“Don’t doubt me, Mia. I’d find you anywhere.” The possessive hunger in my blood yearns to prove her wrong on this one. She won’t need that phone again. I’m drawn to her like a fucking honing missile.

She laughs slightly. “Yeah, you better.”

* * *

I knew I’d run into her on Route 7 somewhere. It was the longest stretch of highway that connected Alabama and Georgia. I was only looking out for one vehicle across the grass covered median that separated east and west bound. And as soon as that cherry red jeep comes into my line of sight, I feel like someone plugs me into an outlet. My entire body stiffens in anticipation as I cross the three lanes and drive my truck across the median. My back end fishtails several times given the speed I take it at but it doesn’t slow me down. I drive toward the direction of the traffic, still in the median, and the red jeep darts off the highway in between cars and skids to a halt in the grass.

Christ, baby. If you got into an accident right now…

I slam on my emergency brake and jump out of my truck, leaving it on. She swings her legs out of the jeep and hops down, steadying herself before taking off running in my direction.

Mia. Mia. Mia.

She slams against my chest, a whimpered moan escaping both of us as I cradle her to me. The pain she’s causing against my welts is ignored. I can’t let her go. Not yet. But I do ease her away from me and take a hold of her delicate face with both my hands. She looks at me with desperation. To hold me. To talk to me. To fucking hear what I’ve kept from her. And I don’t make her wait.

“I love you. I can’t remember a moment when I didn’t love you. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me, but that’ll never happen again. I can’t be without you, angel. Please tell me you’ll stay with me.” I drop my forehead to hers and close my eyes. The magnitude of my love for her is crippling. “I can’t say goodbye to you.”

Her hands grab my wrists with a gentle squeeze. “I love you too. And you’ll never have to say goodbye to me. It was always supposed to be you in the bar that night, Ben. You were always meant to be my first, and my last. I can’t imagine giving myself to anyone but you. Not now. Not ever.” I open my eyes when I feel the tears falling down my face. She reaches up and wipes them away. “This is where I belong. Wherever you are. Always.”

Her declaration has me struggling to stay upright. My knees feel weak enough to drop me. But she has me. She wraps her arms around my waist and places her head against my chest. I bury my face in her hair. “We’ll come back for your car. I’m not driving home in separate vehicles when I’ve been without you for this long.”

She giggles against me, her face turning up and knocking me out with that smile. “It hasn’t even been a whole day.”

“Felt like a whole year. Come on.”

I move her along the grass and help her up into my truck after securing her vehicle. There’s no space between us, not anymore. And there never will be again. She’s against my side the entire drive home. Her head against my shoulder and my hand in her lap with both of hers holding on to me. I let her scent fill my lungs, feeling it calm me like a damn drug. Pain killers? No. I won’t need any pain killers. She has me completely relaxed, every muscle in my body loose, until I feel her lips press against my neck.

She squirms against me, wiggling my hand down so it settles between her legs. “Remember when you were so close to pulling over and taking me in your truck?” Her breath heats the skin below my ear, sending a jolt straight to my cock. “I want that. Right now.” And then her hand is pressing on my massive erection, the one that is threatening to rip through my zipper.

I hiss through a moan and she works me through my shorts. “You want me to throw you in the back and fuck you on the side of the road?” I feel her nod against me as her teeth scrap against my ear. “Fuck. How wet are you right now?”

“Very.” She grabs my hand and slips it under her dress, pressing my fingers against her panties. My cock becomes painfully hard at the feel of her arousal and she moans when I press a finger against her clit. “Ben, please,” she pants, digging her nails into my wrist as I twist my hand. I slide underneath her panties and dip one finger into her. Her head falls back onto the seat with a shuddering gasp.

“Jesus Christ. Hold on, angel.” She protests with a whimper as I slip my finger out of her and pop it in my mouth. I pull off on a back road that breaks into a secluded wooded area, parking my truck between the trees. I turn the truck off and unbuckle my seatbelt as she does the same. “Climb over the seat and take that dress off. I want you naked and ready for me.” She complies with a gleeful chuckle, giving me a gorgeous view of her ass as she crawls into the back.

I step out of the truck and glance around. We’re completely isolated. Good. Nothing is interrupting this. Opening the back door, I pull my cock out of my shorts before I climb inside. She’s slipping off her panties, her dress discarded somewhere. Her hungry eyes focus on my dick that I’m slowly stroking while I watch her.

“You’re so hard for me,” she states with a fascinated tone. She reaches for me but quickly pulls her hands back. “Do you want me to do that? Or should I touch myself while you watch?”

Christ. That is tempting as hell. My cock jerks in my hand at the thought. But I’m suddenly hectic with the need to feel her around me. Nothing else will suffice right now. I grab her leg and pull her toward me, keeping my other hand on the base of my cock.

“Straddle me. I want those tits in my face.”

I guide her over me, sliding my hands up her thighs as she grabs my cock and rubs it against herself, slicking the head. “Fuck, you feel amazing, baby,” I grunt through a tense jaw. I lean in and lick her taut nipple, teasing it before drawing it into my mouth.

“Ben,” she whispers urgently, shifting her weight forward and guiding me to her entrance. She grabs my face with both her hands, pulling me away from her breast and locks eyes with me. “Watch me.” Her mouth parts slightly as she lowers herself down, taking me to the hilt. “I love you.”

I lean my head back and smirk. “Me? Or my cock?” Before she can answer, I grab her hips and lift her up, slamming her down on top of me five times with brute force. “You. Love. This?” I ask with my thrusts.

“Yes. God, yes.”

When I finish, she takes the lead and digs her nails into my shoulders as she rocks against me.

“Easy, baby,” I warn her when her hand presses against my stitches.

Her eyes go to the spot on my arm and she raises the sleeve of my shirt. Her brow furrows with pain, guilt, maybe. I’m not sure. She leans in, pressing her hand to my chest as she kisses the bandage. I wince at the pressure she puts on me and she notices. Her hands grab the bottom of my shirt. “Take it off.”

I stop her from lifting it farther than my upper abs. “I’m fine. Just a little sore.”

“I want to see it.” She pulls with determination and I comply, shifting so she can lift it over my head. She inhales sharply, her eyes taking in the nine welts and the bruises that have formed around them. Her hand lies gently over the one welt that sits right in the middle of my chest. I see her lip tremble and reach up, cupping the side of her face. Her eyes meet mine with agony. “I could’ve lost you.”