Never Far Away (The Never #2)(86)
“Baby, I don’t want you to cry. Everything is ok. We’re ok.”
“What if he had come while the kids were there Porter? What would he have done…”
“Don’t do that, Ella. Don’t play those games with yourself. He is a coward and he waited until we all left to do what he did. He was never going to hurt anyone, Ella. I promise you.”
“Everyone was there, Porter. Everyone we love was there. He could have done anything he wanted and there wouldn’t have been anything we could have done to stop him because we were so careless.” She nearly hyperventilated and Porter knew she needed her pills. Soon she was going to go into a full blown panic attack and he didn’t want that for her.
“Ella, breathe with me, I need you to calm down,” he said as he held her face in his hands and looked her straight in the eyes. She pulled away from him suddenly, throwing his hands away from her face.
“I don’t need you to help me breathe!” She yelled at him. “I need all of this to go away! I need to go away. I’m the reason all of this is happening. He wants me to stay away from all of you. I just need to disappear.” He knew she was emotional, with good reason, but he didn’t want her making decisions that were so drastic while she was upset.
“Ok, we’ll go away. Tomorrow we’ll drive to Portland and get on a plane and just go somewhere until this all blows over.”
“We can’t be together, Porter. As long as we’re together, he thinks you’re making me go to the police. If we’re together he’ll never stop. He’ll keep harassing us and putting our families in danger. This will never be over. Can’t you see that?”
Porter took in a deep breath. “All I see, Ella, is you running. You promised me you wouldn’t run. We don’t stand a chance if we’re apart, Ella. He won’t stop. He’s a crazy son of a bitch and he won’t leave you alone until he gets whatever it is that he wants.” He took the two steps he needed to be in her space again, placing his hands on her shoulders, willing her to listen to reason. “Ella, if you go, if you leave me, it’ll be so easy for him to get to you. You’re not safe on your own. Please stay with me. I can protect you.” He rested his forehead against hers, hoping she was hearing what he was saying, that she understood how much he needed her to stay with him.
“But if I leave, I’m protecting you,” she whispered.
He knew, right then, he’d lost her. She thought she was doing the right thing. She thought she could keep him safe. It seemed that at that very same moment she realized she’d made up her mind. With her decision seemed to come some peace. He noticed that her breathing slowed and her cries ceased. They were still standing in the middle of his childhood room holding each other and he knew that she was going to walk away from him.
“I love you.” The words left his mouth before he had even realized he’d said them, and it felt too much like a goodbye to him, so he pressed his mouth against hers, hoping the kiss would convince her to stay. He poured everything he had left in him into the kiss, his tongue taking wide sweeps of her mouth. She groaned into him like she had a tendency to do, and even though the situation was stress-laden and dangerous, he felt himself hardening for her. His urgency in the kiss brought on a new fever and he could tell she was wrapped up in it as much as he was.
She started clawing at his shirt, trying to pull it over his head. Once she pulled it off of him he went to work unbuttoning hers, but eventually just ripped it open, buttons splaying across the room, pinging on the hardwood floors. His hands moved up to cup her over her bra, the lace of it scratching lightly at his palms. He walked her backwards until her back hit the wall and he felt her hands running up and down his chest. He reached between them pulling her shorts off of her with lightning speed and his hand found a lacy thong was the only thing that stood between him and her heat. As his mouth ravaged her, he grabbed her panties and ripped them from her body. She pushed his pants and boxers down with equal speed. He grabbed her thighs and lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist, his cock perfectly aligning with her heat, and their bodies came together with such force and impact, he had to brace himself against the wall.
“You think leaving will solve all your problems?” He asked with a shaky breath, still rooted deep in her body, trying to control the shudders that raced through his blood, afraid this would be the last time he felt connected to her in this way, perfectly, wholly, and entirely. She was looking him directly in the eyes, her breaths panted out through her mouth which was still open in a wide “O” from his penetration.
“I’m not discussing this right now, Porter. You either make love to me or I leave. It’s your choice,” she said as she used her hips to grind into him, causing his breath to hitch in this throat. If those were his only choices, love her or watch her leave, his decision was already made for him. He walked her over to the bed, cupping her ass to keep their connection solid, and gently laid with her on the bed.
He smoothed her hair back from her face and kissed her lips. He was hungry for her, wanted so badly to take everything she had to give, but he was afraid that he’d never get the chance to show her again how much he loved her. So he took the slow route, the kind of love that had won her over in the beginning. His mouth wound trails up and down the contours of her body, pressing slight and feathered kisses all along her skin. He reached behind her arched back and removed her bra, using his hands to knead her breasts. His mouth worshiped the spot on her neck that would, regardless of what the future held for them, always belong to him.