by K. C. Lynn
I hold back my chuckle. Not scared, my ass. I hear her gasp, then more shuffling. A few minutes later I hear soft footsteps coming towards my room.
“Sawyer?” she whispers from the door. I look over to see her dark silhouette covered in a blanket, her head looking back and forth behind her.
“What?” I ask with a smile.
“You awake?”
I roll my fucking eyes. “I am now.” Okay I was the whole time… “Did you hear that noise?”
“What noise?” I can’t fucking wait to hear this.
“I dunno, it sounded like it was comin’ from the wall though.”
You have got to be shitting me.
“Nope, never heard anything like that, Cupcake.”
She keeps craning her head back and forth, checkin’ behind her as if something’s about to grab her.
She gasps, “See, did ya hear that?”
“Grace, you’re hearing shit. Believe me, if there were fucking noises I would hear them.”
“Can I sleep with ya?”
Oh Christ, her innocent fucking question has my dick turning to steel.
Easy, Evans, she’s not asking you to shove your cock inside her, no matter how much you wish she was.
“Yeah, you can sleep…” before I can finish she jumps from the bedroom door onto the bed, almost nailing me in the fucking balls. “Jesus Christ, woman, what the hell are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want something to grab my feet from under the bed.” I chuckle and before I can say anything she pushes me. “Move, I wanna sleep between you and the wall.”
“Why? What the fuck does it matter?”
“Because then if something comes to grab us, it will grab you first.” Instead of being insulted I laugh my ass off. She starts giggling too, “Oh my god, Sawyer, I’m serious, I’m so darn scared right now. I’ve never been this scared of a movie before. I keep thinking some invisible demon is gonna grab my foot and drag me from my bed.”
Christ, this chick cracks me up. “Don’t worry, Cupcake, I’ll kick any motherfucker’s ass, if they try to drag you from this bed.”
She chuckles, “Sorry, badass, but not even you can keep me safe from a demon.”
I grunt but before I can argue she rises up on her knees and leans over me. Oh fuck! Her cupcake scent impales my nostrils and her silky fucking hair drags across my bare chest. “Chuckie, come here boy,” she whispers, calling the dog, not having any idea what she’s doing to my dick right now.
The dog comes limping in. “Come to the end of the bed, baby, I’ll help you up.”
What the fuck?
“What the hell are you doing? That fucking dog isn’t sleeping up here!”
Her head snaps to me, “Why not?”
“Because there isn’t any fucking room.”
“Well, I’ll curl up and he can sleep at the end of the bed by my feet.”
“He has a fucking bed, Grace, why are you having him sleep up here?”
“Because he might be scared.”
“Oh Jesus Christ, the dog isn’t scared. I’m serious, he stays on the floor.”
“Geez you’re grouchy!”
Yeah well, my hard cock does that to me sometimes.
She stays leaning over the end of the bed, petting the dog. “Sorry boy, Sawyer’s bein’ a grump. You stay at the end here and I’ll keep checkin’ on ya.”
Seeing her ass up in the air and leaning over like that, I just can’t fucking resist, slowly rising up, I slap her ass…
“AHHHH!” Before she careens off the bed I grab her shirt. “Sawyer, you stupid jerk!” She starts slapping the shit out of me again. “I hate you! You know what, forget it, I’m outta here!”
I sit up and grab her around the waist, pulling her down next to me. “I mean it! Let go!” she punches at me.
I try to stop laughing, “I’m sorry, baby, I was kidding, I promise I’ll stop.” She goes still, “You promise?” she asks suspiciously.
“I promise. Scout’s honor.”
She scoffs, “I’m sure you were no boy scout, Sawyer Evans.”
I chuckle. She’s got that fucking right.
Instead of letting her go, I bring her against my body, her back to my front. She tenses for only a second before relaxing into me. Her body fits against mine fucking perfectly. I make sure to keep my painfully hard cock away from her sweet ass, or I will not be able to control myself.
To get my mind off my dick I decide to bring up what I wanted to talk to her about today, but didn’t since I was too busy being in a shitty mood… “So I wanted to talk to you about something.”
