by Sarah Bailey
“Ror,” she choked out breathlessly.
I let go of both of her hands and straightened. My hands came around her hips and that was it. She was too spent to object to my vicious pounding. I fucked her until my vision blurred and everything around me disappeared. Just me and her remained. And that’s when I erupted, growling and fucking her mercilessly through my climax.
As I slowed, I panted, falling forward onto my hands and pressing my face into her back. I kissed her spine, careful to be gentle now we were both spent. Now everything had come to its final conclusion.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “You have no idea how much you mean to me… no idea how much I need you. How much I’ve needed you from day one. I’m sorry I was such a fucking coward and couldn’t give you what you needed. I’m trying now, little star, I’m trying so hard to be the man you need me to be.”
She didn’t speak for a long moment and I was worried she hadn’t heard me.
“You don’t need to try, Ror… you already are.”
Those words meant more to me than anything else.
Ash’s acceptance and love had set me free.
I pulled out of her and lay flat on my back in the dirt next to her. She gingerly shifted on her side and lay next to me, her hand curled around my chest and her head on my shoulder.
“You ruined my clothes.”
I grinned. I had torn through them in my effort to get her naked, but she was my prey and I didn’t give a shit about clothes or the state I’d left her in.
“And I’m all dirty.”
“Don’t worry, little star, I’ll take care of you.”
I sat up and found her torn clothes, bundling up the unusable ones so we didn’t leave evidence of our activities and helping her back into her jeans, socks and shoes. I took off my jumper and put it over her head to cover the rest of her nakedness. She looked cold, her skin covered in goosebumps. Then I gave her a piggyback whilst she held the ruined bundle of clothes and trudged out of the forest with her. Her chin was against my shoulder and I could feel her heart hammering against my back.
“Are we going back home?”
“No.”
One of the things I’d been sure about was keeping the boys out of this. I wanted to take care of her by myself in the aftermath and not be bombarded with questions about what we’d been up to.
“Oh.”
She didn’t ask me anything else as we got out of the trees and back to the car. I set her down in the front seat, tossing her clothes in the back before I got in the driver’s side. She curled up in the seat, putting her belt on as I started the car and put the heater on for her. Then I checked my phone. There were several missed calls from Eric and a voicemail. Sighing, I listened to it, smirking when I heard Quinn in the background shouting about how I was a dead man. I knew he’d be angry about this, but it couldn’t be helped. Today was about me and Ash and that was fucking that.
“Are they mad?” Ash asked as I lowered the phone from my ear.
“Quinn is.”
“Maybe you should call them… at least, let them know we’re okay. I don’t like that they’re worrying, especially not Quinn, you know what he gets like.”
Yeah, a temperamental bastard who couldn’t deal with Ash being away from him for too long. I might have fucked up, depraved sexual fantasies and a hell of a lot of problems, but Quinn had severe issues with control.
“You’re right.”
I dialled Eric’s number since I didn’t particularly want an earful from Quinn. He answered on the second ring.
“Rory… Where have you been? Is everything okay?”
“We’re fine, E. Ash is right here with me.”
“Where are you?”
I looked over at Ash and noticed she had a leaf in her hair. Reaching over, I plucked it out.
“All you need to know is we’re safe.”
“Rory…”
“Seriously, E, please don’t. I’m sorry I took her without telling anyone, but you know what Quinn’s like. She and I needed this, okay? Can you just trust me?”
The silence told me a lot of things. He wasn’t happy but he was also contemplating whether to let this go or not.
“Quinn won’t like that answer.”
“He can kill me when we get home.”
“Tell Quinn if he dares lay a hand on Rory, he’ll have me to deal with,” Ash called out next to me and I heard Eric stifle a chuckle.
“She sounds okay.”
“That’s because she is,” I replied, smiling at Ash. “She’s just fine, E. I promise.”
“Okay, fine. Will you be back tomorrow?”
“Yeah, we will.”
I wasn’t going to keep her away with me longer. Perhaps in the future, we could do something together when all of this shit with Russo was over. Go away without the boys and it just be the two of us. And I wouldn’t mind if she did that with the others too. Ash deserved her one-on-one time with all of us.
“Okay, text me when you’re on your way home, yeah?”
“Will do.”
I hung up and popped the phone down. Putting my seatbelt on, I set off towards where we’d be staying. I could’ve told Eric we were staying at the small house we owned in Kent, but I didn’t want to give Quinn a reason to come looking for us.
The house was nestled down a secluded road with trees surrounding it. Ash’s eyes lit up when she saw it even though it was dark out. I parked up and got our bags out the back. Unlocking the door, I led her in and made her wait in the hallway as I took the bags down to the bedroom. Then I went into the kitchen and sorted out the heating. Ash was hopping from foot to foot when I came back out into the hallway.
“Go sit in there, I’m going to sort out a bath for you,” I told her, pointing towards the living room.
