She clung to him, hating herself for being so weak. “This is so stupid!” She rubbed her face angrily. “I’m forty-three years old! I have a degree and I used to have a good job and now I’m running from place to place—God. I hate him.”
John held her tighter. “He’s not going to bother you here, I promise.”
Even as he said the words, Liselle snorted. “You can’t promise that.”
“Yes, I can. He has no idea where I live. You’re safe here.” He handed her a tissue.
She blew her nose and took deep breaths. “I guess I’m just really angry.”
He nodded. “What did you do for a living?”
“You mean before? When I thought he would never find me?” She wiped her eyes. Her thigh throbbed and she really just wanted to go to sleep and forget about all this, but John deserved to know.
“I have a degree in finance and marketing. I used to do the accounts for a big software company in California.” She threw the dirty tissue on the floor. John didn’t even flinch. Strong man. “Now I’m lucky if I can get a job waitressing.”
He ran a thumb over her lips and kissed her, soft and quick. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not! You know I had my name changed, legally?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Liselle isn’t your real name?”
She shook her head. “It is now. It’s the name I chose for myself when I ran away to go to college. I changed it the day I turned eighteen. And then I changed it again, and again, and it never mattered.”
“Is Liselle Parker your legal name now?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I figured, what’s the point changing it when my dad and Matt always found me somehow? And I didn’t want to give either of them the satisfaction of taking away from me the first thing I ever gave myself. I chose that name. It was mine.”
He smiled, green eyes so bright they hurt her heart. “I think it’s a beautiful name.”
She laughed, feeling better for some reason. “It was my grandmother’s name. My mother’s mother.”
“Good,” he said, shifting the covers up over her hips.
“Where are you going?” she asked, grabbing his arm. She didn’t want him to go.
He smoothed the pillows under her head. “I’m not going anywhere. But it’s late. You should get some sleep.”
She frowned, so tired that what he was saying didn’t make sense. “Where are you going to sleep?”
He stood up. “I’ll just be downstairs on the couch.”
“Don’t go,” she said before she could think about what she was asking.
He paused, about to walk away. “Liselle, you need to rest.”
She flushed. “I know. Just … stay.” She yawned, suddenly.
He looked at her for a long moment, then began unbuttoning his shirt. “All right.”
Liselle watched him undress, slipping off his jeans. He was as beautiful as she remembered: thick muscles, soft sprinkling of hair on his chest. She wished she had the energy to do more than look. He sat on the bed to take off his socks.
“You took my clothes off, didn’t you?” she asked sleepily.
“Yeah. You looked pretty uncomfortable.” He slid into the bed next to her wearing just his boxers.
“Thank you,” she whispered, turning her head into his shoulder. He was warm and smelled good. For the first time in months she felt her body completely relax, despite the pain in her leg.
“You’re welcome,” he said, his soft voice following her down into sleep.
John opened his eyes at six a.m., right around the time his alarm usually went off. The sun was barely up, but the soft click of the air conditioning flicking on told him that it was going to be hot outside again. He turned his head. Liselle was still asleep, her hair spread out over the pillow like a sleek, fragrant blanket. It was a little shorter than it had been back in February, but there was still enough to play with. He picked up a lock, fingering it. Soft. When she stirred, he froze.
“John?” she murmured, snuggling into his shoulder. The comforter fell down over her hip, exposing the faded cotton of her panties. For some reason, the shabby look was even sexier than if she’d been wearing expensive silk. Her skin was pale, but at least she didn’t look gray anymore. He ran his fingers down her hip, enjoying the way she felt under his palms. His cock was half-hard and well on its way to full erection as he closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet scent of her.
“Time is it?” she asked, sounding sleepy and adorable.
