Chapter Three

Ray

I watch in amazement as the flush on her neck and cheeks deepens and her pupils grow dilated the longer I stare into her eyes. Christ above, she's beautiful. Quite frankly, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life, and she has me in a chokehold. I can't move away from her to save my life. Not that I want to.

"Penny," I rasp, brushing the back of my hand over a flushed cheek, and her lips part as her glassy eyes stay locked on mine. "Tell me, angel. Who is it you are you running from?"

She blinks owlishly at me, shaking her head. "No one."

"I can protect you." I protect what's mine, and this girl is exactly that, mine. Penny became mine the second she set foot in my garage with her sexy stilettos and little dress I am seconds away from tearing off her body.

Everything in me demands that I take her.

Bury myself inside of her and claim her. Get her pregnant.

Make her mine!

"Ray," she whimpers when I slide my arm around her waist and pull her flush against me. The press of her tits against my chest has my cock thickening in my coveralls. I have to bite back a hiss.

She wets her lips when I lean closer, but I don't kiss her, no matter how hard I ache with the need to do just that. "Tell me. I'll protect you," I say again, my voice thick with need. I just have to get over this small hurdle. I need to know what it is I am dealing with.

Is it the law?

If she is running from the law, I will do all it takes to save her. Whatever it is she is running from is no match for a determined man such as myself. "Penny!"

"Not from him," she whispers, her breathing growing shallow when I tighten the hold around her waist. "You can't protect me from him. No one can."

So not the law.

"Is he your boyfriend, the man you are running from?"

Something sour settles in my mouth at the thought of this girl running from a lover. The thought of someone else touching her—kissing her—has my throat clogging with jealousy.

"He is not my boyfriend!" she hisses vehemently, and for the first time, I read anger in her eyes before she quickly looks away. "He is nothing to me. When I get out of here and start a new life in another city, he will be no more than a stranger to me."

"Penny," I say deeply, grabbing her chin and forcing her eyes to mine, the fire in her eyes sending an ache straight to my balls. She looks so fucking gorgeous, I just want to kiss the pout off her mouth and give her what we both want, but I hold back my desire. Or at least I try. "You can trust me. I know we just met, but you can sense that, can't you?"

It's on the tip of her tongue to dispute my words. I can read it in her eyes as she stares at me, but then something else flashes in her expression as her eyes drop to my lips and . . . linger.

Oh, this is a bad idea.

I know better than to give into my desires in a space where any one of the four people who work for me could walk in on us at any moment, and yet, that doesn't seem to hold either one of us back.

I don't know who moves first, but the next thing I know, my mouth is pressing hotly over hers. Fuck, I can taste the sweetness of her lips, whether it's the cinnamon rolls I caught her eating earlier or simply her natural taste, I find that I can't get enough of it.

More , is all I can think as I plunder her lips with mine, sinking my tongue deeper into that sexy little mouth and swallowing her whimpers as she awkwardly kisses me back, almost as if this is her first kiss.

As if no other man has had the pleasure of tasting this sexy little mouth or touching her perfect body. The little sounds she makes at the back of her throat . . .

Am I the first man who's heard them?

That can't be right. Surely someone as beautiful as this girl must have guys fighting for her attention. I can't possibly be the first person to have had the pleasure of holding this girl, but I will be the last.

Mine!

The word echoes through my system as I angle my head to deepen the kiss. There is a need in me to possess every inch of this girl, push up her small dress, tear down her panties, and plow my cock deep into her pussy until all of Rosewood hears her pleasured cries.

Mine!

She moans softly into the kiss, the little breathy noises shooting straight to my cock, causing a bead of precum to drip down my shaft. I break the hold I have around her waist and drop it to her ample backside. With a rough growl, I lift her off the ground, and she instinctively wraps her arms and legs around me. The new position has my rigid cock trapped between her luscious thighs and . . . fuuuck!

I break the kiss, grunting against her lips as I fight the urge to cum in my pants, something I haven't done since I was fourteen. "One second, angel."

She blinks dazedly at me, licking at her swollen lips, and it takes everything in me to grasp onto whatever little control I have left.

"Why did you stop?" she breathes, her eyes wide with innocence. "I . . . Did I do something wrong?"

Jesus Christ!

This is not what I expected from someone who strutted into my garage in six-inch red stilettos and a dress that barely covers her ass. Her obvious inexperience has my heartbeat drumming fast in my chest, and a part of me wants to protect that innocence. Thank God the person who is after her has not been able to ruin this part of her at least.

