Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Vault

GETTING BACK TO the clubhouse seemed to fly by and take all the time in the world simultaneously. Nerves filled me and my palms were sweating for the first time in my life. I can go into battle without breaking a sweat. The idea of talking all this shit out with Annabell makes me feel like a prepubescent teen on the verge of losing my virginity. I've never ever felt this way around her and I don't like it. There's no reason to be nervous with Annabell because she's such a sweet, loving, loyal woman and I know that once I explain my actions to her that she'll work on finding a way to forgive me for everything I did to hurt her. There's not a doubt in my mind that she will forgive me because that's simply who she is. Annabell rarely holds grudges against anyone and even the men who were going to rape her gained her forgiveness even if they didn't deserve it for what they took from her. Not only did they steal her family from my girl, but they were going to take the most precious gift she had to give of herself.

Looking over at Annabell as she parks her car, I can see that she's also nervous as fuck. Her hands shake as she takes them from the wheel and folds them together in her lap. She's biting down on her bottom lip and it takes every ounce of willpower I have not to pull it out and suck on the indents I know she'll leave behind. It's one of the ways Annabell displays her nervousness. She doesn't bite it hard enough to draw blood, but it's enough to leave marks behind and I hate seeing them there and knowing I'm the cause of them. I get out of the car once she puts it in park and shuts the engine off. Annabell remains in her seat and waits for me to get to her door so I can open it for her. She's the only woman here I'll ever open a door for.

Together we're surrounded by the other men as we walk into the clubhouse. As soon as the door closes behind us, Martin shows up and hands Annabell and me bottled water before making his way back behind the bar to give the rest of the guys a beer or their drink of choice. With our bottles of water in hand, I nod at my Angel and we make our way upstairs leaving the rest of the guys behind. None of them say a word as I lead her to my room instead of hers. I have the largest bedroom in the clubhouse and there's a couch we can sit on. Unfortunately, her room doesn't have a couch and I can't sit on the bed with her. Not when I want to fuck her more with every passing second.

The smell of vanilla fills me from the body wash and lotion she uses every single day. I take in her outfit once again and notice the way her shorts mold to the curve of her ass. With every step she takes, the slightest hint of her ass shows and it's been driving me insane all day long. I've glared at more than one man today who wanted to take a good, long look at what doesn't belong to them as she moved around the waiting area of the garage. If Bell knew her ass was peeking out when she walks or bends over, there's no way in hell she would've worn them to work. What stops me dead in my tracks is something I haven't noticed at all today. Yes, I know she's wearing a bandana to keep the small pieces of hair out of her face. However, until this very second, I didn't realize it's one of my old ones. I've got bandanas in every single color imaginable. Before losing my dad, my dark red one came up missing and I never knew where it went. Today, I know where it disappeared to. Annabell has it around her head and it makes something crack wide open inside me. Warmth and hope fill me for the first time in so long when it comes to her.

Unlocking my door, I step back and let her walk in first. Annabell takes a look around as I wait to see how she'll react. I try to envision my room through her eyes and it's hard as hell because Annabell doesn't give a fuck about material things. She cares about who a person is and what they stand for over what they can give her. That's never changed over the years. It's why she worked so hard to buy her car on her own with Slim going so she didn't get fucked over since she's a female.

My room has been painted a dark gray with white trim. The queen-sized bed I have is against the back wall leaving just enough room on the inside for a small nightstand. To the left of the room is my couch, a black leather one that is soft as fuck. I've fallen asleep there more often than my bed since moving here because the bed feels too big and empty without Annabell sleeping next to me. At the end of my bed is a dresser with my TV mounted to the wall above it. My spare change litters the top of my dresser along with a few spare lighters. Other than that, my room is clean and everything is put where it belongs. I've got two doors on the wall past the couch. One leads to my bathroom and the other one is a small closet with more than enough space to hang all of Annabell's clothing beside mine. Yes, I made sure it was large enough for that. The bed is made with clean blankets and the carpet is thick enough to bury your toes in.

"You kept the picture of us," she gasps, taking in the three pictures I have on my nightstand.

