Protecting His Home

by Ember Davis

  Troy bops her on the nose. “You wouldn’t be trying to get me to reveal his secrets, are you Doll? I know he’s not telling you and that you’ve given him total freedom.”

  I can’t help but throw my head back and laugh. She’s not subtle at all. I can’t wait to get my art on her. Of course, it’s the idea that had been on the edge of my mind before I met Amelia. It came to me one night after watching Amelia crochet in our house before we headed to bed and I fucked her to a very satisfied night’s sleep.

  It just materialized, a mixture of her and I. I want to fill her back with an assortment of flowers: sunflowers, snapdragons, pansies, peonies, ranunculus, larkspur, hydrangeas, cherry blossoms and orange blossoms as a nod her Florida roots. The outline will be basic geometric shapes, like the first gesture of a drawing. The color will go outside those lines and define the true shape of the petals. I plan to add dragonflies and butterflies, their wing patterns being taken from classic crochet patterns and doilies, and a pair of lovebirds.

  My vision will fill her entire back with one sunflower extending to cover the ball of her shoulder, the one that that asshat bruised. When she sees her shoulder, I want her to see beauty instead of the memory of pain and abuse. She’ll see me instead of him and that makes me feel like a damn caveman; I’m okay with that. The branches of the cherry and orange blossoms will curve over her shoulder opposite the sunflowers; my art wrapping around her always.

  The entire thing will take more than one session, but I figure if we head into the shop about 9 it’ll give me some solid hours to work on it before we need to get things going for Nacho Bar night. Even though she does have a few tattoos, which I was happy to hunt for as if it were a treasure hunt, hers are all pretty small. I hope she can sit for a while because I’d love to get as much done at one time as I can. We’ll just have to see, but I have a feeling she’ll be a real trooper and impress the hell out of me.

  She gives out an exasperated huff just as Dex and Walsh come back with beers for the table and Andrea and Steve show up. Amelia and Andrea hug and chit chat about how Andrea’s been doing at the shop and how well Chloe is doing picking up on the assistant manager duties.

  I have to admire Amelia. She was right, she needed the normal. We both did. I cut myself off after two beers and we head out after a few hours and a lot of laughs. She seems lighter when we leave, even after we stop by her place so she can grab that thumb drive and pack a bag for a few days. When we get home, she falls asleep in my arms. I breathe in her scent, apples and vanilla, and finally find sleep knowing that she’s safe in my arms.

  CHAPTER 13

  AMELIA

  Waking up knowing that today is the day I’m sharing what Caleb did to me and how much I lost myself is not a great feeling. Thankfully, Beckett has wrapped himself around me like he’s shielding me from the reality we find ourselves in and that brings me a little bit of peace.

  I roll over and watch him sleep for a few minutes. He’s all man, but he has a little boy quality to him when he sleeps. His jaw is relaxed, his brow is smoothed out and his hair is a tousled mess. My eyes stray down to his bare chest and yeah, there’s nothing little boy about his chest; that’s all chiseled man.

  Fuck, it feels so good in his arms; I really do feel at home in them. The relief I felt last night when looking into his eyes knowing that he was going to get to the bottom of this Caleb problem was indescribable. I haven’t heard from Caleb in years, not since before I left school. I don’t know why he’s choosing now to contact me or why he’s threatening me.

  He didn’t even like me all that much when we were together. I thought for sure he would have moved on in all this time. I also don’t know how he found me, I made sure to block him and his friends on social media and set everything to private. Looking at Beckett I realize he must have somehow found my picture and business page because of Beckett’s account.

  Beckett’s posted some cute pictures of me and I don’t blame him at all if that’s how Caleb found me or if that’s what has triggered him threatening me again. Why should I? I know Beckett only wanted to show me and the world how beautiful he thinks I am and how proud he is to be with me. I know I haven’t posted a lot of pictures of myself, not since Caleb started tearing down my confidence. Even now whenever I look at a picture of myself, I see all my flaws multiplied by a thousand.

