Chapter 23
The salt and musk of us sits on Devyn’s tongue. It’s intoxicating evidence of her submission, trust, and willingness to take everything I give her. I deepen the kiss, greedy for more—for all of her—as she melts against me like she’s forgotten how to stand on her own.
When I finally pull away, her lips are swollen and red from our kiss.
Her eyes are glazed, and her pupils are blown wide with the aftermath of pleasure and lingering haze of desire.
She’s devastatingly beautiful. With my hands cupping her face, I stare at her in awe for a moment, memorizing the flush of her cheeks, the emerald flecks of her eyes, and the slight tremor of her bottom lip where she bit it to keep from screaming.
I wrap my arms around her waist and lift her off the ground, her feet inches from the floor as I carry her across the room.
I sink into the leather desk chair resting against the bookshelf from where I had kicked it earlier and pull her onto my lap.
She comes willingly, settling into me like she belongs there.
Like her petite body was carved to fit against mine.
With her temple pressed against my jaw, her head settles into the crook of my neck.
I wrap my arms around her, one hand spanning her lower back, the other tangling in the silk of her hair.
We sit in silence for a long time, the room filled with nothing but our slowing breaths, the distant crash of waves below, and the soft whisper of wind against the glass.
The blue of the sky on the other side of the panes appears infinite, the golden sun slowly making its descent toward the horizon.
The soft glow leaves dust motes dancing in the slanted light around us.
“You’re such a good girl,” I whisper into Devyn’s hair as I slide my hand between her pert breasts, the steady rhythm of her heart beneath my palm.
Dusting my hand higher, I run my fingers through her hair, smoothing the tangled strands.
I tuck a tendril behind the delicate shell of her ear, my fingers continuing their journey along her jaw until they’re resting beneath her chin.
“I need you to promise me something, baby girl,” I gently insist, tipping her face toward mine.
She shifts slightly, her hand coming to rest on my chest. “What?” she asks softly.
I tighten my arms around her, pulling her closer, trying to eliminate any space between us.
“I need you to promise that you’ll always listen to me.
That when I tell you to do something—to stay somewhere, to go somewhere, to let me handle things—you’ll listen.
No questions. No arguments. Just trust that I’m doing what’s best for you. ”
She goes still in my arms. I feel the subtle tension creep into her muscles before she pushes away slightly, just enough to fully look at me. Her golden eyes search my face for answers, reassurance, or the truth I’m trying to protect her from.
“Gunnar,” she exhales slowly, her brow furrowing. “What’s going on? What happened earlier, with Jagger?”
I should have known she wouldn’t let it go.
Breaking her concerned stare, I look out over the ocean, at the endless blue that matches the storm in my own gaze as I weigh my words carefully.
I don’t want to frighten her, but I can’t lie to her, either.
Not about this. Not about something that could take her from me. Not when I just got her.
“There’s been… movement,” I disclose finally, my voice low, controlled, betraying none of the fury that’s been burning in my gut since Jagger showed me the latest intelligence. “Your stalker. He’s not just watching anymore, Devyn. He’s escalating.”
She stiffens, her whole body rigid against mine.
And I hate it. Fear floods her scent as her fingers curl into my shirt, clutching at the fabric like it’s a lifeline.
I should be able to shield her from this, to wrap her in so much protection that danger can’t even see her, let alone touch her.
But the world doesn’t work that way, and the threat that hunts her is persistent, patient, and growing increasingly unhinged.
“What do you mean, escalating?” Her voice trembles, matching the slight quiver of her lower lip, absolutely gutting me.
I stroke her hair again, my gentle touch trying to soothe her worry as I deliver the blow. “Approaching you in public. Getting that close. Far too fucking close. He’s obsessed. Dangerously so.”
She shivers, a full-body tremor that rocks through her. I pull her closer, tucking her head back under my chin, wrapping myself around her like I can physically block the threat.
“He… He said…” she stammers, sounding broken in a way that makes me want to burn the world down. “Something about me making him jealous.”
“Yeah,” I breathe, already aware. There was more than one post on that site spiraling over my proximity to Devyn, daring to stake a violent claim over someone who doesn’t belong to them. Someone who is mine. “He won’t back off because you’re with me. If anything, it will make him more determined.”
