“As arrogant as ever,” Tori noted.
“Stating the truth has nothing to do with arrogance,” he replied. While he waited for Tori to decide if she would talk about the important things with him, Guy gently massaged her shoulders. He had felt tension radiating from her the instant he spotted her beside his father.
“Mm, so good,” she purred, dropping her head forward.
“Glad to be of service, ma’am.” She chuckled. “Please tell me what happened today. I know what the others said but I still want to hear your version.”
Tori went rigid for a brief flash but Guy’s hands continued their magic and it went as fast as it came. “I really was at the sink when someone pounded on the door. Really hard and impatiently so I thought it was you. I’m pretty sure I stood there with my mouth hanging open like an imbecile when it turned out to be your sister. I didn’t even have enough sense to ask her in. She had to do that on her own. She said she didn’t want to bother me so she got right to the point. It was just like she told you, Lita told Todd she’d seen me going up the basement steps. They figured out I’d overheard her yelling at you and she wanted to set things straight. She asked if we’d still be involved if I hadn’t heard her.”
“You said yes?”
She nodded.
“There’s more.”
She nodded again.
“The reason you let her bring you here.”
Another nod.
“The part I most want to hear and the thing you least want to talk about.”
Silence.
“I’ll drive you home.”
“Wait.” Tori wrapped her arms around her waist and seemed very small.
“All right. If that’s what you want.” He returned his hands to her shoulders.
“Guy,” her voice shook. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Running away instead of talking to you.”
“Thank you.” Guy tried to keep the pressure even to hide his surprise. “You would have explained what was going on eventually.”
“I’m not sure I would have.”
“I am. We may not have been together very long and yes, the circumstances that got us there were all wrong but what we had was more than a simple reaction to the moment. That night, when I got to your house, were you really sleeping?”
“No.”
“Then you know I stood in your doorway and watched you. Could you sense how much I wanted to hold you?”
“Yes. It was so hard not to ask you to.”
“When Todd told me that he and Ned picked up their equipment, he mentioned that he tried to get you to talk to him. I mean more than just to tie up the loose ends. You haven’t done that yet.”
“No.” She gulped to prevent the tears that were forming. “You’re the only person I could do that with and I couldn’t ask you.”
“Why not? I offered. You know I would have listened.”
“That’s why I couldn’t ask. We would have been alone. I would have fallen apart and you would have held me. It feels so good when you hold me. I’m not sure I would have been able to make myself let go. If I’d told you I wanted you to stay, you would have. Then you’d have ended up lying to your family and keeping me a secret or having to choose between me and them, since I’m sure your other sisters would have sided with Terese. If you picked me, you’d wind up hating me and if you picked them it would have destroyed me even worse than telling you I didn’t want you did.”
“Dad was right. You were sacrificing your heart for me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sh, don’t cry.” Guy turned her and held her to his chest. “Don’t be sorry for taking care of me like that.”
“No.” She shoved against him until there was some space between them and wiped her eyes. “That’s not it. After,” she took a deep breath, “after I told Terese she was right about why I shut you out she asked me something else.”
“Okay.” Guy felt a little lost. “Your answer is what you’re apologizing for?”
“Yes.” She dropped her chin to her chest.
Guy used a finger to tip it back up to face him. “You can’t stop now. What was the question?”
Tori searched his eyes and found tenderness and patience. He deserved to hear it from her. She’d already hurt him enough. If he learned of the rest of her conversation with Terese from someone else, he’d be tremendously disappointed with her.
“She asked if I loved you,” Tori whispered in a small voice that was barely audible.
“And?” Guy coaxed her to continue.
“And I said yes.” She burst into fresh tears. “I’m so sorry.”
Guy’s first reaction was to shout with joy and cover her face with kisses as he swept her off her feet. Her repeated apology stopped him before he moved. “You’re sorry you told Terese you loved me because you really don’t or you’re sorry you love me?”
