“I mean…” She chews on her bottom lip as she processes what I just told her. “I guess I can’t be mad at something you did that brought you to me that night. It’s not like you kept it up.”

  My body tenses at her words, and she narrows her eyes at me. “How long did you keep paying people?”

  “What day did I move back home?” I ask cautiously. I might as well lay it all on the line now.

  Her eyes widen in shock before she steps out of my embrace and starts pacing.

  Well, this can’t be good.

  I watch her eyes flicker with fire, and I feel the flames nip at my flesh.

  “Are you telling me you’ve had people spying on me for most of my life?” Her head whips toward mine in disbelief. “College? I was up in Georgia. How?”

  “That was a little trickier. Turns out you can’t hire professionals unless it’s for legal reasons. I guess they classify it as stalking, which is ridiculous,” I say, rolling my eyes, “because I was just trying to keep you safe.”

  “It is stalking, you ass,” she says, looking at me like I’ve gone mad. I probably have when it comes to her, but I make no apologies when it comes to protecting her.

  “If wanting to keep you safe makes me a stalker, then I guess I’m your stalker, sunshine. At least it’s me, and not some psycho who wants to keep you in his basement.”

  I take a step toward her and give her a tentative smile to try to get one back.

  She crosses her arms, and I can tell she’s fighting to be mad at me, which means she’s going to forgive me…eventually.

  “It’s not as bad as it seems. I promise. I ended up asking around the league and got lucky. A few of the players had younger brothers who were going to the same college as you. Their girlfriends were in your dorm, so it was easy money for them.”

  When she doesn’t answer, I take that as my cue that she needs more assurance.

  “There was no invasion of privacy, I swear. Just the occasional check-in, and if they happened to be at the same party as you, then I paid them to keep an eye on you from a distance and make sure you got back to your dorm safely. I just needed to know that you were happy. That you were smiling and…living. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you,” I say softly.

  “I’m still angry at you,” she mutters, and I struggle to hold back my grin. She looks so damn sexy when her fire is lit.

  “I’m fully willing to do whatever it takes to put that anger to good use.” My body can’t help but get turned on as I feed off of her hostile energy.

  She glances down, and there’s no denying I’m like steel now against my gym shorts as I take the last step toward her, eager to fuck this anger out of her.

  “Hmmm,” she says, reaching down and slowly tracing the length of me with her finger. Her eyes burn into me, and every part of me wants to feel the flames. “Running with blue balls might take some of this anger away. I’m going to change into my workout gear,” she says, walking away before she stops and looks over her shoulder. “A truly good stalker should have no problem catching its target.”

  I watch her disappear into her bedroom, stunned by what just happened. It’s not every day someone can pull the upper hand on me and take me by surprise. She’s turned her anger into a game for me, which was a big mistake on her part because I always play to win.

  A slow grin spreads across my face as my body gets amped up from the challenge. I know she’s a fast runner, but I’m faster. I’ll let her think she’s getting away, but in the end, I always get what I want.

  And right now, as I feel my cock pulse in anticipation, what I want is to catch my prize.

  TWENTY-NINE

  SAVI

  I try not to think about the fact that I’m extremely turned on by the lengths he would go to protect me as I throw my scrubs to the floor and change into a sports bra and workout shorts. I opt for the smallest pair I own with the cinched material in the back, showcasing all the hard work I’ve done to keep my ass in good shape.

  Looking in the full-length mirror, I turn and smile.

  This view should make his run a very uncomfortable one because I have every intention of keeping my ass in his eyesight as I run one step ahead of him the whole way.

  Grabbing my running shoes, I sit on the edge of the bed and lace them up.

  Part of me is fuming that I’ve had watchdogs this entire time. Even though he says they never invaded my privacy, it still makes me wonder how many conversations I had during my college years were just his goons checking up on me.

  The other half of me understands why he did it, even though it crosses every boundary in a normal relationship. When you’ve seen the cruelty of the world firsthand, it’s hard not to do everything in your power to protect those that you love.

  Our relationship has never been normal and probably full of red flags if you were to evaluate it with a professional, but it’s…us.

  He’s moody.

  Overbearing.

  Controlling.

  But…when he lets his guard down, he loves harder than anyone I know. He makes me feel safe and protected, but also wanted like I’ve never felt before, bringing out a side of me I never knew existed. I feel like I’m the only woman in the world when he looks at me.

  To me, his flaws are his strengths and what he needed to survive. It’s also what has the blood rushing through my veins as I anticipate the chase and what comes after when he finally catches me.

  Securing my hair in a high ponytail, I walk back out and find him leaning against the counter, waiting for me. His eyes do a double-take as he slowly wanders down my body before meeting my eyes.

  His blues are laced with a dangerous combination of hunger and excitement. I’ve just given him more ammunition to catch what his eyes are clearly saying he wants.

  Taking the hem of his t-shirt in his hands, he slowly lifts the cotton and tosses the tee on the countertop. A smirk plays on his lips as I linger on his broad chest before mentally touching each ridge of his abs, leading to the waistband of his gym shorts.

