Chapter 15 #2
I huffed out a breath and leaned forward against the counter.
Why couldn’t I seem to pull myself together?
Was this why the other women refused to leave their men?
Maybe. But I couldn’t understand how they could feel this way for men who hurt them, physically, mentally, and emotionally, over and over again.
The only reason I was beginning to open up to Rip was because he’d proven to me that he was willing to protect me.
None of the other husbands had ever taken a beating for their wives.
They usually handed out an extra one once she’d healed enough after the public punishment.
I couldn’t imagine he’d hurt me after he’d refused to let others do so.
I wasn’t planning on completely dropping my guard. Not yet, but something deep inside me was telling me that I could trust this man. I really wanted to. It’d been so long since I’d had someone I could lean on.
Rip came back out just as I was finishing up the lattice work on top of the pie. I placed it on a cooking sheet and inside the oven, then dished our plates. As I turned, I bumped into my husband. “Oh.”
“Here, I’ll take those.” He pulled the plates from my hands. “Go sit. I’ll get us something to drink.”
I stood there, staring at him like he was a three headed monster. It went on long enough that he shot me an amused look. “What? Do I have something on my shirt?” He looked down and studied it. “Maybe I should take it off?”
Shaking my head, my only response was a squeak as I moved woodenly toward the table and sat. He’d already set our plates down next to each other and was currently pouring us lemonade into glasses.
Rip sat down and set my glass next to my plate. “So what was with your response?” The teasing had gone out of his tone and now he watched me with a steady gaze.
“I’m not used to…”
“Anyone helping you?” he prompted when I didn’t finish.
“Especially not men. Not in the kitchen.”
He nodded. “I get that. Well, I’m not like the men you know.”
That was the truth. I smiled at him shyly. “I’m starting to realize that.”
We ate in silence for a few minutes and then he began asking me about my day. My heart fluttered in my chest as he gave me his undivided attention. If I wasn’t careful I was going to fall madly in love with my husband.
What a world I live in, where love is a dangerous thing.
He asked me questions as we ate. Innocent questions that there wasn’t any danger in answering. It was just a way for us to get to know one another.
“If there was one place you could visit, where would you go?”
I set my fork down and focused on him. “The ocean.” My voice sounded wistful, even to myself.
“Which ocean?” he asked, amusement in his tone.
“I don’t care which.”
“Have you never seen the ocean?” he asked me, frowning.
I shook my head, eyes shifting down to my plate. How I must seem to him.
“I grew up next to the Pacific Ocean, over in Washington State,” he offered.
The excitement building in my chest had the questions pouring out before I could stop myself.
“Is it beautiful? Is the water warm, or cold? Could you bring me there one day?” I froze after the last question left my lips.
Desperately, I wanted to grab a hold of it and stuff it back inside my mouth.
I couldn’t give anyone—not even Rip—the idea that I was planning on leaving.
He didn’t mention anything about my slip up, instead he laughed, then answered the first two questions. “Maybe one day we’ll go,” he said in a vague tone.
Ethan would never allow it. I didn’t say anything about it out loud, but I knew it was nothing but a dream. One that would never come true if I didn’t get out of here.
We were getting ready for bed later and I froze in the doorway of the bathroom. I’d gone in to change into my pajamas. It didn’t matter that we were married, I hardly knew this man and couldn’t bring myself to strip naked in front of him yet.
He was in nothing but underwear as he prepared himself for bed. I wasn’t sure what drew his attention, but he looked over at me and grinned. “Hope you don’t mind. It’s too damn hot to wear those flannel pants to bed.” His hand went to his chest and he rubbed one of his pecs.
All the moisture in my mouth dried up as my eyes followed the movement. Was he trying to kill me? Had anyone internally combusted before?
“That…that’s fine. It’s your home.” My voice was more breathless than I liked, but there was no helping it. Not while this sexy man paraded half naked in front of me. Somehow I’d gone from blissfully ignorant about sex to not being able to think about anything else.
Each night I’d dreamed of him touching and licking me. I’d woken up hot and aching. He hadn’t made any further moves on me. Not surprising really considering his injuries. That didn’t mean that I didn’t want him to initiate something.
He came over and brushed his lips softly over mine. “Good night, Angel.” With that, he turned and got into bed. With his eyes closed, he asked, “Could you hit the light when you’re ready?”
I huffed out an irritated breath. My lips were tingling and my nipples were hard little beads beneath my shirt. Why wasn’t he doing more than pecking me on the lips? Had he decided he didn’t want me after all? I paused on my way toward the light switch, horror flooding me as a thought struck.
Maybe he hadn’t liked what we’d done together? Or maybe he was still in too much pain? He’d refused to take any more medication, claiming he didn’t like how it dulled his mind.
“What are you doing?”
I glanced over my shoulder and found him studying me. “Nothing. Sorry.” Hitting the switch, I quickly approached the bed. I froze as I realized I was going to have to climb over him to get to the side he’d left open against the wall. “Um…”
“Don’t be shy,” he said. His arms were tucked behind his head, pillowing it as he watched me in the moon-bathed room.
I started to climb over him, then gasped as his large hands spanned my hips. He didn’t make any other move, but now I was motionless above him, straddling his hips.
“We’ll have to try this one day,” he purred at me. “I think I’d like to watch you bouncing on my cock.”
My gasp was loud as his filthy words painted a very vivid picture in my mind. His hands tightened on my hips, but then he released me.
“Let’s get some sleep, Angel.”
I laid down beside him, nipples and clit throbbing, frustration mounting.
My breathing was fast and erratic and I had to fight back the urge to rub myself against him like an animal in heat.
Turning to face the wall, I forced myself to calm down.
If he didn’t want to sleep together, then there wasn’t much I could do about it.
Rip had slammed into my life like a rogue wave hitting an unsuspecting ship. I was worried about what would happen when I finally had enough supplies to leave. Would he come with me? Would I be able to trust him not to turn me over to Ethan? If I went without him would I be able to survive?
My heart hurt at the thought of leaving him behind.
We’d been married for mere days and he’d already changed me at the core.
What was going to happen when I had months to fall in love with him?
Sighing, I closed my eyes and shoved the thoughts to the back of my mind.
I’d deal with whatever came. I always did.