“It’ll be okay, we won’t let anything happen to her,” he states and I jerk my chin around to him.
“I won’t survive without her,” I admit.
He pulls me into an embrace and gently tells me, “You won’t ever have to. No fucker is going to take her away from you. I promise.” A few quiet moments we stay like that, I can’t see past the thought of losing Soph.
Then I pull back. “I’m going to have to tell her,” he says nothing, but just nods.
Getting up I walk over to the glass shards on the floor.
“I’ll do that, you go see to Soph.”
Not arguing, I march right down the stairs and into the conservatory where I know she’ll be.
I hear footsteps and I know Saul is coming. It wouldn’t be Dane because if he came to see me instead of Saul after what has just happened, it would be game over. I would stick a plunger up Saul’s arse.
“Saul,” I say before I even see him. I’m staring out the glass doors and I know he’s behind me.
“Babe,” he says softly then comes to sit next to me. “I’m sorry.” He grabs my hand and squeezes. Looking down at him holding my hand, I think back to a couple of months ago when this would’ve been odd, but now it’s natural. “I was a dick. I was scared. It’s not an excuse though.” I nod at him not wanting to say something ugly that I don’t mean. “There are some things…some things that I haven’t told you.”
My breath catches and my heart rate picks up. What now?
“I want you to know that you’re safe. I will make fucking sure of it,” he tells me.
He lets out a deep sigh and I desperately try not to tense up, knowing he’ll feel it and I need him to tell me what’s going on without worrying.
“Dane and I have checked into some stuff. I’m not going to go into details about it, but Patrick found out you were staying at Pea’s after he attacked you…from your mother.” His words pierce me like a knife through butter. I knew she was cold, I knew she was a bitch, but I never knew she would wish actual harm to come to me. She would have known, fucking known, what Patrick would do if he found me. I hold my head in my hands not from being upset, but from feeling overwhelmed, and also like I’ve been struck in the side of my skull with a brick.
“Wow…I never…I thought….Wow, there are no words,” I mumble to Saul. He wraps his arms around me and just holds me. When, after five minutes, he hasn’t said anything I realise he hasn’t finished with the revelations. “There’s more isn’t there?” I ask and feel him tense. Sitting up I sigh. “Tell me.” His eyes move over my face looking for something. “It’s okay,” I tell him. “I’m not going to break. Nothing’s going to happen to me. You won’t let it.”
With my words his eyes change, going from their usual aquamarine blue to a steel. His jaw ticks and he lets out a slow breath through his teeth which hisses as he releases, like all the frustration is seeping out.
“You’ve been getting more letters,” he says gently.
“How often?” I ask focusing on the details, so I don’t get overly emotional.
“Daily,” he replies. At his words, my body jolts with shock and he rubs up and down my back.
“What do they say?” I ask tentatively. I’m not really sure I want to know, but feel like I should at least ask.
Saul shakes his head. “Nope, not gonna go there, babe. I’ll just tell you it’s pretty much the same shit as the first letter.” I sit up slightly and look into his eyes, I know he’s not going to budge, so I don’t try to argue. “I am sorry though, about before. Even with the stuff I just told you I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.”
I lean forward and kiss his cheek. “It’s okay, I love you. I know you’re just protecting me and if I were in your position, I have no idea what to do or how I’d cope. But, you need to know that this relationship stuff is still so new to me. I love you very much, but I’m used to my independence. I’ve tried to do everything you want me to do, but sometimes I feel stifled,” I tell him gritting my teeth and hoping I haven’t hurt his feelings. Saul just chuckles at me. I look at him and purse my lips wondering what the hell is so funny?
“Sorry babe, it’s just I get where you’re coming from. You know me, Soph, have I ever spent this much time with a woman? Scratch that, have I ever had a girlfriend?” I cross my arms over my chest and say nothing. Still smirking he continues, “I’ve dated, you know that, but I’ve never considered anyone my girlfriend before you. They might’ve, but I never did. So how much time do you think I would spend with them? Not this bloody much, I can tell you!” He kisses my lips softly. “The stupid thing is, babe, that I could spend this much time with you, I could live with you,” he whispers and my breath hitches. “But not like this, not when we’re forced to stay in all the time. To live in fear? Nobody would deal with this very well, Soph. So thinking about it, we’re not actually doing too badly,” he finishes with a smile.
I lean in and kiss him again. “Thank you for telling me. In future, don’t treat me like I’m delicate. I’m not, trust me,” I tell him on a wink.
“You’ll always be delicate to me because you’re irreplaceable.”
“She’s asleep, did you check the mail?”
“Yep, there was another one.”
“Let me see it.”
Dane passes the letter to me with the same ‘Cherry Pie’ sprawled across the envelope. I grab it and try to steady my hands as a new burst of anger fuelled adrenaline surges through them.
Cherry Pie,
You might think that by hiding out that the game is up, that I won’t get to you.
You are wrong!
I’ll find a way, even though you aren’t pure anymore. That doesn’t mean you get to belong to someone else. I’ll secure you, and I will end you.
You couldn’t keep yourself pure for me, so I’ll make sure nobody else gets to enjoy your dirty body.
