Save Me From Myself (33 page)

And that’s when I lose it. “I couldn’t tell you what your sister did!” I yell at him. “If I’d told you, after everything that happened that night, that your sister basically blackmailed me into keeping her secret, what would you have done? I’ve gotten to know you pretty well, and with as pissed as you already were with her, you might have really lost it. I couldn’t bear to be responsible for your relationship with your sister having even more problems than it already had that night.”

David leans in so that our noses are almost touching, “So, you were protecting me that night?”

“Yes,” I barely whisper the word.

David’s eyes immediately go soft and warm, and he places his hand on my cheek, “Baby, I don’t need you to protect me. I’m supposed to be the one protecting you. But, I can’t protect you if you’re going to run from me, or not tell me the whole story. You have to be honest with me about what’s going on in your head, and you need to stay with me, even when we fight.
Especially
when we fight.” I lower my head, breaking our connection, and he immediately lifts my eyes back to his. “Lyric, I love you. Not for what you can do for me, not for any connections you might be able to bring me, but for who
you
are inside. I started falling in love with you the moment we met that night in my bar, and I haven’t been able to stop it. Real love isn’t based on what someone can do for you, it’s how you feel when you’re with that person. When I’m with you, I feel like I could do anything. I
would
do anything if it meant keeping you safe, warm and happy.”

When this conversation started, I was still really hurt, and really upset, so I’ve been sitting on the couch with my arms wrapped around my stomach. I’m in so much pain that I’m trying to hold myself together. And it’s not easy. Sitting here talking everything out with him is against every instinct I have. I’m not sure I’m finished running away. David tore my heart out Saturday night, and it’s not something that’s easy to forgive or forget. Looking down, I try to hide the tears that are now rolling down my cheeks. When I sniffle, David groans, and suddenly, I’m airborne. He sits on the couch where I was sitting and I’m in his lap. Even with everything that happened, I feel at home in his arms. Gradually, I relax against him, unconsciously cuddling into his chest, and when I do, he relaxes as well.

“Please, don’t run away from me again,” David whispers, his voice breaking halfway through. My heart skips a beat. This man really doesn’t want me to run away from him again. I’m startled when I realize that I don’t want to run away from him either. I don’t say anything further, I just cuddle closer into his chest, allowing his warmth to seep into me.

David starts running his fingers through my hair, playing with the ends and soothing me while he does it. I know we need to finish talking, but I haven’t been sleeping well, and the fact that he’s here, and I’m in his arms makes my eyes heavy. Every so often, I feel his lips on the top of my head, and the hand that’s not running through my hair pulls my tighter against him. I lose the fight with my eyelids, and that’s the last thing I remember.

***

When I wake the next morning, I’m on my side with David behind me, his arms around me. I can feel him hard and ready behind me, and I try to stay as still as possible so that he doesn’t realize I’m awake. But, of course, he knows.

“Good mornin’ darlin',” he says in a rough voice. That voice makes me shiver as I reply, “Morning.” His arms tighten around me, and I feel his mouth on the back of my neck. He’s pressing soft, sweet kisses there and it makes me squirm, which brings my behind more solidly against him. He inhales a swift breath, and almost involuntarily grinds against my butt. “Damn, baby, I’m trying to be a gentleman.”

“Who says I want you to be a gentleman?” I ask him, ending with a breathy moan.

David’s breath catches. Shifting behind me, I can feel him slide off his boxer briefs before he takes hold of my panties and pulls them down my legs. Lifting my right leg so that it’s resting over his arm, he runs his fingers lightly across my slick skin. His rough fingertip circles my clit and I press back against him, feeling his erection against my behind.

“Sit up for a second, darlin',” he says in a low voice, and I move so that most of my weight is resting on my elbow, allowing him to slide his arm underneath me. I lay back down, and his hand is in the perfect position to play with my breasts. He begins plucking my nipple with his fingers while he slides one inside me. I clench around it automatically, glad to have some piece of him inside of me.
 

“Fuck, you’re so ready for me, Lyric,” he mutters, before biting down gently on my neck. I tilt my head so he can have better access and he continues placing biting kisses all along my neck and shoulder while sliding his finger in and out of me. The entire time he’s fingering me, his thumb is rubbing light circles around my clit. I close my eyes so that I can concentrate solely on the sensations he’s causing throughout my body.

Just as I start to clench around him in release, he withdraws his fingers and I whimper. Tilting my hips, he slides his erection deep inside me and my whimper becomes a moan. His thumb never stops circling my clit and I quickly approach a second, then a third orgasm. On the last, he comes with me and we relax into each other, fully sated.

David runs his fingers through my hair and I lay against him, lightly dozing, when I feel his lips at my ear. “I know I’ve done a shit job at showing it, darlin', but I do love you.”

“We’ve both made mistakes David, but I love you too,” I reassure him, and David wraps his arms more securely around me, tucking me against him. We stay like this until my sister knocks on the door to tell me that she’s made lunch if we ever want to come out and eat it. David buries his head in my hair and laughs silently. I can feel the vibrations of his laughter against my back, and soon I’m laughing as well.

