Johnathan left me.

At first, when I slowly awoke realizing the spot beside me was cold, I thought perhaps he just got up to do something. But as the minutes ticked by and he didn’t return, I had to get up to investigate.

I’ve searched the house from top to bottom and he’s nowhere to be found. His car and motorcycle are both still in the garage.

It’s four in the morning and he’s gone out to do… something.

I check in on Charlie. He’s still tucked under his covers, clutching a fluffy brown teddy bear to his chest, and sleeping peacefully.

I could wake him. I could get us both dressed, use the house phone to call someone and we could get away.

Yet, I hesitate.

Would that be the best thing for Charlie? I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to keep him with me. I could strike out on my own, even call Sophia to help me, but eventually my father will find me.

Throwing his life back into turmoil and uncertainty just feels like cruelty at this point.

Johnathan may be a lot of things, a lot of bad things, but he honestly cares about Charlie. I know deep in my heart he’d do anything to protect the boy.

And what about me? Would leaving be the best for me? As much as it hurts me to think about it, I could sneak out now and leave Charlie behind.

There’s nothing at this moment to stop me from returning to my old life.

Nothing, that is, but me…

I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me.

The phone is right there, hanging on the kitchen wall and taunting me. It would be so easy to pick it up, so easy to dial a number, any number, and leave.

This is my chance; the chance I’ve been waiting for. I may never get another opportunity. But I just can’t bring myself to pick up the phone because a sick, twisted part of me wants to stay.

God, that feels so awful to admit, but it’s a desire I can’t seem to change. I don’t want to leave Johnathan.

God help me, I don’t.

And I don’t want to leave Charlie. I’m already crazy in love with the little guy.

We’re starting to build something here, something special.

In just the few days I’ve known them, we’ve already created a family.

And, fuck, what if there’s already a baby growing inside of me?

Johnathan has made no attempts to hide the fact that he’s trying to impregnate me. After our third round of sex last night, I fell asleep with his cock still buried inside me. I’m not on birth control and he sure as fuck hasn’t used any protection.

But it’s not just the possibility of a baby that makes me want to stay. I could totally be a single mother if I had to. It’s that the longer I spend with Johnathan, the more and more I have to accept he likes me for me.

He didn’t have to rescue me. He didn’t have to keep me. I know he spearheaded the entire mission to buy Charlie and me. I know that he was supposed to hand me over to my father, but he defied his bosses and risked their wrath to keep me.

For whatever reason, he fucking wants me and protects me.

Here, in his house, I know I’m safe. If I let myself, I can breathe easy. If I let myself, I can let him do what he’s been trying to do ever since he bought me that night.

I can trust him and let him take care of me.

* * *

Having made my decision to stay and give this crazy relationship a chance, I climb back into bed and eventually fall back to sleep. I’m not sure how long I sleep, but by the time I feel the bed dipping and Johnathan pressing up against my side, sunlight is bleeding through the blinds.

Johnathan’s arms wrap around me and I roll into him. I snuggle up to his bare chest and breathe in deep. He smells just-showered clean.

“Where did you go?” I murmur sleepily.

His chin comes down on the top of my head and there’s a long pause before he answers, “Got called out to work.”

He’s so warm, I can’t help but press against him for his heat.

“In the middle of the night?”

“Yeah,” he grumbles, then his voice lifts to a teasing tone. “Did ya miss me?”

He stiffens with surprise and sucks in a deep breath when I answer honestly, “Yes.”

I smile against his chest and then he’s moving. He pushes up on one arm and nudges my chin up to meet his eyes.

“Say it again,” he demands softly, staring into my eyes.

His gaze is so intense, so dark and needy, I’m tempted to look away.

This is it, once I give these words life there’s no taking them back.

My smile fades away and my cheeks feel hot as I give in and say, “I missed you.”

“Fuck,” he groans, and then his head dips down. He kisses me hard and deep. By the time his head lifts back up, I’m flushed and panting. “I missed you too, baby.”

His hand strokes my hair back and we just stare into each other’s eyes for the longest time. Memorizing each other’s face.

This is a huge turning point for us, and as much as I want to revel in this new direction we’re taking, I can tell he’s tired and had a long night.

“You should get some sleep,” I say, breaking the silence.

Johnathan’s mouth softens and he pulls me close again. Our hips lock then his knee begins to push between my knees.

