Chapter 15

Boundaries. Lines. Barrett is very strict about staying on the trail, and now it makes sense.

On the drive back to his house, we decide that I"ll block Carl"s number for now, but reach out and text him at Christmas. That I"ll never see him or speak to him without Barrett standing right beside me until we can tell that he"s cleaned up his life. That if he continues down a path I don"t like, I just won"t speak to him again.

But we both hope he comes around. I love that Barrett isn"t unilaterally anti-Carl. He just wants to be sure that I won"t be hurt again. The thought of me being harmed seems to upset Barrett on such a deep level that I"m genuinely moved.

Barrett eventually tells me about the packages in my car. It makes me realize that if I hadn"t drawn a line with Carl, I could have ended up in serious trouble. Barrett hasn"t only rescued me from being hurt in the forest, but from the blinders I tend to wear when it comes to my brother.

We also chat about how between my shyness and Barrett"s tendency to be quiet, communication is something we"ll need to work on. We make a solemn vow to blurt things out even when it"s awkward or stupid. We also agree that laughing with each other will get us through the weird bits.

Finally, we decide I"ll call Sheila tomorrow, and figure out whether I should go back and work at the daycare for a few weeks until she finds a permanent replacement. We don"t want her to be left in the lurch.

We.

We"re a we.

We"remaking plans about our future!

By the time we get back to Barrett"s house, my heart is singing like a yellow-throated warbler. Maybe even a rose-breasted Grosbeak – one of the few birds that sing even while nesting.

I love that he carries me inside and immediately checks the dressing on my foot. I love that he makes us a "pub grub" dinner of burgers and Caesar salad, while promising to take me out for a real date in just a few more days.

I love that I"m learning to read all the little details of his body language. The way his gaze flicks to me when he"s trying to decide what to say. The way his jaw loosens a bit when he"s trying to speak more softly. The way his eyes twinkle for a split second before he opens his mouth to laugh.

I love Barrett.

I appreciate how much he"s willing to change for me. Not just little things like clearing out a drawer in the bedroom for me, or making a shopping list of my favorite foods. He"s more talkative than he was the first few days. I feel that"s huge for him.

Yet it feels much too soon to tell him how strongly I feel about him. At least in words. As we get snuggled into bed, I realize there"s another way to tell him.

His hand slips immediately under my silkiest tank top and slowly runs along my hip. "No underwear again." His dark voice is extra gritty. "Do I need to take you shopping?"

"I have plenty of underwear. Again, I just didn"t see the point."

His fingers tighten around my outer thigh as he gives my leg a slight shake. "The thought of taking you shopping and you wearing clothes I bought for you turns me on."

Reaching out, I slowly skim my palm down his thickly muscled chest until it bumps into the top of his briefs. He"s turned on, all right – his shaft is peeking out the top enough for me to rub my thumb across the tip.

"What do you think you"re up to, princess?"

"Oh, about five foot four. You?"

That delicious grumble is so sexy when we"re in bed. "A comedian, huh?" He kisses the tip of my nose while running his palm along my inner thigh. "Six foot four, actually." Something shifts in his eyes. "Which means I"m going to have to be very careful with you."

Turning, I place my other hand on his stubbled cheek. "I trust you completely, Barrett."

He nods, and I see another shift in his expressive eyes. His movements are agonizingly slow and deliberate as he pulls off my tank top, then slides off his shorts. When he lies beside me, I can feel the tension in his body. He wants me. Why is he still hesitating?

I moan softly as his hand slips between my legs, gently stroking just his fingertips through my folds.

"I don"t have any condoms," he growls softly. "Haven"t thought about something like this in years…"

"I"m on the pill," I whisper, feeling my cheeks turning pink. "A few of the kids at the daycare were obviously accidents, and I got paranoid."

A wolfish grin lights up his eyes. "Good. I don"t want a single thing between us, princess."

Even as his massive body moves over mine, caging me, I feel safe. Complete. My sensitive nipples scrape against Barrett"s chest and my legs spread, telling him what I need.

