Little One

by Darcy Dawes

  I reach out to take her hand and bring her to her feet. She comes willingly. I wrap her in my embrace and press a kiss to the top of her head. Her petite body pressing against mine creates a surge of desire inside me. But there’s something more. That budding love that keeps growing and threatening to burn a hole in my heart. I get it now. It’s extreme—this love I have for her. The kind of once-in-a-lifetime love that hardly anyone gets the chance to experience. For all that’s happened in my past, I’m one lucky son-of-a-bitch to get a shot with Gray.

  “I’m sorry for not trusting you with the truth,” I murmur into her hair.

  She eases back and eyes me. “I get it. You’ve always been closed off. It must be hard to speak about these things.”

  “It is and it isn’t. I should have known I could tell you everything.”

  “Well, you have now.”

  “I have.” And it feels fucking good. My only regret is I didn’t tell her sooner. “No more secrets,” I promise.

  Gray’s smile works like fucking magic to soothe me. In an instant, I’m kissing her lips, drinking in the taste of her. Forgetting everything apart from the feel of her body pressing against mine.

  “Little One,” I say, breaking away briefly. “I need you. Hell, I always fucking need you. But I need you more than ever now. Will you let me make up for the way I behaved?”

  Her eyes are slightly glazed and her lips are parted. I can hear her heavy breaths of desire. If I wanted to, I could flip her over and ram myself into her here and now. I bet her pretty cunt would be wet and ready.

  But now’s not the time to be an animal. I need to show her everything I feel. If I can’t use the right words, perhaps I can use the right movements.

  “Do whatever you want with me, Valentine. I’m yours.”

  I’m back to Valentine. And she’s mine. I skim my gaze over her face and touch a thumb to her parted lips. So fucking perfect, and so fucking mine.

  I ease her back onto the bed and draw away the sheet. “Stay still,” I order. “I need to look at what’s mine.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Gray

  A gasp escapes me at his words. I can’t help myself. The thought of being his, of him owning my body, turns me on so much. And after everything he’s told me, I can’t help loving him more. It all adds up to me wanting him more than ever. He blames himself for a situation he couldn’t have done anything about. I don’t want him doing that but it only tells me how good a guy he really is.

  He comes to lie beside me. In only his boxers, I’ve got a great view of his amazing body. I admire the pull and flex of his muscles as he settles beside me. My breath feels hot and needy, my body aches.

  Valentine settles a hand on my stomach. He traces a circle around my belly button then moves to my hip bones. He presses a kiss to each one then to my belly.

  “You could get pregnant,” he tells me. “You realize that, don’t you?”

  I nod.

  “I’d love to see you pregnant with my child.”

  The image flashes in my mind. I love children. All I’ve wanted to do since I became a teenager was look after kids—be a teacher or something similar. To have one of my own though…I’d never thought of it before. To have one with Valentine would be more than I could ever hope for.

  “I want a child with you,” I whisper.

  “At the rate we’re going, it might not take long.” He traces a finger back over my belly and I know he’s imagining me pregnant. I just wish all this was over so we could start our life together properly.

  He trails a path with one finger up between the rise of my breasts then touches each nipple. They’ve been hard ever since he held me but I feel them tighten further.

  “So beautiful. Such gorgeous little tits.” He bends down to kiss each one then tickles his lips over my collarbone.

  I wriggle, hardly able to bear the teasing. I’ve been needing his cock in me for too long already today.

  “Keep still,” he reminds me. “This body is mine, remember that, Little One? And when I tell you to keep still, what do you do?”

  I gulp, and frissons of delight spear through me. It’s old-fashioned and Neanderthal-like but I love it when he says I’m his. I can give up all control to him and not worry about a thing.

  “Keep still,” I repeat.

  Forcing myself to remain motionless, I watch as he takes his lips on a journey back down toward my pussy. It takes all my willpower not to buck up into his mouth. He uses his fingers to spread me wide. Cold air brushes my heated pussy.

  He eyes me for a while, pressing his fingers against me, to stare at every part of me. He touches my clit and pulls back the hood before flicking his tongue quickly over it. My body jolts in response and he draws back to watch my sex react to him.

  “So damned pretty. So fuckable.”

  My breaths grow heavier at his words. He sketches a path with his fingers down the inside of one leg and up the other. He follows it up with kisses to each of my thighs before pressing his mouth just above my pussy. He sucks hard and draws away. I don’t need to look to know he’s left another mark on me.

  Marking me as his.

  Valentine shifts off the bed and pulls down his boxers. My mouth dries at the sight of his cock, thrusting up from a thatch of dark hair. For a while now, I’ve been wondering what it would taste like. I’ve never given a blow job and never really thought about how it was done, but now I want him to teach me, to find out if I can make him come with my mouth.

  A tilted smile curves his lips and he shakes his head. “You’re too easy to read, Little One. And, fuck, there are so many things I want to do to you. But we have time. For now…” He comes back onto the bed beside me and draws me close. “For now, I want to make love to you.”

  My heart threatens to burst at the words and the tenderness in his gaze. I wrap my arms around him and splay my hands over his back. His muscles tense and ripple beneath my fingertips as he positions himself so that he can use his fingers on me.

