Branding & Saving Lily Box Set: Books 1 & 2 (Jacob and Lily's Duet)

by Gracin Sawyer

  My fingers found her opening again while she stroked me. I pushed three back inside, as deep as I could. Each stroke she gave me, I matched.

  I was close to losing myself all over her. But I refused not to brand her as mine. I pulled away and opened the nightstand drawer for a condom. I sure as hell wasn’t pulling out, but neither of us were ready for kids.

  Her eyes widened as I pulled the condom down my full length. “I… I don’t know how that will fit inside me.” She nodded at my newly decorated cock.

  “You will fit me like a glove, honey. The first time will hurt, but then it will be amazing and easy. I promised you I’d go slow, remember.”

  “Jacob, I trust you.” She held her arms out for me and I complied, lowering myself atop her.

  I pushed her legs open with my knees and let my shaft barely touch her, letting her know I was there.

  “I’m scared.” Her body shook.

  “Honey, I won’t do anything you don’t want. I told you, the first time can hurt, and you’re so tight. If you aren’t ready, just let me know, I’ll stop.” My voice caught in a groan as she ran her hands down my chest and stomach, and then lightly ran a finger up my shaft.

  “I didn’t mean I was scared of that. I’m not scared of anything you could do to me. I’m scared I won’t be good enough for you.”

  Oh, fuck. My lips crashed down on hers, I couldn’t wait any longer. “Lily, you are perfect for me. Now let me in.”

  She opened her legs wider. I trailed my fingers back down to her slip through her folds to help her relax again before I entered her. Her moans were the sexiest sound I’d ever heard, and as effective as if she held me in her hand and stroked, making me thrust harder. Her wetness called to my cock pressed against her thigh.

  Removing my fingers, I centered myself over her and barely pushed, slowly entering her. Inch by inch my dick slipped into the tightest cocoon of heat. The last inch had the thin barrier I had to push through, making her mine.

  I kissed her as I broke through, her muffled cry melted against my lips. As much as I wanted to move, I stayed still, letting her body adjust to my size.

  She was truly mine now.

  I trailed light kisses down her cheeks, taking her tears away. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  “It’s hard to explain. It hurts, but it feels so good.” Her voice was husky and filled with ecstasy.

  I continued to kiss her. “Just this time, the next time won’t be like that. It will just be good.”

  I started to move, her tight walls clenched around me. A moan met each thrust. I plunged harder and deeper, faster. Her eyes filled with rapture as I moved inside her.

  “Lily.” It was all I could say as I felt her wetness spread around me and her body quake. She arched to meet me one last time and I spilled out, pushing myself into her as deep as I could get.

  My body shook and my strength was gone. Holy hell. We stayed like that, with me pulsating inside her while she found the ability to breathe.

  Slowly, I pulled out and slipped the condom off, making sure to keep everything contained. “I’ll get you cleaned up.”

  Tossing the condom in the trash, I grabbed a warm wet rag and found her still flushed on the bed. “Jacob, are you okay? Did I do it right?”

  I wiped her clean and tossed the rag across the room. I needed to lay with my woman. Naked, our fully satisfied, sweat-laden bodies pressed together, still needing to be as close as we could get.

  I couldn’t get over it. She fit me, every inch, and became my woman. I was more than okay. Fuck cloud nine. I was on cloud one hundred.

  “You were perfect.” I kissed the top of her head as she curled up next to me. “Lily, I don’t think I could ever do that enough with you.”

  She giggled. “Thank you.”

  “No. Thank you. Thank you for being mine.” I finally had something of my own to protect.

  Chapter 21

  Lily

  Sleeping in Jacob’s arms, I felt a peace like never before. Finally, I was safe. I had no doubts that he would protect me from Knox.

  Carefully, I slipped out from under his arms and the cocoon of warmth his body offered. I noticed that as I padded across the floor to the bathroom I was slightly sore where Jacob had entered me last night, but my stomach hardly had any pain at all. I smiled. I would take this pain any time to experience that again.

