Page 18

Orion

I hate the look on Briar’s face. It’s a mixture of fear and worry. I hate this fucker… Jason. Fucking asshole. I hate that he’s making her feel this way.

I hate even more that I can’t do a damn thing about stopping him. At least, not the way I want to. I’d love to come face to face with the prick and end his life once and for all.

Briar’s hand rests atop mine, and I stand.

“Come here,” I say, reaching my hand out so she takes it.

She slips her tiny hand in mine and stands from her seat.

“Hey,” I murmur, sliding an arm around her waist. She looks up, eyes brimming with fear and uncertainty. “He won’t touch you. I promise.”

Her lower lip quivers. “What if—?”

“No,” I cut in, more harshly than I intend, but I can’t bear seeing her so scared. “I’m here. He’s not getting near you.” My voice gentles as I cup her cheek, my thumb brushing away the faint streak of tears. “Trust me.”

She sinks into my hold, as if all the fight has slipped from her limbs, letting out a shaky exhale. My heart thuds hard in my chest when she rests her forehead against mine. I can smell the faint hint of her shampoo, feel the warmth radiating off her. Slowly, I curl my arms fully around her, pressing her closer to me.

“Come on,” I whisper, guiding her away from the window. I lead her down the hallway, past pictures on the wall and the faint glow of a small lamp, until we reach my master bedroom. The overhead light is off, leaving the room bathed in soft moonlight, pouring in through the curtains. I shut the door behind us, an unspoken barrier between her and the world outside.

Briar stands there, looking small and lost in the low light, hugging herself. I step forward, my hand sliding around her waist again, pulling her flush against me. My heart pounds. I can’t stop thinking about how I could possibly lose her—how Jason’s threats are still lingering in the shadows. I refuse to let that happen.

“Let me keep you safe,” I breathe, voice low, urgency thrumming beneath each word.

She nods, eyes glistening. “Yes,” she says, as if it’s the only word she can manage.

My mouth finds hers in a rush of need and relief. Her lips part in a soft gasp, and I deepen the kiss, every nerve ending igniting at once. My pulse roars in my ears, drowning out everything except the sensation of her in my arms. She responds in kind, fingers curling into my shirt, clinging to me like I’m her lifeline.

Her quiet moan fans the flames burning in my chest. I tilt her head gently, angling to explore her mouth. Her warmth, her taste—it’s overwhelming. A single thought loops through my mind: She’s here, she’s mine, and I’ll protect her no matter what.

When we finally break apart, our breaths ragged, I press my forehead to hers. The echoes of the kiss still tingle on my lips. I want to promise her the world, to tell her Jason’s threat means nothing because I’ll tear it down. But words don’t feel like enough.

Instead, I ease onto the edge of the bed, tugging her with me. She settles at my side, and I stroke a hand over her hair, calming my own heartbeat as well as hers. She leans into me, turning her face toward my shoulder. We stay like that for a moment, caught in a quiet, heated bubble of comfort and desire.

“No one’s taking you from me,” I say at last, voice gravelly. “No one.”

She buries her face in my neck, her breath warm on my skin. “I believe you,” she whispers, holding on like she never intends to let go.

In the hush of the bedroom, with Briar’s heart thudding against mine, I vow silently: I won’t rest until every last danger is gone. I lean her back, until we’re lying side by side on the bed, facing one another. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you.” I kiss her lips, letting her know exactly how I feel.

We move closer to one another, like two magnets being pushed together. My hand wraps around her, and I bring her underneath me. I keep kissing, exploring her. I start with her jawline, planting soft kisses over her skin, moving to the column of her throat and ending at her collarbone.

She feels so good beneath me. Like she belongs here. And I’d be lying if I said I’m not thinking about a future with her. That I’m not thinking about having her here always.

My cock hardens at the thought, and I press into her body, upset that we’re both still fully clothed. “I need you naked and ready for me,” I tell her.

She blinks up at me. “I need that too.”

It’s like she knows exactly what to say. Slowly, with every ounce of self control I barely have, I remove her clothing. “You’re a needy little thing, aren’t you?”

She moans a yes, and I remove my own clothing until I’m rested on top of her, my cock heavy and full with need. I push inside her, my heartbeat ramping up in my chest. It feels like sliding into home. Because that’s what she is… my home .

I keep pushing inside her, letting my thick cock fill her up. She’s wrapped around me, her arms squeezing tightly around my neck. Her legs are wrapped around my back, and she’s moaning as I keep slamming into her.

She handles my dick like she was made for me. Like she was born to fit my body perfectly.

“Oh Orion,” she calls out, and I keep fucking her. Feeling her. Needing every bit of her.

“You handle this dick like a good fucking girl. Are you my good girl?”

I press a tender kiss to her temple, feeling the softness of her skin yield beneath my lips, before letting them drift down to capture the bottom of her earlobe. I suck gently, savoring the small gasp that escapes her as she arches ever so slightly beneath me. Even in that brief sound, I can hear how her breath quivers with need, how her heart races in a way that matches my own.

