Little One

by Darcy Dawes

  A hand comes to my shoulder and brushes a strand of hair from it. Lips tickle my skin and I sigh, tilting my head to give Valentine better access.

  “You taste so good. It’s been hell resisting you.”

  “Does this mean you aren’t anymore?”

  “Perhaps,” he murmurs against my skin.

  My nipples press rebelliously against my tee when his hands begin roaming my body. Both hands find my breasts and pinch my nipples into even harder points. I groan and lean back against him.

  “I’ve been thinking about your breasts all day. Remembering the taste of them.” He inches up my tee, baring my stomach to the ocean breeze. Then he pushes it higher and I slap my hands across my chest.

  “V!”

  “We’re all alone. No one can see.” He tries to pull my top over my breasts.

  “But…but we’re outside. In public,” I hiss as though someone will hear me which I know is ridiculous.

  “Trust me, you’ll like it.”

  I drop my hands. How can I not trust him? He’s been right about everything so far. Valentine knows what I want even before I do. He presses my top up and air brushes my nipples. Heat burns in my cheeks. If anyone was walking along the beach, they’d be able to see it all.

  Valentine urges my arms up and takes my top off. I’m soon rewarded by the warm touch of his rough hands on my skin. I lean back into him and close my eyes. A surge of excitement rolls through me and my panties are already soaking. He skims one hand down and unpops the snap of my shorts. The rasp of the zipper echoes in my ears.

  He slips them down and urges me to step out of them. With the loss of his hands on my body, I feel bared to the world. My head grows dizzy with anticipation. Each touch of cool air on my skin reminds me of my nakedness.

  Valentine presses a finger to my cleft through my panties and a groan rumbles from him. “So. Damn. Wet.” His words tickle across the back of my neck as he nuzzles me.

  I lean into the touch, try to rub myself against his fingertips to bring some kind of relief. This man makes me all kinds of crazy. He withdraws his fingers and skims them along the waistband of my panties. My breaths come hard and fast while he traces a path down the line of my panties, around my ass and up between my legs. Then he grips them.

  Air brushes against my heated pussy. I suck in a breath and go to put a hand there, following some instinctual need to cover up, but he grabs both of my hands and presses them against the railing. He holds them there and pushes his still-clothed body into mine. There’s something insanely hot about him being clothed while I’m totally naked and completely at his mercy.

  Releasing one of my hands, he skims a palm over my ass and up my back before pushing his fingers into my hair and gripping it to pull my head back. He kisses me deeply while he clutches my hair tight. I moan and kiss him back, tangling my tongue with his. His jeans brush against my bare ass and I can feel his cock straining against the fabric.

  He breaks the kiss and releases his hold on my hair. Peppering kisses across my bare shoulders, he uses his hands to move me into position, my hands to the railing, my ass back, opening up my pussy to him. I stare out at the ocean and try to think of a time I’ve ever felt like this. Free, sexy, utterly in love.

  The fact is, I never have. Valentine makes me feel so much. I never realized how numb and isolated from the world I’d become.

  His hand smooths across one ass cheek and he makes an appreciative noise. “You have no idea how beautiful you look, Little One. Your pussy is so wet and ripe for a fucking.” His words make my body heat.

  I hear his zipper come down and I wait, my breaths quickening with each second. He puts a hand to my back and thrusts into me so hard that it hurts for a split second. He’s buried deep within me before I can even release a strangled cry. The burning pain merges into instant pleasure. I fight to release a cry but I’m choked up, buried under endless ecstasy.

  He repeats this movement, drawing out of me until the tip of his erection touches my folds then buries himself back in with a hard, relentless thrust. Again and again he does this until neither of us can take anymore. His fingers dig into my hips as he fucks me with the kind of intensity that only a man like Valentine could. I come so quickly that it takes him by surprise. He utters a ‘fuck’ then spills deep inside me. I feel the warmth and the way his cock spasms inside me.

