A grin tugged at the corner of Woodss mouth as he took another step toward me. I didnt move away. I wanted him close. I wasnt going to run. "Hmm, someones jealous," he said as he reached out and ran a finger along my jawline. I shivered.
"Very," I admitted. I wasnt ashamed of it. I was livid with jealousy.
"Why are you jealous, Della?" He took another step toward me, causing me to back up against the wall. His hands rested against the wall on either side of my head. "Who would you ever have to be jealous of?"
I was having a difficult time breathing normally. He smelled so good. The tanned skin of his throat was right there. I wanted to lick it. Taste him. "Anyone you touch," I said breathlessly.
"Then you only have one person to be jealous of," he replied, and lowered his head to nuzzle my neck. I trembled and reached up to touch his shoulders. I needed some support. There was someone else. He was admitting it. I wanted to hit him and scream and I wanted to grab his shirt and kiss him. Claim him.
"You left me, Della. You left me. You broke me," he whispered against my skin, and then ran the tip of his tongue up my neck and took a small nip at my ear.
"Who is she?" I asked, needing to remind myself that hed been with someone else.
"Who is who?" he asked, pressing against me as he continued his assault on my neck as if it were a delicacy he craved.
"Who have you . . . who are you cooking for? Whos coming here? Who have you touched?" I asked, holding on tighter to his shoulders as my body went warm and weak.
"You. Always, you. Just you," he said, lowering his mouth to my collarbone.
What did he mean "me"? "I dont understand," I panted breathlessly as he ran his lips over my cleavage slowly and murmured about how good I smelled.
"What dont you understand, baby?" he asked as he moved his hand from the wall to cup my right breast.
I let out a strangled cry of pleasure. I wasnt going to be able to think clearly if he kept this up.
"You said there was someone else," I said as my body betrayed me and moved closer to him like a magnet.
"No, I didnt. You asked if I was expecting someone. I said yes. I was expecting you. You asked who I touched. I said only one person. You. Always you," he said, finally lifting his head to look at me. The heat I expected to see in his eyes wasnt what I saw. His heart was in his eyes. He loved me. It was right there for me to see. He was showing me with a look that he hadnt given up on us.
"You knew I was coming back," I said, wondering if it had been Braden or Tripp who had clued him in.
Woods cupped my chin gently in his hand and ran his thumb over my bottom lip. "Ive known exactly what you were doing every day since the day you left me. Ive made sure you had money to stay in hotels that were safe and food to eat. How do you think I kept from going crazy? I had daily calls to tell me how you were. Where you were. I stayed away because I wanted you to come back to me. I wanted you to want me. To want us. "
He had been keeping tabs on me. He had cared. He hadnt just let me leave. Tears filled my eyes and I didnt care. I wanted to cry. I was happy. I was loved.
"Dont cry," he said as he began to kiss each tear from my face. "I cant stand it when you cry. Please, dont cry. "
"You love me," I said, smiling.
Woods pulled back enough to look down at me. "Della. That should have never been a question in your mind. You should have known that. If you didnt know that you had my soul, then Im doing something wrong. "
I reached up and grabbed his face and kissed him. With everything I had, I kissed him. I didnt have the words to make any of this right. So I showed him how I felt. How much he meant to me. His arms wrapped around me and he met each stroke of my tongue with his own. We stood there tasting and indulging in each other. It was perfect. I was home.
When I broke the kiss so I could catch my breath I reached for his shirt. I wanted that shirt off him. I wanted his clothes off. I wanted him inside me. "Now, I need you, now," I told him as I began unbuttoning his shirt.
"I have food. I was going to romance you first. Convince you to stay with me," he said as I pushed his shirt off his shoulders.
I caressed his chest. His broad shoulders always made me feel so small but safe. "Im hungry and well eat but right now I need you inside me," I told him as my hands got busy with the buttons on his shorts.
"Then come to the bedroom," he said, his breathing as out of control as I felt.