With my eyes locked on hers, I push away from the car door and carry her to the front, settling her against the hood of the car. Her short dress rides up her thighs, and a growl climbs up my throat when I catch sight of her panties. A sexy strip of red lace stands between me and the hot pussy I am dying to be inside. It would take very little effort to yank her panties down her thighs and bury my cock so deep inside of her, she'd feel me for days.

Control yourself!

And yet, I can't.

With Penny in my arms and her sweet scent assaulting my senses, control feels like an impossible task.

My hand slowly drifts up her hips to the sexy swell of her tits, palming them over her thin dress. "You didn't do anything wrong, angel," I rasp thickly, teasing the beaded nubs with my grease-stained fingers. "If I keep kissing you, this will be over before it even starts."

Her brows draw in confusion before her expression morphs to one of pleasure and surprise when I twist the buttons at the neckline of her dress to reveal her bare tits, my hands fondling them greedily.

"Fuck!" My growl blends with her whimpered moan, her back arching as she leans into my touch. My rough hands stand out against her clear porcelain white skin. Her eyes are glazed over and her cherry-red lips are parted and swollen from our kisses. Like a bee to nectar, I find myself leaning in and tangling my mouth with hers once more, trailing my hands down to her hips and the waistband of her panties.

"Ray," she gasps into the kiss when I yank her panties down her thighs. I tug them down her legs and off her before slipping them into my pocket. Our breaths mingle hotly between us as I trail my fingers up her legs to the sweet spot between her thighs, pressing my middle finger into the slick folds of her pussy, and Lord above, she is drenched.

She grasps my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin when I find her clit with my thumb, rubbing the swelling nub in firm strokes. "You have no idea of the things I want to do to you, Penny," I growl, my voice as rough as the fingers working her clit. "Things I have wanted to do from the second I saw you."

"W-what . . . what things?" she whimpers, clinging hard to my coveralls with one hand and scratching down my arm with the other as she rocks her hips against my fingers, her movements fevered.

"I'll just show you."

My eyes drop to the perfect slope of her neck, leaning in to trace my lips over the smooth column of her throat even as I continue to rub my thumb in circles over her clit. She throws her head back, crying out as I kiss a trail down her throat and body, my lips hungrily seeking her tits.

"Oh, God!" She bucks against me when my mouth closes over her rosy nipple, licking hungrily at the bud and losing myself so deeply in her intoxicating taste that I forget where we are.

She has that effect on me.

Moments into knowing this girl, she's managed to do what no one has in thirty-four years. Control me.

With her sweet voice and intoxicating scent. Her innocence.

She's a drug.

One I can't get enough of. She's a drug I don't think I will ever want to quit.

"You're perfect. Christ, I can't get enough of this body," I rasp, kissing the spot between her tits before looking up to lock my eyes on hers. "Stop me, angel. Stop me before I get to a point I can't come back from."

Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes dazed, but when she peers down at me with her beautiful green eyes, I read the need in them. She doesn't need to voice it for me to know she wants this just as much as I do, but she does. "Don't stop."

That is all the permission I need to shove open her thighs, exposing her sex. Her lips pop open with a gasp when I drop to my knees, and my eyes shift to her pussy, pink and glistening in the light.

It's perfect. She's perfect.

I rub my thumb over her sex, parting her feminine lips to reveal more of her, my mouth watering with the need to taste her. I bring her left knee to my shoulder before leaning down to kiss her inner thigh, groaning deeply when I catch the sweet peachy scent of her sex. "Fuck, baby," I grind out, kissing her parted flesh and tasting her sweet and salty arousal on my tongue.

Am I surprised that it's as addictive as the rest of her? I need more!

With a rough growl, I lean in and slide my tongue through the wet valley of her sex, her loud cry barely penetrating my foggy brain. More is all I can think about, and more, is what I get. My cock throbs harshly as I lap at her arousal, dragging my tongue over her swelling clit and bathing it in fast strokes.

More . . .

Penny falls back on the hood with a sob, and her thighs begin to shake when I bring my thumb back to her clit, rubbing it in circles as I drag my tongue over her slit, coating my chin and beard with her arousal. Her breathing grows shot, telling me she's close to her climax, which has me replacing my thumb with my lips.

"Ray! Oh, God . . . Oh!"

She jerks hard on top of the car when I close my mouth over her clit and apply light suction, slowly increasing the pressure and causing her to cry out, hips bucking hard as her body breaks in beautiful spasms. Her pussy quivers as she orgasms against my tongue, her tits shaking with every rough tremble, and I can't take my eyes off her.

