Protecting Her(22)

We finish undressing each other as we kiss, and then he asks, “Where do you want it?” His head dips down to kiss my shoulder. “The bed?” I close my eyes as I feel his warm breath by my ear. “The shower?” He kisses his way down my neck. “Against the wall?”

I’m so turned on I can’t even remember the options. “They all sound good,” I whisper. “Just pick one.”

He lifts me up and takes me to the bed. Normally he’d spend time caressing me, teasing me. But right now, there’s no time for that. It’s been too long. We’re both desperate for each other.

He pushes inside me, breathing out at the feel of it while I softly moan. He moves slowly, worried he might hurt me. It’s sweet and caring and I love him for it, but he won’t hurt me. I’m fine. I lift my hips up, coaxing him to go faster. And when he does, I feel the build, the tension spiraling deep within my core, getting stronger as I anticipate the release. He thrusts harder and faster, and then it comes, unraveling inside me, over and over. Pearce comes at nearly the same time, his body shuddering from the release.

We stay there, catching our breath.

“We have gone way too long without doing that,” I say, breathing hard.

“Believe me,” he says, hovering over me. “I have been counting the days since we could do this again.”

“You have?” I smile.

“You know I have.” He kisses me. “We’re doing it again later tonight.”

“I can’t. The doctor said only once a week for the next month.” I try to act serious.

“Really?” I feel his body sigh. “If I’d known that I would’ve made it last longer.”

I laugh. “I’m kidding. We can do it as much as we want.”

“That is not funny, Rachel.” He kisses my neck fast and quick, tickling me and making me laugh even more.

The baby monitor goes off. Pearce sighs and rolls off me. “I guess we’re done.”

I scoot off the bed. “I’ll get him.” I grab my robe and head to the door.

As I’m leaving, I hear Pearce say, “Tell him he needs to take longer naps.”





On Sunday night, as we’re on our way to Pearce’s parents’ house, I say, “Do I need to know anything before we get there? Any rules I should be aware of?”

I’m joking, but he answers seriously. “Make sure you don’t have any dirt on your shoes that might show on the white tile. Never do anything yourself. Let the hired help do it. Don’t go looking for the bathroom, or any other room, by yourself. Always ask first. Don’t touch any of the artwork or sculptures or the glass tables. Don’t—”

“Pearce, I was kidding. Are you telling me they really have that many rules?”

“I was just getting started.” He turns down a street lined with big iron gates and tall green bushes.

“Did you have to follow all those rules as a child?”

“Of course. There were so many rules, my parents wrote them out so I’d remember them. One time my father even made me memorize them and recite them back to him.”

“Nobody should have to follow that many rules, especially children, who naturally touch things. When Garret is older, he is not going to be forced to follow all those rules when he goes to his grandparents’ house.”

“Then he probably won’t be going there. They’ll have to come to our house if they want to see him.” Pearce pulls up to a tall iron gate. “This is it.”

He puts his window down and a voice comes out of the speaker box next to the gate. “Good evening, Mr. Kensington.”

“Good evening.”

The gate slowly opens and we drive down the long entrance road to the stone-covered mansion. The place is huge and sprawling.

“Did you used to get lost living here?” I ask.

He nods. “Yes. That happened several times when I was a young child. In fact two of my nannies were fired for it. They were supposed to keep track of me and ended up losing me in the house. My mother found me both times.”

Pearce had such a different childhood than mine, or anyone’s, really. It’s amazing he turned out normal.

“Let the man get your door,” he says as a man in a black suit comes up to the car. I wait for him to open it.

“Welcome,” he says, taking my hand to help me out. Is this really necessary? Do Eleanor and Holton really need people on staff to help them get out of their car?