Chapter 10
ten
. . .
Gray
The final piece falls into place—a signed affidavit from the court clerk who made the original error.
It's taken calling in every favor I'm owed, threatening a few people who deserved it, and paying off others who didn't. But it's done.
The paperwork clearing Beck's name is processing through the system.
Three days, maybe four, and the bounty will be officially rescinded.
Three days until she's free. Three days until she could walk away from me if she wanted to.
But she won't. Not after last night. Not after she whispered that she's falling for me, her body wrapped around mine, her walls squeezing every drop of seed from my cock.
She's mine now. Not just because I decided it, but because she's choosing it too.
I close my laptop, rubbing my tired eyes. Been at this since dawn, making calls, sending emails, pulling strings. Worth it to see the haunted look finally leave Beck's eyes. Worth it to give her the choice to stay rather than the necessity.
She's in the kitchen, humming softly as she makes lunch. The sound filters through the cabin, domestic and perfect. I never thought I'd have this—someone waiting for me, making a home with me. Never thought I deserved it after the things I've done. The blood on my hands.
But Beck sees past that. Sees something in me worth loving. It terrifies her—I saw it in her eyes last night when she confessed her feelings. It should terrify me too. Instead, it feels inevitable. Like everything since I first saw her photo has been leading to this moment.
I move to the kitchen doorway, watching her unobserved for a moment.
She's wearing one of my flannels over leggings, her hair pulled into a messy bun that exposes the curve of her neck.
There's a mark there—my mark, left by my teeth last night as I emptied myself inside her. My cock stirs at the memory.
"I can feel you staring," she says without turning around, a smile in her voice.
"Can't help it." I move behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my chest. "Like looking at what's mine."
She laughs softly, tilting her head to give me better access as I press my lips to her neck. "Possessive much?"
"Always." I nip at her earlobe, enjoying her little shiver. "Got news."
"Oh?" She turns in my arms, looking up at me with those big hazel eyes that have haunted my dreams for months now.
"Paperwork's filed. Should be official in three, four days max."
Her eyes widen. "Really? It's over?"
"Almost." I cup her face, studying her reaction. "You'll be free to go wherever you want."
Something flashes across her face—uncertainty, maybe. Fear. "Where would I go?"
"Nowhere." I growl the word, pulling her tighter against me. "You're staying right here. With me. Where you belong."
Relief softens her features. "That's what I want too." She rises on tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "I told you last night. I'm falling for you, Gray. I want to stay."
Satisfaction rumbles through my chest. "Good."
She turns back to the sandwiches she was making, her body still nestled against mine. "You know, I'm kind of going to miss the diner," she muses. "Not the work so much, but some of the people. There's this one regular, Joe, who always tells the funniest stories about his grandkids—"
My body tenses before I can stop it. "Joe?"
She nods, oblivious to the change in my posture. "Sweet older man. Always orders the same thing—BLT, extra mayo. He was telling me the other day about how his grandson caught a frog and—"
"You went back to the diner?" My voice drops dangerously low. "After what happened with that bounty hunter?"
She stills, suddenly aware of my mood shift. "You drove me, remember? Two days ago? You waited in the truck while I finished my shift. Said it was safe enough with you watching."
I remember now. Had been watching the parking lot so intently, scanning for threats, that I hadn't paid attention to who was inside. Who was talking to her. Looking at her. An old man, sure, but still a man. Still someone with eyes on what's mine.
"Did he touch you?" The question comes out harsher than intended.
Beck turns, confusion wrinkling her brow. "What? No! He's like seventy, Gray. He just likes to chat."
The rational part of my brain knows she's telling the truth. Knows this is ridiculous. But that part isn't in control right now. All I can think is that another man made her smile. Made her remember him. Made her mention him to me.
"Don't go back there," I say, my hands tightening on her hips.
"Gray, don't be ridiculous. He's harmless—"
"I don't care if he's a hundred years old and wheelchair-bound." I back her against the counter, caging her in with my arms. "No one gets to look at you. Talk to you. Make you smile except me."