Then he ducks down, spreading me wide as he devours my pussy. I grasp at his hair while he licks and kisses and sucks at my clit, my breath already getting ragged. The possessive way he scoops a hand under my thigh to pull my hip into position, he might as well tell me that I belong to him. Does he understand I feel the same way?

He"s tasting me, exploring, as if he"s trying to memorize my body. My chest squeezes from the look in his eyes as they lock with mine.

"Say it," I whisper. "Whatever you"re holding back, say it."

The corners of his eyes crinkle slightly as he smiles. "Mine. That"s what I"m thinking, princess. Mine. My pussy, my hot, gorgeous girl, my incredible ray of sunshine breaking through my cloudy moods."

Then he groans deeply, thrusting a finger inside me as he swirls his tongue around my clit, already knowing that it drives me wild.

He reaches up, knowing precisely when and how hard to pinch my nipples so the tiny bite of pain mixes with the pleasure, sending me into the stratosphere as I practically tear his hair out. The climax is so intense I almost panic, my body thrashing as he holds me down, licking steadily, until I finally grow still.

"Barrett…" I whisper as he crawls up my body, the thick trunk of his shaft landing on my hip bone. He shifts, pushing it down so that his length rubs against my oversensitive clit.

Something stops me from blurting out the thought that"s been bouncing around my mind for hours…my surly, silent mountain man knows exactly what I need, even more than I do.

"Sage." The scrape of his rough voice makes me shiver with arousal. "You"re already my girl. I want to be your man."

"Yes. That"s exactly what I?—"

"Love you." His eyes blaze as he hovers over me. "I love you so much already, princess. And months from now I"m going to love you even more."

I swallow hard before I answer. "I love you, too."

He smiles, then nods. "Then I guess that"s all settled."

He reaches down to throw my leg around his hip, then drags the thick, blunt head of his cock through my wet pussy lips. I"m already twitching, gripping the back of his shoulders.

"I promise I will never hurt you, Sage. Just breathe."

Then he catches my lips against his, just before easing the head inside me. "So tight," he growls against my mouth. "So soft and wet and perfect. My sexy princess was made just for me."

I love the way he talks when we"re in bed. I didn"t know I needed it. I feel tiny and delicate with his hard body over mine, and try to relax enough to take his thickness. He"s a huge beast of a man, but I"m so wet and eager for him that he sinks a few inches inside me, both of us moaning.

"Wow," I whisper, gripping his shoulders, encouraging him to keep going.

A deep shudder runs through Barrett and he pauses. Maybe he realizes the importance of this moment, and that I"m so tight that he"s really going to have to push to sink any deeper.

"I"m ready," I whisper. "Please… I want more."

He takes a moment to read my expression, then nods. "Okay. Hold onto me."

I carefully move my other leg around so that I can lock my ankles behind his firm ass. He scoops an arm under my shoulders, holding my body to his. Then I gasp, shaking as he crushes my lips with a ferocious kiss as he suddenly thrusts his hard, pulsing cock all the way into my untouched pussy.

For a moment, I can"t breathe. Can"t see. Fire flows through my veins, too many sensations flooding my nervous system at once.

Then I realize the base of his shaft is rubbing firmly against my clit. With the first stroke, I"m his. By the tenth, I"m moaning uncontrollably. By the twentieth, I"m already coming, wailing, falling apart, as Barrett"s growling grumble fills me as much as his hard, massive cock.

The pressure is incredible, coming from all directions at once as I implode, shaking helplessly. It also feels like he"s finally losing a bit of control, thrusting a little harder through my unbelievable climax.

In the haze of adrenaline and lust, a fragment of clarity appears in my mind. Listening to the way other people describe sex, it always sounded kind of dirty. But Barrett has only ever treated me like a treasure. Like I"m precious and important to him.

From the first moment we met, he really has treated me like a princess.

Now I want to treat him like a king.