"No. I cant wait. " I reached for my sundress and jerked it over my head. I started to push down my panties and Woods let out a growl and took over. His hands covered mine and he pulled them down, and then he ran his hands over my bottom and pressed kisses to the insides of my thighs. "Get inside me," I begged. I wanted all the sweet kisses and I wanted to taste him, too, but right now I needed to be full of Woods.
"Fuck," he groaned, and stood up, turning me around to face the wall. "You make me crazy, Della. I was gonna be romantic. You deserve romantic. "
"I want you to fuck me hard. Fill me up and remind me that Im yours," I begged.
Woodss body shuddered behind me just before he grabbed my hips and entered me with a yell.
"God, yes! So tight. So hot. This is mine," he said as he stopped and caressed my butt, then slapped it hard one time. "Mine. All this is mine. "
"Yes, its yours," I told him, and pressed back against him.
He let out another animalistic grunt and began moving in and out of me. With each thrust I climbed closer to the release I knew would fill me with completion.
"No one touches my pussy. This is my pussy, Della," he said in a growl before slipping his hand around me and running his fingers over my clit.
I went off like a rocket from his touch. "Yes! Thats it, baby, come on my dick. Thats my girl. " His words made me wilder. I bucked against him and begged him to keep fucking me.
My words caused his body to pause, then jerk again as he began chanting my name over and over. Each tremor through his body made me tingle.
"My Della," he whispered as he rested his head on my back. I moved so that he came out of me, then I turned around and pulled him into my arms.
"Always your Della," I told him.
He held me tighter and we stood there as our bodies hummed our pleasure and our hearts healed.
Page 33
Woods
My welcome-home for Della hadnt gone off in the way I had planned. I hadnt meant to take her in the foyer against the damn wall like a madman. But shed been saying things that made me lose it. She wanted to be fucked and my body wanted to give her what she was asking for.
That hadnt been the plan. But Id needed it. I had needed to hear her say she was mine. The thought of Tripp riding that damn bike while sitting between her legs ate me alive. I hated it. I wanted to remind her who belonged between her legs. Only me.
The idea that she believed I could be with anyone else still blew my mind. If she didnt know how completely I loved her, then that was my fault. I had failed her. I would fix that.
After I dressed her I brought her into the dining room. Jimmy had brought the staff over and set up a table complete with a linen tablecloth, candlelight, and roses. He had also brought the meal. It was Dellas favorite special that we offered at the club. I watched as she took in the room. I had an Erick Baker playlist playing low over the sound system. She shifted her gaze over to mine and smiled at me shyly.
"This is beautiful. "
"You were coming home. I wanted it to be special. " I didnt mean to fuck you against the wall before you could even completely get in the house. Although I didnt say it aloud, her blush made me think she knew what I was thinking.
She turned and then stopped. She had seen the picture. The one Bethy had taken of us at the beach one afternoon. We had been lost in each other and hadnt noticed that Bethy was taking our picture. I had been sitting on the sand and Della had been straddling me, facing me. Our gazes were locked, and even in the photograph you cou
ld see the way we felt. There was no question as to how much I adored her in that moment.
"You had it framed," Della said, staring at it. I walked over and turned the dimmer on the lights up so she could see it better.
"Yeah, I did. "
"I love that picture," she said, glancing back at me.
"Me too. "
She turned around and looked at me. "That girl in the photo was scared. Of her past and her future. She was scared to love you. Thats not me. Im not scared anymore. My past is what made me who I am. My future . . . as long as I get to spend it with you, then I cant wait to live it. Im going to be okay, Woods. Im not going to . . . snap. I have a lot to tell you. "
I already knew but I wanted to hear her tell me. I wanted to know her thoughts. I knew shed met with both her birth parents, and I wanted to hear all about that.
