"How's he gonna do that without more info from her?"
"He's got his top people on it. Looking up what calls, any sort of call, that came out of Dittmore's residence. He's going to question every officer about the call and what it entailed. He'll weed out the bad ones. Dittmore had to pay them to look the other way. How could any reasonable man think that beautiful woman in the kitchen could harm herself? He's trying to do it without involving Sophie. I asked him to. I don't want her reliving it if she doesn't want to. She never asked for any of this. Last night, when I told her I knew, she thought I actively sought out to find her secrets. I'd never do that. I just want her happy and fear free," Austin said, picking up a bead from the blanket. "Damn. These are tiny as shit."
"I know. Do you feel my pain?" Emmett said, holding out his hand for the bead. "Well, those cops need to be found. If they look the other way on Sophie, they'll likely do it again on another poor victim. Not that Sophie's a victim. She's a survivor. One of the strongest, bravest women I know. You have no idea how lucky you are, Austin. She truly is special," Emmett said, glancing at him.
"Trust me, I know. That's why I'm finally taking the plunge with love and a relationship. She is special. She's got you wrapped around her finger, too. Stringing beads," Austin said, laughing, picking up another bead.
Emmett held out his hand for the bead. "Watch it, she's gonna have you doing this in no time."
"Gladly. Anything for my Sophie," Austin said. He sniffed again. "Man, I hope that pie's done soon. My mouth's watering just by the smell. You can go home now. I'm here."
Emmett glared at him. "I ain't leaving until I get a piece of pie, buddy. Don't try kicking me out. I'm not done with my strand of beads either."
"She made the pie for me, not you," Austin said firmly.
"What? You don't know how to share," Emmett exclaimed.
"Really? You boys are still arguing about the pie. Is that what you've been doing since I walked out of here?" Sophie said, a hand on her hip, looking cute and delectable in a shirt and sweats. Austin smiled. He sure liked her when she acted stern. She tried to get that fierce stern look down, but it only made him smile.
"Pie is serious business, Sophie. I don't have to share, do I?" Austin asked with his goofy grin he liked to give her. He stood up and walked over to her. "You made it for me."
"I did...but you have to share," Sophie said.
"Ha! Who's her favorite now?" Emmett said in a singsong voice.
"It's really just because I don't want to hear him pout. He's a big pouter. You understand, right, Austin," Sophie said, letting him pull her into his embrace.
"Oh, I understand. He is a big pouter," Austin said, kissing her on the lips.
"I don't pout," Emmett shouted.
Austin felt her move in his arms, positioning herself in just the right spot. If Emmett wasn't in the house, he would've made good use of that bed on the floor. Suddenly he wanted Emmett gone. He heard Sophie moan delightfully, knowing then, he needed to slow it down. He pulled his tongue away, getting an angry moan from her sweet lips, and whispered against her mouth, "I can't wait for bedtime."
"Bedtime?"
"Mmm...bedtime. I've missed holding you, Sophie. I'm never going on a trip without you again. Bedtime is my favorite time. I need to explore this beautiful body again. I need to kiss you everywhere," he whispered, still holding his mouth close to hers, peppering small kisses around her mouth as he spoke.
"Oh, yes, bedtime. I like bedtime, too," she whispered back.
"Oh, Sophie, my beautiful pixie. Is that pie done yet? I need Emmett to eat his piece and then get the hell out of this house. It's bedtime."
Sophie chuckled. "Not quite. Another fifteen minutes or so. It's almost lunch time, not bedtime."
"No, it's definitely bedtime," Austin said, grabbing another kiss before she could argue with him.
***
"So when Sophie makes a pie I need to eat my share quickly before you get a whiff of it, huh?" Deja asked, walking into the living room where Austin sat on the couch watching TV.
"Yep. Sorry, Deja, it was good pie, too," Austin said with a grin.
"I believe you since there wasn't a slice left for me. I knew Sophie was making a pie before I left and I didn't expect not to get a slice."
