Chapter Twelve
Malory
Everything hurts.
It’s like every muscle in my body, inside and out is sore.
Wondering how I got into bed in the first place, I can vaguely remember strong arms enveloping me before being exchanged for soft sheets. I must not have been fully conscious.
Stretching my tired limbs, my whole body aches as memories of last night start flooding in.
Tyson’s rough hands all over my skin, his huge cock stretching me painfully, making me feel pleasure I didn’t know one could experience.
Well, that happened.
I’ve given my first time to my stalker. And it felt so incredibly good.
Is it terrible that I’ve enjoyed it, that I don’t want him to let me go? At least not yet.
Tyson keeps saying that I’m his and honestly, I’m starting to believe it.
The way he holds me, always making sure that I’m comfortable and asking for my opinion like no one else ever did.
The way he covers me with blankets and brings me hot tea whenever he sees goosebumps on my skin.
I don’t want that feeling to end.
I don’t think I can go back even if I wanted to now that I’ve learned how good this man can make me feel.
I won’t be able to live without it.
This is what I’ve always been missing and Tyson managed to singlehandedly fill the hole in my chest I didn’t even know I had.
Yesterday, I could tell he was holding back, restraining himself to not hurt my inexperienced body, handling me with such care and confidence that I had no inhibitions about putting myself fully into his hands, trusting him implicitly.
And yet it doesn’t diminish the fact that he’s using me for his own purposes. No matter how much I want to ignore it, it’s always at the back of my mind, forcing me to second guess everything he does and says.
There are moments where I could just melt in his arms yet the memory of seeing him the first night in my room keeps holding me back. The utter terror I felt upon seeing his masked face hovering above my sleeping form never quite leaving me.
It transformed me in ways I didn’t think possible.
Heaving myself into a sitting position, I wince at the slight burning sensation in my core.
Even though I could do without the pain, it’s not as bad as I expected. To a degree it’s a pleasant reminder of how he… Nope , not going there.
The sheets don’t look crumpled except for the dent where I’ve slept, which can only mean that Tyson didn’t spend the night here.
Rubbing a palm over my chest, I push down the disappointment that has started to spread there.
I should be glad.
Too many lines have been crossed already.
And yet, I seem to be burying myself deeper and deeper into this mess of feelings I’m refusing to acknowledge.
A small smile tugs at the corners of my lips at seeing painkillers and a glass of water sitting on top of my nightstand.
With some difficulty, I prod over to the bathroom, silently closing the door behind me as I turn to the vanity mirror, barely able to recognize myself.
My hair looks like a hornet’s nest but that’s not the worst of it. My whole torso is covered in bitemarks ranging in all shades of deep purple. There are even some on my thighs.
It’s far from the first time Tyson has marked me like he’s been possessed, but this is on a whole other level.
I mean I look like I came straight out of a warzone or something.
Warmth spreads in the pits of my stomach as I trace the spots with the tip of my finger, remembering his hot mouth on my skin.
The man definitely went overboard but I can’t deny how his raw possessiveness makes my insides tighten.
After overcoming my initial shock, I kind of like this look on me. With glowing cheeks and sparkling eyes.
I look properly ravaged.
Once I’ve taken a quick shower and forcefully detangled my wet hair, I throw on my usual getup consisting of black leggings and a worn-out sweatshirt.
It’s still a bit chilly in the mornings so there’s no point in putting on a cute outfit. Also, I don’t want Tyson to think that I’d be dressing up for him, which would not be the case. Absolutely not.
My increasingly growling stomach makes it dreadfully clear that I can’t put off the confrontation any longer.
With a sigh I make my way down the stairs, flinching with the occasional jolt of pain and fully prepared to act casual because there’s no way I’m ready to discuss last night’s events.
I shouldn’t have ditched the pills in my room. But back then I haven’t realized that I’d be feeling the reminder of his claiming touch with every step I take.
Yeah, I might have underestimated what his enormous cock did to my insides.
Tyson didn’t take it easy on me, but he also didn’t unleash all of himself. The thought of how rough he’d be makes my walls clench involuntarily.
Huh, I didn’t think I’d be into that.
But with him it’s somehow different.
Growing up, I’ve been taught to want soft and gentle love. Tyson is anything but.
I like how dominant he is. I like it a lot.
To my surprise, or rather confusion, I don’t see the man anywhere downstairs. Now that I think of it, I don’t think I’ve heard him in his room either.