I walked over to her and reached out and took her hand. "I always knew you would be okay. I was with you. I would never leave you. I was here to be strong when you were weak. "
"And I love you for that. But I want to be the strong one sometimes. I dont always want to be the weak one. "
"I just want you. In whatever way I can have you. But Im glad youre happy. Im glad you feel strong. I want you to be happy with yourself. Because you make my life amazing. "
She sniffled and then smiled. "We need to eat. Im fighting the urge to force you to make love to me again or cry because that was so sweet. "
I tugged her hand and brought her to my side. "Baby, if you want me inside you again you just crook your finger. This food can wait," I told her before pressing a kiss to her lips.
"I want you inside me again," she said.
I was at least getting her to my bedroom this time. I had plans in there.
I pulled her behind me to the bedroom and opened the door, then stood back and let her walk inside.
The room was filled with candles and the bed was covered in pink and red rose petals. Della gasped, then looked back at me and gave me a naughty grin. "I thought I was going to have to come in here and beat someone up because they were in your room. Thats what I thought when I saw the candlelight in your bedroom window. "
I chuckled and reached for her. "Mmm, as sexy as it sounds to see you go badass over me, I would never touch another woman. Much less bring one in here. This is our room. "
Della leaned into me and sighed. "I think Braden and Tripp wanted me to think that you had another woman. "
I smiled into her hair. "Yeah. I think they did too. "
"Im going to kick their asses. I was all ready to kick someones ass because of them. Its only fitting I kick theirs. "
I laughed, then picked her up and carried her over to the bed and laid her down on the bed of roses.
She was beautiful. "Take off your dress," I told her. She sat up and pulled it off. We hadnt bothered to put her panties and bra back on in the hallway. She was naked and back where she belonged.
"Good girl. Now lie back and open your legs," I told her, and watched as she did exactly as I said.
My release from earlier was on her inner thighs. Her pussy was wet and swollen from the rough loving wed just had. I pulled my shirt off and took off my shorts before kneeling on the bed between her legs. I ran a finger down her silky heat and watched her body tremble.
"My come is still leaking out of you," I said as I rubbed it over her clit.
Her breath stuttered and she bucked beneath my touch.
"Its so fucking hot to see my release on you like this. "
I dipped my finger inside her, then ran it down her thighs. The possessive monster inside of me roared to life. "I want to mark you," I said as I slipped my finger back inside her to coat it with more of our mixed come, then rubbed it on the top of her mound.
"Oh God, Woods. Please," she begged, and moved against my hand.
"My come looks so good on you. " I was fascinated with it. Seeing it soak into her soft skin. Knowing it was a part of me.
"Then please put some more in me," she pleaded this time.
I rose up over her and teased her entrance with the head of my cock. She cried out and tried to get closer. I slowly sank into her until I was completely inside.
"Youre my all-in, Della. Ill throw it all away for you. I just want you. Im all in, baby. This life with you, Im planning on us. "
She ran her legs up mine and smiled up at me. "This is it. This is our start. Take me home, Woods. "
I dropped my head to her shoulder and began moving inside of her while our breathing hitched and we gradually climbed to the pleasure we knew awaited us. The place we could only reach with each other.
"Now, Della. Come with me," I ordered when I felt myself ready to explode.
Her immediate strangled cry as she began clawing at my back sent me flying off into nirvana.
Page 34
Della
I opened my eyes and stared into Woodss eyes. He was already awake. The way he looked at me made me feel treasured. Like I was some precious jewel he wanted to protect. "Good morning," he said as his fingers continued to trace the length of my arm with a featherlike touch.
"Good morning," I said, smiling at him. "How long have you been awake?"
"You mean how long have I been staring at you?" he asked teasingly.
"Yes, that too," I replied.
"About an hour. I woke up and you were so damn gorgeous curled up against me I couldnt go back to sleep. I didnt want to sleep and waste time that I could spend looking at you. "
My heart squeezed. "You have a way with words, Mr. Kerrington," I told him.
"You think?"
I nodded. "I know. "
"Good, because I want to ask you about the past two weeks and I want you to tell me everything," he said.
