CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

ATLAS

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I don't give a shit who this guy is or if she loves him, I will not stand aside and let him manhandle Molly like this.

She's mine.

And then there's that.

His name is Steve, my brother tells me. The man who broke her heart.

I want to kill him with my bare hands. And I'm not usually the murdering type.

"Atlas!" Molly exclaims when she sees me.

"Fuck off, map boy." Steve says glancing over his shoulder. "We're busy."

I squint.

Is this douchebag for real?

"Really? That all you've got? How embarrassing for you. Let's go, Molly." My fists are clenched as I wait for her to come to me.

After all my goddamn work with the roses, he's fucked everything up. Tomorrow I was going to be the one delivering the single dark red, almost black, rose and she was going to melt into my arms.

I had it planned.

"Who is this guy?" He spits as I roll up the sleeves of my black Verity & Co. shirt, exposing my ink which she loves circling her fingers over.

I watch Molly blink when she notices it.

Come to me baby.

But it has to be of her own freewill.

"I'm the man she's in love with." I take a step closer.

Molly gasps and I can't look at her for too long because if I see rejection in her eyes, I think it might crack open a part of my heart which will never heal.

So I understand why she's here, hurting and confused right now. The heart and brain are sometimes enemies.

"You love me?" she whispers as Steve moans, Jesus I thought this was your latest fuck.

I want to smash his head in.

Still might.

"What's going on?" Levi arrives and I feel both my brothers on either side of me.

Supporting me.

It's also a show of power. I know we're big guys —and Levi's a quarterback—so the three of us together are bit intimidating if we're snarling in your direction.

Which for poor Steve, we are.

Poor Steve? Na, fuck that.

"Atlas is about to rearrange this guy's nose." Knox helps.

Not helpful.

Steve laughs and glances down at Molly in expectation that she will do what he says, and it grates at my last fucking nerve. It speaks to the power he had over her.

Where is his damn wife?

"Let's go," he demands.

I reach out my hand farther to Molly and she looks between us while my heart thuds.

I will not lose her.

"I love you," I say with unbending force and then lift the single rose in my other hand, so she notices it.

Her mouth parts and as I smile softly at her, emotion fills her eyes.

That's it baby, come back to me.

"For the love of god, who is this Romeo asshole, Molly. Do you want a fuck or not?" Steve shakes her.

"No," she whispers, not taking her eyes off me.

No.

She said no.

She said FUCKING NO!

"Cockblockers." Steve drops her arm and stomps away.

My lips stretch into a smile, and I can feel my eyes getting wet with...they're not tears, they're love. I never knew love was wet.

But I get it now.

"Wow, what a prize dickhead," Levi says.

Molly stands before me shaking, her eyes getting wet with love too.

"Give them space," Payton says behind me.

Knox made her stay away with her bodyguard— which the cat is out of the bag on that one now—and I feel my family move away.

"Hey baby." I rasp softly.

"You came for me," she says as if it's unfathomable that someone would.

"Always," I reply firmly.

I need her to know there is no question inside me about what she means to me.

I love her.

She's mine.

The end.

"Are you going to ask me to accept your rose?" Molly takes a small step closer.

"That feels cheesy." I smirk. "But if it works."

Another step.

"Did you mean what you said?"

I nod. "Yes. Utterly and completely."

"I don't know if I'm ready. If I can, Atlas. He. He h—"

"I'll wait. I would rather wait with you and help you through this, than not be with you, though," I say truthfully.

"What if I hurt you?" She stops a foot in front of me.

"Then I'll hurt. I've got big shoulders, baby. You're worth it." I cup her cheek and stare into her pretty chocolate brown eyes. "So fucking worth it."

Molly does that little hiccup and covers her mouth with her hand.

When her eyes drop to the floor, I take her wrist slowly. "Hey."

She looks back at me, eyes filled with tears, and I know mine aren't dry.

"Molly, will you accept this rose and be my girlfriend?" I rasp. "And let me love you while you learn to trust a man who would never fucking hurt you, for as long as you'll let me?"

I can see the trepidation swirling in her eyes. Along with love which she isn't ready to acknowledge.