My eyes widen and he laughs at the surprised look on my face. “I can sleep when I’m dead.”

“But—”

With a growl, he leans in and smashes his mouth hard against my mouth. “I fucking need you, Beth.”

I don’t get a chance to reply, and god knows I don’t want to stop him. His lips are on mine again, hard, demanding, relentless.

Pressing and pressing, he uses the force of his kiss to push me until my back hits the bed.

His weight coming down on top of me, I spread my legs eagerly for him.

Just knowing what’s about to come has made me soaking wet.

Reaching down, he manages to shove his boxer-briefs down without breaking the kiss.

Fitting himself between my thighs, he stiffens in surprise as his skin touches my skin.

“No panties,” he groans, finally giving me a breath.

He rocks his hips, his hard, velvety cock gliding against my slick pussy lips.

“No panties,” I grin at him, my face feeling a little raw from his beard rubbing all over me.

I’m wearing one of his favorite faded band t-shirts, with nothing else on beneath it.

“Fuck, the things you do to me,” he groans as if he’s tortured.

Before I can even think of responding, he’s thrusting himself inside me, pushing out all other thoughts but him.

He’s so big. So damn thick.

Every time his big cock slides into me, it feels like he has to fight his way in.

We’ve done it a lot over the past few days, and I mean a lot. Sometimes his hands are on me before I’m even sure Charlie has fallen asleep.

You’d think by now that I’d get used to the size of him.

“I’m going to fuck you so hard for this,” he snarls as he bottoms out and my walls instinctively squeeze around him.

“For what,” I pant.

He pulls out, my pussy clenching him, sucking at him, trying to pull him back in.

“For fucking teasing me,” he answers right before he slams into me so hard, his cock driving through me with such force, I feel a deep ache and momentarily lose my breath.

“For fucking driving me crazy,” he grunts, working himself in and out, faster and faster.

Still fighting my tight clench.

“For fucking being amazing,” he groans, and even with all the pleasure he’s slamming into me, I feel my heart fluttering behind my ribs.

“Because you’re mine. In this bed, in this house, in my world, you’re my fucking wife,” he says, and at this moment I totally believe him.

He leans forward, pushing more of his weight down on my chest.

“And my wife always deserves a good fucking,” he rumbles as he reaches down and pulls my legs up until my knees are nearly touching my head.

“Johnathan,” I gasp as the new position causes him to slam into me even deeper.

The spike of pleasure he drives into me is so good, so strong, my eyes start to roll into the back of my head.

“That’s it,” he grunts, and somehow manages to slip my knees over his shoulders without losing his rhythm. “Take your husband’s cock.”

He starts to pound into me so hard I can feel his balls slapping against my ass.

“Johnathan,” I moan, and he pushes me down, forcing me to take more of him in this new position.

Something starts to build inside me, something so strong, so overwhelming, I’m a little terrified of it. I start to fight it, but in this position I can’t escape the intense sensation.

I shove at his shoulders, but it only causes more of his weight to come down on top of me.

“Stop fighting it, Beth,” he orders, the force of his body nearly crushing me to the bed.

“I can’t,” I whine, my head thrashing back and forth.

Each time his cock pounds inside me, he’s hitting a spot that threatens to drive me mad.

“You can,” he declares, breathing heavily.

The sensation builds and builds. It’s an intense pressure that feels like no other pressure I’ve ever felt before.

“Johnathan, please, it’s too much… I can’t,” I nearly wail in my desperation to escape the thing threatening to overtake me.

But he won’t let me get away. He’s forcing me to face it head-on.

Suddenly, his relentless pace increases, and he’s grunting and groaning loudly with all the effort it takes.

“I’ve got you. Look at me,” he demands, and somehow I manage to open my eyes.

“I’ve got you,” he repeats, and I believe him, I trust him, as I focus on his face.

Knowing he’s there to catch me when I fall gives me the courage to let go.

A mind-blowing orgasm rocks through me, totally destroying me. Every muscle in my body locks up as I scream out his name.

Gush after gush of pleasure bursts through me.

And Johnathan doesn’t stop. No, he keeps driving into me as if he’s trying to fucking kill me.

I claw at him, part of me trying to pull him closer and part of me trying to push him away.

“Beth,” he finally roars, and I feel him swelling up inside me.

Then there’s warmth. So much warmth. His warmth mixing with my warmth.