Even Nero is still sleeping in his corner, unbothered by my stomping around which means Tyson hasn’t taken him out yet.
I double check the time. He never sleeps in, so this is way out of character.
Did he seriously leave me here all alone after finally sleeping with me? Was all of this just some elaborate way to get into my pants?
No, I refuse to believe that.
All the things he told me about his past, I could tell he was being genuine and Tyson isn’t someone who opens up easily , or at all.
There must be a rational explanation for his absence.
Throwing open the front door to look whether his truck is gone, I freeze. Not believing my eyes.
In the middle of the property, an apple tree stands proudly.
I blink once with a shake of my head, but it’s still there.
Small with just a few branches and freshly dug up soil all around.
My apple tree.
Without realizing it, my steps take me towards it, my bare feet sinking into the soft grass still wet with dew, the morning fog misting the edges of the forest.
The closer I get, the bigger the tree becomes until it’s towering a few feet above me, speckled with tiny reddish apples that definitely don’t look edible yet.
How did he get this here, and how big of a hole did the man have to dig while I was peacefully asleep?
Grazing the rough bark with the palm of my hand, I trace the lowest branches, letting the fine leaves slip between my fingers, making sure I’m not imagining this. Tears starting to pool in my eyes and I have to tilt my head up to prevent them from spilling over.
It may seem like a small thing but it’s not just a tree to me, it’s so much more. A proof of life.
My life.
This tree could be standing here for centuries to come, serving as a remainder of my legacy on this earth.
I’m not much of a spiritual believer, but whether there’s an afterlife, reincarnation or simply nothing waiting for me, this is the one thing I wanted for myself. Something that gave me piece of mind that I’ve accomplished at least something during my time here. A little mark I left upon the world.
I stifle the sob threatening to escape.
He did this for me.
The small hairs on the back of my neck rise and I spin around to Tyson standing on the porch, watching me.
Has he been standing there this whole time?
Well, I might have missed him while gawking at the oversized sapling.
Trapped in his dark, unblinking eyes, I approach him reverently, gauging his reaction while he seems to be doing the same.
The man has a way of studying my face that strips me bare.
His unreadable expression softening when I come to a halt in front of him, our chests nearly touching.
Being this close, I’m forced to tilt my head up since the top of it barely reaches his chin.
The look on his face says it all.
Before I can think better of it, I throw my arms around Tyson’s neck, pulling him down into a tight hug.
At first, I feel him stiffen but then he melts into the embrace, molding our bodies together.
His muscular arms wrap around my upper body, lifting me to my tiptoes as he suffocates the life out of me.
Burying my face in the crook of his neck, I breathe in his woodsy, masculine scent. His large palm cradling the back of my head, keeping me there, wrapped in the warm cocoon of his hard body. In my safe place.
“Thank you.” I murmur against his skin, making his hold on me tighten.
“Anything for you, little one.” He rasps. “Especially if I get this in return.” Tyson runs a hand down my spine, placing a gentle kiss to my temple.
“H-how did you…” I struggle for words.
“I might have gone through your stuff after putting you to bed.” He doesn’t let me move an inch when I try pulling away. “Don’t be mad, baby. It’s nothing I haven’t done before.”
“Right, because you’re a professional stalker.” I huff.
“Something like that. Don’t forget about the killer for hire part though.” A hint of humor seeps into his deep voice, and I can’t help but smile as I shake my head.
“So all of this isn’t just because of my dad?” I need to make sure, to hear him say it once and for all before giving him a piece of my heart. If I hadn’t already.
“No. I found you because I was searching for your father’s weakness.” His thumb brushes over my cheekbone, his eyes never leaving mine.
“I could have killed you the first night I broke into your home. I stood by your bedside while you were asleep, much like the night I finally took you, with my gun aimed at your head. And for the first time in my life, I couldn’t pull the trigger.”
“Why didn’t you?” I whisper, weirdly not alarmed by my near demise.
“I can’t explain it. There’s something about you, something I want to preserve and protect. Make irrevocably mine .” Tyson lets out a deep breath that turns into a growl at the end.
“Something inside me snapped in that moment, and I knew I needed a new plan. From then on, I watched you from afar every fucking night.” He palms my nape possessively.
“I needed time to build the cabin so you could thrive here. I never wanted you to suffer, only for your father to be under that impression.”
