Chapter 37

37

A manda

3:00 AM

I kept seeing his face in my head. His eyes bulging and mouth opening. His body being pushed forward then back. His hand lifting to cover his bleeding shoulder. How close it was to his chest—his heart. Just a few inches lower, and I could have killed that man.

It seemed like every time I got to sleep, I’d see him bleeding, shuffling, running, and I’d wake right back up. This time, a strangled, almost silent scream escaped me. Before I could lift up in bed, Elias’s strong arm pulled my back into his chest.

“Shh,” he cooed against my ear. “I’m here, and you’re safe.” He kissed my neck as I squeezed my eyes shut. “It was just a dream, Mandy. You’re safe.”

Quiet sniffles escaped me as I wrapped my arm around him tightly. With him, I knew I was safe. I always was.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” he continued. “If I was, this wouldn’t have happened. You wouldn’t have had to do that, and you wouldn’t be dealing with this shit.”

I turned in his arms. “You have nothing to apologize for. I know you’ll always keep me safe. You might not have been there physically, but you’re the reason I had the gun and knew how to shoot. So you did protect me… even in your absence.”

Even in the darkness, though I couldn’t see his eyes, I felt them on me. His hand lifted to my hair, and he gently ran his fingers through it.

“If something worse would have happened to you, Mandy, I don’t know what I would have done. I can’t lose you.”

I wanted to downplay his words and say he meant he couldn’t lose the mother of his child. Instead, I allowed them to soothe me and build me up—even if for just a moment. I wasn’t sure which one of us moved first, but our lips connected. A soft sigh escaped me as I melted against his solid frame. Putting a title on what was happening between us was risky, but I wouldn’t deny how good it felt to have Elias like this again. Not just the sex but the priority and care too.

His hands slid down my frame and gripped my ass before slipping between my cheeks. The longer we kissed and caressed each other, the wetter my pussy became. By the time I was panting and in desperate need of more, his dick was rock hard against me. Elias slid me down slightly as I lifted my gown. He wasted no time pulling his shaft out of his boxers and entering me.

The moment he filled me, it felt like a part of me that had been missing was restored. Long, upward strokes caused my body to warm and tremble. I squeezed his arm and bit his chest as I moaned. My toes curled as he maintained a steady pace, quickly bringing me to my peak. As my back arched, I warned him that I was about to cum through trembling lips. His response?

“I know, bae. I know.” He kissed me tenderly before reminding me, “I know your body better than you do. Go ahead and cum for me.”

My pussy released at his command. Elias continued to stroke me, drawing my orgasm out. When my moans turned into whimpers and my walls stopped pulsing against him, he positioned me on my stomach.

“Ohmygod,” I slurred as he filled me with only half of his length—applying pressure to my G-spot and A-spot. The short, soft strokes hitting both spots at the same time had my G-spot swelling. He pressed my stomach into the bed, causing me to feel him more intensely. My pussy gushed as I came against him almost instantly.

“Mhm,” he moaned, finally giving me all his length with swift, hard strokes.

“Shit, Elias. Fuck me, baby.”

“What you want me to do?” he taunted, gripping my waist and keeping me pressed against the bed.

“Fuck me!” I almost cried, gripping the sheets as my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

Each hard, fast stroke had the sound of my ass rippling, filling the room. The sound of his body smacking against mine turned me on even more. When he began to moan and curse, I tried to get on my knees, but he kept me trapped flat in this pleasurable prison of a position. Our moans and heavy breathing synced as my body trembled. My entire body heated as I twerked against him, since that was the only thing I could do with how he had me pinned.

That caused him to growl and warn me that he was about to cum. A few strokes later, we were cumming at the same time. He pulled out quickly and shot his warm seeds on my ass as I convulsed underneath him. I didn’t realize how much I needed that release until the feel of a warm towel on my body woke me up from my unexpected sleep. When he was done cleaning me off, Elias pulled me on top of him.

I felt him kissing my forehead, nose, and lips as he prayed for my peace of mind. The last thing I heard before I went back to sleep was him reminding me that I was safe.

After the Sun Came Up

I was so out of it I didn’t even hear my alarm when it went off. Thankfully, Elias had already made arrangements for our son. Michael agreed to take him to school, which I appreciated. When I finally woke up completely, I took care of my hygiene then went back to Elias’s home so he could get dressed. We went to grab breakfast from Waffle House, which was my favorite breakfast restaurant.

The entire time he drove, he held my hand. He kept looking over at me and asking if I was okay. He’d been softer and more attentive all morning, which I appreciated. Under normal circumstances, I probably wouldn’t have wanted to feel so doted on, but I loved the attention today.

Instead of sitting across from me in the booth, Elias sat next to me. I chuckled but didn’t mention it and had been blushing since we arrived. We ordered our usuals, and when he squeezed my thigh, I couldn’t contain it anymore.

“You’re a trip, you know that?”

He chuckled with a shake of his head as he licked his lips. “Clarify what you mean.”

“I mean you’re being all nice and affectionate like you’re scared I’m going to break or something. I promise I’ll be okay.”

I wasn’t going to act like I was okay now. Physically, I knew I was safe with him, and that gave me some peace, but I couldn’t help but think about how close that guy was to violating me. What made it worse was the fact that there were people standing outside who could have helped but chose not to get involved until the threat was resolved.

“I know you will, but I meant what I said. All I thought about on the way to you last night was how different my life would be if you weren’t in it.” He shrugged. “I guess I just…wanna keep touching you and being close to you because I’m glad you’re still here.”

My eyes watered, so I blinked rapidly. Tugging my bottom lip between my teeth, I released a shaky breath.

“And I’m glad you’re here.” I caressed his hand with my thumb. “With me.”

“I’ll always be here for and with you, Amanda.”

“One of the perks of being your baby mama,” I teased, trying to get out of my feelings.

“Nah.” His expression hardened. “EJ aside, I will always be here for you, Mandy. For real.”

I wanted to reject his words, just like earlier before we had sex, but I couldn’t. Even if I didn’t want to believe his words, Elias’s actions always confirmed them. As I battled with that truth, he gripped my chin and kissed me… twice. The third time, I kissed him back. When I did, his hand went from my chin to my cheek. Our heads tilted simultaneously, and the kiss deepened. I didn’t know how I’d feel when we parted ways, but right now, Elias was all I truly needed.

“How much more time you need?” he asked, pulling away.

“For what?”

“Before you know I’m serious about us, because after this shit, I’m tempted to just tell you we in a relationship.”

“I don’t know,” I answered with a giggle. “Maybe if you asked me in a cute lil’ way to be yours again, I’d say yes now.”

Taking my hand into his, Elias kissed it. “That’s good to know.”