To Love & to Protect Read online

  She embraces me, resting her head on my shoulder.

  “I’ve never let anyone do that to me.”

  I growl. I take her mouth against mine again, harder this time. She gasps into my mouth as I slide my tongue past her lips. I let my arms slide past her waist, over her perfectly round ass toward her thighs. I grip her legs and lift her up, which makes her squeal with delight. I rest her on the counter and crouch below her. I hook both hands into the sides of my underwear, loose on her body. She lifts her hips to ease them off of her. Her body is bare underneath, and I have the perfect view of her inner thighs and the outside of her labia.

  I press my face closer to her sex, and her legs fall open in response.

  “This is mine,” I snarl as I inch closer.

  “Yes,” she cries.

  Her pussy tastes amazing, but it’s even better to see how good she feels. I run the tip of my tongue in a circle around her clit, and her hips buck toward me. Her legs wrap around me, and the heels of her feet pressing into my back as she moans. Her breath is desperate and hard. When I can tell she’s close to the edge, I pull back. Her eyes open, dazed and curious.

  “I want to watch your face as you cum,” I say, dipping two fingers inside of her pussy.

  “I want you to watch me,” she breathes.

  I pump my fingers into her in a slow and steady pace. She grips the edge of the counter, looking like she could fall to pieces under the feeling. I move faster. I press figure-eight shapes into her clit, and her hips press forward into me.

  “Cum for me,” I demand. “I want to feel you cum all around me.”

  She speeds up, her breath desperate and hard. She grinds her hips against me, lifting her ass up, fucking herself on my digits.

  “Joseph,” she cries as her pussy throbs, cumming onto me.

  Once she catches her breath, I lift her off of the counter and lay her onto the bed.

  Chapter 10

  Naomi

  “You’re mine now,” Joseph murmurs as he mounts me. “I’m going to take your virginity, and in return, I’m going to give you my seed.” He leans down to plant a kiss between my breasts. “I want my baby inside you, so that the whole world can know you’re mine.”

  That’s exactly what I want. His dick. His baby. Him.

  His hands slide from my breasts to my sides then down to my thighs. He pulls my legs apart and positions himself between them.

  “Nobody in the world is going to see me like this,” I breathe. “Only you.”

  He groans in response. I spread my legs further apart, showing myself to him.

  “It’s yours. Take it.”

  He needs no instruction. He grips one side of my hip and angles his body toward mine. I strain to watch his cock, massive and hard, twitch as it approaches my body.

  He watches me as he presses the head of his dick inside me. My mouth falls open. The sensation too good and too powerful to hide.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, inching deeper.

  I nod. “More.”

  “More what?” he says with a smile.

  “More of you. Deeper,” I gasp. “Please.”

  I cry out as he slides his entire length into me. I feel impossibly full with my pussy stretched to its limits.

  “Is that what you wanted?” he teases.

  “Yes,” I breathe.

  He strokes me slowly at first; his hips rolling smoothly against mine. After a moment, I find his rhythm, and I pitch my hips upwards to meet him before he fucks into me. My body is begging for more. He pounds into me harder then, slamming his length into me. He moves faster than I can keep up, slamming my hips into the bed. I wrap my arms around his muscular back, my nails digging into his skin.

  “You’re so fucking tight,” he growls. His head is next to mine, and his breath is hard and ragged in my ear.

  “Fill me up,” I whisper.

  He thrusts a few more time, then buries his cock in me completely. The pure heat of his seed pours into me. He holds me there for a moment, both of gasping for breath.

  After a moment, he slides next to me. I lay my head on his broad chest, and he wraps his arms around me. I have never felt like I belonged anywhere more.

  Chapter 11

  Naomi

  It’s easy to fall into a routine. Joseph comes to the diner when he gets off of his shifts, which almost always line up with the ending of mine. Even though I’m used to it, and half the time he sends me a text to know he’s on his way, I still feel a surge of joy and relief when I see Joseph walk through the door. I tell him so over a slightly overcooked waffle one night, and he laughs at me.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Being a police officer is a scary job. You could get hurt at any time. It’s just nice to know you’re safe.”

  He smiles.

  “I think it’s cute that you worry about me just as much as I worry about you.”

  “What?” I say, incredulous. “What makes you worry about me?”

  “Naomi,” he says, giving me a serious look. “Half of the drug busts that happen in this town, happen in your neighborhood. I know of at least three break-ins that have happened in your apartment complex in the last year. You’re probably in just as much danger as I am. And you’re roughly half my size.”

  I scrunch up my nose at him. “I’m small, but I’m mighty!”

  “Oh yeah?” he asks, holding his arm up in the universal position of arm wrestling.

  I clasp my hand in his. He counts down from three. I can barely make him budge, and he slams the back of my hand onto the table immediately.

  “Well, just because I’m not stronger than you doesn’t mean I’m not powerful,” I retort.

  He smiles. “Sure, pipsqueak.”

