"Daddy," she moans, head falling back against the wall as I pound into her. "Yes, Daddy, please?—"
I capture her mouth in a bruising kiss, swallowing her cries as I claim her with each powerful thrust. Her legs tighten around my waist, heels digging into my lower back, urging me deeper.
"It's over," I repeat against her neck, teeth grazing the sensitive skin. "But you're still mine. Say it."
"Yours," she agrees breathlessly, nails scoring my shoulders through my shirt. "All yours, Daddy."
I shift my angle, hitting that spot inside her that makes her walls clench around me. "That's it, baby girl. Take Daddy's cock. Feel me deep?"
"So deep," she whimpers, her inner muscles fluttering around me. She's close. So am I.
"Going to fill you up," I promise, one hand sliding between us to find her clit. "Going to breed you right here against the wall. Make sure you remember who you belong to."
"Yes," she gasps, her eyes glazing with pleasure as my thumb circles her sensitive bud. "Breed me, Daddy. Make me yours."
Her words push me closer to the edge, my rhythm growing erratic as my release builds at the base of my spine. "Come for me," I demand, pressing harder on her clit. "Come on Daddy's cock."
She shatters instantly, her body convulsing around me, inner walls gripping me like a vise as she cries out my name—my real name, not the title I make her use. Something about that breaks what little control I have left.
I drive into her one final time, burying myself as deep as possible as I come, emptying myself inside her with a guttural groan. "Mine," I growl as my release pulses hot within her. "Forever."
We stay joined as our breathing slows, her forehead resting against mine, our bodies still connected in the most intimate way. When I finally set her feet back on the floor, my seed trickles down her thigh—visible proof of my claim.
"Free and clear," I murmur, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "No more running."
She smiles up at me, eyes bright with tears and lingering pleasure. "No more running," she agrees. "I'm home."
Home.The word resonates through me, unfamiliar but right. This cabin has been my sanctuary for years, but it never felt like home until Beck. Until she filled it with her laughter, her cooking, her soft body in my bed.
"Home," I echo, pulling her against my chest, resting my chin on top of her head. "Safe."
And for the first time in my life, I think maybe I am too.
twelve
. . .
Beck
Freedom tastes like possibility.Like breathing without looking over my shoulder. Like waking up without fear tightening my chest. It's been two days since Gray came home with the papers showing my bounty rescinded, two days of adjusting to the idea that I can walk down a street without scanning for threats. I could go anywhere, do anything, be anyone. I could reclaim my old life or start a new one in any city of my choosing. But the truth is, I don't want to go anywhere. The only place I want to be is right here, in this cabin with its taciturn owner who stalked me, claimed me, and somehow, impossibly, made me fall in love with him.
Tonight, I'm celebrating my freedom—ourfreedom—by cooking the most elaborate meal I can manage with the supplies Gray keeps stocked. Steaks marinating in whiskey and herbs. Potatoes roasting with rosemary. A chocolate dessert chilling in the refrigerator. I've even found candles in a drawer and set them on the rustic wooden table that's usually covered with Gray's weapons-cleaning supplies or paperwork.
The domesticity of it all should feel strange after weeks of fear and hiding. Instead, it feels right. Like I'm finally becomingwho I was always meant to be—not the scared girl running from town to town, but a woman creating a home. Creating a life.
I hear Gray's truck rumble up the dirt drive. He's been out checking the property's security perimeter—a habit he's unlikely to break even with the bounty gone. Some part of him will always be the hunter, the protector. I've made peace with that part of him, just as he's made peace with the softness in me he once might have seen as weakness.
The door opens and he fills the frame, all broad shoulders and dangerous grace. His eyes find me immediately, tracking my movements in the kitchen with that predatory focus that used to terrify me. Now it just makes heat pool low in my belly.
"What's all this?" he asks, shrugging off his jacket, revealing the gun holstered under his arm. Some things never change.
"Celebration dinner," I explain, turning back to the stove to flip the steaks. "Thought we deserved something special."
His arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me against the solid wall of his chest. "Already have something special," he murmurs against my ear, beard tickling my skin.
I lean into him, savoring the strength and heat of him. "Smooth talker."
His chuckle vibrates through me. "Only for you, baby girl."