  “You know,” he says, pulling me out of my fantasy with his low, sultry voice, “we could just skip the run and get our cardio in another way.”

  My eyes dart to his, and a slow, sexy smile appears, testing my willpower to the max as I force myself not to jump into his arms.

  “As tempting as that is, I’m still angry with you for siccing your little spies on me. I need to let off some steam first.”

  He cocks his head to the side, and his lip twitches at the corner as he swoops his eyes down the length of me again, leaving a heated imprint as he goes.

  “Or I could just fuck your anger right out of you.”

  Jesus.

  I feel my insides clutch at his words as I swallow down the rush of desire that just flooded my body.

  “Scared you won’t be able to catch me?”

  Chuckling, he steps forward, and my breath catches as I feel his energy merge with mine. Bending down, his warm breath caresses my ear.

  “I’ll catch you, sunshine,” he whispers, his lips lightly grazing my skin. “Nothing in this entire world could stop me.” His tongue comes out and tastes my neck. “I’ll even give you a head start. You have two minutes.”

  I’m frozen in place as my body begs to melt into his. My heart pounds like a rabbit about to be hunted, and I can’t help the thrill that rushes through my veins as I await the pounce.

  “You better run,” he breathes out, warming my flesh. “The clock starts now.”

  I blink out of my daze and step back. His whole demeanor has changed as he goes into game mode. He’s not about to let me win easily, nor do I want him to, as I turn and flee out the door.

  My shoes hit the sand seconds later as I take off at a fast pace, wanting to put as much distance between us as I can.

  The sun is setting low in the sky, giving a beautiful hue across the water as I run along the packed sand following the curve of the shore. It doesn’t take long before I feel him behind me. Every part of me is aware of his presence as he closes the distance between us.

  Picking up my pace, I circle around the driftwood log that I use to mark my mile before heading back to my house. I expect him to cut me off, but he stays the course and doesn’t cheat as he follows my path.

  Our eyes meet briefly, and a predatory grin stretches across his face as I pass him, heading in the opposite direction. Even though he’s broken out in a sweat, I can tell he’s nowhere near pushing his body.

  The bastard is biding his time and letting me think I’m faster.

  Determined to make him work for this, I pick up even more speed. A sheen of sweat breaks out on my body as my muscles burn from the exertion. The ocean is a blur as I whip past it, causing sand to fly from my heels.

  I hear him breathing close behind as I zero in on my destination with the deck stairs just a few feet away. Just as I’m about to reach the first step, strong arms pull me back in an embrace.

  Our chests heave together as he holds me tight against his body, not giving me an inch to move.

  “Caught you,” he pants into my ear. “I have to say, though, you are faster than I anticipated.”

  “Apparently not fast enough.” I wheeze, trying to catch my breath. “You’re barely winded,” I say, clearly annoyed at the fact that he’s not struggling to breathe like I am.

  “I’ve been conditioning my body every day for years,” he says with a low chuckle. “Which makes you a very lucky girl because my favorite part of cardio with you is next.”

  Turning me around, he throws me over his shoulder like I weigh nothing, and we didn’t just run two miles in a record-breaking sprint.

  I notice he bypasses the pool and entrance to the house as he keeps walking toward the side yard. He stops at the outdoor shower, and a smile plays on my lips as he opens the bamboo door and we step inside.

  It’s one of my favorite ways to cool off after a run. I love seeing the night sky and feeling like I’m bathing in moonlight as I shower.

  Setting me down, he crowds my space as I’m pressed against the wooden panels.

  “Still angry at me?” he asks, trailing a finger down my neck.

  “If I say yes, does that mean you’ll fuck it out of me?” I throw his words back at him from earlier because I’d be lying if I hadn’t thought about it since they left his lips.

  His eyes turn heated as a smirk plays on his face.

  “I’m going to fuck you either way, sunshine.” His body presses into mine, and a soft moan escapes as I feel the hard length of him digging into my stomach. “But,” he says, bending close to my ear, “if you’re still angry with me, then it’s going to take a lot of hard fucking and a lot of work on my part to get it out of you.”

  His hands grip my waist as he presses more firmly into my body. My emotions are all over the place, but I hone in on the one that needs to be set free. He’s giving me the space to do it, and in a way that clearly excites us both.

  “I’m not sorry for what I did. How does that make you feel?”

  His words fuel the flame, bringing it to a blaze of heat.

  “I’m pissed,” I hiss out. “You had no right to invade my privacy like that.”

  “There she is,” he says, pulling on my ear with his teeth. “Show me how pissed you are because we both know I’d do it again in a heartbeat if you ever left me.”

  God, why is this turning me on?

  I feel the anger simmering, but I’m also aching for him at the same time. I want to hate his stubborn ass, but also love him more than I ever thought was possible for a person to do so.

  Wanting to take what he’s offering, I roughly grab the strings on his gym shorts, and he’s more than ready as hands are suddenly everywhere as we claw and remove each other’s clothing.

  Pulling his head to mine, I take what I want as I pull his bottom lip with my teeth before our tongues lash out in a battle. I feel his hand leave my body as warm water rains down on us from above like a summer rain shower.

