Holy shit. How was a girl supposed to give this up?
Chapter 23
Ry
Istepped into the water with Parker still in my arms. As much as I would have loved to simply shove Gage out of the way and take our girl immediately, I knew her abused cunt needed at least a short reprieve.
When I saw Dante heading into the bathroom, I was relieved that he was there. He’d been the only one of us with a long term girlfriend and knew how to take care of her properly. He may not have been ready to fuck her yet, but his walls were already crumbling around him. For that alone, I would have found myself grateful to Parker. But the woman had easily made her way into my heart without even trying.
The first day I met her, she’d been someone who intrigued me. The way her mind worked was fascinating to watch. Combined with her beauty and her unusual, striking eyes, I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her. The more time I spent with her, the more I wanted. She was kind and had a fierce determination in her. There was also a vulnerability to her that I wanted to protect.
She had thought of herself as broken, but she was anything but damaged. What she had gone through hurt her deeply, leaving scars on her heart that far surpassed the scars left on her thighs. I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t stop until I made her see how beautiful she was, that her scars showed the strength she possessed instead of weakness. Never weakness.
I sank down into the hot water and heard her gasp as the heat enveloped her, washing away the evidence that Gage had left behind of their lovemaking. Though other signs were still there and couldn’t be washed away so easily.
Her skin was pink where his hands held her tightly. It didn’t look like she would bruise, which was good, though I doubted she would mind. Her cunt was puffy and swollen, and even though I wanted nothing more than to sit her on my aching cock right at that moment just to relieve the pressure that had been building all evening, I would wait until she soaked for a while. I never wanted to do anything that could hurt Parker. I only wanted to worship her.
I adjusted her until her back lay against my chest and her head was nestled under my chin. I drank in her scent that the epsom salts couldn’t mask. I cursed my dick that couldn’t settle with her so near.
Dante reentered the bathroom, and I turned my head to see that he carried a glass of orange juice and two pills.
“Parker,” he called out, his voice gruff, but the expression on his face was tender as he took in her flushed face as she lay there curled against my chest. “Take these. They will help with the pain and swelling.”
Parker’s cheeks grew redder as she opened her eyes to see him standing there. She reached out for the glass. “Thank you, Dante,” she whispered. “That’s so sweet of you.” It was his turn to blush. It was the first time I’d ever seen my friend’s ears turnpink, and I couldn’t stop from chuckling at the sight. When his expression changed into a glower, Parker elbowed me in the ribs.
She reached for the pills, her fingers dripping, then paused. “Umm…”
“Here,” Dante grunted. “Open your mouth.” I watched in amusement as Parker obediently opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. Then he placed the two pills there.
After she swallowed the pills down with the glass of orange juice, he held his hand out for the glass. “Thank you,” she said as she smiled sweetly at him.
“You’re welcome.” He gave him a chin lift, then gave me another glare before turning to walk back out of the room, leaving us alone in the steaming bath again.
“That wasn’t nice,” she admonished, as she settled back into my arms.
I chuckled again. “You already have him wrapped around your finger. You have some kind of magic in you, pretty girl.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she huffed, but I could see her lips tip up in a small smile.
I sighed. “You should have seen him, though I’m glad you didn’t. After his ex left him, he hated the world and everyone in it. Gage and I were afraid that he would do something stupid,” I admitted. “That’s why we convinced him to come here and stay with us on the ranch. It wasn’t just because he needed a place to go. We wanted to keep an eye on him. Did you know the suicide rate of veterans is almost twice as high as that of civilians? There are over fifteen suicides a day. And those with PTSD?” I shook my head. “We couldn’t take the risk.”
“I understand,” she whispered. “People are so cruel. I can’t believe his ex would walk away from him the way she did. What a bitch.”
I huffed out a laugh.
“Is he better, do you think?” she asked after a long silence. “Are you still worried that he might do… that?”
I stared down at her. “You have no idea, do you?” She furrowed her brows and looked confused by my question, so I just shook my head and tightened my arms around her. “He’s doing much better. No, I don’t think we have to worry about him anymore.”All because of you, pretty girl. Now, if only we could convince you to stay with us forever.I knew the other guys weren’t thinking along those same lines yet. Right now, they were still looking at Parker like she was temporary, the same way she saw it. But I knew better. Once she left, she’d be taking a part of us with her that we’d never be able to get back.
Maybe I was the romantic one. I’d always fallen hard and fast. As soon as I’d seen Gage, my heart had skipped a beat. I knew he was it for me -the one man I would never want to live without. It was slower with Parker, but not by much. It didn’t take much longer for her to steal my heart. Sure, she’d pissed me off by thinking I could be like everyone else who looked at her scars and dismissed them for being nothing but signs of weakness. But that wasn’t really her fault, not when she’d never had anyone who’d shown her what true acceptance really was.
But as soon as she looked at me with tears in those beautiful, different colored eyes, I was done. I would do everything within my power to move heaven and earth to keep her in our lives. Gage was already wavering. He’d never show it to the world, but I knew him better than anyone. When he looked at our precious girl, he saw her for the perfectly imperfect jewel she was. All she needed was men who would love her unconditionally to make her shine.
“Are you feeling better?” I asked as the water cooled around us.
She shifted her legs, the movements causing her to rub against my shaft that had finally softened as we sat together inthe bath. Just like that, with just those subtle movements, I was already growing again, the ache coming back stronger than ever.
“Uh huh,” she hummed. “So much better. Thank you, Ry.”