  Once he’s withdrawn from me, he grabs me and swings me up into his arms. I’m boneless with satisfaction so he can do whatever he wants to me. He takes me to the bedroom, lies me down, cleans me up then strips off his clothes. Tucking us both under the sheets, he draws me into his body, spooning against my back.

  “I love you, Little One,” he murmurs into my hair.

  The words crack through the haze in my mind. I twist and blink at him, searching his face, wondering if I made up those words in my mind. “What…what did you say?”

  “I love you, Little One.”

  He says this so plainly, so matter-of-factly that I don’t have any reason to doubt him. Warmth flows through me, filling my chest and making my heart full. I grin and touch a finger to his lips—lips that just spoke the sweetest words I’ve ever heard.

  “I love you, Valentine.”

  He kisses me hard before drawing back. “I always have, you know. Since I met you. Obviously my feelings were different when you were younger. I loved you like a little sister for a while, but then you grew into…well…” He motions to my body. “You grew into this spectacular young woman.” He shakes his head. “You don’t know how crazy you made me.”

  “You made me crazy too. I think I’ve loved you a long time too. I just didn’t understand what it was I was feeling.” I cup his face in one hand. “I’m so glad I understand now.”

  “Do you truly understand?”

  I nod.

  “Do you realize where this is leading? Now that I have you, I’m not willing to let you go.”

  “Good. I don’t want you to.”

  “Even if Danny doesn’t approve.”

  “He won’t, I’m sure, but he’s not my keeper.”

  “He is. But I want to be your keeper from now on. I’ll take care of you, Gray, I promise. When this is over, we’ll go wherever you want. Start fresh. Fuck, I’ll even go legit. I’ve got enough money to set up a decent business of some kind.”

  “What will you do?”

  He shrugs. “I’ve got a few skills. Maybe an accounting firm or something.”

  I try to imagine him in a suit and fail. A laugh escapes me.

  A half-smile twists his lips. “Ok, maybe not that. But I’ll find something. Whatever I have to do to take care of you. You and me, Little One. That’s how it’s going to be.”

  I nod and lean in to kiss him on his lips. Him and me. Forever. Sounds perfect.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Valentine

  As tempting as it is to keep Gray in bed all day, I climb out from the warm cocoon of her naked body as the sun rises. She remains asleep, sated by all the lovemaking.

  A smile tugs at my lips. Lovemaking. I didn’t think I was capable of that. Not someone with a past so ugly and riddled with dirt as mine.

  Her lips are parted and a few strands of hair cover her face. I resist the urge the push them back for fear of waking her. My baby girl needs some rest after yesterday. My heart pounds fiercely at the beautiful sight of her, a strong rhythm that reminds me of my reason for living.

  Gray.

  Always Gray. Always has been and always will be.

  I suspect the only reason I made it this far—survived Iraq and her brother’s messy world—was so I could love and protect her. I don’t know what the next week let alone the next year will bring, but I do know that I won’t be leaving her side. Even if I have to face Danny and explain I’ve been fucking his little sister.

  I slip on some boxers and walk out into the living area. The sun streams in through the windows, casting orange fingers of light over everything. One morning I’ll have to wake
her to this. Maybe I’ll slip under the sheets and lick her out until she comes. Then I’ll carry her in here and watch the light touch her naked body before pressing her up against the glass and ramming into her.

  Drawing in a breath, I try to forget the images and focus. I still need to contact Danny and let him know about our change of plans. Not that I’ll tell him where we are. No one knows about this place and I’m not willing to tell even him. Whoever is after us has a wide reach.

  I rifle through my bag for a burner phone and punch in the number. Danny answers, his voice gruff with tension but alert. I don’t even know where he’s hiding out but I doubt he’s slept much since this all went down.

  “We had to move on,” I tell him.

  “Gray?” Danny asks.

  “Safe. No one tried to hurt her. But our position was known. Sounds like someone is trying to get the Vincenzos and who knows who else to do their dirty work for them.”

