Page 119 of Mr. Edwards
Opening my eyes, I find myself in my favorite place… wrapped in my fiancé’s arms. One of his hands is cupping my boob. He always does this, like a small child who clings to their safety blanket during sleep. Grayson’s face is buried in my hair and I smile when I hear his soft snores in my ear.
We’re both naked, his front is pressed into my back. The little spoon to his big, which is something I’ve grown to love. I’m no longer haunted by my past, and I have this beautiful man to thank for that.
I fill my lungs with air as a sense of peace settles over me. In my wildest fantasies, never did I imagine life would be this good. And I know as the years pass, with Grayson by my side, things will only get better.
He’s already given me so much in the short time we’ve been together, but the greatest gift of all, the one thing I treasure most, is the freedom his love has brought me. It’s like I’ve spent my life living amid a hurricane, but now the torrential wind and rain is gone, and the dark anddreary clouds that once littered the sky have parted, and been replaced with a bright and colorful rainbow.
I smile to myself knowing this is what my future holds, he’s a dream come true.
Extending my left arm out in front of me, I rotate my hand from side to side, admiring the sparkly ring that now adorns my finger. I can’t stop looking at it. It’s the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen, even rivaling the rock Emma’s now sporting. Not that size is important to me. I would have been satisfied with a plastic ring, from a gumball machine, if it meant I’d get to keep Grayson by my side for the rest of my life.
As I reach for my phone that’s sitting on the bedside table, next to Grayson’s, my stomach growls. I haven’t eaten since breakfast, which is like a world record for me. After the proposal, we ended up back in bed, where he showed me without uttering a single word just how much he loved me.
It’s almost two o’clock, and I need sustenance, I’m starved. I’m pretty sure our marathon sex session burnt off more than just the calories I consumed this morning.
Gently removing Grayson’s arm that’s draped over my waist, and the one clutching my right breast, I climb out of bed, careful not to wake him.
Grabbing his discarded T-shirt from the floor, I bunch up the fabric as I bring it to my nose and inhale. It smells just like him. I’m smiling as I slip it over my head.
When I get to the kitchen, I pour myself a large glass of water and gulp it down. I’m going to make us a plate of PB and J sandwiches and take them back to bed.
“Knock, knock,” I hear someone call out as I reach for the loaf of bread.That voice. Those words. It has all the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.
I feel like I’m being drawn back in time.
I swing around just as the devil himself opens the front screen door and enters the cabin.Bobby. What in the hell is he doing here?
I blink my eyes a few times, thinking I’m imagining him. If this is a bad dream, I want to wake up immediately. I refuse to have the best day of my life, tainted by thoughts of this monster.
The hand by my side grabs a chunk of my outer thigh, and I wince when I push my fingers together and feel the sting of the pinch.This is no nightmare.My heart rate spikes when he comes to an abrupt halt, and the color drains from his face. He recognizes me instantly.
Oh, dear God, please don’t let this be real. I feel my body sway as he recovers from his initial shock and rushes in my direction. Everything in me wants to turn and run, but I just stand there, paralyzed by fear and unable to move.
I’ve trained for situations just like this since I was a teenager, but even when he pulls a small handgun from the waistband of his trousers, I still can’t bring myself to react. After working with assault and domestic violence victims over the years, I’ve learned there’s a third element to fight or flight.It’s freeze. That’s what I’m experiencing right now.
“Well, well, well,” Bobby says, raising his arm so the gun is now aimed at my head. “So, you’re the new piece he was telling me about? My nephew’s one lucky son of a bitch.” The predatory shark-like smile he gives me has all the tiny hairs on my arms standing on end.
Nephew?
“Grayson’s your nephew?”
“You didn’t know? He’s the son of my baby brother, Robert, or Bobby-boy as I used to call him.”
Bobby-boy?
He stalks in a circle around me, and I can feel his leering eyes as they skate over every inch of my body. It makes my skin crawl.
As he passes in front of me, I take in his features, and the similarities stand out. The angle of his nose, his full lips, the strong cut of his jaw. His hair and eyes may be a different color, but the family resemblance is there.
I remain frozen, but my eyes track his every move.
The smile drops from his face as he seems to mull something over in his head. “Life just handed those fuckers everything,” he sneers. “Neither one had to work for a damn thing. The golden boy and his little prodigy.”
I can hear the disdain in his voice. It sounds like a combination of jealousy and hate. Is that why the brothers never got on?
His gaze returns to me. Thankfully, Grayson’s T-shirt lands just above my knees, but I’m completely naked underneath.
“The resemblance between you and that crazy-ass mother of yours is uncanny. It was her beauty that first drew me in. She doesn’t hold a candle to you though, fuck, just looking at you makes me hard. Do you have any idea how often I’ve thought about that night, Carlee? That pussy of yours… it was so fucking tight.”
