He began to fuck me, grinding into me deep and hard, letting me feel every inch of his cock inside of me – the way he fit into me, it seemed like a downright miracle, as though the two of us had been made to fit together like this. I reached up to cradle his head, brushing my lips against his, inhaling his breath as he fucked me hard, listening to the way his breath quickened and watching how his eyes grew darker and hazier with every thrust.

"You’re so fucking wet, baby," he murmured to me, and I arched my back, hooking my ankles around him so I could pull him in even deeper. When it came to him, nothing would be enough for me – I always wanted more, more, more, like I had been starving all my life and hadn’t known it.

He shifted his weight slightly, so that he was grinding against my clit as he moved into me, and my eyes rolled back as the pleasure took control of me. Now, I couldn’t focus on anything but how close I was, how quickly the orgasm was brewing inside of me. He always knew how to touch me, how to take me over the edge and into that release – and, more than that, he wanted to. He wasn’t screwing me because it was the quickest way to get himself off, he was doing it because he clearly enjoyed giving me pleasure.

I hooked my arms around him, drawing him in close, moving back into him to take him deeper and deeper. My body was moving almost of his own accord, taking him deep inside me, my clit throbbing as he pressed against it with every movement.

"Oh, God, I’m so close," I gasped, rolling my hips back against him, eyes closed, breath tearing out of my lungs harder and faster than I could control it.

"Then come for me, baby..."

And it was that which finally took me over the edge, like he had given me permission to reach my release – not that I had any choice in the matter, anyway. I let out a cry that rocked through my whole body, a cathartic release of all the tension that had built up while I had been making my way down here. I grabbed on to his shoulders, holding him still as I came, my pussy clenching over and over again against his cock.

And, a few moments later, I felt him reach his own release inside of me, the flood of his seed deposited deep within me. I squeezed my thighs around him, holding him in place, craving the feel of him finishing inside of me, the thrill of it, the closeness, the intimacy that couldn’t be matched by anything else in the world.

He grazed his lips against my chin, as our breathing began to return to normal once more, but he didn’t pull back, holding himself there as though he wasn’t ready for this to be over.

"You sure you’re okay?" he asked me, kissing me once again. There was genuine concern in his eyes, softening the hard edges of his want. I nodded, clasping my hands to either side of his face.

"Yeah, I am," I promised him. "I am now, at least."

He laughed, and then slowly eased himself back from me, sliding down next to me and extending his arm so I could curl up against him. I nuzzled into his chest at once, pushing my hand beneath the faded gray tee he was wearing and feeling his chest hair beneath my fingers. God, that was hot. How was every part of him so sexy to me? Ihad never really been into older dudes before, but with him...it just seemed like second nature.

"I should get back to my place and feed Cinnamon," I groaned. "I went out to get food for him..."

"But you ended up here instead?" he replied, chuckling. I grinned, lifting my gaze to meet his.

"Guess I did," I agreed flirtatiously. "That a problem?"

"Oh, trust me, no problem," he replied, dropping a kiss on my head. "You want me to walk you back? I’m sure Cin’s missing me by now."

"I thought you said you weren’t really a cat person..."

"Hey, everyone has a few exceptions," he remarked, with a wink. I laid my head down on to his chest once more, letting my eyes fall shut.

"Maybe just a little longer here, huh?" I suggested, and he kissed my forehead and smoothed his hand over my hair.

"Anything you want," he murmured. I wrapped my arms around him and decided that I could stay here just a little longer. A little rest would do me good.

And any time spent with him was time I loved more than anything in the world.

Chapter Fifteen – Chuck

I rounded the corner back towards the compound, unable to keep the grin off my face.

I had just come back from spending the evening with Abbey and Cinnamon, and damn, I was getting to like this whole domestic side of things. It might not have been how I pictured my life going, but sometimes, things just made sense – and right now, nothing made more sense than hanging out with her and her cat, chilling with a movie, and spending the evening forgetting about our troubles with each other in bed.

I still couldn’t believe she wasn’t tired of me. But if anything, she seemed more into me than ever – the novelty of being together hadn’t worn off yet, and fuck, I hoped it never did. I loved being with her. Loved holding her, kissing her, fucking her – but loved talking to her, just chilling with her too. It had been a long time since I’d met someone who made me feel the way she did, and it felt dangerous, in a good way, to let that kind of thing into my life once more.

If I hadn’t had a meeting with the guys first thing tomorrow, I would have stayed the night there, but I had made sure she was doing okay, and then headed back. When she had arrived at my place earlier, I could tell there was something bothering her, but she seemed reluctant to share any more about what that might have been. Hell, fine by me – if she didn’t want to go spilling the details, that was her choice. Maybe it had just been a hit of paranoia and worry, nothing to get caught up about.

I knew it would be a while before she fully unwound from all the stress and fear Franco had put her through. There had been no sightings of him around the city, and I didn’t know if that meant he wasn’t here, or he was just damn good at keeping himself undercover. Either way, I hoped he was starting to get spooked now and would keep his distance from her, if he’d been there at all. My men were usually pretty good at shaking loose anyone in hiding, and if he was in Atwood somewhere, we would find him.

And I would make him pay for the fear he had instilled in her. Sometimes, when I looked at her, I could see the toll this had taken on her. I was reminded of Anna, of my sister, of how lost and how broken she had seemed in her final months. But I had sworn when I had lost her that I would never let someone going through the same thing navigate it alone again. I would do everything within my power to help them and keep them safe.

I rounded the corner to the back of the compound, to the door that led to my small apartment – it wasn’t much, but it was mine, and it gave me a base to work from, somewhere I knew everyone would always be able to find me. I knew I could have gone for somewhere bigger, with all the cash I was bringing in from the Dogs, but this had always been the homeground of the leader; I wasn’t going to change that. Tradition wasn’t a bad thing, especially when it came to unconventional set-ups like this one.

But, before I could so much as get the key in the lock, I froze, dead in my tracks.