“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my voice.
“I was with a guy for a while who used to knock me around. It started off as him taking his anger out on me. Yelling at me. Maybe throwing something in my general direction. I overlooked the behavior and justified it so that I could still be with him. So, I didn’t have to be alone.” She looked at her hands resting on her thighs and shook her head. “It was idiotic. I let him control me. Let him dictate all of my decisions. I was afraid of him, but I thought I loved him. I didn’t. I just felt worthless without him. I defined my entire self by him and his needs and what he wanted. And I strived to make him happy. My main focus in life was to keep him from getting angry enough to hit me.”
“But it didn’t work,” I said flatly. My chest burned with anger.
Katie looked back up at me. There weren’t tears in her eyes. Instead of grief and pain, I saw something else. Something incredible. Determination. Grit. Strength. “No. It didn’t work. He put me in the hospital one day. That’s how Emily found out about it. I’d hidden it for almost two years from her and everyone I knew. And once it was out in the open, I couldn’t lie to myself about it anymore. Emily demanded better from me. So I left him. She helped me pack up my stuff, and we moved everything out of his apartment in less than four hours while he was at work. It was the best day of my life.” She smiled. “Until that day on the pier with you.”
The feeling was mutual. “I hate that a man did that to you.”
“Don’t. It made me who I am. I learned a lot from it. I’m a survivor. I escaped it. I was stronger than my mother. I got away from him, and I carved my own path. I’m proud of who I’ve become in spite of him and my father.”
If I wasn’t in love with her before, I was now.
“I think you should know more about me,” I said. I wanted to come clean before I asked her to take another shot on me. She had to know everything. She had to know why these reporters were digging around. I wanted to tell her how it all started.
“Okay,” she said softly. “I’m listening.”
“I told you about the assault, and the robbery, and the drugs already. But I never told you how it all started.”
She shook her head. “No, you didn’t. You still don’t have to. I know the man you are now.”
She was making it really hard to not lean over and kiss her. Every word out of her mouth was giving me heart palpitations. “When my dad died, I was lost. I was only sixteen. My mother was already gone. And I had no one to turn to. No one to steer me away from the bad crowd that sort of swallowed me up. And I never fought it. I just sank into bad habits like it was second nature. I hate that I let that happen.”
“You were young, and like me, you got yourself out of it,” Katie said gently.
“I still did bad things.”
Katie shuffled forward so that her knees were touching mine. Then she reached up and held my face in her hands. “I’ve learned a lot over the past few weeks, Derek. And one thing I learned without a doubt is that you are a good man.”
I studied her. “I’m still so sorry. All I’ve been able to think about is how I betrayed the woman I love, and it’s been driving me mad.”
Katie blinked. “Did you just say ‘love’?”
I sucked in a startled breath. “I did.”
Katie smiled. Her cheeks turned bright pink, and she closed the space between us to press her lips to mine. When she pulled away, she still had my face in her hands. “I love you too, Derek Janson.”
34
Katie
There was no way for me to capture with words how wonderful it felt to have my lips brushing across Derek’s. They were as soft as I remembered, and the way he opened his mouth and pushed his tongue between my teeth had me opening up to him before I realized what was happening.
I’d just told him I loved him. And he loved me.
And here we were, knees pressed together, tongues in each other’s mouths, breath quickening, hearts racing on my living room carpet beneath the Eiffel Tower picture.
It was funny how things could change so quickly.
Derek ran a thumb over my cheek as he let his hand wander to the back of my neck. He held me to him as our kiss deepened, and I ached for more. More of him everywhere.
He paused and pulled away. I instantly reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt to pull him back to me, but he closed one hand over both of mine and looked me in the eyes. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Was I sure?
Of course I was sure. I’d been in agony for over a week missing him. Emily had known it. She’d said what needed to be said to get me to accept that he was my other half. He was the one I would give anything for. I needed him.
“Just kiss me,” I breathed.
And he did. Our lips crashed back together, and he smiled into the kiss as he plunged his fingers into my hair. I was still clutching the front of his shirt, and I didn’t plan on letting him go anytime soon.
Maybe not ever.
He pushed the coffee table away from us with one hand. My fork slid off my plate and crashed against his. Neither of us reached to fix it.
I yanked him even closer to me by the front of his shirt. He chuckled as I decided I wanted his shirt off. I struggled to get it off over his head, and we had to stop kissing so he could help me.
It gave me a moment to soak in the sight of him. I was always astounded by how handsome he was. His hazel eyes beckoned me closer, and I crawled over to him, where he lifted me up and I sat in his lap as we kissed again.
His hands roamed from the middle of my back to my ass. He gave it a firm squeeze, and I giggled and leaned back, bracing myself with my hands against his bare chest.
“I’ve missed this,” he said. His voice was deep and husky with need. It only turned me on more than I already was.
“Me too,” I breathed.