“Not time to get up yet,” he replied, only partially honest. He had to get up, soon, and get to work. But I can go in a little late, he thought. I own the company, and the guys know where to go this morning without me babysitting them. They had a job renovating an old general store in the next town over, and today they were working on tearing up the worn subfloor so that they could install new tiles. The crew could get started without him for once. He slid his hand up under Liselle’s shirt and settled his fingers over the curve of her waist. She was so warm and pretty. He wanted to close his eyes and bury himself in her forever.
“John?” She squirmed a little.
He kissed her forehead, then her mouth. “Mmmm.”
She smiled against his lips. “Kiss me.”
He smiled back and did as she asked, licking into her with more passion than was strictly necessary this early in the day. When she moaned into his mouth, he decided that he didn’t care. She panted when he ran his teeth down her jaw, but stiffened when she moved her thigh.
“Hmmm, don’t move,” he said, placing a hand on her stomach. She’d rolled to her back and had a little wrinkle in the center of her forehead. Her leg and bruised arm were probably sore. “Let me do all the work.”
“I’m never going to get to play with you, am I?” she asked.
He laughed and kissed down her neck, mouthing over her collarbone. She shivered and he could see that her nipples had pebbled up beneath the t-shirt.
“It’s not a tit-for-tat thing, you know,” he said, sliding his hand up until he could palm over her breast. She was so soft, so sexy. He loved that she didn’t starve herself trying to be perfectly skinny. She had curves and a little bit of a stomach. He slid the shirt up and kissed her bellybutton.
“Why are you kissing my fat?” she asked, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. “I’m not twenty anymore, no need to dwell on my belly roll.”
He grinned and bit her gently, then laved his tongue over the spot. “I love how soft and curvy you are.” When he looked up, she was staring down at him. Clearly she didn’t believe a word he said. “You don’t think I’m serious?”
She rolled her eyes. “Guys don’t like fat.”
He snorted. “You’re not fat. And please, I think my cock likes you just fine.” He rolled away and stripped off his boxers. “See?” He stroked himself, then angled closer so he could rub the crown of his dick against her hip. God, that felt good.
“Jesus, John.” Her eyes had gone dark. She watched him touch himself with deep fascination.
He smiled and stroked himself some more. “My body likes how you look.”
She licked her lips. John groaned, squeezing himself painfully. He wanted to put himself in her mouth and watch her lips stretch out over his cock. He had to close his eyes for a second to talk himself down from the edge. When he had himself back under control, he tugged on her shirt.
“Off,” he said.
She lifted her arms and let him wrestle the shirt off. He threw it over the side of the bed, not giving a shit where it landed. Her full breasts bounced and he immediately latched onto one, nibbling and sucking at her until she writhed.
“John, God. That feels so good.” She had her hands in his hair.
He licked at her, then switched to the other breast. She slung her uninjured leg around his hip and ground against him. She was so wet he could feel it through her underwear.
“Hang on,” he murmured, letting her nipple escape his mouth. He scooted down and peeled off her pantie
s. Her mound was pink and sleek. He bent down and kissed her clit, teasing her with his tongue. Her back arched off the bed. He closed his eyes and let himself go, sucking and licking until he felt her fluttering into a climax around his tongue. When he lifted his head, she was staring at him, eyes half-closed and dazed.
“That’s just the beginning,” he promised.
She blinked.
He had to laugh at how adorable she looked, then groaned as she moved her leg, bumping his cock. He was so hard it hurt.
“Come up here,” she said, hands on his hips. She slid her palms down over his ass as he straddled her, his cock jutting out. She urged him closer and he complied, until he was over her torso.
She licked her lips and he bit back a moan as she pulled him closer. He fell down onto his hands as she slid a finger up his dick.
“You’re so hot. All flushed and hard for me,” she said, fisting him. He looked down, shuddering as her small hand jacked him. The crown popped up through her fingers, shiny with his pre-cum.
“Liselle, fuck. Don’t stop,” he gritted out as she stopped to play over the head. She thumbed the slit thoughtfully, then tilted him down, licking gently.
“I want to suck you,” she said, trying to scoot up.
