Freeing Her (25 page)

She scrambled across the floor, careful not
the bump into any furniture herself, as she tried to locate
him.

“
Motherfucker, where are
the candles? I need the light.” Panic laced his voice.

“
Hey, babe, I’m right
here.” She finally reached his side and put her arms around him.
“It’s okay. Everything’s good. We don’t need a flashlight. We’re
going to be fine.”

“
I need the goddamn
flashlight, now!”

She was surprised with how his body shook.
She’d never seen him lose control like this. She wished she had
night vision so she could focus on his eyes. He was panicking and
she needed to ground him.

“
Kolson, come here, babe.
Get in the bed with me. I won’t let anything happen to you, I
promise. Remember when you promised me you’d believe me? Well, I’m
promising you right now that I won’t let anything happen to you in
the dark. I’ve got you, honey. I swear to you. Let me hold you and
make it better, okay?”

She felt his tension ease slightly.

“
Here, give me your hand
and come back to bed. It’s safe in here, Kolson. I swear to you.
You told me you trusted me. Trust me in this too.”

He finally relented and allowed her to lead
him back to bed. She snuggled against him and pulled up the covers.
Wrapping him in her arms, she talked to him in calming tones.

“
Gabriella, I need you to
find the candles. Please.”

“
Can you tell me where
they are?”

He took a deep breath and said, “Nightstand.
Check the nightstand. There should be matches and a flashlight
too.”

“
All right. You’ll be okay
if I get up?”

“
Yes. Just go get them.
And hurry.”

She scurried out of bed and fumbled in the
nightstand. Her hand landed on a jar candle and she quickly found
matches. Once lit, the candle bathed the room in a soft glow. She
looked around for the flashlight and found it too, then flipped the
switch and climbed back in bed. She was surprised to find she had
to unclench Kolson’s fists to allow her back under the covers.

“
Better?” she
asked.

“
Yes. Thank you.” Forcing
himself to take deep breaths, he began to feel the bands of anxiety
releasing. “Lie on top of me, please.”

“
Anything you want.” She
crawled on top of him and covered him with her body. “Is this
good?”

“
Yeah. The best.
Gabriella, I can’t tolerate the dark.”

“
Do you want to talk about
it?”

“
Yes. No. Oh, God, I don’t
think I can. Just don’t let go of me.”

“
Never. I’m here.” She
rubbed her cheek against his. “Deep breaths, babe. In to a count of
four. Hold for four and then out for four. That’s good.”

“
Jesus, I hate this. I’m
sorry. I need light.” His voice wavered.

“
I know. Look at me,
Kolson. I’m here for you.”

He nodded and held on to her.

“
Keep breathing. Is that
why you don’t have blinds?”

“
Yeah. I can’t bear to
shut out the sun. It’s why the whole place is light.”

“
I noticed that you like
cream and neutrals.”

“
Yeah.” He panted but his
panic was beginning to ease as she talked him through it. “No dark
colors in here. Can’t stand them.”

“
Talking about it can
help, but you have to come to me.”

“
But I don’t know when
that will be. Just don’t let me go until the lights are back
on.”

“
I won’t. I won’t. You
better?”

“
Yeah. Thank
you.”

“
Did your father punish
you by putting you in the dark?”

“
Yes! No! Please. Don’t
ask me about him.”

“
Okay, babe. I’ve got you.
Nothing will happen to you here.”

“
Will you kiss
me?”

She did. She started out slow. Finding his
lips and brushing hers across them, back and forth, gently tasting
them, she tried to drive away his fear. She nibbled on his upper
lip and then his lower one, right before she sucked it into her
mouth. Their tongues twisted around each other’s as they kissed and
his arms clasped her tightly to him.

“
You know how you always
tell me how beautiful I am?” she asked.

“
Yeah, because you
are.”

“
You’re beautiful too.
I’ve just never told you before. So now it’s your turn to kiss
me.”

