He felt her continue to orgasm as he started to rock inside her.
Robin held on to him tighter and he gripped her ass, pushing inside, wishing and hoping for her to remember as he continued to fuck her, taking her harder than ever before.
Staring into her eyes, he felt her deep into his soul. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for this woman. She owned him, and all he had to do was be patient for her to come back to him. It didn’t matter that he didn’t want her to remember everything. She had to remember everything, even if he didn’t want her to.
When she came a second time, he held off his own release, watching her, waiting for the moment of truth to consume her.
Nothing happened. Nothing changed.
He spilled his release inside her, holding her close. “Fuck, I love you,” he said.
She let out a little giggle. “I love you as well.”
She kissed his neck, but deep down, Preacher knew it wasn’t enough. Robin still belonged to him. She was still all his, but there was a part of her missing, and until he found that part, he would never be free.
Not ever.
****
The following morning, Robin left Preacher alone in bed. She pulled on a pair of jeans and one of his old shirts and went in search of the kitchen.
She had this overwhelming need for pancakes and coffee.
Closing the door, she made her way downstairs only to come to a stop outside of Bishop’s room. There was something about the door and the feeling twisting in her gut that made her want to go through the door.
She stepped close but stopped, rubbing at her temple. The pressure intensified.
Would she remember anything if she went through there?
She put her hand on the door, about to press forward, but she held back. Her stomach growled and anything important like this had to be done on a full stomach. She didn’t know if that was true, but at this time, she didn’t care. She walked to the kitchen only to find her father already there.
A steaming cup of coffee was in front of him on the table but he had his head in his hands, looking all stressed.
“Rough night?” she asked.
“You could say that.” He didn’t look up and she walked over to the coffee maker and poured herself a cup.
It was strange to her to know how she liked her coffee and even what kind of food she preferred, but nothing else from her life.
The connections she’d made.
Strange.
With her coffee black and one sugar, she went to the table, taking a seat beside her dad. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Did you drink a whole lot?”
“I didn’t touch a drop.”
“Oh. Do you have a problem?”
“I thought I did, which is why I went through a quick program but no, I don’t. I just don’t want to drink. It’s complicated.”
“Okay. It’s not like I don’t understand complicated. I mean, look at me. I remember how I take my coffee but I don’t remember my mom or Bishop. Getting married or being pregnant. There’s a lot of complications in my life.”
Bear sighed. “I’m not trying to keep you out or exclude you.”
“I know. I get it, Dad. You’ve got … your reasons and I respect them.” She reached out, taking his hand. “I just wanted you to know that I do understand.”
“I drank when you were gone to numb the guilt I felt.”
“Why did you feel guilty?”
“I didn’t know a lot about what was happening in your life. You never got to tell me about Preacher and yourself. I had to hear about it after. I know you were sad about the loss of your baby but … again, I didn’t know how much you wanted to be pregnant. I spent so much time wrapped up in my own shit, I didn’t give a fuck about what was going on outside, and I should have.”
“You can’t hold yourself responsible for every little detail that goes on in my life.”
He laughed. “Forgive me, sweetheart, for saying this, but you don’t know what the hell went on.”
“I know but I’m here now.”
“You’re only partly here. You’re not completely here.” Bear held her hand even tighter. This time, he tried to comfort her. “You think I don’t see how nervous being here makes you? This is your home. You didn’t spend a lot of time here growing up and if you did, you were always in Bishop’s room, but you were safe here, for the most part. Fuck, I don’t even know what I’m trying to say.”
“You’re trying to say that even though she belongs here and is safe, she doesn’t know it. She’s part of our life again, but the old Robin, she’s not sitting here drinking her coffee with one sugar. She’s gone,” Preacher said.