9. Daphne
9
DAPHNE
My thoughts are reeling as I process everything Garrett has told me. When he said he committed a crime in his youth, I never imagined he meant murder. And eighteen years in prison? That’s nearly all of his adult life spent locked up in a cell.
I’m a killer, Daphne.
That’s what he said. And it’s true. He took a life. But despite that, I feel a deep well of compassion for Garrett after hearing his story. It was obviously difficult for him to relive all that, and I can’t imagine the fear, the sheer desperation that he went through after his accident. And his poor mom…forced to turn to a loan shark.
God, I don’t know what to think.
It sounds like Dex Mercer got what was coming to him. He preyed on vulnerable people with no way out, and the way he treated Garrett’s mom was disgusting. But murder? Beating someone to death? Heck, Garrett was right. It sure is a lot to take in.
“What was it like being in prison for so long?” I ask, meeting his gaze.
Garrett shrugged. “After a while, it starts to feel normal. Like the world outside is the strange one, and prison is the norm. I kept to myself mostly—did a lot of courses. Carpentry, mostly. I wanted a way to support myself once I got out.”
I nod, but there’s still one question nagging at me.
“Did you…” My voice is barely a whisper. “Did you mean to kill him?”
“No.” Garrett is quiet for a long time before he continues. “I wanted to hurt him. Beat him up after he hurt my mom. I wasn’t trying to play God—decide who lives and who dies—I was just mad as hell and wanted him to pay. If I could go back in time, I’d knock him out instead. Keep him down long enough to get my mom out of there and get us both to Belize like we planned.” He looks at me then, his eyes burning. “But I’m not sorry he’s dead. I could lie and say I’m full of remorse, but the man was a monster. I’m glad he’s not around to ruin any more lives.”
We lapse into silence again, and slowly, I reach out to take Garrett’s hand. “Thank you for telling me all that. It can’t have been easy.” He looks down at our joined hands, then back up at me, the tension in his face melting away. But before he can respond, I say, “I’m not judging you, Garrett. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for you and your mom. You only wanted to protect each other, and now you’ve served your time and paid your debt to society. So why should you keep on being punished? Why should you be judged by people who can’t even begin to understand what you went through?”
He closes his eyes, and for a moment, I’m worried I said the wrong thing. But when he opens them again, he looks at me with so much affection that it takes my breath away.
“You’re fucking incredible, Daphne, you know that?” He makes a noise deep in his throat, his rugged face alive with emotion. “You’re the first person I’ve ever met who hasn’t made me feel judged, or like I’m someone to be feared.”
My cheeks warm at the sincerity in his voice. He’s looking at me like I’m a work of art, and I’m too overwhelmed to speak.
“I wanted to tell you all this sooner,” he says. “I thought about opening up last night after you told me about your family, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Couldn’t stand the idea of you hating me. Not when my feelings for you are so damn strong.”
The world dissolves around me, leaving nothing but Garrett—that handsome face, his thick beard. Everything seems to move in slow motion as his words echo in my mind.
My feelings for you.
“I…I could never hate you,” I tell him, my breath catching.
“Good. Because I’m crazy about you, sugar.” He reaches up to cup my cheek, his thumb rubbing circles over my skin. “Have been since the minute I saw you.”
My blood is pumping so hard I can hear it in my ears. Garrett’s face is so close—his beard almost touching my chin.
“I feel the same,” I whisper.
“Even now? After everything I told you?”
I nod. “Even now.”
Garrett’s past is darker than I could have imagined, but it doesn’t change my feelings for him. This man is a protective giant, loyal and kind, and I want him more than anything. Nothing else matters. My family. Plainville. Every crappy thing that has happened over the past month. It was all worth it because it led me here, to this gorgeous mountain man.
“I need to kiss you again, sugar.” His voice is deep and urgent. “Fuck, I need you.”
His arms loop around me, gripping me tight as he crushes his lips to mine. And just like that, I’m all his. I run my hands through his hair, kissing him back until I can hardly breathe. His tongue delves inside my mouth, warm and desperate, sliding against mine as he scoops me into his arms and carries me into his bedroom. It smells like him—pine and musk—and I shudder with anticipation as he pushes me back onto the bed, climbing on top of me. His huge body covers mine completely, making me feel tiny beneath him. Powerless. But it feels so right. So good.
“Fuck, I want you so badly,” Garrett grunts against my ear, his hands grabbing at my sweater. “You have no idea…”
His words sizzle through my veins, heat blooming between my legs as he yanks off my sweater, tossing it on the floor. Then he unbuttons his shirt, shrugging it off to reveal his thick, muscular chest. Tattoos swirl up his bulging arms, and I stare at him in awe, my heart pounding as he reaches around me to unclip my bra. I help him unhook the straps, and it joins the rest of our clothes on the floor, leaving me topless beneath Garrett’s hungry gaze.