"I'll try to share better next time. I had to share with Emmett and that was hard."
"Thanks, I appreciate that. I was dying to try this mysterious grape nut pie. Well, it was a long day at the diner and I'm wiped. Here's another fifty bucks," Deja said, sliding her hand out of her pocket and held the money out to him.
Austin eyed the money in surprise and grabbed it. With the new developments going on, he had completely forgotten about that. "Thanks, Deja. That's a hundred already. You must be making decent tips."
"Yeah, I do. Not my first rodeo at waitressing. I'm giving you most of it so we have that settled right away and then I'll start saving for my own place. Night, Austin," Deja said, turning around quickly to walk out of the living room.
"Do you have your tire iron?" Austin asked. She made it to the foot of the steps when he said it.
She turned around slowly. "You still don't trust me?"
"I don't know this Kevin guy very well yet. I haven't really talked to Sophie about him because I know she probably doesn't want to. He doesn't know the lay of the house. At least, I'm assuming he doesn't. It's somewhat odd Sophie didn't take the master bedroom. If he would break in, I imagine the first place he would think to look for her is there. I just want to make sure you have your weapon handy in case...you know in case anything happens," Austin said, the concern evident in his eyes so she wouldn't be mistaken. He stood up, his hands fidgety by his sides. "I think you've earned my trust."
"Umm...wow. Yeah, I do. It's in my bedroom."
"Good. Keep it close by. Holler out if you need me tonight." Austin gave her a small smile, still fidgeting with his hands. "Thanks for last night. Making Sophie feel happy, you know, forgetting about him. You're a good friend."
"And you're a good man. I guess Sophie's the luckiest out of both of us," Deja replied.
"I guess so. Goodnight, Deja."
Deja nodded and turned around. She made it halfway up the stairs when Austin said, "By the way, Emmett sucks at cards. You're gonna get a run for your money when you play with me."
Deja glanced behind her shoulder and grinned wide. "You're on, big talker. I hate to take more of your money, but at least I wouldn't be stealing it this time." She kept climbing the stairs, her laughter floating down the staircase.
Austin couldn't help but laugh with her as he walked into the kitchen. Sophie stood at the sink, swaying her hips to, well, he assumed a song in her head since he heard no music himself. He would never get enough of her cuteness or how she made him feel, what she did to his heart with one sweet smile. She turned her head when he wrapped his arms around her.
"Are you almost done with the dishes? Can't they wait until tomorrow? I'm ready for bed," he whispered against her neck, kissing her just beneath her ear.
"You've been ready for bed since this morning. I hate dirty dishes sitting in the sink. I should have done them right away instead of lounging on the couch."
"What? You didn't like lounging with me," he said, giving her another kiss just below the first one he delivered.
"I did. But if I would've done them right away, we could be cuddling in bed right now." Sophie grabbed the last plate and shivered in his arms when he kissed her again, just below the last kiss. "You should really stop doing that."
"Why? Don't you like it?" he whispered in her ear, pressing another soft kiss just below her ear. "I guess I didn't do it right. Let me start from the beginning."
She dropped the plate and turned around in his arms. She grabbed his head with her soapy hands and kissed him soundly on the mouth. He tried to deepen it with his tongue, demanding entrance, but she refused to let him in. She pulled her mouth away and wiped her hands down his chest.
"You're all wet now. Go change and I'll meet you in bed."
"Fine. You win," he sighed, wiping the water from his face even as he smiled at her. "I'll let Axel out and I'll meet you upstairs. Don't be too long or I'm gonna put my foot down on not finishing the dishes."
"I have one plate left, that's it," Sophie said, turning back around to finish it. A soft kiss hit her neck and then nothing but air.
***
She heard him walk out and call out for Axel. She quickly finished the last plate and placed it next to all the other dishes drying in the drip-dry. Normally she liked to dry them all and put them away, but tonight she would let it go. His light kisses had ignited her body and she wanted more. She wanted all of him.
Completely ready.
