Page 170 of Defend Me

“You want me to cum in your ass first, baby?”

My nod was fast and jerky. He brushed his thumb over my head, making it more difficult for me to hold back while I waited. His hand coming down on my ass cheek drew out a desperate whimper. He dug his fingers into the spot, intensifying the sting, then thrust into me with so much force that it made me drop to my elbows. My body jolted when I felt him cum inside me and I finally let myself finish with a long hum that was completely out of my control.

We stayed like that, both of us catching our breath for a few minutes. That orgasm was enough to make me want to curl up in bed and fall asleep while Brooks held me. It was only two floors down, but it felt too far away. Maybe he’d carry me.

“My parents are coming this weekend,” he said.

I was shocked by his statement, not only because of the details. Every time I asked him to open up, it was a fight. I was surprised that he’d offered the information without me having to ask a few more times.

What was most on my mind was that we were leaving in the morning. On a trip that we planned weeks ago. Thathecalled me to talk about, even though he was only thirty minutes away at the time.

I tried not to be mad. He hadn’t lied and, at the time, we were in a different place. It was still extremely new. The fact that he told me was good, even if it took a while, and I didn’t want to discourage that.

“Um, okay,” I began, turning over to look at him.

He traced the line of my navel with two fingers, avoiding my eyes.

“Look at me.” When he did, I touched his lips. “You’re not happy about it.”

He shrugged, then moved away from me. I watched him get dressed and tried to read his expression. It was incredibly guarded, even for him.

“You planned the Portland trip so we wouldn’t be here. You don’t want them to meet me, do you?”

My stomach felt really fucked up about that. I’d asked if they’d like me and he hadn’t answered it plainly. I might not be what they expected, but would they hate me?

After putting his shoes on, he turned to me. I finished with my clothes and sanitized the bench while I waited. Nothing could be done about the ripped vinyl.

“I don’t wantyouto meetthem,” he corrected.

“What if I do?”

“Is that what you want?”

“It’s inevitable if we stay together. But if you’re not ready, that’s okay too. Do you still want to go to Portland?”

“Yes,” he answered immediately. “I’ll think about the rest later.”

“Thank you.”

He took my hand and cocked his head at me. “For thinking about it?”

“No. For telling me.”

“I hated every second of it.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop myself from smiling, especially when he motioned for me to get on his back. It still amazed me that he was so willing to pick me up when I wasn’t much smaller than him. No complaints here.

Baby steps. They still got you to your destination, even if the journey was more tedious.

Chapter 46

Tilian

“A duck walked up to a lemonade stand. Why the fuck is that in my head?” I growled, dropping my pencil onto my notebook.

I was pretty sure Brooks sang it sometimes. Maybe a lot. That or my brain was just throwing annoying shit at me because it was a feisty bitch.

“Got any grapes?” Brooks sang as he came into the room.

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