Page 43 of Breaking Him

We both stood there stunned for several seconds. The quiet that had grown around us was slowly being submerged in chatter again. Some people moved on; others continued to stare and whisper.

Still holding Elijah’s hand, I led him away from the thickest part of the crowd. When we had some space, I turned to him.

He was still stunned; Mrs. Chambers’s words had hit home. Had been exactly what he’d needed to hear.

“See,” I whispered. “It’s going to be okay.” Not everyone in this town would accept him—accept us together. It would take time, more people like Jack and Mrs. Chambers. But that didn’t matter, not to me. I’d find out who my true friends were, and the rest…I was better off without them.

“Why did you come to town, angel?” he asked.

“To show these people how much I love you, that we’re a package deal…and to prove to you that your place is here, with me.” I lifted his hand and kissed his scarred knuckles. “That not everyone is against us.”

“And if your plan didn’t work?” His voice was so deep now, I felt it as much as heard it.

I looked up at him, staring into those gorgeous eyes. “Then I planned on selling and going with you. I’d follow you to the other side of the world if I had to.”

I could tell he was struggling to find something to say, so I lifted up on my tiptoes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and dragged him down for a kiss. His arms banded around me instantly, lifting me off the pavement as he straightened, and he kissed me back in front of everyone.

When he lifted his head, he murmured against my lips, “I love you, too, Abigail Smith.”

…

We were close to home, and the cab of the truck was electric. God, I was almost vibrating.

If I had my way, we would have pulled over already and I would have ravished him on the side of the road. But he’d turned me down flat when I’d tried to convince him. He wanted to take his time, he’d said.

I thought I might die if he didn’t touch me. Now.

Something splatted against the windshield…

“Is that…?” Another splat, then another followed. “It’s rain, Elijah!” I whooped and did a happy dance in my seat. “Finally!”

I was still dancing around excitedly when we reached home. Eli shoved the door open and was out before the truck finished rocking. He rounded the front, yanked my door open, and lifted me out. I wrapped my arms around him, and he kissed me.

The rain was pouring now, running over the cracked, dry earth, soaking into our clothes. When he lifted his head, I flung mine back and laughed. We were soaked by the time we made a break for the barn.

Hazy light filtered in through the small window, and the rain pounding against the tin roof was the only sound I could hear above our laughter. We reached for each other at the same time, tearing at our clothes, too desperate to even make it up the stairs to Eli’s room.

We were both naked, skin slick and slippery in minutes. Eli tugged an old picnic blanket off the rack beside us and threw it on the floor. We went down together in a heap. His large body covered mine, his powerful thighs shoving mine apart, then his heavy cock was there, right where I needed him. He tilted his hips back, taking my mouth as he slid inside me.

His lips never left mine; even when we weren’t kissing our mouths were touching.

“Tell me you love me,” I rasped.

We were sliding, writhing against each other. “I love you, angel. More than anything or anyone in this world.” His grip tightened. “You’re mine and I’m yours and nothing…nothing will ever change that. You made me whole, sweetheart. You’ve given me everything.”

The beautiful fierceness he communicated in his declaration had me crying out. He pounded into me harder, and all I could do was hold on, chanting that I loved him, too.

Then I was tipping over the edge, still wrapped in his arms.

He stayed planted deep inside me, mouth against mine, swallowing my cries as he fed me his groans, coming hard.

When we both stilled, he rested his forehead against mine. “Thank you, angel, for giving me you.”

I wrapped my arms tighter around him, smoothing my hands over his wide back. “You don’t need to thank me,” I whispered. “I was always meant to be yours.”

Then he kissed me and started moving, slow and easy, making love to me again.

Epilogue