  Beckett sees my flaws and finds them beautiful, along with the rest of me. The way he looks at me makes me feel beautiful. It’s not just him either, the entire crew at Banks Ink. make me feel like who I am and what I look like is just right and special.

  Last night, having a normal night and not being treated like a victim was exactly what I needed. I know today I’m going to get pitying looks and I’m going to have to answer questions that I don’t want to answer. I’m going to have to confront what made me such an easy target for someone like Caleb. I know that Beckett thinks that it made me stronger, and yeah, I guess it did in the long run, but remembering how helpless and weak I felt at the time is hard for me.

  The urgency of Blake’s message insisting on the meeting being today worries me. I don’t know what he found out, but it has to be something. I’m dreading it. Blake’s last message to Beckett last night told us to not respond to any other messages, but to not block the account. That was rough, knowing that there’s still a line of communication open with someone who I’m fairly positive is Caleb.

  I roll over again and grab my phone off the nightstand. Beckett’s clock says it’s almost 6:30am so it’s time to start getting up and about. Yeah, still dreading it; it’s going to be a long day. I turn off the alarm that’s about to go off in a few minutes and see a notification for another message on Instagram. I know in my gut that it’s him.

  I don’t want to pull it up, but at the same time it’s like an accident scene that I can’t tear my eyes away from.

  You can try to ignore me if you want, Amelia, but you won’t be able to ignore me forever. You’re mine and you know it. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.

  I know you miss me, Cupcake. How could you not? I’m the best thing that ever happened to you. I can forgive you for everything if you’re sorry.

  Grown women shouldn’t wear pun shirts.

  After the last message there’s a picture of Beckett and I at the bar last night. I look happy, smiling up at Beckett with his arm around me while we’re surrounded by our friends. Alarm sirens are blaring in my head. He’s here? He’s in Denver? He was at the bar last night? He saw me, obviously. How did I not see him? What if he hurt someone after we left? What the fuck is he planning to do? Does he know where I live? Does he know where Beckett lives?

  I try and hold in the tears, but I fail. Beckett isn’t a morning person and I certainly don’t want to scare the shit out of him to wake him up, but I need him to wake up. Right. Fucking. Now.

  I wipe my cheeks and take a deep breath and try to get myself under control. I run my fingers through Beckett’s hair and gently call his name. He murmurs that he wants a few more minutes, but he needs to see this shit right now.

  “Beckett, I need you to wake up. We are meeting Blake and everyone in an hour and a half. Also, you need to see these other messages that were sent to me late last night. Please, wake up, Love.”

  He must hear something in my voice because I have never seen Beckett go from asleep to awake as quickly as he does now. He sits straight up and takes in my tear stained face. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him.

  He runs his fingers through my curls and sooths me, “It’s okay, Baby. You’re safe.” I bury my face in his chest and nod. Then I hand him my phone and watch a slew of emotions cross his face. His eyes go from my phone to my face a few times and his mouth forms a thin line of rage. He grits out, “He was there last night? He was watching you.”

  I know my eyes are wide as I plead with him, “I swear I didn’t see him at all. I tried to be observant of my surroundings, but I didn’t see him. I would have told you if I did. I promise,
Beckett.” I sound a little panicked toward the end and my voice breaks when I say his name.

  Beckett’s eyes soften and he tosses my phone to the foot of the bed and rolls us so I’m underneath him. He kisses my eyelids, my cheeks, my temples as he shushes me gently. “I know, Baby. I’m not mad at you, not even a little. I’m just surprised that he was that close to you, to all of us. I know you would have told me if you saw him. I was keeping my eyes open for anyone paying you too much attention, too.”

  I let go of the breath I’ve been holding, relief flooding through me. I give him a cheeky grin, “You do that all the time because underneath all these tattoos,” I run my fingers over his arms, “is a caveman.”

  He groans and presses his hard cock against my thigh, “You got that right, Baby. You’re my girl and I love you so much.”

  I run my fingers through his hair, “I’m yours. I love you too, Beck.”