  Chapter 12

  Joseph

  A day comes where I just can’t handle Naomi living on her own. There’s nothing special about the day. It’s an overcast Wednesday. I get off of my shift at 5, and Naomi is done at 6. I spend that hour going to her cousin’s diner, watching her ping-pong between tables full of families and teenagers, bringing out pots of coffee and plates of food. I imagine her going home to her terrible apartment, and I can’t stop picturing horrors. I picture someone attacking her as she gets out of her car. I picture a strange man waiting for her in her apartment. I picture a gunfight in the parking lot and a stray bullet flying through her window. It’s too much for me. She means too much for me. I can’t let her go.

  She comes by to refill my water and plant a kiss on my cheek.

  “You look a little blue today, darling.”

  “Will you come home with me tonight?” I ask.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I can’t stand the thought of you going back to that apartment alone.” I reach out and grab her hand.

  “I love you, Naomi. I want you to see the life I have here. The life I could give you.”

  She smiles down at me and squeezes my hand.

  “Of course.”

  Chapter 13

  Naomi

  Tina lets me leave a few minutes before I’m supposed to clock out; so by the time I was supposed to be off, I’m already in the front seat of Joseph’s truck as it bounces down a small road.

  His house is so different than the place he showed me in the city. It’s bigger, with two guest rooms and an office that looks more like a mausoleum. Everything is made from warm colored wood with cozy, overstuffed armchairs in every room.

  “This place really looks like a home,” I say as I wander from the living room into the kitchen.

  “It looks like a home, but it isn’t.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It won’t be a home until I add a few more things,” he says, grabbing a beer out of the fridge and cracking it open.

  “Like what?” I ask, leaning against the counter.

  “You.”

  I feel my cheeks redden. It’s such a sweet sentiment that I have to look away.

  “Our children,” he adds, stepping closer t
o me.

  I look up at his bright blue eyes. I push myself onto my tiptoes and give him a quick kiss. He catches me and kisses me deeper, the sharp taste of beer on his lips.

  “Come on,” he whispers. “I have something to show you.”

  Chapter 14

  Joseph

  Her eyes look like they’re going to bulge out of her head when I show her the barn. It’s adorable, considering it’s not anything too impressive. Two horse stalls inside a large space, but only one horse.

  “This is Henry,” I say, leading her to the animal.

  “I’ve never seen a horse in real life before,” she breathes.

  “What? I thought you said you grew up in a small town?”

  “I did, but my family was dirt poor. We barely had enough money for food, let alone something like a horse.”

  She extends a hand to greet Henry, who snuffles and licks her palm. Naomi giggles like a little girl.

  “You want to go for a ride?” I ask.

  “Really?” she breathes.

  “Of course.”

  I lift her up and place her on his back, then hop up behind her.

  “Don’t we need something?” she asks as we approach the barn doors.

  “Like what?”

  “A saddle? A safety net? I don’t know!”

  I laugh. “I’m an old pro, and Henry is the most well-behaved horse in the world. Just relax. If you get nervous, just hold onto me.”

  Outside, the sky is perfectly clear, and the sun has almost completely disappeared over the horizon. The land out here is flat enough that the horizon is an unblemished, perfectly flat line in the distance where the dark ground rises to meet the darkening sky. I wrap my arms around her middle, holding her body close to mine. I breathe deep and inhale the scent of her, the smell of the grass, and the clean air around us. I’ve never felt more in love with her or anything else in the world.

  Chapter 15

  Naomi

  When our legs are sore from riding, Joseph and I lay in the soft grass and stare up at the sky. I imagine what we would look like from the perspective of the stars, two tiny figures in a sea of green, touching only at the hands.

  “It’s really beautiful out here,” I say after a moment of sweet quiet.

  “This could all be yours.”

  He’s so kind to me that it hurts. It feels wrong for him to like me so much, like maybe he wouldn’t if he knew everything about me.

  “I’ve never lived somewhere I was happy to be,” I say. “I think I’m worried that I would never be able to do it.”

  “Not even when you were young?”

  I bite back laughter. “No way.”

  “Tell me about it,” he says.

  I sigh. “My mom was a single mother. She struggled. She’s a meth addict. I don’t know if she wasn’t always like that, or if I just didn’t notice until I got older. But any money we had, she smoked it away. Things weren’t easy, and a lot of times, she got desperate, sometimes violent. There was one day where it was just too much, and I left. I called up Tina, and I came here. I never even said goodbye.”

  His hand pulls at my side. He rolls me onto my side so he can pull me to his chest, embracing me hard.

  “I’m sorry you’ve been through that.”

  I nod. “Thank you.”

  I let him hold me for a few more moments until I speak again.

  “I’ve been afraid to let anyone else into my life, but I want to let you in. And now that you know that and you aren’t running for the hills, I think I can.”

  He sighs and pulls me closer, pressing me into his chest.

  “Nothing you could do would ever make me run for the hills.”

  Chapter 16

  Joseph

  After a while of holding Naomi under the stars, I can’t help but want to kiss her. And after awhile of kissing Naomi under the stars, I want nothing more in the world than to fuck her. She’s on top of me, her knees planted on the sides of my hips as she leans down to kiss me. I slide my hands underneath her shirt, making quick work of her bra clasp. I didn’t know her tits could look any better than they already did, but her pale skin glows in the moonlight.

