Page 24 of Sawyer
Her sweet uncertainty shattered what was left of his self-control. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, licking the roof of her mouth. When she moaned again, everything else in the world disappeared.
She bit his bottom lip, and he saw visions of her naked in her bed with him on top of her. He let out a low rumble, and she shivered again. He ran his teeth down the length of her neck as he thrust a hand inside her jeans.
She sucked in a breath, her body rocking against his fingers. She was so wet for him. He circled a finger around her clit and then scraped his nail lightly across the top. She exploded, her juices coating his fingers as she screamed his name.
Only it wasn’t hisrealname, and he couldn’t stand the sound of it. Not now in this moment. He covered her mouth with his, swallowing the sound of her cries of pleasure.
He pressed the flat of his fingers against her sex, letting her ride them as she came down from her climax. The noises she made almost had him coming in his jeans. He removed his hand and straightened her clothes, holding her in his arms until she settled.
He hated to watch the desire fade from her bourbon brown eyes. Adorable.
Then her face reddened with embarrassment, and she dropped her gaze to his chest.
“No.” He firmed his voice. Her eyes shot back to his. “That was the hottest damn thing I’ve ever seen. You were incredible. There is no room for embarrassment about anything we do. There is nothing we do that you need to feel ashamed of. Not between you and me. Not ever. Got me?”
Her confusion was sweet, too. He put his hands on her hips, making sure she regained her balance. “Now, I think we should finish our talk.”
He guided her back to the sofa and sat back down, but this time he pulled her to sit on his lap. “I don’t think I’m going to like the ending to this story, but I’m going to ask anyway. How did you find out you were wrong?”
He could tell she tried to brace, but she started trembling before she’d even said a word. He hated how traumatizing this was for her. “If you need to wait, we can talk about this later,” he said.
She shook her head. “If I don’t tell you now, I might never get up the nerve again. And that wouldn’t be fair to you. I’ll tell you the rest, and then, if you want to leave, you can.”
“Half-Pint, do you really think, after the way you just melted in my arms, that I’m going to leave? Just tell me.”
She searched his eyes and must have liked what she saw because she picked up her story. “A month later, the police called me into the station. They played three videos that showed my car on the way to Jaxon’s house, and one from a house across the street that showed my car in his driveway. They said they’d just received them anonymously in the mail. They arrested me for possession of drugs… a lot of drugs… with the intent to distribute.”
“You are shittin’ me.”
The look of surprise on her face at his words pissed him. Had no one stood up for her when all of this went down? Sure, he’d come here thinking she’d done those things, but that was before he’d met her. What was wrong with the people of Elk Jaw?
He wanted to hear more from her point of view. “I thought they had those videos before. If they weren’t enough at the first trial, why were they suddenly good enough to arrest you?”
Her smile was weary. They needed to wrap this up so he could pamper her. She’d been so brave to talk to him about this.
“I’ve asked myself that question a million times. They said these were different videos. These showed the license plate of the car,and it matched mine. They also had a picture of my car running a stoplight. A woman with curly hair was driving the car.”
“Did the one at Jaxon’s house show a curly-haired woman matching your description, too?”
“No, the camera cut off right as the driver’s door was opening."
Gently, he ran his thumb across her cheek. She hadn’t seemed to realize she was crying.
“I need you to hear me, Half-Pint. I’m going to find a way to make this right for you. I may not be able to change your past; we’ll see. But I can damn for sure change your future. I need you to trust me. And one more thing. I’d like you to let me change it as your Daddy.”
She opened and closed her mouth several times before she got any words out. “Didn’t you hear what I told you? I lied on the stand, and they used that to help send a man to prison. Not only that, I went to jail for three years myself. You can’t possibly still want to be my Daddy.”
“Hide and watch, Half-Pint. Because I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”
She stared at him, and he held her gaze. She didn’t see any reservation in his eyes. Or pity. All she saw was a man who meant what he’d said.
She threw her arms around his neck. Nothing had ever felt so right.
“It’s okay if you change your mind,” she told him.
He wouldn’t, but she might. Eventually, when she realized he hadn’t been honest with her.
That might be hard for her to forgive. But he could be patient. If she gave him the chance, he’d convince her they were a perfect match.
