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RIDER
Sutton straightens in my lap, tucking her hair behind her ear before taking a deep breath. I keep one arm around the small of her back, holding her close, while the other lightly caresses her legs stretched out over me.
This woman is killing me with her tears and tender, bruised heart. I knew my Sutton didn’t have much confidence in herself, but seeing her scramble to tell me all of the things she did while I was away broke me. She wants to be loved so damn bad, but doesn’t she know I already do?
“My parents always told me we didn’t have any other family,” Sutton starts, her voice barely above a whisper. “Both of their parents had died, and no one had siblings or grandparents. It was just us.”
I nod, unsure where this is going but relieved she’s finally giving me another piece of her story.
“But last year,” she continues, “I got a very official-looking letter telling me someone left me something in their will. A big something that needed to be discussed in person. Turns out, my dad’s mom, my grandma, had been alive this whole time. I’m still not sure why they didn’t tell me about her. Maybe I could have lived with my grandma growing up, you know? If they didn’t want me, maybe my grandma would. I don’t know.”
I lean forward, pressing my lips to her forehead as she shrugs. I hate that she has no idea how valuable she is, how bright, beautiful, and caring her soul is. I’m more than happy to be the one to show her, to build her up and remind her how incredible she is for surviving.
“Anyway, my grandma lived here in this town for twenty years, I guess. She left me her entire house and everything in it. Crazy, right? I never met her, never knew a single thing about her, and suddenly, I owned her home. It was my chance to move, to change, toexist. I don’t think I felt like a real person until I walked into my grandma’s house. Does that make any sense?”
“Yeah,” I say softly as I trace patterns on the palm of her open hand. I ache for everything she’s been through, but I know there’s more.
“I met Tessa the first weekend I was in town to sign the papers. She was so open and friendly, so kind and welcoming, even to me. She moved in with me shortly after, and things were going great. Tessa met Hawk at just the right time, and I’m so thankful she practically moved in with him after a week.”
Sutton pauses, and I can feel her muscles tense and tighten as she thinks about what she’s going to tell me next. I cover her hands with one of mine, squeezing gently to encourage her to continue.
“I started getting calls from the estate lawyer saying my parents were trying to contest the will. At first, the lawyer assured me they had no case. The will was cut and dry, and never mentioned my father or mother once. My dad kept hounding the lawyer, and eventually got his own legal team to come in and dismantle my grandma’s will, rearranging it soheis the rightful owner of the house.”
“Fucker,” I spit out, startling Sutton. I’m about to apologize, but then she nods, a tiny smile playing at the corner of her lips.
“Yeah, I feel the same way. Especially since he won in the end and immediately evicted me. Not even a week later, the house was sold to the highest bidder, thus making me homeless and shit out of luck,” she finishes.
My girl deflates in my arms, and I gather her up, cradling her against my chest. “Thank you for trusting me,” I murmur.
What I really want to do is demand her father’s name and address so I can wrap my hand around his throat and choke him until he pisses his pants. How the hell could a parent do that to their child? Take away her home, knowing she has nothing and nowhere to go? I shove those thoughts aside before I get too worked up. I can deal with that low life later.
“Thank you for… everything,” she says with a sigh, snuggling even closer. “For listening to me, for taking me in, for making me feel…”
I perk up at her words, curious how I make my little flower feel. Looking down at her, I see her cheeks glow with the most adorable shade of pink.
“How do I make you feel, Sutton?” I ask, brushing my lips across her temple and pressing a kiss there. Her eyes flutter closed as she leans into my touch.
“Like I’m, I don’t know. Like I’m special,” she whispers.
“You are. What else?”
“You make me feel… important. Like my thoughts matter.”
“They do, princess. What else?”
“You make me feel safe. I feel like I can, I don’t know, explore more of who I am. More of who I want to be.”
“And who do you want to be, little flower?” I rasp the words against the sensitive skin of her neck, tickling her with my stubble. Her breath catches in her throat, and my sexy little vixen wiggles her hips, causing me to bite back a groan.
“I…”
My teeth catch on the tender flesh below her ear and lick away the sting, placing a kiss there.
“I-I…” my girl stutters, her back arching and body crying out for more of my touch.
“Tell me,” I demand.
“I want to be yours,” she finishes, her words catching me by surprise.
