37. Oakley

Chapter 37

Oakley

T he moment we cross the threshold of Blackwood manor, I can feel the energy around us shift. The world outside fades away, leaving only Rem and me. No words are needed as he carries me down the hallway, the warmth from his touch seeping into my very core. I'm nuzzled into him, not really caring what his plan is for tonight. I just need him.

"No one is ever going to take you from me," Jeremiah murmurs, his voice a soothing balm to my frayed nerves as he opens our bathroom door. Suddenly, I'm worried that I'm going to be left alone with my thoughts. Even if Jeremiah is in the next room, it's not close enough. I need to be able to see him and feel him.

"Are you staying?" I whisper, unable to hide the trembling in my voice. He reads mind, shaking his head as he sets me down on the bathroom counter and leaning in to kiss me more roughly than I expected.

"I'm not leaving you alone. Ever, Oakley. I hope you understand that I'm so fucking serious. We'll clean up together." I instantly relax at his words. I thought maybe he'd want to shower separately to wash the blood off, lord knows he loves his showers. I watch him turn on the water and roughly dump way too much body wash into the stream. I guess my pretty boy likes bubbles, which makes me giggle. He turns to look at me, his eyes serious and brooding, a scowl fixed on his handsome face. I don't have the words to explain how funny it is to me that this man who killed not one, but two men for me tonight is drawing me a bubble bath and I suspect it's not only for me.

I watch as Jeremiah undresses, his gaze never leaving mine. His eyes are half-lidded, a clear indication that he's got more on his mind than relaxing. I can practically see the adrenaline pumping through his body, his shoulders stiff like he's holding himself back from ravaging me right here.

Jeremiah approaches me, and my eyes roam his gorgeously sculpted body as he takes his hoodie off of me roughly. He wastes no time caressing me as his hands slide over my shoulders before he lets me hop down. I'm clad only in my panties, but he doesn't leer or ogle. Instead, he meets my gaze, steady and unwavering, a silent promise of safety etched within those green depths.

"Ready?" he asks softly, extending a hand to guide me into the bathtub.

"Ready," I reply, taking his hand and allowing him to help me ease into the warm water. As I sink deeper, every muscle in my body relaxes, surrendering to the comforting embrace of the bath. My eyelids flutter shut, and I can't help but let out a contented sigh.

"Feeling better?" Jeremiah inquires, genuine concern lacing his voice as he gets in behind me and wrapping his arms around me .

"Much," I admit, opening my eyes to find him watching me with a tender smile. "I didn't realize how much I needed this."

"I didn't realize how much I needed you, until I didn't have you," he murmurs against my neck, pressing kisses there as he rubs his hands up my thighs and then over my belly. His hand rests there against the flat of my stomach. "I would have been a fucking menace if something had happened to you tonight. Bunny. Every person on this fucking planet would have had hell to pay."

"Not to point out the obvious," I begin with a little laugh, "but you did kill two people for me tonight. That's kind of a menace, right?"

"Bunny," he replies softly, his eyes darkening with emotion that I can't quite place. Love, affection, but something even further I'm not sure I've ever seen before. "I would have killed them all. Every. Single. Fucking. One."

The intensity of his words sends a shiver down my spine. I can feel my pulse quicken as our eyes lock, desire simmering just beneath the surface. The air between us grows heavy.

"Pretty boy," I breathe, leaning closer to him, turning around in his arms.

"Yes?" he murmurs, his voice husky with longing.

"I love you so much."

"Keep saying that and you're not leaving this room until I've put a baby in you," he whispers, his hands finding my shoulders. I'd argue with him, tell him that we're too young, but his fingers dig into the knots and tension, eliciting a moan from me as I surrender to the pleasure. I'm on the pill and we both know it, but with the way he's acted tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if he took down my birth control next. "I'm trying to be a gentleman. You've been through too much tonight. You need to relax, and I have a hard time controlling myself around you. I tell myself I need to be gentle, and then…" he trails off with a groan.

"God, that feels amazing," I breathe, my eyes fluttering shut. I feel him hard under me, and I purposely wiggle against him. He's right, I have been through a lot tonight, but somehow that just makes me want to be closer to him right now. I want him inside me, pinning me beneath this huge frame. I want to feel like I can't escape him, because with Jeremiah, I'm safe.

His green eyes are dark with concern as he tilts my head to the side, making me look at him. His dark brows are furrowed, as if he's trying to decipher the inner workings of my mind. I can't help but feel a thrill at the sight of him, his broad shoulders blocking out the glow of the bathroom lights.

"I can't fucking believe I've got you back, bunny." His voice is sincere and filled with a promise that makes my heart race. "God, you're so beautiful," he breathes out. The intensity in his eyes sends shivers down my spine, and I revel in the knowledge that he wants me just as much as I want him.

"Jeremiah," I say softly, my voice trembling slightly with the depth of my emotions. "I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me."