  “Someone who doesn’t want us knowing who they are.”

  I make a noise of agreement.

  “I’ll look into it. Just keep her safe.”

  “You know I will.”

  “Protect her like she’s your own, V. I mean it.”

  Like I could do anything else. She is my own. She’s practically part of me, beating hard in my heart. “You can trust me, Danny,” I lie. He can trust me to keep her safe, sure, but other than that…

  “Yeah, I know.”

  I should probably feel a pang of guilt but I don’t. Danny has been good to me. He gave me money and power. But none of that compares to what Gray gives me. And if he wants what’s best for her, he’ll have to understand that means letting me have her.

  “Call in two days,” Danny orders. “I’ll have more news. We’ve had a few whispers but if they found you and Gray, I think I know where to look.”

  “Got it.” I hang up and turn to find Gray standing in the doorway to the living area.

  Wrapped in a sheet, she’s like a fucking present waiting to be ripped open. Tousled hair and sleepy eyes complete the picture.

  “Was that Danny?”

  I nod.

  “I wish you’d woken me. I’d like to talk to him.”

  “There’s nothing to say.”

  “He’s my brother. I miss him. I want to talk to him.”

  I shake my head. “It’s best you stay out of this.”

  A dark eyebrow arches. “Stay out of this? How can I? People are trying to kill me because of who my brother is, V. I don’t think I have much choice but to be involved.”

  “There’s nothing you need to know.”

  “Really? Nothing at all? You sure do like to keep me in the dark, don’t you?”

  I sigh. “You know everything I know.”

  “Considering I didn’t even know your full name until recently, I’m not sure I can trust you on your word. You’re the most secretive guy I know.”

  I can’t quite figure out how things went from me imagining peeling away that sheet and dancing my fingers across her ass cheeks before pulling them apart and slipping a finger in her tight hole to practically arguing. Gray folds her arms across her chest and lifts her chin. Now I know I’m in for the long haul with this disagreement.

  “I mean, you won’t even tell me how you came to work for my brother.”

  “It’s not that I won’t.” I push a hand through my hair. “It’s that you don’t need to know.”

  “Really? So what else don’t I need to know? Don’t forget, yesterday you told me you loved me. You said we’d be together forever. Now you don’t even trust me to speak to my own brother or tell me the truth about anything. I’m not a child, V.”

  V. I’m beginning to hate that. I want to go back to being Valentine to her. I shake my head slowly.

  “Little One, you’re not as grown up as you’d like to think.”

  Her eyes flash. “I’m grown up enough for you to fuck.”

  I hear the hurt in her voice and curse. I take a step toward her but she retreats. “What I meant was—”

  “I know what you meant. You still see me as a girl and you don’t trust me.” She gives a frustrated huff. “I don’t know how you think a relationship will work if you can’t even see me as an adult.”

  “Little One…”

  “See?” She throws up her arms and stomps back into the bedroom. The door slams shut behind her, making the windows rattle. I drag in a long breath and stare at the spot she’d just been standing in.

  “Fuck,” I hiss to myself. I don’t have a fucking clue how that just happened and she’s wrong. She’s so fucking wrong. I haven’t seen her as a girl since I spread her legs and tasted her pussy. Since I noticed her growing into a woman and couldn’t stop getting hard over her. I’ve seen her as innocent and untouchable, sure, but my body knew long before my mind did that she had grown into a woman. A woman I couldn’t resist.

  She’s right about the secretive part, though. I can’t help wanting to keep her away from everything, even her brother. He knows too much about my past.

  He knows I’m a killer.

  But at some point, I have to tell her. It’s probably better coming from me than Danny.

  I hope.

  I steel myself to face the past. Working with Danny ensured it remained buried and forgotten. As far as the world was concerned, the killer soldier had vanished, and that was how I wanted it.

