“I know,” I chuckled back.
“Well, four years of a prison bunk, and anything feels comfortable,” she said.
Guilt found me at that statement. “He told me what he did for me. I’m so sorry. I feel like it’s my fault.”
She shook her head. “If he felt you were so worth protecting, you must be very special. You’re together now. That’s what matters.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “Thanks.”
“Do you think you two will go to school today?” she asked.
I imagined trying to deal with a whole day of stares, questions, and rumors, all while being worried about if Nathan was dead or not, and the thought alone made my head hurt. “Uh, no. Probably not.”
“I’ll call his parole officer on the way into work. He’s really nice. He should understand.”
“Good,” I said.
“Will you all go after Nathan?” she asked with a worried look on her face.
“Probably.”
She sighed. “Okay. I’d try to stop you, but I have a feeling I’d be unsuccessful.” I didn’t respond. I didn’t need to. “Well, please just be careful. Keep him safe.”
I nodded. “I will. I promise.”
With that, Ciara crouched down, kissed Deon on the forehead, gave me one last smile, and then left. I turned my attention back to my phone, checking in with my parents and all the members of The Royal Court. No one had heard from Nathan or Nikita, but everyone had been briefed on what had taken place. Kyle, Brayden, and Jaxon were overseeing things getting cleaned up at the Loches with Alicia, and Colette had gone to Avery’s to sit and wait to hear from Nikita. Unexpectedly, Kyle sent a message saying that he considered me part of the court even if I wasn’t with Nathan, and everyone fired off agreements. I truly believed I would only walk away with Avery and Alistair, but it was beginning to look like I was going to luck out all around.
A gentle squeeze on my foot preceded Deon saying, “What ya smiling at?”
I looked down and met his warm gaze. “My friends.”
“Did they find Nathan?”
“Not yet.”
In a single, swift movement, Deon sat up off the floor, crawled up on the bed, and slid over me until I was on my back. He took my phone and set it off to the side, then set his lips on mine. Not much for morning greetings, I guessed.
Fine by me.
My fingers combed into his hair to pull him down even further as I parted my lips so that his tongue slid in. One of his big, heavy hands smoothed down my thigh and pulled my leg up to wrap around his back while his other worked in the opposite direction, up under my shirt to take one of my breasts in to squeeze. My bra never made it back on after our dalliances in the car the day before, which was working to our favor now. All Deon had to do was roll my long sleeved t-shirt up my torso and over my head to expose my entire upper half. He didn’t return to my lips after removing my shirt. He moved to take my breasts into his mouth, one at a time, alternating at delightful intervals to give both mounds appropriate attention.
Unlike our frantic, rushed movements in the car, the morning was our own, so Deon was taking his time. He let his hands wander all over my skin, and I mirrored his actions, crawling my hands under his shirt to pull it up and eventually off of his torso. I hadn’t gotten him totally shirtless in the car, just a layer down, but now, with his shirt off, I could see the colorful array of tattoos that covered his entire upper body from his neck down to his waist, a few of which even continued past the hem of his jeans. I wanted to study them more closely but became more interested in him climbing off the bed and removing his pants. Something else I hadn’t gotten the best view of in the car sprang out, and I thanked whatever god was listening for the beauty before me.
With an arousing strength, Deon grabbed my legs and suddenly pulled me to the edge of the bed. He unbuttoned my pants and pulled them off my legs. He tossed them aside and then perched himself at my entrance before leaning down over me. He kissed me, once quickly, then another longer one.
“I love you,” he huffed to me quietly.
I placed my hands on either side of his face. “I love you.”
With that, Deon slowly started to push into me. He moved at a slow, drawn out pace, fastening his lips to a spot on my neck and sucking. When he was fully inside me, I let out a moan, and he started to back out of me again at the same dragging speed. It felt amazing, making me hyper-aware of his feeling, burning me as I went in a way I was entirely welcoming of. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and held on, and Deon started to slowly pick up his pace. My hips started to grind forward to meet his thrusts, and with a calculated grind, his shaft started to saw along the best spots inside, dragging me closer and closer to the edge.
“Deon,” I whimpered, “it feels so good.”
“You feel so good, baby.” He kissed my cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too! Don’t stop.”
I’d had sex before, but I’d never had that. The way Deon drove me crazy was unlike anything I believed I actually could experience. He fit against me like a perfectly-sized glove. If I could stay that way forever, I’d choose to do it, no questions asked.
“Shit,” Deon growled. He lifted his head and looked down at me. I loved the look of his face. “I’m gonna have to get used to the feeling of you so that I can last a bit longer.”
“I don’t know that I’d stay conscious if you could,” I replied.
Deon slammed into me,