One picture is Valor, our dad, and me the day we patched into the club. Another one is just of our dad when he first joined the club. His bike is behind him and you can see the happiness and pride in his eyes as he laughs at something the person taking the picture said. Finally is the picture of Annabell and me. We've got our arms around one another. While Annabell looks at Valor as he takes the picture of us, I'm looking down at her. It's clear to see my feelings for her as the light shines off of her hair once again and makes it look as if there's a halo above her head.

"I did. I'm never gettin' rid of anythin' you've given me or any of the pictures we've taken over the years. They're all here. I have a box in the top of the closet with everythin' else. No one knows I have it but you and Valor. Those are the memories we made together and I don't plan on sharin' those with anyone else. They're ours to remember," I tell her honestly as she moves over toward the couch.

Annabell slides off her sneakers and sits down on the couch, folding her legs under her body as I join her. I don't sit right next to her, but I barely leave any room between the two of us.

"I've already forgiven you, Alex. I forgave you years ago. If anyone understands the way you felt when you lost Hound, it's me. Our parents were brutally taken from us without remorse and by assholes who never gave a shit about the lives they were taking. Should you have handled your grief in a better way, yeah. But, you were blinded by the pain and anger coursing through you and it's a confusing feeling. While you lashed out and pushed everyone away, I did something far more destructive," she says, her voice breaking as she remembers that truly dark night when I found her about to take her own life way out behind the clubhouse where it would take forever for anyone to find her.

"I don't deserve your forgiveness, Angel. I hurt you so many times and it killed me every single time I saw the tears fill your eyes or heard your voice break because of the pain I was causin' you. It took me leavin' Benton Falls to find the man I want to be. A man who's even a fraction of bein' good enough for you. I've spent the last five years doin' everythin' I can think of to ensure I'm good enough for you, Angel. I never thought I'd take all of the rage flowin' through me at the loss of my dad out on you. You never deserved a single word I said to you or anythin' I did to push you further and further away from me.

"The day I moved here, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't touch a woman here and I'd bust my ass to do everythin' in my power to be a man you'd be proud to have at your side. Even knowin' there was a high possibility that you'd never even talk to me again. I have no excuses for how I treated you, Annabell. For months I was filled with rage, hurt, grief, and so much despair that I couldn't see more than the bottom of the bottle. Yeah, I could've turned to the guys in the club. I could have come to you and unburdened myself every fuckin' day. At the same time, I felt weak as fuck and thought I had to stand on my own two feet in order to keep the respect I'd spent years earnin'. Losin' my dad wasn't an excuse to bottle everythin' up until I exploded. I still have so many amends to make and I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to make everythin' up to you," I tell her, reaching out and taking her hand in mine as I stare at her and pray her next words aren't that she only wants to be my friend moving forward.

"I promised both Valor and you that I'd never give up on you and that will always be true, Alex. I've loved you for so many years and I don't think that's ever going to go away. Yes, I was with another man in college. I thought he could make me forget all about you, but I was so wrong. Every second I spent with him felt wrong. Alex, you have to know that I'm not a virgin. I can't give that to you. He took it from me and I regretted it happening as soon as it was over. The guy didn't make it hurt the least amount possible or make it good for me at all. He was only worried about himself. I'm telling you this because I know if you were the one I had given myself to, you would've ensured it was perfect. He wasn't a good man at all and if there's one thing I could change about the past, it would be my relationship with him. Not anything you went through or how you treated everyone around you," she says, squeezing my hand as I snap and pull her into my arms to hold her close.

"Did he take it by force, Angel?" I ask, needing to know that answer above anything else.

"No. He lied and made me feel as if he cared about me when he didn't. Everything he told me was a lie and I cried for hours the second he left me alone. He didn't hold me or anything once he was done. I watched as he got dressed and left me alone without a backwards glance," she answers, soothing the beast buried deep inside me to a degree knowing that she wasn't raped by him.

"I'm so sorry, Angel. If I hadn't put all this space between us, it never would've happened to you. This is on me and I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you," I promise her, bringing our joined hands up and kissing the back of hers, my lips lingering on her soft skin as vanilla fills my senses.

