Chapter Four
Gia
I was kissing him. God help me, I was kissing this man.
And I was going to do it again and again and again.
Because, fuck me, this man was a monster-sized life raft in the insanity of my life.
First, he’d been rough, and then he’d actually done the hard work to apologize.
And while I hadn’t pictured myself running back into his life with my tail between my legs, I couldn’t make myself stop now.
Because he felt good.
He felt safe. He felt happy.
And fuck, did I want both of those things so much right now. I had been so shocked when he’d told me he wanted another chance, even more so when he’d closed that soft mouth over mine, neatly annihilating everything else in my path as his kiss singed my entire being.
But then he’d pulled away. And I could see it in his eyes—he’d mean to be kind, to give me time. He’d just wanted to be sweet.
Fuck sweet.
I wanted to be consumed. I wanted to focus on everything. To forget that my former best friend was launching a campaign against me. That I was starting all over after all my hard work. That I had no idea where my life was going.
But it wasn’t just that I wanted to be consumed… I wanted him to be the one to do it. I wanted to feel the heat of him, to press myself against that hard, unyielding body. To feel the bite of his teeth as he cursed the world.
Apparently, I liked the grumpy types. Who knew?
I teased my tongue into his mouth, making him moan loudly as he shifted closer, the heat of his body sinking into my chilled flesh.
“Fuck, baby,” Colton mumbled, pulling back. “There’s no rush. I don’t want to hurry you.”‘
I whimpered, pressing my body against his. “What if I want to be rushed? What if I don’t care about waiting?”
Colton’ shook his head, moving his hands all over my body, cupping and then pushing away, as if completely torn between wanting to drag me closer and pushing me away. That wouldn’t do. I wanted those hands on me. I wanted this man’s entire body on me, weighing me down, making me scream.
“Gia, please, I like you. I want this to be right. And you’ve had a rough night.”
I was panting as his warm palms found my hips and set me away from him. “No,” I moaned, “No, I want to feel you. I want you, Colton.”
“And as soon as I know you’re okay, the very moment that I can be sure this isn’t a gut reaction, I will devour you whole.
I will live between these legs, Gia. I will drown myself in the sweetness of you hour after hour until you’re a shaking mess and I know nothing but the feel of you gripping me as I come inside you. Do you understand me?”
I stared up at him, the words falling from my mouth before I could stop them. “Yes, Daddy.”
For a moment, neither of us breathed, and then his forehead was against mine, his palm at the back of my neck, cupping my nape and holding me there.
“What did you call me?”
I swallowed, my adrenaline still rushing too fast, too hard. I could barely feel my body. And yet, I knew him. I wanted him. “Daddy.”
A shiver raced down Colton’s body. So significant that I could feel it from how close we were standing together.
“Do you want me to take care of you, baby? Would you like me to be your daddy?”
I was breathing so hard I could barely focus. But I knew to nod. I knew that whatever he said, I wanted that. I wanted that so badly. “Yes, please. Please.”‘
“Sweet girl, I’ll take such good care of you. But tonight, you need to listen to Daddy. I’m going to get you cleaned up, tucked into bed, and then tomorrow we can talk about what kind of plans we have together. Does that make sense?”
Colton’s big body butted mine slightly as he reached in to start the shower. “Do you need some help getting out of those clothes?”
I shook my head. “But Colt—”
His hazel eyes burned into mine. I bit down hard on my lip. “Daddy…”
He nodded. “What is it, baby?”
“You’re going to tuck me in?”
“You’ve had a massive shock, Gia. You’ll be sleeping with me tonight, but I’m not fucking you. Is that clear?”
I nodded again. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl,” he whispered, leaning over to kiss my forehead. “I’ll be right through that door. Call if you need anything.”
When he left, I sighed, feeling strangely calm after the madness of the night.
I obediently moved to the shower, shedding my clothes and putting them into a pile by the sink where I could take them and wash them again.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, it occurred to me that I needed to get my bag out of my car.
My pajamas were in there, along with my skincare and medicine.
But as soon as the hot water hit my skin, my thoughts all fled, replaced by only one thing. Colton was going to take care of me. And warm joy bloomed in my chest at the fact that I could see Sera again.
I really did enjoy that girl. She had been such a light this past week, even as we both suffered from that stomach bug.
“Gia? Do you need help getting out?”