  I gasp at the first touch and moan at the second. Soon he has me wriggling and writhing. I couldn’t stay still if I wanted to.

  Valentine doesn’t look at my body or watch his fingers playing with my pussy. Instead, he stares into my eyes as though he’s trying to find something in them. I lock gazes with him and feel my heart beat harder. When I’m close to coming, he slips between my legs and presses my hands to either side of my head. We link fingers and he doesn’t look away when he pushes his cock slowly into me.

  I feel every inch as he buries his erection inside me. The intensity of it all makes me want to cry. Much to my dismay, a tear slides down my cheek.

  Valentine kisses it away. “Shhh, Little One. I understand.”

  If he truly does, then it must mean he loves me as much as I love him. It’s that deep, soul-aching love that you only see in movies or read about in books. The kind that will last a lifetime and more. I blink away the rest of the tears because I want to see him—the man I love with all my heart.

  He’s true to his word and makes love to me. As he rocks slowly inside me, allowing me to appreciate the connection between us, he kisses my lips gently and whispers words of love. When I come, it’s slow and beautiful. I’m aware of him watching my reaction before he spills inside me.

  We lie together for a while, his hands stroking up and down my body as though taking in every part of me. I’ve never felt so content. The only thing that could make this better would be for my brother to find whoever is trying to hurt us and for us to be able to start our new life together.

  Valentine must have been thinking the same as he lifts up onto one arm and eyes me. “What will you do, Little One? Once we are together properly. I can’t see you sitting around, playing the housewife.”

  I smile at the word. Wife. God, I want nothing more than to be his wife. But he’s right, I’ll be bored if I have to stay home all day. Unless, of course, it’s to look after our own child.

  “I was planning to study ed
ucation.”

  He nods. “I remember. So maybe we get you into college wherever we go.”

  “I’d love that.” Danny had already been discussing where I’d go but who knows how he’ll feel about my relationship with Valentine. Probably not thrilled, but he’ll have to understand that it’s my life and my choice. For once, I’d like to be in charge of my own decisions.

  “We’ve got a lot to plan, but we’ll do it, Gray. We’ll be together. I promise.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Valentine

  Two more days of hiding and Gray’s got itchy feet again. I can’t deny I’m getting frustrated too. Danny hasn’t contacted me and I haven’t been able to get through to him. As much as the time with Gray is beyond anything I could have imagined, I want this to be over and to know she’s safe for good. I want to start my life with her.

  She catches my eye as she curls her legs up onto the sofa and I draw a tartan blanket off the single chair and put it over her bare legs. We’ve been to the beach and I poured her a hot bath then we cooked together. It would all be perfect were it not for the fact that someone is trying to fucking kill us.

  “You want to watch TV?” she asks, reaching for the remote.

  “Sure.” I’ve probably watched more TV since hiding out with Gray than I have done in my entire adult life. I never paid much attention to it but she has a weird mixed taste that swings from crime to wedding dress programs. I don’t really care what we watch, as long as she’s happy.

  But I can tell she’s getting bored. Once we’ve found a place to live, I’ll have to get her finishing school and enrolling in college. My girl needs something to keep her occupied and I’d love to help her achieve her dreams.

  Gray curls up against me, fitting perfectly into my arms. I let my hand rest on her arm and close my eyes for a moment. Only weeks ago, this would have been more than I could have dreamed off. It’s still hard to believe I’ve got the love of Gray.

  She flicks through a couple of shows and settles on one of the crime ones she loves. When it’s over, she lifts her head to look at me. “Are you sure you don’t want to choose?”

  “Whatever you want to watch is fine with me.”

  She grins. “Even if it’s a chick flick?”

  “Even a chick flick,” I confirm.

  She giggles and continues searching for something to watch. My heart jolts as the news channel comes on. She nearly skips by it until I bark at her to stop. She goes back quickly and the remote falls from her hand.

  “Oh God.”

  I scrabble for the remote and turn up the volume. The image is clear enough. Danny being hauled away by the cops. My heart in my mouth, I listen as the reporter details his arrest and the fact that bail won’t be posted as he’s a flight risk. And, of course, he is. If I’d have been there and we’d have made bail, we would have had Danny on the next plane out to anywhere he could be safe.

  I glance at Gray and see the horror on her face. I know she’s got to be hurting but does she realize the true danger behind Danny’s arrest?

  The news segment finishes and I click the TV off.

  “How could they have arrested him?” Gray asks. “No one knew about him. He was always so careful. No one even knew who he was apart from you and a few others. The rest was just rumors.”

  “His enemies know.”

  “So they ratted on him?”

  I nod.

  She swallows and tears shimmer in her eyes. “He’s in danger isn’t he? I mean, more than before.”

  I’m tempted to lie but she’s too smart for that. She’ll see right through it. “Yes.”

  “He’s going to die in jail, isn’t he?”

  “Danny’s smart.”

  “He might be smart but he’s vulnerable there. I know he’s only survived as long as he has in that life because of the people around him. Because of people like you. There’s no one who’s loyal to him in jail.”