She felt his lips curve into a smile as he
kissed her and her heart smiled right along with him. His panic was
blissfully forgotten, at least for the moment, as they lost
themselves in their kiss.

He surprised her when he sat up and shifted
so he could slide his length into her. But their mouths and tongues
kept on with the kissing. Their moans were swallowed by each other,
as were their climaxes. And when he lay back down, still deep
within her, he fell asleep. He forgot about his need for light
because she still had her arms around him, just as she had
promised.

She leaned over, blew out the candle, and
fell asleep too.

# # #

Day two of waking up in glaring sun was not
Gabby’s favorite. This was brutal on the eyes. His bedroom faced
the east and it was like being under a mega spotlight. But now she
understood why. Then it registered that she was alone in the bed.
Stretching, she felt pleasantly sore in a particular area and
smiled. She recalled last night. His panic attack. His fear of the
dark. She puzzled over it until her mind ventured to the sex they
had before the storm and what he’d done to her, where he had put
his finger, and she felt her face burn.

Her crazy mind strayed to how often he’d
done that in the past with other women, but then she chastised
herself. Did it really matter? Pushing those toxic thoughts aside,
she got out of bed and went in search of Kolson. Not finding him,
she took a shower.

Once finished bathing, she headed to the
kitchen for coffee. A most appealing sight greeted her—Kolson in
front of the counter, guzzling a bottle of water, sweaty from a
workout. Her heart picked up its rhythm while her hand reached for
her chest as she imagined how he would feel against her skin,
dripping with sweat, or how he would taste if she licked him now.
He hadn’t noticed her yet, and when he lifted the hem of his shirt
to wipe the perspiration from his face, she felt herself grow damp
with need. She broke out in a sweat herself simply watching him. He
must’ve caught sight of her because he turned slightly and zeroed
in on her. But he didn’t say a word; he only stared. The room
charged, as did her body.

Then he approached, grasped her hand, walked
her into the bedroom and pushed her backward on to the bed.

“
I’ll be right back. Don’t
you dare move.”

She heard the shower turn on and in a few
minutes, shut off. Then he rejoined her, naked and all sexed up.
His piercings caught the light and the head of his cock glistened,
telling her what was about to happen. Desire uncoiled from within
her depths. There was only one thing she wanted right now, and she
couldn’t wait for it. She sat up and scooted to the edge of the
bed, hooked her finger, and motioned for him to come closer.

She looped her arms around his thighs,
feeling his heated damp skin, and took his cock into her mouth,
licking off the bead of moisture as she went. He tasted good, so
good. Clean, salty, and musky, just like she’d imagined.

“
Oh, kea, yes.”

Taking him in as far as she could, she felt
the silver balls of his piercing hit the back of her throat, but it
only spurred her on. She sucked, licked, and swirled her tongue
about his thickness. When he groaned deep in the back of his
throat, she knew it was what he wanted. There wasn’t anything
hotter to her than that sound, so she opened her eyes to take a
look at him and found him watching her every move. He grabbed her
hand and moved it to his heavy sac, enclosing it around its weight.
His breathing became heavier then, and Gabby didn’t want to stop
looking at him.

“
Your mouth on my dick is
one sexy sight,” he said, his voice hoarse with lust. “Take it in
deep, as deep as you can.”

The silver balls tickled her tongue and the
roof of her mouth as she slid his cock in and out. Every time she’d
flick him and work her tongue around them, he’d hiss air through
his teeth. She’d take him in deep and the sounds he made when she
sucked him hard, spurred her own desire.

“
Ahhh, I’m so close. I
need for you to stop. I want to fuck you now. I want you to wrap
your tight pussy around me.”

When she released him, he untied her robe
and tore it off her. Then he sucked her nipples hard and teased
them with his teeth, scraping them until they were nearly raw and
she writhed beneath him. “As much as I’d like this to be slow, I’m
too impatient right now. I want to take you hard and fast.”

