by Penelope Sky
I kept a straight face, not amused by any of this.
“Maybe I like gargoyles.” Vanessa moved her hand to my thigh under the table and pressed up against me, displaying that playfulness in her eyes that I loved. “He’s definitely hard like one.” She moved her hand across my chest over my t-shirt.
I loved it when Vanessa touched me, regardless of the context.
“Does he talk when you guys are alone?” Theron asked. “Because I’ve rarely heard Bones say a few sentences without the words kill and blood in them.”
“Or pussy,” Shane added.
“Yeah,” Theron added. “It’s either sex or murder with this guy.”
I didn’t tell them to knock it off because that made me look like a pussy. I just let the jokes fly, not caring what Vanessa thought of them. They weren’t saying anything she didn’t already know. I’d killed as many people as I’d fucked.
“He says a lot of things,” Vanessa said. “He makes me food because I don’t know how to cook. He enjoys my artwork. He tells me I’m beautiful first thing in the morning…and he tells me he loves me.”
The guys immediately blanched at that last comment, all shocked.
Max was shocked the most.
I didn’t care that she shared that information with all of them. I had nothing to be ashamed of. I loved a woman, and I wasn’t afraid to say it. Men who didn’t wear their hearts on their sleeves were the ones who had something to be ashamed of. A truly strong man wasn’t afraid of anything—even his feelings.
Vanessa turned quiet, picking up on the tension that settled in the room. She pulled her hand away, like she regretted what she said the moment it came out of her mouth.
Shane turned to me, his shock slowly fading away before a grin formed on his face. “Bones is whipped…”
“You’re one to talk,” I shot back.
Shane shrugged. “Yeah, but we established that years ago. Didn’t think this would ever happen to you.”
“That makes two of us.” My arm moved around Vanessa’s shoulders, and I pulled her into my side. “But it has, and this woman makes me happy. So you guys can go ahead and tease me about it, but you’re wasting your time because I don’t give a shit. When this little get-together is over, I’m going to head home with my woman and forget this conversation ever happened. I’ll be too busy with her to think about you.”
Max chuckled before he drank his beer. “Alright, we’ll stop talking shit.”
“So, this is serious, then?” Theron asked. “Is she your second?”
A second meant if something happened to me, the rest of them were responsible for taking care of her as long as they lived. Shane’s wife was his second, and it was understood we would all look out for her if he died. And if it ever came down to choosing him or her, we would always save the woman over the man. Shane was the only one with a second since the rest of us had been more interested in whores and easy lays than long-term relationships. “Yes, she is.”
Max’s smile fell, and he turned serious.
Theron and Shane both had the same expression, understanding the significance of what I said.
There was a time when I wanted nothing more than to kill Vanessa. Now I wanted to protect her from everything in this world, protect her even if I wasn’t living anymore. I wanted the guys to treat her the way we treated Shane’s wife, with nothing but the utmost respect and protectiveness. “I’m glad we got that straightened out.”
I drove back to my place, Vanessa sitting on the middle seat beside me. She slipped off her heels because they were killing her feet. My arm was draped over her shoulders, and she rested her body against mine.
I’d given her my jacket because she was cold—like I knew she would be. The baggy leather surrounded her, hiding her curves in that skintight black dress. Of course, everyone stared at her because of the hot piece of ass that she was, but once my gaze landed on them, they didn’t make the mistake of looking at her again.
“Can I ask you something?” Her legs were crossed, and her hand rested on my thigh. We kept the music off and drove in silence.
I wasn’t angry about anything the guys had said. Everything exchanged in the conversation was true. I was just quiet and brooding because that was how I always was, naturally cold and aggressive. “Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Ask if you can ask. You know I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
She rested her cheek against my chest. “What does it mean to be your second?”
“Do you know what next of kin means?”
“Yes.”
“It’s like that. You’re my second, meaning you’re the most important person to me. If I die, it’s their job to look after you as long as one of them is still living. And if we’re ever in a bad situation and they can only save one of us, they’re supposed to save you and let me die.”
She stilled against me, absorbing my words like a sponge that just soaked up its full capacity of water.
“Shane has a wife, so she’s his second. If he ever goes on a job and doesn’t come back, we’ll always look after her. We’ll protect her with our lives and die for her if we have to. She’s a pretty cool chick, so I don’t mind.”
“I don’t know what to say…”
“There’s no reason to say anything. Those guys are my family, even when they’re assholes. I know I can always count on them. It gives me peace of mind knowing they’ll look after you if I’m not around.”
She turned quiet as she moved tighter into my side, cuddling into me like we were lying in bed instead of sitting in a truck.
We didn’t say anything else on the drive home.
When we returned to my place, we took the elevator to the top floor and stepped inside.
Vanessa dropped her heels by the door and immediately unzipped the back of her dress.
I moved to the couch, expecting her to do as I asked. I wanted her on my lap, her tiny pussy taking my enormous cock.
She stood in front of me and let the silky dress fall to the floor, leaving her in just her black thong.
