Page 88 of These Rough Waters

“Torin,” I moan his name, over and over, practically crying and when he reaches around and applies a small amount of pressure to my clit with his thumb. I detonate.

The soul shattering, earth changing orgasm rips a scream from my throat, and a sudden wetness gushes down my thighs.

“Fuck yes,” Torin praises, “That’s fucking it.”

Harder he goes until his thrusts turn jerky and he groans, stilling inside of me, his cock jerking while he spills himself, filling me with him, leaving us both a panting, sweaty mess on the bed.

He drops down beside me and presses his mouth to my forehead, taking a breather before he gets up, only to return a moment later.

I startle when something warm and wet swipes between my legs and I glance across my shoulder to see him cleaning me up, his skin glistening with sweat.

His eyes flick to me and then he completely devastates me, his eyes softening as he moves up my body, presses his mouth against mine and says, “I love you. I’m in love with you, Maya.”

Forty-one

She doesn’t say it back.

I don’t know if I expected her to, and I didn’t tell her because I wanted it in return. I knew what this feeling in my chest was, knew it with my whole damn existence. A woman like Maya deserves to be shown it every day for the rest of days and I would be the only one to give it to her.

She was mine.

She’s curled up against me, her breathing soft and even as she sleeps, one hand stretched over my heart. It’s how she slept every night, that hand always going to the same spot.

I stare up at the dark ceiling, listening to the muffled sound of the waves crashing in the bay outside my window. The house was quiet, sleeping, except for me.

I go through everything I know so far and there were two things I was sure of.

One, Trevor was going to come for Maya. It was inevitable but the how and when was unknown and that made me edgy.

Two, someone in this town has given Maya up. And that is something to be addressed now rather than later. Rett had yet to find any information on the informant, if he’ll be able to find anything at all. But life had to continue. I couldn’t let Maya step through everyday being scared of her past chasing her. Trevor was a threat, but I was the bigger monster.

He would have to go through me to get to her and quite frankly, I was ready for the little shit to come beating down my door. I had a bullet with his name on it and a six foot hole ready to be made his new home.

I tighten my arm around Maya. This was a new life for her, and I was about to do everything in my damn power to make sure she keeps it.

I wake to find myself alone in bed, the space where Maya was long gone cold, but I could hear Harper and her giggling downstairs, Rett’s deep rumble of laughter joining them only a moment later.

Stretching out, I glance towards the window out onto the bay. It was a clear, crisp day, there was a boat docking up already, people scurrying around to help the passengers off as seagulls squawk over the water.

I climb from the bed, quickly showering and changing before I head down to find them all in the kitchen.

“Uncle Rett said he was gonna teach me how to sail his yacht!”

“Uncle?” I pour a fresh coffee and lean on the counter, watching them all. Maya widens her eyes for help.

“He said I could!” Harper says, matter of fact, “Since you’re his brother and gonna marry momma.”

Maya chokes on her coffee, “He tell you that?” I ask.

“He did! Tell them Rett!”

“Well,” Rett clears his throat, “in my defense, it was like five am and I was half asleep.”

“Harper, you need to get ready for school,” Maya sighs heavily but her lips twitch with a smile, “uncleRett said he’d take you.”

“You did!?” Harper squeals in delight, bounding off the chair and discarding her empty bowl before she skips up the stairs to the spare bedroom.

“When did I say that?” Rett huffs, downing the remainder of his own coffee.

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