“I got you, baby,” he rasps, dipping his head to suck on my neck. “I know what you need. I’ll take care of you, I promise,” he tells me, his voice ringing with sincerity.
My eyes fly to his, and I jerk uncontrollably as he slides a finger across my clit. He steals my gasp with his mouth as he kisses me deeply, hungrily. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, and I meet it with mine, tasting him, absorbing him into every cell. I moan into his mouth, and all my thoughts scatter as his fingers move against me purposefully. I cling to him, rocking my hips as the pleasure builds.
Tearing my mouth from his, I press my head into the pillow as his hand moves on me expertly. He seems to know exactly how to touch me, exactly what I need. He moves his mouth to my neck, sucking and licking at the sensitive flesh, nipping me with his teeth as his fingers bring me closer and closer to my release.
“Drayton,” I moan, his name torn from me in a breathless plea.
“Let go. I’ve got you. Come for me,” he commands, pinching my clit between his thumb and forefinger.
My body jerks against him, and I explode, sobbing his name as my orgasm washes over me in rich waves of ecstasy. My muscles lock up tight as I shake and jerk my way through it, and all the while, he continues to softly stroke my clit, pulling every last drop of my orgasm from me until I fall back to the bed, my body lax in the aftermath.
Slowly, I peel my eyes open, blushing furiously when I find him looking down at me with a tenderness that humbles me.
“That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he mutters, dropping a soft kiss against my lips.
The tears that have been threatening since yesterday leak from the corners of my eyes. “That was… incredible. I love the feel of your hands on me, Drayton. I can’t remember the last time someone touched me, let alone held me close,” I confess huskily.
“You’ve been neglected, haven’t you, sweet thing? But not anymore. I’m going to be touching you, reminding you how precious you are, as often as you need to hear it,” he promises, causing more tears to spill down my face. He wipes them away with his thumbs. “You deserve to be cherished and loved, and it just so happens, I’m the man for the job.”
“Did we really only meet yesterday?” I choke, cupping his face and stroking my fingers through his beard.
Drayton drops his forehead to mine. “I know, right? Never felt anything like this before. Must’ve met you in a previous life, and we’re just picking up where we left off.”
And there goes my heart, melting into a puddle of goo.
He drops another kiss on my mouth. “You must be hungry. I’ll make you breakfast, and we’ll talk.”
My eyes widen as the full implications of last night hit me. “I guess you know everything, now, huh? The cork is out of the bottle, so to speak.”
“I know enough,” he replies, his mouth a grim line.
“Last night, Mom told me she never wanted me, that my father told her to get an abortion and that the only reason she didn’t was because she left it too late. He married her out of a sense of duty and obligation,” I mumble into his chest, feeling numb as I remember her words.
Drayton’s arms tighten around me. “God, I’m sorry, baby. No one should ever have to hear that! Did you ever try to find your father after he left?”
“That’s why I chose Houston when I left home. I had some ridiculous idea that I’d find him, and he’d welcome me back with open arms.”
“Did you? Find him, I mean?”
I nod. “He was living in a fancy house downtown. When I rocked up to his door, he tried to buy me off. Didn’t want me dirtying up his new life with his new family. I threw his check back at him, and I haven’t seen him since. I met Lily not long after. Her friendship was just what I needed, and we ended up sharing an apartment.”
“Lily?” he questions.
“My best friend,” I smile fondly as I think of her. “She’s living in San Antonio now. Has a new job with an IT company based there.” I fall quiet, thinking about the decisions I now have to make. “I tried to be the daughter they wanted, tried to help Mom, put my life in Houston on hold to come here. But I can’t do it anymore, Drayton. Does that make me a bad person?”
Drayton tips my chin back, his eyes drilling into mine. “You don’t have a bad bone in your body. And you don’t have to be anything other than who and what you are, you hear me? Because you’re perfect, Daisy Jenkins. Perfect for me.”
I gaze up at him with something close to wonder. “I think you need to pinch me because I’m sure I’m dreaming.”
“No pinching until I’ve fed you,” he chuckles, rolling away and surging to his feet.
“I should call her. Check in on her,” I say, worrying my bottom lip with my teeth.
“Already done,” Drayton reassures me. “Jessica, my secretary, called her this morning while you were sleeping, and she’s fine. Hungover, but fine. She can’t go anywhere because the town is snowed in. It’ll be a few days before it thaws enough to open up the businesses again. In the meantime, you’re staying here. With me.”
I don’t have it in me to argue, even if I wanted to. Staying here with Drayton feels like my very own version of heaven.
My eyes roam over him in just his boxers. He’s huge, but there’s not an ounce of fat on him. He looks like a man accustomed to the physical activity his job provides rather than a man who pumps iron in the gym. My gaze lingers on his wide shoulders and broad chest with its feathering of hair leading a happy trail down his defined abs. My eyes move lower, taking in his muscular thighs, and I frown as I see the terrible damage the bomb blast did to his left leg. I can only imagine the excruciating pain it must have caused, not to mention the psychological damage.