Chapter 6 #2
I enter her from behind in one hard thrust. This angle goes deeper, and she screams. I don't give her time to adjust. I pound into her, one hand fisted in her hair, the other gripping her hip hard enough to bruise.
The fear is still there, churning in my gut, but it's mixing with something else now. Possession. Need. Love.
"He will never have you," I say again, my voice rough with emotion. "You're mine, Sadie. Every fucking inch of you. I'm keeping you safe. I'm keeping you here with me. Forever."
"Forever," she gasps. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours, Brock. Only yours."
Her words fuel me. I fuck her harder, faster, losing myself in the rhythm. My hand slides around to her clit and I rub tight circles. She pushes back against me, meeting me thrust for thrust. Her pussy tightens, clenching around me in waves.
"I can feel you getting close," I murmur against her shoulder. "Come on my cock, sweetheart. Let me feel you fall apart."
"Brock," she cries. "I'm, oh god?—"
She comes hard, her whole body convulsing. Her pussy clamps down on me like a vice. The sensation is overwhelming. I thrust twice more and then I'm coming too, groaning her name as I empty myself deep inside her. My hips jerk against her ass, riding out every pulse until I'm completely spent.
But I'm not done. The fear is still there, coiled tight in my chest. The need to claim her completely.
To make sure she knows she's mine. I pull out and she whimpers at the loss.
I scoop her up and carry her to the bedroom.
She wraps her arms around my neck and buries her face against my shoulder, her breath warm on my skin.
I lay her on the bed and cover her body with mine. I'm still half-hard. The sight of her spread out on my sheets, flushed and satisfied, makes me want her all over again. I kiss her slowly, deeply, pouring everything I can't say into it. My hands roam her body, gentle now but still possessive.
“I need you again,” I tell her quietly. “I need to feel you. Need to know you’re safe. Need to know you’re staying.”
She cups my face with both hands. Her eyes are soft but certain. “I’m staying. I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours, Brock. Completely.”
I kiss her again and settle between her thighs. This time when I enter her, it’s slow. Deliberate. I watch her face as I fill her inch by inch. Her eyes flutter shut and her lips part on a soft gasp.
“Look at me,” I say softly.
Her eyes open, locking onto mine. I start to move, slow and deep. This isn’t about fear anymore. This is about connection. About love. About claiming her heart the way I’ve claimed her body.
I make love to her slowly, building her pleasure gradually. My hand slides between us to circle her clit. She trembles beneath me, her body responding to every touch. When she comes this time, it’s softer. Longer. A wave instead of a crash. She clings to me and whispers my name over and over.
I follow her over the edge, groaning into her neck as I come deep inside her again. When I collapse beside her, I pull her against my chest and hold her tight. My hand strokes up and down her back in slow, possessive circles.
We’re both breathing hard. Both covered in sweat. Both completely satisfied. But I still can’t let go. My arms stay locked around her, refusing to release.
“I’ll keep you safe,” I murmur into her hair. “I promise. He’ll never touch you. Never hurt you. I’ll protect you with everything I have.”
She tilts her head up to look at me. Her hand traces along my jaw. “I know. I trust you.”
Those words settle something deep in my chest. The fear is still there, lurking at the edges, but it’s quieter now. Manageable. Because she trusts me. Because she’s choosing to stay. Because she’s mine.
I kiss her forehead, her nose, her lips. Soft kisses now. Gentle. But my grip on her doesn’t loosen. I can’t let go. Don’t want to let go.
“Stay with me,” I whisper. “Right here. Just for a while.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispers back.
We stay like that for a long time. Tangled together. Her head on my chest. My hand in her hair. Both of us breathing in sync. The fear still lingers in the back of my mind, the knowledge that Ryan is out there, watching. Waiting. But right now, with Sadie safe in my arms, I can breathe.
Eventually, I feel her relax completely against me. Her breathing evens out. She’s falling asleep. I press a kiss to the top of her head and tighten my arms around her.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper. “Always.”
I’m wrong.
The following afternoon, I’m at the station finishing paperwork when my phone rings. One of my neighbors. His voice is tight, uneasy.
“Brock. There’s a guy in town asking questions about Sadie. Showed up at the diner saying he’s her boyfriend. Description matches someone driving a dark truck. He’s headed your way now.”
I’m already moving toward the door. “Thanks for the call. I’ll handle it.”
I drive home faster than I should, my knuckles white on the wheel. When I pull up, Sadie’s on the porch with a book. She smiles when she sees me, but it fades the second she reads my face.
“What’s wrong?”
I get out and walk straight to her, pulling her up and into my arms. “Someone’s coming. A man asking about you in town. I think it’s Ryan.”
She goes rigid against me. Her hands clutch my shirt. “He found me.”
I tilt her face up so she meets my eyes. “He won’t touch you. I promise. Stay inside with me. We’ll face this together.”
She nods. I can feel her heart hammering against my chest. I lead her inside and lock the door, keeping one arm around her while I call Ramirez to let him know what’s happening. My mind races through every possibility. Every way I’ll keep her safe.
A dark truck pulls up to the end of the driveway twenty minutes later. A man gets out. He just stands there, staring at the house. Average height. Neat clothes. Clean-cut. Something about his posture sets my teeth on edge, too controlled, too calculated.
Sadie looks out the window beside me. Her breath catches. “That’s him.”
I kiss her forehead. “Stay here.”
I step outside and walk down the driveway. Ryan watches me approach, his eyes narrowing as I get closer.
“I’m here for Sadie,” he says. “She’s my girlfriend. She left without saying goodbye.”
“She’s not your girlfriend.” My voice stays low and steady. “She doesn’t want to see you. Turn around and leave.”
He laughs, but it sounds hollow. “You don’t know her like I do. She needs me.”
I take another step forward. “She needs to be left alone. This is your only warning. Get back in your truck and drive out of Silver Lake. Don’t come back.”
He stares at me for a long moment. I hold his gaze, unblinking. Finally, he backs up and climbs into his truck. He drives off slower than I’d like, but he drives off. I watch until he disappears completely.
When I go back inside, Sadie’s waiting by the door. I pull her into my arms and hold her tight. She buries her face against my chest.
“I thought I left him behind,” she whispers.
“You did.” I stroke her hair. “He won’t get near you. I promise.”
I mean every word. As I hold her, the future I’ve been planning comes into sharper focus. She’s mine to protect now. Mine to love. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe and keep her here with me.