Page 39 of Drawn To You

“Afterwards he just rolled over and went to sleep and I crawled out of my room to clean myself up in the bathroom. There was so much blood…I must have been in shock because I just lay there afterward on the cold bathroom floor sobbing. I can still remember the feel of the cold tile against my skin. It’s funny the weird things that you fixate on in the brutal aftermath that follows after experiencing that kind of trauma… I didn’t want to go back to my room because I knew he was sleeping in there, so I stayed in the bathroom all night. Then the next day he just acted like nothing had happened and I was too scared to tell anyone because I was worried I would be the one blamed somehow and be punished.” The sickening feeling that was threatening to choke me was quickly washed away as soon as Joshua bent his head and placed our foreheads together. He nodded against me, our warmth mingling, and then his lips touched mine, and I melted into him. We held onto one another tightly, and I didn’t think either of us wanted to let go of the other anytime soon.

Twenty Nine

Mine

Joshua

Fuck. Me! Why hadn’t I ever asked Abby what the fuck had happened to her before now? How could I have been so blind and not realized that she had been raped? Looking back now I can see all the signs were there. But when she had told me that she had, had a bad experience I had assumed that she might have had an awkward and embarrassing experience, or that it was possible that she had been assaulted in some way but I didn’t know her well enough at the time to push for answers, and never for a second did I imagine that she had been brutalized in such a gross manner. The fact that she had ever even allowed me to touch her at all is a fucking wonder. If I had to see that broken look in her eye again right now, there’s no telling what I would do.

Quickly, I grab my shoes, some sweatpants, and a shirt and headed to the gym to burn off some of my aggression. I was feeling murderous. My head is spinning and my fucking heart is pounding like hell. If I ever crossed paths with her cousin I would bury him for what he had done to my sweet Abby.

Last night after we had talked I led her to my bedroom and made love to her until we both passed out from exhaustion. Abby had been late for work this morning and had offered to call out and stay with me if I didn’t want to be alone. But I had encouraged her to go because I’d had arrangements to make for my Dad’s funeral and I didn’t want her to have to see me break down again so soon. We had made some progress last night but I wasn’t going to be able to completely drop all my walls overnight and I had felt like doing that alone.

Later that day after I had worn my body out at the gym I headed home and fell into my bed with thoughts of Abby running through my head. Like it always did when I thought about Abby my dick swelled to attention, hard and painfully, wanting to be deep inside her wet, hot pussy that had clenched down on my cock so tight when I was inside her last night it was like a vice, I almost came hard right there, just imagining her clenching my cock.

But that look on her face when she had told me what had happened to her… Jesus. When she had confided in me, looking so beaten and degraded, anger had licked through my body like a raging inferno. “Fuck!” I roar, bursting out of the damn house. I needed to see her right now because, I can’t think, can’t breathe, just thinking about the internal scars Abby carries around might as well be branded in my memory. The door closes behind me with a loud bang. God only knows what else she’s been through…but that look of terror that had flashed on her face, I’ll never get it off my mind now. It will haunt me… I just need to hold her.

* * *

Abigail

My eyes sprung open at the sound of my bedroom door closing. I’d know that sound anywhere because I’d heard it a million times in my nightmares. My throat closed, and my heart started pounding. I kept my back turned to the door, so I was facing the wall, which meant that I couldn’t see who had just stepped into my room.

I listened carefully, and I held my breath. Was it Lainey? The room had a faint glow to it from the sunlight streaming in from the window through the cracks in the blinds, letting me know I hadn’t been asleep long. I had gotten home from work and fell into bed, hoping to catch a nap before I hopefully heard from Joshua. I moved my hand slightly, reaching for my phone under my pillow. I held back a whimper and pushed back on the fear that I was all too familiar with. I was hot and tingly from panic, and I didn’t know what to do. It’s not Sterling. It’s not Sterling. It’s not Sterling. I tasted the metallic taste of blood on my tongue and realized I must have bitten my lip and I started to feel lightheaded.

Terror flashed through me, and when a heavy hand landed on my shoulder, I wanted to scream. I wouldn’t survive if Sterling had found me “Baby.” A very shaky-sounding gasp left my lips and I was so shaken up by my irrational fear I was unable to speak. I quickly flipped over and latched onto Joshua’s hand, seeing the concern etched over the features of his perfect face through the shadows of my room.

His dark brown eyes that I loved so much went directly to my mouth, and the pad of his thumb gently brushed over my parted lips. “Why are you bleeding, baby?” My eyes slammed shut again as a shudder went through my body. I licked my tongue over my lips, tasting the metallic liquid before swallowing.

“You scared me and I must have bitten my lip,” I whispered and Joshua cursed under his breath, slowly running his hand down my arm and intertwining our fingers together. I peeked through my thick lashes, willing my heart to calm down as he pulled me up to him. The covers fell to my lap, and I blinked in confusion. “What are you doing here right now, is everything OK?” Suddenly I realized that his skin felt hot to touch against my palm, and worry for him took over. “Are you okay?” Again, he said nothing, but his body language said it all. He was tense. All over.