He took hold of the hem of my sweater and began inching it up until he pulled it off my head. The lace bralette I was wearing was a deep shade of purple that matched my panties. He cupped my breasts and pushed them together. I bit my bottom lip and arched my back for him.
Derek held me to him and kissed my throat and jaw. I moaned against him as heat bloomed below my belly. I hooked my arms around his neck and kissed his cheeks before taking his face in my hands and forcing him to look up at me.
“Take your pants off,” I whispered.
Derek gave me a sheepish grin as I slid off his lap. He undid his jeans and pulled them off as I stripped out of my leggings.
“Sit on the couch,” I said.
Derek did as I said and sat on the sofa in nothing but his skin-tight dark gray boxers. I moved to kneel between his legs and leaned in to hook my thumbs in the waistband of his boxers. I worked them down, and his cock sprang free.
I bit my bottom lip. I needed this.
I took him in my hands and stroked him gently to start. He watched me with those focused hazel eyes of his as I got comfortable and kissed his hips, his lower stomach, and the soft skin at the top of his thighs.
“You’re a damn tease, woman,” he muttered.
I glanced up at him and smiled as I hovered over his rock-hard cock. His hands were gripping the sofa on either side of his body. He was as turned on as I was.
I held his gaze as I opened my mouth and ran my tongue up and down his shaft. I wanted to take my time. I wanted to worship him and show him just how much I cared about him.
Derek moaned softly as I took him in my mouth and worked my way down, using my tongue along his base to apply the softest amount of pressure. I watched him as his eyes fell closed, and then I started working him over, bobbing up and down on his dick until I had to come up for air.
Even then, I didn’t stop for long.
I went right back to it, pausing only to swirl my tongue over his tip or trace it up and down his length.
He jerked beneath me, reached down, and grabbed a fistful of my hair. He held me down on his c
ock, and I took as much of him as I could. He groaned, the sound thick and deep, and I felt my panties grow instantly wet.
When I reached down and started rubbing myself, Derek almost lost it. “Fuck,” he muttered as he released my hair. Then his hips began moving slowly up and down. I held myself over him as he fucked my mouth and continued to rub myself.
I was so fucking wet.
I nudged my panties to the side and traced my finger through my juices. Derek must have been watching because he groaned again. I swirled my finger over my clit and moaned softly around his cock.
Then he pulled his shaft out of my mouth and moved to the edge of the couch. I wiped my lips as he sank to his knees beside me and then slowly guided me down onto my back.
“I wanted to taste you,” I whispered.
“Not tonight,” he breathed. “Tonight, I need to finish inside of you.”
I let out a breathless little laugh, and he loomed over me. He dropped himself down to kiss my lips, my throat, my chest, my stomach, my hips. He stopped when he was at my waist and pulled my panties down.
“Somebody’s wet,” he said.
I nodded. I was super wet. All I wanted was for him to fuck me. I wiggled my hips for him as if in a dare. He chuckled and went down to his elbows between my legs.
I stared down at him over the rise of my tits.
Derek started off by running his finger up and down my swollen pussy. He held my gaze for as long as he could manage before he turned his attention to what he was doing between my legs.
When he slipped a finger inside of me, I moaned. I could feel my pussy tightening around his thick digit.
I closed my eyes and rolled my hips as he worked his finger in and out of me. I could hear the sloppy wet sounds I was making, and I didn’t care.
Derek’s tongue flicked over my clit. I almost yelped. Instead, I sucked in a short breath, and my eyes shot open.
“Oh God,” I breathed.
He continued rolling and flicking his tongue over my sensitive clit as he continued to work his finger in and out of me. I was getting closer and closer to an orgasm. He seemed to sense that because suddenly, there was another finger inside me.
The pressure was delicious.
I arched my back and massaged my own tits. Derek watched me and moaned into my pussy as I inched closer to my climax.
When he pressed down hard and flicked his fingers inside me, I came undone. I screamed his name at my ceiling as my whole body started quivering and trembling.
He seemed quite pleased with himself. He slowed his rhythm down and pulled his fingers out of me. Then he licked them clean.
“Fuck me,” I whispered. “Please.”
He patted my pussy and pressed the heel of his hand down on my clit. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m going to fuck your brains out.”
I giggled.
Derek reached for his pants and fished around in the pockets until he found a condom. I watched as he rolled it on, and then he told me to get to my knees. I did as I was told, and he grabbed me by the hips and turned me so that I could rest my upper body on the sofa cushions. We were both on our knees, and he positioned himself behind me and planted his legs between mine.
He rubbed my pussy from behind. I looked back at him over my shoulder and bit my lip. I moved my ass from side to side, and he placed one hand in the small of my back, forcing me to bend more dramatically.
“That’s it,” he said approvingly.
And then he was easing his cock into my pussy.
I gripped the cushions and buried my face in the sofa as a high-pitched sigh escaped between my lips. He squeezed my ass and gave it a little slap as he pushed his last inch inside me. I yelped and then pushed back on him, showing him that I was ready. I could take it.