  He kisses my nose and then runs his nose down my neck and nips my collarbone. I shiver and tug at the ends of his hair. I groan, “As much as I’d love to start off the day with all the orgasms, we need to get up and get going.”

  Beckett kisses my neck again, “I think we have the time.”

  I shake my head and push his shoulder. “We do not have the time Beckett. I need to take a shower.”

  He lifts his head and grins mischievously down at me. “Oh yeah?” He quirks an eyebrow, fuck, it’s sexy when he does that. “Then we definitely have time if we fuck in the shower.”

  I laugh and grin at him. “Get off me you big lug.”

  Beckett throws his head back and laughs. He rolls off me and the bed in one fluid motion. Then he turns and scoops me up off the bed and carries me into the bathroom. He sets me down in front of the sinks and he turns on the water to warm up while we brush our teeth. We’re eyeing each other in the large mirror. Knowing Caleb was close enough to take a picture last night should make it impossible to be turned on, but with Beckett I’m always turned on.

  We finish brushing our teeth and Beckett pulls my tank top off of me and then pushes my panties down my legs. He takes one nipple into his mouth and then the other before pushing his pajama pants down over his hips to pool on the floor.

  He picks me up and I wrap my legs around him as he pivots and walks into the shower and pushes me up against the tile wall without breaking stride. His hard cock glides between my wet folds; the head of his cock hits my clit and I moan.

  Beckett groans, “Are you wet for me, Amelia?”

  I dig my nails into his shoulders and rock against him. “I’m always wet for you, Love.”

  He buries his face in my neck and bites at the same time that he thrusts into my wet pussy in one hard thrust. I dig my heels into his ass as he fucks me hard, the water cascading down our bodies. He presses one of his hands on the tile next to my shoulder and the other grips my hip.

  At this angle he hits my g spot on every thrust. It makes my eyes roll back in my head as he grunts against my skin with every thrust.

  He grits out, “Rub your clit, Amelia. I want you to come all over my cock.”

  I snake a hand between us and follow his direction and I can already feel my orgasm barreling down on me. “Yes, Beck!” I gasp, “Fuck, yes.” He growls against my skin and he snaps his hips harder and faster against mine. I start to babble, “Beckett, feels so good. Yes! Gonna…please. S’close.”

  Beckett pounds into me and licks down my neck and across my shoulder. He moans, “Gonna come, Baby. Come with me.”

  He bites my shoulder hard and it sets me off at the same time I feel him thrust deep inside me as his cum hits my inner walls and then starts to leak down his shaft and balls before being washed away and carried down the drain. He rests his head against my shoulder and pants.

  I unhook my ankles, but I’m glad he doesn’t put me down just yet, I’m not sure I can stand as both of our bodies shake with aftershocks of our orgasms. I focus on getting my breathing and heartbeat back to normal with some deep breaths.

  When it seems we’ve both recovered, I cup his face and bring up his chin so he’s looking at me. “I love you Beckett.” He grins and I kiss the corner of his oh so sexy grin. “Thank you.”

  Beckett shakes his head, “Don’t ever thank me for fucking you or loving you. It’s the most natural thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’m just glad that I’m the lucky guy whose soul fits with yours and that you forgave me.”

  Her brow knits together, “I thought we weren’t going to talk about the forgiveness thing.” I shrug, “I may have overreacted anyway.”

  He kisses me hard and puts me down until I’m standing steadily. He spins me so I’m under the water and he proceeds to squirt some of my body wash on his hands and he cleans me from head to toe.

  He shakes his head, “You didn’t overreact, Amelia. I was being a dick and you were right to not take it.”

  I sigh, “Okay, well, it doesn’t matter who is right or not here because it’s already been forgiven. We’ve moved forward in the best of ways.”

  I try and reach for my shampoo, but he swats my hands away and guides my head back under the water to wet my hair before washing it and then conditioning it for me. He really does make me feel like a goddess sometimes.

  Beckett washes up quickly while I run a comb through my curls before rinsing out the conditioner. The first time he saw me do this, he had the cutest, befuddled look on his face until I explained that it helped a lot with tangles and to make sure all my hair gets all the moisture it needs. It’s no cake walk having curly hair.

