by Cali MacKay
Sucking her clit into my mouth, I flicked it with my tongue, loving how her hips tilted up to meet me, her fingers sinking into my hair as she tugged and pulled me close. I didn’t know a lot about her past, but if I had to guess, I’d say it been awhile since she was last with a man, her body far too tense and her pussy far too tight. And that suited me just fine, since I wanted to be the only one to claim her body, and I wanted my name to be the only one she was screaming in ecstasy.
Continuing to suck and tease her clit, I ran a finger through her folds, teasing her entrance before slipping my finger deep inside her. When her hips rocked up against me, I slid a second finger in, slowly finger fucking her until she was moaning out loud and I had her at my complete mercy. “Tell me what you want, sweetness. ’Cause I want to hear you beg… I want to have you screaming my name—and I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
I caught her clit between my teeth and flicked my tongue up against her swollen nub of flesh, loving how her words came tumbling out past her lips. “Please, Locke…please make me come. I’m so close…”
The desperation in her voice had me picking up my pace and pressing a finger against the tight pucker of her ass, my cock aching to have her, especially when her body quivered at my attentions and she cried out my name, her orgasm racing through her. Continuing to suck and tease her, I slowly pulled each needy little sigh and wave of pleasure from her sweet body, loving that I could offer her even just a moment’s escape.
“There’s no sound I’d rather hear than the sound of you coming, sweetness.”
I’d yet to catch my breath when he covered my mouth in a passionate kiss, and though I had just come, I wanted so much more. I could taste myself on him, his tongue clashing with mine as I reached down between us and freed his cock, even as he grabbed my hips and pulled me toward him and the edge of the counter, burying himself deep inside me with a single thrust.
I wanted to protest about him not using a condom, but his kisses silenced my thoughts, and as good as he felt with my body stretched tight around his steel-hard length, all I wanted was for him to fuck me and make me forget all my problems. And that was exactly what he did as I sat up, biting his neck while I draped my arms around his broad shoulders, holding onto him as he took me hard, each thrust pulling a needy whimper past my lips and offering me a distraction I was happy to lose myself in.
My clit was already so sensitive from having just come, and as big as he was, it would take him no time at all for him to have me coming again, especially when I could barely remember the last time I’d been with anyone. Even then…I’d only ever been with one guy. And Locke? Being with Locke was a completely different experience.
“Sweetness…bite me again, and you’re going to have me coming just like that.” I could hear the need in his voice, and there was a huge part of me that loved that I could have this sort of effect on him.
Though it was an insignificant thing, I liked that little bit of power. I’d felt helpless for so long—because of him and his family, no less—and it felt damn nice to have this hold on him.
Except that I knew that each time I was intimate with him, I was letting him get close to me in a way that would leave its mark long after he was gone, and it was already affecting me in ways I hadn’t anticipated. What little power I had on him was eliminated by the power he now had over me, even if it was the last thing I’d expected to happen.
I had come here to destroy him.
Instead, I found myself willingly submitting to whatever this was between us, and actually enjoying myself.
How fucked up was I for not just sleeping with Locke and letting him ravage my body, but coming harder than I’d ever had, time and again—and letting him come inside me, with nothing preventing me from getting pregnant?
What the hell was I doing here? Though a little voice inside my head knew the answer as to why I was taking such a risk—a baby would give me something to actually live for.
I must be insane.
But my body mocked me in answer as I teetered on the edge of yet another earth-shattering orgasm, as Locke pounded into me, my body stretched so tight around his thick length that trying to fight back the building energy was pointless.
And just like that, it felt like I shattered into a million pieces, my orgasm tearing through me as he joined me with a primal grunt, his cock pulsing deep inside me as he filled me with his cum, his mouth catching mine in a kiss that marked my soul and pulled at my heart.
As our breathing slowed, he covered my face in kisses, before finally pulling free of my body and helping me down off the kitchen island, his cum slipping free and onto my thighs. “I need to shower.”
And I needed to get the hell away from him.
This had been one giant-ass mistake from the very start.
It’s not like any of this would bring back my family. My sister…my parents…they’d still be gone, buried in a cold, dark grave. Nothing would give my sister the chance to live a full and happy life. Nothing would bring her back to me, so I could hold her in my arms. I wouldn’t ever again see my mom baking her famous cookies in the kitchen, nor get to have another late-night chat with her over cookies and milk as she waited for the last batch to finish baking. And I wouldn’t have my dad around to remind me that I had to get an oil change, nor would he be there to walk me down the aisle if I eventually got married.
“Hey, love…what’s going on? You okay?” Though Locke’s concern was touching, it didn’t matter when he was the source of my problems. And when he slipped his strong hand down my arm in a tender touch, sending my heart racing, it was just more evidence that I needed to abort my plan and put some distance between us, even if it meant I’d once again be all alone, with no one in my life.
“I’m fine. Just want to get cleaned up.”
But instead of simply letting me go, he scooped me up into his arms.
