by Alexa Riley
“I love you,” I say, resting my hand on his.
I wasn’t sure if he’d heard me on the phone or if it even went through. But with all that’s happened, I want him to know that I do love him. I don’t want to take the chance of something happening again and him not knowing. I put up a hard front when we first met but I’m not playing that game anymore. Life’s too short and precious for that. Before today I didn't know how serious Vaughn was about us. I didn’t know if we’d go back to the island and play house for a while then both move on. Or if I’d leave the island once we knew everything was safe to start whatever the next phase of my life would be. I know now by Vaughn’s actions that wasn’t the case. He might not have said I love you but his actions say it all.
“I love you, too, sweet thing.” He leans down and kisses the sore spot on my forehead. His mouth lingers there and I know he’s thinking about how wrong today could have gone.
“I’m okay,” I say again. “I’m okay and we’re going home.”
“Home.” He repeats the word with a contented hum. “You know I never thought of the island as home until you got there. Then I could really see the vision Kade had so clearly.” I tilt my head back to look at him.
“I never thought home was a place,” I admit. “To me it was always just Collins. She was home for so long, but now I get it too. It’s not one person, it’s a whole family and that island is where we’re all going to be together.” I smile thinking about it. All of this has been so crazy and Collins and I came so close to dying. This could have gone so differently, but we’re lucky we have these Warsaw men to look after us.
“I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” Vaughn informs me.
I laugh but he doesn't. I wonder how long it’s going to take to get him to get back to his normal self. It’s weird having to be the teasing one of the two of us, but I guess that’s how it works being in a relationship. I’ll try to be the lighthearted one for now but my jokes will never be as good as his.
“Give me a kiss,” I demand.
“Not happening.” He shakes his head but makes no move to step back from me. “We both know what happens when we start kissing.”
“We start humping.” I wiggle around in the hospital bed, liking that idea. I’m sitting up with my legs over the side and Vaughn in between them. “I can’t feel much but I think I could feel you.” I try to wink at him but I think I do it with both eyes. Finally, I get a laugh from him and I sigh as more of the meds flow through my system.
“Are you the jealous type?” I place my hands on Vaughn’s chest, wanting to touch him.
“As of two weeks ago it would seem so.”
My eyes widen. “What happened two weeks ago?” He gives me another one of those chuckles that warms all my insides.
“I met a dark-haired woman that I’m not too fond of sharing.”
“Oh, me!” I perk up.
“Think those meds are kicking in.”
“Yeah.” I nod in agreement.
“Why do you ask if I’m jealous? Is it because I fucked that professor of yours up?”
Good. He had it coming. I bet Vaughn got him fired too. He’s probably in jail with that other bozo.
“I think I kicked him.” I try and kick my foot out to show Vaughn but almost fall over in the bed.
Vaughn stops me from tipping over. “Jesus, you're cute. I’m glad someone is having a good time around here.”
I don’t know that I would call it a good time but I’m happy to be back with him.
“I’m ready to go home.” Good time or not, I want to be back on the island and in Vaughn’s bed for a week where I never have to move or think about anything. I want the rest of the world to melt away.
“Me too, sweet thing. I’ve got the plane on standby. One more doctor and a few more cops.”
I scrunch my face in displeasure. “Oh yeah! The jealousy thing.” I look around. “I have to tell you something,” I whisper, and Vaughn’s body tenses under my hands. “I might have touched Amos—” I point down to Vaughn’s cock.
“You said that—”
“With my knee!” I add quickly.
One of the first things they asked when I got to the hospital was if I was sexually assaulted. I don’t think Amos had any plans for that and he seemed to be more bothered by me than anything. He wanted his payday and for me to not cause problems. Too bad for him I have a nasty habit of being a little bit of a handful.
“You nailed him in the balls?” Vaughn’s lips twitch.
“Yeah, so you should watch yourself. I’ve got skills.” Except running skills. I clearly don't have those.
“I’m not worried. You play nice with my balls.”
I burst out into a fit of giggles just as the doctor knocks and enters, and I don’t miss the guards standing outside. I thought everything was okay, so why are they all still here?
“You seem to be doing fine,” the doctor says as she comes over to stand next to the bed. Vaughn takes a small step back and gives her space.
“I feel fine.” I shrug. I mean, I see the bruises starting to form and the scrapes on my knees, but I feel nothing.
“Well I’m going to give you some meds to try and keep you that way. We’ll be releasing you even though normally I’d keep you overnight for observation. But all your tests came back fine and I spoke to Dr. Lula Eckhart, who will be there when you land. I know you’ll be in good hands with her.”
“Thank you,” I sing-song at her. I don’t think I need a doctor but whatever gets me out of here.
She gives me a smile before turning to Vaughn and telling him a few more things. I should probably pay attention but instead I lean back and see there are still so many security guards outside my door.
“Are people still after us?” I ask, my voice coming out louder than I mean to.
“I’ll leave you to it,” the doctor says before turning to leave.