“I thought I was safe.” Her fear is palpable, and it makes every protective instinct I possess roar to life, snarling and ready to tear apart anyone who would dare to make her feel this way. “I thought, with the gates… the guys… and you—”
“You are safe,” I gruff, fiercely, my grip tightening so firmly, I worry I might hurt her.
I force myself to loosen my hold, but my tone remains absolute and unwavering.
“You are safe here, baby girl. I swear to you with everything I am. With my life. My soul. I will keep you safe, but we need to tighten things up. No more risks.”
She pulls back again, her eyes wide, luminous with tears she’s trying not to shed. “I can’t just stay locked in this house forever, Gunnar. I have a life. I have work. The meetings Leslie was talking about—”
“I know,” I interrupt, stroking her cheek, wiping away the single tear that escapes despite her best efforts with my thumb.
“I know you do, baby girl. And we’re going to figure it out.
We’ll have protocols for outings, for travel, for everything.
You won’t be a prisoner, but you will be heavily protected. Do you understand?”
She nods, her lower lip quivering. I lean in to kiss her, stilling her trembling lip between both of mine.
I kiss her sweetly, willing her to understand every promise I can’t yet put into words.
When I pull back, her eyes are closed, her breath shaky, but some of the tension has eased from her shoulders.
“I’m scared,” she admits, the quiet confession hitting me like a physical blow.
I cradle her face in my hands, forcing her to meet my gaze, letting her see everything I’m feeling—the rage at the faceless threat, the determination that burns though my chest like a wildfire, and the absolute, all-consuming certainty that I will destroy anything and anyone that tries to harm her.
“I know you are,” I comfort. My voice gentles to a softer tone that can only be described as tender.
It’s foreign to me, a part I unknowingly reserved for her.
“And I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry that this is your life right now.
I hate that some sick fuck has decided you belong to him.
But you need to hear me, baby girl. You need to believe me when I tell you that I will not let him touch you.
I will do everything in my power not let him get close enough to breathe the same air as you. ”
She searches my face, her watery eyes swimming with emotion. Beneath the overwhelming fear, I can see her trust and the same desperate connection that has been driving me insane since the moment I first saw her. “How can you be so sure? How can you promise me that?”
“Because it’s who I am,” I state simply, without bravado. “Because I’ve spent my life learning how to eliminate threats, seeing danger coming before it sees me, and ending problems… permanently. There is nothing I won’t do to keep you safe. No line I won’t cross. No price I won’t pay.”
I pull her into my chest, squeezing her against me with the strength of my conviction.
This beautiful creature in my arms is mine, and there are no limits to the lives I will slay to rest to protect her.
Including my own. “I’m going to be right here beside you,” I promise into her hair.
“And when I have to, I will stand in front you. As long as I’m breathing, no one gets to touch you without answering to me. ”
She’s quiet for a long moment, her breath warm against my neck, her body slowly relaxing into mine as the comfort of my words sinks in.
“Okay,” she whispers finally, her fingertips drifting through the silver dusting of hair on my chest as her palm rests over my heart. “I’ll listen. I’ll do what you say.”
I tilt her chin up, capturing her mouth with mine. I kiss her like I’m trying to consume her, protect her, and merge her so completely with me that no threat could ever find where she ends and I begin. Pulling back slightly, I speak my praise against her lips. “That’s Daddy’s good girl.”
She burrows into my chest, her arms wrapping around my neck, trusting me with a quiet surrender that settles on my shoulders with surprising weight.
It isn’t a burden. It’s a responsibility, one I accept without hesitation.
I want to be the Daddy she so desperately needs, giving her peace, safety, and keeping her monsters at bay.
I stroke her hair and back, whisper words of comfort, with my eyes fixed on the horizon, preparing for war.
While this stalker is hunting her, he doesn’t realize that he too is being hunted.
There’s nowhere on this earth he can hide where I won’t find him.
He thinks he knows obsession, but he’s never faced a man who’s finally found his reason for breathing.
I press a kiss to the top of Devyn’s head, inhaling her scent, and I make another silent promise to myself: I will end him.
When I do, it will be slow and painful. And when I’m done, I will spend the rest of my life erasing Devyn’s fear, replacing it with nothing but safety, pleasure, and the absolute certainty that she is cherished.