Page 103 of Ruthless Serenade
I can feel my climax building, coiling tight and hot in my core. Maron must sense it too, because he slides a hand between us, his fingers finding my clit with devastating precision. The dual stimulation is almost too much to bear.
"That’s it," he urges, his voice granite-rough with exertion and need. "Let me feel you come for me."
His words are the final push I need.
"Oh... God! Maron!" His name tears from my throat as pleasure crashes over me, washing me away. My body clenches around him rhythmically as ecstasy courses through my veins, leaving me trembling and breathless in its wake.
He follows me over the edge moments later, driving deep one final time with a guttural groan. I feel the hot pulse of his release deep inside me, prolonging my own orgasm. For several long moments, we remain locked together, both of us shaking and gasping for air.
Finally, he collapses onto me, his breath hot against the damp skin of my neck. I welcome his weight, allowing myself to feel grounded and secure beneath him.
I lay there wrapped in his powerful arms, feeling safer than I ever have before. His heartbeat gradually steadies against my chest as our breathing returns to normal. I look up to find his intense eyes studying me, and the tenderness I see there makes my heart clench.
"Mindy," he says, his voice serious despite our recent passion. "I need you to understand something."
I nod, encouraging him to continue, my fingers tracing idle patterns on his shoulder.
"You and Sharon... you’re everything to me now," he continues, raw honesty in every word. "I swear to you, I will never leave either of you. Ever."
My breath catches at the fierce intensity in his voice.
"I know I’m not perfect," he admits, vulnerability bleeding through his usual armor. "But I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to keep you both safe. To make you happy."
Tears prick at my eyes as I absorb his words. This powerful, dangerous man who rules his world with ruthless efficiency is laying his soul bare for me.
"If anyone tries to harm you or our daughter," he vows, his voice dropping to a fierce whisper, "I'll tear the world apart to protect you. I’d die before I let anything happen to either of you."
I reach up to cup his face, overwhelmed by the depth and raw honesty in his words. "I know," I breathe, "And I trust you. Now and forever."
He pulls me closer, pressing a tender kiss to my forehead that contrasts sharply with his usual displays of power. "You two are my family now," he murmurs against my skin. "My everything. I will always be here for you both. No matter what."
Chapter Forty-Nine
Mindy
The air in the room is heavy with the aftermath of our passion.
A peaceful stillness has settled over us, made all the more precious by the chaos we’ve recently survived.
My fingers trace lazy patterns across Maron’s chest, mapping the terrain of scars and muscles. He lies still beneath my touch, eyes closed, allowing me this gentle exploration. It’s a rare kind of surrender from him - this man who holds himself with such rigid control, letting his guard down completely with me.
Each brush of my fingertips draws a subtle reaction - a quickened breath, a slight tension in his muscles. My hand slips lower, grazing over his muscular thigh as it leads me closer to his cock. I gently cup his balls, rolling them between my fingers in a soft caress that makes him growl softly. I move my hand up his body again, kissing his chest and neck to nip at his earlobe.
I pause in my wandering to study his face. Seven years have left their mark - subtle threads of silver in his beard, fine lines at the corners of his eyes that speak of years of hardship. These changes only enhance his rugged beauty, adding character to features that have haunted my dreams for years.
"Mindy," he says suddenly, his voice carrying an eerie weight as he stares at the ceiling. "There’s something you must know."
The seriousness of his tone makes my fingers still against his skin. "What is it?" I whisper.
He keeps his eyes fixed upward as he speaks, his words falling like stones. "What happened to Sharon... it’s because of me."
I push myself up on my elbow, my post-orgasmic haze evaporating instantly. "What are you talking about?" My voice comes out sharper than intended.
Maron turns to face me. The raw guilt I see in his eyes makes my stomach clench. "Dr. Rachel Anderson. That’s the name of the woman who kidnapped our daughter."
The name instantly strikes a chord. My fingers dig into the sheets as rage and pain surge through me. Every maternal instinct screams for vengeance, yet something about that name nags at my memory. Alexis’ words from the other day float back to me. Her casual mention of Rachel Anderson’s name during our conversation about therapy.
"The psychiatrist?" My voice sounds foreign to my own ears.
