Page 53 of Silver Spoon Falls, Vol. I
THIRTY-EIGHT
AUTUMN
“What did I do to deserve you?” I whisper to Zane, leaning back against him in his oversized bathtub as hot water laps at my skin.
“Asked if I was afraid to represent little ole you,” he murmurs, his lips against my neck. “I’ve been hooked on you ever since.”
I smile, my heart swelling with gratitude for him as tears well in my eyes.
Now that the floodgates have finally opened, I don’t think they’ll ever close again.
I haven’t cried since my mom died. I can’t seem to stop these days, but I don’t hate it nearly as much as I thought I would.
It doesn’t make me feel weak or vulnerable.
The tears feel… healing. As if they're slowly washing away years of grief and guilt and heartache.
I know I have Zane to thank for that. Without him, I would have kept pushing it away, refusing to face it. He makes me stronger and braver than I ever have been on my own. He makes me want to be the best version of myself.
“I love you so much,” I say, turning to press my face against his throat. “Thank you for rescuing me.”
“I will always rescue you,” he growls, shifting me around on his lap until I’m straddling him. His hands cup my face as he presses his forehead to mine. “You’re mine to protect, baby. I won’t ever let anything bad happen to you. Not ever, do you hear me?”
“I know.” I sniffle, taking a deep breath. “He told me that I belonged to him,” I whisper, shuddering at the memory. “He s-said that my father took me from him and poisoned me against him.”
“You don’t belong to him,” Zane growls, pure murder in his voice. “You don’t belong to anyone, little rebel. But you belong with me. Right here.” He lifts my hand, placing it over his heart. “This is where you live now. This is your home.”
“And this is yours,” I say, placing his hand over my heart as tears slip down my cheeks.
“You’re part of me, Zane. You’re my heart.
I thought love was a cage, but I was so wrong about that.
” I stare into his obsidian eyes in awe.
“Loving you set me free. For the first time, I feel like the shadows of my past have lost their grip on me. You freed me from them.”
“Jesus,” he rasps, dragging me closer as water sloshes over the edge of the tub. “You’ll always be free with me, little rebel. I won't ever cage you. I don’t want to change you. I plan to adore you exactly the way you are.”
“Then love me, Zane,” I plead, wrapping my body around his. “I need to feel you.”
“Are you sure, baby? You’ve been through a lot today.”
“I’ve never been more sure.” Nothing puts me back together like the weight of his body on top of mine. Nothing roots me to reality like his touch. Right now, I need that. I need him to banish every memory of Jimmy’s grip on my arm and help me close this chapter of my life for good.
He wraps his arms around me in a tight embrace, hauling us out of the tub with his powerful thighs. Water sluices from us in a flood, falling like rain all around us. Zane holds me like I'm priceless as he steps over the side and reaches for a fluffy bath towel.
He slides me down his body, his lips meeting mine. His kiss is soft and sweet, tinged with devotion as he runs the towel over every inch of my body, drying me with meticulous care.
By the time he's finished, I'm trembling in his arms, powerful waves of desire rushing through me. I kiss my way down his chest, chasing water droplets with my lips. He groans, his cock stiffening between us.
"Not tonight, little rebel," he says, grabbing my hand when I reach for his cock. "Tonight is about you." He sweeps me into his arms, striding into the bedroom.
Soft moonlight shines through the windows and the skylight over the bed, lighting the room with the twinkling colors of night. The sky is so clear here, a million stars glittering like diamonds in a sea of midnight blue.
Zane lays me out in the middle of the bed and then raises up to stare down at me. If I live to one hundred, I'll never forget the fierce devotion shining in his eyes. It reflects like stars, glittering more brightly than the brightest ones in the sky overhead.
"Every time I think I can't possibly love you more, I look at you and fall all over again, little rebel," he says, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're so goddamn perfect. It's a little terrifying to realize I have to let you leave my bed looking like you do."
"Well," I whisper, smiling up at him. "Maybe you could leave me a little parting gift so everyone knows that I'm taken."