"If you want to make it up to me, you can Alex. Make me forget all about him. I forgive you and I know you've forgiven yourself for what's been done. Now, it's about moving forward and I don't think I can do that if I'm not with you. This has been years in the making and I know if I were going to be able to move on without you, then I would have already done so. Neither one of us has been able to move on after all this time. You're not lying when you said that you haven't been with anyone here?" she asks me, a blush filling her face as she looks at me for the truth.

"No. I haven't been with anyone since that day in the clubhouse," I tell her honestly, guilt and shame filling me as I look at her.

Annabell places her hand on my face and just holds me to let me know everything is in the past and that's where it will stay as we move forward. We're not going to keep holding onto the past as we try to figure out a relationship between the two of us and what that looks like now that we're not a teenager or young adult. We're both adults now and have both changed in so many ways over the last five years.

"We've both changed so much, Bell. We don't know one another the way we used to," I tell her, as she leans in and presses her full, soft lips against the skin of my neck. "We'll take our time and get to know one another again before we take any leaps into bed together."

"That's not what I want, Alex. I want you. I've wanted you for years. I agree that we've both changed over the years since being apart. We have all the time in the world to get to know one another as we are now. I've loved you for so long and even knowing we're different people today, I still love you, Alex. Me wanting you has nothing to do with making me forget about the man who took my virginity, Alex. Please don't take it like that. I've dreamed of being with you so many times over the years. If you don't want me, I understand," she says, breaking my heart as she lowers her head and starts to pull away from me.

"Don't ever question if I want you, Annabell. That's never been an issue," I tell her, grabbing her hand back and lowering it between our bodies so she can feel how hard I am for her. "That's all for you and only you. I'm not going to turn you down, Angel. Just make sure this is truly what you want. If we take this step, that's it. You're mine and I'm not gonna let you go. Not ever again. We'll be together and I'll be the last man you're ever with. I've loved you for so long and that love has only changed and grown over the years. Do you understand me?"

"I understand. Just as long as you know that this will mean I'm the last woman you'll ever be with. I will claim you just as hard as you claim me. Everyone in Pine View will know exactly who you belong to, Alex," she states, looking sexier to me than ever before. While she's speaking, she not only removed the bandana from around her head, but she takes out the braids to let her long hair fall down her back in waves.

"You fuckin' kill me, Angel," I state, slamming my lips to hers in a claiming kiss.

Annabell doesn't hesitate to open her mouth for me, allowing me to slip my tongue in and tangle with hers. I explore her mouth as if it's the first time. This kiss is honestly so much better than the first one I gave her so many years ago on a front porch swing. I've never forgotten that kiss and relived it in my dreams every night. Though, it never stopped with just a kiss in my dreams. I've taken Annabell so many ways in my dreams that positions have been made up for us.

My girl pulls back when we're both breathless and gasping for air. I watch as she slowly lifts her tank top until it's over her head leaving her in just a black lace bra that does nothing to hide her ample tits and nipples from my view. I thought I couldn't get any harder than I was a few seconds ago. That's a lie. My cock aches with how hard it is as it presses against the inside of my zipper.

"Fuck!" I say, looking up at Annabell as she reaches around her back and unclasps her bra before letting it fall from her shoulders.

I don't wait as I lean forward and suck a nipple into my mouth. Bell arches her back and moans as I reach up and pull her other nipple between my fingers. With one hand on her back, I support her full weight and let her try to find the friction she needs and is in desperate search of. Standing from the couch without releasing her nipple from my mouth, I move us to my bed. Laying my sweet Angel down in the middle of my bed going across it, I finally release her nipple and stand up to my full height so I can look at her. Annabell's long, black hair is spread out behind her. Her upper body is on full display as she leaves her arms at her sides and lets me look at every inch of her body.

Annabell's tits are large and full. Her smooth skin is a golden tan that I know is mostly natural instead of her spending hours out until the sun or in a tanning bed. Her stomach isn't the flattest, but she's still toned and has gained muscles since I last saw her. Annabell's large dark blue eyes are even darker as desire fills her body and her skin is flushed from the little bit of attention I've already given her. My girl is so responsive and I want to spend hours exploring every inch of her body and listen to her moans and gasps as I touch her body exactly where she wants me to and show her what it means to pleasure a woman. Reaching out, I run my hand from her neck down between her chest and don't stop until my fingers slide just under the waist of her shorts.