“And you’re going to stay my good girl, right?” I ask quietly, releasing her earlobe and leaning back just enough to see her face. Her hair is tousled across the pillows, strands brushing against her flushed cheeks. It frames those green eyes that seem to glow in the soft light filtering into the room. The gentle illumination highlights the curve of her jaw, the rise and fall of her chest against mine, and that undeniable spark dancing in her gaze.

She nods, her lips parting slightly, inviting me to drink in her warm breath. Her legs tighten around my waist, guiding me closer, guiding me deeper. My entire body hums with the sensation of her warmth and the closeness of our connection. It’s like a current, an electric pulse that radiates through every nerve in my body.

“Yeah,” she whispers, the word trembling on her lips as it leaves them. “Always.”

The weight of that promise envelops me. I feel something shift inside my chest, a wave of warmth I’ve never experienced before. It spreads, circling my heart, winding around my ribs, and filling me from head to toe with a heat that is both comforting and dizzying at the same time. The sensation is so intense, so new. It has to be love—what else could make me feel like this, so fiercely, so suddenly?

I’ve never been one to believe in fairy tales or stories of love at first sight. But now, as I gaze into her glimmering eyes, remembering the first moment I saw her, there’s a gentle conviction that tells me those old legends exist for a reason. There’s something in the way her hand rests on my shoulder, how her fingertips press into my skin with a reassuring firmness, and the way she draws me closer with each heartbeat.

I don’t know if I can name the exact moment it happened—maybe it was the first time our eyes locked, or the first tentative touch of her hand in mine—but I recognize that I’ve been falling for her since that instant. Every time she smiles, laughs, whispers my name, or touches me with a mix of tenderness and longing, my heart swells a little more.

She reaches up, running her fingers through my hair, and tilts her chin to whisper my name. The sound is sweet and intimate, like a secret only meant for us. Our movements synchronize, and the rhythm we share cements my growing realization: I want this—her, this closeness, this undeniable warmth—in every way possible. Her promise to be my good girl, and my silent promise to cherish her in return, creates a bond more powerful than I ever thought I would feel.

I lean in and brush my lips over hers in a slow, deliberate kiss, trying to convey everything I can’t put into words yet. Every breath I take is filled with her scent, every thought in my mind is of her. It’s overwhelming and thrilling, a beautiful kind of chaos spinning through me. A complete riot in my chest as I thrust my hips, sinking in deeper, owning her.

As her arms cling tighter and her eyes flutter shut, I hold onto her, letting the moment last. For now, I surrender to the possibility that this is, indeed, love—fast, sudden, and overwhelming. And in the swirling rush of my emotions, I realize I’m not afraid.

Her sweet pussy grips my dick as I keep pounding, pumping, away inside her. I can’t get enough of her. I won’t ever be able to. I move my hand between our bodies and press a finger to her clit, and she moans.

“Orion, I love when you do that.” She arches her back, and sinks her teeth into my shoulder. “I’m so close,” she whispers out.

I love hearing those words fall from her lips. “Are you going to come for me?”

She sinks her teeth in even deeper as she nods.

“There’s nothing prettier than you coming undone for me, sweetheart.” I press my fingers to her clit as I continue pumping my cock in and out of her. I glance down to where our two bodies join, mesmerized by it. “You fit. You fucking fit my cock perfectly.”

She tightens her hold on me, everywhere, her arms, fingers, legs, until her body spasms around me. “I’m coming,” she calls out. “Oh, I’m coming,” she says again like she can’t believe it.

It’s a fucking sight to see. Her unraveling. Her complete and chaotic orgasm wracking her body. I watch in fascination, completely gripped by her.

“That’s it, sweetheart. Come on me. Milk my cock ‘cause I’m so damn close.” I keep pushing, filling her up completely as my body grows closer toward the inevitable. “Oh, fuck,” I groan out as I move inside her, in and out, my orgasm crashing through me, hijacking my body completely.

As I gaze into Briar’s soft green eyes, I know I’m royally fucked. But only in the best way possible.

My phone buzzes on the kitchen counter, and I glance at it, heart already thudding in my chest. Dean. It’s gotta be important, or he’d wait until morning.

Fuck.

“Orion,” he says the moment I answer. “Good news, bad news situation. We’ve got the restraining order in place—just came through. But Jason’s gone dark. No sightings for twenty-four hours. brAVO Team’s tracking him, but so far, nothing.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, tension tightening my shoulders. “All right. Keep me posted.” I suck in a breath. “Hey, let me ask you something.”

“What’s up?”

I probably shouldn’t be asking this, but I no longer give a fuck about decorum. Dean met his wife, Sophia on a job. “How did you know Sophia was the one?”