  “No.”

  “He’ll die, Valentine. You know he’ll be killed.”

  “People will be working to get him out. He has the best lawyers money can buy.”

  “But in the meantime, he’ll be sitting in jail. Anyone could get to him.”

  I push a hand through my hair and sigh. “Yes, I suppose so.”

  “This is what his enemies intended wasn’t it? They couldn’t get to him outside so they forced him into a place where he has no protection.”

  I don’t even reply. It’s all true. The cops can’t protect him if someone really wants to get to him and I’m sure there’s a pretty price on his head. Whoever wants him dead has gone about it a pretty smart way. Danny has never been known to the cops as anyone other than King. No one knew his face or anything else about him. All they knew was he ran the city. Danny’d been very careful about keeping his identity quiet—all to protect Gray, of course.

  The best way to get to him was through the justice system. whoever did this would know it might not stand up in court. There’d be a few testimonies perhaps but nothing solid and Danny’s lawyers would cut him a deal. But they only needed a little time. The weeks before the trial would be enough.

  “We have to do something.” Gray’s eyes still sparkle with tears. I can feel her pain flowing into me and tearing at my heart.

  “I have to keep you safe, Little One. That’s all Danny would want.”

  “I won’t be safe until these people who are after us are brought to justice.”

  I’m beginning to wonder if that will ever happen. Once Danny is dead, will they still want Gray dead? I always assumed they’d go for Gray first. To make an example of her and bring Danny the most amount of pain. But with Danny gone, there’s a chance they might not care about killing her anymore. Either way, I’m going to get her as far from this place as possible. Danny might not appreciate me being in a relationship with his sister but I know he would want her safe.

  “I’ll start making arrangements. We’ll have to leave the country.”

  She shakes her head. “I’m not leaving Danny.”

  “There’s nothing you can do for him. Just trust him to come out of this safe.”

  “You know he won’t. You know he’ll die.”

  I try to reach out to her but she presses herself back against the arm of the sofa. “Gray—”

  “V, don’t lie to me. I might be young but I’m not stupid. Plenty of people have died in jail and no one cares. In fact, the cops will probably be happy he’s gone. Then they won’t have to worry about a trial.”

  “I’m not trying to lie to you, Gray, but there’s nothing you can do. Hell, there’s nothing even I can do. Danny won’t give up easily, I know that much.”

  She stands, flinging off the blanket. She marches into the bedroom and I follow her. Grabbing the bag her clothes were in, she starts thrusting her few belongings back into it.

  “Gray, what in the hell are you doing?”

  “I’m going home.” A few tears run down her cheeks. “You can’t stop me.”

  I grab her wrist and force her to stop. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m going home. I’m going to let everyone know I’m there and I’m going to kill whoever is trying to hurt us.”

  I’d laugh if I didn’t think she was serious. My heart sinks low into my gut. “You want to play bait?”

  She nods, her chin jutting out stubbornly.

  “No way. I’m not letting you put yourself in danger.”

  “You have no choice. I’m not sitting around, waiting for my brother to be murdered.” She draws in a breath. “I’m tired of running now. I want to face these people.”

  “No.” I keep hold of her wrist even as she tries to tug her hand from me. “No fucking way.”

  “You’ll have to hurt me to keep me here. It’s the only way I’ll stay. You’ll have to fight me.”

  I look into her eyes, wild with desperation and anguish. She knows I’ll never hurt her but can I really let her put herself in danger? I swallow and release her hand.

>   “You realize you’re asking me to risk the thing most precious to me?”

  She stays silent.

  “I won’t let you do this alone.”

  “Good.” A sigh of relief comes from her.

  “If we do this, you do everything I say. If we’re going to catch them before they catch us, you can’t go doing your own thing.”

  “I won’t.”

  My heart aches fiercely and I feel tears burning the corners of my eyes. She could die, my heart tells me, pounding out the words. She. Could. Die. And I’d be left alone with no purpose anymore. But if I don’t let her do this, she’ll never forgive me and I’d lose her anyway.

  Better that than dead, I remind myself.

  It would be. I’d rather she hate me forever than die, but the fucking stubborn woman is going to get herself in trouble with or without me. I’d rather be at her side in the end.

  “Stop packing.” I grab her and press her against my chest. “We’ll go tomorrow. Let’s just have one night, ok?”

  She nods against my chest and I know she needs it as much as I do. She needs the time to be in my arms, she needs to let me make love to her and taste every inch of her in case it’s our last chance.

  I strip off her clothes slowly and she does the same with mine. When she pulls down my boxers, she drops to her knees and massages my cock with one hand.

  “I’ve been wanting to taste you for so long,” she tells me, her gaze locking onto mine. My cock lengthens at the sight. Gorgeous Gray, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders, shielding one breast. On her knees and begging for a taste of me. I only wish I had more time to savor it. I push a hand into her hair and offer her my cock. She opens her mouth wide and I guide her to me.

  The first touch of her warm, wet tongue to the head is fucking heaven. She closes her mouth around me and I feel the touch of her teeth. I draw back. “No biting, Little One.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I fucking love your mouth on me.”