Chapter 5
FIVE
When we return to the house, Sawyer and I give Merrit time to herself. We sit silently in the living room, letting the weight of everything we just saw sit between us. Neither of us has to say a word to acknowledge how privileged we feel compared to her. Any argument I've had with my parents feels minuscule and unimportant compared to what she's going through. It almost makes me want to call them and thank them for everything they've done for me.
The alarm on my phone rings, and I pull it out of my pocket, looking at the practice reminder with a sigh. How can I possibly forget about practice?
“Right, he wants us to practice our defense before the game with Hatfield next week,” Sawyer reminds me, a look of regret in his eyes. “We shouldn't leave her here like this, right?”
“Absolutely not,” I agree, turning off the alarm and shoving my phone back into my pocket. “Just tell Coach I can't make it. Tell him I have food poisoning or something and can't leave the bathroom. Come up with something good.”
“You sure? Some of these maneuvers will be important for you to know.” Sawyer raises an eyebrow at me, but he stands and slips on a pair of sneakers anyway.
“Making sure she's okay is more important than that right now. Besides, we've never let Hatfield win before, and I'm positive we won't start now.” We share a small laugh, happy to think about something other than Merrit’s house for the first time today.
He says goodbye to me and grabs the keys to his car before taking off. I can't lie, I'm looking forward to having some real alone time with Merrit. I know she’s upset about everything that happened, and understandably so. If there's anything I can do to cheer her up, I'll gladly do it. Plus, now that she’s under my roof, I have to make sure she's taken care of. We've got some errands to run now.
Merrit finds me in the living room after about a half an hour, and I'm happy to see she's calmed down. Her eyes are still red and puffy after crying so much, so I invite her to sit beside me.
“Seriously, Talon, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me,” Merrit says, leaning in to hug me tight against her. “It hurts more than anything in the world to know my dad would do something like this to me. But that's not someone who cares about their child. I don't want to spend another minute thinking about him when he wouldn't do the same for me.”
“That's good,” I reply, smiling at her as I pull away. I brush a strand of wavy blond hair out of her face and tuck it behind her ear. She bites her lip and bashfully looks away, her cheeks blushing. “Since you no longer have any worldly possessions, we do need to go get you some stuff, though.”
“I don't have any money.” Merrit shakes her head nervously. “I mean, I can get a job. My dad didn't let me get one bef?—”
“It's under control. Trust me, I'll take care of it,” I say, silencing her before she mentions anything else about him. I know it’ll be hard, but if I can get her to go for a few hours without thinking about him, then maybe she might be happier.
Merrit opens her mouth to refuse, clearly too prideful to accept my help, but I shake my head and hold a finger up to stop her. Before either of us can say anything else, I grab my car keys and head to the door. I only wait a moment before looking over my shoulder to see her following me with an appreciative smile.
She climbs into the passenger seat of my car, and I roll the windows down as we drive to the Pembroke Mall. She smiles and sticks her hand out the window as she feels the wind against her skin. I admire how the wind rips through her hair and blows it across her face. She's been trapped under the thumb of her father for so long, and she's finally going to be free. My heart swells from happiness for her.
She's visibly self-conscious when we get to the mall because all the other girls walking around are in trendy clothes, their hair neatly done with makeup plastered all over their faces. She tugs on the hem of her shirt to hide herself. It’s like she wants to make herself smaller so she can disappear.
It's a habit I've noticed she's done in the past. Maybe it's because I was the only person noticing her before, but I've always thought it was cute. Knowing more about where she comes from, it feels sad more than anything. I wrap an arm around her shoulders as we walk, swearing to myself to do anything I can to make that feeling disappear. I want her to feel confident and tall with me.
The two of us walk through several stores, gathering various items she might need: a new laptop, pants, skirts, tops, and shoes. Wherever we go, she can't help but eye the price tags, and when something is perceived as too expensive, she puts it down and pretends she isn't interested in the item anymore. Every time, I just pick up whatever she was looking at and put it in the basket.
As we're going, I even see her eyeing a couple of paperback books at the Barnes & Noble display. I make a quick excuse to go in and grab copies of a few I think she might like to surprise her.
“You really don't have to do all this for me,” Merrit says, tucking hair behind her ear as she looks over the covers of the books I got for her in the food court.
“Please, I want to,” I say, shaking my head at her. “You're under my protection now, meaning I need to provide for you.”
She's already learned that there's no use arguing with me about it, and she turns her attention to the grain bowl she ordered.
By the time we finish gathering everything she needs, the back seat of my car is filled with shopping bags, and an excited air surrounds us. I can't help but wonder if she's ever done anything like this before. It's so normal for parents to take their kids shopping at the beginning of every year to restock their wardrobes for school. I've never given it any thought before, but by the way she wore the same clothes year after year, I’d imagine her dad didn’t care to do this for her.
Sawyer still isn't back from practice when we get home, and I'm thankful for that. I'm glad I can spend more time alone with Merrit, especially after I caught her looking at him this morning. By no means am I jealous, but I would like to have her undivided attention right now.
“Now, why don't you go try on some of the clothes I just bought you?” I suggest, taking a seat on the couch. “Let me see how everything looks on you.”
She blushes, and a smile grows on her lips as she grabs some of the bags and carries them toward the hallway bathroom to change. It only takes her a few minutes to change out of my oversized shirt and sweatpants and slip into something more form-fitting.
“What do you think?” Merrit asks as she strolls into the room in black jeans and a multicolored sweater hanging just above her navel. The sweater is baggy, and the jeans are high enough that she does not show off any skin. That's fine, but at the same time, I want to see her be free from her father’s control.
“You look adorable, but it might be a little too much for the September heat,” I say. I dig in a bag and pull out a tank top and a pair of shorts. “This might be a little more appropriate for the summer.”