He lifted her legs onto his shoulders and
plunged into her, stretching her with ruthless strength. And she
loved every single inch of him. Begged him for more. Her nails dug
into his arms as she drew blood and screamed out his name, but he
paid no heed. He only thrust harder, chasing his release and hers.
His hand found her clit, rubbed her to ecstasy and soon after he
pulled out. She watched as his cum burst across her chest in a
series of sexy spurts. Then he massaged it all over her chest,
nipples, and pussy.

Kneeling, he looked at her and said, “I
think I love you best covered in this. What a gorgeous sight you
are. Damn, I wish we didn’t have to go to work.”

After a moment, he went to the bathroom and
came back with a towel. He cleaned her up everywhere … except her
nipples and pussy. “Don’t you dare wash this off. I want to know,
while I work today, that my cum is still on your nipples and your
pussy. And Gabriella, if you wash it off, I’ll find a way to punish
you. Do you understand me?”

“
Yes.” She wasn’t sure
what he meant by that, but she had a notion to test him.

“
I know what you’re
thinking. And you won’t like my methods. At all.”

Then he gave her a long, slow, sexy kiss and
got up. “And don’t do a thing to your hair, either. You look
perfect in that freshly fucked look.”

“
But, I have bed head.
It’s all tangled,” she protested.

“
Damn straight. And it’s
hot as hell. Don’t you dare touch it.”

“
You’re weird. There’s no
way I can go to work like this. My patients will think I’m
nuts.”

He laughed. “No, they’ll think you’re
beautiful. But I’ll let you get away with it this time.” He stopped
her with another kiss. “Your lips are perfect too, all puffy from
kissing and sucking my dick.” Then he smiled when he looked at his
arm. “And I’ll wear this with honor.” He held it up for her to see.
There were three long, blood-red scratches.

“
I did that? Holy
shit!”

With a sly grin, he nodded. “You’d better
get a move on or we’ll both be late,” he said, smirking. “Oh, and
kea, thank you for rescuing me last night. It meant the world to
me.”

That was it. That was all he said about his
panic episode. Gabby knew it was pure avoidance, but something dark
and disturbing unsettled her. What had happened to him to cause
this kind of reaction? Had his father locked him inside a dark
room? She was determined not to pry, but she also knew how
unhealthy it was to keep it bottled up. Then she rolled her eyes at
herself. Pot, meet Kettle. And boy, had she ever.

Chapter
Twenty

All day long,
Gabby had only one thing on her mind: her mini
sexathon with Kolson. Several times she caught herself absently
rubbing her tender nipples. It was a good thing she was alone when
that happened.

With all the phone calls and texts she’d
been fielding, she could’ve used a secretary. Sky, Cara, Ryder and
Case were all checking up on her. It was nice, but maybe they
needed to set up some kind of phone chain. Midday, when her phone
rang, she answered it and was more than pleased to hear Kolson’s
voice.

“
Do you have time for
lunch today?”

“
I only have forty-five
minutes.”

“
And when would that
be?”

“
After one
thirty.”

“
Perfect,” he said. “Any
food aversions?”

“
Uh, no. Why?”

“
I’m bringing lunch in to
you. See you then.”

“
But …” He’d already ended
the call.

At one thirty sharp, his large frame filled
her doorway. His presence thickened the air around her, and her
heart galloped behind her ribs. He eyed her and did that thing with
his lips, scraping his teeth across them. She felt herself respond
right where it mattered most—between her thighs. Her hand moved to
her throat, as if that would ease the pressure she felt against her
chest. But it didn’t. Not one bit.

In his hands he toted a large bag and a tray
with two tall drinks. “Am I going to have to stand here and hold
this for the next forty-five minutes, or are you going to show me
where we’re going to eat lunch?”

She cleared her throat and said, “How rude
of me. This way.” She rose and he followed her into a tiny room
with a small refrigerator and sink. It also held a small round
table and two chairs. “Please, sit.”