“I’d like Craig to meet the same fate as Brandon.” The words were so casual as I spoke them, even though I meant them from my very soul.
“Maybe you’ll get lucky and the police will find him and be able to convict him of the murders of his mother and sister.” He suggested, though I didn’t believe he meant that as the course of action he thought was best.
“Maybe, though I don’t have much faith in the justice system.”
“You shouldn’t, it’s too corrupt, even the ones who have honorable intentions are held back by those with deep pockets and hidden agendas.
“Is that why you take matters into your own hands?”
“Sometimes,” he pondered, thinking through my question. “I try to give the system a fair chance. When it fails the victims,I can’t just let that slide. Not if I can help bring them some solace in knowing the person is gone, even if they don’t know it was at my hands.”
“Do you ever wish people knew it was you?” Curiosity was getting the better of me, and the desire to get inside his head a little bit.
“This is your therapy session, Rae, not mine. Nice try though.”
“Can you blame me for trying to get to know the man who has laid claim to me?”
He laughed, “You’ll get your turn to ask any question you want. Right now, it’s my job to check on you.”
“As you can see, I’m fine, I even followed through with my promise to start running with Kendi.”
“Are you still planning on getting her a job when she gets home?”
“Of course I am, I hate that she lost her job while she was trying to get better.” From a business standpoint, I understood her employers needed to fill the position. From a personal level, they fucked up big time by terminating Kendi.
“You’re a good friend to her,” he observed, watching me as I slouched next to my dog, ideally stroking his fur.
“She was a good friend to me when she didn’t need to be. I’d do anything to help her out after how she was there for me in the hospital.”
“Would she like the fact that you’re staying alone while a psychopath is on the loose?”
I glared at him, “Nice way to circle it back around. She knows my sister is staying with me, and she’s not as much of a pain in the ass as other people are.”
“Your ass wasn’t what I was planning on inflicting pain on today, but my agenda can be negotiated if it’s something you want to consider,” He said in all seriousness. I felt my cheeks flush as the thought of him in that way caused me to get distracted from why I was arguing with him in the first place.
“My ass is safe, I’m sweaty, and I need to shower before you make any part of my body feel pain.”
“Good thing I have a shower. I’m not a patient man when it comes to you, Raelynn and you’ve kept me waiting long enough. Even worse, you plan on making me wait even longer by staying away. I have half a mind to lock you away for your own good and my pleasure.” His voice was leaving no room for argument, but I knew I was safe with him, and I knew he had a point. I just wasn’t ready to give in. I needed to make sure I knew how to stand on my own two feet. Riley didn’t even wake up to his baritone voice bossing me around. “Now, do you want the tour or do you want to keep running your mouth to delay the inevitable?”
I swallowed hard, and any argument I had died on my tongue as he rose from the chair and stalked toward me. His intentions were crystal clear in his gaze. Mental health therapy was completed, and physical therapy was about to begin.
“Get your ass off that couch,” he said as he extended his hand to me.
Riley didn’t move as he pulled me up and practically dragged me down the short hallway where only two doors were located. The one directly at the end opened into what appeared to be his bedroom. I got a quick glance of a bed with a black comforter before my attention was diverted to the bathroom.
“Do you enjoy ignoring my advice?” He asked as he grabbed the edge of my sweatshirt, pulling it over my head and dumping it on the floor. “Or do you just like seeing how worked up it gets me?” My shirt came next, joining my sweatshirt on the floor, followed by my sports bra. I wasn’t complaining about that item of clothing being removed; I always felt too restricted to stay in it very long.
“I find that there are benefits to both those points,” I said as his hands grabbed my naked waist, his mouth finding mine. Fire spread through my veins as our bodies collided.
My hands couldn’t get under his shirt fast enough; the need to have his skin pressed against mine was the only thing that mattered anymore. His touch was like fire, igniting me every place we met. We broke apart just long enough for his shirt to get yanked over his head. As he dropped it to the floor, my hands started fumbling with his zipper.
I pushed his pants to the ground as he reached behind him to turn the knob on the shower. My running leggings followed soonafter, both of us left completely naked in our rush to rid ourselves of the items of clothing that did nothing but get in the way.
Daxton gripped the back of my neck firmly, pulling me against him so possessively I wouldn’t have been able to get away even if I had wanted to. I groaned, opening my mouth and allowing him to dominate my mouth. His tongue swept in, and I wanted nothing more but to submit to him.
As his hands roamed my body, caressing every inch of me that was exposed to him, he started backing me up under the cascading water. His shower head was mounted in the ceiling, drenching us both equally as we stepped under the spray. My body became slick against his, the sweat from my run quickly washed away.
He fisted his grip in my hair, yanking my head away from his firmly as I opened my eyes, blinking against the onslaught of water on my face.