She goes rigid before turning to face me. I keep my arm over her small waist, and even in the dark I can see fear in her big, warm amber eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just forgot that I booked a flight home this weekend to see my family. My parents are going away over Thanksgiving, so I promised my mom I would come home early to see them. It’s only for three nights.”
“Oh, okay, no problem.”
“No, Cupcake, you’re not getting it,” I take a deep breath, feeling fucking nervous for some stupid reason, “I want you to come with me.”
Her head snaps back in shock, “Oh no, Sawyer. Really, it’s fine you go. Don’t worry about me. I’m sure I can stay with Cooper and Kayla or…” I slap my hand over her mouth.
“Grace, I’m asking you because I want you to come with me, not because I have to. Either way I’m not going without you. So if you say no, I won’t go.”
She rips my hand away from her mouth. “Sawyer, don’t be ridiculous. Of course you’re going.”
“Does that mean you’re coming?”
She looks at me, uncertain, “Listen, I appreciate you askin’ me, but I don’t think I can. I don’t have money for a flight and…”
I cover her mouth again. “I’ll pay for your flight,” I can tell she’s about to argue, “and don’t even fucking start this not accepting bullshit. I’m asking you to come, Grace, so I’ll fucking pay for it and that’s it.”
She deflates, “What about Chuckie? I can’t leave him.”
“I’ll talk to Jaxson. I’m sure he and Julia can take him out at their place. It’s only for a few nights and the dog will love it out there with that big yard.”
I can tell she’s close to accepting. “If you say no I will have to cancel, and that will make my Mom cry. You don’t want to be responsible for making my Mom cry, do you?”
Her lips twitch, “No, I definitely don’t want to make your mom cry.” Her face goes serious again. “But, Sawyer, are you sure? Don’t you think you should ask your parents first?”
“Yes I’m sure, and I already talked to my mom, Grace. She was fucking ecstatic. So no more excuses okay?”
“All right, if you’re sure.”
I don’t bother repeating myself. We lay in a comfortable silence for a minute. “Know what?” she whispers.
“Why are you whispering?”
She’s silent for a moment before she lets out one of her sweet fucking giggles, “I don’t know.”
I grin, “What, Cupcake?”
“I’ve never been on a plane before.”
“Are you serious?” I ask, shocked.
“Yup.”
“You mean to tell me you have gone your whole life without ever being on a plane?” Then that makes me think of something else. “Wait, how old are you anyways?”
I always assumed she was Julia’s age, but maybe she’s not. “How old do you think I am?”I shrug, “Twenty-four.”
“I’m twenty-one.”
“Holy shit, really?”
“What does that mean?” she sounds insulted now. Shit, way to go, Evans!
“Nothing bad, baby, I’m just shocked. I guess I just always assumed you were Julia’s age.”
“Well how old are you?”
“How old do you think I am?” I mimic her words back.
“Hmmmm…” she shrugs, “I dunno… forty?
”
I grunt, knowing she’s fucking with me. Especially when she giggles while saying it.
“I’m just kiddin.”
Yeah, because I didn’t already fucking know that.
“Okay, umm, my guess is twenty-five.”
“Close, baby, twenty-six… Okay now back onto this flying business. How the hell did you get here from Florida if you didn’t fly?”
She doesn’t say anything for a minute and I start to think she isn’t going to answer. “I didn’t come here from Florida, and I took a bus.” My chest pulls tight from the sadness in her voice.
Not wanting to bring up bad shit for her, I hold her tighter and say one more thing before letting it go, “You can sleep tonight, Grace, I’ve got you baby.”
A few seconds later she slings her arm around me; bringing herself flush against me and burrows her face in my chest. “Thank you, Sawyer, for bein’ here for me.” Her voice is thick, and I feel my chest get wet from her silent tears.
Not wanting to talk, I kiss her on the head and stay awake until I feel her fall asleep. And even with my dick as hard as steel, I still think this may just be the best place on earth.
