Page 95 of Sweet Oblivion

I can’t.

How do you admit that the fear he’d find me and do something even worse to me isn’t something I can put into words. Instead, I settle for what I can manage. “There are things worse than death, Ryker. I knew I’d leave one day, but I had to be ready. I had a plan, but then everything with Ashton happened, and I couldn’t let him hurt her. I had to stop him. I had to risk it. I had to risk my plan to save her.”

“Delaney . . .”

“At some point, I’ll have to testify against him, but considering when he kidnapped Ashton, he was taking on one of the most powerful families in the country, I’m not really worried about him getting out of prison in this lifetime. He can’t hurt me anymore,” I add softly, knowing that’s not really true. The consequences of a lifetime lived in fear will always be with me.

Ryker slides his hands to my waist and lifts me, sitting me on the wooden worktable, then gathers my face in his hands. “I will never hurt you, Delaney. Never. And you’ll never have to worry about being hurt again as long as I’m breathing. Fuck, baby, if something happens to me, my family would make sure of it after I’m gone. I protect what’s mine, and you are mine, Delaney Rousseau.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this, Ryker. You weren’t supposed to be this great big thing in my life. I was just getting used to being by myself. I’d been on my own for years, even if I was under his roof, but now I was supposed tobe alone. I was supposed to be figuring out how to do this. How to live this life without the threat and always looking over my shoulder. And then you...” I turn my face into his hand and kiss his palm. “You barged in and knocked down every wall I’d built to keep myself safe. And you, God, you’re all healthy family and healthy relationships and healthy coping mechanisms. What am I supposed to do with that? I’m so broken, I don’t even know how to fight without the fear of flinching, and you’re all—ugh, you’re all perfect and annoyingly calm. I don’t know what to do with that.”

He raises one dark brow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “I’m perfect?”

“Really?” I laugh softly, running my fingers up his jaw and stopping below his ear. “That’s what you got out of that whole thing? I bare my soul and you hear the word perfect?”

His grin grows, and so does my laughter. “What am I going to do with you, pretty boy?”

“I can think of a few things, wife.”

“One more day,” I tease.

“Less than twenty hours.” God, the way his voice drops is so sexy. Dark and gravelly and raw. He kisses the corner of my mouth before dragging my tongue between his and sucking.

I pull back, holding his eyes for what feels like an eternity, but in reality, it’s one single stolen moment in time. I may never recover from this man. He has the power to break me in ways I’ve never given anyone. But I’ve given it to him willingly because I’d rather spend the rest of my life broken, knowing what this felt like even for a moment, than never feeling it at all.

“I’m not sure when it happened, Ryker, but I can’t wait to be your wife.”

The admission is quiet and scary, but the way this man looks at me blankets the fear, leaving me with nothing but his strength and this wildly crazy, unwavering belief in us.

And for tonight . . . I go with it.

I press my lips to his, wrapping his hand around my throat and hum deep in my chest before opening my eyes. “This is what I want.You’re what I want.”

His gorgeous blue eyes close, and he inhales a powerful, sexy breath, like he’s hanging by a thread. One I intend to pull.

I push against his chest and go in for one more quick kiss, licking the seam of his lips teasingly before pulling away. “I’m ready for my next lesson, husband.”

My heels click against the tile floor as I slip off the wooden worktable and slowly lower to my knees. My hands slide up Ryker’s thighs and grip the metal buckle of his belt.

“Fuck, Bambi. You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about this. About your lips around my cock.”

Oh my . . .

My breath catches in my throat as the tinny sound of his zipper lowering mixes with our heavy breathing. I preen under his eyes, loving the confidence he’s helped me find.

I’m not scared. Not of him. Not of us.

Looking up at him through fluttered lashes, I tug down his tailored suit pants and boxer briefs until his cock springs free. A pearl of precum glistens along the tip. Long and thick with metal piercing him, he’s utterly decadent, like a bowl of ice cream I can’t wait to devour. My mouth waters.

Hesitantly, I run my fingers along the three rows of small silver balls piercing either side of his shaft, and a powerful shiver runs down my spine.

“You sure about this, Delaney?” Ryker runs his hands through my hair, and I lock my eyes on his as I nod. “Open your mouth, Lane.”

His commanding voice washes over me. So sexy.

I press my thighs together, looking for relief as need and excitement pool deep in my belly.

“Now wrap your hand around me.” I tentatively do as I’mtold, not surprised when my fingers can’t actually wrap entirely around him. This man... my soon-to-be husband is massive.