Mine to Keep (10 page)

“You’re big,” she said.

“You’re stroking my ego, honey.” He kissed her lips, her neck, and each breast before he pulled out of her and pressed back inside. She let out a little sigh and then began thrusting her hips up to meet him.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. He wanted to fuck her hard and deep, but the couch wouldn’t give them the room. Holding her in his arms, he carried her to the carpet in the middle of the room. He pushed his cock back inside her soaking channel. Gabriel lifted up and watched his cock sink inside her flesh. Her slit was red and puffy and opened to accept his cock. The pleasure he got from seeing her open up for him was more than he could describe. She was his woman. His cum would be inside her cunt, and he would be claiming her as his own.

“Faster,” she said.

He gazed up into her eyes and slammed inside her, watching her expression. She looked close to orgasm, and he felt the flutters of her pussy around his cock. He swirled his hips pressing against the pleasure spot deep inside her body. The angle and the tightness of her around him set him off. He thrust inside her, spilling his seed. He thumbed her clit, and Amy cried out with her release. They lay wrapped together, their bodies slick with sweat.

Gabriel was in love with her. He knew it. The connection he felt with her was more than he’d felt with any other person. She was the woman for him, and soon she would be his wife. There would be nothing to come between them. The dominant inside remained dormant with Amy in his arms. Amy was the right woman; Gabriel was sure of it. He’d just claimed the woman meant for him.

“Wow,” she said. Gabriel chuckled and lifted her hand out of the bubbles. He’d carried her upstairs to his personal bathroom and run a bubble bath. Amy lay against his back. His body felt like he was on cloud nine from the lovemaking he’d experienced.

“I take it you enjoyed yourself?” He locked their fingers together, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her.

“I’ve never felt anything like that, Gabriel. I’ve never been so close to anyone as I feel close to you.” She turned, and he pressed kisses to her lips. Her instant response to him made him want to spend the whole night and day making love to her.

“You’re my woman now, Amy. To have and to hold in sickness and in health ‘til death do us part,” he said.

“Are you sure you still want to marry me?”

He laughed. “I’ve never been more sure about anything.”

She turned in his lap. Her arms looped around his neck, and her legs wrapped around his waist. His cock, already thick and hard, pressed against the front of her pussy. “You want to go again?”

“When it comes to you, I’ll always be hard.”

“I’m going to tell you something, and I don’t want you to say anything. I just want you to listen.”

Gabriel stared at her. He noticed how serious she looked, and he didn’t like it. “Am I going to like what you’re about to say?” he asked.

“I don’t know, but I’ve got to tell you. Otherwise I never will.”

“Okay.” He waited for her to speak.

“I’ve never said this to another living soul. Well, I’ve said it to my children. Not to a man.” She licked her lips, and the desire to kiss away her words made him tighten his hold around her.

“Tell me. I’m getting nervous.”

“I love you.”

He stared at her waiting for the rest. She spoke the three words he’d been waiting an eternity for. He had talked himself into believing he would never hear those words spoken by her.

“Could you repeat that?” he asked. She tapped him on the shoulder.

“I love you, Gabriel Anderson, and I look forward to becoming your wife. I know you don’t love me, and that’s fine. Just once I wanted to say the words and mean them.”

“You love me?”

“With my whole heart. I’ve never loved anyone. I love Mia and Billy, but I’m not in love with them.” He held her close and took her lips in a passionate kiss. Her words filled him with joy and hope. There was a future for them in her words that he never thought he could have.

He pulled away and rested his head against hers. She was playing with his hair, which he was starting to view as his favourite thing to have done.

“I love you, too,” he said.

“You don’t have to say the words if you don’t mean them.” He cupped her chin in his hands.

“Look at me.” The dominant in him came through. His word had been questioned, and he didn’t like it. But Gabriel felt no desire to punish her. In fact, his dominant wanted to make sure she understood his words were true. There was no need to hurt or punish her. Making sure she understood how he felt was more important to him. Again, Gabriel was shocked by his own reaction to her. With any other submissive, she would be on her knees waiting for her punishment. Amy was different, and she was changing him as well. His needs were changing all the time. Gabriel hoped he could keep up.