"What about Harlow?" Molly asks.

I smile.

"Harlow is my friend. She wants to meet you." I hope like hell that doesn't scare her away. "We were finished long ago, baby. I should've told you, I just never expected to feel like this. To fall so damn hard and fast."

She bites her lip, but I see the smile.

I wait, feeling like I'm standing on the edge of my life waiting to fall.

"I don't not love you," she whispers.

I lean in. "What was that?"

She slaps my chest. "Give me time, Atlas. But... I think I might also..."

"Love me?" I grin, inches from her mouth.

Her eyes sparkle playfully with love.

She might not be able to say it out loud yet, but she will.

She fucking will.

I'm going to do everything in my power to make this woman feel safe and happy and loved every damn day.

When she says it, it'll be the happiest day of my life. Right after this one.

I wrap my arms around her, tugging her against my chest where she belongs and drop my mouth to hers. Molly scrunches my shirt in her hands as I plow my tongue inside.

God I missed her.

God I miss how she tastes.

Now I can show her that I love her and that she's mine. Her kiss tells me she loves me even when her words can't.

Yet.

"Close enough, baby. Now will you please come home with me."

"I'm scared, Atlas."

You and me both baby.

"Be scared with me. I'm not going to let you fall. I promise."

––––––––

AFTER REGROUPING WITH my family, we collect our coats and, because I arrived in Knox's car, Molly and I decide to go for a walk despite the snow and Uber home after.

I take her hand, and we head down the stairs and out into the clear cool night. Letting out a long breath I glance down at her.

"Hello, girlfriend."

"Hello, boyfriend." Molly smiles up at me as if I'm her world and I vow in that moment I will make her happy for the rest of my life.

I don't need to wait for marriage vows until I promise that. It's already done. But I'll keep that to myself. She's already scared enough.

I am going to spend the rest of my life with this woman.

Dad was right. You just know.

There's something different about your feelings when you meet the one. A solidness that would take an avalanche to shift the way you feel about them.

From the moment Molly walked into my party almost four months ago now, she had my attention.

I've never stopped thinking about her.

Never stopped wanting her.

When I imagine my future, it includes her. Living with her in a beautiful big home like the one in the Hamptons, my ring on her finger, our children running around.

Growing old with her.

One step at a time.

I'm a Montgomery, I'm patient (ish) and I always win.

Told you I'd get my girl.

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MOLLY

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ATLAS REACHES OUT his arm as I step out of the elevator into his penthouse apartment.

It feels strange to be here again.

Last time I ran out of here with a post orgasmic flush and triggered by his words.

Now...now I'm his girlfriend.

Now he loves me.

I walk to the living room and place the single most beautiful rose I've seen in my life on the coffee table and face him.

"We need to talk, Atlas."

His face drops. "I thought—"

I shake my head and walk to him, palming my hands on his chest. "I need to tell you my story, so you understand. I need you to know all of it."

Relief washes over him, and his shoulders drop.

We sit on the sofa, and Atlas wraps his arms around me as I talk.

I tell him everything.

How Steve lied to me about who he was. How we dated. Then I accepted his proposal.

"I should have punched the asshole." Atlas growls.

"He didn't want an engagement party so"—I hide my face in my hands—"Mom and I did a surprise one for him." When I look up red-faced, Atlas takes my hand longingly. "Who does that Atlas. Who surprises their fiancé with an engagement party. I was so stupid."

"He was the stupid one. Please don't blame yourself." He shhhs me.

"I was young, naive, and trusting."

"As you should be. The right man would never have treated you like that. I will never treat you like that. When we get engaged the world will know."

I blink a little.

"I'm not asking now, relax. But I want the world to know I love you even now. If you want, I can get t-shirts made that say you belong to Atlas Montgomery. They'll be good quality."

I giggle.

"No, its fine."

He smiles and rubs his hand over my cheek.

I tell him the rest and a kind of peace falls over me as I lay my head against his chest.

Safe.

"I'm sorry I left the wedding instead of talking to you."

"I understand. But going forward you can't do that. If this is going to work, you'll need to tell me when you get scared so we can talk through it. Together."

I nod.

"Be patient with me, Atlas. It won't magically change overnight."