I watch as she comes apart, responding perfectly to my touch, and I fall for her. This perfect angel who found her way to me . . . I fall hard and fast for her, like I never have for any other woman in my life.

My eyes are heated when I drop her legs from my shoulder and rise to my feet, drinking in her flushed tits, puckered nipples, and glassy eyes. Christ, she's a vision, and I want . . . more.

My hands slide up to her nape, and I grab a fistful of her hair, bringing my lips down to hers so she can taste herself on my tongue. I kiss her until we're both out of breath before breaking the hold to unzip my coveralls the rest of the way down. I reach into my boxer briefs to grab my throbbing cock, pinching the base of my shaft so I don't come on the spot.

I grab her waist with the other hand and pull her to the edge of the hood. She wraps her thighs around my hips, her dazed eyes locked on mine as I rub my shaft over her drenched sex.

I want her.

Christ, I want her so bad.

I know it's fast. Way too fast to go this far, but I know what I want. Penny is it for me. I knew it the moment I saw her, and now that I've tasted her, I know for sure that I will do anything to protect this girl.

I need her!

Perhaps I should hold off making love to her until we're somewhere private—preferably my bed—but my cock threatens to explode if I don't come in this girl now. If I don't claim her as mine. Rut her so hard, she knows she belongs to me and only me!

I can't wait. Later, I'll worship this pussy with my tongue, kiss every inch of this perfect body in my bed until she's sobbing for release before fucking her, but now . . .

We can have this.

Hurried touches. Hurried kisses. In a space where anyone could walk in on us, we don't have the luxury of time to do everything I want to do to this girl. Later . . .

"Ray, do it," she pleads impatiently, rolling her hips against my hard cock.

I rub the tip of my cock across her drenched opening, her body shaking against mine with need, and I realize I can't wait anymore. I grab her ass before driving forward and burying all my swollen inches into her. She cries out, her tight pussy quivering hotly around my cock and almost sending me to the edge.

Fuck!

She tight.

Christ, she's so fucking tight it feels impossible to move. I drop my forehead against hers and in that moment, I don't care who walks in on us. I don't care about anything but what I have just done.

Long seconds tick by, and it's a battle between need and control. My jaw is clenched tight as I fight with everything I have to not spill on the spot. Her tight pussy pulses hotly around me, but . . . of course, she's tight.

She's a virgin.

In a garage that reeks of oil and fumes, with the bay doors open for all the residents of Rosewood to see, I just took her virginity.

Chapter Four

Penny

Ray is quiet, awfully so.

The only sounds in the garage are the soft humming of some machine and our own labored breaths. Oh, and the loud thumping of my heart.

He knows.

I don't know why I thought he wouldn't realize that I was a virgin. Part of me was eager to experience the one thing I never thought I ever would, and I had hoped he wouldn't notice my inexperience. Ray is my first. He is the only man I have ever actually found attractive. He makes me feel . . . everything.

The way he plays with my body is unlike anything I have ever felt before, and I know that once I leave, there is a chance I might never get to experience this with anyone else. I just didn't think he would notice.

So dumb.

Yet another in a series of dumb choices I've made, but I can't bring myself to regret it. I want to experience this. I've kept this part of myself safe from that monster for a long time because I wanted to give it on my own terms, and this—Ray—is what I want.

Ray pushes back to meet my eyes, and where I expect to read anger, surprise, or disappointment, I am shocked to see that his expression is one of agony. "Fuck, baby, I'm so sorry," he whispers, his voice so shredded, it tugs at my chest. "Does it hurt?"

I bite into my lip and meet his gaze under my lashes. "A little."

"Do you need me to stop? Fuck! I didn't think . . . I'm sorry, I should have figured—"

"No," I cry out, wrapping my legs tightly around him, wincing at the soreness when I do so, but I don't want him to stop. I roll my hips forward, a whimper rising in my chest as the friction sends a delicious feeling shooting up my spine. "It hurts, but it feels good too. Please don't stop."

"Baby, I don't want to hurt you," he says, his voice laced with pain.

"I'm fine." I wrap my arms around his shoulders, holding him to me. "I promise, I'm fine. Please don't stop. I don't want you to stop."

His eyes flare at my words as something dark and dangerous settles in those blue depths. "Tell me to stop or slow down if it becomes too much," he demands, grasping my knee, but he doesn't move until I nod. With that, he pulls back before slamming into me with a rough growl that has my back arching.

Oh. Oh, God.