“Yes. No. Oh hell.” Tori rested her forehead against his chest. “See? I still suck. I’m worse.”
Guy rubbed her back and waited. “You do not suck and you are not worse. If you were, you’d be home with Harry, missing me and I’d be here alone, absolutely miserable without you. I don’t want to push you but I really would like you to explain this to me. Right now, you have me out here on a very tiny limb and it’s breaking. I don’t know if I’m going to fall onto the jagged rocks at the bottom of the cliff or if you’re going to reach out and save my life.”
Tori struggled for control and lifted her head. “I’m sorry that I answered Terese. I shouldn’t have told her. Not before I told you.”
This time Guy did pull her against his chest, lifting her feet off the floor. He spun her around several times, laughing happily. Eventually, he stopped and stood her back on her feet. His hands framed her face as his smile covered his whole face. “I already knew you love me. You didn’t have to say it for me to know. Don’t apologize.”
“But, Guy.” She frowned.
He kissed her loudly. “You don’t even know what you did, do you?” Another noisy kiss. “Christ, you’re incredible.”
“Wait. Stop.” She squirmed.
He lowered his hands to her shoulders and forced himself to calm down. “You told Terese because you knew she’d take over and bring you to me. You wanted to be with me but you were afraid to say so because you thought I might reject you, to hurt you the way you think telling me there was nothing between us hurt me. I won’t deny that hearing you say that didn’t affect me. It did hurt but not the way you think it did. It hurt because it meant you were isolating yourself at a time when you needed me to help you deal with what happened at Todd’s. When I needed to be with you to believe you were truly safe.
“Believe it or not, Tori, I knew you loved me long before you did. You fought against yourself because you were scared to let me in. You were afraid to trust your feelings because every other time you put them out there they got shredded and tossed back in your face. You would have let yourself take a chance with me eventually but then Terese barged in. She presented you with an opportunity that meant you wouldn’t have to wait to be ready on your own and you took it. You knew once we were together that I’d help you with the rest.” Guy felt his heart swell but tried to hold back because Tori still looked uncertain. “Tell me, did you actually say the words to Terese or did you just agree with her?”
“She asked if I loved you and I nodded my head.”
“So you didn’t specifically tell her anything. You haven’t really told anyone yet.”
“Oh,” Tori gasped. Her eyes went wide and her face turned bright red as she stared up into his encouraging gaze. “Guy.”
“Tori.” He smiled expectantly.
“Guy…” She paused so long he raised an eyebrow. Tori closed her eyes and sighed. She mentally cursed herself for being such a coward when he was being so patient with her. Forcing her eyes open, she once again met his gaze. “Guy, you wanted to know why I came tonight. What reason could be important enough
to let your sister bring me to your parents’ house on New Year’s Eve when your entire family is here. Do you still want to know?”
“Very much.”
“Okay. I’m here because I knew you would be too and I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to tell you something.”
“I’m listening.”
“Guy.” She fought not to tremble. “Guy, I love you.”
Even though he knew exactly what she was going to say, Guy still felt as if he’d been punched in the chest. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at her frightened face, grinning like an idiot. The spell was broken when Tori’s lip started to quiver.
“Forgive me. I’m feeling overwhelmed at the moment.”
“Why?”
“Why?” He laughed. “Why! Because the woman I love more and more every minute of every day for the rest of my life just told me that she loves me too. Tell me again.”
Tori laughed with him. “I love you.”
Guy covered her face with loud, sloppy kisses, repeating the words with each one. “Again.”
“I love you.” She tried to bat him away. “Jeez, stop slobbering already. Some Alpha you are. Drooling like a little puppy who just got his first ball.”
“Excuse me? You don’t think an Alpha male should be thrilled when his chosen woman finally expresses her feelings for him?”
“Well, yeah, but not like that.”
“Ah. I see,” Guy dropped his tone and flashed her a wicked smile. “Perhaps you’ll find this more appropriate,” he crooned as he pulled her body fully against his.