My hands shake of their own accord now as I try to keep them from screwing up the paper.
Dane gently removes it. “Go to the basement and have a round with the punching bag. I’ll watch Tink.”
I nod and start to move downstairs, spinning around to add, “By the way, we’re apparently all going to Cornwall for the weekend next month.”
Dane rubs his hand down his face and sighs. “Great, just what we need.” I laugh at the dismay written all over his face and go to my much-needed punching bag.
Breathing in through my nose and closing my eyes, I relish the feel of the wind blowing my hair wild and the sun caressing my face with warmth. I never thought there’d be a time I would get to do this, get to watch Saul work. I’ve seen him with the camera before when we’ve been joking around as a family, and he’s been taking photos of us all. But I’ve never seen him working, and I have to admit, it’s turning me on. I at no time ever thought it would, but there you go, apparently I like watching men take photos. No, wait. However, I say that it sounds all kinds of wrong. Let me rephrase. I like watching Saul capture beauty.
He’s so in the moment that I think he’s forgotten I’m even here. But that’s okay, I like to watch him. Plus, this view is something to behold. We’re at Wastwater in the Lake District. Saul got a call about a job the day after we had our silly fight. His old boss, who he still freelances for, called and said their on-staff photographer had been let go. Until they found someone else full time, he had issues when they had big clients wanting to book photo shoots. Saul was one of the only people he trusts to do it right, apparently. It was short notice, but he asked whether I’d be interested in going with him and staying overnight. I pretty much ripped his arm off. Getting out of my prison, going to a beautiful place, when the weather was expected to stay nice and staying in a hotel overnight with Saul? Erm…hell, yeah! Saul didn’t say as much, but I know he was pleased about the job. He was shooting an advert for a major car manufacturer, and it meant he could look over their new masterpiece.
We’re sitting atop this beautiful mountain. Well, okay, we’re half w
ay up. The peak is called Scafell Pike, and well, it looks like a mountain to me. Either way, from where I sit with my legs stretched in front of me it’s a stunning view. Saul has jeans on with a bare chest. He pulled off his top earlier and tucked it into his back pocket where it currently hangs blowing in the slight breeze. I’m more interested in his arse, as he’s bending over to get the angle he obviously must need to take more photos. I take careful mental details of his delectable behind, one I know intimately. The women that are here as staff to help set up and take down the photo shoot stare with their mouths hanging open. I can almost see the drool. I smile and glance over to them behind my sunglasses. I can’t blame them, he’s every woman’s wet dream. The landscape is beautiful too, it’s just at this particular moment I can’t seem to notice it.
As I continue to study my boyfriend’s fine form, I must lose track of time as he calls out that the shoot is finished. While everyone seems to scurry around cleaning up, much like when I’m modelling, he takes the time to talk to the man who came with the car. By the time they have the bonnet open, I have laid back wanting to catch the day's last light, so I close my eyes and smile, feeling completely relaxed for the first time in weeks.
“Babe,” I hear and feel my body being shook.
“Ahhh!” I moan trying to come out of the remnants of sleep. I shoot into a sitting position head-butting a stunned Saul in the process. The bang knocks him on his arse and I rub my head trying to work out what just happened.
“Never wake a sleeping Soph,” he mumbles to himself, but my brain is still struggling to make sense of anything. “Fuck, that stung,” Saul says massaging his cheekbone. “Is your head okay, babe? Here let me look at you.” I sit there still slightly confused while he pushes my hair, which must now resemble a bird’s nest, away from my forehead checking for any damage.
“I'm all right, honey,” I tell him, smiling at his worried expression.
“Yeah, I forgot you’re hard headed,” he tells me with a wink, then ducks out of the way as I take a swipe at him. I get up into a kneeling position and try to smack him playfully again. He catches my hand this time and pulls me to him, so we’re both kneeling facing each other. He gently wipes my hair away from my face again and leans into me, ghosting his lips across mine and kissing the corner of my mouth.
“Everyone’s gone,” he tells me, his breathing shallow. “It’s getting dark and we’re in a secluded spot all alone, with a blanket,” he continues while kissing me again and running his hands from my waist, where he held me up my ribcage until he’s reached under my arms. Then with one swift movement he picks me up while also getting into a standing position himself, then lifts me up onto a rock behind. “I’ve been watching you lying here all day. Do you know what kind of torture it is seeing you with the sun glistening off your body and those fucking legs? Shit!”
My heart thumps as he pushes my skirt up and runs his hands along the insides of my legs. “Tell me…tell me you won’t lose all respect for me if I put out right here in the open,” he asks with a smirk, and despite the sexy seriousness that controlled the situation a moment ago, just like that he makes me laugh. I lean forward to kiss him, but typical Saul he gets to my lips first, commanding as usual. Within seconds, the laughter is a distant memory and my vajajay buzzes like a vibrator on crack. He rubs both thumbs along the edge of my knickers, dipping the tips into my vagina then out again, teasing me. I roll my head backward and moan. The sky is darkening and it’s getting chilly, but my nipples are pebbled for a completely different reason and my skin feels like it’s on fire everywhere he touches. Biting the inside of my leg just above my knee, his hands trail up my body until he reaches my top. He starts the gradual process of unbuttoning my blouse from the bottom upward revealing my lacy red bra. “Nice,” he tells me staring at my lingerie. “Babe, you know me so well, a front clasp for easy access.”
