Echo (Archer's Creek Book 1)

by Gemma Weir

  James winces and pulls his hand back. “Easy there, tiger. Liv’s like a sister to me, so there’s no need to go all caveman on me.”

  Sniggering, I slap Echo’s chest. “Play nicely. These boys are my best friends.”

  Echo relaxes slightly, then says, “Didn’t you say you used to sleep with one of them?”

  Dan sheepishly raises his hand. “Yeah, sorry, dude, that was me. But she totally turned me gay, and now I’m in love with a guy. No threat from me,” he says quickly.

  A loud laugh bursts from me, and I fling another cushion at Dan’s head, hitting him in the face. “I did not turn you gay,” I shout.

  Dan shrugs and smiles. “You kinda did, Liv. Sorry.”

  Echo chuckles, and sitting on the sofa, he lifts me into his lap. The guys settle on the opposite sofa, and we descend into an awkward silence. James clears his throat then speaks. “So, Echo, did Liv finally call you?”

  Echo looks at me expectantly before turning back to James. “No, she didn’t. I got to Manchester three days ago.”

  I gasp and swing around to Echo. “You’ve been here for three days and you only came here tonight?”

  His fingers snap out and grasp my chin tightly. “I had no fucking clue where you were, sugar. You fucking disappeared, and I’ve been searching for you ever since. I saw you in the gardens tonight and followed you back here.”

  Silence descends again, and Dan speaks, trying to lighten the tension. “You could have stayed in Texas, Echo. She was coming back tomorrow. Saved yourself the journey.”

  Echo audibly growls before turning to Dan. “When my woman decides to run, I’m gonna chase her. She’s mine. I don’t take that lightly.”

  Stunned, Dan’s mouth drops open, but wisely he doesn’t speak. James mumbles under his breath, “Bloody hell, that’s hot.”

  Unsure what to say, I stay quiet and tense in Echo’s lap.

  James taps Dan’s knee. “Right, I think it’s time for bed. Are you guys staying here?” he asks us.

  “No.” “Yes.” Echo and I both speak at the same time. He ignores me and speaks to James. “No. I’m at a hotel around the corner. We’ll come back in the morning for Livvy’s stuff before we go home, if that’s okay?” James nods, stunned by Echo’s dominant tone.

  “Get some clothes on, sugar, it’s late,” Echo orders. I disappear into the bathroom to dress quickly, and return to the living room where the boys in my life are sitting in awkward silence. Seeing me, Echo stands and walks towards me. His fingers cup my chin, tilting my face up to meet his. His lips meet mine in a demanding kiss of ownership. “I need to make a phone call. I’ll see you outside,” he says, then nodding to the guys, he leaves.

  James wilts into the sofa dramatically. “Bloody hell, Liv, is he like that all the time?” he asks.

  I giggle and nod. “Pretty much.”

  James laughs. “Do you guys have a Fifty Shades sort of ‘yes, sir’ thing going on? Because he’s so bloody intense, I wanted to do whatever he told me to do, and I’m not fucking him. Christ, your fanny must be bloody dripping constantly.”

  “James,” I gasp, shocked.

  James eyes widen dramatically. “Liv, I’m serious. He’s insanely hot, and he’s got that controlled sexiness that makes you want to suck his cock all day just to get him to stroke your hair. How are you not bow-legged?”

  I bury my face in my hands and giggle. “I don’t want to talk about this with you,” I say, my voice muffled.

  “Come on, Olivia, spill. You have a BDSM thing going with him, don’t you?” James asks excitedly.

  “No,” I cry.

  “Liar, liar, pants on fire, Olivia Townsend,” James chants.

  My cheeks are bright red with embarrassment. I move my hands from my face and look at James again, a wicked smile twitching at my mouth. “We don’t. I swear. I’ve never called him sir. But bloody hell, now I’m thinking about it and I kind of want to.”

  James bursts into laughter. “Ha. You totally found a Mr Grey. You lucky bitch.”

  Dan’s been quietly watching our conversation, and now he blurts, “James, baby, you can call me sir later.”

  James winks at him. “Yes, sir.”