His pace begins to slow to deep, grinding thrusts, and the orgasm ravaging my body finally begins to abate.

“Fuck, Beth, fuck,” he shudders and stills, trapped in the grip of my convulsing pussy.

I tremble beneath him helplessly until the last tremor of my release fades away.

“Holy fuck,” I whisper, and Johnathan grins down at me before collapsing, crushing me with his weight.

“Baby, I think you’ve finally milked all the cum out of me,” he groans.

I smile and press my lips to his ear, “I’m never wearing panties again, just so you know.”

* * *

Wrapped up in Johnathan’s strong arms, it feels like my eyes just closed when his phone starts ringing.

“Fuck,” he grumbles, and rolls me with him to grab his phone off his nightstand. His eyes squint at the screen and he mutters another “Fuck,” before swiping it on.

“Yeah?” he snaps, lifting the phone to his ear.

I can hear a muffled, deep voice speaking on the other end.

“Now? Shit. Okay. Give me ten.”

Johnathan fumbles with his phone before just tossing it back to his nightstand. His hands run down my back, lingering at my waist, and then slide back up.

I stretch and feel like purring beneath his touch.

Without warning, he rolls me over onto my back and grabs up my hands. His stretches my arms above my head, keeping a firm grip on my wrists.

I blink up at him in sleepy confusion as his weight comes down on my thighs, pinning me to the bed beneath him.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, not liking the scowl on his face.

This morning, I thought we had come to an understanding.

“I have to leave,” he says, hovering above me.

His body is taut. The muscles in his arms flex as he stares down, and still I don’t understand what I did to make him so mad.

His grip on my wrists remains firm and the way he has me stretched out is far from comfortable, but I don’t dare try to fight it.

“Okay,” I say, trying to stay calm as I stare up at him. Something is obviously wrong here. “More work?”

“Yeah,” he confirms, his eyes hardening.

I have no clue what ‘work’ means to him but from the look he’s giving me it must not be pleasant.

“I don’t know when I’ll be back,” he goes on to explain, and his grip on my wrists further tightens.

It’s not painful, yet, but it’s obvious he’s trying to send a message. The same damn message that he’s been drilling in my head ever since he bought me. He’s bigger, stronger, meaner, and I’m his.

“You are not to leave the house, Beth.”

I open up my mouth to tell him I won’t, but he cuts me off by growling deeply, “Promise me. Promise you won’t leave the house. Promise me you won’t make a fucking run for it.”

I stare up into his eyes, and though I still don’t know why he’s so pissed off, there’s something vulnerable about the way he’s looking at me.

Is he afraid he’s going to lose me?

I could have left last night and didn’t, but I get the feeling right now is not the time to point that out to him.

“I promise I won’t leave,” I assure him.

He stares deep into my eyes, searching out the truth of my words before his grip and posture begins to relax.

“I don’t want to leave you,” he finally admits. “I’ve got a bad fucking feeling about this.”

I curl and uncurl my fingers, fighting off the numbness caused by his grip.

“If I had time, I’d drop you off at the compound…”

I stiffen. “Compound?”

His eyes drop to my mouth and he frowns thoughtfully. “Yeah, where Lucifer keeps Lily.”

I can just imagine what kind of horrible dungeon that place is.

His right hand releases his grip on my wrist completely and he drags it down to tenderly stroke my cheek.

His head dips down and his beard tickles my chin as his voice thickens. “Promise me again.”

Aw, the big guy really is afraid I’m going to take off on him.

“I promise,” I say easily, finding his worry kind of sweet. It would be even sweeter if he didn’t have me pinned down beneath him…

But I guess I have to take what I can get.

His mouth comes down on mine and he gives me a slow, lingering kiss before pulling away with a look of regret. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I nod as he rolls off of me and stands from the bed.

I sit up to watch him pick up the pair of jeans he wore last night off the floor and shove his legs into them.

The room is quiet, too quiet as he gets dressed. I start to think of what I’m going to do today trapped in the house with Charlie without him.

Once he’s got all his clothes on, he grabs his phone off the nightstand, and leans over to grab me by the back of the head.

He gives me another quick but meaningful kiss.

“Take care of our boy for me,” he says, and straightens.

I nod and promise, “I will.”

He starts to walk out the door, stops, and turns back. “There’s a gun under the bed if you need it.”