37. Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter thirty-seven
M elody woke with a gasp, her hands flying up to protect herself against…nothing. She stared up at the ceiling in her apartment because Fox thought she’d be more comfortable at her place. And just like at the hospital each time she’d drifted off, then woken up, when she endured all the questions from the doctors and police, when she’d been hugged and coddled by her family, Fox was there. Right beside her.
He took her hands and leaned over her from his side of the bed so she could see him clearly. “It’s all right, sweetheart. I’m here. You’re safe.” He kissed one palm and then the other. “You’re safe,” he assured her again.
She breathed in, then let out a long exhale to calm her racing heart. One more time. Okay, two. Then three. Finally, she felt settled in reality and calm and the soft glow of the egg-shaped nightlight Fox made Dean run out and get because she didn’t want to be in the dark. “How long did I sleep?”
“A couple of hours.” He’d brought her home from the hospital late this morning. They’d kept her all day yesterday and overnight for observation. She was exhausted, dehydrated, and had a nasty headache from headbutting Amy and Josh, but no serious injuries. Well, except the psychological trauma. And let’s not forget the sore knuckles from punching Amy, and the severely bruised and abraded wrists that Fox rewrapped after he helped her shower because her hands were sore and she was so fatigued.
“What time is it?”
“Closing in on three o’clock. You missed lunch. Hungry?” He set her hands on her stomach, then leaned on his right hand as he stared down at her but didn’t touch her again.
They hadn’t had a lot of time alone to talk. And she’d kind of been out of it at the hospital even when she was awake. There’d been a few minutes here and there where they were alone together, but most of the time, there’d been someone from her family, law enforcement, or the medical staff with them.
Her mom and dad wanted her to go home with them to the ranch to recover. All she’d wanted was to be alone with Fox.
She didn’t want anyone to see her break down. She didn’t want to plaster on a fake smile and pretend everything was all right to ease their minds.
With him, she never had to do that.
And he had been there. He’d seen what that asshole did to her. She didn’t have to explain.
She glanced past him at the laptop he’d set on the bedside table. “Working?”
Distraction, more like it. He’d been silently fuming since he found her.
She didn’t blame him. His mother had betrayed him again. For money this time.
So selfish. So horribly unkind.
That was as nicely as she could put it. Because that fucking bitch deserved everything coming to her.
Tanya had even lied about the severity of her illness. No wonder she never wanted Fox at her appointments.
He’d have been so happy to hear that she was getting better. He’d have hoped for more time to build some kind of relationship with her.
But Tanya killed that hope inside him once and for all.
She’d begged to see him.
He refused every time one of the officers relayed the message.
She’d turned her back on him. Now he had to do the same to save himself any more heartache.
Melody would never forgive her for what she did, how she treated him, and not seeing that she’d be so lucky to have Fox as a friend and ally.
They could have at least been friendly with each other. And Fox would have taken care of her.
Now… His eyes filled with hate and rage and his fists clenched tight any time someone said her name.
He shook his head. “I was checking in with Mason and the DA. Making sure the four responsible for scaring and hurting you get what they deserve.”
She didn’t think he’d let them get away with scaring him . He’d spent his whole life wanting to get back to her. And they’d taken her away from him.
He’d suffered so many tragedies and losses. She couldn’t imagine what he’d do, what he’d be like if something terrible had happened to her.
Well, it had. And he was angry.
But she was still here. They were together.
But things felt off. Strained. Fragile, even.
It shouldn’t be this way. Not between them.
She blamed Amy. And Tanya. All of them.
But more than anything, she wanted to get back the closeness she shared with Fox.
“It’s infuriating that Tanya only cared about the money and tried to steal it from you, especially after you were so generous with her.”
“She hurt you to hurt me because she knew I’d fucking give everything I have, my fucking life for you.”
She rose up onto her elbow and faced him. “But you won’t touch me, except to hold my hand, then let it go moments later, like you can’t stand not to touch me, then you don’t want to again.”
He reached over and brushed her hair away from her forehead and looked her right in the eye. “You’re right. I want to touch you so badly, I ache with it. But after what you’ve been through, the way you distanced yourself from everyone and everything at the hospital, holding yourself and curling up the way you did… After the way that asshole touched you, I thought maybe you didn’t want anyone, me, touching you.”
