Page 59 of Unravel Me

“I believe you.”

And I do. For the first time in a decade, hope fills me.

Chapter 23

BROOKS

She let him touch her. Rage floods my system like I’ve never felt before. How fucking dare she let him touch her. She just signed his death warrant.

I walk through the woods behind the dead man’s house and reach the main road before climbing back into my car. Fucking filth covering my shoes and the bottom of my pants. The sight of her spread out in his arms while he touched what’s mine is forever burned into my brain. I’ll fucking kill him, and she’ll be punished. I have a lifetime ahead of me to erase his touch from her body and make sure she doesn’t remember anyone but me.

I slam my hand into the steering wheel over and over.

“FUCKING WHORE!” She’ll pay. She’ll pay.

I drive to the other side of town and take the turn that leads to Ivy’s house. I know there is another house on this street, so I find the clearing in the woods I used this morning, turn off my lights, and drive my car deep into the trees before trudging back through the wooded shithole until I reach her house. The back door was left unlocked, safety clearly not a priority for these hicks, and I easily slip into her childhood home undetected. I meander through the dusty house, musky air assaulting my nose, until I find Ivy’s bedroom. I walk over to her perfectly made bed and pick up the pillow, disappointed that it doesn’t smell anything like her. Still, it’s her room and my thoughts are overloaded with her. I unbuckle my pants, letting them fall to my ankles before stroking my cock to thoughts of slipping into her tight cunt. I’m ruthless, gripping my dick hard, reaching down with my other hand to cup my balls. I lean forward and shoot my load all over her pillow.

I know I could have found someone to fuck tonight in the next town over, it’s not difficult to find a willing participant, but I’m going to be a husband soon, and Ivy’s pussy will be the only thing I fuck. Well, and that and her mouth. Something she’d never do for me before. That’ll all change soon.

Soon.

Chapter 24

SAWYER

The next morning comes fast and hard and I’m not ready to leave Ivy. But I need to go to work and return to some type of normalcy. So does she.

I look at her sleeping body sprawled out in my bed, and it still doesn’t seem real. She sleeps like the fucking dead, and since I know she hasn’t slept well since she’s been gone, I’m sure it’s because she’s relaxed enough to let her body actually rest. I’m dressed in my work clothes—a pair of navy slacks and a white button-up shirt. I roll up my sleeves, put on my watch, and walk back over to her side of the bed. I kneel next to her and hate that I’m about to disturb her sleep, but can’t bring myself to leaveher to wake up alone. I brush her silky black hair from her face before leaning down and peppering her forehead and cheeks with kisses.

“Mmm.” She starts to stir, turning over from her stomach to her back before cracking her eyes open. “What time is it?”

“Early, baby. I have to go to work and make sure Dallas hasn’t fired everyone and burned the place down.”

“Okay . . .” She starts to sit up, but I place my hand on the center of her chest to hold her down to the bed.

“Nope. Sleep. And then I want you to do whateveryouwant to do today.”

“I need to figure out what I’m going to do with my parents’ house and schedule a bunch of things,” she says, her voice groggy.

“You can do all of that from here. Let me know the plan and I’ll do whatever I can to help,”

“Thank you. You really don’t mind me staying here? I can go get stuff done at my parents’ house.”

My head rears back like she smacked me. Does she really not understand?

“Ivy, I don’t know how to make this any clearer, baby. I want you here for as long as you are willing to be. If it were up to me, you’d never leave. I just ask that for today, you be here when I get home. Please.”

I love the slow smile that creeps over her face.

“I can do that.”

“Good. I’m going to take the motorcycle, so the truck is here and you don’t feel trapped. We can go back and pick up your jeep tonight or tomorrow. I should be home around six, that work?”

“Thank you, Sawyer.”

She reaches out and places her hand on my cheek before rubbing her thumb back and forth across the scruff of my beard. I hold her eyes hostage for a few moments before giving herforehead one last lingering kiss and standing, smoothing out my shirt.

“See you tonight, Iv.”

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