Page 31 of Yours To Keep
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Magnolia. You can read whatever the fuck you want to read and fantasize about any dark and dirty craving you can imagine. As long as the only man fulfilling those fantasies is me, understand?” I flex my fingers, putting the slightest pressure against her neck, and she moans. “Tell me you understand, angel. Now.”
“Yes. I understand,” she says softly, licking her lips. I watch her pupils dilate and I know she loves the control I have over her. I’m glad, because I’m never willing to give it up.
“Good, now you can read your book to me and I’ll imagine all the feral ways I’m going to obliterate your embarrassment.” I kiss the tip of her nose and she smiles.
“You make me feel…worthy,” she whispers, and something clenches in my chest.
Falling for this woman wasn’t part of my plans, but Magnolia has proven in such a short time that all my carefully made plans are worthless if she’s not in them. If you had asked me even a month ago, I would’ve told you I had no interest in settling down or spending more than one night with any woman. But Magnolia reached into my chest and squeezed my heart until it started beating again, until I could hardly bear to be apart from her.
“You are worthy, angel. Worthy of appreciation, worthy of love, worthy of a man who treats you like the fucking queen you are.” I punctuate every statement with a kiss against her sternum, laying my head on her chest and wrapping my armsaround her. I’ve never been one to cuddle, but with Magnolia, it just feels right. She runs her fingers through my hair and across my shoulders, tracing my tattoos gently.
I’m not sure how long we lay like this, tangled together without a single thought of any problem outside this room. Her chest rises and falls slowly, but I know she’s not asleep. Her fingertips are still stroking through my hair absentmindedly as she reads. If this became the rest of my life, I wouldn’t complain for even a minute.
“Eventually we’re gonna have to get up,” she says without moving.
“Nope. Just let me die here,” I say, snuggling my face tighter against her chest.
“But we’ll need fooooood.” She groans at the same time my stomach growls. We both laugh as I finally pull myself up and off of her. Immediately, I miss the closeness, but I still get up and dressed.
“You wait here. I’ll run down the street and pick up something from the diner, okay?” I kiss her forehead just as thunder claps outside the window. She shifts uncomfortably and I kiss her again. “I promise, I’ll be right back, angel.”
“Ok,” she grimaces. “Hurry back.”
“I will, I promise.” I place one more kiss on the tip of her nose before I’m out the door. I barely make it down the stairs of her apartment building before my phone rings. Breaker’s name flashes across the screen and I pick up before the second ring.
“Hey man, what’s up?” I ask, pulling the hood of my sweatshirt up to block out some of the rain.
“We’ve got- tell- where-” Static muffles his voice, and I wonder where the hell he’s calling me from.
“Break? Dude, I can’t hear you. Your signal must be really bad.” I shout over the sound of the rain. No one else is dumbenough to be out in it like I am, but when my girl is hungry, I have to deliver.
“Iris! Aaron- not- fuck! Can you hear me?” He breaks up again, angry shouts barely audible through the line.
“Man, I don’t know where you are, but I can’t hear a damn thing you’re saying. Call me back.” I hang up and pocket my phone as I jog across the street.
Water rushes almost to the curb in some parts of the street and I’m wishing we had a food delivery service in this town right about now. Even though it’s almost July, the wind and rain are much colder than usual. I cut across the sidewalk, the diner just ahead thankfully.
Just as I cross in front of the side street next to the diner, headlights shine down the alleyway. I fuckin hate it when people aren’t considerate of other people.
“Turn your fuckin’ brights off, asshole!” I shout, but before I can move, the driver hits the gas. A black town car barrels straight for me with no intention of slowing down. I’m stunned for a moment. Is this fucker really gonna hit me?
“What the fuck!” I yell, diving out of the way only a second before the car would’ve taken me out.
My body slams into the pavement and I wince, feeling the small bones of my left wrist twinge as I brace against the impact. That’s definitely gonna hurt like a bitch after the adrenaline wears off. I watch from the ground as the taillights never slow down, taking a right turn out of the town square and disappearing.
Somebody just tried to run me over. I could be dead right now. What. The. Fuck.
My mind immediately wanders to the list of people who could be trying to kill me at any moment. It’s not a short one. But I’d be willing to bet this time it had something to do with a certain redhead I left only a few minutes ago.
Rain pelts against my face and the ground around me, but I don’t move to get up. My injured wrist rests against my chest as the cool water soaks me to the bone. Why is it that no matter how much I want to let the sun shine on my life, the darkness always creeps in? My cell rings, pulling me from my downward spiral. Breaker’s name flashes across the screen again and I swipe to answer.
“Iris? Hello? Can you hear me?” He says, panic in his voice.
“Yep. You got me. Guess what? Somebody just tried to kill me. I know you’re shocked by that,” I say, my tone flat and expressionless. Nothing surprises me anymore, honestly.
“What?! I was trying to tell you! Look, this web of bullshit you and Magnolia are tangled in is way more complex than you realize. Are you with her now?” He snaps, and I shake my head.
“No. Currently, I am laying on the ground getting absolutely drenched and nursing a possibly broken wrist. Ya know, typical day in the life, really,” I say sarcastically.