His cock jerks, precum spilling from the head. "Are you asking me to get you pregnant, Autumn?"
"Who's asking?" I meet his gaze, my heart thundering in my chest. "Get me pregnant, Zane. I know that's what you've been trying to do."
Consternation flickers through his expression. "You caught on, huh?"
"You aren't very sneaky." I grin at him. "And in case you haven't noticed, I haven't exactly put up a fight." I swallow past the lump in my throat. "I knew," I whisper. "Even when I was too scared to admit it, I knew I belonged with you."
"Fuck," he growls, crawling onto the bed with me. His body covers mine as he claims my mouth in a deep kiss, pouring his heart and soul into it.
I gasp, arching beneath him as my own soul rises up in response, surging forward to answer his. He runs his hands down my body, leaving trails of fire in his wake.
"Make love to me," I plead.
"I am, little rebel. I am." He kisses his way down my body, lavishing attention on me. Not a single inch of my body goes unexplored as he worships me with his lips and tongue and hands, whispering the sweetest words.
By the time he lands between my legs with his face buried in my sex, I'm a sobbing, stuttering mess. His first lick takes me over the edge. I shout his name as I unravel, falling to pieces in his arms.
He eats me through it, driving me straight from one orgasm into another. I sob, clawing at his shoulders and back.
"Yes," he croons, prowling up my body. "This is what I want you to remember about today, little rebel. I want you to remember that you won. And I want you to remember how fucking good you feel right now. Nothing else."
"Zane," I whimper, wrapping my body around his as he places me in his lap and then reaches between us to grab his cock.
He lifts me with one hand, lining himself up at my entrance. His mouth meets mine as he lowers me onto him, filling me slowly.
"I love you, Autumn," he breathes against my lips.
I sob against his mouth, so overwhelmed by him and the way I feel about him that I can't form words.
I don't think there are any. There's only this…
the exquisite pleasure overtaking both of us as we kiss and rock, connected in a way that's deeper than anything physical and older than time.
It's my soul reaching out for his, and his answering.
It's love in its most raw, infinite form.
"You aren't going to work today, little rebel," Zane growls early the next morning, stalking toward me across the bedroom floor. He's naked, red claw marks etched into his upper arms and shoulders.
"It's too early for you to be this bossy, honey bunny," I grumble. We barely slept last night. We were too busy making love and talking most of the night.
I shared a lot with him last night that I've never told anyone, memories from my childhood, things my father did. They weren't all bad. Before my mom died, there were a lot of good days. She made sure we had those. It's been a long time since I let myself remember them.
"I wouldn't have to be bossy if you'd get your stubborn, luscious ass back in the bed," he says, scooping me up into his arms and stomping toward said bed. "You're taking the day off."
I huff and then glare at him when he drops me on the bed. "I'm annoyed with you."
"No, you aren't." He smiles, touching my bottom lip.
"Exactly! That's why I'm annoyed." If he were anyone else, I'd be giving him hell right now for telling me what to do. But when he does it, I get all mushy inside. It's ridiculous.
"You only fight me because you don't know how to let yourself be taken care of, but you'll learn." He presses his lips to my forehead and then fluffs my pillows. "Now, what do you want for breakfast?"
"Coffee." I hesitate. "And blueberry scones."
He gives me the side-eye. "If I go get your coffee and scones, will you stay in bed?"
"Maybe."
He growls at me, making me smile.
"Just kidding. I'll stay in bed. But I want two scones. And a giant coffee. Oh, and can I have a peanut butter cookie for later?"
"You can have whatever you want if it keeps your pretty ass in this bed."
“I’ll stay in bed,” I promise. I know he’s worried about me, and I don’t want to stress him out more than he already is. Okay, so maybe I enjoy stressing him out a little bit, but not after yesterday. I think that was enough stress for both of us for the next month.
He presses his lips to mine in a grateful kiss. “Rest, little rebel. I’ll be home soon.”
