift her to her feet.
"You okay?" I ask, my voice rough from exertion.
She nods, her legs wobbling slightly. "Better than okay."
I grab my shirt and tug it over her head, pulling it down to cover her nakedness.
The sight of her in my clothes makes something possessive and satisfied curl in my chest. The cotton hangs to mid-thigh on her, covering just enough to be semi-decent but still giving me a view of those long dancer's legs.
"That was..." she starts, then trails off, seemingly at a loss for words.
"Too much?" I ask suddenly worried I went too far.
She laughs, the sound light and breathless. "Fuck no. That was exactly what I needed. What you needed." Her fingers trace the bruises already forming on her hips where I gripped her. "I had no idea you could be like that."
"Now you know why I kept it from you," I say, pulling her against my bare chest. The night air is cool against my skin, but she's warm, so fucking warm against me. "That's the side of me I've been afraid to show you."
"Don't hide from me anymore," she whispers against my skin. "I want all of you, Ramsey. Even the parts that scare you."
I press my lips to the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her—sweat and sex and something uniquely Reese. "I'm not sure you know what you're asking for."
She pulls back to look up at me, her eyes clear and determined despite what I just put her through. "I'm not some fragile little thing that needs protecting, least of all from you."
"I know that," I say, brushing leaves from her hair. "But there's shit in my head, Reese. Dark shit that sometimes scares even me."
"And what if I like the dark?" she challenges, her hands sliding up my bare chest. "What if I need it just as much as you do?"
I groan, my cock already stirring back to life at her touch. "Then we're both fucked."
When she takes a step, her knees buckle. I catch her before she falls, scooping her up into my arms.
"I've got you," I murmur against her hair. "Always got you."
She nestles her face into my bare chest, her breath hot against my skin. "That was...holy fuck, Ramsey."
I shift her into one arm and pick up her boots, jeans, and my mask. I leave the shreds of her shirt on the damp ground.
Smiling, I carry her into the darkness and back toward my truck. "Told you I’ve been holding back."
"I had no idea," she whispers, her fingers tracing patterns on my chest. "Is that...is that always what you wanted to do to me?"
I consider lying, softening the truth, but I've been hiding too much for too long. "That was the tame version."
She stiffens in my arms. "Tame?"
"Baby girl, you have no fucking idea what lives inside my head when it comes to you." I tighten my grip on her, feeling the weight of her in my arms, real and solid. "Four years of fantasies. Four years of imagining every possible way I could have you."
We reach the edge of the forest, the truck visible in the clearing ahead. Reese shifts in my arms, tilting her head to look up at me.
When we reach the truck, I shift her in my arms to pull open the passenger door. I place her gently on the seat, making sure she's comfortable before stepping back. Her legs dangle out the door, bare and smudged with dirt, my t-shirt riding up her thighs.
"You look fucking perfect like this," I say, dropping her clothes on the floor of the truck. "Wrecked and wearing me on your body."
She smiles, a lazy, satisfied curve of her lips that makes my heart thump loudly. "Get in here already."
I circle around to the driver's side, yanking the door open and sliding onto the seat. The leather immediately sticks to my sweaty bare back, making me grimace. The cool material pulls at my skin as I settle in, reminding me I'm still half-naked and filthy from our forest fuck.
Before I can reach for the ignition, Reese slides across the bench seat until she's pressed against my side, her body warm and soft. I grab her waist and pull her onto my lap in one smooth motion, arranging her legs so they stretch across to the passenger seat.
"This isn't legal," she says, laughing as she settles against me, her ass pressed directly against my semi-hard cock.
"Like I give a single fuck," I mutter, wrapping my arms around her waist and burying my face in her neck. "After what we just did in those woods, you're worried about proper fucking seating arrangements? I’d drive across the country with you on my dick if I could."
She shivers as I bite down gently on the spot where her neck meets her shoulder. "You’re insatiable."
About halfway home, her body gets heavier against me, her breathing evening out. I glance down to find her eyes closed, lips parted slightly. She's fallen asleep, completely spent from our adventure.
I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. I fucking wrecked her, and now she's passed out on me like a kitten after too much play.
For the rest of the drive, I'm hyper-aware of every pothole, every turn, trying to keep the ride smooth so I don't wake her.
Her warmth against my chest is like a fucking drug, and I realize I could get used to this—her falling asleep against me, trusting me completely even after I showed her the beast that lives inside me.
When we pull into my driveway, I kill the engine and sit there for a moment, just watching her sleep. The moonlight filtering through the windshield catches on her face, highlighting the curve of her cheek, the sweep of her lashes against her skin.
"Hey," I whisper, brushing hair from her face. "We're home."
She mumbles something unintelligible, burrowing deeper against my chest without opening her eyes.
"Alright then," I chuckle, carefully maneuvering to get the door open without jostling her too much.