  When we’re both done, Beckett turns off the water and steps out to wrap a towel around his waist before wrapping one around my body. He tries to dry me off, but I slap his hands away.

  “I can dry myself.” He gives me a look that says duh, but I ignore it and smile. “You can dry me off next time, promise, but you need to get dry and then we need to get ready. I don’t want Blake waiting on us and I want to get this done as quickly as possible. He needs to see these new messages too.”

  Beckett sighs and nods his head while he finishes drying himself off and then throws some gel in his hair. His eyes are on me the whole time I’m drying off and putting leave in conditioner and curl cream in my hair. I can see the concern in his eyes, underneath all the rage for Caleb, which I can’t blame him for in the least.

  I try and make my voice even, “I know you’re worried about me, Love, but I’m okay. I’m not going to break or breakdown. I’m not fragile. We’re going to take this on head-on.” I whisper, hoping he can hear the plea in my voice, “Please don’t treat me like a victim.”

  Beckett takes a deep breath and closes his eyes for a moment before turning toward me fully and snaring me with his green gaze that’s the color of the tree canopy in the sunlight. “You’re not a victim, you’re a survivor, a warrior. I know how strong you are. I don’t think you’re fragile, but I’m worried about you. I won’t apologize for being concerned about you.”

  I cup his cheek, “I know, I’m not asking you to. I understand your concern, just don’t treat me like I’m going to break at any moment.”

  He smirks, the cocky ass, “I wouldn’t have fucked you as hard and fast as I just did if I thought you were fragile.”

  I arch an eyebrow, “Well, I guess that’s true.” I kiss him sweetly. “Let’s get dressed and get this over with.”

  We dress quickly. He puts on dark jeans and a Banks Ink. t-shirt that stretches across his chest in the most tantalizing way. His tattoos race down his arms and even though the look is simple, it’s so sexy and so Beckett. I throw on a pair of jeans, a tank top and I steal Beckett’s black zip up Banks Ink. hoodie. He wore it just the other day and it smells like him; just what I need to face this psycho head on and come out on top with my family safe and sound.

  We’re running a few minutes early, so we decide to stop at a bakery on the way to pick up some muffins and pastries for everyone. We don’t have enough hands or enough time to order everyone their no
rmal coffee order; instead we make the plan to start the coffee pot when we get in. Everyone is going to need it. Especially today.

  CHAPTER 14

  AMELIA

  Troy and Walsh are just climbing out of their car when we arrive at Banks Ink. and while they look a little bleary eyed, they light up when they see me. Both greet me with a hug and when I look over at Beckett, he has such a look of contentment and warmth on his face that it takes my breath away for a moment. It’s a far cry from the cold eyes and scowl he had on his face when he first met me while talking to Troy. He trusts me and I will do anything to make sure I keep that trust and protect it.

  The guys each take a box of baked goods and we head toward the front of the shop. When we walk around the corner, I notice there’s a huge man standing in front. When I say huge, I mean, he’s like a fucking mountain. His shoulders are so broad I’m pretty sure he’ll have to turn sideways to fit through the door.

  I thought all the guys at Banks Ink. were tall, and yeah, they are, especially compared to my 5’4” height, but this guy has to be close to 7 feet tall. Not only is he tall, but gorgeous too. He has a trimmed beard with chestnut colored hair that he keeps short on the sides and only marginally longer on top. It’s obvious that he’s military from the haircut alone. I’m not sure what color his eyes are, but I can feel them watching me as we approach.

  When we reach the Mount Everest of a man, Beckett reaches out his hand for a handshake and smiles. “Mornin’ Blake. Thanks for meeting with us so quickly.”

  Blake shakes Beckett’s hand and nods at Troy and Walsh. “No problem. Family comes first.” I can’t help a huge grin spread across my face because he just gets it, just like us. His eyes find mine, a crystal blue, and they look right through me, assessing me. A slow smile spreads across his face and I know that whatever he was looking for, he found. Phew. “You must be Amelia.”