My arms rested on the back of the couch on either side of me, my cock practically bursting through the front of my jeans. I stared her down, commanding her to straddle my hips without saying a single word.
She reached into her hair and undid the pins, making her black strands fall around her shoulders.
I’d never seen a more beautiful woman in my life. She had an hourglass frame, womanly hips, a tiny waist, and perky tits I’d love to fuck sometime. She had a small belly button and flawless skin I loved to kiss. The scar on her shoulder disrupted her perfection, but I thought it made her look better. She’d survived horrific things, and she was stronger because of those experiences. She was fearless and strong, beautiful.
But she didn’t come closer to me, keeping her distance so she was out of my reach.
“Baby.” I commanded her with only the use of her name. I was getting harder by the second as I stared at her, this beautiful goddess in my living room. It was unfortunate I fell in love with my enemy, but there was no woman I wanted more.
She carried her body with perfect elegance, holding my gaze when most women would flinch in fear. “I want you to make love to me.” Her long legs led to small feet. She was barefoot on the hardwood floor, but the arch in her heels was noticeable. She partly whispered her words, making them sultry and sexy.
I’d fucked her so hard that morning, pounding into her pussy with enough force to break it. I loved taking her ruthlessly, fucking her like every man should fuck a woman. Lovemaking was novel to me, and she was the only woman I’d ever made love to. It wasn’t hard or fast, but I still enjoyed it.
When I didn’t move, she spoke again. “Please.”
Bumps formed on my arms when I heard her beg. I had never been the kind of man who made a woman beg, but I liked hearing the plea in her voice. I rose to my full height and pulled my black t-shirt over my head. I tossed it onto the coffee table as I walked
toward her, my jeans snug because the monster in my shorts was at full length. I scooped Vanessa into my arms and wrapped her legs around my waist as I carried her down the hallway.
Her arms circled my neck, and she pressed her forehead to mine, breathing deeply with me. I could feel the wetness in her panties against my stomach. I could feel the way she shook because she wanted me so much.
I carried her into my bedroom and dropped her on the foot of the bed. My hands wanted to yank her panties off, but instead, I pulled them down her long legs slowly. I opened her thighs and pressed a soft kiss to her wet folds, making her nipples harden in reaction. She moaned quietly in response, loving my hot kiss.
I got my jeans and boxers off so my cock could finally be free. I watched the desire in her eyes, watched the way she panted for me even though my cock hadn’t even touched her yet. Her lips were parted like she needed my kiss just to stay alive.
“Griffin…” She reached for me, needing to get her hands on me.
I grabbed her hips and positioned her ass at the edge of the bed. She opened her legs wide for me and pulled her knees towards her ribs. My hands sank into the mattress on either side of her, and I pressed the head of my cock against her wet folds.
Her hands finally touched my skin, caressing the hard muscles of my chest. Her hands dragged down until she reached the bottom of my eight-pack. Her fingers wrapped around my hard length, and she directed me inside her, wanting my cock as quickly as she could get it. She inhaled deeply when she felt me stretch her, biting her bottom lip as she enjoyed the pleasure and the pain.
I held myself directly on top of her and slid my cock inside until I was completely sheathed.
Her hands were in my hair and her lips were on mine, devouring me now that she had my dick inside her. Passionate and fiery, she made love to my mouth with her lips, giving me her tongue before I even gave her mine.
I started to thrust inside her, to slide through her wetness. I moaned against her mouth because it felt so good, so unbelievable. This pussy was my heaven, the closest I would ever get to the pearly gates. I was damned to an eternity in hell, but I got to enjoy this angel while on this mortal plane.
“Griffin…” She spoke against my mouth in mid-kiss, breaking our embrace to breathe and moan.
I fucked her with deep and even strokes, giving her my entire length until my balls tapped against her ass. It wasn’t about the speed or aggression, just the connection between our souls. Mine was black and broken, but when we were together, she loaned me her glow, her brightness.
“I love you,” she said into my mouth. “I love you so damn much.” Her hand cupped my face as she kissed me, her lips trembling with the words.
I was buried deep inside the woman who’d stolen my heart. I never wanted to love her, but she forced me to. I wanted to kill her and forget about her. But she clawed at my chest until she made her way inside. Now, I was desperately and hopelessly in love with this gorgeous woman, a woman I’d vowed would always be my enemy. Now, I would lay down my life to keep her safe. I would do anything she wanted, to make her happy. My cock had made a home inside her pussy, and I never wanted to leave. I loved the way she loved me, the way she accepted me for exactly who I was. I was no good for her, trash in comparison to what she deserved, but she loved me anyway. Even if this didn’t last forever, she still wanted to live in this moment with me. She still wanted to love me as long as she could. “I love you too, baby.”
Eight
Vanessa
I packed my bag with all my clothes then pulled the strap over my shoulder. It was Saturday morning, and I had to hurry home because my mom and Sapphire would be picking me up in a few hours.