  Groaning, I wince. “Ewww, guys, I don’t want to hear that. Right, I need to go. I’ll see you guys in the morning, okay?” I say. The guys take it in turns to kiss me goodbye, and I leave, finding Echo waiting in the street.

  He reaches out, and I take his hand. “Come on, sugar. I’m nowhere near finished with you yet.”

  I’m angry.

  Taking Livvy settled the beast for a time, but the pain of her leaving me has bubbled to the surface again and I need to be alone with her. I should have realised that the two guys were a couple and the best friends she spoke about, but I was blinded by another man touching her and I couldn’t see past that.

  I pull Livvy behind me and walk quickly towards my hotel. A doorman opens the doors for us, never giving me a second glance as I drag my girl towards the elevators. “Echo, slow down,” Livvy cries. The elevator doors slide open the moment I push the button, and I pull Livvy in behind me and stab at the button for the fifth floor.

  “Echo,” she shouts. I ignore her. The elevator stops, and I silently pull Livvy behind me until we reach my room. Unlocking the door, I push her inside and lock the door behind us.

  A long breath escapes me, and my shoulders relax for the first time in days.

  “Echo, what’s going on?”

  I drop my chin to my chest and close my eyes, pulling in deep, calming breaths. Moments later, I look up to find Livvy’s concerned face watching me.

  “You ran,” I say.

  A pained look crosses her face. “I’m sorry.”

  I can’t keep the anger out of my voice. “You planned to go. It wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. You planned it. You packed all of your stuff and left me.”

  A tear runs down her cheek as she swallows visibly. “I’m sorry,” she whispers.

  I explode and all of my anger and fear and desperation bursts free from me. “Bullshit. What are you sorry for, sugar? You sorry for running away from me? You sorry for making me a fucking fool for thinking when you said you loved me it actually meant something? Or you sorry for being such a cold-hearted bitch that you could disappear and never look back? ’Cause a week ago, you couldn’t give a fuck,” I roar.

  Shaking, she sinks to the floor, and I have to fight the instinct to go to her. When she speaks, her voice is quiet and full of tears. “I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought you just felt guilty. I couldn’t stay with you when I was in love with you and you didn’t even want me to touch you.”

  Livvy slowly rises to her feet, her voice gets louder and angrier. “You left me first. I got attacked. I was beaten and hurt, and I needed you. I needed you to make me feel whole again. I needed to know that you still wanted me, but instead you ignored me. So I left, because I couldn’t stand living with you but being alone.”

  Toe to toe, I tower over her. There’s so much we should have said before. If we had, none of this would ever have happened. So I let the anger and hurt that’s pulsing through me overflow. “When you left, I broke, and I don’t know how to fix that. I love you, Livvy. More than fucking life. You were hurt. Beaten and cut. I couldn’t let you touch me, ’cause every time you did, I wanted to claim you again, and I was terrified that you wouldn’t see me. I was so fucking scared that you’d see him and that it would ruin us. I saw your fear. I watched you scream every night, fighting for your life in the nightmares that haunted your sleep.” My voice cracks with emotion.

  Livvy stands on trembling legs, the tears that run down her face start to drip from her chin. “Wyatt and Mimi haunted my dreams because you weren’t holding me in my sleep. I felt like the bruises and scars made me ugly to you. Every time you pushed me away, it was you telling me you didn’t want me anymore. The last few weeks, I didn’t see you. You became my jailer, not my boyfriend. I couldn’t live like that anym
ore. I felt like you were keeping me there out of guilt and a sense of responsibility. So I made a choice that I thought was the best thing for both of us. I was gonna have to leave eventually anyway, so I went before we started to hate each other.” Her voice is barely above a whisper, but it’s strong and clear.

  My girl stands in front of me, her back straight and fire shooting from her eyes. The rage and anger in her mirrors my own feelings, and I grab her, forcing my lips against hers. Her small hands grab my arms and desperately hold me to her. Ravishing her lips, I claim her anger, taking it with my own.

  She suddenly pushes me away. Her lips are ripped from mine, and she screams in my face, “No!”

  Echo stills immediately, and I step back and allow myself some distance. “We can’t just have angry sex. We need to actually sit down and talk about this,” I say, my voice hard.

