“You love me?” she gasped.
“Yeah,” I said, stroking her cheek with my thumb. “I do.”
“I’ve loved you since you tied me to your bed on that island,” she admitted. “I wanted to hate you, but I just…couldn’t.” She wrapped both arms around my neck, tugging me forward.
“I’m sorry for not calling you back,” I said, repeating the words I’d already told her a million times over. “I’ll never forgive myself for not being there for you. I’ll never fail you again, Cora.”
“You didn’t fail me, Taylor,” she stared into my eyes, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t think we can put a label on whose situation was worse than the others. I think that we both had been dealt a shit card and we had to grow from those experiences alone so that we could be stronger together. Can we start over? I mean, really start over again?”
“Yeah, baby,” I smiled at her, seeing light come back to my girl’s eyes. “You’re mine now, Coraline Maddox, and it’s my job to take care of you, starting with this situation.”
I looked into her eyes, the ones that were light with happiness, suddenly darkened with anger. “I’m not leaving.”
“Coraline,” I begged.
“No,” she glowered, taking my hand and squeezing it tight. “I’ve never run from my problems, and going back home right now is not what I want or need to do. I need to work. I need to be with you. Please…please don’t send me away. If anything, I need your strength through this. If I end up getting an addiction from this, you are the only one I want beside me. You won’t let this take me. I know you won’t.”
With every word, tears gathered in her eyes until they were nothing but heavy pools of liquid that could no longer hold their banks. My hands cupped her face as the tears spilled over, catching on my thumbs. My lips pressed to hers soundly, not moving back until I couldn’t hold my breath any longer.
“Oh, God, baby,” I panted. “I’ll not let this hurt you. I promise.” This was a vow I would make with blood if that was what it took to keep the promise of making sure she was okay.
“I know you won’t,” she told me, a soft lift to the corner of her plump lips.
“So, you’re not coming home with me,” Kane announced from the door. We both gasped and turned to see her cousin, the only man in her life besides myself that cared for her deeply, standing there with one hand on the door, and the other on his hip.
“No,” she blushed. “No, Kane. I’m staying with Taylor.”
“You’ll call?” he grilled, moving from the door to the side of the bed.
“Yes,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “I’ll call you.”
“Okay,” he laughed. “It’s about damn time.” With that, Kane Maddox turned around and left the room, but not before looking over his shoulder, motioning for me to follow.
“I’ll be right back,” I smirked.
“He better not try to kick your ass,” she fussed.
Standing up, I cupped her chin again and placed a sweet kiss to her lips, pulling away before I decided to push things further. As it was, I had to adjust myself to keep from walking out to talk to her cousin with a raging hard on.
“He won’t,” I promised, making my way to the door.
Of course, my promise was short lived when the front of my shirt was bunched up into a large fist with the word “FREE” tattooed across the knuckles and I was pushed against the wall. Half a second later, Kane Maddox was in my face, his eyes were so dark, they were almost black.
“I swear to God if you fucking hurt her again,” he breathed, anger fueling his words. I didn’t stop him, because I got it…I understood where he was coming from and if I were in his place, I’d be doing the same damn thing. “I will kill you.”
“I wouldn’t stop you,” I let him know, tilting my head to the side. “Are you going to punch me or can I get back to my girl so I can take her home to meet my family?”
“Yeah, man,” Kane said, letting go of my shirt, but not before giving me a hard shove. “Keep my cousin safe.”
I gave him a few minutes to say his goodbyes to Coraline. After a tight bro hug, he departed and I returned to the room. She was laying on her side. Her beautiful smile almost brought me to my knees. There was so much love and trust in them that my steps faltered.
Knowing that I was going to be responsible for another human being’s welfare and happiness should have scared me senseless, but it didn’t. The thought of not having this little pixie in my life was an even worse nightmare.
