by K. C. Lynn
Her scream pierces the air and she jumps so high I swear she almost hits the fucking roof. The dog barks and hobbles out of the room.
“Sawyer, you asshole!” She spins around and starts punching the shit out of me.
I block her tiny blows, laughing my ass off.
“What the hell is wrong with you? You could give someone a heart attack doin’ that. Ugh!” She climbs to her feet angrily.
“Oh come on, it was a joke, Ms. ‘I think horror movies are silly not scary.’”
She delivers another pathetic kick to my ribs, making me laugh some more.
“I ain’t scared of horror movies. Anyone would have jumped when someone does that to them, including you, ya jackass.” She stomps off to her room, her hips swaying with every angry step she takes.
I have to admit, she’s cute when she’s mad. Composing myself, I lock up then head to bed. “Night, Cupcake,” I call, walking past her room.
“Shut up!”
Her angry retort has me chuckling.
After brushing my teeth, I strip down to my underwear and climb into bed. With my hands behind my head, I think about the pretty girl across the hall from me, like I do every night. I picture her curled up on her side, face peaceful as she sleeps, the strap of her tank top slipping down her shoulder as my lips… I groan, my cock hardening.
I don’t know how much longer I can hold off. I need that girl like my next breath and not just her body but her. I want it all.
My thoughts stall when I hear her shuffling around in her room. “What was that?” I hear her whisper to the dog.
I bite back a smile. Not scared, my ass.
I hear another gasp, then more shuffling. Moments later, her tiny footsteps make their way to my room.
“Sawyer?” she whispers from the door.
“What?”
“You awake?”
I roll my eyes like a fuckin’ chick. “I am now.”
“Did you hear that noise?”
“What noise?”
I can’t wait to hear this.
“I dunno, it sounded like it was comin’ from the wall though.”
You have got to be shittin’ me.
“Nope, never heard anything like that, Cupcake.”
She checks behind her and gasps again. “See, did ya hear that?”
“Grace, there’s nothing there. Believe me, if there were noises I would hear them.”
“Can I sleep with you?”
Her innocent question has my dick roaring to life.
Easy, Evans.
“Yeah, you can sleep—”
She leaps from the door onto the bed, almost nailing me in the balls.
“Jesus, woman, what the hell are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want something to grab my feet from under the bed,” she says then pushes my shoulder. “Move, I wanna sleep between you and the wall.”
“Why does that matter?”
“Because if something comes to grab us, it will take you first.”
Instead of being insulted, I laugh my ass off.
She can’t hold back either, her laughter mingling with mine but hers is a little more hysterical. “God, Sawyer, I’m serious, I’m so darn scared right now. I’ve never been this scared of a movie before. I keep thinking some invisible demon is gonna grab my foot and drag me from my bed.”
“Don’t worry, Cupcake, I’ll kick any motherfucker’s ass if they try to drag you from this bed.”
“Sorry, but not even you can keep me safe from a demon.”
I grunt, the hell I can’t.
Rising up on her knees, she leans over me, her silky hair sweeping across my bare chest and cupcake smell invading my senses. “Chuckie, come here, boy,” she calls, not having any idea what she’s doing to my dick right now.
The dog comes limping in.
“Come to the end of the bed, baby, I’ll help you up.”
“What the hell are you doing?” I ask. “That dog isn’t sleeping up here.”
Her head snaps toward me. “Why not?”
“Because there isn’t any room.”
“I’ll curl up and he can sleep at the end of the bed by my feet.”
“He has a bed, Grace, why are you having him sleep up here?”
“Because he might be scared.”
“He isn’t scared. I’m serious, he stays on the floor.”
“Geez, you’re grouchy.”
Yeah, well, having a constant hard cock does that to me.
She leans over further, petting the dog. “Sorry, boy, Sawyer’s bein’ a grump. You stay here and I’ll keep checkin’ on ya.”
My palm twitches at the way her ass is pointed in the air and I just can’t fucking resist. Slowly, I rise up and slap it.
Another scream leaves her.
I grab her shirt before she careens off the bed.
“Sawyer, you stupid jerk!” She starts slapping the shit out of me again. “You know what, forget it, I’m outta here.”
My arms wrap around her waist before she can make her escape, pulling her down next to me.
“I mean it. Let go!” she demands, struggling against me.
“I’m sorry. I’ll stop.”
Her body stills. “Promise?”
“Scout’s honor.”
She scoffs. “I’m sure you were no boy scout, Sawyer Evans.”
She’s got that right.
I bring her in closer, her back to my front. She’s tense at first but eventually relaxes into me, her body fitting against mine perfectly.
“I want to talk to you about something,” I start.
She turns in my arms to face me, concern filling her warm eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I rush to assure her. “I just forgot that I booked a flight home this weekend to see my family. My parents are going away over Thanksgiving, so I promised my mom I would come home early to see them. It’s only for a few nights.”
“No problem,” she says. “I’m sure I can stay with Cooper and Kayla or even Jaxson and Julia.”
“No. I want you to come with me.”