Guy lowered his head and claimed Tori’s mouth with a searing kiss. One arm held her in place as the other moved until his hand covered her butt. His tongue explored her mouth. His lips moved over hers savagely as he fondled her. Not stopping, Guy backed Tori until his hand connected with his father’s workbench. He continued to ravage her mouth as he unbuttoned her jeans. As soon as the zipper was open, he yanked them down her hips, taking her panties with them. Refusing to let her end the kiss so she could protest, Guy worked at his groin with one hand until he managed to free his erection.
He lifted her to the workbench and separated their lips, holding her in place with one hand. Guy’s eyes burned into hers as he removed one shoe and dragged her leg from her clothes. With a feral growl, he forced her thighs apart and stepped between them. He held her gaze, noting how her lips were parted, her breath ragged and the way her chest heaved. Without any preliminaries, Guy penetrated her core with three fingers.
A superior smile crossed his face. “So wet. Ready for me. I like a woman who knows how things should be.” Guy removed his fingers and impaled her fully with one deep thrust.
“Guy!”
He pounded into her steadily. “Say it.”
“I love you,” she gasped.
“Again.”
“I love you.”
“You’re mine,” he growled. “Mine. All mine.”
“I love you.”
Guy was out of control. “Who do you belong to? Tell me,” he demanded.
“You,” she panted. “Yours. I belong to you.”
“Forever.” His thrusts became even more wild. “Mine. I’ll never let you go.”
“Guy,” Tori cried when Guy yanked her forward and lifted her legs over his forearms. She lost her balance and fell backward, landing on her elbows. The new position changed the angle of his shaft so it rubbed against her engorged nub. “Oh my God!”
“That’s it. Come for me. Let go. Use your tight pussy to show my cock how much you love it. You missed this as much as I did.”
“Oh God! Guy,” she cried, feeling every ridge of his huge shaft moving inside her as he forced her higher and higher. “I love you.”
“You love the way I fuck you. You love to feel my cock pounding deep into your hot pussy.”
“I love you, Guy. I love you.”
“You love fucking me. You love this.”
“Yes.” She held back. “Yes, I love when you fuck me. Yes, I love it, just like this. But I only love it because I love you. I love you, Guy. God, I love you,” she continued to whimper as she exploded around him. “I love you.”
As soon as Guy felt her orgasm begin, he shifted his hips and managed to force himself even deeper. The way Tori’s muscles squeezed him as if she never wanted to let go pushed Guy over the top. He cried out her name as he emptied himself into her throbbing channel, collapsing on top of her when he finished. Soon, the only thing left was the sound of their harsh breathing as they clung to each other.
“I love you,” Guy whispered when he could. “You okay?”
“Mm,” she responded.
“Aw, Christ.” Guy’s brain reengaged. “Fuck!”
“Okay.” She wiggled slightly.
“Hey.” He lifted his torso to see her. “I’m trying to be serious here. Stop playing around.”
“Who says I’m playing?” Tori used his shoulders to pull herself up so she could reach his mouth to kiss him.
“Tori.” Guy stood, bringing her upright with him. “Are you all right? Did I hurt you? Answer me, damn it!”
Tori was stunned when she realized he wasn’t kidding. “I’m fine. Better than fine. Incredibly, wonderfully, unbelievably fine.”
“Christ, I shouldn’t have been so rough with you,” he cursed himself and pulled away from her.
“Hey! Get your sexy butt back here,” she demanded. “Right here.” She pointed at the spot on the floor he had just vacated. “Listen up, Detective. I’m the one who wanted Alpha, remember? I wanted it and you gave me exactly what I was hoping for. I love it when you get that way, knowing I did that to you. God, Guy.” She blushed. “I missed you so much. All of you, not just this. Do you realize this is the first time you didn’t make me ask for sex? Yeah, okay, I made that crack about your reaction but all I expected was a real kiss.”
“Oh? You didn’t want to be taken by an overbearing, dominant Neanderthal?”