I slide out of the truck with her in my arms, kicking the door shut behind me. She weighs practically nothing, her body limp with exhaustion as I carry her to the front door. It takes some creative maneuvering to get my keys out, and the door unlocked while still holding her, but I manage it.
The house is dark and quiet as I step inside, navigating through the living room and up the stairs. Reese stirs slightly in my arms, her face pressing into my neck, but doesn't wake.
Only when I flick on the soft vanity lights of her bathroom does she start to wake, her eyelids fluttering.
"Mmm, where are we?" she mumbles, voice thick with sleep.
"Home," I tell her, setting her down gently on the bathroom counter. "You're covered in dirt and leaves and my cum. You need a bath."
She yawns, stretching her arms above her head. The movement pushes my shirt up her thighs, giving me a glimpse of her pussy, still pink and swollen.
I turn to the tub and start the water, adjusting the temperature until it's just right—hot but not scalding. I dump in some of that fancy bath shit she keeps on the edge, watching as it fizzes and turns the water a pale green, releasing a eucalyptus scent into the steamy air.
Stripping the fabric covering her, I’m met again with the marks upon her body. Some will fade immediately, and others caused by my hands will take longer. I almost wish I could tattoo my finger prints into her skin.
"Into the tub," I order, my voice still rough with desire despite everything we've done.
I help her into the steaming water, watching as she sinks down with a sigh of pleasure. Her eyes flutter closed as the heat engulfs her.
"Fuck, that feels good," she moans, leaning back against the porcelain.
I sit down on the floor next to the tub, content to just watch her.
Her eyes snap open and fix on me with mischievous intent. Her hand shoots out, grabbing my forearm with surprising strength.
"Oh, no you don't," she says, tugging hard. "Get in here."
"What? Reese, I'm still wearing—"
She yanks harder, catching me off balance. I topple forward, half my body splashing into the tub while my legs remain awkwardly sprawled on the bathroom floor. Water sloshes over the sides, soaking my jeans and the floor.
"Fuck!" I sputter, face dripping as I push wet hair out of my eyes.
She's laughing her ass off, the sound echoing off the bathroom tiles. Her entire body shakes with it, sending more water over the edge of the tub and onto the floor.
"Did we really need to fucking do that?" I growl, now fully drenched. "You could have just asked me to get in."
Her laughter dies down to giggles as she wipes tears from her eyes. "Yeah, but that's not as fun."
I shake my head, water droplets flying. "You're a menace, you know that?"
"Your menace," she corrects, reaching up to brush wet strands of hair from my forehead. The simple gesture, so tender after the violence of our earlier, makes my chest clench painfully.
"Mine," I agree, the word coming out rougher than I intended.
I struggle to get my water-logged jeans off, cursing as the denim sticks to my skin. Reese watches with undisguised amusement as I contort myself to strip them off without fully leaving the tub.
"Need help?" she offers sweetly.
"You've helped enough," I mutter, finally kicking the jeans off.
Settling into the tub, I pull her back against my chest, her wet skin sliding so perfectly against mine. She sighs and melts into me, her head resting on me.
"Come here," I murmur, wrapping my arms around her waist. The water sloshes around us as I adjust our position, my legs on either side of her, cradling her between them.
I reach for her fancy soap. Some shit that costs more than it should, but I gladly pay every penny for it. She can have whatever the fuck she wants. Starting at her shoulders, I slide my hands over her skin, washing away the dirt and sweat.
My hands trace down her arms, fingers interlacing with hers briefly before moving to her chest.
"That feels amazing," she whispers as I caress her.
I continue washing her, my soapy hands sliding down her stomach, dipping between her thighs. She hisses when I touch her there, still sensitive from earlier.
"Sorry," I mutter, gentling my touch.
"Don't be," she says, reaching back to cup my face. "I like being reminded of what you did to me out there."
Washing the rest of her leaves the water darker now. I drain it and then refill with more hot, clean water.
Then I reach for the shampoo, working it into her dark tresses. She moans as my fingertips massage her scalp, her body going completely limp against mine.
"Tilt your head back," I instruct, using a cup to rinse the suds from her hair. Water cascades down her face, her eyes closed, lips parted. She looks so fucking beautiful like this. Completely vulnerable, completely trusting.
Always so fucking trusting of me. If I wanted to, I could wrap my hands around her neck and push her underwater as I fucked her, and she’d allow it. Too fucking trusting of me.
"I've never had anyone take care of me like this," she says softly, her eyes still closed.
"You should get used to it. I plan on taking care of you for the rest of your fucking life."
Her eyes open at that, turning her head to look at me. "You mean that?"
I meet her gaze, not hiding a goddamn thing. "Every word."
I finish rinsing her hair, then just hold her, both of us silent as the water gradually cools around us. Her fingers trace patterns on my forearms, following the veins there.
"C’mon, baby girl. Let’s go to bed."