“Okay. Love you,” I whisper, snuggling in with a contented sigh.
He brushes his hand down the side of my face and then strides toward the closet to get dressed. I watch him go because, obviously, I mean, he’s naked, and he has a gorgeous, firm ass. Who wouldn’t watch him go? And then I let my eyes drift close.
Two seconds later, his phone rings.
I grumble and peel my eyes open.
“Can you get that, little rebel?” Zane shouts from the closet.
“Yes,” I shout back, reaching for the phone on the bedside table. I frown when I see Andreas’s name on the display, only he’s listed as Playboy the Stooge . I swipe to answer. “It’s way too early for you to be worrying about me already, Stooge.”
“Stooge? Don’t answer that,” he mutters, his voice tense. “Put Zane on the phone.”
Unease drifts through me. I’ve known Andreas my entire life. I can tell when he’s upset, and right now, he’s upset. Something is wrong.
“What’s wrong?” I whisper, sitting up in the bed.
“Put Zane on the phone, baby sister,” he says, his voice soft.
Zane steps out of the closet, pulling a shirt on over his head. He takes one look at my face and comes rushing across the room toward me. “What’s wrong, little rebel?”
“He’s asking for you,” I mumble, holding the phone out toward him. “It’s Andreas.”
Zane takes the phone from me, holding it between his shoulder and his ear as he clings to my fingers in reassurance. “What’s going on?” he growls to my brother. “Why is my woman upset?”
I can’t hear what Andreas says, but Zane’s eyes widen as he listens, and then he rattles off a string of curses. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he snarls. “When?”
He listens for another moment and then sighs, his gaze softening as it runs over me. “Yeah,” he says to my brother. “I’ll have her call you later.” He disconnects and drops the phone on the bedside table, raking a hand through his hair.
“Just tell me,” I whisper. “I already know it’s bad.”
“Fuck.” He wraps his hands around my waist and lifts me out of the bed before sitting with me in his lap. One hand slides into my hair, tipping my head back until my eyes meet his. “Jimmy Gatlin is dead, little rebel,” he murmurs. “Sheriff Armstrong found him in his cell about an hour ago.”
“Dead?” I blink up at him. “But…” My mind spins, trying to grasp this information and figure out where to put it or what to do with it. How can he be dead? “He’s supposed to go to trial. To prison. His victims,” I whisper, tears welling in my eyes. They’ll never get justice now.
“It looks like he had a heart attack, baby,” Zane says, his voice soft. “He died on the floor of his cell.”
A tear slips down my cheek. I’m not crying for him, though. God no. He doesn’t deserve my tears. I cry for everyone he hurt. I cry because he’ll never see the inside of a courtroom. And I think I cry in relief because it’s over.
Zane holds me, crooning words of comfort as I sob against his shoulder. Jimmy Gatlin is dead. And I think… I think part of me is glad. He’ll never be able to hurt anyone else again. He’ll never walk free again.
“Promise me the world will know what he did,” I whisper, my voice raw as I pull back to look at Zane, tears still streaming down my cheeks.
“Promise me that word of his crimes won’t die with him.
” If he can’t face justice, he should die the monster he is.
The world should know him for who he is and what he’s done.
“I swear to you,” Zane vows, cupping my face between his palms. “The world will know what he did.”
Less than twenty-four hours later, Zane keeps his promise.
He and Jude hold a press conference with the District Attorney and Sheriff Armstrong, announcing to the world that Jimmy Gatlin died in police custody after kidnapping me at gunpoint.
They list the pending charges against him, every single one of them.
Sixty-eight counts of sexual solicitation of a minor, sexual harassment, and intimidation.
None of the girls he targeted attends the press conference. With him dead, most just want to move on with their lives. That’s what I want. To move on.
And that’s precisely what I do.
I heal… and I move on. With Zane at my side and my brother at my back, I move into the future without the shadows of the past hanging over my head. For the first time in my life, I’m truly free. And it’s so much more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.