Chapter Fifteen
Malory
I’ll never get over how beautiful the nights here are.
The endless sky filled with bright stars that I still cannot name.
I’m perched on the windowsill in my bedroom long after I’ve extinguished the lights, unable to find sleep. The look in Tyson’s eyes as he was about to kill that man for coming onto me flashing before me.
Deep down, I always knew what he was capable of, yet it’s another thing entirely seeing him that way, witnessing firsthand just how lethal he truly is.
Did I subconsciously disregard his violent streak to gain a false sense of safety?
No, I don’t believe it. Not with the way he looks at me.
He’d never hurt me, at least not physically.
What’s bothering me even more is the fact that I don’t care as much as I should. That despite the imminent danger that’s right in front of me, I’m not truly afraid.
What happened today, it wasn’t just a display of ownership, but of his care.
It showed what he’d do for me, how far he’d take it to protect what’s his.
And I feel guilty.
For not caring that he hurt someone in my name, for not caring whether the stranger lived or died.
In the heat of the moment, I only thought about Tyson. I only ever think of him.
The longer I’m here, the less everyone else seems to matter. Fading from my memory, overshadowed by his undeniable pull on me.
Parts of myself tapping into his darkness only to thrive there, enjoying him staking his claim on me.
He keeps dragging me deeper under the surface and I don’t want to break free.
I’m done fighting it.
Since our talk in the car, Tyson hasn’t spoken to me. Not on our way home and not when he disappeared into the woods for the rest of the evening.
I only heard the front door close after I was already showered and in my room.
For the first time since he brough me here, I’ve eaten dinner by myself. Not that I had any appetite to begin with and ended up feeding Nero my leftover chickpea pasta.
All I need is to feel his arms around me, to feel that he’s here with me, justifying the way I feel about him.
Just lying in his embrace, forgetting about everything for a while.
Just the two of us being at peace with each other.
Doing the unthinkable, I shoot to my feet before I can lose my nerve.
Crossing the hallway, I stop in front of Tyson’s door, taking a breath before I push down the handle.
It opens with a haunting creek, giving me a perfect view of the one room I didn’t dare entering up until now.
His bedroom is simple yet masculine, a giant bed with black covers taking up most of the space. However, that’s not what catches my eye in the dark.
The man himself isn’t asleep like I assumed he’d be.
Standing with crossed arms in front of the window, he’s looking out into the night like I was a minute ago.
His back is turned to me, the moonlight illuminating his silhouette adorned only in black boxer briefs.
Upon hearing me enter, his broad frame turns slowly, all his attention shifting to my tiny being, trapping me with his penetrating gaze.
Suddenly, I’m terribly aware of my revealing pajamas that are basically just a tank top and boy shorts trimmed with lace. My bare feet cold against the wooden floor but that’s not what makes my nipples pebble under the thin fabric.
Caught off guard, I almost forget the reason why I burst in here in the first place until his deep voice breaks me out of my stupor.
“What’s wrong?” Tyson asks with so much concern, a polar opposite of the man he turned into back in that parking lot.
“I can’t sleep.” My voice is barely a whisper.
“Me neither.” Longing flashes through his eyes and I wonder whether I just imagined it.
“C-can I stay with you?” I nod hesitantly towards the bed.
The silence that follows making me instantly regret barging in here. As I’m about to turn around and flee, he speaks up.
“Are you sure, little one?”
Feeling too vulnerable to say anything, I plead with my eyes, hoping he’ll understand.
Walking ever so slowly towards the spacious bed, Tyson gages my reaction as if he’s expecting me to bolt at any moment.
Finally, he lies down with an exhausted sigh, lifting the covers in a silent offering, allowing me to slip between his sheets.
Cuddling into his side, I lay my head over his beating heart, concentrating on the steady rhythm.
After a second of hesitation, the man wraps me up in his arms, pressing a kiss to the crown of my head that feels more intimate than all the sex we’ve had so far.
Safely tucked against Tyson’s warm, comforting body, all my previous doubts begin to slowly fade away.
“Why have you never spend the night with me?” I ask the question that’s been bothering me since our first time together.
“Would you want me to?” A hint of surprise laces his voice.
“Yes.” I blush, hoping he can’t see my face that’s buried in his chest. “Always.”
“I’ve never slept close to another person. Never let my guard down like that.”
“Oh.” That’s all I manage to say.
“I’m not a very good sleeper. But with you, little one, I’ll sleep beside you.” Tyson cups my cheek, his thumb brushing down the bridge of my nose before resting on my bottom lip, making me lean into his touch.
Closing my eyes, I relish in the sensation of his rough skin against mine.
I feel his body shift towards me, making our chests crush together. My nipples pressing against his solid pecs with my every intake of breath, my soft curves molding against his hard muscles.
In the beginning, I tried fighting against the all-consuming need this man stirs up within me, yet my resolve rapidly weakened with every moment we spend together. With every shared meal, every caring gesture, every little touch. Until the last bit of my resistance ultimately shattered.
“No matter how broken we both are, this feels right. I don’t want to let it go, Tyson.” I whisper into the darkness.
“What about your family? Would you return to them if I let you go?”
My eyes shoot open, taken aback by the question. I never considered the possibility of him setting me free while having long given up on trying to escape.
Well if we’re being honest, I never really tried in the first place.
“I don’t know.” I answer truthfully. “I’m not the same person who left them.”
“You’re mine now. Only mine, not theirs and I’m never letting you go, I’m not capable of it.” His hold on me tightens as my heart soars.
“There are moments when I’m grateful that you’re not giving me the choice.”
Our eyes remain locked, and I wonder what he makes of the whirlwind of emotions playing out on my face in the moonlight.
“Why did you leave today?” I breathe.
“I wanted to give you space after what happened.” His thumb traces soothing circles on my hip. “I didn’t want to frighten you further.”
Reluctantly, he lets me roll us over as I brace my forearms on his chest, coming face to face with Tyson’s rough but devastatingly handsome features.
“I told you I’m not scared of you. Not when you kidnapped me and not today.” I bring our noses closer together. “Don’t pull away from me again.”
The man searches my gaze like he’s hunting for a way to figure out my innermost thoughts, his eyes dark like the deepest night.
“I won’t.” With that he seals our lips in a passionate kiss.
His fingers splayed on my back and tangled in my hair as he devours my lips, trying to convey what cannot be put into words.
Breathless, we finally break apart with one last nibble to my bottom lip before settling back into each other’s embrace.
Neither of us taking things further.
This is a different sort of intimacy, not driven by lust but a distinct, more profound type of need.
No matter how tightly I hold him, I can never get close enough.
Just as I think he’s falls asleep, the low rumble of his voice breaks the quiet of the night.
“The bit of humanity you dragged out of me, something I thought was long dead, it’s ripping me apart, little one.” He confesses so silently that I’m almost convinced he’s talking to himself.
With a sharp intake of breath, I place my hand over Tyson’s thundering heart as it pounds against his ribcage.
He feels.
Deeply.
And as long as his heart beats, I know there’s something in there worth fighting for.
His hand covers mine, holding it in place as we both drift off to sleep. Like every time we’re tangled up in each other, I feel impossibly tiny, breakable but perfectly protected at the same time.
Protected, cherished and cared for like I’ve never been before.
Not because he wants to mold me into some ideal version of myself like my parents intended but because he wants me to be unapologetically myself.
For the first time in my life, someone wants me for who I truly am.
And I want him.