“God, you’re so beautiful.” He runs his hands over my breasts, and I shudder as his fingers graze my nipples, sending a spasm of pleasure through me. I’ve never been touched like this before, but it’s hard to feel self-conscious when Garrett is looking at me like this. His eyes are molten, raw with lust as he unzips my jeans, pulling them down my legs until I’m wearing nothing but my panties. He bends his neck, pressing kisses down the softness of my belly, his lips getting closer and closer to the waistband of my panties…
I gasp as he slides off my final layer of clothing, his eyes roaming every inch of my naked body. I’m confident in my curves, but it’s still overwhelming to be exposed like a raw nerve, laid out in front of him like this.
“You okay, sugar?” he asks, reaching down to stroke my hair.
“Yes. I’ve just…never done any of this before.”
Garrett makes a noise deep in his throat. “Neither have I, sugar. Never been with anyone before. Never cared either. But your curves have been driving me crazy since I met you.” He kisses me hard on the mouth, then pulls back to look at me. “You’re so fucking pretty, Daphne.”
I shiver with pleasure, my fear giving way to desire as Garrett runs his hot tongue down my body, down, down, down until he reaches my clit. Then he pushes my legs apart and buries his head between them.
Oh!
I throw my head back, gasping as Garrett’s tongue teases my clit. He licks it gently at first, experimentally, before sucking hard on the sensitive bud. My hips buck, my whole body shuddering with pleasure as he worships my clit. His beard is rough against my core, his lips merciless.
“Oh, yes!” I cry, clawing at the sheets as he presses two fingers against my entrance. He pushes them inside me in one smooth motion, pumping them in and out as he sucks harder on my clit. The rhythm is dizzying. It’s too much. I can feel myself coming undone, my walls tightening around Garrett’s fingers, clit throbbing with anticipation. My hands tangle in his hair, pulling tight.
“Oh! Garrett!”
With a cry of release, I come hard, waves of pleasure crashing through me. But Garrett doesn’t let up. He draws out every second of my orgasm, licking me dry until he finally comes up for air.
“Good girl,” he says breathlessly. “You taste amazing, sugar.”
His beard glistens with my juices, and I look up at him dazedly as he gets off the bed and unbuckles his jeans, kicking them off. His thick bulge strains against his boxers, and a rush of desire pools between my thighs as he pulls them down, his huge cock springing free.
Holy crap.
It’s just as big as the rest of him. He stands at the foot of the bed, looming over me like a giant, and I feel a spasm of need deep in my body. It’s instinctive. Something primal that I’ve never felt before.
I want him inside me.
I need it.
“You ready for me, Daphne?” he asks, eyes fixed on mine.
“More than ready.”
In an instant, Garrett is on top of me again, positioning himself between my legs. I feel the hard tip of his cock poke against me, and I open my legs wider, wrapping them around his hips. He feels strong and secure, and I grip his shoulders tight, breathing him in.
He inches inside me, his huge length stretching me open, making my eyes water as he fills my pussy. Every time I think he must be done, he pushes deeper, until he finally bottoms out with a deep groan.
“How do you feel?” he asks. “Am I hurting you?”
I wriggle around his cock, trying to adjust to its size. “No, it doesn’t hurt. I just need to get used to it.”
“I’ll get you used to it, sugar. Don’t worry about that.”
I giggle, but it quickly turns to a moan as Garrett starts to move inside me. He thrusts his hips slowly, gritting his teeth like he’s holding himself back, and with every movement, my pleasure increases.
“That feels good,” I gasp. “You can go faster.”
He doesn’t need to be told twice. With a sharp inhale, Garrett fucks me harder, his cock slapping into me in a desperate rhythm. He presses me down into the mattress, his body trapping mine, forcing me to take it.
“Look at me, Daphne.”
I do as he asks, losing myself in those burning brown eyes as our bodies slam together, my hips bucking in time with his until I’m sobbing with pleasure. The bed creaks as we move, our sweaty skin smacking with every thrust. I don’t know where he ends and I begin, but I love it. His cock pounds me, hitting nerves I never knew existed, turning me into a quivering mess.
“Good girl,” Garrett grunts, eyes feral. “Take my cock. Just like that.”
I nod, sobbing as he claims my body, filling me up again and again.
“You’re mine, sugar,” he says. “Say it.”
“I-I’m yours, Garrett.”
With a groan of approval, he leans in to kiss me. He tastes like sex, raw and primal, and my legs tremble as I get closer to the edge, pleasure threatening to consume me. I whimper against Garrett’s lips. He must know I’m close because his thrusts turn frenzied. His hands grip mine, pinning them either side of my head as he fucks me harder, harder…
The world explodes and I scream against Garrett’s mouth, every nerve in my body pulsing with pure pleasure. It’s the most powerful orgasm I’ve ever had, rocketing through me from head to toe. Garrett pulls back to look at me, watching as I come for him, and as our eyes meet, a heady thought hits me like an avalanche.
I love this man.
I love him.