“Hell yes, I did! Or I would have if I’d given it some thought. Guy, you were wild and demanding. I can’t wait to find out if I can get you to be even more out of control because I’ve discovered that I love it when you get a little base. But you know what? No matter what I do to push you into it and believe me I will push you, frequently I suspect, I know you won’t ever hurt me. I’m talking honest hurt not a little bruise here and there.”
“Tori.” Guy glanced at her hips where he had been holding on.
“Don’t say it. Maybe I’m sick but the way you grabbed me and held me where you wanted me so you could fuck me like you knew I wanted you to. God, I feel like I just got claimed or something.”
Guy slid his semi-hard shaft along her slit. “Um, Tori? I know I didn’t give you much choice when I asked who you belonged to but…”
Tori giggled. “Oh, wow. Tell a guy you love him and he goes all sensitive on you. Aren’t you the one who keeps saying that I always have a choice? You demanded an answer but that’s it. I chose to tell you that I belonged to you. Get it through your thick head already, would you? I may be insane and I admit I have mood swings at the drop of a hat but I am not fickle and I do not run around telling every guy I see that I love him and belong to him forever. I never told anyone that before and I have no intention of saying it to anyone else so you better get a clue and deal with it or you’re going to piss me off big-time.”
“Easy there, tiger. Pull the claws in. I didn’t mean to imply that I doubted you but I was being insistent at the time. I was just reminding you that you do still have that choice we keep bringing up.” Guy’s smile softened and he leaned forward for a gentle kiss. “Thanks for coming here tonight.”
Tori’s happy expression vanished to be replaced by one of complete horror. She pushed at Guy’s chest. “Oh God. I can’t believe this.”
He trapped her in place. “What’s wrong?”
“This isn’t happening. What the hell is wrong with me?”
“Not a goddamn thing other than tha
t you’re not making any sense at the moment. What is it, Tori?”
“Guy! This is your parents’ garage. I’m half naked on your dad’s tool bench. We had sex and your whole family is here.”
“Yeah, but they’re inside. Dad and Todd won’t let anyone disturb us.”
“That’s not the point!”
“Then what is the point?”
“We had sex! Here! In the middle of your dad’s tools!”
“Yes, I know we had sex and I know where we are. What I don’t know is why you’re freaking out about it.”
“And I don’t get why you aren’t. Oh, wait. This isn’t a big deal to you because you do it all the time, right? Your family’s used to you dragging whoever you’re with out here for a quickie in the middle of dinner. You don’t care if they can guess what we’ve been up to by the way I look because they already know.”
Guy took a deep breath and swallowed his angry response. He scooped her from her perch and carried her to the corner of the room. Letting her stand but not releasing her, Guy pushed open a door to reveal a small bathroom. He urged her inside, trapping her in the space with his body. After he let the water run until it was warm, he used paper towels to clean away the evidence of their pleasure. He lifted her foot and rearranged her pants. He made her wait while he washed his penis and tucked it away before leading her back to replace her shoe.
“Tori, I understand this is all new to you and letting yourself trust me isn’t easy. I know admitting your feelings is frightening. It’ll take some time for you to accept you have no reason to be insecure and until then you’re going to have moments when you lash out to protect yourself from what part of you still expects to happen. I’ll do my best not to let you goad me but I’m sure there will be occasions when you’ll succeed. Tonight, however, is not one of them. You are the only woman in my adult life who has been here. You are the only one in my entire life who I had sex with in this garage. You’re probably right that some of my family will be able to guess what we did out here and yeah, they’ll more than likely tell the ones who can’t. I’m not ashamed of it. We’re both adults and I love you and I see no need to hide the fact that I find you physically desirable. So incredibly desirable that I can’t resist an opportunity to be intimate with you even if it isn’t the most politically correct situation. Yeah, maybe I should have waited until we were somewhere else but damn it, Tori, I refuse to let anything you say make me feel guilty about this.”
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