9. Boyd
NINE
BOYD
I can’t stop staring at her.
Piper sits on the flat rock beside me, binoculars lifted to her eyes, the morning sun catching in her dark hair and turning the strands into threads of warm gold.
She looks peaceful in a way I’ve never seen before.
The wind moves through the pines around us, carrying the clean scent of mountain air, and a soft smile plays on her lips as she watches the mountain bluebird I pointed out a few minutes ago.
The bird flutters near a cluster of trees, wings flashing bright blue against the sky, and Piper’s face lights up with quiet wonder.
She’s beautiful. Not just pretty. Not just the kind of beautiful that fades when the bruises heal.
She’s the kind of beautiful that settles deep in your chest and refuses to leave.
I’ve been fighting the pull for days. Every time I helped her eat.
Every time she laughed at something I said.
Every time she looked at me like I was the only safe thing left in her world.
But right now, with the sun on her face and the mountain stretching out below us, I can’t fight it anymore.
I want to kiss her. Again.
I want it so badly my hands ache from holding back.
She lowers the binoculars and turns toward me, eyes bright. “That one is my favorite so far. The way it moves in the air like it’s showing off. You were right. It’s like a little dance.”
I nod, but I don’t speak right away. My voice feels too rough.
Instead I reach out slowly and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
My fingers brush her cheek. Her skin is warm from the sun.
She doesn’t pull away. She leans into the touch, just a little, and that small movement breaks the last of my control.
I cup her face with both hands, gentle but sure. “Piper.”
Her breath catches. “Boyd?”
I lean in and kiss her.
The moment our lips meet, something inside me ignites.
The kiss starts slow, almost careful, like I’m afraid she might break.
But she doesn’t. She sighs against my mouth and kisses me back, her hands coming up to grip the front of my shirt.
The taste of her is sweet and warm, like the mountain air and the trust she’s slowly given me.
I tilt my head and deepen the kiss, sliding my tongue along the seam of her lips until she opens for me.
She tastes like everything I’ve wanted for weeks.
A soft sound escapes her, half moan, half sigh, and it goes straight to my cock.
I’m already hard, aching from days of wanting her.
I pull her closer, careful of her injured leg and ribs, and she shifts until she’s half in my lap.
Her fingers thread into my hair, tugging lightly, and the little spark of pleasure-pain makes me groan into her mouth.
I break the kiss just enough to speak against her lips. “Tell me if it’s too much. I’ll stop.”
She shakes her head, eyes dark with the same need I feel. “Don’t stop. Please.”
I kiss her again, harder this time. My hand slides down her side, over the soft sweater she’s wearing, and slips beneath the hem.
Her skin’s warm and smooth under my palm.
I stroke up her ribs slowly, feeling the way she trembles.
When I reach the underside of her breast, I brush my thumb over the soft curve.
She arches into my touch with a quiet gasp.
“So responsive,” I murmur, voice low and rough. “You like my hands on you, baby girl?”
She nods, cheeks flushed. “Yes.”
I kiss down her neck, sucking lightly at the spot where her pulse flutters. My hand moves lower, slipping under the waistband of her sweatpants, tracing past the panel of her panties. She’s already wet. I can feel the slick heat against my fingers as I stroke along her pussy.
“Fuck,” I groan against her throat. “You’re soaked for me. Been thinking about this, haven’t you? Been wet for Daddy while I took care of you all week?”
She whimpers, hips rocking against my hand. The word “Daddy” slips out of her like it belongs there. “Yes. Daddy.”
The sound of it on her lips nearly undoes me. I slide one finger inside her, slow and gentle, giving her time to adjust. She’s tight, hot, and so wet it makes my cock throb. I add a second finger, curling them just right, stroking the spot that makes her moan louder.
“That’s it,” I whisper, kissing her again. “Let Daddy take care of you. I’ve wanted to touch you like this for so long. Wanted to watch you come apart for me. You’re so beautiful. So perfect.”
She rocks against my hand, chasing the pleasure. I keep the pace steady, thumb circling her clit in slow, firm strokes while my fingers move inside her. Her breathing grows ragged. Her hands clutch my shoulders, nails digging in just enough to feel good.
“You’re going to come for me,” I tell her, voice husky. “Right here in the sun where I can see every second of it. I want to watch you. I want to feel you squeeze my fingers while you fall apart. Come on, baby girl. Give it to Daddy.”
Her head falls back, lips parted, and she comes with a soft, broken cry. Her walls clamp down around my fingers, pulsing in rhythmic waves. I keep stroking her through it, drawing out every last tremor until she’s trembling and gasping against my chest.
I hold her close while she comes down, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. My cock’s so hard it hurts, but I don’t move to take care of myself. This was for her. Only for her.
“You did so good,” I murmur, pressing another kiss to her temple. “So beautiful. I could watch you come like that every day for the rest of my life.”
She looks up at me, eyes soft and dazed. “Boyd… that was…”
I kiss her again, slow and sweet. “We have time. I’m not going anywhere. And I’m going to take care of you, Piper. Always. You never have to run again. Not from anything. Not while I’m here.”
She rests her head against my chest, breathing still a little shaky. The mountain’s quiet around us, the birds still singing in the trees. The sun warms our skin. I hold her close, one hand stroking her back, the other still gently between her thighs, not ready to let go yet.
I’ve wanted her for weeks. Now that I’ve felt her come apart under my hands, I know one thing for certain.
She’s mine.
And I’ll spend every day making sure she knows it.