Page 28 of The Seductress

It was only now as I rocked into her sweet heat that the reality of how close I’d come to losing her hit home. “I could’ve lost you.” The words barely made their way past the lump of emotion in my throat. I buried my face in her neck as I tried to bury my cock deeper into her body. It didn’t feel like I could get close enough, and I wanted to get under her skin.

“Hold on tighter baby.” I grabbed her up in my arms as I surged into her, holding her precious little head in my hand. She was so tiny, so fragile and this day could’ve ended so much worse. “I’ll never let anythinghappen to you again I promise.”

“I know Simon just love me.”

“I do-I do love you, more than I can say.” I covered her mouth with mine then, taking her breath into my lungs and sharing mine with her.

I stayed inside her pretty much the rest of the day, even when her parents arrived to check up on her. I’d called to let them know what was going on after the fact and she’d already spoken to them so I just pressed the intercom and told the servants to make a room ready for them for the night since we were ‘resting’.

They didn’t argue, which wouldn’t have made much of a difference to me anyway, since I was in no way ready to let her go.Someone; probably Martha, left dinner outside our door which we ate cold before I ran us a bath.

After adding some soothing salts to the water, I went and collected her from the bed and sat her in my lap in the hot water. She hissed when the water stung her scrapes and I soothed her as my anger grew again. I hadn’t thought of Jen and the man I now knew was really Jeremy Strait since we’d come home, but now that the haze had cleared it was all coming back to me.

“You ever do anything so stupid again I’ll skin you. Do you hear me?” I pulled her head back and stared down into her face so she could see how serious I was.

“Yes.” She looked close to tearsbut that wasn’t going to stop me from giving her the riot act. I’d meant to give her the night at least, but now that the lust haze had cleared, the anger was too raw to let go.

“You mean more to me than the money, if you had doubts, you should’ve come to me.”

“I was just a little confused. I didn’t want you to think I was using you.”

“Don’t you know, can’t you tell each time I’m with you that I would never think such a thing? Haven’t I shown you enough what you mean to me?”

“You have, it’s just…”

“It’s just nothing Ashley. If you’d trusted me, if you’d believed in mylove for you-you would know that that shit could never have entered my mind.” I fought not to go too far, not to traumatize her any more than she already had been, but the more I thought of it the more pissed I became.

What did she think we’d been doing with each other the last couple of weeks? Why would I go through that shit with her parents if I weren’t serious about us? I had to remind myself that she was still young, but that wasn’t really doing much for my temperament.

I knew it was fear, the fear that I had been beating back the past few hours that was talking now. But I had to get it out there, had to make her understand so that something like this never happened again.

“In the future, you’ll come to me if you have questions about anything to do with us. I don’t care what it is you bring it to me. As to people thinking you’re with me for my money, fuck ‘em. I’m sure those same people would’ve been fine had I married someone like Jen. You and I are the only ones who need to know what we mean to each other. Everyone else can go fuck themselves.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause all this trouble or to make you mad. I just panicked I guess, when I thought you might start to see me in the same light as her. I don’t ever want you to feel that way about me.” There was a look of pleading in her eyes and I could see that it really meant a lot to her that I believed her.

Wrapping my arms around her in the cooling water, I tried to find the right words to give her. “I didn’t always have money sweetheart. I grew up on the streets of Memphis and it was rough. I told myself from a very young age that I wanted out. I know what it is to be hungry, and not just for food. I wanted to get as far away from my life of poverty as I could.

I worked my ass off when others took the easy way out. Most of them are either dead or in jail. I’ve met all kinds in my life, some better than others. Your aunt is a conniving manipulative succubus. You my love are as far removed from her, as it’s possible to be. You’re everything that she isn’t don’t you see? I could never see you in the same light. I don’t know how else I can convince you,but I’ll spend the rest of my life trying.

My life has never been this full, this amazing, until I met you. And it’s more than just the sex.” I squeezed her here because when she was telling me of her fears earlier this had been one of the things on her mind. “I love sex with you, but sex has never ruled my life. I would never make such a monumental life changing decision based on how good you make my cock feel. It’s a bonus no doubt, but trust me you mean a hell of a lot more, than what’s between your legs. And yes I know, I was thinking about asking Jen to marry me, but I wasn’t thinking the same way then as I do now.

I never knew that love like this was in the works for me, but once Ifound you everything changed. Of everything I’ve ever achieved, all that I’ve accomplished, you’re my prize. I never thought I would feel this way about another human being in my life; you’re it.

As for the money, who better to spend it on than the woman I love and our kids when they come? That’s the whole point isn’t it, to be able to provide for my loved ones? I’m just happy that I’ve found someone as perfect as you to share that with. Now does that answer your questions? I hope so because I never want to spend another day like this one.”

She apologized again and we were silent for the next little while, each lost in our own thoughts. I’ sure she was still a little shaken up by the experience but I wasn’t planning onletting her dwell on that shit too long. Maybe, I should take her away somewhere for a couple weeks for a change of scenery.

As for me I was done with the day’s bullshit already. I finally got the answers I needed and as far as I know they were both arrested. I hadn’t answered my phone once I locked us away in our room so I had no idea what had transpired after we left the scene.

“Let me see these.” I checked her arms again to make sure none of the scrapes were too deep. “I’ll put some ointment on them when we get out.” My hand went to her face next where the print of his hand was starting to fade. “Fucker, I should’ve killed that dumb fuck.”

“I heard you talking to the cops but you never told me, who was he? I never got a chance to ask but I did hear bits and pieces. Was he the one aunt Jen was seeing all these years? Why does he hate you so much?” Her body trembled in renewed fear and I held her closer.

I filled her in on what I knew so far and answered her questions. I made her go over everything that had happened from the time he grabbed her until I showed up. I figured the more she talked about it the less afraid she would be in her mind since I was sure she would relive this shit for a long time to come.

“I’m sorry he ever touched you, sorry that because of me you were hurt. Do you forgive me?” She turned around and got to her knees, throwingher arms around my neck. “Of course, but there’s nothing to forgive. It’s not your fault those two are insane.” She had a point.

Hunger drove us downstairs where her parents were still up sitting in the breakfast nook speaking in hushed tones. “Oh, you’re awake how are you feeling?” Her mom fussed over her while I took her dad aside and filled him in.

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