Page 72 of The Fall

I saw his truck and walked over to it as he reluctantly followed.

“I would ask you why, but I’m afraid to,” he said, looking down at his tires.

“I hate myself so much right now,” I said quickly. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

“Do you love him?” he asked earnestly, searching my face.

“I used to.” He nodded and jumped into his truck. “I have to leave right now. I’ll hurt him if I don’t.” I backed away from his truck as he took another look at me. “I meant what I said, and I might hate myself for it later, but Dallas, if he fucks up, I’ll be there.”

“I don’t deserve that. Don’t do that.”

“I guess I can’t help it.” He started the truck, then pulled away, leaving my heart gushing with regret. I looked back at the gym and couldn’t face going back in. I was more than furious. As if Dean sensed my hesitation, he stepped outside, walking toward me.

“Caveman!” I shouted as he approached me. “What the hell is wrong with you? It isn’t enough that I’m with you right now, you had to rub it in his face? Make him feel like that?” Dean didn’t slow his pace and crashed into me, lifting me with both hands under my ass, my legs instinctively wrapping around him. His mouth muffled my surprised scream as he took it with possessive fierceness. I fought him for only seconds before succumbing to the kiss. He pulled me tighter to him, walking toward his Jag. I heard it chirp before he sat me down in the passenger seat. I fumed as he got in and quickly started driving.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I said, staring at him while he drove. “Talk to me damn it!” He continued driving as I questioned him but didn’t say a word. We pulled into a private drive, which I assumed was his, and he pressed the garage door opener. Glaring at him, he refused to look at me. I got out and followed him inside. I was just about to start laying into him again when he turned on me, his dark eyes filled with hunger. My words caught in my throat as he gripped my neck, turning me to face the door we’d just walked through. I shuddered when his breath hit my ear, my back to his chest, his erection brushing along the top of my ass.

“I need you to stop fighting me,” he scolded in a heat-filled whisper, his tongue darting in and out of the shell of my ear. I was panting as he held me tightly to him by the throat, his other hand slipping into my shorts and underneath my panties. “I need you to stop making this so damn hard on us both because all I want …” he paused, slipping his fingers inside me as I sank against him, “is you.” He pulled his fingers from inside me, sliding them up to massage me in slow circles. I gripped him behind me as I started to feel the pull.

“Dean,” I pleaded, my heart pounding against my chest. As aggressive of a lover as he used to be, it was nothing like the man behind me now circling my soaked pussy with skilled fingers. I didn’t have time to worry about the fact that I was still sweaty from my workout or what had happened after—because seconds later, I was spread out on his counter as he licked at my pussy wildly. I gasped his name twice before he let up and pulled me to sit in front of him. He pulled his shorts down, and I gripped him in my hand, the fire in my eyes matching his. He pulled me from the counter, grabbing my ass as he slid me onto his length. I moaned out, the delicious soreness from last night making an appearance before I began to move on top of him as he ground his hips into me. “So fucking good,” he said as I gripped the counter behind me, grinding into him. “I know you feel it, feel us,” he grunted out as his icy eyes seared through me along with his thrusts.

He turned us around and laid me down on his rug as he burned his way through me, leaving nothing left. I milked his length as I came again, calling out to him repeatedly. He pulled away, slowing his pace and rolling his hips expertly so I could feel every stone inch of him.

“I’ve thought about nothing but this all day. The way you look when I’m buried inside you, the way you breathe my name, the way you tremble around me when you come. I won’t let anything or anyone else get in the way of us—of this.” He stilled as he spilled himself inside me. I stroked his back, catching my breath. He pulled away, his beautiful black locks falling across his forehead.

“I just need us to be…without all the bullshit for a while. I don’t want anything taking away from this.” He searched my face for my understanding. I nodded as he took my lips, then quickly pulled back. “Try with me, Dallas. Please just give me a chance.” His heart was beating so fast I could feel his anxiety rolling off of him. Josh had intimidated him, though he would never admit it. Dean was proud in that way. I’d never seen him act so violently possessive toward me. I was as equally turned on as I was put off by it.

“You can’t act like that,” I warned.

“I know,” he said, his renewed erection brushing against my leg. He trailed my face and neck with feverish kisses, leading back to my mouth, taking his time to gently coax it open. I sighed into him as he took my breath completely. When he pulled away, I saw his features soften. “I want all of you, Dallas. Every single piece. Even the ones I broke.” He pulled me to his chest, cradling my legs as he lifted me off his carpet. He carried me upstairs and drew us a bath. I watched him as he made the bath comfortable, stepping in and motioning for me to join him. I sat cradled in his arms for several minutes.

“Dally, talk to me.” Brushing the hair away from my neck, he planted a soft kiss on my shoulder.

“Remember when you told me you were going to be a doctor?”

“Yes,” he said, cupping water over my back.

“Do you remember what you said?”

“No, not really. I just remember we were in your parents’ backyard.”

“You said you wanted to be useful to people in a way where you could sleep at night.”

“I said that? Wow, pretty deep for eighteen.”

“My mom pointed it out at dinner that night. She told my dad I was safe with you.”

Dean held me tighter to him. “That’s flattering.”

“She’d overheard our conversation when I told you I planned on the same profession. I’d wanted to be a doctor since I was a little girl. Did I ever tell you the story why?”

“I think I just assumed it was your crush on me.” I could feel his grin behind me.

“No.” I turned on him, kneeling in his large sunken tub between his legs. His hair was damp and curled slightly, framing his face. I had to take a few deep breaths in order to get my story out. The sight of him naked and wet in front of me was debilitating. He remained silent, urging me to go on.

“When Rose was six, we were climbing an old fence in the neighborhood. We knew better, but we were told these particular neighbors had a rabid dog that was about to be put down. I was curious and wanted to see what it looked like. Anyway, once we made it up to peer over, we saw the yard was empty. Rose’s board came loose, and she fell awkwardly onto some loose boards that had already given out behind us, snapping her arm. Not only that, she impaled her forearm on an old rusty nail.

“She didn’t cry. She didn’t make a damn sound. She just looked at her arm as if it was alien to her. I rushed her home, and my parents flipped. Rose stayed calm the whole time. I sat with her while the doctor set and stitched her arm. She only winced once. The rest of the time, she simply looked at the doctor in awe, as if she knew she would be fine. I think she knew then that she wanted to be a doctor. I saw how Rose looked at her as she was stitched up, and I suddenly wanted to be her. I wanted to be Rose’s hero. I guess a part of it was jealousy, and the other part was curiosity, but she fixed my sister so easily. I wanted the ability to do the same thing. Just to be able to make things right when it seemed impossible.

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