“Let me help you get dressed.” Vaughn holds out his hand to help me down from the bed. He does his best but his hands are lingering longer than they should in some places. I don’t mind because all of his touches make me feel more relaxed and safe.
“Are we going to get the plane alone?” I wiggle my eyebrows at him.
“You’re insatiable today.”
“I’m living life to the fullest.” I throw my hands into the air and wiggle them.
“I have a feeling your fullest is going to be a long nap.”
“I’m not sleepy,” I say on a yawn. “You jinxed me.”
“Sit,” he tells me, pointing to a wheelchair parked next to us.
I do as I’m told and I’m actually starting to feel sleepy, but I’m not going to let on.
“Does my sister know?” I ask.
I don’t want her worrying because she’s pregnant. This is the last thing she needs right now. She’s been through enough and we can fill her in once I’m back on the island.
“She just knows we’re on our way home.”
“Thank you.”
“I know how to take care of you.”
I smile as he pushes me out of the hospital room. “Are you going to tell me why we still have all these guards?” I ask when I see there’s even more than I thought.
“Guzik and Amos might be in the custody of the feds, but who knows how that will play out? I’m not taking any chances.”
“You would’ve given up everything,” I say as he pushes me out of the hospital. He was ready to sign over it all to save me.
“Berkley, you’re my everything and I can promise you I’m never giving you up.”
Chapter Fifteen
Vaughn
As I lie back on the bed I hold Berkley while she sleeps. The plane hums through the air and I know I should be resting too but I can’t stop my mind from racing. I just keep reassuring myself that she’s okay and everything is going to be fine.
I brush her hair away from her face and I see the faint bruising around her throat. My jaw tightens when I think about tha
t asshole putting his hands on her and the feeling of helplessness is back. What can I do to fix this?
The men were taken to jail and we should be totally safe now, but I have this fear that I need to get to the island as soon as possible so that I know she’s fully protected.
She mumbles a little as she cuddles against me and I rub circles on her back. She looks so beautiful in my arms and there’s no place I’d rather be than with her. My chest squeezes as her arms curl around my waist and she sighs in contentment.
“I love you,” I say softly because I can’t help but speak the words out loud. I never knew I could feel like this. Like my heart could be on the outside of me and I could hold it.
“I love you too.” She smiles but keeps her eyes closed.
“You’re supposed to be sleeping.”
“This is too good to sleep. I don’t want to miss the way it feels.” Her words are soft but I understand them completely.
I move lower into the bed until I’m lying beside her and we’re face to face. Her eyes open and I smile at how sweet she looks when she’s sleepy.
“Are we almost there?” she asks, and I shake my head.
“We’ve still got a few more hours to go.”
She sighs and moves closer so that every part of her body is pressed to mine. She’s in a thin tank top and panties and I’m just in a T-shirt and boxer briefs.
“I’m not sleepy anymore.” Her voice is just a whisper as her hand slides up my shirt and she brushes her fingers across my nipple.
This is the way we woke up every morning in her apartment, but now things are different. There’s nothing standing in the way of us going further than just petting and kissing. The last time we were like this I tasted the sweet place between her thighs and I’m not going backward.
“Do you need some attention?” I trail my fingers down her shirt to the soft, exposed skin of her belly where her tank has ridden up.
She bites her bottom lip and nods as I dip inside her panties to her wet folds. They’re so warm and silky as I part them with my fingers and rub her there. Her hips move with me in a practiced rhythm and I groan at how sticky she is.
When I take my fingers away she whines until she watches me bring them to my mouth and lick them clean. I move down her body while she stays on her side and then I put one of her thighs on my shoulder to open her up. When I move her panties to the side I see her wet pink petals open and watering for my mouth. I lean forward and lap at her dew, sliding two fingers inside her.
My cock aches and throbs as I make love to her with my mouth and hands. He wants his turn in her hot heaven and he’s going to get it soon enough.
Berkley tugs at my shirt until I let her take it off of me. When I feel the heat of her thighs around me while my face is buried between them, it’s almost too much. I’m surrounded by her scent and her need, and I want nothing more than to drown in her.
“Please, Vaughn, please.” She rolls her hips forward and I caress her clit with my tongue.
I move around it over and over while I rub that tight spot inside of her. Her legs clench and I feel her body arch closer to me as all of it combined is enough to send her over the edge.
She cries out and pushes her pussy forward one last time so I can taste her release. She’s so wet it’s coating the insides of her thighs and making everything so slippery. It’s her way of telling me how turned on she is, and goddamn do I need to fuck her.
“I can’t stop,” I say as I keep licking her and thrusting my fingers inside. “I don’t want to stop.”
“Don’t.” With that word I look up at her and our eyes lock. “Don’t stop, Vaughn. Make love to me.”
I don’t break eye contact as I lick her pussy one last time and then move up her body. I roll her over and pin her on her back as I kick my boxer briefs off and my cock springs free. It’s hot and hard between us, lying against her soaking wet lips.
“I don’t have a condom.” My voice is serious as I grab the edge of her tank and pull it off of her. “And I wouldn’t use one if I did.”
I knee her legs farther apart, gripping her hips roughly.