I blinked, jerked back to reality by Colton’s voice. “No, I’m good. I’ll be out in one second!” I called back, turning the water off a moment later. I found a towel and draped it around my body before I went to open the door, hiding me from my bodyguard’s eyes.
Colton was sitting on the edge of his bed, thighs spread as he held on to a bundle.
With his thighs spread like that, it seemed natural to step into them, letting his warmth sink into my flesh as I ducked my head and pressed my forehead against his once again.
His chest was rising and falling quickly, but his grip was gentle as one hand slipped down my thigh. “I got you some clothes to sleep in.”
I offered him a coy smile. “Don’t trust me to sleep naked?”
His throat worked. “I don’t trust myself, not when I’d gladly sell my soul to see just how soft you are under my mouth.”
My belly rolled, my thighs twitching as I clenched them, trying to ease the ache that had bloomed there the moment I had exited the shower.
“Oh, my,” I finally got out.
He chuckled, low and dark. “Exactly. So, you need to hightail it back into that bathroom and put this on for me.”
I shifted the towel in my grip so that I could pick up the clothes he was holding out. “Pajamas?” I let them unroll a little in my hands. They were clearly another one of his pairs. “Another one of yours?”
Colton looked sheepish. “If it can’t be my hands, at least it can be my clothes. Now put them on before you make me lose my will entirely.”
I couldn’t help the smile I gave him, giggling a little as he swatted me on the ass.
I turned and hurried back into the bathroom.
As I slid his soft pajamas straight up my legs and over my hips, my cheeks warmed at how easily you could see my peaked nipples through the worn blue shirt.
It was soft against my skin, though, and I could tell it had been a favorite of his.
And now I was wearing it. The thought alone made my pussy squeeze again.
That commanding voice paired with all this sweet caretaking was going to be my undoing.
I opened the door with a flourish, grinning at Colton as I struck a pose in the light flowing from the bathroom. He had moved back on the bed, and his hands were folded over his chest as he watched me strut my way across the room in his borrowed clothes.
“Look at you,” he crooned, his voice deep as he watched with rapt attention.
I struck another pose. “Don’t you want me?”
“More than my next breath, but you aren’t ready for me, baby.”
I pouted, dropping the pose as I went for more of a pout. “I could be.”
“Not tonight,”‘ Colton said, throwing the blankets back from the side of the bed. “Get in here, beautiful.”
Humming with pleasure from the endearment, I crawled up the bed, making sure that Colton got an eyeful down the loose neck of his shirt as I got comfortable at the top of the bed at his side.
“Do you need anything? Other than sleep?”
I set my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes when his heat instantly sank into my skin. “Just this.”
Colton sighed. “You are a test, I swear it.”
I smiled but didn’t bother opening my eyes. “I’ll be worth it.”‘
His fingers tangled in my wet hair, but it didn’t hurt, just a reminder that there was someone else here, taking care of me for the first time in such a long time. “You already are.”
Sleep swirled around me, the warmth of his body under me lulling me off to dreams. But not before I felt the softest brush of his lips across my nose and then my mouth.
I smiled, trying to kiss him back. But I was already too far gone.
***
Colton
There was something in my face. A teasing strand of silk that kept moving just out of the way of my hand as I brushed at it. But this time, a soft noise accompanied my hand moment, and I froze.
Gia.
In the night, we had shifted, she onto her side, nearly on her belly, but her hips tucked back hard into the curve of my body.
One of my arms was bent under her pillow, bringing her wild strands of hair to my face, while the other arm was straight down her body.
And not just casually draped over her waist. No, my hand had slipped into the waistband of her borrowed pajamas, and my fingers were brushing right over the heat of what felt like a freshly shaved cunt.
I shuddered. My cock was rock solid, pressed up against her as I bent my neck far enough to press an open-mouthed kiss to her shoulder.
I needed to move my hand, but the way we were so wrapped up in each other, it wasn’t going to be easy.
“Hmmm,” Gia mumbled, her legs swishing around in the sheets, making her ass bounce and rub my cock even harder.
“Fuck,” I mumbled, biting back my words and trying to slide my hand out of her crotch as she shifted. I thought I had been successful, when just as quickly as Gia had begun to move, she suddenly froze completely.
Fuck. She was awake. And my hand was inches from her pussy. Not to mention the hard-as-steel cock that was pressing insistently against her ass as I spooned her.
“Colton?”