  Tossing a look over my shoulder, the bed looked as wild as I felt, but the naked man lying on it was the image of perfection. Everything he did last night was incredible.

  I stopped in front of the bathroom mirror and saw a woman I hadn’t seen before. I looked happy. Aside from the old bruises, I was looking healthier than I remember being. Even the small wound on my stomach was shrinking and healing.

  It seemed like forever that I tried to kill myself. And now, I was glad I failed.

  I closed my eyes and drifted off to last night. Jacob was so patient. And now, he claimed me as his. My stomach fluttered excitedly.

  Feather-light touches to the small of my back had me smiling and I opened my eyes to see the man who was quickly becoming the holder of my heart behind me. His fingers trailed up to move my hair aside and he started kissing my shoulder, working his way up my neck.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he said, his voice husky and deep.

  “Good morning,” I replied. A slight quiver escaped my lips as he kissed up to my ear and nibbled.

  How did a kiss feel so good?

  “Waking up without my woman is not how I intended to start today.” He continued to kiss me, wrapping his arm around me, his hand found my breast. “There are other ways to wake up, and I’m gonna show you.”

  All I could do was moan in pleasure as he fondled my nipple. He could do anything he wanted as long as he never stopped touching me. I could feel his manhood growing harder, pressing up against me.

  “Lily,” he whispered.

  I leaned into him. We weren’t close enough, I needed more.

  “Boss!” Outside the bedroom door, Doc’s voice rang through the hall.

  Jacob snapped up, instantly alert. “Stay here,” he locked the bathroom door connected to the hall and slipped into the bedroom, grabbing his gun.

  He carefully cracked the door open. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Keep Lily in there. We have visitors.”

  Visitors? I doubled over and crouched down. Knox found me. It had to be him.

  I had to hide.

  I had to leave.

  Jacob closed the door and came right to me, squatting down to look me in the eyes. “I need you to stay right here. Don’t move. Got it?” He kissed me on the forehead. “Don’t worry, honey. I promise you’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  I couldn’t breathe, but I nodded—for him, but inside, I was dying all over again. All the fear raged back to life, reminding me that I would never be free of Knox.

  Jacob left and pulled his clothes on, strapping his gun into its holder over his shoulder.

  Staying close to the floor and walls, I made my way to my room. Pulling out clothes, I hurriedly put them on. In the closet, there were a few pairs of shoes I assumed were for me so I slipped on a pair of boots and rushed to the window, careful to not be seen.

  A couple of black vehicles I hadn’t seen before were out front. The men that came out wore all black clothing and every single one had a gun. I searched the faces but didn’t see Knox.

  My heart raced. I knew Jacob’s men had guns too, and they carried them as they greeted the men, but it didn’t help my fear.

  Jacob stood out front, his arms folded. He held such a strong, prominent presence. Everything about him demanded respect.

  Doc wasn’t far behind him, holding a rifle. I worried about the old man. Having just found him, I wasn’t ready to lose him.

  A man not holding a gun, although I could see the handle of one under his jacket, stepped out of the vehicle. He was a tall man, though he didn’t reach Jacob’s height.
He wasn’t as broad as Jacob either and was a bit older, with gray streaks staining his dark hair and beard, but was handsome in his own way. And even without being near him, I knew my father when I saw him. He looked a bit older than I remembered, but it was him.

  Jacob shook hands with Garcia.

  My heart raced and my stomach rolled. I wasn’t sure I was ready to see him. Mixed emotions rumbled through my brain. He was my dad, but he was the reason my mother was dead. He may not have done the beating, but he sent us away with Knox and that was the same thing. It was hard, but I moved from the window and tiptoed to the bathroom to brush out my hair.

  Jacob wouldn’t leave me alone if I were in danger. Would he?

  The front door opened and I could hear voices filling the downstairs area. I tensed. Jacob was letting them in the house?

  “I don’t care, Jacob. I deserve to see her!” the voice bellowed, echoing up to me. It was the same barking voice I remembered from my youth. Many times he had yelled for me and even at me.