"Don't stop, Alex. I'm not gonna change my mind about wanting this with you," she tells me, her voice soft and breathless as she continues to stare at me.

Undoing the button of her shorts, I pull down the zipper and suck up every inch of skin that becomes exposed to my sight. With slow, cautious movements, I pull her shorts off of her long legs and leave her in nothing more than a black G-string to match the bra she already removed. Annabell slides her legs together looking for something I'm going to give her in just a minute. Sliding off my cut, I lay it on top of the dresser before walking back to the bed. Reaching behind my head, I grab my shirt and remove it from my body. Annabell's eyes roam over my chest and abdomen as she takes in all the new tattoos and muscles I've gained since leaving her behind. I needed something to do with my time and working out provided me with the distraction I needed so I wouldn't drink or go back for her.

Before removing her panties, I undo my belt and the button on my jeans, letting Annabell see the very top of my cock as it peeks out from the jeans still resting low on my hips. She licks her lips and I suck in a breath wanting to feel her mouth wrapped around my hard length. Kicking off my boots, I let my jeans fall so I'm completely naked before her. Annabell's eyes slowly run down every inch of my body until the bed obscures me from her view. She can't see the tattoos covering my legs below my knees. She's seen all of my tattoos before when she was helping take care of me, but she never really took them in preferring to clean the wounds and bandage them back up again without doing anything else. I lift a leg at the same time I reach up and grab both sides of her panties. Ripping them from her body, Annabell's eyes widen in response as I climb up her body, pressing soft kisses along the skin of her legs.

Annabell tries to close her legs as my head gets closer to her center and I don't allow her to. Pressing my shoulders between her legs, I throw them over my shoulders so she can't continue trying to hide herself from me.

"He didn't ever go down on you, Angel?" I ask her, my voice husky and deeper than normal with the lust and desire filling me.

"No. He said there was no point in him doing that to me," she tells me, filling me with anger as I look up at her and let her see how that makes me feel.

Lowering my head, I lick her from her opening to her clit. Sucking it in my mouth, I watch as her back arches off the bed and her head presses deeper into it. She reaches forward with one of her hands and grabs onto my head. Now I wish I'd never shaved it all off so she could run her fingers through my hair like she used to.

"Alex," she moans out, her voice barely above a whisper as I slide a finger into her pussy and curl it up.

Sliding it in and out of her body, I bite down gently on her clit and she gasps in shock. After a minute, I add another finger to the first and continue to push her closer and closer to the edge of the cliff she's ready to fly from. It doesn't take long for Annabell to shatter.

"Alex!" she screams out my name as her legs shake around my head and she tightens them as her release flows through her.

Annabell's eyes are closed and her mouth is open on a silent scream as I run one hand down the center of her body, watching her skin fill with goosebumps. I don't immediately stop sucking her clit or sliding my fingers in and out of her as she rides the waves of her release. I slowly start to pull away from her as she lets go of my head and lets her hand fall to the bed next to her still shaking body as her chest rapidly rises and falls.

"We can stop right now, Angel," I tell her, giving her one last chance to back out of us taking this further than we already have.

"I don't want to stop, Alex. That was, um . . .," she begins, not having words for what I've just made her feel.

"Did you like it?" I ask, needing to know that I gave her pleasure and she enjoyed what I did to her.

"I loved it," she responds, reaching out to touch me as I move up her body and let my cock slide through her folds.

Leaning down, I kiss her deep as she wraps her arms around my neck holding me closer to her. We kiss for the longest time before I pull back. I want to slide deep in her pussy and I won't do that without a condom. Moving to the side, I pull out a brand-new box and let Annabell watch me open it so she knows this is new and not something I've had lying in here from the past.

"Everythin' in here is new and no female has been in this bed, room, or touched anythin' in here but you, Angel. I have my latest test results in the drawer if you want to see them. I've been tested every year since movin' here even though I wasn't havin' sex. I just made it part of my yearly check-up. Eventually I want to start a family with you, but that's not until you're ready for that step," I tell her, waiting to see what she wants to do moving forward.