“Hell, I’m not going to argue with you if you want to blow me.” She laughed and he helped her up, fluffing the pillows behind her head until he could thrust into her mouth. When she was situated just right, he gently rocked his hips, watching the tip of his erection disappear between her pink lips.
“Fuck,” he breathed. She smiled up at him through her lashes and he shook as she sucked, hard. He almost lost it when she reached down to play with his balls.
“Sensitive?” she asked, letting him pop out.
He nodded, then took her hand and urged it down further. “Press up here,” he said, showing her the spot behind his testicles that felt so good.
She licked him and took him in her mouth again, simultaneously pressing up. He jerked, fucking her mouth.
“Sorry, sorry,” he said, backing off. He didn’t want to hurt her.
“For what?” she asked. She had one fist around his dick and the other between his legs.
“Don’t want to hurt you,” he managed, locking his thighs. His hands were clenched in the sheets.
“You won’t,” she said, blue eyes luminous in the early morning light. “I won’t let you.” She sucked him in again and he shivered, holding himself perfectly still. That is, until she reached a finger back and teased at his hole.
“Liselle, God, what—” he broke off when she slid it into him. He wasn’t expecting that, but it felt incredible.
“Is this okay?” she asked.
He nodded, grunting as pleasure rocketed through him. She grinned and sucked him down while she played with his ass. Her finger bumped against his prostate and he moaned, legs trembling He hadn’t had anyone do this to him in a long time, but he wasn’t going to stop her. She slid the finger in and out, and he thought she must have used her own arousal as a lube, because there was no way she could do that so easily otherwise. The thought of that, of her slickness spread all over him was what pushed him over the edge. He cried out, cock jerking. He watched her eyes widen, and then she was swallowing. The sensation of her throat working sent another wave of pleasure through him and he ground his teeth trying not to move while he had the most mind-blowing orgasm imaginable. When it was finally all over, he had to unclench his fingers from his sheets. His hands ached, he’d gripped so hard. He collapsed down next to her, exhausted. She snuggled into his shoulder.
“I like waking up like this,” he said, kissing her head.
She laughed. “Yeah, I bet.”
He smirked, running a hand up and down her arm. “I have to go to work soon.”
“I figured.”
He let himself drift for a few minutes, enjoying the afterglow. When the slant of sunlight hit the dresser, he sighed. He really needed to get moving.
“Beth is going to come by,” he said, heaving himself out of the bed.
Liselle blinked at him, yawning. “Beth? She knows I’m here?”
He nodded, grabbing a pair of clean jeans from his dresser. “Yeah. She liked the postcards you sent, by the way. She thought she could come keep you company, especially since your ankle is still probably sore. I think you have a mild sprain, though it doesn’t seem to be swelling.”
Liselle grimaced. “Yeah, I twisted it getting off the bus at the last stop. I could tell it wasn’t serious, but it hurt. I was so tired and I forgot to eat, and then I fell asleep at the motel. The next thing I knew—”
John interrupted. “You couldn’t get up. You were lucky the guy who owned the motel was a nice person.”
She nodded, eyes sober. “I know.” She sat up suddenly, wincing when the movement jarred her arm. “I didn’t pay him! Shit.”
John sat on the bed. “Relax. I paid him. It’s okay.”
She stared at him. “I’ll pay you back. I promise.”
He smiled, understanding that if he offered to foot the bill, she would be upset. “I know. It’s okay.”
She sighed, flopping back down on the bed. “I hate this.”
“Hey, hey, stop it. You’re messing with the afterglow,” he teased, tweaking her nose.
She glared at his fingers, eyes crossing. He laughed and kissed her.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Yeah, okay.”
“Relax. Sleep some more. I’ll bring you some juice and a muffin. Beth isn’t coming until eleven or so.”
She smiled, eyes closed. “I could get used to this.”
He stopped, hands on his clothes. He wished she would get used to it. He wanted her to stay. Jesus. Wasn’t that a fucking epiphany, right when he didn’t expect it. He cleared his throat. “I could too,” he said softly.