Shock flares in her eyes. “Oh no. Really, it’s fine. You go ahead. Don’t worry about me. Like I said, I can—”
I cover her mouth with my hand, cutting off her ramble. “I’m asking you because I want you to come with me, not because I feel obligated. I’m not going without you.”
She pulls my hand away. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you’re going.”
“Does that mean you’re coming with me?”
She shakes her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I can’t. I don’t have the money and—”
“I’ll pay for your flight.”
She opens her mouth to argue but I don’t let her.
“Don’t start this not accepting bullshit. I’m asking you to come so I’ll fucking pay for it.”
Her eyes narrow. “It’s not just about that. I have Chuckie to think about, too. I can’t leave him.”
“I’ll talk to Jaxson. I’m sure he and Julia will take him. It’s only for a couple days. Besides, the dog will love it out there with that big yard.”
Her expression softens and I can see her wheels spinning. She’s close to caving.
“If you say no I’ll have to cancel, and that will make my mom cry. You don’t want to be responsible for making my mom cry, do you?”
“I definitely don’t want to make your mom cry,” she says with a smile but it doesn’t last. “Are you sure? Maybe you should ask your parents first?”
“I’m sure, and I already spoke to my mom about it. She was ecstatic. So no more excuses, okay?”
“All right,” she relents on a sigh. Comfortable silence falls upon us before she breaks it a few moments later. “Guess what?” she whispers.
“Why are you whispering?”
Another moment of silence.
“I don’t know,” she says on one of her sweet giggles.
My mouth breaks into a grin. “What, Cupcake?”
<
br /> “I’ve never been on a plane before.”
Shock courses through me at the confession. How the hell has she gone her whole life never taking a plane?
The internal thought has a different question surfacing. “How old are you?” I ask.
“How old do you think I am?”
I shrug. “Twenty-four.”
“I’m twenty-one.”
“Holy shit, really?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asks, sounding insulted.
“Nothing bad, I’m just surprised. I always assumed you were Julia’s age.”
“Well, how old are you?”
“How old do you think I am?” I mimic her words back.
“Hmm…” She shrugs. “I dunno…forty?”
I grunt, knowing she’s fucking with me. Especially by the way she laughs her ass off.
“I’m just kiddin’,” she teases. “I’m gonna guess twenty-five.”
“Close, twenty-six,” I tell her. “Now back to this flying business. How did you get here if you didn’t fly?”
That pain she keeps buried surfaces in her warm amber eyes. “I took a bus.”
Questions burn inside of me but I refrain from asking them, not wanting to bring up bad memories for her. “You can sleep tonight, Grace, I got you,” I promise her.
She dips her head, burying her face in my chest. I make sure to stay awake until she falls asleep, vowing to extract vengeance on anyone who dares to ever try and hurt her again.
Grace
I come awake, wrapped in the most amazing warmth. My eyes drift open and I find sunlight streaming through the blinds. Realization strikes me that I slept all night. For the first time in three years I did not wake up once.
A peaceful smile dances across my lips and my eyes close once again as I snuggle closer to that warmth until my leg comes in contact with something hard.
A loud, tortured groan fills the air.
I quickly realize I’m practically on top of Sawyer, my leg resting right over his erection.
Yikes!
I shoot upright, throwing myself into the wall at the other side of the bed.
He grins over at me, looking wide awake. “Morning, Cupcake.”
“Mornin’,” I croak out.
Before I can stop them, my eyes shift lower, taking in his half naked body. I didn’t think I could find this man sexier than I already do, but I was so wrong. His shoulders are broad, torso long and lean, every line hard and profound. His abs alone are a work of art. He bears a tattoo on his left pectoral, a symbol of an eagle. The words, U.S. Navy SEALs, then under it reads, SEAL Team 3.
My gaze continues its discovery, taking in the white sheet that lies low across his hips, doing nothing to shield his erection. And what an impressive erection it is.
“How did you sleep?” he asks, yanking me from my dirty thoughts.
“Very good,” I tell him honestly. “I didn’t wake up once and that’s the first time in years.”
He gazes back at me, his expression somber. “Maybe this should be our sleeping arrangement from now on then.”
“Maybe it should,” I whisper, feeling our relationship shift within this one moment. My lips twitch with a smile. “Except in my bed, so Chuckie can sleep on it, too.”
He grunts, obviously not keen on the idea.
“We should get going soon,” I say. “I need to get the pies over to Mac.”
The longer I’m in this bed with him, the stronger the temptation.
He nods. “After the diner we’ll go pick up anything you need for our trip on Friday.”
I still can’t believe I’m going to meet his family this weekend. I’m both excited and terrified at the prospect.
I begin making a mental list of everything I’m going to need but my thoughts come to a halt when Sawyer sits up. A gasp parts my lips, pain striking me all the way to the core as I stare in horror at the mangled skin of his back.
His shoulders tense, as if he’s just realized what he’s revealed but he remains still, allowing me to see what he has always kept hidden.
This is what Julia was talking about, and I finally understand the pain I witnessed in her eyes that day. Large jagged scars run crisscross, taking up the entire expanse of his back. It looks like someone took a knife to him or a whip. I don’t know which, and like Julia, I don’t want to. I don’t think I could handle knowing what exactly was used to harm him this way.