“Never question my words again. I love you, Amy. Make no mistake about the way I feel.”

“Okay,” she said.

He kissed her, holding her close. “How do you think Mia and Billy will react?” he asked.

“They’ll be excited. They love you already.”

“What about my age, Amy? Are you sure that won’t bother you in years to come?” He felt her nipples against his chest. Gabriel leaned back while she sat up. Her tits thrust together, and he couldn’t help but play with them.

“I don’t mind. It will mean that when I grow old you’ll love me even more,” she said. He chuckled and watched her above him.

“You know I didn’t use anything?”

“What?”

“I didn’t wear a condom. I don’t want anything between us.”

“I could get pregnant.”

“Would that be so bad?” he asked.

She hesitated, her gaze staring off his shoulder. “Do you want children?”

“With you, I’d want anything.”

****

They told Mia and Billy the following day. Her two children screamed with excitement. Gabriel threw a barbeque and invited around their friends. William drove down from the city for their quick engagement party. Amy was so happy. Gabriel hadn’t got her a ring, but everything was magical to her. He told her he’d buy her a ring at the earliest opportunity. She didn’t need one and told him so. Amy had him, and that was all she cared about. The moment couldn’t be ruined by anything. William stood with her soon-to-be-husband, the Steer brothers, Dean, and Peter.

She went into the kitchen to grab the chicken when a hand went over her mouth.

“Don’t say a fucking word,” Steven growled against her ear. She wouldn’t be able to scream even if she wanted to. His hand covered her mouth, and he held a knife at her throat. “So, you shacked up with the bastard outsider the moment my back was turned. You really are a disgusting slut. My kids will not spend the rest of their lives with that fucker.”

Her heart pounded inside her chest. How had Steven gotten out of prison? Why hadn’t anyone notified her? Her life was perfect without him, and he was back to take it away from her.

The tears spilled down her cheeks. She was in love with Gabriel, and he was in love with her. There was no way she could let Steven take that away from her.

He pulled her back, and she tried to fight him. If he led her out of the house, he would kill her.

She fought him, clawed at his hand, and the one with the knife left her throat. She saw the chicken in the glass dish, and she pushed it off the counter, hoping the sound would alert someone.

He loosened his grip on her mouth, and she pulled away from him; but he caught her by the hair. She screamed as he pulled her hair forcing her backwards.

“Shut the fuck up, you fucking whore.” He must have gone insane. There was no explanation for what was happening here. Her mind was all over the place. What the hell was he doing out of prison? Her head was burning from the grip he had over her. She tried to keep up with him, and in one last surge, she let out a loud scream. Amy cursed the large house. In any other house they would have been able to hear her cries.

The knife went to the floor, and he slapped her round the face. He grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her back. Her face stung, and her arm felt like he was pulling it out of the socket.

“You fucking bitch. I’ll kill you this time. You fucking slut.” He threw her to the floor and landed three kicks to the stomach. She curled into a ball waiting for the next hit, which didn’t come. Someone was tapping her on the shoulder. Tears fell from her eyes as the pain consumed her. Laura and Anna were around her. They helped her up from the floor. She glanced over and saw Paul and David holding onto Steven while Dean and William held Gabriel back from him. Steven had a split lip, and his face looked swollen.

“That’s police brutality,” Steven said.

“Fuck you. That’s a man protecting his woman. Amy is mine, you fucking bastard. You lay a finger on her, and I’ll take you out. She’s mine.”

“You can’t have her. She’s my wife.”

“Ex-wife. She’ll be mine, and I intend to keep her. You’ll never hurt her again.”

Amy moved away from Laura and Anna and went to Gabriel. Her body ached, but he needed to see her to make sure she was okay. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he pulled her close.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m a little sore.”

“The ambulance and cops are on their way. I have a feeling they’ll be upping his fucking security around the prison.”

The commotion had zapped Amy of all her energy. Laura and Anna took care of her two children while a paramedic looked her over. Gabriel stayed by her side while the police apologised for the incident. Gabriel demanded more security for Steven. She learnt her ex-husband was unbalanced and was in a psychiatric unit at the local hospital, which was why he had been able to walk out. The paramedic wanted her to go to hospital for observation, which she refused. There was no way she would be spending any more time in a hospital.