“Let me take care of you, Em.” He carried me as if I weighed nothing, despite my generous curves. “I know things seem hopeless—and I suspect you’re battling all sorts of demons as your memories try to resurface—but I have your back. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
Stepping into the large walk-in shower, he carefully lowered me to my feet, the tile cold against my soles. He slowly stripped away the rest of my clothing before ridding himself of his own and pulling me into his arms as he reached behind me and got the hot water running.
It was too damn easy to just stay there in the comfort and safety he afforded, my body fitting perfectly up against his as he held me close, the hot water pounding away my thoughts and the voices in my head that told me I was getting in too deep. I was weary and exhausted from fighting off the despair and anger that had haunted me these last few years, and even though Locke was supposed to be the source of my problems, the truth was, he’d been nothing but a safe haven.
He didn’t need to do any of this. He could have let the cops deal with me. He could have let me stay at a shelter, and let me deal with whoever was supposedly after me all on my own. Instead, he was lovingly shampooing my hair and washing my body with a gentle touch, caring for me both physically and emotionally, even though I’d been nothing but a complete stranger to him.
Except that now, we were far from being strangers, even if we still didn’t know each other.
Part of me was thinking I should just stick to my original plan and see if there was anything more to find out. Maybe it wasn’t Locke after all, but rather his family.
Just because Locke and his brother, Finn, seemed nice, didn’t necessarily mean that one of their other brothers wasn’t a coldhearted bastard. It could be that this had nothing to do with Locke, other than the fact that he was related by blood to the assholes who’d pushed my father to the brink—and after the intimacy I’d shared with Locke, I sure as hell hoped there was someone else to blame.
Hell…Locke may not even know what those members of his family were up to. Except that there was a part of me that knew ful
l well that he wasn’t stupid, and if something was going on, then he, at the very least, knew about it. And that made him just as guilty as the rest of them, if he did little to stop them from going after my father.
My head hurt as I tried to sort out my feelings and the evidence I had so far, though each thought only made me realize that I didn’t have a clue and I was already in too deep. So deep, that I may not be able to pull myself free of this mess without even more damage to my already tattered heart.
I was suddenly living a tangled web of lies—and the person I was lying to most of all was myself.
I fucking hated not knowing how to make things right for Emie. But worse still was the fact that she wouldn’t open up to me, even though it was clear she was hurting. I turned off the hot water and then grabbed a towel, wrapping her in the soft fabric. “There you go, love.”
“I know we only just got here, but I feel like I should be back in Seattle. The cops…your brother… I want to be close by on the off chance either of them find out any information.” She looked haunted, her green eyes dark with far too many problems.
“I’ll happily take you back, Em. But…I’d appreciate you letting me know if your memories are resurfacing, even if you don’t feel comfortable telling me what you remember. I’m not asking for details—just to know whether or not you’re getting better.” Though I wanted her to be able to trust me, I could understand her not wanting to open up to me about things that she might not be comfortable with, especially when it was unclear what was done to her. And I knew full well how horrible one person could be to another. I may not know what she’d had to endure, but I could certainly imagine the worst of it, even if she hadn’t been sexually assaulted.
She closed in on herself, suddenly looking small and vulnerable as she wrapped her arms around herself, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I do remember. I remember far too much—and at the same time, I don’t remember anywhere near enough.”
I wrapped my arms around her, my mind racing even as I fought back the urge to bombard her with a million questions. There was so much I wanted to know, so much that hadn’t been said or addressed, so much I didn’t have a single clue about. Yet at the same time, I knew that with her getting her memory back, it might change everything between us—and this was definitely something she’d need time to work through, and she may not ever feel comfortable telling me about it.
But for now, all I could do was hold onto her as she wept, her arms wrapped around my waist and her head against my chest, as I was left hoping that this wouldn’t all come crashing to an end. Because I may not really know her, having just met her days ago, but she’d stolen my heart just the same.
I knew just how crazy that sounded, and I was not the sort of guy to believe in love-at-first-sight fairy tales. Yet, here I was, completely smitten with a woman I barely knew.
I had no doubt my brothers would tell me to go get my head checked—except for the little fact that they had each fallen hard and fast for the women in their lives, and half of them had already started their own families.
The truth was, I wanted to have that in my life too. I’d never been the partying sort, always a bit of a loner—not that you could be a loner with a house full of brothers. And when it came to women, I had a hard time falling into anything casual. For me, the sex wasn’t worth it if my heart wasn’t into the person I was with, and in order for my heart to be into it, I had to like the girl.
Not to say I was a monk or anything. But when it came to Emie, I couldn’t remember ever feeling more strongly about a woman, and given that I hadn’t known her long at all, that was saying something. Because every time I looked at her, I felt the fierce need to protect her, to make her happy—to claim her as mine.
The thought of her walking away from me was making it so I couldn’t fucking think straight, and it was only compounded exponentially by the thought of her in another’s arms. Given that her past was still completely up in the air, I knew it was a possibility. Yet there was no way I could just let her walk away from me.
