Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Granger

If I could? I’d eat her whole.

She’d never come up for air.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I took that curve in the road and she came into view. Peyton is something straight out of a fairytale. All doll-eyed and innocent, sweet as hell with her big brown curls. I’ve been on the verge of coming in my jeans since that very first glimpse and now, as I gesture for her to precede me into my apartment, I’m still right there on the edge.

I’m overcome by every detail. Her scent, the slope of her throat, her thighs. The pale blue nightshirt she wears without a bra. The pink nail polish on her toes and the indentation in the center of her bottom lip.

Jesus. My pulse is going a thousand miles an hour.

I’m almost dizzy just having her brush past me in the doorway.

Acting normal is next to impossible. Acting like I haven’t found the goddess I plan to worship for the rest of my life. If she didn’t look shell-shocked and pale right now from what that bastard did to her, I’d already be down on my knees, whispering prayers to her ankles and licking up the insides of her thighs, begging for a chance to worship.

Nothing affects me like this. Hell, nothing affects me at all.

In my prior profession as mob muscle, I was known for having ice in my veins. A stint in prison made that blood run even icier. Right up until her. Now I’ve got lava flowing through me, rushing all different directions.

Forcing myself to regain control, I watch Peyton walk through the apartment, wearing nothing but a nightshirt, feet bare. Protectiveness expands inside me, shoving at the walls of my chest, nearly busting me wide open. Mine. This fairy is mine to protect. No one is ever going to harm a hair on her beautiful head.

Not ever again.

She turns, rubbing the outsides of her arms. Is she cold?

Without taking my eyes off her, I adjust the thermostat on the wall.

“You live alone?”

Polite conversation isn’t something I’m used to, but I do my best to make the opposite appear true, needing her to be comfortable with me. To trust me. “Yes, it’s just me.” I study her, memorizing her coloring. “I assume you’re done with that place. The trailer park.”

She lifts her chin, nods.

Good girl. Wouldn’t have let her return anyway.

With a deep breath, I nod at the second bedroom, which I’ve been using as a gym. “That’s the guest room. You’re welcome to it.”

“Oh,” she says on a breathy laugh. “I couldn’t impose like that.”

I suppress the urge to storm toward the girl, pick her up and lock her inside the room until I can figure out how to exist now that I’ve met her. She’s not leaving. I cannot let her leave. Am I capable of maneuvering her into staying without making her a prisoner? Yes. Yes, I have to be. Otherwise she’ll think I’m no better than her soon-to-be-deceased stepbrother. There’s one important difference between him and I, at least. I’d never lay a fucking finger on her if she didn’t want me to. The idea of her running away from me—or anyone—in fear makes me want to punch a hole in the wall.

“You’re not imposing,” I say, struggling to sound normal. “I was actually looking for a roommate.”

Lie. I’d never voluntarily live with someone, except this fairy named Peyton. After sharing a prison cell for years, I vowed to live alone forever. But everything changed when I saw her in the road.

Peyton swallows and I watch the play of muscle on her throat the way a cat observes a canary. “That’s really kind of you, Granger.” I have to swallow a groan. That’s the first time she’s said my name out loud. Fuck. My cock is so hard, it’s giving me a toothache. “But…after what happened tonight, I think, um…I think I’d be a little nervous living with a-a man. I hope you’re not offended. I know nothing about you that would suggest you’re anything like Tony. You actually saved me tonight. I’m so grateful for your help. But…but…”

I notice the blood is beginning to leave her face.

Alarm blares through me and I push off the wall, crossing toward her quickly. “Peyton?”

“I’m sorry,” she says, squeezing her eyes shut. “Now that the adrenaline has worn off, I’m feeling a little shaky.”

I catch her as soon as her knees begin to buckle, bringing her up against my chest roughly to keep her from falling.

Two things occur to me at once.

One, if I could go back in time, I would snap Tony’s neck for scaring her like this. Of course her nerves are shot now that some time has passed. That bastard was twice her size. Obviously his intentions for trying to force himself on her in the middle of the night weren’t honorable. She’s probably in the process of realizing exactly what could have happened if she wasn’t so brave.

Two, from this moment forward, I’ll never be able to survive without her in my arms. Jesus, she’s so goddamn sweet. She fits me like we were carved for one another, her head tucking right beneath my chin, her breasts and pelvis settling into me like a missing puzzle piece. It feels so good, I’m seeing double.

“This is humiliating,” she grumbles. “I teach kindergartners for a living. I’m supposed to be a little tougher than this.”

A kindergarten teacher in the arms of a felon. Former mob muscle.

Somewhere out there, fate is laughing hysterically.

“You are tough, honey. That was you tonight who ran away. That was you who survived the fear.” A little bit of the tension leaves her and she sighs, snuggling into me somewhat, turning my heart upside down. “You know…” My voice is deep and hoarse, so I struggle to clear it. “You know, we’ve established that if anyone messes with you, I’m going to kick their ass. Staying here with me might make you feel safe, instead of scared.” I inhale the vanilla fragrance of her hair. “But if that’s not enough, I could install a lock on the inside of your bedroom door. You’d have the only key.”

Her breath warms my neck for long moments. “Granger, are you doing all of this because you want to sleep with me?” She looks up at me and I permanently drown in her wide hazel eyes. “I don’t think I’ll want a man’s hands on me for a while after…tonight. I get nervous just thinking about it.” Pink spots appear on her cheeks and she can no longer look at me straight. “I don’t have any experience to begin with, so…”

Christ. A virgin.

I don’t know why I’m surprised. Maybe because I come from a world where innocence is taken away at an early age. Not just for females, but for everyone. There’s no such thing as being naïve. God, I should have known she’d still have her cherry, though. It’s in her shyness. It’s in her guileless expression.

It’s in the way she presses into my erect cock like she has no idea what it is or why it’s bulging up against my zipper, just dying for a shot between her legs.

“No experience, huh?” I choke out, ordering myself to keep my hands off her ass. “I don’t have a lot, either. What I have done is not worth remembering.”

I’ll never remember anyone but her.

I’ll never want anyone but this girl. Every second I stand holding her gets her deeper into my blood. My bones. I just need her to stay.

I’m not sure how I’ll handle it if she doesn’t, but it wouldn’t be the last time I see her. The idea of never seeing her again is laughable. I’d be trailing her the second she touched the sidewalk outside my building.

Trailing her.

Following her.

My dick gets stiffer at the prospect of protecting her even when she doesn’t know I’m there. Watching her every move.

“Do you think we could be friends?” she asks, peering up at me.

Being friendly is the last thing I think about when I look at her. I want to rope her wrists to my headboard and fuck her into next week. And when I’m done, I want to rock her like a baby, run her a bath, buy her presents. Take pictures of the love marks I leave behind on her skin. Dress her up and pose her for me. God, I don’t know if that makes sense and I don’t care. But none of this is going to happen any time soon. She’s too spooked over what happened…and if I want her to trust me, I’ll have to put my lust in check and play the long game.

Whatever gets me near her. Whatever gets me access.

“Friends? Nah.” I tilt her chin up and smile. “We’re going to be best friends.”