  Jacob countered a remark, but it was muffled and I couldn’t make it out. The voices, both Jacob and Garcia’s were angry and grew louder.

  Fight or flight was kicking in and I knew I needed to move. I needed to hide. I wasn’t ready to face my father.

  In Jacob’s room, I slipped into the closet and huddled into the corner. I covered my ears and closed my eyes, needing to block out the yelling.

  “Lily?” Jacob’s concerned voice filled the room behind the door. “Lily?” He called for me louder, a slight panic laced my name.

  The door to the closet opened and I froze. Jacob’s large frame filled the exit, making any escape impossible. “Lily,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief. “You scared me. I couldn’t find you.”

  He crawled inside with me. “What are you doing in here, honey?”

  “I don’t know. The yelling scared me and I just had to hide. I’m sorry.” I wanted to cry. Earlier I had a fleeting moment of happiness and thought all my fear was gone, but now I knew better. I wondered if I would always be afraid. If it was now a part of who I was.

  “I told you, you don’t have to be sorry, and you don’t have to be afraid.” He held his arms open for me and I went to him, finding the comfort and protection I desperately needed. “I need you to come downstairs. There’s someone here who wants to see you.”

  “Jacob, I’m sorry if I did something wrong. Please don’t send me away.”

  “Fuck, Lily, is that what you think?” He kissed the top of my head. “No, honey. You aren’t going anywhere. I told you, you’re mine. For as long as you want me, you are here with me.” He leaned back and tipped my chin up, forcing me to look at him. “Lily, last night, that was me saying forever. Do you understand?”

  My heart skipped a beat. I didn’t fully understand anything right now. I was so confused, but what I felt for Jacob was not like any other kind of love I’d ever experienced. But, there was no doubt that was what was happening. Not that I would tell him that I was falling in love with him.

  “Damn it, I wish I could erase your past so all you could see was our future.” He stood and pulled me up with him.

  I swayed, even with his strong arms holding me. “Why do I have to go downstairs? I’m not sure I’m ready.” Being tossed to the wolves was a more accurate description of how I felt.

  “Because your dad is downstairs and wants to see you.” He guided me out of the closet. “But I won’t leave your side. Not unless you want me to, but even then, I’m not sure I could leave you.”

  “I can’t. Jacob, please don’t make me.” Knowing Garcia was downstairs had my stomach pushing up to my throat. “I’m scared.”

  “I know, honey. But I won’t let anything happen to you. I will kill anyone who tries to hurt you. You trust me, right?”

  I nodded. I trusted him, but I didn’t trust Garcia. He had already gotten rid of me once. What would keep him from finishing the job himself?

  Holding Jacob’s hand, I walked down the hall to the stairs. “Jacob, don’t leave me.”

  He stopped at the head of the stairs, pulling me to him. “Never.” Leaning down, strong and steady, his lips found mine. It was quick, but everything he didn’t say was in that kiss.

  As long as I had him, I could do this. I could do anything. With a little more confidence, I held my head higher as I walked down the stairs. It was time for me to be the adult I was and stop hiding. Stop running. Stop being scared. And there was no better way to start than to face my father.

  Passing the kitchen, Carter was there, watching me. His smile and nod was encouraging and helped me remember that I had more than just Jacob here for me. I had a family now. I wasn’t alone.

  Outside of the office, Jacob gave my hand a small squeeze before opening the door. Walking through the threshold, I searched for Knox, and relaxed when I couldn’t see him.

  But the man I did see stared at me with a rage that had me scooting closer to Jacob. The death grip I had on his hand should be enough for him to know I was scared, but he took another step toward Garcia.

  Head held high, I tried not to let him see my fear. I was with Jacob, and Doc was there, and Carter was somewhere behind me. I could do this. I wasn’t going to be afraid.

  The anger my father held in his eyes softened as he stared at me, tears welling with an emotion I could only assume was guilt. “Lily.”

  Chapter 22

  Jacob

  The way Lily held my hand had me feeling more protective. I gave her a gentle squeeze, reassuring her that I was there. The poor woman had dealt with so much in her life that this meeting couldn’t be easy on her.