“I just…needed some time to let the nightmare fade enough, to not feel like I was still in it.”
The shower he’d helped her take had been very…clinical. Soap her up, rinse her down. Get the job done, nothing else. She’d tried to wash away the memories, the feel of Josh’s hands on her. Then they both climbed into bed and she’d crashed, knowing Fox was right beside her. That he wouldn’t leave her alone.
Then she thought about Fox asleep in their bed at the apartment, waiting for her to come home to him and waking up to someone other than her touching him. “I think we both could use a reminder of what it’s like when we’re together.” She pushed the blankets to the bottom of the bed, rolled over, and straddled Fox’s hips as he fell back onto the pillow he’d been using to prop himself up while he toiled away on his laptop.
He wasn’t wearing a shirt, because she’d come out of the bathroom and pulled it off him and put it on herself, needing his scent and heat to surround her while she slept. Now… “I need you.” She pulled the shirt off over her head and sent it sailing through the air. Then she took him by the wrists and put his hands on her bare breasts. She covered his hands with hers and squeezed the firm mounds.
His eyes blazed with desire. “Are you sure?”
She rocked against his hard length, wishing he wasn’t wearing sweatpants. She didn’t want anything between them. “Don’t hold back, Fox. Love me.”
He rose up, cupped her face in his big, warm hands, and kissed her, his mouth open, tongue thrusting along hers. The kiss was a possession. A claiming. “I love you more than anything. If I lost you…” He shook his head, kissed her hard and fast. “Can’t happen. Never happening.” Then he rolled them back to her side of the bed and she landed on her back with him between her thighs. His mouth crashed down on hers again. Raw. Wild. His tongue slid against hers as his cock rocked against her core. “You’re so fucking beautiful and strong. Fierce. And mine.”
He kissed a trail down her neck to her chest. He hesitated for the barest of seconds before he planted a kiss right over the bruising bite mark, then took her nipple into his mouth and sucked and laved at it, making her moan his name.
"Fox."
“That’s right. It’s me, making you feel this way.”
“So good. Don’t stop.”
“Anything for you.” He took her other nipple into his mouth and slid his hand down her side, over her belly, then between her legs. His fingers softly brushed over her folds, stroking up, then down as he thrust one finger, then two into her. His lips left her nipple with a tug, then pop. “You’re so fucking wet for me.” He thrust those two fingers again.
“I need you.”
“You have me. Always.” He slid down the bed, spread her thighs wide, then licked her pussy from bottom to top. Those two fingers returned, sliding in and out as he licked her clit, circling the bud with his tongue, driving her insane. “Let go. I’ve got you.” That deep, rumbly voice rolled through her along with her orgasm as he continued to stroke her with his tongue and fingers, drawing it out. Wave after wave of pleasure.
Just as she sank back into the bed, the head of his thick cock brushed her entrance, nudging in just an inch. “I love you.” He thrust in to the hilt, then went still, savoring the moment they were joined. One. Connected in bliss.
She grabbed his ass and pulled him in deeper.
He swore, then groaned in ecstasy. “Nothing feels better than being inside you.” And then he moved, pulling out slowly, thrusting back in, building the need inside her once more as she clung to him, gave herself over to him and the insane pleasure until he let go, too, and slammed into her.
Lost in the wild abandon of it all, they came together with hearts racing and pleasure overwhelming them.
He collapsed on top of her, then rolled to his side, taking her with him, so they were face-to-face as they clung to each other, still joined. “Marry me. I’ll get you a ring, I’ll do the whole proposal thing right, I promise, but I need to know you’ll be my wife.”
“There’s nothing I want more. Yes.”
He crushed her to him, his lips pressed to hers in a kiss that was filled with love and need and excitement. His half-hard cock swelled inside her again and she rocked against him.
He rolled her to her back. This time their lovemaking was slow and sweet, with kisses that lingered and tempted, their bodies moving together, hands brushing and sweeping over sensitive skin until their need rose like a wave, building before crashing into the soft caress of the warm sand.
In his arms, lying heart to heart, she felt what their future would always be. Them. Connected. Loving each other through the good and the bad. Together.