Maybe he thought it would be like all the other nights where they just kissed and went to bed. How did she tell him she wanted more? Did she just come out and say it? Did she show him? She didn't know how to show him.
As she placed a towel over the dishes, her hands trembling, she wondered how she could dispel the nerves. What happens if he didn't want her like that? Shaking her head at that silliness, she turned the light off in the kitchen. Of course, he wanted her like that. Only the nerves talking.
She checked the front door, even knowing that Austin locked it, and walked to the stairs. As she took each step, the urge to turn around came over her every time. What if she did it wrong? She didn't look like all those other women he's had. She could never live up to them and what they offered him. He was going to hate her. He would be disgusted with her.
She could never satisfy Kevin, he always—
Stop! She took a deep breath as she stood just outside of the bedroom door and tried to push all those nasty thoughts out.
Austin was not Kevin. He liked kissing her, touching her. He said so all the time. He whispered such wonderful words to her every time he touched her. That's what she needed to think about. She took another deep breath and stepped inside the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed taking his clothes off.
"That was quick. Thank goodness. I'm glad that last plate wasn't too dirty," he said with a grin. "Lock the door."
Sophie glanced at the door and slowly locked it. "You still don't trust Deja?"
Austin hopped into bed, clothes off except for his boxers. He gently patted her side of the bed, a tender look in his eyes. "Come to bed, Sophie. We'll talk."
Sophie changed earlier into her PJ's, a simple shirt and thin sweats, and climbed into bed. He didn't wait for her to tentatively scoot closer to him. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to his body. "I trust Deja. I think she's earned it."
She savored his soft touch, his warm heat. "Why are we locking the bedroom door?"
"Not the conversation I want to have right now, but we haven't talked about it since I got home. If Kevin breaks in, at least he has to go through a locked door first," Austin said softly, pressing her closer as a shiver rushed through her. "I won't let him hurt you again."
"I know. I don't think he would break in. That sort of thing is beneath him."
"But you don't know that. He always had you within his reach and now he doesn't. You didn't hear him on the phone like I did. He might knock on the door first and try talking to you face to face, but when that doesn't work, don't think he'll be beneath breaking and entering. I heard the anger…the deep anger in his voice. I don't need to know anything that he did to you because I can guess just from what I heard. You have no idea the restraint I had to control not to walk over there and show him some pain."
Sophie put a hand to his cheek. "Please don't do that, Austin. I don't want to see you get hurt. He's a dangerous man."
"I can be dangerous, too," Austin said with a grin, turning his face a little to press a kiss onto her palm that held his cheek.
Sophie gave him a small smile. "I do believe that. I don't mean he's dangerous just physically, but—"
He put a finger to her lips. "Peter told me all about him. He's got money, he's got status, he's got a damn stick up his ass and I'm about to shove it higher right through his damn throat. I don't care who he is. He will not touch you again. He will not touch the woman I love."
Austin rubbed his finger across her lips. "I know what I told you when we first met. But I was wrong. I said I didn't want love, but I do now. I love you, Sophie. I love every part about you, even the hard parts. I finally figured out that's what love is. Working through the hard parts of life with that one special person. I'm sure there's a slew of things I don't know. That's okay. That's okay if you never want to tell me. I will still love you. I will still love you if you share it with me and it's the most horrible thing in the world. Nothing in this world will change what I feel about you. Nothing."
"Buying the house next to you was the best damn thing I ever did. Finding Axel on your doorstep and knocking late at night was another good thing I did. Just meeting you was the best thing to ever happen in my life. That man can't hurt us. I won't let him. And I'm not talking physical harm, I'm talking about this," Austin said, tapping her head lightly.
"He has no control over you anymore. Don't let him think he does. If you start to hear his voice in your head, think of mine instead. Just think of me. Remember, I will make you forget him, I promise. He can't hurt us."
"He does randomly pop up every so often. But I can make it go away much faster now. I do think of you. I...I trust you," Sophie said as she scooted closer to him even though she was already nestled as close as she could. "I have forgotten him."
