My precious girl looks up at me, her eyes wide with panic. I tuck her hair behind her ear, a familiar, grounding gesture for both of us. Sage leans into my touch, nuzzling into my hand as I cradle her face. God, I missed her. I was so goddamn worried, but I haven’t allowed myself to feel any of it yet.
“No, you didn’t kill anyone. You got him good in the shoulder, but he’ll live. Unless I wake up tomorrow and feel like ending him for laying hands on you.”
Sage curls her smaller hand around my larger one, infusing me with her quiet strength. “You came for me,” she says softly.
“Always,” I vow. “I owe you some answers, baby girl. Will you let me explain myself? You must have been so scared when you found out I wasn’t your real bodyguard.”
She winces and nods her head. “My dad called. I thanked him for sending me a bodyguard, but he said he didn’t. I didn’t know what to think or who to trust; I just had to get out. My apartmentwas already broken into when I got there, and then… well, you know the rest.”
“I was walking home from Ridgeway base last week when I heard your cry for help,” I start. “I would have ventured into the alleyway regardless of who it was, but when I caught a glimpse of you… I knew life would never be the same. As crazy as it sounds, I think I fell in love with you right then and there. You were so scared when I got to you. Remember flinching away from me? It ripped my goddamn heart in two. But when you thought I was your bodyguard, I saw the tension give way to trust.”
I look down at Sage, who has scooted closer to me. I open my arm and let her snuggle into my chest. Fuck, it feels good having her here. She fits so perfectly in my arms.
“I shouldn’t have lied,” I continue. “I knew it was going to complicate things, but I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else harming you. I sure as fuck wasn’t going to let anyone else do my job of protecting you, so I… I let you believe I was your bodyguard. Everything between us was real. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but–”
Sage stops my rambling apology by placing her hand over my mouth. I must look completely gobsmacked, because Sage is holding back a laugh.
“I believe you,” she says, whispering the sweetest words I’ve ever heard. “While I don’t condone lying, I understand why you did what you did. You’re right, I probably would have run away from you that night if I knew you weren’t my bodyguard.”
She drops her hand and leans closer, resting her forehead on mine. I close my eyes and breathe in her strawberry scent. God, I missed it, and it’s only been a few hours.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
“The last thing I thought about before potentially dying was that I never got a chance to tell you I love you.”
My eyes snap open, and I stare at her with uncertainty. “Are you saying…?”
“I love you, Jackson Bennett. We had an unconventional start, but I think it just made us stronger. You make me feel so seen and understood. I’ve never had the kind of care and attention you give me. Once I remembered all of the sweet, wonderful things you’ve said and done for me, I knew I made a mistake by leaving you.”
“Say it again,” I demand.
“I made a mistake by leaving you?”
I smile and tip her head up. “No, the other part. About loving me,” I say with a wink.
“I love you, I love you, I love you,” she says over and over, placing kisses on my cheeks and forehead.
“I love you so much, baby girl. God, I thought you were gone forever…”
“I’m right here. And you’re right here,” she tells me, placing her hands on my cheeks. Sage stares into my eyes with all the love in the world. “I know exactly how I want to celebrate this special moment,” Sage says with a devious smile. God, how did I get so lucky?
“Oh, yeah? And how’s that, my sweet, filthy girl?”
I pull back the covers, knowing Sage is still naked from her shower. I only have boxers on, a fact I’m painfully aware of. My cock is begging to be freed, but first things first.
Brushing my lips against hers, I get caught up in her kisses, each one more passionate and desperate than the last. When I pull back, Sage pouts and follows me as if we’re connected by magnets. I simply grin and spread her out on the mattress, ready to devour my little snack.
Sage’s eyes shine with lust, giving me all the permission I need. I kiss her neck, collarbone, one nipple, and then the other, before trailing my lips down her torso. Nuzzling into her pussy,I breathe in deep, loving the sugary-sweet smell of her arousal. I smooth my hands up and down her thighs before prying them apart and settling between them.
Sage’s eyes are still closed, but her hips wiggle a bit and a blush spreads from her cheeks all the way down to the tops of her perfect tits. She’s wet and needy and ready for me to show her I’m worthy of her love.
I spread her pussy lips apart with my thumbs and growl at the sight of her swollen pink folds. Sage hums in approval, reaching down to comb her fingers through my hair. Jesus, this pretty little cunt is begging for attention. I blow warm air over her sensitive skin and nearly come when her tight little hole pulses, releasing a drop of her cream.
That’s my breaking point.
I lap up her sweetness, dragging my tongue through her slit and circling around her throbbing bundle of nerves. Sage tenses and bows her back off the mattress, moaning loudly. I look up from between her legs and lock eyes with her before pressing her back down with a hand spread out over her stomach.
As soon as she’s flat on her back, my mouth is on her pussy, sucking her greedily. I start off slow and gentle, quick flicks of my tongue that leave her whimpering and writhing. Then I up my tempo, becoming more aggressive, lapping at her from bottom to top and sucking her clit into my mouth.