He pulled me to my feet, his fingers clenching mine tightly. Then I felt goosebumps cover my skin as Joshua pulled me onto his lap and pulled me close. I wanted to ask him if he was OK once again. But then Joshua’s face was suddenly in front of mine, and he looked down into my eyes with some unreadable emotion passing through his. He looked almost vulnerable. I raised my hand, my heart racing with concern, as everything else in the world faded away.

All of my uncertainties were gone, and I was seconds from touching his warm cheek, but he caught my hand in his instead. His stare drove into mine, and with the sunlight streaming through the window behind him, he looked like some kind of fallen angel, too perfect to be real. He turned my hand over and placed a gentle kiss on my wrist, and I saw that his hands were shaking.

Was he OK? My arm was stretched out and I held my breath as his lips grazed my delicate skin. “What are you doing?” My voice was breathy as I watched him trail light kisses up the underside of my arm. Joshua’s mouth stayed on my skin until he slowly dropped my arm and started on the other.

My skin was sensitive, and the gentle touch of Joshua’s mouth made heat spread to my stomach. “Joshua,” I whispered again, my heart bouncing all over the place. His eyes moved to mine when he dropped my arm. We sat like that as he tugged at the hem of my shirt and pulled it up over my head. I was confused by his continued silence but I was also too eager to see what he would do next to stop him. His touches were gentle, but urgent too like he was trying to lovingly brand every inch of my skin with his.

Joshua suddenly pulled me to my feet and pushed me up against my desk. My back hit the hardwood, and his chest was pushed against my front. My hands were flat against the solid wood, and my heart raced as his hand suddenly encircled my nape and he nudged my head up. His mouth nipped the base of my throat, and I was certain he could feel my pulse pounding. I felt his lips caress me, and he peppered kisses on every part of my neck and trailed along my collarbone.

“Joshua,” I moaned as his hands gripped my hips, and he forced me to turn around, and bent me over the desktop, covering my back with his radiating heat. My mouth closed, and my eyes widened as I felt his cock pressing into me from behind. My core pulsed as heat pooled in between my legs. The feel of his large hands, so strong and possessive, gripping my waist had every thought in my head fleeing.

This was what happened when we were alone together. “I need to touch you, Abby,” he whispered, his hot breath fanning my neck. I felt a shiver race down my body at his words, and my back arched involuntarily, pushing my ass even closer to his hardened erection. “Just let me touch you, baby. Please.”

I could feel the blush heating my cheeks as his tongue slid from my ear lobe down to the back of my shoulders, before trailing down my spine. I wanted to turn around and seal my lips to his, but something kept me from doing so. His hands smoothed over my hips, and his fingers slipped underneath the straps of my tank top.

I felt him tug them down slowly, and a pent-up breath left my mouth. The way he was touching me right now was so sensual. He wasn’t rushing to get me naked so he could pound into me. He was taking his sweet time. He was slowly grazing his lips over parts of my body that had never been touched so intimately before.

I stepped one foot back in between his and tried to turn around so I could face him, but Joshua held me firmly in place so I was unable to move. “No.” His voice was gravelly, and his chest rose quickly against my skin. “Joshua,” I rasped. “The memory of his touch doesn’t get to haunt you anymore, I will replace it with mine. I’ll brand every inch of you with it until all you can think about is my hands on you. I’m the only one who gets to touch you from now on Abby because you’re mine!” His lips landed on my skin again. Joshua pulled the straps the rest of the way down and quickly yanked my tank top down until it was around my hips. I was bare in the front, and my nipples were hard and begging for his touch.

His touch consumed me. It shut down all my fears and coaxed me to be in the now with him. Joshua’s nose grazed the side of my cheek from behind, his fingers dipping beneath the waistband of my leggings.

“Where else did he hurt you, Abby? I want to erase his fucking touch from your beautiful body.” Tears polled in my eyes, and my answer was cutting and direct. “Everywhere. He fucking hurt me everywhere.” I felt Joshua stiffen behind me. I knew he wanted to ask me more. But I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. I just wanted to get lost in this moment with him. And I think that he instinctually knew what I needed because that’s exactly what he gave to me when he suddenly gripped the waistband of my leggings and pulled them down my legs.

My core tightened, and I moaned out loud as the soft fabric ran down my thighs, and sent a million little tingles up to the pit of my stomach. My head tilted backward, my hair cascading down my back. “No one will ever hurt you again.” His fingers slipped into my panties, and I turned my head, to lock eyes with him. His were wild with need and desperation, and I wanted to fan the flames of the fire I saw within their depths. His passion was a tangible thing.

My lips crashed into his, and our kiss was wild, untamed. His tongue coaxed mine to life and it was as if he were lapping up my soul. “Put your hands flat on top of the desk.” Excitement blazed, and all thoughts of the past dissipated like smoke after a fire.

---