The Unseen Enemy Series

Chapter 36

Emma stroked his back gently. “Because you feel like you let Kimberley down?”

He looked at her, amazed that she got there right away, that she knew so clearly what he was thinking. “Yeah. Exactly. I failed her. I was supposed to protect her and keep her safe… I f****d it all up and a good woman died in my arms, Emma. How can I possibly think that I deserve any peace when her family doesn’t have it? Why do I get a warm, safe place when she’s cold in the ground?”

“Three years is a long time to punish yourself.”

“In some ways, it doesn’t feel like nearly long enough.” He sighed. “But lately, I’ve been thinking about letting it all go. Finding my way back home somehow.”

“And that safe place? You think you can find it?”

“I think I have.” He spoke so quietly, she barely heard him.

“Where?”

“Right here. With you.” He touched her face. “This is the only place I’ve found yet.”

Emma stared at him, speechless. In the space of five minutes, Dean had just blown almost every rule of their agreement out of the water, and she didn’t even care. She was glad that she’d come to mean so much to him – because he’d come to mean a lot to her, too.

He kissed her now, and she felt his desperation, his desire to be close to her. She opened to him without any hesitation at all; she wanted to give him what he needed. She wanted to be a safe, warm place for him to find some peace, even just for a little while. She reached for the condom herself, and he took it from her, rolled it on with shaking hands.

He lowered himself on top of her and she put her hands on his lower back and pulled him in. When he thrust inside her, she kissed him gently, then harder as their bodies moved together, again and again. He kept his hands on either side of her face the whole time, and they gazed at each other as they made love, not wanting to look away even for a second.

Dean heard her breath catch, felt her p***y muscles pulling on him. She threw her head back and arched her neck and he knew her climax was starting.

“Open your eyes, baby,” he said softly. “Look at me when you come.”

Emma gazed up at him, her amazing blue eyes sparkling with heat, hazy with lust. She cried out when she came and his own orgasm began right away, long and intense. He gripped her head tightly and looked into her eyes as he released inside her; she stared back at him, whispering his name, telling him that she had him.

They lay together afterwards, still joined, not wanting to move apart. For Dean, this wasn’t like all those other times he’d had women in his bed. They had just been bodies to hold onto for a little while in an effort to beat back the darkness, but with Emma, it was about something more. Connection, maybe, and comfort. Whatever it was, it was real. He knew the difference now.

Emma felt his heart beating against her breasts, and she smiled. Never in her whole life had she felt so close to someone, and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to leave Dean the next day. She had to tell him the truth about her illness, and give him the chance to stay with her, if he wanted to. If he didn’t, it would hurt like hell, but she’d understand. She’d be able to get on with it all even if it meant he wasn’t in her life anymore; what she wasn’t able to do was lie to him anymore. He had been so open and honest and vulnerable with her tonight, so she had to be brave enough to do the same thing, even though the thought of his reaction terrified her.

Tomorrow. I’ll tell him tomorrow morning, first thing. I’ll give him the choice here… and maybe he’ll decide to stay. Maybe it’ll all be OK.