  Lifting me up, my legs circle around his waist as the smooth stone against the house hits my back.

  “You are mine, Savi. You’ve always been mine, even when I forced myself not to touch you,” he growls before thrusting deep inside of me. “I protect what is mine.”

  My fingernails dig into his back as his hands possessively squeeze my ass, bringing me harder against him until I feel the buildup in my body get stronger.

  “I will give you everything in this world that you ask for,” he rasps as his teeth sink into my flesh at the base of my neck. A loud moan rumbles out of me as my fingers curl around his hair and tightly tug. “But I won’t apologize for wanting to keep the one thing I love most in this lifetime safe,” he groans when I pull harder, lifting his head so I can see his face.

  Water drips down, covering his thick lashes that frame the vivid blues that have my soul.

  “I’m not going to leave you,” I whisper, answering what he said earlier about keeping tabs on me if I ever left him.

  His eyes close briefly before searing me with their love that he freely shows me now whenever we are together. “I’m going to hold you to that because the alternative would be the one pain I wouldn’t be able to endure.”

  “Same,” I breathe, seconds before his lips are on mine again. His tongue tangles with mine as he goes deeper and harder inside me, creating a wave of pleasure begging to be set free. “Stay inside me,” I whisper. “I loved feeling you cum inside me. I want every piece of you I can get.”

  “Savi,” he moans against my lips. “What are you doing to me?” He rasps, his voice full of emotion as our hearts beat madly against one another. His grip on my ass tightens as he holds me at his mercy, bringing my body to the edge.

  “Loving you,” I say simply. “I’m just loving you.”

  His head slightly nods against me as words fail him. I know he’s still not used to feeling loved, but I’m going to make sure he feels mine for the rest of his life.

  His movements change as he slows down, savoring the feel of us locked together. He’s still hitting me deep inside, but I can tell he’s memorizing every detail in this moment as our bodies eagerly become one.

  “I’ve been dying to see my cum drip from this sweet pussy. You have no idea what that first time did to me,” he moans as he slowly enters me again. “I’ve never…ever…given this much of myself to anyone. My heart and body are yours, sunshine.”

  “My heart and body are yours,” I whimper, as he hits a spot deep inside that has my body trembling with need. “Please don’t stop,” I plead, arching my back and digging my heels into his flesh.

  “Won’t ever be an option,” he hoarsely says, before plunging deep and silencing my cry with his mouth as I shatter around him. I feel my walls constrict around him as my orgasm blindsides me with a rush of sensations.

  “Fuck,” he groans. “I love feeling your pussy greedily squeeze me.”

  He plunges deep one more time before his warmth floods my body. That act alone has me gasping as another wave follows right behind the first.

  “Oh, God,” I moan. “I’m going to…” Words fail me as a second orgasm slams into me, putting me outside my body as I explode around him again.

  “Jesus,” he groans, as I wrap around him and suck every last drop out of him that I possibly can.

  When I finally land, our chests are heaving in synchronicity. Rain cascades down on us as he pulls back with a smug grin on his face.

  “I don’t think I’m the only one with a kink. You are obsessed with my cum inside you,” he grins wickedly.

  “I think I am,” I laugh, pushing my wet hair out of my eyes. “It turned me on so much to know that you trusted me enough to give up that control and give me that part of you.”

  “You will always have all of me,” he smiles before slowly lowering me to the ground. “But now you get to physically carry me around too.” He lifts his hand and tilts the shower head spray to the opposite wall before slowly sliding out and sinking to his knees.

  I feel his cum slide down my leg and watch how his eyes possessively darken.

  “We may both have a kink,” he swallows hard, and brings his finger to my thigh as he swipes his cum back up and pushes it back inside. “I like the idea of you walking around with my cum coating your sweet pussy.”

  His nose touches my center, and I hear him breathe deeply.

  “Smells like me too.”

  His tongue comes out to taste, and my eyes widen as he tastes himself on my skin.

  “We taste good together, sunshine,” he murmurs, licking down my center. “You smell and taste like you belong to me. I definitely could become obsessed with this. New kink unlocked,” he grins against me. “Hang on, baby, we are going for number three because I need more.”

  THIRTY

  KNOX

  Holy Fuck.

  Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I dive into what could ultimately be my demise.

  My cum in and around her pussy is like the ultimate claiming for me. I don’t give a fuck if that makes me a possessive ass. She’s mine, and if I have to coat this pussy every day for the rest of my life to prove it, then I gladly will.

  “Knox,” she moans, gripping my hair tight, which only further heightens the alpha male in me that wants to stake his claim over and over again.

  “Say my name again,” I growl, diving in deep with my tongue as I lift her leg onto my shoulder. “Who does this pussy belong to…who do you belong to?” I ask, needing to hear her say it.

  “You, Knox. Every part of me belongs to you,” she breathes out on a whimper as I suck her swollen clit hard.

  “That’s right, sunshine. We will always belong to each other.” I run my scruff over sensitive skin as I devour our blended tastes. Nothing has ever tasted so fucking good than me on her.