by KL Donn
As soon as Crux starts moving my body in a rocking motion, I can feel it. All those sensations I’ve been dreaming of since the moment he licked my neck that day at school. The remembrance of it has my hand floating to the same spot and drawing a line down my throat and between my breasts.
“Jesus fuck, girl. Have mercy on me, baby.” His words rough but begging for more. I keep my eyes closed, and my head tilted back as he continues to move me to his liking. With my other hand, I glide it up my body and into my hair, my hips gaining traction against his body and my breathing has picked up.
“Oh, Crux,” I cry into the night as the sensations inside my womb build to a crescendo. I can feel something beginning when his legs rise from behind me. His knees holding my weight as he thrusts up into me.
I suddenly wish we didn’t have a barrier between us. I’d love to feel the full heat of his flesh inside me this first time. When my hips begin to rock in tune with his motions, my body freezes. I’m hit with a hot flash so intense that stars spark behind my eyelids, and my body explodes. I scream my pleasure into the night as he groans out his.
His hands tighten on my waist where he’s been controlling my moves. I don’t want it to stop. Not the pain of his hold, the grip of ecstasy washing through me. The labored breathing and racing heart. I want it to continue on into eternity.
My body loses all control and falls flat on his chest, his rapid heart matching mine. “Fucking amazing, Farren,” he whispers into my hair as exhaustion sweeps me up into his warm embrace.
“Better than I imagined,” I whisper as I fall.
Chapter Twelve
farren
I woke up halfway through the night to Crux licking between my legs. He offered no apologies and continued on like he’d been there for days. He took me into oblivion twice before I begged off, complaining of sensitivity.
After placing a warm cloth between my legs, his hand holding it until I said it was cold, he worshipped my breasts. Licking, sucking, and exploring until he knew every crevice of my upper body. There isn’t a single spot on my body this man hasn’t sucked, licked, or nibbled on.
Crux keeps telling me he’s addicted, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t believe him. I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling exactly the way he is. I’m dying to explore more of his body. To discover all the places he likes being touched.
It will have to wait until much later, though, because we’re walking towards the office where my father conducts business.
Am I ready for this? After everything that’s happened to me in my life, maybe. Maybe not. I’ll never know until I try. Crux promised to take me away from here if I wanted to leave, and that gives me the strength to carry on.
The trails leading from cabin to cabin and down to the office are lined with solar lights for nighttime and pretty petunias add a colorful touch. It’s welcoming as we walk closer. I’m not nearly as stressed as I thought I would be knowing I’m about to come face to face with a man I’ve hated for so long.
Seeing the building with a simple sign displaying the name on a wood plaque, I take a deep breath and steady my feet as I see ‘my father’ in the window with a guest. His hair is a salt and pepper color, and he has laugh lines around his eyes, implying he enjoys life.
With strong looking hands, he passes a map to the couple in front of him, and that’s when it happens. Eyes as blue as mine crash into my startled stare. Recognition glows and time stops as a slow grin appears across his face. Happiness radiates from this stranger due to my presence.
“How can he be so happy when he has no idea who I am?” I break eye contact and look up to Crux for answers.
“You’re his daughter, bird. It doesn’t matter if he knows you, he loves you. That will never change.” Logically, I know this. Emotionally, I’m having trouble processing the entire idea.
We stand outside watching as he finishes giving directions, and when the guests leave, not giving us a single notice, I know this is my last chance to run if I want.
I don’t think I do, but my heart cramps as he gathers himself visibly and walks to the door leading to us. Austin steps out, the bell rings above him, and I feel like the world around us comes to a complete halt.
“Farren.” He grins again but doesn’t move. For him, this is much easier. He hasn’t been filled with the lies I have. He doesn’t feel the same anger I do.
“She told me you left.” I can hear the lingering resentment in my voice, and I’m helpless to stop it.
Visibly shocked by my accusation, he steps forward, reaches out a hand, and for the first time, I think this was a mistake. “I never would have. You were my universe.”
“I don’t remember you.” As much as I’ve tried for years, I’ve never been able to picture his face, hear his voice, remember a scent. Nothing. He’s always been this apparition I’ve known about but never met.
“You were barely three when she took you.” He’s angry now.
“You’re mad?”
“Yes. I’m beyond angry. For years I’ve searched, I’ve raged. I drank myself into a black daze for years after you were gone. Never in a million years did I think Leslie was as vengeful as she showed herself to be.”
“I had a really shitty life.” I don’t say it to make him feel bad. If he’s telling the truth, then I can hardly blame him. “I need you to not hurt me. I’ve been let down enough.” Crux’s hands on my shoulders, rubbing lightly, give me strength to continue on. “I don’t want to let you in if you’re going to walk out on me.”
“Not in a million years will I ever leave you, Farren. I love you, sweetheart, and there isn’t a thing on this earth that will change that.” A tear slips from the corner of his eye, and I believe him. I believe him because I know Crux would have investigated him deeper than Zack went if only to make sure there wasn’t a chance that I got hurt.