  She smiles down at me, biting her lips.

  “You showed me such a nice ride. It’s only fair I give you a ride in return.”

  “Are you sure it’s safe?” I tease.

  She reaches down to unbutton my jeans.

  “No protection. Only bareback.”

  She pulls my clothes off quickly and positions herself over me. She kisses me, pressing the wet heat of her pussy against my stomach. She takes a moment to guide the head of my cock into her, and then she’s surrounding me, tight and slick and gripping onto my cock. At first, she grinds. I watch her hips roll into mine, her head lolling back as she rides me. Her back arches, thrusting her breasts closer to me. I grab her, my hands completely full of her thick, round ass. I pull her globes apart and she moans.

  She shifts her weight to her knees and rocks her hips on top of me. Her hips slam against me as she rides my cock, pulling her pussy up and down my shaft. The pleasure is immense, and I can only grip onto her hips and let her take control. She groans as she rides me, and it’s amazing to watch her take control.

  She builds up speed until I can’t take it anymore. I dig my fingers into the soft skin of her ass and hold her still as I pump her full of my cum.

  Chapter 17

  Naomi

  After I’ve been staying at Joseph’s house for a week, he surprises me with a dozen red roses at work. I didn’t even know there was a florist in this tiny town, let alone one that could bring such gorgeous blooms. The other girls shoot me dirty looks, and even Tina can’t help but tease me. I don’t care. And in fact, it feels good. I like them knowing that I have someone like Joseph in my life. I like them to see that I belong to someone, and not just anyone. A man who cares for me, who wants to make me feel good and wants the world to see I’m his.

  I feel unstoppable for most of the day. There are screaming toddlers at 3pm and a dinner rush filled with grouchy old men, but they can’t stop how good I feel. Once the rush is over, I take a moment to admire my flowers again, stroking a soft petal absently. The bell above the door chimes, and I look up to find a familiar face.

  “I bet you thought you saw the last of me.” my mother sneers from the doorway.

  “What are you doing here?” I say, trying to keep my voice level.

  “What, can’t a gal get a bite to eat?” She approaches the counter, and now that I can see her more closely, I can tell she’s high. Her eyes are glassy and dart around, never focusing on one thing for more than a second.

  “You live hundreds of miles away,” I say.

  “So do you.”

  I shake my head. “I have a life here now. I’m not coming back.”

  She pulls a knife out of her pocket. “I was afraid you would say that.”

  I take a deep breath. “Didn’t you say you wanted something to eat? Let’s not have this conversation on an empty stomach.”

  She looks at the knife, then back at me. “A steak,” she says, lowering the knife.

  “In the freezer,” I say before disappearing into the back. I step inside the walk-in freezer and dial 911.

  Chapter 18

  Joseph

  It’s a dull day on patrol. Nothing can hold my attention. I’m set up in a speed trap on the highway, waiting to make the city some easy money from speeding tickets. A call comes in on the radio. The woman on the other end names off a potential domestic disturbance, asking for an officer immediately. She names the location and my blood runs cold.

  That’s the address for Tina’s diner. Naomi is there right now.

  “I’m three minutes away,” I say back into the radio. “I’m on it.”

  I tear onto the road, my tires screeching. As I race through the streets, my body fills with fear.

  I must protect her. I must protect Naomi.

  I must protect what’s mine.
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  Chapter 19

  Naomi

  When I exit the freezer, my hand gripping an icy puck of meat, my mother is waiting for me. This time, she has a kitchen knife. The blade is as wide as her arm, the sharp edge glistening in the yellow overhead lights.

  “Please put that down,” I say, shivering.

  “No.”

  “Mom, please. Let’s just talk about this.”

  “I’m not talking to you,” she screams.

  I don’t point out that we’re talking right now. It won’t help me.

  “Don’t you want some food? I can get you a coffee, too. A slice of pie, if you want it.”

  She opens her mouth, but the sound of police sirens interrupt her.

  “What did you do?” she hisses.

  I throw my hands up in the air. “I didn’t do anything. I don’t know what’s happening.”

  She takes a step closer to me. “You think that’s going to stop me? How many times have I been to jail, Naomi? You think I’m afraid of getting thrown in the drunk tank for a while? Please. I’ll be back on the street in 24 hours. And you know what? I’m coming for you right away.”

  I take a step back, but that puts me right up against the wall. She raises the knife and smiles.

  A loud bang fills the room. She turns to look behind her. Joseph is standing at the end of the kitchen, gun drawn, in his deep blue uniform.

  “Drop your weapon,” he screams.

  “Fuck you,” my mother shouts.

  He takes a step toward her, but she doesn’t move. In one smooth move, he throws his elbow into her chest. Her arm flails, but the knife clatters to the ground near the stovetop and she’s on the ground. Joseph digs his knee into her back and pulls her arms up for the handcuffs.

  Epilogue

  Naomi