The next morning I awaken in the most amazing warmth, one that’s hard, smooth, safe and smells delicious. Slowly blinking my eyes open, I notice sunlight streaming through the blinds of the window and realize I slept all night. For the first time in three years I did not wake once. Smiling, I close my eyes again and curl into my warmth when my leg comes in contact with something hard; a loud groan fills the air.
Gasping, I snap fully awake and realize I’m almost completely on top of Sawyer, my leg right over his giant erection. Yikes! I shoot up, throwing myself into the wall at the other side of the bed.
I look over at Sawyer, who’s awake with a big, sly grin on his face. “Good morning, Cupcake.”
“Mornin’,” I croak out.
Without meaning to I take in his glorious half-naked state. I thought there was no way I could ever find Sawyer Evans sexier than I already did, but boy was I wrong.
Naturally bronzed skin is stretched across a long, lean, muscular torso; his abs and chest look like they are chiseled out of stone. He bares a tattoo on his left pectoral of some sort of Navy symbol that has an eagle on it. Over top are the words U.S Navy Seals, then under it reads: Seal Team 3. He also has a black tribal-looking tattoo on his upper arm that curves over his shoulder, stopping just before his collarbone. In the middle of the black swirling design is a Celtic cross. I’ve never thought of tattoos really bein’ my thing, but was I very wrong. Sawyer’s tattoos suit him and look so darn sexy that my panties were damp just from looking at them. I notice a few faint scars on his chest, which makes me wonder if that’s what Julia was talkin’ about. My gaze lowers, taking in the white sheet that lays low across his lean hips, doing nothing to shield his giant erection. And lord, what an impressive erection it is, one that’s causing an ache to start between my legs from the sight of it.
A low growl fills the air, tearing me from my thoughts. “You keep looking at me like that, Cupcake, and I will not be responsible for my actions.”
Yikes! I snap my gaze back up to his and feel my face flame with embarrassment. He watches me with cocky amusement, but his eyes burn bright with something else- something that has me shifting to ease my sharp ache.
“How did you sleep?” he asks.
I clear my throat nervously, “Pretty good actually. I didn’t wake once. That’s the first time in three years.”
His cockiness vanishes, leaving his face more sincere. “Maybe this should be our sleeping arrangement from now on then.”
I stare into his heated gaze and also see concern. I nod, “Yeah, maybe it should,” then my lips twitch, “except in my bed, then Chuckie can sleep on it too if he wants.”
He grunts, “I bought that dog a bed for a fucking reason, Cupcake, he can stay on it.” I chuckle when he starts pouting again. He looks over at me. “We should take your pies over to the diner then go get anything you will need for our trip on Friday.”
Oh right. I forgot that in two days I’m goin’ to Denver, Colorado, on an airplane with Sawyer Evans to meet his family. The reminder has excitement and anxiety rushing through my system. I sure hope his family doesn’t mind and they’ll like me.
I agree, and start making a mental list of everythin’ I’m going to need. But my thoughts come to an abrupt halt, and a sharp painful gasp escapes my lips, when Sawyer sits up at the edge of the bed with his back to me. He tenses when he realizes what my gasp was for.
Oh-my-god. This is what Julia was talkin’ about, and now I understand. The sight before me has agony ripping through my already damaged heart, and tears pooling in my eyes. Big, ugly, horrendous scars mark Sawyer’s beautiful, muscular back. It looks as if someone took a knife to him, or a whip? I don’t know which and like Julia, I don’t want to. I don’t think I could handle knowing what exactly was used to harm him this way. Through my blurred vision I notice Sawyer watching me. So many emotions burn in his green eyes right now: pain, anger, guilt and maybe even some insecurity, which sharpens my agony to a whole new level.
“Sawyer,” I whisper shakily, my voice thick with tears. My tremblin’ hand lies across my aching heart, as if trying to hold my pain at bay. Without a second thought I move across the bed and bring myself against his warm, scarred back. Raising my hand, I trace the words that are tattooed in script across his shoulder blades, words that will forever be ingrained into my head whenever I think of him, ones that describe his character perfectly:
You will not break me, for I am unbreakable.I will live with integrity, fight with honor and die for what’s right.