  Clearly fighting the urge to take control, Echo nods angrily and crosses the room to sit on the chair at the dressing table. I lift myself onto the bed and turn to face him, crossing my legs beneath me. “Can we try to talk without screaming at one another or ripping each other’s clothes off?”

  Echo scoffs lightly but nods. “We can try, but no promises,” he drawls.

  I smile and feel a blush heat my cheeks. “Do you want to start or shall I?”

  Echo goes to speak but stops and closes his mouth before opening it again. “I’m so fucking pissed at you. You ran from me. And my gut instinct is to spank your ass until you learn never to fucking run away again. Every controlling tendency you bring out in me is telling me to throw you over my shoulder and lock you in a room where you’re safe and I don’t have to worry about you disappearing again.”

  I shudder at his words, my mind consumed with filthy images. “Sugar, you wanted to talk. I was down for the angry fucking. But if you carry on looking like your pussy’s getting wetter by the second, I’m gonna have to fucking take you again. And that talk you want to have won’t be happening for a while, you understand?”

  I nod and pull in a deep, cleansing breath, forcing my body to calm. “Sorry,” I mutter. Echo’s intense eyes watch me closely, and crossing my arms over my chest, I try to hide my hardening nipples.

  Closing my eyes for a brief second, I wait for my body to calm. “I’m sorry for leaving, Echo. I know it was a stupid, impulsive choice that just made us both miserable. But all the guilt you were feeling is absurd. I can’t live with the distance you put between us. We’re physical. You touch me, you’re bossy and controlling and nothing that I ever thought I’d want, but I crave your control. I love that you’re unreasonable in your love for me. I love that you’re intense and dominant, that you take charge of us. That’s our dynamic. It works because it’s what we both need, but if you take away all of the intimacy, and I’m not just talking about sex but everything, then what do we have left? I felt alone and lonely. I never want to feel like a guilty burden, and that’s what I was.”

  “I’m sorry,” Echo says sincerely. My head snaps around. His earnest eyes look back at me, and I know in that moment that what we have is stronger than both of our stupidity.

  “I love you, sugar.”

  I smile and walk to him, placing my hand on his stubbled cheek. “I love you too.”

  We lie entwined for hours. In the darkness, he reaches for my shirt and pulls it over my head, and silently we remove each other’s clothes until we’re both naked. Our lips touch, gently caressing, our tongues stroking against one another. Echo’s weight settles on top of me, and I squirm as his hard length pushes against my sex.

  The kiss continues but never escalates. Desperate and aroused, I lift my hips and try to guide his cock towards my centre, but he pulls back. “Livvy, you didn’t want this to be about sex.”

  “I want you to claim me again. I missed you so much.”

  His lips dip to the hollow of my neck, and he licks my skin. “I love you, sugar.”

  Guiding his cock into my heat, I pull my knees up and wrap my legs around his back. He slides deeper, and I cry out as his penetration hits my sensitive inner walls. “God, I missed this. I love you,” I tell him again and again.

  Echo’s eyes never leave mine as he slides in and out of me. His hands rest on either side of my face, and I feel all his concentration focussed on me. His pace increases, and our breaths change to panting, his cock massaging the bundle of sensitive nerves within me. Echo’s hands move under my thighs, and lifting my legs from behind his back, he pushes them against my chest, rocking into me.

  Unlike earlier, this isn’t desperation or anger guiding us. It’s love and the desire to reconnect. Our touches speak without words. We tell each other over and over that we love each other, that we missed each other, that we are stronger together. We are each other’s futures, that we were meant to be and will fight to never be apart again.

  I moan as he surges deeper. His movements become harsher, the strain showing on his face while he waits for my orgasm to build. Tipping his chin down, he circles my nipple with his tongue before pulling it into his mouth and biting gently. The hint of pain forces my orgasm to the surface, and I gasp as my body tenses and sensation flows over me. Echo’s lips connect with mine, and I swallow his groan as he climaxes, spilling his seed deep within me.

  Finally at peace, I fall asleep with him still buried inside of me.