“Okay, then,” I whisper, and without thought towards my actions, I step into Austin and wrap my arms around his waist. Stunned, it takes him a second before he’s got me in an iron grip and rests his cheek on the top of my head.
“Christ, sweetheart. It’s been too long since I’ve held you.” Emotion fills the void of the silence, and I know, for the first time in far too long, I’ve got my father back. The one I dreamed of many nights wishing he’d rescue me.
The kind of man I’d be proud to call Dad. The one person I should be able to trust above all else. We have a long road ahead of us, but I know we’ll get there. With time and patience, we’ll be a family again.
Chapter Thirteen
crux
Two Months Later.
Christmas Day
“Crux.” Fuck I love hearing her moan my name. “Crux, please.” I love hearing it more when she’s begging me. I think this time it’s to stop, unfortunately. I have no intentions of doing that.
“Uh uh, little bird. You said you wanted your gift early, and I’m giving it to you.” She begged me all of yesterday to see what I had for her. Orgasm after orgasm isn’t really her gift, but it keeps her distracted until it gets here.
The sun is on the horizon, and with only minutes left before everyone arrives, I lift her legs in the air and drape them against my chest. Without warning, I slam into her heated core. My eyes close of their own volition. Driving my cock into Farren is like coming home.
Every. Fucking. Time.
The girl loves to ride my dick, but every once in a while, I take control. I show her who her man is, and she eats it up like a kitten with milk.
I hold her thighs tight to my chest and slowly drag my cock out before slamming back in. She won’t admit it, but Ren loves when I tease her. We were able to drop the condoms a few weeks ago when she started taking the pill, and there isn’t anything in the world that keeps her from riding me into oblivion as often as she can.
“Oh fuckkk,” she cries, and I grin at her love of the word. She’s gotten creative with it. She’s also grown out of her shell and no longer allows people to push her around like
she used to. Strangers still make her leery, but she doesn’t cower behind me anymore.
After spending almost an hour with my face between her legs, I’m ready to go and don’t last long once she cries out her pleasure, and her cunt tries to suck me in completely.
“Fuck,” I grit out. “Ren.” I groan her name long and loud, almost missing the sound of the doorbell ringing.
“Who is that?” she whispers, a deer in the headlights look on her face.
Leaning forward, I kiss her softly, and we both moan as I pull out of her tightness. “Get dressed, and you’ll see.”
She scowls but does as I say, and we walk hand-in-hand down the stairs to the door opening and my brothers barreling in, snow trying to follow them.
“Cross!” She runs into his arms, and he catches her before she knocks him over. The two are always emailing back and forth. She loves to see his animals and hear about the antics two of his fainting goats get up to just to piss him off. Or so Cross says.
“How are you, hotness?” He winks at her as she lands on her feet and laughs when I let out a growl. I fucking hate when he does that.
“What am I, chopped liver?” Crew bitches and she goes right to him. The motherfucker leans down and lands one right on her lips.
“Fuck that.” I grip her hand and pull her from his arms. “You’re lucky I don’t fucking kill you,” I threaten as I lean down to wipe away his action by kissing her deeply. Our tongues tangle, and the world falls away like it always does when we touch.
“I like yours much better.” Farren winks and licks her lips as she pulls away, a dreamy sigh leaving her.
“You’d fucking better,” I snarl.
“So whe–“ I shake my head at Crew as he’s about to spill the big secret. “Where’s the coffee?” he asks instead.
“Oh!” One thing I’ve learned about my little bird, she loves to host. She adores having Ben and Andrew over just so she can cook for more than her and I. I’ve come to like the two boys, so I don’t mind. Plus, they watch out for her at school, so I don’t stalk her from one class to the next all damn day.
As Farren goes into the kitchen with Crew, Cross comes over to me. “They’re not here yet?” Ren doesn’t know, but Austin is coming with his wife and parents. Farren has met the wife—Hannah—and they get along, but she hasn’t had an opportunity to meet her grandparents, yet.
“They’ll be here soon. I got a text an hour ago; they landed.”
“She obviously doesn’t know?” He smirks.
“Nope.” Picking up Crew’s bags, I help my brother take their belongings up to their rooms.
“You did good, Crux.” Cross watches me as I exit our oldest brother’s room. I simply nod. “I mean it, man. We’ve been worried about you for a long fucking time. Especially after Warner. But Ren? She’s good for you.”
“She’s my purpose, Cross.” He gives me a look of understanding.
The doorbell rings again as we’re walking down the stairs, and I hear Ren from the kitchen. “Who else could be here?”
I told Austin the door would be open, and when he walks through, the high-pitched squeal that rushes through the house nearly makes my ears bleed.
“Damn, girl!” Crew calls as she runs from the room.
“Daddy!” They fell into a comradery like they’d never been separated for fifteen years.
“Yeah, bro. You do her good, too.” Cross claps me on the back as we watch the father-daughter duo embrace as if they hadn’t just seen each other a week ago.
“I had no idea you were coming!” She finally pulls back and takes in the people standing behind him observing them with fondness.