"I don't think so," Austin said, tenderly, brushing a hand over her hair and lightly down her back. "You just said he randomly pops up."
"Okay, maybe not completely. When you were gone, when I laid in bed at night, I thought of you, not him. I'm not good at this stuff, Austin. I don't know how to say it or...or what to do," Sophie whispered.
"What are you talking about? Good at what stuff? I think we're pretty good at communicating. Quite good, actually. I've never been so open with a woman before."
"That's not what I'm talking about. I wasn't talking about talking. I was talking about...this," Sophie said, as she took her hand that rested on his chest and slid it down right to the edge of his boxers.
She heard his intake of breath as she broke the barrier between cotton and skin, sliding her hand down to his heat, cupping him in a way she never had before. He always touched, explored, made her tingle in delight. She never had the bravery to try—until now.
She moved her hand down the length of him and back up, hearing another sharp intake of his breath.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're good at it, Sophie. If you don't stop touching me, I might not last long," he said in a ragged breath.
She bit her bottom lip with a smile mingled in and slowly moved her hands again. He moved with her, igniting her to slowly rub her hand against his length again.
"Oh, Sophie, please stop," he moaned, closing his eyes.
"Really?" she asked with a smile. He moved his hips as she stroked her hands up and down. "You really want me to stop? You don't like it?"
He started to answer her when she increased the pace, grabbing harder and a little faster, another ragged moan escaping his lips instead.
"You always want to know what I like, Austin. I want to know what you like. Tell me," she whispered, leaning closer to him. She kissed his neck as she continued the steady pace.
She started to slow down when he didn't answer, her hand stopping on his tip, then rubbing back down in a tender caress.
"I like it all. Don't stop," he said, barely getting the words out.
She smiled as she continued her torture on him. His boxers made it difficult sometimes to get a good grip, so she quickly divulged him of those. She threw them to the floor, picking up where she left off, increasing the pace, slowing the pace, and matching each movement he gave her. She loved it all.
She slowly trailed kisses from his neck to nibble on his ear, and whispered, "And to think I worried about doing
it wrong. You're putty in my hands."
***
He felt so close to exploding, knowing when she uttered those words that she was absolutely right. Complete putty in her hands. He would do anything for her. Let her do anything to him. But he didn't want it to end like this. Now he knew what she meant when she said I have forgotten him. He couldn't be happier that she'd finally forgotten it all. He was forgetting himself as he met her stroke for stroke.
Her small kisses on his neck and the slower movement of her hand made him remember what he really wanted to do. He grabbed her hand to stop her and brought it above her head as he rolled her over and rested against her body in the most delicious spot. "My turn."
"I wasn't done. I enjoyed doing that. Wasn't I doing it right?" she asked, suddenly nervous.
He let her hand go, slowly caressing her body as he brought his hands to the hem of her shirt. "Oh, Sophie, you did it just right. So right that I would have made a huge mess on your hand." He chuckled as her face bloomed a deep red. "But I want to be with you, inside you. I want to feel the pleasure together. Is that okay?"
She nodded as he grabbed her shirt, bringing it up and over her head. He tossed it on the floor, taking a good look at her gorgeous body. He bent down and took her nipple into his mouth, sucking, nipping, and kissing it just the way he knew she liked. She shivered beneath him as he continued to caress and kiss her breasts. He suckled hard on her nipple, making a path to her other one where he started all over showing her just how much she made him feel.
He took his time kissing and nibbling, barely moving his mouth from her breasts, enjoying the tiny movements she made as he hit a spot she really liked. As he devoured her, he felt her hands run down his back to rest on his butt and grab. She grabbed hard, digging her fingers in and pressed up into him as she moaned in delight. It was the first time she ever touched him back, taking from him, almost begging him for more. It made him harder than he could ever imagine. Almost to the point of pain.
Trust In Love (A McCord Family Novel Book 2) Page 19