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She cried out, then watched as he pushed into her slowly. Her pussy stretched open around him, taking him deep, and the sight of their joining was so erotic her blood began to sizzle. Lying back down, she closed her eyes, wrapped her hands around his arms, and held on as he slid in and out of her body.
When they’d both orgasmed and cleaned up, they curled up together in bed as their bodies cooled. Beth snuggled in Wyatt’s arms and tried to hide the tears that welled up. She felt safe with him, safer than she had in a long time, but her brain wouldn’t rest. She kept thinking about what Miles had said to her in farewell as the sheriff had hauled him off to the station.
It wasn’t over, and she wasn’t sure it ever would be. The man would never leave her alone until he got what he wanted.
Her.
ChapterTwenty-Six
Wyatt jerked open his eyes when he heard the unusual noise, but something told him to stay still, so he did. It took him a few moments, but he realized what it was: the sound of drawers opening and closing. He was facing away from that side of the room, however, so after breathing in and out a few times, he closed his eyes again and made a big show of turning over in his sleep.
The sound stopped, and so he waited until he heard movement again before he looked. Beth was standing near the dresser, shoving what he assumed were her clothes into her suitcase. His brows furrowed and he longed to ask her what the hell she was doing, but curiosity stopped him. He’d let this play out and see what was going on before he said anything.
She dressed gingerly, obviously going to some effort to make as little noise as possible. His eyes had now adjusted to the dark, aided by the stream of moonlight coming in the skylight, and so he watched as she carried her suitcase to the bedroom door and tiptoed out.
A low bark sounded, and Wyatt could see Freya sitting up in her bed at the foot of theirs. Beth hurriedly whispered something to the dog, then leaned over to hug her, pressing a kiss to her snout.
When she disappeared in the direction of the staircase leading to the lower level of the cabin, Wyatt climbed out of bed and put some sweatpants on, tucking his phone in his pocket. He patted Freya on the head and whispered in her ear, assuring her everything was okay and she could go back to bed. He waited just long enough to see his beloved pet settle back down, and then he headed for the top of the stairs, staying in the shadows.
Beth heaved her suitcase down the stairs and placed it next to the back door. Wyatt’s heart sank into his stomach as the truth began to sink in. She was leaving him.
He was sure this whole encounter with her ex had spooked her into thinking she had no choice but to go. Maybe Wyatt should have put him in the ground, so he wouldn’t always be a specter in Beth’s life. But whatever it was had scared her enough that she felt she had no choice but to run.
Again.
It made him sick to think she still didn’t trust him enough to talk to him about it, after everything they’d said and done to each other. He thought she wanted a life here in Silverbell Shore with him and Freya. That she’d grown tired of running and didn’t want to do it anymore.
She opened the wooden door and was just about to push the screen door open when she stopped and gazed over at the large bookcase. Something made her scurry over, the light on her phone turned on, and he could see her run the beam over her collection of romance books. She picked out maybe half a dozen, then paused and took one last look at them all before going back over to the large tote he hadn’t noticed sitting near the suitcase and placing the handful of books inside it.
Beth hefted the tote onto her shoulder, then took one long look around the cabin before placing her hand on the screen door, ready to leave.
Ready to walk out of his life.
“Where are you going, Beth?” The sound of his voice startled her so much she let out a scream and jumped in place, one hand flying to her chest. Wyatt came down the stairs two at a time and turned the living room light on.
“Wyatt!” Her voice was squeaky as she struggled to regain control of her wits. “I’m… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
He wanted to go over to her and hold her tightly in his arms until she promised to never leave, but he knew he couldn’t do that. Instead, he ran his gaze over her suitcase slowly, deliberately, and then raised it to meet hers. “You’re leaving me.”
Her face fell, and unshed tears shimmered in her beautiful green eyes, eyes he’d lost himself in too many times to count. “No, sweetheart. Not leaving you. But I can’t stay.”
“Why not? What happened? Did he contact you?”
She jerked as though burned. “What? Who?”
“Newman. He said it wasn’t over. Has he contacted you since the sheriff took him into custody?” When she looked down at the floor, Wyatt had his answer. That motherfucker. What had her ex done?
“I don’t know how he got my new number, but he managed it somehow.” She rubbed her face tiredly. “He’s been released, Wyatt. He made a call to his bosses at the law firm where he works, and somehow they not only got him released but all charges against him were dropped. He’s free.”
He blinked rapidly. “Bullshit. How is that possible?” He pulled his phone out, ready to call the sheriff, only to discover a text message from Brett waiting on his phone, explaining that unfortunately he’d had to release Newman from custody but had told him to leave North Carolina and never return.
Beth placed the tote on the floor and wrung her hands. “I don’t want to go, but I can’t stay. I have to leave. Please understand.”
He took a chance and crossed the room so he was close enough to reach out and take her hand in his. “Talk to me, honey. You don’t have to go. We can work this out together.”
The distress on her face made his heart ache. “I wish that were true, but you saw him tonight. He’s unhinged. He’ll never stop.”
“Beth.” He reached out and cupped her cheek with his free hand, running his thumb over her cheek and brushing away a few stray tears that slid down her face. “He’s been told to leave North Carolina and never come back.”