  In a way, I was glad Garcia showed up. It saved me a phone call. But apparently, Knox had called him, saying that I found Lily and was holding her hostage, and that had him ready to gun down my entire ranch.

  I had no choice but to have her come down and meet him. Even though their reunion should have been under my arrangements, so Lily would have had time to warm up to the idea.

  Garcia stared at Lily. His usually stony expression held a glow only a father could give. It was almost amusing to watch a man I hated soften like a house cat. But it also confused the hell out of me wondering why a man who loved his daughter would give her to a man like Knox. Unless this was all a ruse for the sake of looking like a concerned father. “You look so much like your mother, aside from your eyes. Where is she?” He looked over my shoulder with a hopeful searching gaze.

  Lily looked up at me and I smiled for her. I didn’t care whose eyes she had, to me, they were just her, a window to her soul that I wanted to spend forever looking through.

  “She’s dead.” Lily’s voice was soft but steady. I was so proud of her for masking most of her fear in front of all these men.

  “What?” Garcia’s nostrils flared and he took a step toward me. “What the hell did you do to my wife?”

  “The real question is what the fuck did you do to your wife? What about your daughter? I had nothing to do with your wife’s death. You can thank Knox for that. But I did save your daughter.” I pulled Lily even closer to my side, acutely aware of every gun in the room. Every movement had me alert and ready to fight.

  Behind me, I could feel the shift of vigilance from my men as well. Warning signs prepared me to protect Lily at all costs. I wouldn’t trust Garcia not to kill his daughter.

  Garcia’s hard-set stare penetrated the room between us, softening only when he looked at his daughter. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was dead.” He reached out to touch her shoulder. To her credit, she didn’t flinch, but I tensed for her, not liking how close he was. Father or not, if he hurt her, he wouldn’t make it out of my house alive.

  She smiled, but it wasn’t a true smile that I had gotten to see over the past few days. “Thank you.”

  Garcia straightened and his hard face returned as he dropped his arm. “Jacob, I need to thank you. You saved her. I don’t like being in debt to anyone, you know that.”

  That feelin
g was mutual. I’d rather chew off my left arm than owe someone. Especially, Garcia. I had a feeling there was more to this than just owing me a debt.

  Having him owe me was thought-provoking, but Lily was worth more than a debt. I didn’t save her for him. “Nothing is owed. She isn’t alive for your benefit.”

  I pulled my hand from her grasp to wrap my arm around her shoulders, keeping her close to me. “I guess you should know that Lily is mine. And you know that there isn’t anything I won’t do to protect my own.” It was a bold statement to make at that moment, but if I was going to get him to leave without trying to take Lily and be on board helping us kill Knox, he needed to know.

  Garcia’s eyes widened. “You son of a bitch! If I find out you forced yourself on her, you will die, Cardosa.”

  I chuckled. “Calm down, old man. No one here would force themselves on any woman. We aren’t like the fucking animals you employ.” With the exception of Smokey and Nash, but we took care of them. “Speaking of, where is Knox? I have a few things I’d like to talk to him about.”

  “Fuck you, Cardosa. If anyone talks to that cocksucker, it’ll be me.” He gestured to one of his men. “Take my daughter to the trucks, we’re leaving.”

  I didn’t have to say anything. The lever of Doc and Flapjack’s guns were cocked and ready to fire, aimed at the man Garcia ordered to take Lily. Bear and Diesel who had been guarding the study doors, were there, their Glocks drawn.

  I stood calmly with Lily still close to me. No way in hell was I letting her get any farther from me with them here. “No one will touch her. I told you, she’s my woman.”

  “Like hell she’s yours,” Garcia sneered.

  He reached out to grab Lily’s arm, but I was faster, pushing her behind me. My fist made contact with his nose. Blood poured out instantly. “Get this son of a bitch out of here before he gets blood all over my floor.”

  Lily stood tall behind me, and I was relieved she hadn’t run. Violence wasn’t something that would be easy for her.