“Are you ready to go back to work, baby?” I teased, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. When I opened my arms in a silent demand for her to come to me, she leapt into my lap and let me nuzzle my face into her sweet smelling neck.
Home. Coraline Maddox was my home.
Chapter 25
Coraline
“My parents are going to love you,” Taylor stated.
We were currently in the back of a rented Tahoe, being driven to Taylor’s parents’ house outside of Kansas City, MO. Looking out the window, I smiled at the sunny day that greeted us as we traveled.
I leaned my head over on Taylor’s shoulder and inhaled his masculine scent. For some reason, that scent calmed me, and as nervous as I was at the moment, it was something I was a very grateful for. I rubbed my hand up his muscular arm, feeling the warmth under my fingertips. He wore a pair of black denim jeans that hugged his thick thighs and a pair of boots that fell open at the tops. His shirt was an old, white Glory Days tee from a few years ago. He’d already torn the sleeves off, and the neckline was a tattered mess, but it looked amazing on him.
“I’m hoping so,” I chuckled nervously. I didn’t date much because of my line of work, and meeting a guy’s parents wasn’t something I was used to doing. Hell, now that I look back, I don’t think I’d ever met any parents of the guys I dated.
“What has you smiling?” he asked, taking his thumb and stroking my bottom lip.
“Just thinking,” I blushed. I thought maybe I could get away with my vague answer, but when he raised his brow for me to continue, I couldn’t deny him. “I’ve never met the parents of a guy I’ve been with or dated…ever.”
“Good,” he looked pleased. The quirk in his lip was possessive, and I shook my head at that because Taylor had claimed me as his in the hospital, and I found that I liked knowing that more than I should. I used to roll my eyes at my cousin and all of his alpha growling ways with his wife, but now I understood the dreamy look she’d get in her eyes when he would claim her as his. Now, I’m probably doing the same damn thing when Taylor goes around growling mine at every man who walks within ten feet of where I’m standing.
After Kane and Taylor had their pissing match over me and my well-being, I was discharged and told to see a doctor if I had any strange side effects from the heroin that’d been injected into my body by Doug. So far, I have had no lasting problems, but then again, it’d only been three days.
As we pulled into a long dirt driveway, I noticed that the scenery didn’t match the man sitting next to me. Outside my window, there was a field with about fifty black cows lazily munching on blades of grass, a few little calves hanging close to their mommas.
“You’re a farm boy?” I giggled.
“I never fit in here,” he muttered, but it wasn’t a sad admission. “I just wanted to play the guitar and travel. My parents used to tease me about spreading my wings and flying away as soon as the candles were blown out on my eighteenth birthday cake. They weren’t too far off.” He squeezed my hand as we pull to a stop, but I didn’t have time to say anything before an older couple rushed out the door, making quick work of getting to the vehicle.
“Oh, son!” his mom squealed. “Look at you!”
“Hey mom,” he replied, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks.
“Son,” his father grinned, taking him into a huge bear hug.
Looking at his mother, I could see where he got his stunning green eyes. Although hers were weathered, they
still held the spark true to Taylor’s own emerald gaze. His father was just as tall and bulky as his son, but his skin was darkened naturally from years of working outside.
“Is this Coraline?” his mom asked, holding out a hand for me to shake. I stepped forward slightly, but when our fingers touched, I was pulled into an unexpected hug. “She’s beautiful, Taylor!”
“Mom,” he grunted, pulling me away from his mother’s cuddling. I really didn’t mind it. In fact, I liked it a lot. The feel of a mother’s hug, no matter if that woman gave birth to you or not, was one of the best feelings in the world.
“It’s nice to meet you,” his father announced, taking my hand into a firm handshake.
“Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn, for having me over,” I responded, using the politeness I’d learned from hanging at Kane’s house when we were kids.
“Please, dear,” his mom chuckled. “Call me Mary, and Taylor’s father, George. Come in…Come in! We only have a few hours!”