Then, David rolls over, getting out of bed and pulling his pants back on. I watch him silently as he slips his t-shirt from yesterday back on, and he stills when he sees me watching him. “What?” he asks.

“Did you not bring a bag with you?” He didn’t have anything when he showed up at my door yesterday, but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to even think about what that meant.

One side of his mouth lifts, “Yes darlin', I brought a bag. But, it’s at my hotel and I’m here in this apartment. I wasn’t sure what kind of reception I was going to get, and I figured showing up with an overnight bag might get me punched in the dick.”

Laughing, I have to agree with him, “You’re right, if you’d shown up here with your bag yesterday, Aria would have junk punched you if I didn’t.”

He nods, “Now, see why I didn’t? Go ahead and get your shower, we’ll have to stop at the hotel so I can take one.” Kissing me gently, he walks out to brave my overprotective sister while I take a shower and get dressed.
 

I don’t know how long he’s planning on staying, but when he goes back to Nashville, I’m going with him.

My husband Joey - for first encouraging me by saying “you read so much you should write your own”, second for “outing” me on Facebook so I had no choice BUT to publish under my own name and third for not getting fed up with me for getting home from work, scarfing my dinner, putting my headphones in and attempting to ignore you all night - even if you did show me 5,000 Vine videos trying to get my attention!

Stephen, AJ & Jakob - for putting up with my insanity and outright neglect because I was spending so much time inside my head

My mom - for instilling my love of books to begin with! Without it, this book would never have been written. And for not being able to finish the book because you think my real life sex life is similar – it’s really not!

Aly Martinez - for being the first person to read my ramblings and encouraging me to write more. And, also for writing your own book at the same time! Having a writing buddy was amazing. Even if you write way faster - I kinda hate you for that! Oh - and I can’t forget the peer pressure to drink - because of you, I have a newfound love for wine!

The best beta readers ever - Bianca, Bianca and Adriana

Bianca S - for falling absolutely in
LOVE
with David. He probably wouldn’t be who he is without you. There definitely wouldn’t have been as many “darlin's”!

Bianca J - for proving just how scary Aussies can be! And, for being one of the most awesome Beta readers
ever
! Your daily encouragement (and threats) kept me on track!

Adriana - I’m so sorry you were tasked with editing this craziness! You did an outstanding job, and I could
never
thank you enough. Maybe you can use this as a college project or something!

Lawren – for doing a final run through of edits prior to sending through the paperback to ensure this book was as amazing as it could be!

Tessa Teevan - I’m glad I met you, because you are an amazing friend and this journey wouldn’t have been the same without you!
 

Ferro Posse (Mel, April, Crystal & Sary) – I will forever be grateful to Holly because I met you all! Thank you for the Twitter conversations, the love you show my characters, and the conversations about pretty much anything you can fit into 140 characters!

Nicola Haken - I am so, so glad I got to review Saving Amy because it led to meeting/befriending you! Thank you so much for the motivating talks, your friendship and falling as in love with D as I am! One day, even if I have to come to the UK, I
will
hug you!

Rayen Belchere & The Early Ray Band - for letting me put you in this book, and making the nights my husband was able to drag me away from this story an absolute blast! You can find out more about Early Ray on their website, Facebook, or Twitter!

Olivia Luck, Rochelle Paige, Ella Fox, Lakrysa Jefferson, Jacquelyn Ayres and the rest of the Indie Romance Author Chicks - for the hilarious sprints on Twitter with you guys, Aly and Tessa!

Emily Snow - for your friendship, encouragement, and all around awesomeness! Thank you for the sex scene advice and for offering to read my story before I hit the publish button. P.S. - that song is STILL in my head!

Stacey is a 32 year old wife and mom to 3 boys, ages 15, 13, and 8! She lives in Hickory, NC. She’s always been a huge book lover, and back in 2012, she found Fifty Shades, and after staying up all night one Friday to read all three books, Stacey was hooked! She started a book blog, and kept reading everything she could. Then, she found Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines, and couldn’t stop reading. Her husband told her that she should write her own book since she was spending so much on Kindle books – by June, she’d read over 500! – and after blowing him off for a few months, Stacey decided to try to write the story she kept seeing in her head.

Novella March 2014

She’s a spoiled, entitled, kinda bitchy girl. Dad is the mayor in a city in Tennessee, and she's chafing at the bit (ha) to get away. He's the hardworking guy from the wrong side of the tracks - grew up in a trailer park - who's trying to rise above his background. Naturally, she sticks her nose up in the air when she has to rely on him for tutoring, but ends up falling for him anyway.

Everything I Shouldn’t May 2014

SarahBeth has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember. Jeremy has never given her any indication that his feelings are similar, but he’s been sabotaging her dates since she was sixteen. He’s been taking the “boys pick on girls they like” adage to a whole new level.

You saw what happened between Jeremy and SarahBeth in Save Me From Myself, but now you’ll get to see what happened from the time SarahBeth turned sixteen until the blow up on her birthday and beyond. Find out what happens after Save Me From Myself in Everything I Shouldn’t!