"I thought you knew everything already," I replied, realizing it had to be Tripp hed been talking to. Braden hadnt been with me for most of those weeks.
"I know what Tripp and Braden told me. I want to know everything that Della knows. "
So theyd both been in on this. I couldnt be mad at them. Not now. I was in Woodss arms. They had brought me back here. They had made me face my fears.
"I almost didnt come back. I was scared to face you. I was afraid you didnt want me. Braden and Tripp talked me into coming back. "
Woods smiled at me and reached over to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Sweetheart, I was coming after you. Your time was almost up. I had told Braden you had forty-eight hours. I had started packing my bag when I got the call from Tripp saying youd be back in four hours. Dont get me wrong. Im glad you came home to me. But I wasnt going to stand back any longer. Id given you three weeks. I wanted you back. "
He had been coming to get me. That was why Braden was so insistent that I come back to him. She wanted me to be the one to come back. "Im not sure what I did to score a best friend like Braden, but Im so thankful I have her. "
Woods kissed the tip of my nose. "There were a few times I considered locking her up long enough to get you and run. "
Giggling, I moved closer to him. "But I came home. "
"Yes, you did. And it was so damn sweet. "
He wanted to know about all that had happened. I wanted to tell him about everything. "Do you know I was adopted?" He nodded. "Well, I met both of them. I even met Glendas---thats my birth mother---family. She has a daughter and a son. Her husband was quiet but he seemed nice. I mostly watched her daughter. I wondered if I would have been so free and outspoken if I had lived her life. And I have my birth fathers eyes. His name is Nile. He was the high school heartthrob. I can look at him twenty years later and tell that. Hes handsome and I think he may still be a little in love with Glenda, which is weird. But I try not to think about it. "
I continued to tell Woods all about meeting the people who gave me life. I hadnt told Braden much about each meeting and she hadnt pressed, but with Woods I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted him to know that Nile smoked cigars a
nd Glenda used to sing. She wanted to be a country singer once.
By the time I had finished telling him about everything, he had sat up and leaned against the headboard and pulled me into his lap. He made small circles on the palm of my hand and stayed silent. So I talked more.
I told him about my fears and why I had left him. I told him that my night terrors were gone. I wasnt waking up screaming anymore. I was whole. I wanted to be a mother one day. I wanted so many things Id been scared to want before.
He slipped his hand down over my stomach and I felt fluttery in my chest. "One day I want my baby tucked safely in here. "
I covered his hands with mine. "Me too. "
We sat there like that for a while and didnt talk. I had told him everything. Every feeling, every fear. He knew it all now. And he loved me. Through it all, he had loved me.
"Della," he said in a gruff voice.
"Yeah?"
"The idea of you on the back of Tripps bike, with your arms wrapped around him, and him sleeping in bed with you and holding you through your fears---its gonna be hard for me to get over. Im thankful he took care of you, but youre mine to take care of. I dont want to have to see his face for a while. I need time to get over it. "
I moved so that I was facing him. "I never thought anything of those things. I dont have any feelings for Tripp at all. You were the only thing on my mind. "
"I know. Thats why he gets to live. But it doesnt take away the fact Im a man and Im possessive of one thing. You. "
He could be so sweet and romantic at times and then so tough and male at others. I shifted to my knees and gave him a wicked grin. "Let me see if I can get that image out of your mind and give you a new one," I said as I kissed down his chest and moved his legs apart so I could get between them.
He was more than ready when I got down to the bottom of his flat, hard stomach. I grabbed his thick length in my hand and held it while I flicked my tongue across the head.
"Baby," Woods groaned, and bucked underneath me.
"Mmm," was my reply as I looked up at him while I slid him into my mouth until he touched the back of my throat, causing me to gag. He always liked it when I gagged.
Both his hands grabbed my head. "Ah, thats good, baby. So damn good. Take it deep. Oh, hell yeah, gag on it. " His words came out thick and raspy.