“Calm down, mom,” Taylor laughed, again. “We have time.”
Inside the house, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. The front room was as cozy as something you’d see in a magazine. An old barn door was the focal point on the large wall to my right. It looked as if it’d come straight from outside and was hung with pride in the family’s living room. The wood was old and cracked, but weathered beautifully. Taylor took my hand and pulled me into the kitchen where a large rectangle table sat. The dark wood matched the wall hanging in the other room and had enough chairs for ten people.
“Would you like a glass of tea?” Mary asked.
“Please,” I replied. “May I help you with anything?”
“Oh, no,” she smiled, sliding a glass over to my awaiting hands. “Grab a seat, dear. Tell me all about this tour.”
We spent the better part of an hour talking about where we’d been and about the new album. Taylor’s parents were extremely proud of him, and I found myself falling in love with his family. As I sat back and looked around the room, seeing pictures of Taylor when he was younger, I realized I kept swallowing a knot of hope in my throat. I didn’t want to lose my shit and cry in front of his folks, but damn, I forgot how it felt to have a real family. Mine had been broken for so long.
“Come take a walk with me,” Taylor conspired, causing me to jump. I didn’t realize he had moved and was now sitting so close I could feel his warm breath on my neck. When I blinked, I felt my cheeks blush when I noticed his parents had left the table and were busy making lunch in the kitchen.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “Lost in my thoughts.”
“I know,” he said, simply.
Taylor grasped my hand and pulled me along behind him as he made his way out of the back door. The back porch stretched the length of the house and I laughed when he jumped off, landing at the bottom of the steps. He reached out and tugged my hand, causing me to squeal when he hauled me up so I was on his back.
“We are going to the barn,” he proclaimed, tightening his arms under my knees. I kissed the top of his head and wrapped my arms around his neck, but not hard enough to choke him.
As we reached the barn, I noticed several horses standing in a fenced in area off to the left of the building. “They are so pretty,” I said, eyeing the majestic animals standing there watching as we move past them.
“One of them is mine,” he pointed out, jutting his chin in their general direction. “The black one. Her name is Mercy.”
“I’ve never ridden a horse,” I shared, not even knowing why I said that.
“Well, maybe we can come back to visit and I’ll teach you,” he decided, loosening his hold on my legs and letting me slide down his back as we reached the barn doors. I let him pull it open, leaving just enough room for us to walk inside.
The interior of the barn was something straight out of a western movie. There were six stalls to my right, all with name placards for the horses. There were several ribbons on the wall to my left, showing that the horses were winners of some show the year before. On the left side of the barn, several bales of hay were stacked next to blue drums that I assumed held feed.
My assessment of the barn was cut short when Taylor spun me around so that I fell softly against his chest. He didn’t speak words when he cupped my face with both hands, swooping in to press his lips to mine.
He’d kissed me many times before, but there was something different about the way he possessed my lips this time. His desperation poured from every caress and nibble to my bottom lip. He silently urged my mouth to part with a heated swipe of his tongue. I panted heavily when his need for me increased. I felt the wetness pool between my legs and I found myself shamelessly rubbing my sex against his muscular thigh.
“I fucking love you, Coraline Maddox,” he panted. He continued to pepper my cheek, jaw, and neck with hot, wet kisses. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was trying to memorize my taste.
“I love you too, Taylor,” I moaned. His hands had moved from my face to my neck, and then around to my ass, squeezing the globes with enough pressure to get his point across. “We can’t do this in the barn!”
“Shush,” he muttered, lifting me up into his arms. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist and I found myself grinding my pussy against his stomach. “Fuck, baby.”
“Taylor,” I purred, cupping his face and bringing his lips back to mine. Damn, I knew we wouldn’t be doing it in the barn, but when he wrapped his strength around me, I felt my body weep for him.
He started moving, walking briskly to the set of stairs I had noticed earlier. I started to protest, but he silenced me with a swat to my ass and another growl. Opening my eyes, I noticed the loft was covered with more bales of hay, some of them were stair stepped in height.