"Fuck, baby, your pussy is tight. So fucking wet and tight for me," he grinds out roughly, his calloused fingers digging into my thigh as he rolls his hips. "I'm going to take care of you, angel. Make up for being reckless with you."

It's at the tip of my tongue to tell him that he's done nothing wrong, but before I can speak, he shoves his face into my neck and starts pounding into me like a beast in rut.

"Ray!" I cry out, wrapping my arms tightly around him as he thrusts his thick girth into me, pain and pleasure pulsing and mingling, sending a delicious tug up my spine. The wet sounds of our lovemaking fill the space with every drive into my pulsing sex. Every thrust pushes me against the car, and a part of me preens over the fact that I am doing this on top of his car, possibly denting it.

He couldn't have me the way he wanted, and now someone else is claiming me on his beloved car, painting his car with my arousal for a man in my arms. Whatever happens in the future, at least I'll have this.

"Faster, Ray, please ," I sob, digging my nails into his back as he ruts aggressively into me, his thick shaft stretching my channel with rough moves, his breathing just as ragged against my neck. He undoes me with every thrust, with the low noises he makes against my skin.

"Going to come inside you so hard, baby, bury my seed so deep and mark you as mine. Make you scream so all of Rosewood can hear you."

"Yes," I shout, rocking to meet his frenzied thrusts.

"Mine," he growls into my ear, his warm breath brushing the sensitive spot on my neck, but it's his words that send an ache to my chest. "You belong to me now, Penny. I'll take care of you. I'll protect you."

My heart jumps at his words.

No.

He can't do this to me.

In a few hours, I will be gone from his life with the memory of our lovemaking written on my heart and skin. Have I not exposed myself to this stranger enough as it is? I would be stupid to take his words to heart. To let them affect me in any way. I know better than to let his words clog my thoughts, and yet, I'm helpless to stop it.

I drop all my reservations when he kisses that spot beneath my ear, a loud moan climbing up my throat when he sinks his teeth into my neck as he drives wildly into me, every furious thrust sending pleasure shooting up my spine.

"Ray, please," I beg, unsure what I'm even asking for but feeling desperate all the same as heat builds up in my core at an alarming rate. He pins me against the hood of the car, driving faster and harder into my sex, his thrusts rough and feral. Black spots bloom in my eyes as an orgasm more powerful than the first takes over my body. I sob at the feeling, wrapping my arms tightly around Ray and burying my nose in his hair as he takes me over and over again until I am a trembling mess.

Another sob tears from my throat as pleasure explodes through my body again and again as he continues to work his cock in and out my pulsing channel, his muscles straining until he finally goes still above me.

"Fuuuck!"

He comes with a roar, most of it muffled by the fact that his face is buried in my neck, but I feel every vibration against my skin, and it has my sex cinching hard around his cock, milking him of every drop as he spills into my womb.

It lasts forever. At least, it feels that way.

My body is still shaking when he goes boneless against me, his breathing just as heavy as mine, and when he brushes his lips over my neck in a kiss that lingers, I question if I have indeed known this person for only half a day and not a lifetime.

It feels like I've always known him.

Our bodies fit perfectly together, and I don't want to pull away from his embrace even just to straighten our clothing. I want to stay locked with a man whose last name I don't even know.

And yet, it's in his arms that I have found comfort.

You belong to me, Penny. I'll take care of you. I'll protect you.

I want to believe those words so badly, and with his warm breath caressing my neck and his large, muscular body covering mine, I almost do.

But then I remember the monster I am running away from and realize how dangerous it is to put my faith in a man I just met. A man I just gave my virginity to, but that's all I can give him. All I can take for myself.

I still need to leave.

As if hearing my thoughts, Ray pushes back to look into my eyes, and for the first few seconds our eyes lock, I seem to forget the pep talk I've just been giving myself. The man is truly God's gift to humanity, with eyes that remind me of the ocean on a cool afternoon. They can turn stormy at a moment's notice, but now, they're calm. Pensive.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" he asks, brushing hair from my face and kissing the edge of my mouth. He pulls back to rub his thumb on my swollen lips, his blue eyes watching me with concern, and I have to fight the urge to lean into his touch. His voice and gentle touch unleash something in me I haven't done in a long time.

My lips wobble and my eyes fill up with tears. I try to sniff them back, but they come spilling out. I would laugh at how his eyes widen with alarm if my heart wasn't hurting. I press my face into the crook of his neck as sobs rack my body.

I don't want this man to care! Dammit!

Why is he hugging me, kissing me like I am the most precious person in his life? He doesn't even know me. I expected him to take me fast and rough against my stepfather's car and then toss me aside.

