Page 36 of The Stolen Dagger

THREE MONTHS LATER

KATHERINE

I was buzzing with excitement when I got to Drew’s apartment on Friday afternoon.

Well, it was our apartment now. I still wasn’t used to calling it that since moving in with him a month ago.

My heart beat wildly with nerves, and my hands shook as I struggled to insert my key in the lock. When I got inside, I discarded my bag on the kitchen counter and went in search of Drew to tell him the good news.

I didn’t have to search long before I found him in our bedroom looking at something on his phone with his back to me.

He was still in his police uniform, and I practically drooled at the sight of his ass in those dark blue pants.

There was just something about a man in uniform, specifically this man, that made me want to climb him like a tree and have my way with him.

God. I’m crazy for this man.

It had been three months since we left Mack and my father in Las Vegas. As soon as we got back to Oklahoma, I had Drew take me to Leah’s house. I needed her to know the truth.

A part of me was scared she wouldn’t forgive me, but that fear evaporated as soon as I saw her and she wrapped me in the biggest hug.

She had apologized for not giving me the time I needed to explain, and I had apologized for not telling her the truth.

Which led to an entire evening devoted to catching her up on everything I had kept from her.

Including my old life with Adrian to the most recent events like the notes, the dagger, my father, and then how it all ended in Las Vegas.

By the end of it, our eyes were red and puffy, but our friendship was mended and stronger than ever.

The days following, Drew and I salvaged what we could from my apartment, which wasn’t much after Hunter had destroyed it. Even though we got it all cleaned up, I no longer felt comfortable staying there and ended up spending most nights at Drew’s apartment anyway.

It wasn’t until a month later that the going back and forth between his place and mine really weighed on me.

But before I could start looking for a new place, Drew insisted I move in with him officially.

I was hesitant at first—worried that moving in together would put too much pressure on our relationship. But with Drew's reassurance and the fact that we were practically living together already, it wasn’t a hard choice to make.

It felt like the natural next step for us.

Since then, I kept my promise to Pearl and called her twice a month. I cherished those calls, and I knew they meant a lot to her, as well. She even planned to visit Drew and me in Oklahoma next month.

As for my father, he was a busy man. We had talked a few times here and there, but the calls had been short and strained. We were still working on finding a balance between us, but I was optimistic that we could mend the parts of our relationship broken years ago.

Despite everything with Adrian and the dagger, I was happier than I had been in years, especially at that current moment because I had good news to share.

I ran to Drew, hoping to catch him off guard, but he must have heard me coming because he turned in greeting just as I jumped into his arms.

“Whoa.” He caught me, one arm around my back and the other under my ass, as I wrapped my legs around his waist and my hands around his neck.

I giggled at the surprised expression on his handsome face and kissed him without thinking.

I couldn’t go too long without kissing him these days.

I pulled back, smiling. “Hi.”

Drew chuckled. “Well, hi, darlin’. What was that for?”

I couldn’t keep it to myself anymore, so I blurted out, “I got accepted into the social work program! I start next semester.”

“That’s great, baby!” Drew kissed me again. “I knew you’d get in. Did you tell Leah?”

“Not yet. I thought I’d tell her later at the engagement party. Is she still coming here first?”

“Yeah, I think she’ll be here in about twenty minutes to ride over there with us.”

Tyler finally popped the question to Leah last month.

She had been ecstatic and loved showing off her ring any chance she got.

Tonight was her surprise engagement party, but it wasn’t much of a surprise since Leah had found out about it almost immediately.

She still wanted to play along for her parent’s sake, which was why she was going with us.

“Good.” My grin widened, and I wiggled my hips against him to make my intentions clear. “Twenty minutes should be enough time to celebrate properly.”

Drew smirked. “That’s not nearly enough time to worship you the way you deserve, but I’ll give it a try.”

I squealed excitedly as Drew dropped us back on the bed. I bounced on the mattress before he hovered above me, attaching his lips to my neck and sucking on the spot just under my jaw.

We made quick work of each other’s clothing before we were both naked and panting with need.

“Please, Drew,” I moaned, and my nails dug into his back, pulling him closer. “I need you inside me.”

“Fuck, darlin’,” Drew groaned. “I need you, too. Are you wet and ready for me?” His hand skated down my body until he reached the place I needed him most. “Goddamn, baby, you’re fucking soaked.”

I moved my hips in tune with his hand as he circled my clit in slow and gentle ministrations. Then he inserted two fingers inside me and curled them, massaging my G-spot.

Shocks of pleasure tingled through my body, and I gasped, already on the brink of my orgasm. “Drew!”

“Just making sure you’re ready, darlin’.” Drew chuckled, removed his fingers, and put them in his mouth, moaning at the taste of me. “Fuck. I won’t last long with you like this.”

He quickly grabbed a condom from the bedside table and rolled it on his hard cock.

I bit my lip in anticipation as I watched him stroke his cock a few times. I needed him inside me.

Suddenly, he grabbed me by the ankle and pulled so that my legs hung off the edge of the bed. I spread wider for him and arched my back into the mattress as he lined himself up with my pussy.

Drew didn’t waste any time as he thrust inside me, filling me to the point that my eyes rolled back in pleasure .

“Yes, yes!” I cried out and locked my legs around his waist.

“Fuck, darlin’,” Drew groaned. “You’re squeezing my cock so fucking good. I can’t hold back.” He increased his pace. “Come with me.”

His thumb went to my clit and rubbed, building my climax until I exploded.

I screamed his name as we came together, collapsing side-by-side on the bed. Deliciously spent and sweaty, Drew pushed back the hair from my forehead and placed a lazy kiss there.

“I didn’t think it was possible to feel this way about someone,” Drew confessed, “but you’ve completely taken over my heart and soul. I’m so proud of the woman you are. I love you, Katherine.”

I framed his face with my hands, loving the prickly feel of his beard. “I love you, Drew. Even when I gave you every reason to, you never gave up on me. I’ll always be grateful for that. I’ll always be grateful for you.”

I pulled his mouth to mine as if to convey everything I couldn’t express with words.

I wanted him to know just how much he meant to me and just how lost I would be without him. Because he was the light that pulled me out of the dark.

So, I kissed him like it was a promise of the future—of our bright future together.