“I’ll happily take you back to Seattle if it’s what you want and if it’s safe, but I still want you to stay with me, either at the houseboat, or at a hotel. Anywhere, as long as we’re together.” I tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers trail to her cheek, her skin soft and warm to my touch. Fucking hell, she was so beautiful. “I’m just not ready to let you go when there are so many unknowns.”
“I’m not in danger. Not anymore. But you don’t know me, Locke. If you did, being together would be the last thing on your mind.” She pulled away from my touch and distracted herself with getting dressed as I followed suit.
Yet having her pull away from me had my chest tightening as I tried to figure out how much weight I should give her words. Was she simply panicking and overreacting? Or was there something that could truly come between us?
Fuck, I hated this. I didn’t want to lose her when I’d barely gotten the chance to know her.
“You’re right. I don’t know you—at least not as well as I’d like. But from what I do know, I like you, Em. Far more than is wise. And I’m asking you for more time…more time for us to get to know each other.” Stepping to her side, I sank my fingers in her hair as I cupped her face in my hands, her body melting into mine as if she couldn’t resist this thing between us either. “I don’t want you to leave me. Unless you’ve remembered, and there’s a reason we can’t be together…”
Like a husband or fiancé.
The mere thought had my gut in knots.
She shook her head no, her eyes refusing to meet mine, even as she rested her hands against my chest. “I’m not married. But this thing between us…I just don’t know if I can do it anymore. I’m sorry. And I know that makes me a real jerk after all you’ve done for me. But…I’m not the person you think I am.”
“You don’t owe me anything, Em—and I sure as hell wasn’t helping you so you’d feel obligated to sleep with me.” I hated that she’d think that of me, and though I knew damn well what some guys were like, that wasn’t me. “As for the rest, that’s an easy fix—just tell me who you are. Tell me what you remember. I swear, not much fazes me, baby. And I’ve never been one to criticize others.”
She shook her head no, finally pulling away from me fully and putting some distance between us. “It’s not that easy, Locke. At this point, even I don’t know who I really am or what I truly want.”
“Then let me help you figure it out.”
What the hell was I doing? This was one giant-ass mistake from the very start. I should have just grieved for my parents and sister, and found a way to move past it. And I had tried. But not even therapy had worked—not when I’d been left feeling so desperate and helpless.
And now? I’d managed to screw up my life even further, and matters were only made worse by the fact that Locke was being so nice to me. “I can’t talk about my life, Locke. But you’re better off forgetting I ever existed. Just take me back to Seattle and let me go. Trust me…you don’t want anything to do with me.”
“Don’t fucking talk like that, Em. Just tell me what’s going on. Help me to understand.”
I knew he desperately wanted to know the truth, and I wanted to tell him. But the words stuck in my throat, refusing to budge. And really, what could I say? Everything, from the very start, had been nothing but a lie. A lie designed to let me get close to him and his family, so I could hurt them and exact some crazy-ass revenge.
I needed to get the hell out of here. Needed to get away from Locke as soon as possible before he or his brothers figured out the truth.
“Please…just take me home.” My tears spilled over, not just because I’d be going back to my broken life where I’d be forced to face the fact that everyone I’d loved was gone, but because I didn’t want to lose Locke. He’d offered me light when I had nothing but darkness, and he’d offered me hope when I had nothing but despair. But most of all he’d offered me love and affection, when I had n
othing but hate and rage in my heart.
“Hey…come here, baby… I hate to see you cry.” He let out a ragged breath and pulled me into his arms as I tried to fight back my tears. “I know you’re dealing with a lot at the moment, but I can’t let you just push me away, especially when you won’t tell me what’s going on. And if there’s a problem you’re dealing with, then let me help you.”
“You can’t help me. No one can. Which is why I need to go.” He’d hate me if I told him the truth—and the longer I stayed, the more serious this thing got between us, and that meant he’d only hate me all the more when the truth finally came out.
He tilted my chin up, so I’d be forced to look into those bright-blue eyes of his. “Give me a week, Em. A week, and then I’ll take you back to Seattle and let you go, if that’s what you still want.”
“What difference will a week make?” Other than giving Dane enough time to figure out who I really was, and making things infinitely worse when it all came to a head.
“It’s a week, Em. I’m not asking for a lot, and you never know…it might be exactly what you need to figure things out. Maybe things won’t look so bad after you’ve had a week to sort things out in your head.” He kissed my forehead and pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me as I rested my head against his broad chest and nestled myself into his arms.
He made it impossible to ignore the racing beat of my heart, a clear indication that I was already in too deep.
I was not the sort of person to believe at love at first sight—especially not if the Blackthorns were involved. Yet I’d been with Locke less than three days, and I was falling under his spell. It was insane—and yet the pull between us was undeniable, and it was clear that I wasn’t the only one who was feeling it.