“I know you didn’t, pumpkin, it was a surprise.” Stepping back, Austin allows his parents to see their granddaughter for the first time in far, far too long. “Farren, these are your grandparents, Denton and Marie Hallewell. They’ve waited a long time to see you again.”
Marie can’t contain herself and falls into Ren, who is shocked at first but embraces her back. “It’s so nice to see you all grown up into a beautiful young woman, Farren.” The older woman sobs into her shoulder.
“I can’t believe she kept you from me.” My girl’s words are filled with her frustrations over her mother. She’s spent a lot of time trying to figure out the woman’s motives, and nothing has made sense. Without speaking to Leslie herself, we won’t know why.
“Don’t worry on that, child. We get you now, and that’s all that matters,” her grandfather Denton reassures with a hand on her back.
Austin walks over to me after Cross has shown him where they will be staying and helped with their bags. “Thank you for bringing her back to me, Crux. I know what you did for her, and my gratitude will never be enough. Just know if you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask.”
I shake his offered hand. “I’d do it again, sir. She’s my life.”
His gaze bores into me before he responds. “I get the feeling you certainly would. Let’s hope nothing happens where it has to come to that, though.” I give a nod as Ren leads her grandparents into the den where the ginormous tree she insisted we have sits decorated in front of the large windows.
“Damn, bro,” Crew laughs, “could it be any bigger?” It’s so tall the tip is about an inch away from the ceiling. She didn’t want to trim it down.
“Probably.” I laugh back because I had to convince her to walk away from one that was about a foot taller.
Farren
So much love surrounds me, and as much as I adore it, I have to step out of the room and into the kitchen where the glass door is slid open and breathe in the fresh air. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would have my father back, let alone grandparents.
And it’s all Crux’s doing.
He has done so much more for me than any man has ever provided for the woman he loves. In a sense, we’re a modern-day Romeo and Juliet. Only our love story doesn’t end in tragedy. We have one victory after another.
“Bird?” The man in question steps up behind me. I lean back into his chest, and immediately, his arms hold me tight. He always holds me tight. There isn’t a time of day when we’re together that he isn’t touching me in some way and that always turns into this.
“It’s overwhelming,” I explain quietly. “But I love it.”
“It’s a lot to take in at once,” he agrees. “So, I shouldn’t tell you that we’ll have more guests in about an hour for dinner?”
Laughing, I’m not at all surprised. “Who else do we know that isn’t already here?”
He shrugs in that way he does when he’s got a trick up his sleeve. “You’ll see.”
Turning in his arms, I slide my hands around his neck. Standing up on my toes, I kiss him on the chin and whisper, “Merry Christmas, Crux.”
Unsatisfied with my modest touch, he captures my lips in his for a searing lip lock full of emotions. “I love you, Ren.”
“I love you back.” Forever, I’ll love him back.
Hours later, once everyone has gathered in our home and settled at the table, I stare around at our family. The ones we love by blood and others through bond, and I feel a sense of completeness. This is the family I choose for myself, and I couldn’t be more content.
Clinking my glass of water, I stand and address the table as a whole, meeting the stares of Ben, Andrew, Zack, and Echo, who were our surprise guests that Crux wouldn’t tell me about. “I’d like to make a toast.” They all stare at me, and my future shines brightly before me. “Life was never easy for me. I had more heartaches than I thought could possibly be real. We all have, I think. So, this year, I’m toasting Crux.” I look to him and he stands beside me, one hand on my stomach, making butterflies flutter around and slowly brings his hand up to my cheek. His gaze captures mine as I finish. “If not for you, I wouldn’t have found trust”—I place my hand over his—“love”—I put my other hand on his heart—“and family.” I encompass the room with my eyes.
Tears hover in my dad
and stepmom’s stares as they hold hands. My grandparents hug. Cross and Crew smirk like they knew this was going to happen. Cocky boys.
“Your life, bird, was always meant to collide with mine,” Crux whispers in my ear before he kisses the side of my neck. Always the exact same spot as the first time.
“To family!” Glasses clink together in harmony, and peace fills the room with a fiery grip.
Epilogue
* BREAKING NEWS * BREAKING NEWS * BREAKING NEWS *
“This just in! Bad boy billionaire Crux Malcolm has announced his engagement to a woman 7 years his junior.
The very same woman with whom he was suspected of protecting from Jeffrey Warner. After being accused, tried, and convicted of murder, Crux was let out because the district attorney who prosecuted his case was aware of false evidence planted at the scene and didn’t report it.
After a harrowing few years in prison, he was released and immediately sought out Farren Hallewell. Sources close to the couple have reported.
Their story wasn’t all fairytales after that, however.
Ben Warner, Jeffrey’s nephew, came out about abuse he suffered at the hands of his own father, Scott Warner. Luckily for the young man, the senior Warner accepted a plea deal and has now been in prison for the last eight months and is not expected to be released for at least fifteen years.
Farren and Crux seem to be in pre-marital bliss as they plan their upcoming nuptials on older brother Cross’ steer ranch in the west.
While unconventional as it may have been, I know I’m one person who is happy for the newly engaged couple.
It seems I was wrong in my first report about Crux Malcolm…
