Page 28 of Vaughn

Vaughn rubs my arm. "Go on."

My ears ring and it's as if I'm right back in that moment again. "He reached over, and started rubbing my leg through the blankets. I tried not to make a move, to continue to pretend like I was asleep." I shrug, inhaling deeply before blowing it back out. "I thought that's what would be best."

"You did absolutely nothing wrong. First of all you're his niece, second of all the age gap between you two is significant, and third? Consent is sexy. What the fuck?"

His response helps me to continue. "I was thinking a lot of the same in my head as I waited to see what he was going to do. He stopped for a moment and I thought I was home free, but then his hand slipped under the blanket, and it went right between my legs. Before I could react, he'd gone past my underwear, and his finger was touching my bare skin."

He doesn't say anything, he just continues holding me tightly, dropping kisses to my forehead, and at that point, I know I can tell him the rest.

"That wasn't it though. I turned my head to the side, to scream, and he covered his lips with mine. He shoved his finger up inside me, and I tried to yell, but his mouth kept me from doing so. I was terrified." The tears start now, and I'm the same scared woman I was back there in that bed.

Vaughn growls in the back of his throat. "I'm not going to lie. I'm going to kill this motherfucker if he ever gets in my line of vision again. For scaring you, for hurting you, and for being such a piece of shit human-being. He should be in jail, Val. And if not that, he should be in hell for hurting you. I'd gladly send him there."

This is everything I've always wanted to hear, what I'd desperately needed. Someone to tell me I was safe and to take me away from the nightmares. There wasn't anyone in my life who was willing to protect me, which is why I left, and now Ihave Vaughn. It would be so easy for me to lean on him for anything and everything, but I need to be strong.

"No..." he starts. "I see what you're doing. You're stiffening that upper lip and setting your jaw. If there's one thing I've learned about you in the small amount of time we've been together, it's that you're about to ice me out. You're about to be super strong, and not let me be there for you. Don't do that. We're stronger together." He entwines our hands. "This bond? It's unbreakable, babe."

I desperately want to believe him, but I've never been able to count on anyone before. "How do I know that?"

He noses my forehead. "You're going to have to trust me, and I'm willing to build to that, but you have to let me in. At least begin to. It's going to take more than me telling you a few pretty words, I'm aware of that. But I need you to start allowing me to see these parts of your, Val."

"Will you let me see yours too?" I ask, not wanting to be the only vulnerable one in the relationship.

"I don't have these types of things that have happened to me. I'm more of a loose cannon when people try to threaten the things I care about - you - in this instance. I'll let you see how it affects me, and I'll trust you with it to show you that I can be trusted."

I roll those words around in my head. Thankful that he's willing to let us discuss this. In my family there were no discussions. It was either you agreed, or you learned to keep your mouth shut and suffer in silence. "Okay, it's not easy for me to do this."

"I know." He cups my face in his palms, bringing our mouths together. He pulls away right after our lips meet. "Is this alright?" He motions between us. "I don't want a kiss between us to trigger you."

How do I explain this to someone like Vaughn who's never had to deal with a situation of this magnitude before? I decide to just put out exactly what I want. I can't pretend that this didn't happen to me, there's no sense in that. It did, and now I'm going to have to learn to live with it. There's an idea evolving in the back of my mind, and I'm unsure if Vaughn will go for it, but I need it more than I can explain. "Can I ask you a favor?"

His dark eyes meet mine. "You can ask me anything. Never be afraid to question me."

This is uncomfortable, but I'm never going to get comfortable with it if I don't put myself out there. "Kiss me, do all the things he did to me, and erase it. Give me good memories."

"Are you sure?" He whispers. "I don't want you doing something that you think I want you to. I'm expecting nothing."

"I know." I nod, running my hands down his arms. "But it's what I want. You can replace those nightmares with dreams, Vaughn. Please do it."

"Okay." He licks his lips. "If at any time you don't like what's happening, all you have to do is say so."

And the next thing I know, his mouth is slanting over mine, erasing those awful memories, making new ones.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Val

Never in my life have I felt desire for another person like I feel for the man in front of me. I’m not able to put my finger on why. Maybe it’s because he’s such a good-looking guy who has a crooked grin? I don’t know exactly what it is that makes me trust him, turns me on, or has me throwing all good sense out the window. The only other time I’ve done that, is deciding to move here. So far it’s been a great decision, it stands to reason this should be one too.

We get out of bed, standing next to it, as we start taking off our clothes, while we stare at each other. He’s lean, but strong, so damn strong. I think he’s got an eight-pack, whereas most men think a six is the standard. There’s something about this man that tells me standard is the jumping off point for him. He does everything better than anyone else. Proficient is probably his favorite word in the dictionary.

“Don’t take it off.” His voice is deep, sexy, dark, as I reach around to take off my bra.

“You wanna do it?” I raise an eyebrow at him. He’s removed all his clothing, and I'm unsure what I'm supposed to do at this point.

His eyes meet mine across the short distance we’re standing apart. His tongue licks the full bottom lip that’s caught my eye since I saw him standing in the middle of the living area. I wonder what that bottom lip will feel like wrapped around my tight nipples.

“Yeah.” He nods, starting to advance on me. “I do.”

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