She smiled and walked through the doorway I’d indicated. I went back into the bedroom and unpacked the things I’d brought, carrying them into the bathroom. I then set about running her a bath complete with rose petals, essential oils and candles. When it was full, I turned off the taps and then the main light. I wasn’t one for romantic gestures, but I wanted to surprise Ash. Show her how much I cared after the way I’d treated her in the forest.
I made my way out into the living room and pulled her up off the sofa, tugging off her clothes and leaving her bare before me. Her skin was streaked with dirt and her hair was a little wild. Then I took my own clothes off, not caring about leaving a pile of them where we stood.
Leading her to the bathroom, I felt a sense of trepidation. This would be the very first time I’d taken a bath with someone. And I really hoped she appreciated the effort I’d gone to. It was all for her.
Ash’s hand went to her mouth when we got in the bathroom.
“Ror… what did you do?”
I pushed the door to before putting some music on and setting my phone down on the sink counter.
“I did this for you. I thought you’d like it.”
Her blue eyes shone.
“I love it… wait, are you getting in with me?”
The bath we’d had put in was huge so would comfortably fit two of us.
“That’s the plan.”
I stepped in and helped her get in with me. Then we both sunk down in the water, her laying against my chest and my arms wrapped around her front. I stroked her stomach, relaxing into the hot water. Ash’s head lolled on my shoulder and she let out a contented sigh.
“Who’d have thought you were a closet romantic?”
I hated Quinn knowing about my penchant for smutty romance books as he liked to call them. They’d given me some idea of how to treat a girl properly since I didn’t have any prior experience. Candlelit baths with soft music were romantic, weren’t they?
“I read… a lot.”
She looked up at me.
“You read about romance in your comics?”
“No, little star… I read romance novels which Quinn
took the piss out of me for.”
It felt weird to admit it to her, but there was no other way around it. Her eyes widened and then she broke into a smile.
“Oh, Ror, that’s actually amazing. Who’d have thought… I didn’t know guys were into that.”
I felt my face getting hot. Maybe I just liked living vicariously through them since I never imagined I’d ever meet the right girl myself.
“I don’t think many like to admit it.”
“Well, you’ll have to give me some recommendations.”
I shook my head and grabbed one of the washcloths. She was rather dirty and I wanted my girl clean. She sighed again when I proceeded to wash away all the dirt from her skin, lingering over her nipples and between her legs. She squirmed when my fingers brushed over her clit.
“Ror… stop, you’re getting me excited again.”
“Maybe I want you excited.”
The thought of it made my cock harden against her back, which I knew she could feel.
“Are you’re going to fuck me in the bath?”
“Perhaps.”
The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to. She’d already taken a brutal pounding but the way she was rubbing against my fingers told me she’d be quite happy to go another round.
“Turn over and straddle me, little star.”
She immediately complied. Her pussy slid against my cock and I gripped her hips, rocking her back and forth against it. Her hands went to my shoulders and she stared down at me, her eyes wild with longing.
“Ror…”
“Mmm?”
I was rather busy staring at her chest and the way her tits had started to bounce a little.
“I want…”
“You want what, little star?”
“I want your cock in… in…”
I looked up at her flushed cheeks, her blush beginning to spill down her chest.
“Where do you want it?”
I had a feeling I already knew given how embarrassed she was getting over it.
“I’ve never asked for it… to be fucked here.” She took my hands and curled them around her arse. “But I want you to… please.”
I smirked, my fingers trailing between her cheeks and stroking over her back entrance.
“You want my big cock in your arse?”
“Yes,” she hissed, rocking back against my fingers. “I want that. I want your cock.”
Who the fuck was I to deny her?
“I’m going to need you to wait here so I can get lube, little star.”
It was lucky I’d packed a silicone-based one so we could fuck whilst we were in the water. She let me get out of the bath and I was in and out of the bedroom as fast as possible. When I got back in the water, she straddled me again and hell if I didn’t want to be inside her as soon as possible. My cock throbbed at the thought of being inside her tight little hole.
I made sure to apply enough lube and work her up to taking me. She moaned and wriggled against my cock as I stretched her out, making it really fucking hard for me to concentrate.
“Little star, fuck, I need to be in you.”
“Ror, please, please fuck me.”
I made sure we were both lubed up and ready, then she sunk down on my cock inch by inch, breathing through it as her hands tightened around my shoulders. She was so fucking tight and hot. Fuck, I loved being in her. She took my cock so fucking well.
When she had me fully seated inside her, she stared at me, her eyes full of emotion. Her hands came up and cupped my face.
“I really love you, Ror.”
I ran my hands up her sides before I held her face too, staring up at her with my heart in my fucking mouth. This girl. This fucking girl. I pulled her closer, pressing her forehead to mine.
“Ash… my beautiful and perfect girl… I can’t live without you.”
Tears welled in her eyes. My heart raced out of control. Everything felt like it came down to this moment. Us joined like this after I let go of all of my fears when it came to us. I let myself be free and she gave that to me.