Bones wouldn’t be happy about it.
Even when I went to the bathroom, he wanted to know where I was going and how long I would take.
Because he was a psychopath like that.
I walked down the hall and found him sitting on the couch with the TV on, his chest bare and his eyes fixated on his phone. Anytime he was home, he never wore a shirt, only sweatpants—which worked out well for me.
“Hey.” I set my bag by the door and turned to him.
He took one look at the bag before his eyes narrowed like a bear about to claw something to death. He locked his phone and tossed it onto the cushion beside him without looking at what he was doing. “What do you think you’re doing?” He spoke quietly, but the hostility in his voice was unmistakable.
When he’d said he would be more protective and territorial, he wasn’t exaggerating. His attitude seemed to get worse with every passing day, becoming more potent after every session of lovemaking. He slowly owned more of me until there was nothing left to acquire. “I need to head back to my place—”
“Why? Everything you need is here. If you need art supplies, I can pick them up for you.”
“That’s not why. My family is coming by my apartment in a few hours.”
He kept up his hostile stare, like that didn’t mean a damn thing to him.
“So I need to leave.”
“Why?”
“I just told you why,” I said with a sigh.
“You just saw them—”
“I’ll be back later tonight, alright?” I countered. “You can argue with me all you want, but I’m leaving. Sapphire is picking out her wedding dress today, and my mom and I are coming along. I’m really excited, and I know it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Bones still looked pissed. “She can’t pick out her own clothes?”
I rolled my eyes and walked to the elevator. “I guess I’ll take a taxi, then.”
He growled from behind me as he rose to his feet. “Just until tonight, right?”
“Yes.” I turned back around, glad he’d changed his attitude. “It’s only for a day. It’s not any different than me being down the hall working on my paintings.”
“It’s nothing like that,” he said coldly. “I can’t stand in the doorway and watch you when you think I’m not looking.”
“You do that?”
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing on my face.
I knew he wouldn’t answer me, but he didn’t need to answer me. “So, you’ll give me a ride?”
“Like I’d let my baby get there on her own.” He turned away to grab his shirt and pull it over his head.
I’d never get tired of listening to him call me baby. I hated it in the beginning, but now it fit me like a second skin.
He grabbed his keys and picked up my bag from the floor, hoisting it over his shoulder as he hit the button for the elevator.
I extended my hand. “I can carry that.”
All he did was give me a violent glare.
“Okay…never mind.”
We rode the elevator down to the bottom and got into his truck. He drove ten minutes to reach my apartment complex, and after he parked, he walked me to the front door with my bag over his shoulder. He pulled out his key and got the door unlocked.
“Okay…how did you get the landlord to give you that key?”
* * *
“Does it matter?” He walked inside and carried my bag to the bedroom.
“It does matter. I never gave you a key to my apartment. This is a relationship now, not a prisoner situation.” I followed him down the hall, watching his powerful shoulders shift and move as he walked.
“Alright.” He grabbed me by the wrist and forced my hand out. He set the key in the center of my palm and closed my fingers around it. “I’ve given you access to my place. You have the access code to come and go as you please. Come in the middle of the night and surprise me for all I care.” He turned my hand over then placed it on his open palm. “Now, give me your key.”
“You’re assuming I have to reciprocate just because you’ve given me permission to use your place.”
“You’d better reciprocate,” he said darkly. “Because whether I have a key or not, I can get into your apartment without a fuss. That’s why I hate it here. That’s why I ha
te letting you live here.”
“Letting me live here?” I asked coldly.
He stared me down, not retracting the statement he’d just made.
“You don’t let me do anything, let’s get that straight.”
“Baby.” He shook his head slightly. “I warned you. I warned you what would happen if we went down this road…”
“You said you would be protective of me, not controlling—”
“And you accepted those terms. I don’t mind this apartment when I’m here, but when you’re alone, I despise it. Don’t pretend you didn’t miss me every night when I was gone. And not because your pussy missed my come, but you missed having your guard dog around. You feel invincible with me. You used to feel strong before I came along, taking care of yourself with your head held high. But all that went to shit when you met me. You like my power, my protection, and my bulletproof muscles. I’m the only man you’ve allowed to take the lead. I’m the only man you’ve ever allowed to protect you. So let me do my fucking job.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling a million emotions at once. I was aroused by some of his comments, embarrassed by others, and almost humbled in total. I’d really become dependent on this man, dependent on someone for things I could do myself. But now I wanted someone to take care of me, when I’d never wanted that before.
He shoved the key into his pocket, ending the argument for good. “Text me when you get back. I’ll swing by and pick you up.”
“I’ll just drive over there myself.”
He gave me a terrifying look.
“If someone stops by my place and realizes I’m not home but my car is here, they might think something is wrong. If my parents or someone randomly stops by, I could at least say I’m out or something…”
Bones kept up the stare but didn’t argue with me.
“You should go. They’ll be here—”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Shit…” I whispered under my breath.