Everyone else has betrayed my trust, so why not Ray?

My mother did when she married a monster and brought him into our once-happy home. My stepfather did every time he looked at me in ways he is only ever supposed to look at my mother. All my friends did when they believed the monster's lies and disappeared on me.

"Hey, baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

His words only make me sob harder. I don't need an apology from him. He is the only person who does not need to apologize to me, and yet, he is. I need to tell him that, but I can't stop crying.

Christ, why can't I stop crying?

"Fuck!" Ray breathes, his voice panicked as he straightens our clothes, and even now, I expect him to push away and escape this awkward situation I am putting him in, but instead, he wraps his arms around me. "I'm sorry, angel. I'm so fucking sorry. How do I fix this? Please, tell me!"

Hug me.

Tell me that I won't get in trouble for stealing my stepfather's car and running away from home. That the cops won't come after me, that my stepfather will stay away.

"I'm tired," I say instead. "I'm so tired, Ray."

"Okay, alright," Ray rasps, pushing back to look at me, swiping his hand over my cheek and wiping the tears off my face. "I can take care of that. Are you okay to walk?"

"Yeah." I nod, and he helps me off the hood of the car, wincing when I feel something wet trail down my inner thigh, but I am too embarrassed to even think about it. My cheeks are practically on fire from what just happened, and I avoid meeting his eyes.

Ray grasps my arm and helps me to my feet. "Come with me," he says, his voice soft for such a big man. He wraps a hand around my waist and walks me away from the cars parked in the abandoned bays. It's pure luck that his employees still haven't returned.

As we walk through the auto shop, I notice a solid metal door, its modern design blending seamlessly with the polished surroundings. Behind the door is a narrow staircase leading up to the next floor, and I follow him without protest, though perhaps I should.

I keep forgetting that I don't actually know this man. I know how his lips taste and the way his beard feels against my skin. I know he has an intoxicating earthy scent that clings to his skin and makes my head grow light. I know he has a deep voice that commands attention.

I've felt him inside of me, a moment so intimate it's like nothing I've ever imagined I'd experience with anyone, but I don't know him the way I should.

He could be a serial killer for all I know.

The thought isn't enough for me to become wary of the man as he leads us to another door that opens into what I assume is his home. It doesn't look like it would belong to a serial killer, at least. I'm greeted by a modern and chic living space. The walls are adorned with tasteful artwork, adding a touch of elegance to the room. The furniture is sleek and contemporary, very unlike the rough man currently standing next to me.

Large windows let in streams of natural light, illuminating the space and carefully chosen decor. Unlike the shop, this space carries the faint scent of the cut flowers on a side table. Everything is meticulously arranged. It's a perfect blend of style and warmth, and for the first time since meeting Ray, I wonder if the man has another woman in his life.

Christ, I'm such a mess.

I should have asked him before he touched me. I should have considered the fact that someone as hot as Ray would be involved with someone else.

I hug my waist and look around the space that definitely has a feminine touch to it. I don't know this man well, but something tells me he's not a flowers and modern art type of guy.

He must notice me staring at the flowers as he leaves my side to approach them. "I guess my mother stopped by today when I was away this morning," he says, fingering a rosebud before turning to me. "She does that a lot. ‘Giving life to my home,' as she puts it. Says I need to find a woman for my space. I guess she doesn't need to worry about that any longer." He takes a step toward me, and then another, until he's standing in front of me, brushing his fingers over my wet cheeks and pushing a stray hair from my face. "There is no other woman in my life, Penny. You are who I want, and I will do everything in my power to make you stay with me."

I blink up at the man. "Y-you don't even know me."

"I don't need to know everything about you to know that you're what I want," he says, and I know . . . I know deep inside that I should brush off his words, but I let them soak in. I let myself believe that a single meeting is enough to determine that someone is your future.

Under his intense gaze, I slowly drop my reservations. Or whatever shreds of them I had left.

When Ray leans down to brush his lips over mine, I give in too easily. Parting my lips for his with a breathy sigh. Grabbing onto his coveralls when he deepens the kiss, sending an ache building in my core.

It's madness how much I want this man I just met .

To believe his promises of protection when he doesn't even know the kind of monster he is fighting against.

When I snuck out of the monster's lair this morning, I was sure I was the only one in my corner. I was prepared to run and hide for the rest of my life if it took that long. Now Ray promises to fight for me. To protect me.

He'd said I could trust him, and it's terrifying how much I already do.

Christ, I'm so tired. I want to stay.