"I'm clean. I've also just been tested when I went in to get my last birth control shot. We need to get to know one better before we talk about having kids. I want them with you, Alex. Eventually," she responds, holding back from removing a condom from the box. "I don't want anything to come between us, Alex. I trust you and know you would never put me in a position where I get hurt."

"Are you sure?" I question, not believing her words at first.

"Yes. Please, Alex. I need to feel you buried deep inside me," she says, reaching between us and grabbing my cock as best as she can before sliding her hand up and down my length.

Closing my eyes, I take a minute to savor the feeling of her soft skin rubbing against my cock in ways I've only dreamed would happen. After a minute, I grab her hand and remove it from my length, telling her that if she doesn't stop, this will be over with before it can even begin. Annabell pulls her hand back from my body and rests her hand on my shoulder.

"This is probably gonna be quick, Angel. It's been a long time and I want you so fuckin' bad. I'll make it up to you the rest of the night, I promise," I tell her, lining myself up and sliding in her pussy.

I move slowly, pushing an inch in at a time as Annabell relaxes her body beneath me. Before I know it, I'm buried deep. For a minute, neither one of us move. I look down at my girl as I rest my forehead against hers. With a small nod from her, I pull back and slide out of her pussy. Sliding back in, I let myself feel her clench around my length in her tight, wet channel. Wrapping her legs around my waist, Annabell moves her arms over my shoulders so her hands are resting on my back as if she's trying to hold onto me so I don't leave her. That's never gonna fucking happen. As cliché as it sounds, I've found my home with her and my cock is where it's always meant to be. No one else will ever compare to her after getting a taste of the one woman I've always wanted.

"Faster, Alex. Please," Annabell begs me, her voice coming out in breathy gasps as her nails dig a little bit into my back.

Doing as she asks, I pull back and I slide in faster than I have been, adding a twist to my hips and making sure I press against her clit every time our bodies meet. Annabell is moaning continuously now and I feel the sweat start to cover my body. I can already feel myself getting close to finding my release because it has been so fucking long and my girl feels like heaven wrapped around me as she begins to flutter and tremor with her orgasm building deep inside.

Reaching between us, I easily find her clit as I press my lips to hers once more. Rubbing her clit, I catch the moans releasing from Annabell and move my hips faster. I release her mouth and press kisses along her jaw to her neck. My sweet Angel tilts her head to the side, giving me all the access I need. I move my mouth down until I'm able to suck a nipple into my mouth. Biting down on her hard peak, I pinch her clit just hard enough and it throws her over the edge. Annabell digs her nails into my back and drags her hands up, giving me a bite of pain I didn't know I'd like.

"Alex!" she screams, her voice echoing off the walls and alerting anyone close by to exactly what we're doing right now.

I thrust deep in her body once, twice, three more times before I throw my head back and roar out my own release.

"Annabell!" I growl out, my voice sending vibrations through both of us.

I don't allow my entire weight to drop down on top of Annabell because I'll crush her. Holding myself back just enough not to hurt her, I roll over and pull her body on top of mine without sliding my cock from her pussy. I'm not ready for us to separate yet. We're both breathing heavy and our hearts continue to beat wildly in our chests as I rub my hands up and down her back. Annabell burrows deeper into my body and holds me close.

"Are you okay?" I ask her when my breathing finally slows down enough for me to talk.

"I'm perfect. Thank you, Alex. That was better than I ever dreamed possible," she responds, her voice brushing against my skin as it finally starts to cool down.

"We're not done yet, Angel. I'm just gettin' started with you," I tell her, sitting up with her still in my arms as I get out of bed and carry her into the bathroom.

Finally, I pull from her body and set her on the counter by the sink. Turning on the water in the shower, I let it heat up for a minute before I lift her in my arms once more and step under the water with her. For the first time in my life, I take care of a woman after I've been with her. I wash Annabell from head to toe and then she does the same for me. After showering, I get her out and dry her off before heading back into the bedroom and laying her down under the blankets. For the rest of the night, Annabell and I explore one another's bodies. I learn every inch of her and allow her to take her time as she hesitates to explore my body, her inexperience showing. I love that my Angel hasn't been with anyone but that one fucker and will learn how to please me from me while I show her how it feels to be pleased by a man. Tonight is just the first night of many.