Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
FALLON
“R ich,” I mutter, opening my eyes slowly. When I do, they land on Rich, who is staring right at me. I can’t help but smile.
“You okay?” He reaches out, cupping my cheek, his thumb stroking back and forth. I let my eyes fall back closed, enjoying the feel of his touch.
Rich’s hands and fingers only ever bring me pleasure. It’s amazing to me that they are the same hands that he easily uses to destroy others. That should scare me, but it doesn’t. My father was that kind of man, but he never wielded his power to protect me. No, he was constantly trying to break me down. To control me so that I would easily submit to whatever his plans were for me at the time.
“I was dreaming about you,” I tell him, letting my eyes drift back up. “Not of the boat and the water or my father. Not a nightmare. Just dreams.” I’ve noticed that my nightmares have lessened as time has passed. I know without a doubt that Rich is the main reason for that. The safety and security he provides allow my mind to be at ease.
“Only want to give you sweet dreams.” He smirks. “And dirty ones.”
A giggle pops free. “Have you just been lying there staring at me?”
“And thinking.”
“About last night?”
“All of it really. I need to go speak to King.” I see the flash of anger in his eyes.
"You're still pissed."
"He used you as bait."
"It was me who asked to go to the fight," I admit. "I missed you." I watch some of the anger melt away. “I didn’t have to go. I—” I lean forward, kissing him. Rich suddenly rolls, taking me with him so that I’m pinned beneath him.
“That’s a dirty trick you played.”
“But it worked.” I smile at him. “I can’t hide from my father forever.” I don’t want to spend my life in the shadows. I’ve missed enough in life because of him, and I won’t miss another second.
"As much as I don't want to talk about that asshole, I want to know what he put you through. If anyone can relate to an abusive father, it's me.”
I touch the small scar on the side of his head by his temple. “My father made sure not to leave any lasting marks on me. Well, physically anyway. It’s not because he had compassion or anything. He just didn’t want me to be damaged goods. He never outright said that was what he was doing, but when talk of me getting married off one day started to come up, I pieced that together.”
“I want to kill him.” The intensity in Rich’s eyes lets me know his statement isn’t a half joke or offhand comment. He means it.
“The physical abuse got less.”
“I’m guessing because you got in line and made sure not to give him any reason.”
“True,” I agree. There were a couple of times I was close when he was pissed, and I got the random backhand. “Being locked in my room was worse.”
“You know I’m not trying to keep you locked away, right? We can go anywhere.”
“I know that. It was more the isolation that killed my spirit. I was lonely.” I love being tucked away here with Rich. This home is filled with so much life and happiness.
“Promise, dollface. Lonely will be the last thing you’ll ever be with me. I bet I'll start to annoy you.”
“Never.” I was so worried I was going to start to wear Rich down with how clingy I can be when it comes to him.
“My father used to beat the shit out of me.” His words feel like a knife in my heart. I hate that he had to experience that. I know firsthand the emotions that come along with having an abusive parent.
"I'm sorry." I can't picture anyone beating Rich.
"It was better for me to take it than my sister. I made sure his wrath was always aimed at me."
"You're a good man, Rich." Willa is lucky to have him. There were so many nights I wished I had someone to stick up for me.
"Am I? I wanted to kill him. Almost got to, but his death was taken from me."
"But he's gone." I trace my finger down his jaw. "What would killing him have done for you?"
"It was my right."
"Then, is it mine to kill my father?" I watch his face closely. I can’t stand my father, but I can’t picture killing him either.
"You don't have to."
"Because you will handle that?"
"I'll handle him." He might not have said kill, but the silent word is there. "You don't need that in your mind. We're keeping your dreams sweet and dirty."
“I don’t want you to do anything that will put you in danger. Or that will risk our future together. He’s not worth it. I refuse to allow him to take anything else from me.” While I want my dad to suffer and I couldn’t care less if he died, I won’t give him the satisfaction of ruining the rest of my life.
“Me?” He smirks, the corners of his eyes softening.
“Yes, you.” I give his chest a playful shove. “I can’t lose you, Rich. Worse, if I lost you because of him, then he’d win.”
“You’ll never lose me.”
“Promise.”
“Promise, vow, pop a vein. Name it, and I’ll do it.”