  I wake up surrounded in Livvy. Her arms and legs are wrapped around mine, and her head rests against my chest. It’s early, just after six, and the sunlight is starting to peek through the curtains.

  Possessiveness barrels through me. This woman speaks to my baser urges, and I want to beat my fists against my chest and declare her my property.

  Mine.

  I carefully roll her underneath me and lift her arms above her head. Dominant thoughts flow through me, and rolling onto my knees, I take in her perfect body. Her creamy skin begs to be bitten and licked. Her perky breasts tease me, her nipples pebbled and hard. Her pussy’s wet with arousal and glistening in the beams of light that streak across her body.

  Moving between her legs, I spread them apart and stare at her perfect sex, all wet and smooth. I can’t resist any longer and drag my tongue along her parted folds. Goosebumps pepper her skin, and she shudders in her sleep. Addicted to her taste, I spread her wide and lick again, dragging as much of her juices onto my tongue as I can. Her eyes flicker open as shudders wrack through her, and she reacts to my touch before she’s even fully awake.

  “Echo?” she rasps, her voice full of sleep.

  I crawl up her body and kiss her passionately. “Can you taste yourself on me, sugar?” I ask. Her tongue dips out to lick her lips before she smiles shyly and nods. “Do you like the taste of your pussy?”

  Heat glistens in her eyes. “Yes.”

  “Hold on to the headboard. Don’t let go. Do you understand?” I demand.

  Her eyes widen in excitement before she nods. “Yes, sir.” Her voice is quiet but full of desire.

  “Sir?” I laugh. “Is that what you want, Livvy? Do you want me to take control?”

  She nods and replies, her voice stronger and confident. “Yes, sir,” she says seductively, then winks at me.

  I smile. “This body belongs to me, Livvy. You took it away from me, and that made me incredibly angry. You’re going to spend a lot of time on your knees with my cock in your mouth while I try to forgive you. Do you want to earn my forgiveness?”

  Her eyes sparkle with desire, and she nods quickly.

  “Good girl. I expect complete obedience. Do you think you can do that?” I ask playfully. A mischievously coy look crosses her face before she shakes her head. I laugh. “I don’t think you can be obedient either. So perhaps we’ll have to come to some kind of compromise. What do you think?”

  She tilts her head to the side and says, “What kind of compromise?”

  Suddenly, the playfully atmosphere evaporates and our sexy game is forgotten. My voice is serious, and I realise I mean every word of what I’m about to say. �
��I need to take ownership of you, Livvy. I need to know you will never run from me again.”

  Tears well in her eyes. “I promise I won’t,” she whispers.

  “A promise isn’t good enough, Livvy.” My voice sounds harder than I intended.

  A single tear falls down her cheek. “Then—then what is?” she asks.

  Gripping her chin with my fingers, I hold her face level with mine to ensure she hears and understands me. “You’re going to marry me. You’re going to promise till death do us part. Forever.”

  “Forever,” she whispers. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Echo drags me into his arms and kisses me. “I love you, so fucking much,” he says against my lips. A huge smile spreads across my face, and lifting my arms, I wrap them around Echo’s neck.

  “Ah-ah-ah, arms back above your head. What are those vows? Oh yes, to honour and obey. Time to start behaving like a good little wife,” he says playfully.

  Giggling, I lift my arms into the air and exaggeratedly wrap my fingers around the headboard. He leans forward and whispers, “I think I’m going to enjoy that particular vow. A lot. I’ll honour your body every day, in every dirty way I can think of, and you can obey me.” His lips touch mine, and deepening the kiss, he presses me into the bed. His tongue invades my mouth and owns the kiss, until I’m left panting, arching towards him and begging for more.

  His lips nuzzle into my neck, and my skin starts to tingle. Hovering over me, his body is barely touching mine, but I moan when his hot breath scorches a path down my chest. “Fuck, sugar, I’ve missed that noise.”

  His gravelly voice vibrates straight to my clit, which pulses and throbs in response. “Echo. Please,” I beg. I feel him chuckling against my heaving breasts. Then his hot tongue licks my erect nipple. I shudder.

  “Patience, Livvy. I want to savour you,” Echo warns. I squirm and close my eyes, tightening my grip on the headboard to distract myself.