Dean doesn’t answer right away, and I’m about to backpedal before he sighs. “I think I knew the moment I first laid eyes on her, but when I knew a hundred percent was when she had a knife to my throat, telling me she was going to kill me.”

“Wow,” I breathe out. “How about for her?”

“Same time. She tells me when she had that knife to my throat, telling me she wanted to end my life and I tugged her closer and told her to do it , she just knew.”

They’d been through some shit, but in the end it had all worked out. They went undercover to take down a crime boss, and honestly, I never thought Dean was the type to fall in love. But here we are. He’s married.

“Thanks,” I say, ready to get off the phone before he questions me about asking.

However, I’m not quick enough. “You got it bad?”

I hang my head low, cursing myself for breaking protocol, but I’d never tell Dean that. “Just keep me updated about Jason.”

“Will do.”

I end the call and toss my phone onto the counter with a soft clatter. Damn it. No sign of Jason could mean he’s lying low, plotting his next move. And that’s worse than him skulking around, at least from where I stand.

Briar’s in the other room, having just put Jeb to sleep. I find her curled up on the sofa, knees drawn to her chest, staring out the window at the dark yard beyond. She glances up as I walk in, expression weary. My chest squeezes at the sight of her like this—worn and worried, carrying a burden she never asked for.

“You okay?” I ask, settling beside her.

She exhales, hugging her knees closer. “I’m not sure. I’m tired of being stuck in this... limbo.” Her voice trembles just enough that I notice.

I rest a reassuring hand on her arm. “Dean called. The restraining order’s official.” When she looks at me with a flicker of hope, I continue, “But Jason’s vanished—hasn’t been spotted for a full day. Dean’s got our brAVO Team looking for him.”

She bites her lip, eyes searching my face. “So… he’s still out there,” she whispers, voice tight with apprehension.

I shift closer, draping an arm around her shoulders. “Briar, we’re on high alert. If he tries anything, we’ll know. But I need to ask—does he have anywhere else he’d go? A hiding spot, family, or friends who might help him lie low?”

She hesitates, pressing her lips together. Then a frown creases her brow. “He has a brother in Magnolia Ridge. I remember Jason mentioning him once, said he owed him a favor or something.” She lowers her gaze. “I never met him, though.”

I nod, tucking that information away. “Magnolia Ridge. Got it.” I fish out my phone again and tap off a quick text to Dean, relaying the new lead. As I type, Briar shifts, leaning into my side. Her warmth is a jolt of comfort in the otherwise tense atmosphere.

My thumb hovers over the screen for a second before I hit send. The message zips away to Dean, and I set the phone aside, sliding my arm more firmly around Briar. She turns her face into my shoulder, eyes squeezed shut, and I can feel the slow, uneven rise and fall of her breath.

I let my hand rest lightly against her arm, rubbing in soft circles. “Hey,” I say gently, “we’ll find him. And until we do, you’re safe here with me.”

She nods, the movement barely there. “I know. It’s just… part of me wonders if I’ll ever go back to normal. My job, my friends… everything’s on hold because of him.”

My fingers curl around hers, giving a gentle squeeze. “You will. That’s a promise.” The words feel heavy in my mouth, but I mean them. “We’ll get him off your back one way or another.”

She lifts her head, our eyes meeting. In that moment, the worry swirling in her expression tugs at something deep inside me. This isn’t just a job anymore—hasn’t been for a while. Protecting Briar feels personal. Too personal, maybe, but I can’t help it. I care about her, more than I probably should.

I catch my breath, drawing her closer. She settles against my chest, and I wrap both arms around her, letting her rest her head under my chin. She breathes out, a slow, shaky sigh that resonates in my own chest. For a while, we just sit there like that—her heart beating a staccato rhythm against my rib cage, the hush of the night enveloping us.

My phone buzzes again, and we both tense. She leans back enough for me to reach it. Dean’s text reads: Got it. Sending brAVO to Magnolia Ridge. Keep her calm. We’ll find him.

I show it to Briar, and she nods. “Thank you,” she murmurs, glancing up. “For… everything.”

For a beat, neither of us speaks. My gaze drifts to her lips, and I remember the taste of her kiss. It’d be so easy to get lost in that again, to shut out the rest of the world. And maybe, for a moment, that’s exactly what we need—to find a little solace in each other.

I brush a hand over her hair, clearing a stray strand from her cheek. “You don’t have to thank me,” I whisper. “Just let me protect you.”

Her eyes, luminous and filled with vulnerability, meet mine. She nods once, a simple acceptance. And with her in my arms, I’m more determined than ever to ensure Jason never gets close enough to hurt her again.

I tug her closer, so she’s straddling my lap as I kiss her lips. Her mouth is soft, fuckable, and more than anything I don’t ever want to stop kissing her.

This is so wrong on so many levels, but I no longer care. What’s right, anyway? All I know is the feelings I have for this woman are unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life. Is it love? Quite possibly, but all I know is that when this is over… she’s staying with me.