He wriggles to lift me and looks me right in the eye. "I'm a loyal man, baby. I haven't touched another woman since the night of my birthday."

Really?

"Really." He smirks answering my silent question, but I guess my face gave it away.

He's proud of himself.

"I kissed Greg." I confess.

"Then I'll have to kill him. Greg can no longer live." Atlas nods as if this is fact.

I slap his chest and smile.

"Be serious."

"Not, not serious," he mutters, then pulls me against his mouth. "I intend to spend the rest of my life with you, Molly Carter. Yes I might be racing ahead and I'm trying not to, but I know what I want and that is you."

Woah.

"I am going to make sure you know every day how much I love you and when I slide a ring on your finger, you will never question it. Not ever."

"Atlas," I gasp.

"Not today and not next week. I'll know when you are ready," he whispers, kissing my lips, my nose, my chin.

"You can't promise that," I say, feeling my fear hovering near.

"I'm not promising anything. I'm telling you," Atlas states.

There is such conviction in his voice and on his face that I feel his strength and how reliable this man will be.

He's not Steve. Not full of crude bullshit.

I need Atlas' strength. I need him to be reliable. It may not sound romantic but they're what I need.

What I want.

I want this man.

I've wanted him since the moment he smirked at me months ago and invited me on a tour of the penthouse we're now in.

His home.

Then he surprises me once more tonight.

"Move in with me," Atlas says.

"Atlas. No. It's too soon," I gasp.

"I don't want to live a day apart, Molly. For months I've been in love with you. Let's move in together and do this." He grips my arms.

I shake my head.

He's insane.

But...I want to. I want to wake up in his arms and make love to him in the shower. To drink coffee in the morning with him as he swipes on his phone and rubs my feet.

"Okay." I nod, grinning as he falls over me, kissing me like an idiot.

"God, I love you." Atlas rasps.

"I love you too."

As the words roll off my tongue, he scoops me up and carries me down to his bedroom.

"I'll be as gentle as I can, but I've waited weeks to be inside you, baby."

My pussy clenches, needing him just as bad.

"I like rough sometimes."

He winks. "I know you do."

My dress is lifted over my head after he places me on the floor. I remove my bra as Atlas undresses with impressive speed.

When I kick my panties away I have only a split second to admire his strong ripped body. The six pack of abs, his chunky pecs that I love so much, and those powerful arms.

"On your knees." He pushes my head, and I kneel, taking his cock in my mouth without questions, stroking and sucking.

Atlas moans and throws back his head.

Every part of this man is hard and sure. Even his dick is telling me it won't let me down.

That I know to be sure.

Just before he comes, he lifts me to my feet. His cock pops out of my mouth, and I'm spun around.

"No anal." I remind him.

"One day." He slaps my ass cheek and I grin, pressing my face into the linen.

I also don't like doggie style as it meant I couldn't see my lovers face. To know if I could trust him.

But I can trust Atlas.

I know this.

Whether he's forgotten or is testing me, I don't know, but as his cock breaches my entrance I push back to take more of him inside me as we both cry out our pleasure.

"Molly," he hisses.

"Deeper. More, Atlas. Please."

Thrust after thrust, Atlas fills me and brings me to the most powerful climax I've ever had as I pant and clutch the covers in my fist.

Kisses paint my shoulder as he falls on top of me, brushing my hair to one side.

"Round one," he rasps. "I want you in the shower."

Pulling out, he rolls me around and then his eyes fly open.

"Shit. I forgot Mo—"

"It's fine. I loved it." I cup his face. "Atlas, I'm yours. I trust you."

His face crumples and he buries it in my neck.

"Fuck, you bring me to my knees baby." I hear the emotion in his voice and rub his head as I give him time.

When he straightens, he runs a hand over my breasts and down over my abdomen.

"One day there will be a baby in your tummy and then we'll be a family. I can't wait to live forever with you and be the man you've always deserved."

Oh god.

"You already are, Atlas. You already are." I say as tears of happiness slide over my cheeks and the hard protective barrier around my heart falls away.

This man.

I don't need to protect myself anymore.

I have Atlas Montgomery.