Chapter Eleven
Gage
"Do you want to come in?" Troian asks, peeking over at me from the passenger seat as I pull into her driveway at the end of the day.
"Hell yes," I growl, my knuckles white around the steering wheel. "But if I do, I won't be able to keep my hands to myself, butterfly." Not after she came all over me again today. Not after I tasted her.
I've been dying a slow death ever since, thinking up nine thousand different excuses to get her alone so I could get another taste, straight from the source this time.
If I go inside with her, I'll find a reason to get her naked.
And I'm not sure I'll stop at eating her until she's coming all over my face.
Apparently, I'm greedy like that.
"Who said you have to?" she asks, her cheeks pink.
I groan, bouncing my head against the seat rest. "I do." I glance over at her. "As much as I want you—and believe me, I want you so fucking badly I'm ready to lose my mind—I haven't earned the right to know exactly what you taste like coming all over my tongue yet."
"Gage," she whispers softly, her face falling. "It isn't your fault that Victoria treats me the way she does."
"Yeah, it is." I peel my hand from the steering wheel, cupping her cheek. "She's been a bitch to you because I wasn't clear enough. I need to make it right, butterfly. I owe you that."
She tilts her head to the side, eyeing me suspiciously. "What are you up to, Gage Bronx?"
"You'll see on Friday." I grin at her. "But I can't go inside with you right now, or I'll fuck it all up."
Troian grumbles softly and then sighs. "You make it really hard to be disappointed, you know that?"
"Good. I never want to disappoint you again."
She smiles sweetly, and I swear to God, I want to taste that smile. A second later, I realize there's nothing stopping me now. She knows how I feel about her. She knows that I'm wild for her.
I pull her toward me, crashing our mouths together.
She moans against my lips, her hands in my hair, fucking it all up. I don't care. She can do whatever she wants. I won't ever tell her no.
Somehow, she ends up on my lap, straddling me.
"Jesus," I groan, my head thrown back against the seat as she grinds all over my cock. My hands dig into her hips, trying to keep her right there because it feels fucking magical. "I can't wait to feel you doing that while you're naked, Troian."
She bites my throat in response, and it takes every ounce of restraint I have not to tip her over backward and tear her clothes off. It's what I want to do. But I don't. Restraint.
A motherfucker is learning.
Instead, I kiss her again, letting her grind all over me until the windows are fogged all to hell and she's gasping my name and trembling like she's about to come all over me.
She doesn't get the chance.
She's right there—right fucking there—when her dad taps on the window.
"Shit," I growl.
Troian squeaks, practically flinging herself back into the passenger seat.
Judging by the way Mr. Alessi scowls at me, he knows precisely what we were doing, and he is not a happy camper. "Out of the truck, Gage," he says. "Now."
"Fuck my life," I breathe, climbing from the truck to meet him.
Troian scrambles out with wide eyes. "Dad, you're home early."
"Clearly," he says, his eyes narrowed on his daughter. "Inside, Troian."
"But—"
"Inside," he orders her, his eyes locked on me like he's trying to decide if he wants to choke me or run me over with my own truck.
Troian grumbles softly and then scurries to my side, flinging her arms around me in a fierce hug. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, butterfly." I brush my lips across her forehead, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She looks so beautiful with her face flushed and her lips swollen from my kisses. "I'll see you in the morning."
She hesitates for a long moment before huffing a loud sigh, shooting a glare at her dad that's more warning than anything, and then stomping toward the house.
I watch her go. Her dad watches me.
Neither of us says anything until she's inside, the front door closed behind her, and then he turns to me, blowing out a sharp breath.
"I like you, Gage," he says. "You've always been good to my daughter."
"I love your daughter, sir," I say, my voice firm. "I'm going to marry her one day."
"Yeah? Does she know this?"
"She's catching on."
He's silent for a moment, watching me. His eyes are so much like hers, it's a little unnerving. But Troian is like her mom, all softness and sweetness. Her dad is different. He knows how special she is, so he's fiercely protective.
"Not knowing if we were going to lose her when she was younger is the hardest thing we've ever gone through," he says suddenly. "I always promised God that, if he just let us keep her, if he just let her grow up, I'd be her biggest cheerleader."
I stay silent, not entirely sure where this is going.
"I realized about a year ago that I'm not that person any longer." He meets my gaze again, resignation heavy in his eyes. "You are."
"Sir, I—"
He throws up a hand, silencing me. "I'm not mad about it, Gage.
I've seen the way you look at her. It's the same way I've always looked at her mom.
She looks at you the same way. I appreciate that you love her.
I appreciate that you look out for her the way you do.
But she's still my little girl. It's still my job to protect her.
" He pauses. "I know what the two of you were doing in that truck.
I'm not stupid. You're both adults, and I know damn well I can't stop you. But…I need you to hear me, all right?"
I nod silently.
"An unplanned pregnancy wouldn't ruin her life.
She's too goddamn smart for that. But it could kill her," he says, her voice soft.
"She'll be on immunosuppressants for life to ensure her heart keeps beating.
If she ever decides to have kids, it's going to take an army to ensure she survives the pregnancy, and she isn't ready for that right now.
So I need you to promise me—fucking promise me—that you'll remember that, and you'll do everything in your power to ensure that you don't put her life at risk. "
My heart thuds like a jackhammer against my ribcage. "I swear to you," I whisper, my throat raw, "I'll never do anything to put her at risk."
He jerks his head in a nod, his jaw clenched. "Good. That's all I'm going to ask of you. Just…take care of her. Remember what's at stake. We almost lost her once. I'm not sure we'll survive a second time."
"I'm not sure I will either," I admit, swallowing hard.
Mr. Alessi claps me on the shoulder, squeezing gently. "You're good for her, Gage. Keep being good for her." He narrows his eyes at me. "And don't make her cry again or you'll be removing my boot from your ass, understood?"
"Yes, sir," I promise, smiling because I know he means it.
He cracks a smile, nodding toward the house. "You want to go say bye?"
I nod, and we walk toward the house together.
We're not even to the porch before she flings the door open, stepping out to meet us. Her eyes immediately come to me, her expression worried.
"Were you listening at the door?" her dad teases her.
"Maybe."
"Why am I not surprised?" He laughs softly, stroking her head as he passes by into the house. A second later, the door clicks closed behind him, leaving the two of us alone.
"Are you okay?" she asks, chewing on her bottom lip.
"Perfect," I promise, gently removing it from between her teeth.
"What did he say?"
"Just the usual."
"Gage."
I sigh. "He reminded me that getting you pregnant could be life-threatening, butterfly, that's all."
"Oh." She fidgets from foot to foot. "I guess I didn't think about that."
"Well, I have." I tip her face up, brushing my lips across hers. "I'll buy stock in condoms if that's what I have to do to keep you safe."
"Do you…want kids? Someday, I mean?"
"Look at me, Troian."
She hesitates for a moment before meeting my gaze.
"One day, you'll be the most incredible mom to our babies. Just because you can't carry them yourself won't make them any less ours." I brush my thumb along her bottom lip. "But that day isn't for a long time."
"You said our babies," she whispers.
"Well, yeah. Obviously, they're going to be my kids, too. There's no way I'm letting anyone else put a ring on your finger or have a baby with you. I don't even want anyone else taking you to Prom." I grin, brushing my lips against hers. "I love you, beautiful girl."
She gasps softly, her wide eyes meeting mine. "Gage."
"I love you," I say again, just because I can, just because I want her to hear it.
"I love you, too." She throws her arms around me, and it's the best goddamn feeling in the world. Actually, it's better than that.
This is heaven.