“Thank you. You have no idea what it means for me to have found you that day on the dock.”
“Pretty sure I found you.” He’s teasing me again.
“How about I found you and you saved me?”
“Nah, you definitely saved me, dollface.” I try to argue with him, but he pushes up, getting off the bed in one swift movement. “Shower time.” Rich plucks me right out of the bed. “Then I need to feed you and talk to West and King.”
“Can I go too?” I ask when he puts me back onto my feet. “To talk with everyone?”
“If you want.” He flips on the shower. I do want to. I brought this all here to their doorstep, and it’s time to tell everyone my story of how I’d gotten here. None of them have pushed for information. If I dodged a question, they let me without giving me a hard time.
"I love showers with you." I sigh when he pulls me under the water with him.
"That bath last night wasn't bad." Rich had woken me at some point. I really don't recall falling asleep, but when I woke up, I was in his arms, and he was carrying me to the bathroom and sitting me down into a warm bath. He said my body needed it, cupping my sex as he slipped into the bath behind me.
“It was divine,” I admit. “All my future baths will now pale in comparison. You’ve ruined solo baths for me.”
“Good.” He cups my sex. “How are you feeling?” There is a hint of regret in his eyes, and I know it’s because after our bath I lured him into sex again.
He said I was sore and we needed to wait at least a day. Rich tried to distract me with his mouth, which worked for one orgasm. Then I was asking him to make love to me again. My giant everyone calls an asshole crumbled, giving in to me.
“I’m fine,” I reassure him.
“I should check.” I let him check with his fingers, then his mouth. It’s not long before Rich is deep inside of me, not stopping until we’re both coming in ecstasy. I had no idea these kinds of pleasure existed before him.
“You’ve ruined solo showers for me now too.” I let out a pretend annoyed huff. The man even dries me off and brushes my hair. Really he’s ruined life as a whole if he’s not with me.
“Hoodie?” he asks when I’m sliding panties up my legs. Rich doesn’t wait for a response before he’s shimmying it over my head. The question is more rhetorical than anything. I pull on some black stretchy pants and thick socks. “Clothes are coming for you. This island can take some time to get shit.”
“I’m fine.” I shrug.
“I know, but I want you to have your own stuff too. Things you pick.”
“It might be fun to go to a store,” I admit. “But my father and so many people together give me anxiety.”
“After everything is handled, I’ll take us to the city and shut down a whole store for you.”
“Rich!” I gasp. “That’s insane.”
“They don’t call me Rich for nothing.” He winks at me.
I shake my head at him. This man will do anything for me.
“I’m teasing; why are you giving me watery eyes?” Rich lifts me by my hips, sitting me down on the island in the center of the closet.
“Happy.” I lick my lips. “And sad that I have nothing to give you in return. You do everything, and I’m just here.” Rich throws back his head and laughs. It’s deep and sexy. I should be annoyed that he’s laughing, but it makes me happy to see him this way. Teddy and Willa have told me about how cold and distant he can be.
“You’re laughing at me.” I poke one of his many abs.
“I’m sorry,” he says while still laughing.
“You can’t say sorry and then laugh.”
“It's just ridiculous. I’d give up everything to only have you.” His hands drop to either side of me. Rich moves in closer, his body making my thighs spread to give him room, and believe me, the man takes up a lot. “You make me want to live. To think about tomorrow. I swear I lost myself for a long time. My father fucked with my head so damn much, in the end I became numb, and if I wasn’t numb, I was angry.” Rich drops his forehead to mine.
“We have many things in common.” That first night I never would have thought that.
“We do,” Rich agrees. “And in other ways, we’re polar opposites. We offset each other. We work. I felt it that first night. I knew you were the purpose I was searching for. The darkness had been taking over, and you so easily lit up my life.”
“I love you,” I tell him. I plan on saying those words to him as much as possible.
“I love you too.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “Now tell me you know I need you. Tell me that you know I’ll do anything for you. That while I might be controlling when I’m worrying over you and obsessively possessive of you, you know it’s you who holds the power, even if I’m three times your size.”
"I know." I press my mouth to his, letting our kiss wash away my negative thoughts that I'm not enough. Ones that were planted by people who wanted to keep me down.
All Rich has shown me is love and sweetness. "I know," I repeat when we break the kiss.
"That's my girl."