Her breath catches, pupils dilating despite the exasperation on her face. "You can't possibly be jealous of a grandfather who just wants someone to talk to about his grandkids."
But I am. I'm jealous of anyone who gets a moment of her attention. Anyone who exists in her world that isn't me. It's irrational. Possessive. Obsessive. I know this. I just don't care.
"Mine," I growl, lifting her onto the counter, forcing her thighs apart so I can stand between them. "Say it."
"Gray—"
"Say. It." I grip her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze.
Her resistance crumbles visibly, her body softening against mine. "Yours," she whispers. "I'm yours, Gray."
"Daddy," I correct, already working her leggings down her hips.
"Daddy," she echoes, helping me remove the thin fabric. "I'm yours, Daddy."
I free my cock with one hand, already rock hard and aching. I'm not gentle as I position myself at her entrance, not gentle as I thrust home in one smooth motion that makes her cry out. Not gentle as I set a punishing pace, claiming her with each brutal thrust.
"Mine to hunt," I snarl against her neck, teeth scraping the tender skin. "Mine to protect. Mine to breed."
Her head falls back, exposing her throat to my mouth. "Yes, yes—"
I lift her off the counter, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carry her to the nearest wall. The impact as I press her against it knocks a framed photo askew. I don't care. Need to mark her. Need to remind her who she belongs to.
"Spread for Daddy," I command, driving deeper into her willing body. "I'm breeding you now, no holding back."
She whimpers, inner walls clenching around me at the filthy promise. Her arms clutch at my shoulders, nails digging in through my shirt. "Please," she begs. "Please, Daddy."
I shift my grip, one arm supporting her weight, the other hand finding her throat. Not squeezing, just holding—a reminder of my dominance, my control. Her eyes widen, pupils blown with arousal at the possessive gesture.
"This pussy is mine," I tell her, punctuating each word with a deep thrust. "This throat is mine. These lips, these tits, these legs—all fucking mine."
"Yes," she gasps, the word broken by the force of my thrusts. "All yours, Daddy. Only yours."
My rhythm grows erratic as my release approaches, my control slipping. "Going to fill you up," I promise, feeling my balls tighten. "Going to knock you up so everyone knows you're mine. So you never forget who you belong to."
Her body responds to my words, inner muscles fluttering around my cock as her orgasm builds. One of her hands leaves my shoulder, moving between us to rub her clit. The sight of her touching herself while I fuck her against the wall nearly undoes me.
"That's it, baby girl," I encourage, feeling her tighten around me. "Come on Daddy's cock. Show me how much you love being bred."
She comes with a cry of my name, her body convulsing around me, milking my cock with rhythmic contractions that drag me over the edge with her. I bury myself as deep as possible and let go, pumping her full of my seed with a primal roar of satisfaction.
We stay joined as our breathing slows, her forehead resting against mine, my cock still pulsing inside her. I can feel my release beginning to leak out around me, marking her thighs with evidence of my claim.
"You're insane," she murmurs, but there's no fear in her voice. No real anger. Just resignation tinged with affection. "He's just a nice old man."
"Don't care." I nuzzle into her neck, breathing in our combined scent. "You're mine. Every smile. Every word. Every thought. Mine."
I carry her to the couch, still inside her, settling with her in my lap. She winces slightly as the movement shifts my softening cock within her sensitive walls.
“Do you love me, Gray?” she asks quietly, her fingers tracing patterns on my chest.
The question stuns me.
“How could I not love you, baby? I hunted you," I remind her, cupping her face in my hands. "Found you. Claimed you. That doesn't end, baby girl. Ever."
Relief floods her features. "Promise?"
"Promise." I seal it with a kiss, gentle now that the feral need to claim has been satisfied.
She settles against my chest, a perfect weight. “I love you too.”
My chest swells and there’s a strange tightness in my throat. I’m so fucking overwhelmed by her all I can do is kiss the top of her head, thanking the universe for this sweet angel in my arms.