After tracing the final word, through my blurry gaze, I can’t hold in my pain anymore. I wrap my arms around him from behind and sob against his back.
“Fuck!” Sawyer chokes out the curse and then quickly turns around. Grabbing my hips he lifts me on his lap so I’m straddling him. I wind my arms tightly around his neck.
“I’m so sorry someone hurt you,” I sob out, kissing the corner of his eye.
He runs his big warm hands up and down my back. I should be comforting him, but, of course, he is the one consoling me.
“Don’t cry for me, Cupcake. I know it’s not a pretty sight, but I survived, we all did.”
My heart not only broke for Sawyer, but for all of them. That some awful human beings could hurt these brave, honorable men just goes to show how cruel the world can be. I, as well, knew this first-hand. “There’s some real awful people out there, ain’t there, Sawyer?”
My forehead rests against his, and my tears fall onto his face. His green eyes that shine with pain, bore into mine, “Yeah, baby, there are some real nasty motherfuckers out there.”
Raising my hand, I cup his cheek then trace my fingers across his early morning stubble, our gazes staying locked on one another. When my hand reaches his hair I twine my fingers in his dark blonde, messy strands and I’m surprised at how soft it feels. Closing my eyes, I try to absorb everything about this moment in time, because in this moment I’ve never felt more connected to another human being, and I don’t think I ever will again. I softly drag my nose across his face and brush gentle kisses anywhere my lips come into contact with: his cheek, his forehead, the corner of his eye. His warm breath feathers over my face from our close proximity and a groan of longing escapes his mouth, causing my own desire to escalate. His big hands cup my ass, bringing the ache I have between my legs in contact with his hard cock. A whimper escapes my lips, and I knew that we were about to take our relationship one step further. But right before my lips descended to his, my doorbell rings, snapping me out of my desire with disappointment.
Sawyer tenses, “What-the-fuck?” The look on his face is so comical that I can’t stop from laughing.
He glares at me, “Baby, there’s nothing funny about this shit.”
“Actually your face is pretty funny right now.”
His lips
twitch right before he slaps me on the ass. Oh… I’m not going to lie, that love tap spiked the ache between my legs.
He growls, “Oh fuck, do not look at me like that right now, Cupcake, or we won’t be answering that door.”
I clear my throat, feeling embarrassed how easily he can read me, “I wonder who it is?” I ask, climbing off, but before I can completely pull away Sawyer tightens his grip on my hips.
His fierce green eyes bore into mine, “We’re going to be picking this up soon, Grace.” I don’t say anything, because it wasn’t a question.
I knew it would only be a matter of time, I just didn’t know if I was ready. I’m scared; I can already feel myself losing my heart to Sawyer. I can only imagine what I am going to feel when I let him touch me.
He leans in to kiss my forehead and I close my eyes, basking in the intimacy of the simple act. “It’s probably Cade,” he murmurs, “I asked him to bring some stuff for me, either here or to the diner.”
I crawl off of him when the banging gets louder. “I’m coming!” he yells. “Fuck, now I understand how Jaxson feels,” he grumbles, throwing on his jeans, but not before I see that I was right… boxer briefs. Yum! He doesn’t put a shirt on, but I guess it doesn’t matter since it’s nothing Cade hasn’t seen before, especially if he bears the same scars. That thought has a lump forming in throat, and my heart feeling heavy again as I walk to the bathroom to shower and get ready.
Later that night I’m going through all my clothes, trying to figure out what to pack. I want to get a head start on it because, well… I’m really darn excited. Before Mama passed away I had never left Florida, and anything after her wasn’t a vacation by any means. I’m also excited to get a glimpse into Sawyer’s life, of where he came from and what made him who he is today: arrogant, sexy, strong, loyal and honorable. He’s one of the best men I have ever met, next to Mac, and everyday I’m more and more thankful to God for giving me the chance to meet him, to even be his friend.
Wondering what the weather will be like when we’re there, I walk out of my room to find Sawyer.