As soon as my ass hit the spot he’d moved us to, Taylor grabbed the hem of my blue t-shirt and hefted it up over my head, his face landing between my breasts. The cups of my black lace bra were tucked under each breast immediately. I threw my head back and let out a curse when he took one of my nipples between his teeth, biting down with just the right amount of pressure. As he worshipped them, I pulled on his shirt until he released my nipple with a pop so that he could discard his own clothing.
My hands fumbled with his belt and the button fly of his jeans. As soon as his fly was opened, I found my hand cupping his heavy erection, my fingers dancing along his velvety length. I rubbed my thumb across the top, gathering the little bead of moisture at the tip. I heard his groan of approval, but he never did release my breasts that were now being roughly cupped with his massive hands.
“Please, Taylor,” I begged, reaching for the button to my own jeans.
“Mine,” he grunted, pushing my hands away so that he could divest me of the only remaining barrier between our heated bodies. My tennis shoes were tossed to the side and my pants were off, laying inside out somewhere on a hay bale to my right. I squeaked when a piece of hay poked me in the ass, slapping Taylor on the arm when he just chuckled.
My look of outrage at his laughter died quickly when he dropped to his knees and buried his face between my legs, nibbling on my sex. His hands gripped tightly to my inner thighs, pushing them out to the side so that he could fit his broad shoulders comfortably. Two fingers entered me swiftly, rubbing that spot that drove me crazy. He knew when he found that trigger, because his moan against the lips of my sex was that of a man pleased with what he was doing.
“Give it to me, Coraline,” he demanded. “Come for me, baby.”
“Oh, God,” I gasped, feeling my body hum. The second he bit down on my clit, I was flying. “More…Oh…Taylor…Fuck!”
Before I could come down from the amazing release he had given me, Taylor lined up and pushed forward, seating himself balls deep inside me. His arm looped around my back, and his warm chest pressed against my own. My nipples rubbed deliciously against his chest when he started to pound into my body, soft grunts echoing off the walls of the barn.
God,
it felt amazing being in his arms. This raw, unexpected coupling just tightened the connection between us. I felt him not only in my arms, but in every pore of my body. He was here, with me…holding me…loving me to completion.
“One more, Cora,” he demanded, tangling his fingers in the back of my head, forcing our mouths together. His tongue mimicked what his cock was doing, showing me exactly what I’d missed from the island. “Let go, baby. Let go for me.”
His words were what I needed. The spoken command to give him my control. To let him be in charge of my pleasure was one of the hardest things I’d imagined letting happen, but it was easier than I’d previously thought. He would take the reins of my desire and grasp them securely in his strong hands, never letting anyone or anything else be in control. As long as Taylor was by my side, I knew he would be the one to take care of me, but only when I needed taking care of.
“Taylor…with me…please,” I panted, each word forced out with each of his thrusts.
“I’m so there, baby,” he said, burying his face in my neck. “I love you, Coraline.”
“And I love you, Taylor,” I breathed. “Now, make me come.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. Taylor slid the hand that was cupping my head down my side and wedged it between our bodies. The moment he pressed his thumb to my clit, I lost all sense of reasoning. We both cursed out loud as our climaxes reached their peak.
His head moved so that he could press his forehead to my own. Our breathing didn’t want to slow and I laughed when I felt his cock jump inside me, hardening quickly. “We can’t do that again. You parents may come looking for us.”
“We don’t want that,” he joked, his eyes widening at my words.
I let him help me dress, and after we picked out several pieces of straw from our hair, we made our way back inside, where we were met with lunch. It took us another hour before we were finally able to say goodbye with a promise to return at Christmas, just after the end of their tour. We held hands on the way back to the arena, but I was lost in thought.
Fatal Desires (Fatal Cross Live! Book 1) Page 15