“Come for me baby,” he urges, and my nails dig in deeper.
My legs stiffen slightly as the heat of my adrenaline brings my temperature up a few degrees. My panting breaths become more and more erratic as I try to fulfill his demand. His delicious scent engulfs me, making me desperate to take his blood in my mouth.
I scream out my release, and I feel his warmth immediately following my climax. He pulls me to him, and my quivering body rests against his pounding chest.
“Fucking shit. You never cease to amaze me,” he pants out.
I smile against his chest, and then my lips start strolling over his collarbone - the thought of breaking his skin still dancing around in the back of my mind. Then I see a car getting dangerously close.
“Fuck,” I mumble in a huff.
I pull my shirt back on before sliding back into my pants, and I plop back down into my seat with a bit of a pout. Hale chuckles a little, and then he gasses the vehicle. I can see Brazen driving the hummer that is closing in, and I’m worried this is about to become a competition. I’m glad he didn’t see the sexploit going on in here.
“I love you,” he murmurs while kissing the back of my hand.
“I love you,” I giggle out.
“Marry me, please,” he breathes as his lips find mine.
I pull back with wide eyes, and then I shake my head.
“I want a real proposal. You got out of it last time. I’m not going to say yes after sex this time,” I playfully scold, my heart beating too quick for me to keep all the nerves out of my voice.
“I’ll give you a real proposal, baby. I just want to know you still want to marry me.”
“That’s what you find out when you give a real proposal. Stop trying to cut corners. You can be romantic for one night when the time comes.”
“I can be anything you want me to be. I’m just dying to make you mine,” he says so sincerely.
“Hale, please don’t do this. I want to be with you. Isn’t that enough?”
He kisses the back of my hand once more just as Brazen and Alex catch up with us and begin driving along side us.
“It is for now.”
I smile affectionately, and then I see Alex waving as they start to drive on to take the lead.
“Wow. You’re letting them pass?” I gasp.
“Let him have this one. I got the girl,” he says with a casual delivery.
I lean against him, and he kisses my forehead as we drive a little less like hell-raising-teens. Selma isn’t too far away now. I can see the tops of the castle-edged buildings peeking out over the stone walls of the compound.
I dread returning there. When I left, I was in tears over this man. Now everyone will see me back in his arms, and they’ll all ask a ton of questions I don’t feel like answering.
“We’ll rest when we get there, and then we’ll start working the lead you’ve got.” His plans stop when he sees my sudden discomfort beaming out. “Are you okay?”
“I just dread seeing all these faces again. The last time-”
“I know. I’m sorry, baby. I’ll announce to the whole compound that I’m the stupidest son of a bitch there ever was as soon as we get there,” he sighs out, and I laugh lightly at his idea.
“I’ll just let them think I’m begging for punishment.”
“Araya, I’m not going to hurt you again,” he coos, and he pulls my hand up to kiss it once more.
I hope that’s true. I won’t be able to handle it a second time.
I just smile in response, though it is obviously a forced smile not fully reaching my eyes.