My jaw slackens as I look at him with wide eyes.
He’s a straightforward man, I must give him that.
“I heard once that trees are often gifted to commemorate special occasions.” He smirks in that masculine way that makes my heartbeat stutter, referring to last night as he tucks a strand of flyaway hair behind my ear, brushing the shell lightly.
My cheeks flush and I wiggle free to stomp on his foot, probably hurting myself more than him since he always wears those damn army boots.
Somewhat reluctantly, I break away from his embrace, scurrying inside with one last watery look towards the tree.
Our tree.
Just as I’m about to put the banana slices onto my porridge, a brown paper bag lands next to me on the counter.
Looking over my shoulder I give Tyson a confused look, but he merely gestures for me to open it. Peeking inside, I find a small blue box and packets of little pills I’m not familiar with staring back at me.
“What’s this?” My brows furrow as I study the packaging, turning it over in my hands.
“Birth control and Plan B.”
“You got me birth control?” I ask incredulously.
Nodding, his eyes stay locked on my face without giving anything away as he stands there with his arms crossed over his chest.
“I’m surprised you haven’t gone through my medical records.” A hysterical laugh bursts out of me.
Tyson blinks as he leans against the kitchen island, dwarfing it in size.
“You were never alone with a man.” He shrugs matter-of-factly. “Not that I would’ve let it come to that.”
“How could you have possibly interfered if I wanted to be with someone?” I counter, not wanting to admit that he’s totally spot on.
“My job requires me to be quite good with a sniper rifle.” His gaze darkens, his jaw flexing as I gape at him.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Deadly.”
I gulp, Tyson isn’t a man who jokes or make idle threats.
Ever.
As it turns out, my reclusive behavior might have saved lives. Isn’t that great.
“My mother’s gotten me on the shot as a teenager so I’d have clearer skin. You don’t have to worry.” I shudder at the memory of how she forced her way into the gynecologist’s office even though I begged her not to, overseeing everything.
“I don’t.” Tyson’s words snap me back to reality. “Sooner or later, you will carry my children, Malory.”
The way my name rolls off his tongue sending a pleasant shiver down my body.
“Keep telling yourself that, maybe it’ll come true.” I throw back, feeling uncharacteristically bold.
“It will.” His deep, sultry voice makes my insides clench.
This man needs a mute button or I’m going to burst from all the blood rushing to my face.
“Just how much did you accomplish while I was asleep?” It’s a weak attempt at changing the topic because judging by how hot I suddenly feel, I’m sure Tyson can plainly see just how much he truly affects me.
“I might have threatened an employee at The Garden Center , and you’d be surprised how cooperative pharmacists can be when you hold a gun to their head. Didn’t even ask for prescription.” He adds nonchalantly.
“You did what?!”
“Don’t worry about it.” Just like that, he brushes it off.
“I couldn’t exactly bring you into a doctor’s office for a check-up. Not that I’d let anyone touch you and allow them to keep their hands attached to their body.”
I mean what does a person even say to that.
Before I have a chance to argue, Tyson grabs me by my hips, effortlessly lifting me onto the kitchen island. I wince when my ass connects with the hard slab.
“Are you sore from my cock tearing through your tiny virgin cunt, little one?”
His crudeness sends a jolt straight to my core and I’m forced to turn away from his feral gaze, earning myself a growl of disapproval.
Collaring my neck with his calloused hand, his fingers nearly touching at my nape, he makes me look at him. “Can you still feel me inside my pussy, baby.”
My thighs clench shut yet Tyson easily spreads them apart, stepping between them as he invades my space, his front plastered to mine.
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the feelings this man evokes merely by being close, by touching me like he owns me. The buzzing in my nerve endings threatening to overwhelm my other senses.
There’s only him.
Grazing his knuckles down my blushing cheek, his thumb presses down on my bottom lip. A low groan rumbling deep in his chest as my lips eagerly part for him, his onyx eyes tracing the movement intently.
Pushing his finger into my mouth, my tongue instinctively swirls around it, making me moan softly at the taste of his skin.
With a wet pop, he pulls out before placing the digit past his lips, ever so slowly licking off my saliva.
This is the closest we’ve gotten to an actual kiss, making me ache for more.
I can see Tyson’s eyes darken in slow motion and just as I think his self-restraint is going to snap, he steps back once more.
I don’t miss the tension in his shoulders as he goes about fixing breakfast like none of that just occurred, giving me yet another whiplash.