She nervously grabs the clothes and nods before returning to the bathroom. She comes back out a few moments later, showing off much more of her skin, enough that I feel the blood rushing from my head. The shorts are cute and come to the top of her thighs with little flowers embroidered in the green denim. The tank top is loose-fitting enough that it hangs off her breasts, but it's short enough to show off more of her body.
“Now, that looks good,” I say, watching as she tries to cover more of herself, insecure about this new style.
“I don't know,” Merrit nervously says, looking at herself in a mirror. “Maybe it's a little too much?”
“I mean it, Merrit. You look amazing,” I say, soaking in every inch of pale skin I can. After a few moments, her demeanor shifts, and an air of confidence surrounds her. She looks at herself and admires her looks. She's gorgeous, and she has the kind of looks anyone would kill for. She's just never known that. For God only knows how long, she’s been called names and forced to hide her beauty because of her dad.
That won’t be happening anymore.
When she goes back to the bathroom to change and comes out a few moments later in a red sundress covered in small yellow flowers, my jaw nearly hangs open. Not only does she look stunning, but the smile on her face radiates around her.
I've seen her smile before. During lectures in school when a teacher tells a joke, she'd laugh and then turn back to her books, and she's even smiled shyly and nervously at Sawyer and me since being here. But this smile is something different altogether. It's free and happy, and she's realizing that for the first time in a long time.
“That is gorgeous,” I say as she turns and looks at me for approval. She twirls in the dress, and the skirt rises just enough for me to see her lace underwear.
Merrit joins me on the couch and takes a seat beside me, leaning her head back on the cushion with her wide smile. “I can't even remember the last time I wore a dress.”
We sit in silence for a few moments as she digs through some of the other bags to look at the clothes. I'm glad she's happy, and I want nothing more than to make her feel this way for the rest of her life. But now that she's in this dress, I can't take my eyes off her.
“I couldn't help but notice you were staring at Sawyer in the kitchen earlier,” I say after a few moments, leaning back and watching as she stares at me with embarrassment coloring her cheeks. I laugh to myself and shake my head. “It's okay to look. Really.”
I see the questions forming behind her eyes, but she doesn't voice any of them. Merrit is embarrassed and shy about it, but I can't blame her. Both Sawyer and I tend to walk around the house shirtless, and I'm sure she's not used to that. But aside from the embarrassment, I see curiosity and intrigue on her face.
With how tight of a leash her father kept her on, I wonder if she's ever been with a man. Has she ever even kissed anyone?
“There's just one more thing you need to try on,” I say, reaching for the Pink Victoria's Secret bag and handing it to her. Her eyes widen, and she looks at me with mixed emotions. She's biting her lower lip, making me think she is intrigued by where this is going, but her eyes have a tinge of fear.
“I'll be right back,” Merrit says in a low voice, a smile growing on her lips.
I sit back on the couch and eagerly wait for her to stroll back into the living room in matching underwear. A few moments later, my jaw is practically on the ground. Her body is almost entirely exposed to me in a matching lace bra and panty set, both white with little red bows in the center.
I do nothing to hide my reaction to her, and her eyes fall to my groin, where my cock now strains against the front of my jeans.
“What do you think?” she quietly asks, her cheeks red as she brushes strands of blond hair behind her ears. She moves toward the couch, turning around to show off every inch of her perfect body.
“You look stunning,” I say, hardly loud enough for her to hear. “Sit down.”
She doesn't fight my instruction. She holds her legs closed on the couch beside me while she looks at me and bites her lip. I rest a hand on her soft, creamy thigh and pull one away from the other without any resistance from her. My hand slides inside, and I rub it, staring into her pale blue eyes the entire time.
“I want to make you feel good, Merrit,” I say, shifting on the couch to slide down and get on my knees in front of her. Her breath catches in her throat, and she grips the arm of the couch beside her. “I’ve wanted to taste you for so long.”
“I’ve never done anything like this before,” she says, her voice shaking from anticipation.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you,” I say before leaning down and kissing the inside of her thigh.
Her breath quickens as she looks down at me and spreads her legs wider. I bring my mouth to the outside of her panties, licking the lace as she closes her eyes and moans, feeling the heat of me against her.
“I've wanted this for so long, Talon,” Merrit says, sliding down on the couch to give me full access to her soaking wet pussy.
I smile as I trace my fingers over the front of her panties, feeling how her arousal seeps through them. I lick it, savoring her taste as long as I can. My fingers wrap around the waistband of her panties and slowly pull them down, finally revealing her perfect pink pussy. It's glistening and inviting as I trace my tongue along the slit and swirl it around her throbbing clit.
“Oh my God!” Merrit cries out when I take it in my mouth. I've barely touched her, and her body is already trembling. I can't help but smile to myself as I continue teasing her with my tongue, holding her thighs far apart with my hands as she moans and writhes against the couch.
I slide one finger inside of her and nearly lose control of myself when I feel how tight she is around me. All I can think about is how incredible she'll feel riding my cock.
“I want you to come on my face,” I say as I pull away from her momentarily. She groans something incomprehensible as I press my tongue against her once again, and her breath quickens before she cries out from the pleasure.
Her entire body spasms, and she shakes below me while whimpering. “Oh my God, yes, Talon!” she screams. Every time I hear her moan my name, I move my finger faster and suck her clit harder between my lips, sending intense pulses ravaging through her body.
When her body finally stills, I look up at her with a pleased feeling. She's lying back on the couch, her whole body limp and weak after everything she's just experienced. My cock throbs in my pants, and precum has leaked through to the front of my jeans.
I want nothing more than to shove my cock inside her right here and now and make her come a dozen more times. But she's a virgin, and right now, I know she needs rest. Besides, I'm more than happy to wait for her.