Freeing Her (21 page)

“
What’s stopping you,
kea?” His hand moved between them and he cupped her sex.

He inched in and out of her and she gasped,
“Oh my, that’s good.”

Gabby melted into Kolson’s half-hooded
stare. “Just pretend it’s your nipple ring and do to me what you
think would feel good to you,” he said.

She swallowed. Looking at the damn thing
nearly made her come. “I’m not sure if this is more exciting for
you or for me.” She put her lips around it and softly sucked it.
She lightly swirled it across the top, touching it gently with her
tongue. Kolson twisted his hips into her and they both moaned, so
she added more suction and pressure to the piercing.

“
Oh, fuck, Gabriella.
Stop.”

She looked up at him and his hands went to
her hips as he began to thrust rapidly into her. Not taking her
eyes off his for one second, they watched each other as their
arousal heightened, and Gabby rode Kolson hard. Water sloshed
everywhere, but neither of them cared.

When he stopped, she started to protest, but
he cut her off with, “Stand up.” He pushed her to give her a boost.
He was right behind her when he told her to bend over the side of
the tub. Then he drove back into her and she didn’t think she could
hold on.

“
I’m going to
fall.”

He put his arm around her waist and told
her, “I won’t let you.”

He touched places so deep inside, Gabby
moaned.

“
Oh my … Kolson. I’m
…”

He looked at the sight she made, with her
back arched and stretched over the edge of the large jetted bath.
Kolson knew that image would stay imprinted in his head for a long
time. The creamy globes of her ass shimmered, and her pink pussy
begged for more of him. Her dark mane hung halfway into the water,
soaked and tangled, and all Kolson wanted to do was ingest
everything about this moment.

He placed his finger on her slit and ran it
around her little nub, and then rubbed it as a long, slow groan
escaped her.

“
Oh, Gabriella. I wish you
could see how beautiful you look now. Your skin is wet, glowing,
and flushed.”

“
Ah, Kolson.”

He slid into her again and again. “Tell me
what you want.”

“
You. I want
you.”

“
To do what?”

“
To keep fucking
me.”

“
Why?”

“
Ah … I … ah … want you to
make me come.”

“
Fuck, kea, I will. I’m
going to make you come. Hard.”

His fingers sunk into her hips and he rocked
into her and she felt herself tightening inside.

“
Yes, Gabriella. Let it
go.” He moved his hand back to her sex and then she cried out his
name as her climax sent her reeling.

His followed hers and afterward, he said,
“You are so fucking sweet.”

Gabby’s head spun in the aftermath and she
knew she couldn’t stand on her own accord.

“
Kolson, I’m going to
collapse.”

“
No, I won’t let you.” He
pulled out with a sigh, set her down on top of his lap, and kissed
her. “Do you have any idea how captivating you are?”

His arms cradled her and she felt as secure
as she ever had. She traced his lips with her finger and smiled.
“No, but you can tell me.”

“
I’d have to show you. And
someday I’m going to photograph you. I want to look at you every
day, just like this.”

“
No, no nude
pictures.”

“
Why? You’re so
beautiful.”

“
They could get
out.”

“
I would never let that
happen. You’re too perfect not to look at, kea.” He leaned down and
kissed her nose. “Maybe we should get out of here before we’re
permanently pruned.”

Gabby nodded, but she couldn’t have cared
less. This was the first time in her life she could ever remember
being truly cared for and she felt like she was in dreamland.

Chapter
Seventeen

Kolson wasn’t one
to feel much emotion for others. But somehow,
Gabby had managed to penetrate his barriers. Yes, he wanted her
sexually, now more than ever since he’d gotten his first exquisite
taste of her. But it was more than that. The sadistic fuck who was
trying to get to her had better watch his back. Kolson wasn’t going
to let him get near her, if he could help it.

They sat at the counter finishing Lydia’s
delicious spinach lasagna. “Tell me,” he said.

She swallowed her bite and asked, smiling,
“Tell you what?”

“
What did Danny do to
you?”

The fork slid out of her hand and clattered
to the floor. She bent to retrieve it when his voice halted
her.

“
Leave it,” he said as he
wrapped his hand around her wrist. “I think you know by now that
you can trust me. Gabriella, I know what he did to you was awful.
But know this. I’ll believe everything you’ll tell me.” He slid his
hold from her wrist to her hand and squeezed it. She felt his
warmth flow into her and inhaled past the knot in her
chest.

“
I’ve never told anyone.”
Her voice trembled. “Other than my parents and brother,” She
clamped her quivering lips between her teeth. She hated thinking
about this, much less talking about it. “My psychiatrist too, of
course.”

“
You can tell me. I won’t
judge you; I’ll only support you. That’s my promise.”

Her brow furrowed, she drilled him with her
gaze. Raw honesty stared back at her. His hand still held hers as
he nodded in encouragement.

“
He started raping me when
I was thirteen. It continued until I went to medical school. Of
course, after I left home for college, it was less frequent. He
obviously was much stronger, bigger than I. The first time took
place when he was babysitting me. He said he would really hurt me
if I told. I was so …” She bent her head in shame. “Afterward, I
was bleeding and he forced me into the bathtub and scrubbed me down
there. He made me watch him do it.” She shuddered.

Kolson had to force himself to remain calm.
Danny was a perverted fuck who’d not only molested a young girl,
but also performed lewd acts on her afterward.

