Chapter 10 Adrianna
ADRIANNA
My body sags against Bronn, and his arms envelope me. Now that I’m out of danger, my knees feel weak. The adrenaline that kept me going seeps out of my body, and I wilt against him, his hard body propping me up.
“Let’s get you out of here.” He speaks gently to me as he leads me out of the warehouse, giving instructions for the other guys to clean up.
In the car, he keeps his hand firmly on my thigh, his touch reassuring.
We drive to his place, which is a modest two-story set back from the beach in Temptation Bay.
A wide deck surrounds the downstairs and loungers look out to the sea.
It’s homely, nothing like the rigid house of my parents.
I immediately feel at home here, comfortable as Bronn leads me in the front door.
“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” Bronn asks for about the hundredth time. His concern is touching.
“Just the wrists. I was tied tight in the car.”
Bronn takes my hands in his and inspects the red marks on my wrists.
“I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”
His lips press against the red skin of my wrist, and my pulse picks up a notch.
“You’re too precious to me, Adrianna. I’ll kill anyone that hurts you.”
From what I’ve witnessed, I know he’s not exaggerating. I try to feel bad for the men Bronn killed, but I can’t.
They deserved it, and it makes me feel safe and cared for knowing Bronn did that for me.
“I need to call your father and let him know you’re safe.”
He stands up, and I pull on his jacket. “Don’t leave me, Bronn.”
I don’t want to be alone, not now. Not when my stomach still churns with fear. Even though I’m out of danger, I can’t shake the uneasiness coursing through me.
“I won’t ever leave you, baby girl.”
He makes the call while I sip on some chamomile tea. I try not to listen, but I feel pride when Bronn stands up to my father.
“Adrianna’s here with me,” he says into the phone. “I’m taking care of her. I’ll always take care of her. She’s staying with me now.”
Bronn speaks in a firm voice, and if my father doesn’t like the idea of his daughter shacking up with the security guard, I don’t hear it.
Bronn finishes the call and sits next to me on the couch. “Your father’s on his way back to the house.”
“My mom?”
A pang of anxiousness churns my stomach. She’ll be wondering where I went, and I don’t like the idea of her being there all alone.
“I sent one of my guys to the house. And your father will be home in a few hours.”
I sigh in relief. It’s having Dad home that makes all the difference with Mom. Her mental health only seems stable when he’s around. Without him, her mind gets lost.
Bronn brushes a strand of hair away from my cheek.
“You need to get some sleep, brat. It’s been a big day.”
He’s right, but I feel unsteady, like I’m churning in the ocean and I need something to anchor me. I need him to anchor me.
He scoops me in his arms and carries me to the bedroom. When we get there, he puts me gently on the bed.
I tug his sweater, and he sits next to me.
“Bronn…”
All these feelings are bubbling inside me, and I’m not sure how to begin.
“Thank you for saving me today.”
His hand tilts my chin so I’m looking in his eyes, his gentle touch sending heat coursing through my body.
“I’ll keep you safe from now on. I mean it, Adrianna. Your place is right here next to me.”
I nod slowly because that’s exactly where I want to be.
“I’d like that.”
And I want to show him how I feel about him. I want to be close to him, to get lost in him, to replace the events of today with something good.
Crawling onto Bronn’s lap, I straddle his thighs, planting soft kisses on his chin, his face, his cheeks.
“You don’t need to thank me like this.” His voice comes out strained, and I feel him harden under me.
“This isn’t to thank you. I need this, Bronn. I need to feel something good, something pure.”
“Oh, baby girl.”
He groans as his hand runs up my back and tangles in the hair at the nape of my neck.
“Are you sure you’re up for it, Adrianna? You’ve had a big day.”
I don’t know how to explain that I need this.
Because of what happened today, I need him.
Instead, I brush my lips against his—my softness against his hardness.
I slide my hips forward until I feel his hardness rub against my panties.
The friction sends tendrils of pleasure up my body that chase away any last anxiety.
“Yes,” I whisper. “I want this. I need you.”
Bronn groans, and his hand slides down my back, slow and smooth. He runs his hands over my body, gently this time. So different from the rough hands that gave me a spanking only last night, although it feels like a lifetime ago.
This time, his touch is tender. His lips caress my neck and my throat, awakening my entire body. Like a bud unfurling, I open up to him, giving him my fear, my pain, my anxiety, so he might kiss it away and make me whole.