She responds eagerly to my kiss, her fingers tangling in my hair to pull me closer.
"I'm clean, baby," I assure her as I caress her thighs, inching closer to her wet pussy. "And I've been desperate for you."
My lips find their way to her dripping arousal, savoring the taste of her as I lick gentle circles around her sensitive folds. Her moans and cries fill my ears as she climbs towards another orgasm.
With a nip at her inner thigh, she squeals before I focus on sucking on her clit until she’s trembling with pleasure. Multiple orgasms rock through her body as she pulls at my hair and moans my name.
"So precious. So sweet. All mine."
Her hopes move rhythmically against my hand. “Fuck me, Pope, please fuck me.”
“Not yet, precious. Not yet. But soon.”
A groan of frustration falls from her lips. I press our lips together in a tender kiss. “I lille having you as desperate for me as I’ve been for you.” My eyes twinkle with mischief. “You look good when you’re needy for my cock, precious.”
She giggles, heat flaming her cheeks, and I think for the first time how much I fucking love her and that scares me and thrills me all in one breath. I need this woman, I’ve just got to make sure she feels the same before I let her in.Forever.
Chapter Eleven
Ruby
The library stands tall, golden sunlight streaming through the newly polished windows, casting a warm glow across the freshly finished wood. Every nail, every beam, every inch of the place is imbued with a sense of accomplishment that pulls at my chest. It feels surreal—like I should still be waiting for something to go wrong, something to mess it all up. But nothing does. The silence around me is peaceful, the crisp mountain air mingling with the smell of freshly cut wood. It’s done. We built this.
Pope stands beside me, close enough that I can feel the heat of his body, that quiet strength radiating off him like always. I glance at him, and for once, there’s no gruffness, no walls. Just him, raw and open, staring at the library like it means something beyond bricks and wood. Maybe because it does. It’s more than just a building—it’s a symbol of everything we’ve been through, everything we’ve fought to make happen. Us.
I take a breath, my fingers running along the smooth edge of the newly painted door, feeling the cool metal of the handle. This moment, this place—it’s everything. "This place… it’s everythingwe dreamed of," I whisper to myself, though I know it’s not just the library I’m talking about.
Pope catches my eye, and I can see that flicker of pride in him, that softness that he doesn’t show to anyone else. Only me. And it makes my heart race. I didn’t think we’d get here—not with the library, not with everything between us. But here we are. We did it.
"I can’t believe we’re finished," I admit quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. My fingers trail across the door’s handle, feeling the weight of it, the cool metal against my skin grounding me.
Pope’s presence shifts beside me, and I can feel him looking at me, that intense gaze of his making my pulse quicken. “You’re the reason we got here, Ruby,” he says, his voice rough, like it’s hard for him to say it, but there’s no hesitation in the emotion behind it. “This place—it’s just wood and nails without you. You’re the one who kept it all together. Kept me together.”
His words hit me harder than I expected. For so long, I’ve felt like the one holding back, the one afraid to fully commit. And now, hearing Pope say this—hearing him admit how much I mean to him—it almost knocks the air out of me. I never thought I could be the one to break through his walls. I never imagined I’d be the one who made him feel whole again.
“You broke me in the best ways,” Pope continues, his hand sliding over mine, the warmth of his touch steadying me. “I didn’t even know I was waiting for someone like you. I was just… surviving. And now? Now I feel like I’m actually living. And it’s because of you.”
I swallow hard, my throat tightening with emotion as I meet his gaze. I thought I couldn’t trust anyone, that I wasn’t capable of love anymore. But Pope… he changed that. “I thought I was broken,” I admit, my voice trembling slightly. “I thought I wasn’tcapable of trusting anyone again. But you… you proved me wrong.”
The moment feels suspended, like time has slowed down just for us. The air is thick with emotion, the weight of everything we’ve been through pressing in. I take a deep breath, my fingers tightening around his. "I love you," I say, the words finally spilling out, raw and unfiltered. “I didn’t realize it at first, but I do. And I’m not afraid to say it anymore.”
Pope’s expression softens, his eyes darkening with that emotion he doesn’t often show. He pulls me into his arms, holding me close, the warmth of his body against mine making everything feel… right. "I love you too, Ruby," he murmurs into my hair. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
Leaning into him, feeling his arms wrapped around me, I’ve never felt this kind of peace before—this kind of certainty. For the first time in a long time, I’m not running. I’m not afraid. I close my eyes, breathing him in, the familiar scent of sawdust and wood that clings to him like a second skin. It’s comforting, reassuring. Pope has always been steady, even when I was scared to trust him. And now? Now I know he’s where I belong.
As I pull back slightly, I glance at the library again, this time seeing it for what it really is—a symbol of everything we’ve built together. “This library… it’s more than just a project,” I say softly, my voice steady despite the rush of emotions swirling inside me. “It’s us. All the hard work, the struggles, the moments when I wasn’t sure if we’d make it… it’s all here. It’s a reminder that we can do anything.”
Pope follows my gaze, his hand still resting on the small of my back. “Yeah,” he says, his voice a low rumble, filled with that quiet confidence I’ve grown to love. “It’s solid. Just like us.”
The words hit me with a deep sense of comfort. Solid. That’s what I’ve been searching for all this time—something real, something that lasts. I turn to Pope, my heart swelling with love,with hope. “I don’t want to run anymore,” I say quietly, the words tumbling out like a confession. “I’m done running. I want this. I want us.”
His lips curve into a small smile, his eyes softening as he leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. "You’re not running," he murmurs against my skin. “You’re home.”
Tilting my head up, I capture his lips in a kiss that’s slow and tender, filled with all the things we’ve been through. It’s not rushed or desperate—it’s a kiss that speaks of trust, of a connection that goes deeper than anything physical. Pope’s hands slide down to my waist, pulling me closer as if to remind me that I’m his, and he’s mine.
The warmth of his body against mine, the strength in his touch—it’s everything I’ve ever wanted but was too afraid to admit. Now, standing here in front of the library we built together, I know without a doubt that this is where I belong. This is home.
We step into the library, walking to the newly built circulation desk that’s built into the farthest corner. He presses me against the edge of the polished wood and our lips press together in a demanding kiss. My pussy aches with a deep, throbbing need, my nipples hard and sensitive under my dress. His icy blue eyes have darkened to navy, pupils dilated as they slowly take in every inch of me. Normally, I'd be offended by a look like that from any man—objectified—but with him, it only ignites something primal inside me. I’m desperate for him, more than I’ve ever wanted anyone.