“You didn’t wear a condom.” I state hesitantly while nervously fidgeting with the pills in my hands.
“And I won’t be wearing one.” His disarming gaze turns towards me with burning intensity . “Not with you.”
Huh. As in he’s planning on making this into a regular occurrence?
Not that I’m complaining.
If I hadn’t passed out from exhaustion, I would have wanted him to never stop in the first place.
“What about STDs?”
“First, there’s no way I was going to miss feeling your raw cunt strangling my dick. Second, you were a virgin, Malory.” He points out almost proudly.
“What about you?” I state the obvious.
“Do you seriously think I’d put your health at risk? I haven’t touched a woman in years.”
“You haven’t?” My eyebrows shoot up as I give him a skeptical look.
By no means am I going to believe that this man who fucks like an animal has a shortage of women throwing themselves at him.
“Like I said. Sex was never more than a chore to me, something my body required on a physical level and nothing more. Even that was too much of a hassle I didn’t care for, not since I found out about you.”
Tyson’s expression remains unchanged, meaning that he’s serious about this. And why would he lie, he’s already gotten what he wanted from me.
“What changed your mind?” I ask softly, unsure whether I want to hear the answer.
“You.”
My beath catches in my throat.
I want to believe him. I really do.
But I also know that Tyson doesn’t perceive feelings the way others do, or at all really.
He may say that I’m his, but it doesn’t mean the same to him as it does to me because in the end, he’ll never be able to love me.
A man like Tyson doesn’t love.
He wants to own me.
Granted he’s the first person who showed me what real care and affection look like but I’m not sure if that’s enough. Whether that’s all we’ll ever be.
Deep down, I can’t deny our attraction. And as long as I get to have a piece of his shattered heart, however small it may be, I’ll make do.
The man may have stripped me of my old life, putting me in my own custom-made cage where he has the only key. But what’s really messed up is that by doing so, he has liberated me.
I’ve never felt so free and fulfilled.
For that alone I’m willing to give this, whatever it is between us, a chance.
The only thing that doesn’t fit into all of this is his vengeance.
I’ve been wondering about Tyson’s motives for a while but he’s like a vault when it comes to my father. Impenetrable.
I don’t know much about my dad’s dealings besides that he’s a successful businessman who always provided for me and my mother.
My parents never were in a typical relationship but more of a partnership evolving around raising me, to shape me into the perfect socialite daughter. Which included telling me absolutely nothing.
For the rest of breakfast, I’m lost in my own thoughts, starting to doubt my very own existence.
Picking up on my mood, Tyson remains silent and I’m grateful that he’s not pushing me on this.
But then again, he’s not someone who’d give me space because his hand stayed on my thigh the entire time we ate.
As soon as I set my plate into the sink, my knees are suddenly kicked out from under me. Tyson scooping me up into his arms, holding me close to his chest before I can fall and crack my skull on the hardwood floor.
“What…” I gasp but my question gets quickly silenced with a gentle bite to my ear.
“Hush.” He nibbles on the sensitive flesh. “Let me take care of you.”
With that he carries me to the upstairs bathroom without another word.
Over the last twenty-four hours, I’ve been manhandled to the point of feeling like his personal ragdoll.
Again, not that I’m complaining.
It’s nice to relinquish control, to let someone else take charge, trusting that he’ll know how to make me feel good.
Ever so carefully, Tyson sets me down on the edge of the tub, refusing to let me move as he starts running a bath, adding salts and essential oils to relax my sore muscles.
Double checking the water temperature, he lets it fill up before kneeling before me, slowly undressing me until all my clothes are in a tangled heap on the floor.
Brushing my hair behind my shoulders to reveal my small breasts, the man gently caresses every bruise he left behind, making me tremble under his tender touch.
Kiss after kiss, soothing the pain he caused.
When the water threatens to spill over the edge, Tyson finally lifts me in, letting me sink into the steaming bubbles with a content sigh.
“Join me?” I ask in a small voice, peering up at him through my lashes.
Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath, his hands fisting the porcelain edge.
“I should go. I don’t want to hurt you further and I doubt I can resist fucking you raw if I stay here much longer.”
His eyes roam over my bare body one last time before he turns abruptly, rushing out of the room.
Leaning back, I smile to myself when I hear the distant sound of an axe coming down from the outside.
Over and over.