“
When my mom and dad got
home, I wouldn’t come out of my room the rest of the night. Danny
told them I had been rude to him so he sent me there. They believed
him. Then two weeks later, he was back, babysitting again. And
guess what he did? But this time he was smart and tied me up so I
couldn’t scratch him. Or leave any marks. He told me if I said
anything, he’d hurt me worse the next time. So I didn’t tell. It
continued for two years before I said anything. He threatened to
kill my mom. The only thing she ever cared about was getting her
next drink—she’s an alcoholic. My dad only cares about
appearances—what people think about him and the family. He’s
covered up my mom’s problem for years. So when I finally got the
nerve to tell my dad, he told me I was liar and a troublemaker.
Danny and my brother were always close so my brother thought I lied
too. And Danny won. My dad basically gave him license to continue.
And he did. Repeatedly. He did all kinds of awful things to
me.

“
He ruined my life and I
still have no idea why. Why he singled me out. What I ever did to
him to make him hate me so much. He’s three years older than I am
and he told everyone I was a whore. Word spread at my school,
because everyone knew him. All my friends abandoned me. I became
withdrawn and depressed. That’s when I did this.” She held up her
arm.

“
What did your doctor
say?”

She let out a muffled
laugh. “I told my doctor the truth. But I also told her that if she
made a big deal out of it, I would deny it all. But that’s how I
ended up in med school so I could learn how to help people who were
abused like I was. I know how terrifying it is to go through life
feeling frightened all the time. Feeling afraid of your own fucking
shadow. But the worst part was when my family sided with him. When
they didn’t believe me. The scars
they
left on me were way beyond
this.” She held out her wrist. “So that’s why I don’t trust anyone
or share this terrible secret, because if my own parents and
brother didn’t believe me, why would anyone else?”

“
I do. I believe you,
Gabriella. I don’t know why they didn’t, but I do. So help me God,
I swear I do.” Then he lifted her arm, turned it over, and kissed
her scars. “If you ever feel unsure of yourself, you come to me.
How did you do it? I mean, study to get into med school if you were
so depressed?”

The smile that spread across Gabby’s face
took Kolson by surprise. “It was my salvation. I made it my life’s
goal. I was determined to do it so I could help others who were in
my shoes. So I put everything I had into it and it took my mind off
of what I was going through. My psychiatrist was the one who
suggested I do it. Of course I was on antidepressants, too. But I
dove head first into my studies and it paid off. I was always a
book nerd though.”

Kolson looked at her in awe. “You are such
an inspiration. You need to be a motivational speaker.”

“
Nah. I just think you can
do anything if you put your brain to it. But you have to remember
it’s my passion. And it became the family I didn’t
have.”

Gabby’s expression turned somber.

“
What is it?”

“
He scares me, Kolson. I
don’t know what he wants from me.”

“
I do.”

“
Then tell me, because I
want to know. I want him to stop.”

“
You. He won’t stop until
he has you.”

“
But …”

“
He wants to possess you,
Gabriella. In his own sick way, that’s what he wants. Think about
this. You’re the expert here.”

“
So you really think he’s
a true stalker?”

“
I believe he
is.”

“
Then I need to call the
police.”

“
But there’s a problem
with that. Because you never reported a crime when it all started
happening and your parents never did their due diligence, the
police are pretty helpless here. We can call them and let them
know, but they really can’t do much at this point. It’s your word
against his.”

Her shoulders sagged as she listened to him.
The truth speared her but she knew he was right. Kolson stood and
went to pour her a glass of whiskey.

“
Here. Drink
this.”

“
I don’t drink brown
liquor.”

“
Well, since I’m fresh out
of Sugar Tits, this is the best I can do.”

His line brought a slight smile to her lips
so she took the glass and sipped.

“
Down it.”

Holding the glass, she tossed back the
contents and nearly choked on its burn.

He patted her on the back to ease her cough,
and she sputtered, “That stuff is wicked!”

“
First timer,
huh?”

“
Uh, yeah, and a last
timer, I believe.”

“
I don’t think so.” He
refilled her glass and handed it back to her. “Now, this is the one
you’ll sip.”

Her gut burned from the first glass and she
rubbed a circle on her stomach as she reached for the glass. “What
is this?”

“
Evan Williams 23. It’ll
take away your angst. Guaranteed. The first one was just a
run-of-the-mill bourbon. But this one is in a class all its
own.”

This time, the sip eased down her throat and
created a soothing warmth laced with hints of dark chocolate and
plums. She swirled it around her mouth and as it coated her tongue,
she found herself wanting to moan.

“
My God, this is
lovely!”

A hearty laugh ripped out of Kolson. “You
should see the expression on your face. It nearly matches the one
you had as you came when I was deep inside you.”

Her head whipped around and her eyes met
his. Another belly laugh escaped him.

“
Now your cheeks are the
color of poppies.” He ran his finger across the apple of one cheek.
And he dipped his head, touching his lips to hers for a second. In
a gruff voice, he added, “And your lips are warm and
inviting.”

“
They should be hot after
that drink. But this really is delicious.”

“
Yes, it’s my favorite
bourbon. And it should be. It’s been aged twenty-three years and
sadly, they only produce a limited amount so my stock is very
limited as well.”

“
So I will sip this one
and savor it indeed.”

“
Like a very fine
wine.”

She was silent for a moment. “I have this
friend. A very close friend. He’s a former cop but is now a private
investigator.”

“
Case Russell?”

Gabby’s mouth dropped open. She set her
glass on the counter and didn’t answer him.

“
I’m a high-profile,
fairly wealthy single man. My security team investigates
everyone
I come into
contact with. Not just you. You also ran a check on
me
. Which, by the way,
was smart, particularly with what you’re going through.
Unfortunately, you came up empty-handed. My background is … buried,
you might say.”

“
And why is
that?”

“
I have good
reason.”

“
How do you keep your
information off of Google?” She was suddenly mortified that she’d
asked it.