Buried within those horrendous scars is a tattoo across his shoulder blades. In black script the words stand out, bringing beauty to the horror.
You will not break me, for I am unbreakable.
I will live with integrity, fight with honor, and die for what’s right.
My watery eyes lift to his, and I find him watching me over his shoulder. “Sawyer.” His name falls from me on a choked whisper, my trembling hand resting across my aching heart.
Sliding closer, I reach out, tracing the words of his tattoo, words that will forever be ingrained into my heart whenever I think of him. When my fingertips dance over the final letter, I can’t hold in my pain any longer. I cover my mouth as a sob tumbles past my lips.
Sawyer reaches for me, pulling me onto his lap so I’m straddling him.
I hug him close, crying into his neck. “I’m so sorry someone hurt you.”
“Don’t cry for me, Cupcake. I survived and I’m stronger for it.”
My heart not only breaks for him, but for all of them. It just goes to show how cruel the world can really be. I lift my head, resting my hand against his hard jaw. “This world is full of awful people, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, baby, it is but it’s also filled with some of the best.” His fingers squeeze my hips, driving his point home.
“It sure is,” I agree, dancing my fingers across his lips.
His heated green eyes hold mine, something powerful passing between us, reeling us into a world of our own.
Leaning in, I tentatively press my lips against his jaw, trailing them toward his mouth. They hover just above his, the need for so much more filling the space between us.
“Ask me, Grace,” he says, voice rough as he cups my bottom to bring me closer. “Just say the word.”
My mouth opens to do just that, to tell him I want it—want him—but before I get the chance, my doorbell rings.
Both of us still, my disappointed heart plummeting.
“What—the—fuck?”
The look on Sawyer’s face is so comical that I burst into laughter.
“There’s nothing funny about this.”
“I disagree. Your face is hilarious,” I tell him, continuing to laugh.
He grunts, not sharing in my amusement. “It’s probably Cade. I asked him to bring some stuff by for me.”
I move to climb off him but his arms tighten around me, keeping me in place. “We’re going to pick this up soon, Grace. No more denying us what we both want.”
I nod because he’s right. It’s time to give into this pull between us. The problem is, I’m scared. He has such a hold on my heart that I fear when he actually touches me I’ll be lost to him forever.
Grace
I drag my suitcase out of my closet and begin packing, starting with the essentials. Each item that gets tossed in has me getting more excited.
As anxious as I am for this trip, I can’t wait to meet Sawyer’s family, to get a glimpse into the lives of the people who raised him to be the amazing man he is today. Next to Mac, he’s the best I’ve ever known. Even his big ego can’t overshadow his honorable heart… The thought has a smile cracking my lips.
I go in search of him, wondering when he plans to start his packing, only to come up short when I find him in the living room. He sits on the couch, reading one of my books. A very sexy book.
Oh god.
His head lifts, gaze meeting mine, and the knowing smirk stealing his face has my cheeks heating furiously. “So, my little Cupcake reads porn. Who knew?”
Humiliation threate
ns to swallow me whole. “It’s a romance novel,” I grind out.
“No, it’s not, this shit is porn, baby. Old school porn, but it’s still porn all the same.”
“Give it to me!” I storm up to him but he jumps to his feet, holding the book over his head. “I mean it, Sawyer. I’m not messin’ around.”
He chuckles, finding the threat amusing. Opening the book over his head, he begins reading from the page he was on. “He thrusts his cock inside—”
“That’s it!” I launch myself at his hard body, trying to swipe the book from his hands but my efforts prove pointless.
He spins me around, bringing my back to his front, his arms pinning me in place. “Tell me, Grace, how wet does your pussy get when you’re reading this shit?” His dirty words in my ear have shivers dancing along my skin but my humiliation overshadows it.
“Stop it, you’re embarrassin’ me,” I whisper.
“Don’t be embarrassed, baby. I think it’s hot. Do you touch yourself while reading it?”
“No!” I grind out.
He chuckles. “I don’t believe you. There is no way you don’t get yourself off reading this shit.”
“I’m not lying! I’ve never even had an orgasm before.” I regret the words as soon as they leave my big mouth.
He tenses, his arms easing their hold on me. Turning around, I rip the book from his hands and avoid eye contact as he gapes at me.
“What the hell did you just say?”
“You heard me,” I mumble, my gaze remaining on the floor.
“Are you a virgin?”
It’s obvious the thought is appalling to him. Looking up, I glare at him. “I’m not a virgin, you asshole. For your information, I’ve had sex three and a half times.”
Oh god, shut up, Grace.
Utter disbelief fills his expression. “How the fuck do you have sex three and a half times? That’s not even possible.” Chuckling, he shakes his head. “Wait, hold that thought, first things first—clearly the losers you were with didn’t know how to get you off. All right, fine. But are you telling me you haven’t been able to get yourself off?”
I didn’t think it would be possible for me to get any more embarrassed than I already am, but I was so wrong. “What’s the matter with you? You don’t ask people personal questions like this.”