“I’m not on anything,” she gasps as I grab my cock and smear it through her desire.
“I know.” My voice is almost a growl as I look down at the tip that’s shining from her slick need. A fat pearl of cum forms on the end and I wipe it across her clit.
“I’ve never done this before.” When I look up at her I see a shy blush on her face.
“I know.” This time my answer is soft as I lean forward and kiss her.
“I could get pregnant,” she whispers, but even as she says the words her legs spread wider and my cock slips into her opening.
“I know.”
Just as soon as the words are out of my mouth I surge forward in one long thrust. She gasps and her nails score my sides as she hisses out the pain. I do my best to hold still inside her tight heat while my body screams for me to thrust.
It takes everything in me to breathe as I kiss her along her neck where the bruises mark her skin. It’s a reminder that I have to be careful with her, and it’s a promise to myself that I’m going to protect her.
“I love you so much, Berkley,” I whisper as my hands and lips try to ease her pain. “I promise to love you forever and to always keep you safe.” My words are like vows we’d say before a priest and I realize that I mean them with as much power. “You’re mine until the end of time and I will take care of you until my last breath.”
“Oh God.” She moves her hips a little and I flex my cock inside of her. “You’ve got to move or I’m going to have my last breath right this second.”
I smile against her neck as I pull out just a little and thrust back in. She moans as she grabs my ass and I close my eyes.
“That’s my girl,” I say as I thrust into her again and this time I rock against her clit.
“Shit.” She curses as the walls of her pussy tighten and she moves in time with me. “I think I’m already- oh shit.”
“Damn you really were made for me, sweet thing.” I grab her knee and push it up as I hold her down and thrust deeper.
Her body is curved to mine and every stroke brings us both closer to the edge. I grit my teeth as I look down at her, lost to her own pleasure while my cock sinks inside of her. I’ve never seen anything sexier in my life, and knowing she’s mine forever makes it all the sweeter.
Her body is a slave to need and just when I think I can’t hold back any longer she releases around me. I feel every wave of pleasure ripple through her pussy as she climaxes under me. I hold myself deep and with a final grunt I cum inside of her.
It's a pleasure unlike I’ve ever felt before and it goes on and on. It’s like a shot of adrenaline hits me and I feel like my chest is going to burst with what I feel. It’s love and desire and our souls being welded together all at once. It’s every dirty fantasy rolled into one and all that we did before teased to this pinnacle moment.
“I love you,” I mumble as I collapse on top of her and I hear her laugh.
“I love you too, but you’re smothering me.” She giggles but she wraps her legs around me and keeps me from getting up. “I kind of like it.”
“Good, because I’m not done with you yet.” My body might be drained but it’s nowhere close to being satisfied.
“Oh my God,” she gasps, and I lean back to look at her. “Did we just join the mile high club?”
I smile as I kiss her and then nod. “Yeah, I guess we did.” Then a thought occurs to me and I begin to laugh.
“What?”
“I’ll have to let my brothers know I’m the first Warsaw to break in the plane.”
Her eyes widen as she slaps my chest. “No, you will not.”
I give her my best wicked smile and she wiggles under me. “Let’s see if we can set a record.”
She bites her bottom lip when I begin to move inside of her, but she doesn't tell me to stop. In fact, for the next six hours, we don’t say much
at all.
Chapter Sixteen
Berkley
“Tell me you’re staying?” My sister holds me in a tight hug and won’t let me go. She scared the freaking crap out of me.
“Can I get dressed?” I laugh as my eyes try and adjust to the light. She busted into our bedroom without so much as knocking. I had a little warning before she entered because I could hear her coming.
I don’t even know what time of day it is since everything has jumbled together. I know when Vaughn carried me from the plane it was night. The thick curtains pulled closed on the windows give no indication of the time.
“I guess,” she huffs.
She leans back and kisses both my cheeks. I can see her eyes are filled with tears and I know I probably look the same. I’ve missed her so much and I know being back here will give us a chance to reconnect like before I left. It always feels good to be close to her and now we don’t have to spend any more long periods apart.
“I love you,” I reassure her. “Let me get dressed and then I’ll meet you in the main house kitchen for…” I trail off because I still have no clue what meal time it is. It doesn’t matter. I could go for any food right now.
“Brunch,” she supplies helpfully.
She’ll always say brunch if she can get away with it. It could be ten at night and that’s what she’d want and we have all the time in the world now to enjoy it.
“Don’t take forever.” She tries to sound scolding but that was never her strong suit. She’s the sweeter one of the two of us and I carry a little more bite. Good thing my man enjoys it.
Collins points at Vaughn, who’s resting against the headboard with his bare chest on display. He’s got a satisfied smirk and his hair is a little unruly. Damn, he’s handsome and all mine too.
“Come on, love.” Kade, who is never far from my sister, wraps an arm around her.
I give him a thankful smile, knowing he’s the only one who could get her from this room. I don’t know him well but I know he loves her more than anything in the world and that’s all that matters. “You’ve gotten to see too much of my brother as it is.”
