10. Garrett
10
GARRETT
I watch as Daphne comes undone for me, her pretty face blushing with pleasure. I’ve been holding back, desperate to make her come first, but now I can feel my control slipping. Her tight hole throbs around my cock, squeezing tight, and my rhythm turns jerky.
“Fuck, sugar, I’m gonna come.”
A hoarse cry rips from my throat, and my cock explodes, spilling cum deep inside my girl’s sweet pussy. Those pretty blue eyes never once leave mine as I fill her up, and when I’m finally spent, Daphne smiles up at me.
Fuck, she’s so beautiful.
“That was amazing,” she says.
I grunt in agreement, rolling onto my side and pulling her back against me. “You were perfect, sugar.”
“So were you.”
Her body is warm and soft against mine, and I breathe in the smell of her hair, like raspberries and cream. We’re sweaty and messy from sex, but I’m not ready to let go of her yet. I want to hold her like this forever, listening to her breathing as it gradually returns to normal.
“You know,” Daphne says teasingly, “I haven’t been getting much painting done.”
“Sorry about that.” I smile, pressing a kiss on her cheek. “You know, I only commissioned the painting because I wanted an excuse to see you again.”
Daphne rolls over to face me, eyebrows raised. “No way!”
I chuckle at her disbelief. “I figured it was obvious. After I brought back your glove, I needed a reason to see you again. One look at you was all it took, sugar.”
“It was the same for me.” Her eyes twinkle. “When I saw you in the bakery, it felt like the whole world got turned upside down.”
“Goddammit, you’re cute. That’s exactly how it was for me, too.”
I reach out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, taking in every detail of her face.
How the hell did I end up in bed with this perfect woman?
“I can’t believe you didn’t really want the painting,” Daphne muses with a smile. “I guess I should have worked that one out for myself.”
“Well, now I definitely want it. I’ve seen how talented you are, sugar. Can’t wait to see the end result—you can bet it’s going straight above the mantel.”
Daphne grins at me. “At this rate, there’s never going to be an end result! Not if you carry me off to your bed when I’m meant to be working.”
“Sorry, sugar. Work’s gonna have to wait.”
Then, before she can protest, I kiss her hard on her open mouth, my cock stirring as she moans against my lips. I climb on top of her once more, my hardness melting against her softness, and soon I’m inside her again, rutting her like an animal as her cries echo around my bedroom.
My girl.
Mine.
This perfect angel has stolen my heart, and I know I’m never getting it back.
“Keep your eyes closed,” Daphne says, her hand in mine as she guides me away from the cabin. “No peeking!”
It’s been five days since we first slept together, and since then, we’ve spent most of our time in the bedroom. As a result, the painting, which was meant to take three days, has actually taken a week. But I’m sure as hell not complaining. Every moment with Daphne has been like something out of a dream, and it’s hard to believe that this is really my life. She’s been staying here with me instead of going back to her dingy apartment, and I get to wake up beside her every morning feeling like the happiest man in the world.
“I can see you peeking!” she says accusingly.
“I’m not.” I bite back a smile. “Okay, maybe I was, but I’m not now.”
“Good.”
Finally, we come to a stop about twenty yards from my front door. Daphne rests her hands on my arms, turning me around slightly before she takes a deep breath.
“Okay…you can look now.”
I open my eyes, blinking at the canvas.
Holy shit.
I stare at it open-mouthed, running my eyes over every tiny detail. It looks almost like a photograph. Daphne has captured my cabin perfectly—every color, every shape. There’s something almost dream-like about it, like it’s been plucked from a fairy tale or a fantasy world, and the result is stunning. I don’t know shit about art, but I know one thing for sure. Daphne is talented as hell.
“It’s incredible,” I tell her, shaking my head. “Seriously, you’ve blown my mind.”
She beams. “You really like it?”
“I love it. Thank you, sugar. I knew you were talented, but damn…” I wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Tomorrow, I’ll make a frame for it. Then I’ll put it above the mantel where it belongs.”
She sighs with relief. “I’m so glad you like it. I think it might be my best painting yet.”
“You’re an amazing artist, Daphne.” I draw her into my arms and hold her close. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you.” She rests her head against my chest. “I figured we could go out tonight to celebrate the painting being done. We could have dinner? But only if you feel comfortable…”
“Comfortable?” I pull back to look at her, taking her hands in mine. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I know you don’t like going into town much. I can’t blame you, with people like Rita around, saying those things about you. So I understand if you’d rather stay here.” She smiles at me warmly. “We could order pizza.”
I shake my head. “Fuck what they say, sugar. I’m not letting people like that stop me from taking my girl out for dinner. Your opinion is all I care about.”
I’ve been cutting myself off from the world ever since I got out of prison, avoiding the judgment and the gossip. But hell, none of that seems to matter anymore. What the fuck does it matter if strangers think they know me? As long as Daphne believes in me, that’s all I care about. She’s my whole fucking world, and I don’t give a damn about anybody else.
“If only they knew you like I do,” Daphne says softly.
“I don’t want them to. All I want is you, sugar.”
I lean in to kiss her sweet lips, tasting cherry pie on my tongue as she kisses me back. Every time feels just like the first—the same adrenaline, the same rush. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. Daphne’s eyes flicker open as we pull apart, and when she smiles at me, my heart jumps into my throat.
“Fuck, I love you so much,” I tell her, breathing hard.
It’s the first time I’ve said it, but not the first time I’ve thought it. I fell in love with this angel the moment I saw her in the bakery, and since then, my feelings have only gotten stronger.
“I love you, too, Garrett.” She beams at me, her eyes sparkling, and I can’t believe she’s really mine. I never imagined I could be this happy. Hell, after the life I’ve lived, I never thought I deserved happiness. I let my past consume me, the darkness burying its claws deep, making me feel like a monster.
But Daphne has changed all that.
She sees beneath my past, beneath my bad reputation and the rumors that follow me. She makes me want to be a better man, and for her, I will be. After all these years of isolating myself, first in prison and then in the woods, I never imagined the woman of my dreams was out there somewhere. Now I’ve found her, and I’m never letting her go.