Chapter Eight
Liselle woke slowly, stretching carefully. She felt a lot better than she had last night, or even early this morning. Her thigh wasn’t throbbing and her arm was slightly less tender. Her ankle still hurt, but she could walk on it if she was careful. She’d even managed to take a shower and replace the bandage on her thigh just after John had left. The food he’d brought her had also helped.
She rolled over, enjoying the way John’s shirt smelled as she ducked her face into the neckline. She could have put on her own clothes, but stealing a new shirt from him proved irresistible. From the other side of the bed Pitbull gave an irritated meow and glared at her.
“Yeah, I know, I’ll stop with the moving,” she said, sliding a hand down his soft fur.
He gave a soft sigh and went back to sleep.
“Hello? Anyone home? Or awake?”
Liselle jerked in surprise, hissing as the sharp movement strained her sore ankle. The cat huffed and crawled under John’s pillow.
“Beth? Is that you?” she called out, hoping to God it was. She hadn’t even heard the door open.
“Aunt Liselle! You’re upstairs? Yeah, it’s me.”
Liselle hurriedly rolled back over and pulled the comforter up over her bare legs just in time. Beth’s head appeared as she reached the top of the stairs a second later.
“Hey! You look a lot better than Uncle John said you did,” the girl said, striding over to the bed. She plunked herself down, smiling so big Liselle wondered if it didn’t hurt her face a little.
“What’s got you so chipper?” she asked, grinning. She couldn’t help herself. She was so happy to see her, especially when she didn’t think she’d ever be able to again, at least not this soon. A brief pang of worry surfaced—what if her father found her here?—but she pushed it aside. John said it would be okay, and she really wanted to believe him.
“You’re here!” Beth bounced a little on the bed.
Liselle laughed. “I’m here. Your uncle took good care of me.”
Beth’s face abruptly sobered. “I can’t believe you got hurt like that.”
Liselle looked away. What could she say? You
r grandfather is a maniac? Yeah, that would go over real well. “I’m okay.”
“John said I should come and cheer you up.” Beth frowned, then plucked at the comforter. “My dad hit me once.”
Liselle’s gut clenched. “What?” Her brother had been such an asshole. She felt a fierce sense of relief that he was dead. She refused to feel guilty for it.
Beth shrugged. “He slapped me when I tried to get him to leave my mom alone. They were fighting. That’s when my mom threw him out.”
“Oh my God,” Liselle said, horrified. “I’m so sorry. I went to the cops more than once, you know. I tried to get him arrested, but filing a report doesn’t really do much good.” Suddenly, she wished he were still alive so she could smash his face in. A lot.
Beth smiled. “It’s okay. He wasn’t around when I was growing up. When he showed up, I was so happy. My mom was surprised, but she seemed cool with him moving in.” She grimaced. “She said he’d left her when she got pregnant with me and never expected him to appear out of the blue like that.”
Liselle pinched the bridge of her nose. “My brother was an evil, horrible person.”
“Yeah. But I didn’t know that and neither did my mom, not really. She thought he was a loser, but she didn’t know he was abusive.” Beth bit her lip. “He drank a lot. And he was always mad.”
“I’m glad he’s dead,” Liselle said fiercely, unable to stop herself. How could her brother have hurt this beautiful, innocent girl? God.
Beth looked startled. “I though I was the only one who felt like that. I felt so bad for thinking he was better off dead.”
“Oh, no. Don’t ever feel bad that he’s dead, Beth. You deserve so much better than him. Your uncle is a better father to you than my brother ever could have been.” She hugged the girl, upset that someone she shared blood with could ever be so evil.
“It’s okay. Uncle John took care of him,” Beth said, hugging her back just as tightly.
“What do you mean?” Liselle asked. All she knew was that her brother had died because he got in a fight, which hadn’t surprised her at all.
Beth pulled back. “Didn’t he tell you?”
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