Page 65 of Secret Sins

"Goddamn," she moaned.

Keeping one hand on her lower back, I slid out and back in, feeling her tighten around me. "Strangle my cock, baby, just like that."

With her body prone on the bed, her movement was limited. But I wanted her that way, at my mercy as I fucked her relentlessly. Though she squirmed, she had nowhere to go, and I felt the primal rush of possession race through me. I picked up my pace, impaling her aggressively as I chased my orgasm.

"God—" She broke off on a wail, clamping down on me.

"So fucking tight, Bailey. Fuck."

Stilling, I felt drained of energy as I came inside her. I wanted to stagger backward and find somewhere to collapse, but she raised her hands behind her to search for my grasp. Locking hands, I stood there catching my breath.

Finally, I had to slide out, fearing my legs would give way. Disheveled, Bailey rolled and grinned up at me. "Hello."

Flopping beside her, I turned my head to stare at her face. "Hello."

She reached over, brushing stray hair off my forehead. Tilting up, she claimed my mouth, and I knew without a doubt that I was truly home.

"Beth called back."

Her eyes widened, and she sat up quickly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I couldn't help chuckling. "It was meant to be my first words, but then you were standing there looking so tantalizing."

"What did she say?" Bailey bit her lip, and my gaze traveled down to her breasts.

"There's nothing to hide from anymore."

She gasped. "Oh, Van, you're free?"

Throwing herself down, Bailey peppered my face and throat with kisses, and I grabbed her around the waist. "Now you see why I got sidetracked so easily."

"My God, baby." Cradling my head in her hands, her hair curtaining around us, she pressed her lips to my forehead. "Everything is falling into place."

"I told her this is my home now." With a sigh, I said, "She and Mike are coming to visit."

"That must be hard for you."

"How do you understand me so well?"

Pushing her hair behind her ear, Bailey rested her head on my chest. With light fingers, I traced over her back while I waited for her to speak. "I can only imagine leaving here and having to create a new life somewhere else. No matter how good the new place might be, this will always be my childhood home."

"You thought about it a lot, didn't you?"

"If you'd gone into WITSEC as I asked, they'd have made you move. I would've joined you without hesitation."

"But I couldn't ask that of you, Bailey." Which was why I'd put it off, hating the idea of leaving her when I'd just found her.

Her breath came out in a stutter before she said, "I know, but I would have done it anyway."

"It was so fucking hard to leave Maryland, and I didn't know at first if I'd ever return." Stroking up and down her back, I thought about how I'd felt when I first came here. "I didn't know anyone here, and I was terrified of being found. Anyone who came too close scared the shit out of me, and I really didn't like being touched."

For a second, I only heard the sound of Bailey's breathing. Then, she said, "If you never say it out loud, Van, it's okay. I think I know what happened to you, at least in the broad sense. I don't need details."

Agony lanced through my chest, and I held her tighter. Maybe she was right; I didn't need to tell her about the man referred to as the shot caller, or the way he carved out my brand with a homemade shiv—repeatedly. I didn't need to tell her what a June bug was, or a hoe check, or attempt to explain the indescribable torture. All the time spent in the infirmary couldn't fix me. Moving thousands of miles away couldn't save me.

But Bailey had. She'd seen all the fucked up parts of me and loved me, anyway.

"All I can say is that I relate to Beth more than she knows. And I won't ever tell her how bad it was in prison, but maybe one day I can talk about it with you."