I wanted to take it.
“Shit,” Derek grated.
Then he reached out, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and pulled my head back to force me to look up at the ceiling. I started smiling. And then he was fucking me like he meant it.
I gasped as he filled me up and then pulled himself out all the way. I got his full length every time. It was indescribably euphoric.
“Yes!” I screamed.
Derek slapped my ass again. His fist tightened in my hair as he bucked against me. All I could hear was my own breathing, his short breaths, and his thighs slapping against the back of mine.
He reached around my hips to rub my clit as he fucked me from behind. And that was when I lost complete control of myself.
I came hard and fast. I cried with pleasure into the sofa cushions, and Derek grabbed hold of my hips to hold me in place as he buried himself deeper inside me with every thrust until he blew his load.
His thrusts slowed, and I stayed where I was as I tried to catch my breath. He leaned over me and kissed up my spine and across my shoulders. “I hope you’re not done yet,” he breathed. I let out a breathless laugh, and he lifted me up to hold me against his chest. He tugged my bralette down, and my tits sprang free. Derek cupped them in his hands and kissed the side of my neck. “Because I sure as hell am not done with you.”
I wiggled my hips. His cock was still inside me.
“Good girl.”
And I was… just for him.
Epilogue
Katie
Six Months Later
I used the toe of my right foot to push the heel of my left sneaker off and then did the same with the other foot. I picked up my work sneakers and tucked them into my locker before pulling a pair of brown boots up my calves. I’d already changed out of my scrubs and was wearing a pair of tight-fitting light blue jeans, a white top, and an oversized oatmeal-colored knit cardigan.
Emily was at her locker beside me, using her little magnetic mirror to put some lip gloss on. She smacked her lips together as she screwed the top back onto the pink gloss.
“That’s a pretty color,” I said.
She held it out to me. “Want some? Derek’s picking you up from work, right?”
I nodded as I opened the lip gloss and applied some on my own lips. It was creamy and the perfect shade of pink. “Thanks.”
“What are your plans for the night?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. Derek just said he wanted to pick me up from work today. I’m not going to stop him.”
Emily closed her locker. “How have you guys been?”
“Really good. He’s so sweet and attentive. And really funny, of course. He’s always making me laugh.”
Emily sighed as she leaned up against her locker. “I need to find myself a man like that.”
“He’ll come along when you stop looking for him.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.”
I smiled. I never really knew how to navigate conversations like this. I knew Emily wanted someone she could share everything with too, but it wasn’t the sort of thing you could force. And you couldn’t settle for the first guy to come along just because he showed interest, either. She had to wait for someone who made her excited. Someone who made her feel like her best version of herself. Someone she could trust and who would never hurt her.
He was out there. There was just no telling how long she would have to wait.
All I knew was that the wait was worth it in the end—so long as you picked the right one. That was the important part.
“Come on,” Emily said, tipping her head to the door. “Let’s get out of here before the ER is overrun and they ask us to stay later.”
I closed and locked my locker, and the two of us made our way out of the break room. We cut through the ER and went out the back way to the employee parking lot.
The sun had set no more than fifteen minutes ago. The sky was still bright and streaked with purples and pinks. A couple stars had already started to appear.
“What a beautiful night,” I said, taking a deep breath.
Emily nudged me with her elbow. “I think it’s about to get even better for you.”
I followed her eyes to where Derek was
waiting for me. He was leaning against the side of his black pickup truck. In his hands was a bouquet of yellow roses.
I grinned.
Emily waved at him, and he waved back across the parking lot. Then she pulled me in for a hug. “You two kids have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. I’ll see you on Saturday for dinner?”
I nodded. “See you then. Don’t forget. We’re playing cards. Bring your A-game. Derek seems to think he’s going to win, but I want to kick his ass.”
Emily smiled and nodded. “Will do.”
I walked across the parking lot to meet my boyfriend. He held out the roses to me.
Like every other girl, the first thing I did was smell them. “They’re beautiful,” I said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“What are they for?”
He smiled. “Just because.” Then he took my hand and walked me around the truck to the passenger side. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
“Where are we going?” I asked as I got up into the passenger seat. I looked down at him.
He was grinning at me. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
“More games,” I said, clicking my tongue.
He laughed and closed my door. I watched him walk around the hood of the truck. He was smiling the whole time. He climbed up into the driver’s seat and started the truck. Then he glanced over at me.
His eyes were warm. His smile was soft.
And he was mine.
I giggled and broke eye contact first. “Come on, Romeo. Let’s see whatever this surprise is of yours before I lose my cool.”
Derek reversed out of his spot, and we drove hand in hand for about fifteen minutes before he turned into the parking lot not far from the pier. I arched an eyebrow at him as he parallel parked along the beach. “The pier, hmm?”
He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the truck without saying anything. Yet again, always the gentleman, he walked around the truck and let me out. He held my hand as I climbed down. He told me to leave the roses in the cab, so I left them sitting upright on my seat.
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