  Easing open the bedroom door, I find her sitting on the bed, facing the window. The blinds are still shut and she stares sightlessly at them. The sheet is bunched around her body, making her look fragile, as though I could break her in half with a single touch.

  I probably could. Gray has given herself to me, given up so much. She wants to give up even more. I could break her in an instant. The least I owe her is the truth.

  I stand in front of her. “Look at me.”

  She ignores me, shifting her gaze to the floor.

  “Gray, look at me,” I demand, my voice sharp.

  Her gaze snaps up and there’s fire in her eyes. If things were different, I’d be turned on as fuck right now. I’ll have to get that fire back one day so I can see her eyes flash as she scrabbles her fingers down my back while I ram into her.

  “You love me, yes?”

  She nods.

  “You might not after I tell you everything about my past.”

  Gray opens her mouth to protest then shuts it. She’s right to stay quiet. Being part of the criminal underworld isn’t even the worst part of me.

  “I’m a murderer.” The words rush from me.

  “No.” She says it sharply, defensively.

  I nod. “It’s true. When I was twenty, I was on a mission in Iraq that went bad. People got hurt. I was court martialed for manslaughter.”

  Her jaw drops open and she starts to twine the sheet between her fingers. “That’s not your fault.”

  “It is. I was trained better than that. My actions meant people died.”

  “No.” She shakes her head. “You can’t be blamed for what happens in combat.”

  “I’m not the first soldier to be jailed for murder during combat. I won’t be the last.”

  “You went to jail?”

  “Yes.”

  Gray peers at me. I see no fear in her eyes, only curiosity. “Why did the mission go bad?”

  I push a breath out through my nostrils and try to forget the taste of sand. The feel of it in my lungs. The acrid scent of blood and the crack of gunfire.

  “Intel was bad. We were ambushed.”

  “So why did they blame you?”

  “I shot someone. One of our own. He died right in front of me.”

  “But…”

  “There’s no saving me in this story, Little One. I wasn’t careful enough and I didn’t watch his positioning. I pulled the trigger, I killed him. I deserved everything I got.”

  She stares at the twisted corner of the sheet for a while before lifting her head. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers.

  “It
was a long time ago and I came out alive. I was lucky.”

  “I bet you still relive it, though.”

  “Sure, sometimes.”

  “Why did the soldier move in front of you?”

  “He was a kid, even compared to me. His first tour. We were hit by mortars first. It kicked up a lot of dust and disorientated everyone.”

  “So it could have happened to anyone.”

  “But it didn’t. It happened to me. And it happened to that kid.”

  “And you paid for it.”

  I shrug. “In the eyes of the law, yes. I’m not sure his family would agree.”

  She nods slowly. “After you got out of jail, you came to work for my brother?”

  I nod. “Not easy to find work when your only skill is breaking necks and surviving torture.”

  “Does Danny know all about this?”

  “Yeah. I was in the newspapers for a while. The news covered the trial. Believe it or not, there were people who actually didn’t blame me for what I did. It became quite the news story.”

  “You were still married then, right? Did she support you?”

  I let out a laugh. “Let’s just say my ex didn’t much fancy staying married to a criminal. She got out as soon as the guilty verdict was handed down.”

  “How could she just leave you?”

  “Little One, not everyone is as kind-hearted as you. She blamed me for what I did as much as the soldier’s family did. I don’t think she was wrong.”

  “She was,” Gray says vehemently. “She should have known you better. Known you would never willingly put someone on your team at risk.” She thrusts a finger at me. “I’ve seen you put yourself between bullets and me, remember?”

  Pushing a hand through my hair, I sigh. “At the end of the day, someone died. I’ll always have to live with that.”

  I look into her guileless eyes and feel myself sinking. Gray makes me want to sink to my knees and lose myself in her forever. Just the thought of tasting her skin and touching her body has me forgetting my past, my ex-wife, my lost child, my destroyed career. I’ll never stop regretting what happened that day but I did my time and paid the price. Now all that matters is Gray.