Anna took her children home with her. Amy was thankful for the space, even though she didn’t think it was necessary. Mia and Billy were happy to go with their friends. William stayed in a spare bedroom.

Gabriel carried her up the stairs when the police and ambulance service left. The rest of her day had gone to shit because of her ex-asshole-husband.

“You got me worried there,” he said. He placed her on top of the toilet.

“I’m sorry. I’m just glad you heard me.”

“I heard, and I fucking went ballistic. I’m pleased you didn’t see me lose my cool.”

She chuckled, the tears falling freely down her cheeks.

“Hey. Come here.” He wrapped his arms around her. His warmth and strength surrounded her. She let loose all of her fear and pain.

“I wasn’t going to let him take me without a fight. I got so angry. I was the perfect wife to him, and he did nothing but treat me like shit.”

“He won’t be coming out of there anymore. He’ll be under strict guard, and you’ll never have to lay your eyes on him again.”

“I love you, Gabriel.”

“I love you, too.”

He took her clothes from her body and checked her bruises. Her face was red, and her ribs had a darkening bruise. “Fucking asshole,” she said.

Gabriel bathed her, being extra careful with her. When he was done, he dried her body and carried her to their bed. He laid her down, and she kissed him deeply, her hand going to his cock. He stopped her. “Tonight, I’ll hold you.”

She nodded her head and rested her head on his shoulder. With time, her eyes closed, and sleep claimed her. The day’s events were rushed, and she wanted to do nothing else but forget about it all.

Nothing exciting happened after Steven’s escape. She found out he was in a maximum security prison being medicated for his condition. Anna and Laura helped her to organise her wedding to Gabriel. She had no idea what to do, but the other two women steered her in the right directions. They were both married themselves. Amy felt so close to them, and Gabriel made her fall in love with him more and more. Her children adored him and called him daddy. She’d told them that they didn’t have to. They still called him daddy. William moved to CapeFalls and opened up his gentlemen’s club. She hadn’t been to visit, and Gabriel kept refusing to take her.

Their scandal died down, to be replaced by William and the tattoo parlour. She found it funny when residents talked to her in the supermarket about the chaos happening in the town. She was suddenly one of them when compared to the new businesses opening up.

Gabriel spent every available moment making love to her. She loved being with him, and the love she felt grew with every moment. But there was something he was holding back from her, and she had no clue what it was. The sex between them was steamy, and she wished he trusted her enough to tell her what was wrong.

Laura had taken Mia and Billy for the weekend. Their children were getting along, and she knew hers needed a break from all the chaos. Also, it gave her some alone time with Gabriel before they got married. She was cleaning through the house when she noted the key in the door of the room that wouldn’t open. Gabriel had told her to never go inside.

She stared at the key in the door and wondered if this is what Pandora felt about opening the box. For the longest time, she stood gazing at the key. What would she find behind the door?

Her curiosity got the better of her. She turned the key, and the door opened. Her hand shook as she pushed it open wider and walked inside. There was a flight of stairs, and she flicked the switch on the light. Amy held onto the railing and walked down the flight of stairs into the main room. And paused.

What she found was hard to describe.

Amy couldn’t believe what she was looking at. There were lengths of rope, handcuffs, and what looked like whips lined on the walls. She hesitated at what she saw. This room was not what she had expected to see. Soon, her hesitation went away, and she walked over to the far wall. She reached out, touching the leather between her fingers. They fascinated her. Why did Gabriel have whips, chains, and all the array of sex toys on the shelves? Then she remembered the conversation she’d had with William over dinner. He’d told her he was a dominant, but Gabriel had never told her he was one as well. Too much was happening too fast for her to process. She grabbed onto one of the leather whips and held it in front of her face. Her pulse raced as she thought of him hitting her with it. She didn’t like the thought of the pain. Reading about it inside books was different from seeing what lay in front of her. She accepted so much, but this was too much for her. The whip fell from her fingers as tears sprang to her eyes. Did he want this with her? She would never be able to handle this. She needed to get out of the room. Air, she needed air. Her world seemed to be crashing around her.