He reaches out and places his hand on mine, interlocking his much bigger fingers with my more delicate ones. The heat of his touch sends a jolt of electricity through me. "You don't need to thank me, bunny," he says, his voice taking on a husky quality that makes my pussy clench. I feel his cock jerk beneath me, and I know I'm not imagining things. Jeremiah Blackwood is doing everything in his power right now not to impale me. "Just knowing you're here with me, feeling safe and cared for—that's all I need. "

I don't get a chance to respond because he's nudging me to look forward and I'm not sure what he's got in mind. "I love you so much," his deep voice breaks through my thoughts, the rasp in his tone sending shivers down my spine. Jeremiah's strong hands find their way down my back, his skilled fingers massaging my muscles. The sensation is an intoxicating combination of pain and pleasure that leaves me breathless. As he works his way down my back, he cups my ass, squeezing and lifting me off of him ever so slightly.

"Your muscles are so tight; it's like you've been carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders," he teases, and I know he's stalling.

"I have had a rough couple of years," I retort playfully, the sarcasm in my voice barely masking the truth behind my words. "It's not easy being Oakley Ashford, you know."

"It'll be easy now. Anything you want. I will give you anything, bunny," he replies, and he sounds so matter of fact, like anything else is not an option.

"I have everything I need right here," I tell him honestly.

His fingers dig deeper into my flesh, coaxing moans from my lips as the tension in my body unravels. I can feel the heat building between us, a pull that threatens to consume. I tilt my head back, allowing the exhaustion to drain from my body as Jeremiah's skilled hands work their magic on my shoulders.

"Jeremiah," I murmur, my voice barely more than a whisper, "I want you to know I knew you'd come for me tonight. I didn't doubt it for a second, and I just needed you to know that. I just prayed it was before I met my end."

He pauses for a moment, his fingers stilling on my skin. His breath is warm against the nape of my neck as he presses kisses there. "I'll always show up for you. You're my only priority. "

"Jeremiah, I…" My voice wavers as I struggle to find the right words. "I was so scared. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

His eyes, filled with empathy and concern, hold mine captive. "You never have to worry about me not being there," he assures me, his voice steady and strong. "I'll sew you to my fucking ribs before I'll let you out of my sight again." He's just exaggerating, but something in the back of my mind tells me that Jeremiah does not joke when it comes to me.

"You know, pretty boy," I say, my tone teasing despite the vulnerability still coursing through me, "it's hard to believe one of the Blackwood brothers could be so caring." I need to lighten the mood and let us be us again.

He chuckles, a low sound that sends warmth flooding through me. "Well, not everyone can be as off the rails as Penn."

I reply with a grin, my spirits lifting as our conversation takes on a lighter tone, "Can't let the world know that pretty boy Blackwood has a heart of gold."

"God forbid," he agrees, his fingers resuming their gentle massage of my shoulders.

His fingers still on my shoulders, I feel a subtle tremor in his touch. I glance at Jeremiah's face and see something I've never witnessed before: fear. The stoic mask he usually wears crumbles, revealing the raw vulnerability that lies beneath.

"Oakley…" he whispers, his voice trembling with emotion. "You have no idea how scared I was. How scared I am of losing you again. It would be what I deserve for leaving you like I did. For trusting that Royce was looking out for you, even if he wasn't around."

My heart clenches at the intensity of his words, the desperation evident in every syllable. This side of Jeremiah, so open and vulnerable, is a sight I've not often been privy to—and it takes my breath away.

"Jeremiah," I murmur, reaching up to cup his cheek, "I'm here. You saved me, and I'm not going anywhere." I whisper against his lips, "As weird as it sounded, I'd let you sew me to your ribs if that meant never having to leave your side again."

He leans into my touch, closing his eyes for a moment as if trying to absorb the reassurance I offer. A heavy silence settles over us, punctuated only by the faint sound of water lapping against the tub's edges.

"Promise me," he says, his voice barely audible. "Promise me you'll always be here."

"I promise," I whisper back, because I don't intend on living a single minute without him right next to me.

A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips, and he opens his eyes to meet mine once more.

"Oak," he murmurs, his voice rough with need. "I want you so damn much…" His eyes darken with lust, and there's no mistaking the heat that passes between us.

"Look at me," I whisper, reaching out to gently touch his cheek. The heat of his skin burns against my fingertips.

Our breaths mingle, his chest rising and falling against me. The intensity of our physical connection is almost too much for my body to handle. I feel like I'm going to short circuit if I can't get closer to him.

"I need you," I whisper, my voice barely audible above the sound of our quickened breathing.

"Say it again." His voice comes out rough, and I can tell he's trying to maintain control, but it's slipping through his fingers like sand.

"I need you more than anything, pretty boy," I tell him. "I've never needed anyone the way I've always wanted you. "

"God, Oakley," he groans between kisses, his voice laden with desire. "You have no idea what you do to me."

"Show me," I challenge, a newfound boldness surging through me.

Something about tonight, about what he did for me makes this all more important. As his hands explore my breasts, tugging on my nipples, his other hand slithers around my ribcage and down my belly. He moves lower still where his expert fingers find my clit, and I can feel my inhibitions crumbling away.

"Fuck me, Rem." I whisper, my voice trembling with passion. "I need to feel you inside me."

Those words are all it takes, and he's making quick work of getting me out of the tub. His hands never leave some part of my body as he grabs a towel and wraps it around his hips before covering me with another one.

"That tub isn't big enough for the things I'm going to do to you tonight," he growls.