Page 42 of Only Everything
She nodded. “He never went that far. Not there.”
“There?”
I cursed under my breath feeling my stomach twist with nausea. My eyes burned with tears for her. My world was spinning. Even when I suspected, I never saw it getting that far. I never…
“Taur,fuck. I’m so damn sorry. I was right there. I was right fucking there.”
All I could do was repeat the insignificant words. Little left me feeling shocked, but I was truly unraveling here. She'd been a baby in danger. Maybe an infant. She'd been suffering herentirelife. Why had nobody helped her? Why had her mother threatened with the police but never pressed charges? Revictimization? Making sure Taur didn’t relive her trauma?She had.Frank should have been dealt with so he’d never be near her again. It made no sense to me. I would do anything if it meant protecting her. But she hadn’t been protected. She’d been…failed.
“Taur, I'm sorry.”
“You don't have to keep apologizing. Nothing about any of that was your fault. You couldn't have stopped it if you wanted to.”
“Bullshit. I could have fucking killed him.”
“And then where would we be? You in jail? Worse? We can't change the past.”
“No, we can’t.” I gestured to what remained of the house. “What we can do is watch what’s left of the motherfucker burn. There it is. Ash. And if I could destroy the past any more than that for you, I would. I wish you would have told me. I wish you would have felt like you could do that.”
“Felt like? Reid, I knew I could tell you.I wanted to. But I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want you looking at me the way you're looking at me right now. Pity. Disgust. …I love you. All I've ever wanted to do is protect you from this. From me. Do you see why we can't be together now? It's bad enough what my father did, but you're my brother.”
“Disgust? Not for you.Him. And I am not your brother.”
“Reid.”
“No. We are not blood related.”
“Do you really think that matters? We were given those roles. We lived them for years before. Everyone in this town?—”
“We're not real siblings. Even you said that when you told me to stay away. Besides, we did not choose those roles, Tauren, they were given to us. We lived them. Everyone knows.So what.I fell in love with you along the way, and you love me too. Nothing else matters other than that.”
“Reid.” With how close she was it almost looked like she was going to kiss me. She scooted impossibly closer,and I could feel the heat in me ignite. It was primal. Animalistic. Claiming. She quickly lowered her lids, breathing deeply. “I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I have to. I… have to.” She opened her eyes, meeting mine. “Thank you for burning the house down. Truly. I do feel better now that it's gone. But this thing between us.”
“Thisthing?”
Her eyes shut, and I fisted the back of her hair, tugging back so that her lids shot open. With where we were parked, I didn't worry about anyone seeing in. It was too dark for that.
“Thisthingis called love. It's our present. Our future. I know you need time to adjust to it, and I'm willing to give that to you, so long as you realize that thisthingdoesn't come with an expiration date.” I reach between her legs, rubbing my fingers over the jeans covering her pussy. Tauren’s breath was hot against my lips as she grabbed onto my shirt. “You are mine. How you come to terms with that is entirely up to you, but you will accept that there's no one else for you but me. Marry me or don't. Run or stay. Every path you choose has me in it. Now unbutton my pants. You wanted to do something to me last night, and you're going to do it right here. Right in front of the one place that keeps stealing you from me.
“H-Here?”
My fingers tightened in her hair. “Unbuttonmy pants.”
Brown eyes searched mine. Tauren reached for my button, unfastening it and easing my zipper down.
“Show me. See. Me. Only me.”
I let go of her hair and lifted, pushing my jeans down to rest on my thighs. Tauren glanced towards the house,coming back to meet my stare. Her eyes lowered and so did she as she grabbed around the base of my cock. For seconds her lips hovered above the head. Just having her mouth so close had my length twitching in her hold.
“No more fear, baby. It’s just me, you, and ashes. You can do it.” I pulled one leg free, spinning to rest my back against my door. “There. Look at me.”
And she did. Tauren opened her mouth, keeping her eyes on mine as her tongue flattened on the underside of my cock. Slowly, she licked up until she was collecting the precum from the tip. My own lips parted at the sight. I could have come right then and there. What I was watching was a fantasy I had had a million times.
“Good. So fucking good. Again. Keep watching me.”
She nodded, swallowing hard as she looked towards the house but lowered again. Her mouth opened and her lips encased my head. Her tongue made a circle, and she licked, opening to take me inch after inch. When she settled around my width and she added suction, I sucked in a breath. It had Tauren’s eyes jumping back up to me.
“That’s it.” I used her hair to ease her up, only to guide her back down. Tauren’s hold tightened and she took over, moving into the slow rhythm I’d kept her in. When she rose and licked precum from me again, a long moan left me. I watched it feed her confidence. Encourage her.Empower her.