“I love you, little star. You have my heart. You’ve had it from the day I laid eyes on you, but I didn’t know. I only knew when you forced me out of my insular world and made me see you. You shine so bright. You are the only person in this world I’ve ever loved with my whole heart and soul. I need you. I need this. I need us.” I took a shaky breath. “I’m going to love you forever. My heart. My home. My soulmate. That’s you. It’s always been you and it will always be you, Ash. Always.”
She choked and tears spilt down her cheeks. All of our emotions were tangled up together. Her heart and mine. We were bound for life.
“I love you.” She kissed me, pressing her wet lips to mine. “I love you.” Then she started to rise and fall on my cock. “I love you forever, Ror.”
I grunted as she rode me, the two of us getting lost in each other here in this bath, surrounded by candles and the soft tinkle of classical music playing from my phone. This wasn’t wild animalistic sex like it had been in the forest. It was us making love. Us showing each other how much we cared and loved one another.
And when we fell apart together, I knew this was for real. This was forever. Ash and me. Her and I. So I held her close and whispered in her ear how much I loved her until the water got cold. And I continued to tell her when we were curled up in bed together, our limbs tangled and our hearts beating as one.
Ash was the one.
The only one.
She was my soulmate.
And I was hers too.
Chapter 34
To say Rory and I’d had the most perfect night away imaginable would be an understatement. I couldn’t be happier. He’d made me feel so special. And he loved me. This beautiful, quiet, damaged man loved me. I didn’t want our time away to end at all, but we both knew we had to go back and face reality.
“On a scale of one to ten, how mad do you think Quinn will be?” I asked as I stared at his profile.
“One hundred.”
“Ror!”
“I’m serious. He’s going to butcher me. You’ve only seen a very small fraction of his temper. Even when he’s angry, it’s controlled, but this… he might really kill me.”
I shook my head. Quinn wouldn’t, would he? It’s not like anything happened to us. And I was happy I could give Rory something he’d wanted for so long. He seemed so much more relaxed today. His smiles came easier and his hazel eyes twinkled when he looked at me. How could I do anything but love this man to the very end.
“I won’t let him.”
“I’d quite like to see you go up against him. He wouldn’t know what to do with himself.”
I smirked.
“He loves me too much to hurt me like that.”
“Him killing me would hurt you?”
I almost shoved him.
“Of course it would, Ror. I love you.”
His smile told me he was winding me up and I wondered where Rory had hidden this sense of humour all this time. He reached over the centre console and took my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. This playful side of Rory set my heart on fire.
“Why do you have to be so cute with those dimples and shit?”
He was about to open his mouth when I saw it. A car driving alongside us. A huge fucking beast of a car.
The next moments played out in slow motion as the car swerved into us with purpose and smashed into Rory’s side of the car. We were both jolted. Rory dropped my hand and turned, his eyes going wide as the car rammed into us again. Then all hell broke loose.
Rory tried to keep a hold on the steering wheel, but this jacked out Jeep was twice the size of our Audi and the way the driver seemed determined to fuck us up had me holding on for dear life.
“What the fuck?”
“Hold on, little star.”
The car backed off a little, then it rammed the backside of our car and Rory lost c
ontrol. The car spun out. When he managed to regain control, slamming the brakes on, I screamed as we drove through the hedgerow and headlong into a huge oak tree. We were both flung forward and that’s when the world seemed to go black for the longest moment.
I blinked, groaning loudly, the sound echoing in my ears. My body felt like it’d been through a meat grinder. My chest ached and my head pounded. Turning to the side, I found Rory slumped over the steering wheel, his seatbelt digging into his shoulder.
“Ror…” I choked out. “Ror, wake up.”
I could see his chest rising and falling but he didn’t respond. I coughed and unclipped my belt, reaching over to him even as my chest burnt with the effort. I shook him gently.
“Rory, please, wake up.”
That’s when I remembered someone had done this to us. Someone had driven us off the road. And if that was the case, wouldn’t they want to check they’d done the job?
Fuck.
I fumbled in front of me, ripping the glove compartment open even as it hurt to move. They kept a gun in here for emergencies. I knew since Rory had told me about it yesterday. My hand wrapped around metal and I tugged it out just in time to find someone looking in the window on my side. I raised it and stared at them. They weren’t fucking getting me or Rory. That was my man passed out right there and I would damn well protect him with my life even though I was in pain.
The person fumbled with the door and ripped it open. I don’t think he was counting on me having a gun pointed at his chest when he took me in. And I couldn’t believe my eyes as I stared at my oldest cousin, Carlo, my Uncle Gianni’s son. Except he wasn’t my cousin and Gianni wasn’t my uncle.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I hacked out.
Anger blazed in my veins, overtaking everything. How fucking dare he ram our car off the road. How dare he.
“Well, hello Ash.”
“No fucking time for pleasantries, Carlo.”
I took the safety off and pointed it directly at his chest. I might never have shot someone before, but I knew how to handle a gun. Frank had made sure of it.
“Back the fuck off.”
He put his hands up and took a step backwards thankfully. He was stupid enough to come over to the car without a weapon. Probably thought I wouldn’t have anything here to fight him with. Idiot. Then again, Carlo had never been the smart one. He was all brawn and no brains.