Page 26 of Sloth
“I was just as shocked as you are.” She picks up her glass and drinks some more wine.
“But…Koben? That makes no sen— Of course, it makes sense. That asshole’s been tryin’ to muscle his way in here from the start.” I think back to that day he came here offering to help with the ranch. Then, what I said to him earlier today about Erin moving on. That bastard must have decided to shoot his fuckin’ shot.
“What did you say back to him?” I wonder how she feels about it all. From the way she’s acting, it’s upset her.
“What could I say? I could hardly tell him I was already shacked up with Matthew’s brother. I just made up some lame-ass excuse about not being ready.” She sighs.
I nod back at her, understandingly, but in reality, I hate that she’s left him still thinking there's a chance. I know my brother's best friend, and he can be relentless. I got a good mind to get in my truck, drive to his place, and make it clear to him that she is spoken for. Fuck all this secrecy shit.
“Do you like Koben?” I ask, starting to wonder if this might become a problem. The guy's handsome; he’s got plenty money in the bank, and he could offer her a damn lot more than I can.
“Of course, I like him…just not in that way.” I feel my shoulders sag with relief when she gets to the end of her sentence.
“Maybe I gave him the wrong impression wearing this dress.” She looks down at what she’s wearing, and I feel that frustrationI’ve been feeling ever since she told me about the kinda man my brother was, consume me again.
“You gotta stop doin' that, Erin. Stop lookin’ at blamin’ yourself every time something goes wrong. Koben hit on you tonight because you're beautiful and he likes you.” I tell her exactly how it is. “He would have known before he came here to pick you up that he was gonna tell you how he felt, so what dress you were wearin’ doesn’t matter.” I feel all the muscles in my body tense before I say the next part. “My brother beat you because he was a bad person. You get that, right?” I love the way she smiles back at me; it’s as if I can see my words sinking in and making a difference for her.
“I’m not faultless, Luke.” She shuffles a little closer, sending a shiver up my spine when she slowly slides her hand into the front of my jeans. “I’m totally to blame for what's about to happen next.” Taking my earlobe between her teeth, she grazes it just enough to make me lose all my restraint.
“You're in some real trouble,” I warn her, making her squeal when I leap up and throw her over my shoulder. I decide to change things up and head for her bedroom, tossing her on the bed and starting to undress. And I’ve not even taken off my shirt before I notice that she’s looking a little wary. Her eyes start glancing around the room like she's become uncomfortable, so I pause to make sure she’s okay.
“Ya good?” I check.
“Yeah, it’s just we’ve never done it in this room before.” Since this has been goin’ on, we’ve been sleeping in my room. Erin only ever comes in here these days to get dressed.
“I know,” I tell her, resting beside her on the edge of the bed and taking her hand. “And if you wanna go back to the other room, we can. I just…Erin, you’re mine. Matthew’s never gonna hurt you again. This room is just a room now.” I don’t want there to be a space in this world where she doesn’t feel safe.
“A room full of bad memories,” she tells me, looking up at the ceiling and trying to hold in her tears.
“Yeah, but you're in control. So…make the choice; we can go to my room or we can stay and make new memories in this one.” I take her face in my hands and pull it closer to mine. “This is the room you first kissed me in.” I remind her of a memory I sure as hell won’t forget.
“I was dreaming that he came back.” She shakes her head and drops her eyes from mine.
“Hey…hey. Look at me. That's impossible. He’s gone, replace that with something else.”
“Like how humiliated I felt after I kissed you.” She looks back up at me and laughs just a little, and I quickly kiss her before another one of those bad memories creeps its way to the surface.
“I’m gonna make you come on this bed. I’m gonna make you come all over this whole, damn house until there's no room in your pretty, little head to remember any of the bad shit that happened in it,” I promise her, and she shows that she likes the idea when she shifts back and pulls the dress she’s wearing up over her head. I watch, unable to believe this girl is mine, as she shimmies her panties off her hips and lies back for me.
“I’d really like that, Luke,” she whispers, looking up at me and spreading her legs apart.
I finish taking off my jeans and slowly climb up her body, kissing her all the way up to her neck.
“I hated Koben taking you out tonight,” I whisper a confession as I stroke gently between her legs and feel her get wetter for me.
“Then why didn’t you stop him?” She hitches her breath when I find that sweet little spot with the tip of my finger.
“Because I wanted to prove to you that things are different now. I wanted you to know that you get to make your own decisions.”
“But… you were jealous?” She’s wearing that smile on her face again.
“Crazy fuckin’ jealous.” I kiss along her jaw, up to her ear, and replace my finger with my cock, sliding it through her pussy lips and feeling her soak my shaft.
“You're mine now, Erin, all fuckin’ mine. You can go anywhere, with whoever you want, but you just remember who you’re coming home to.” I push inside her and feel her nails dig into my back.
“Luke,” she whispers, and hearing how serious she sounds, I lift my head up so I can look at her.
“What's wrong, darlin’?” She looks as if she’s got something on her mind.