I smile and bite my lip trying to stop myself from dragging his body up and attaching his mouth to my tingling breasts. His hands make easy work of unhooking my bra and revealing my breasts to the breeze. Saul moves one hand back to the apex of my thigh keeping his thumb tip dipped into my sex and very slowly massaging a circle. His other hand hovers over my breast. He extends his index finger and lightly grazes my breast, trailing it all over with such a soft touch that it almost feels like I’m imagining it. But I’m certainly not imagining the wetness between my legs that his touch is evoking.
He leans forward, his hand now fully cupping my breast and lifts it up kissing underneath, nibbling and licking, then blowing cool air across the wet patch making me shiver. Raising his body up to mine, he captures my mouth licking along the seam and opening me up, sliding his tongue in. I groan as he caresses my mouth and then without any warning my sex contracts and the overwhelming explosion of pure pleasure spreads from my core throughout my body. I scream as it takes over and Saul prolongs my orgasm by pushing two fingers into me and slowly thrusting them back and forth. When I finally start coming down and Saul pulls his hand away, my body still quivers and I can’t help the hum that bubbles out of my throat.
“You’re welcome,” he says chuckling.
“Stand up,” I tell him and he stops laughing and arches his eyebrow. “That’s right, I can be commanding too.”
He grins at me. “Nothing wrong with you taking the lead every now and then, babe.” He smirks while standing. I unbutton his jeans and pull them down his thighs, pleased to see he has nothing underneath. I look up to him and grin. “Timesaver,” he tells me with a wink.
“Oh, thought you’d get lucky did you?” I ask pursing my lips and sucking in my cheeks to stop the smile that’s dying to erupt.
“Nah, but I was hoping.” He leans back slightly, his lips twitch and turn into a grin as I try to smack him. He stops grinning abruptly as I grab his dick in my hand, his eyes widen slightly and I have to stop a little laugh escaping my lips at his reaction. Holding it firmly, I pump up and down a few times and watch as pre-cum seeps out. I look up at him and hold eye contact as I lean forward and lick the tip, his eyes close and his teeth clench as he hisses through them. I swirl my tongue around the end then looking away from him and to the throbbing cock in front of me. I suck it into my mouth, taking in more and more until I can’t take any more.
“Soph, ahhh,” Saul mumbles above me. I close my eyes and rock my head back and forth sucking him nice and slow while pumping with my hand. I bring my other hand up and cup his balls gently squeezing. “Not gonna last, babe.” At Saul’s admission I moan onto him, turned on by the idea that I’ve brought him to the edge so quickly. I bare my teeth slightly scraping him softly, he obviously wasn’t expecting that as he jerks and I feel the hot salty cum coating my throat. I let him finish, continually pumping with my hand and when he’s come back to reality, I let him slide out of my mouth swallowing the contents.
“Babe, you’re a swallower…nice.” He looks down at me with a shit-eating grin.
“Well, not really, but I could hardly spit out here. What if a bird ate it?” I reply and his face twists into a grimace.
“Soph, ugh.” Shaking his head at me, I laugh. All of a sudden we look at each other panic written across both our faces as we hear the chattering of people approaching. Saul lifts me to my feet and starts trying to button my blouse.
“Sort yourself out,” I tell him pointing to his jeans around his ankles and I step back pulling my skirt down and clasping my bra. I’ve just hooked the last button of my top into its hole when an elderly couple walks around the corner.
“Oh!” the woman shrieks jumping at the sight of us. “Gosh sorry,” she says her voice trembling. I’m sure if it were lighter my face would be flaming red.
“No, we’re sorry,” I tell her not really sure why either of us needs to be apologising, but it seems the polite thing to say.
“We always walk up here in the evening, it’s usually quiet at night time and my husband Jerry and me, have been doing this walk for twenty-five years,” she tells u
s gesturing to Jerry.
“Hi Jerry,” I say with a stupid wave at the old man.
He smiles and tips his hat. “Sorry to interrupt you,” he comments and Saul slides his arm around my shoulder.
“It’s beautiful up here,” Saul tells them looking over the view. “I wanted to get a few photos of it here when it started getting dark,” he says pointing to his camera on top of his other equipment. Which is in a pile next to where we were just getting down and dirty.
“There are some beautiful views from up here, although not too many now it’s dark,” the lady tells us.
“Yes, we were just packing up to leave,” he says smiling.
“Have a good night,” the man says to Saul with a smirk, and they walk past us, the lady smiling softly at me.
As soon as they’re gone I cover my eyes and groan. “Oh God! That could’ve been so bad. We could’ve given him a heart attack,” I tell Saul, my eyes widening at the thought. He looks me up and down and grabs me in an embrace kissing my lips softly.
Love Resisted (Entwined Hearts #2) Page 16
