Page 56 of The Eraser

I nod. "I know, but it's Jess' trauma, Mav. She needs to be comfortable sharing that experience, not us."

I never told anyone about what my da did to me, nor did I tell anyone what happened with my ma. Sure, Nicola and Eric guessed what was happening, but I never gave them the rundown of what occurred. I just never wanted to open that wound. To this day, I've never told anyone, and I doubt I ever will. Which is probably why I understand waiting for Jess to be comfortable to tell her story, rather than for us to tell others.

"You know I'll do whatever you say, but I know my ma and sister. They're already chomping at the bit to find out what the fuck's going on with you. I know they're going to be pissed and hurt that you got married without them. I'm not sure that's something either of them will be able to forgive right away."

"Nothing for them to forgive," I say simply. "Look, Mav, I get it. They're your family. And while I appreciate everything your parents have done for me, I won't ever put them ahead of Jess." That’s never going to happen. "She's my wife and she's been through hell and back, and your parents did not once check in on her, their niece. I won't allow her to be hurt again, and your parents and Callie could do that to her. So, you've got to lay off this shit. When Jess is ready, we'll announce our marriage. Until then, we'll wait."

His silence is more than enough for me to know that he doesn't agree with my words, but he's not arguing, which means he'll do as I have asked. I respect him a fucking lot, and I know that as much as he doesn't agree with it, he'll never betray me, not even to his family.

It takes another forty minutes before the cop’s body finally finishes going through the wood chipper. It'll take a little while longer until I'm able to go home as I've got shit to burn and clean. "Mav, you can take the car and go," I tell him. There's no point in us both waiting around.

"Shut up," he fires back. "You're a dick," he says with a laugh. "I'm helping, so just stop with the shit."

I shrug. "Fine, do whatever you want, but don't bitch when you're bored."

I move to one of the many outhouses I have and reach for a steel barrel I have in there. It's old and has been used more times than I can count. It takes me around ten minutes to have it in place and start a raging fire. This time of night is normal for people to burn shit, especially in the countryside, especially when they have made people pay for their recycling waste. A lot of farmers and landowners now burn things to keep costs down, so the smell of plastic burning is normal around these parts.

Once the fire in the barrel is raging, I reach for the plastic tarp that's got all the shit the wood chipper spat out. I roll it up into a ball and throw it into the barrel. The second the plastic hits the heat, the fire burns brighter and hotter. I glance over and see that Maverick's got the hose out and is washing down the machine. We'll get out of here a fucking lot earlier than I had anticipated thanks to his help. Good, it means I can get home quicker and fuck my wife.

* * *

Entering my home, I see Jer and Freddie already standing, ready to leave.

"See you later, man," Freddie says with a grin. "Jess is asleep. She was worried about you."

I nod. "Thanks," I say roughly. I'm jazzed. I'm always like this after a kill, when the dead is done, everything is cleaned up, then the buzzed feeling begins. Before, I'd work out in the gym or find someone to fuck, then I met Jess and I'd just watch her instead. It became my fix. Now, I have her and she's my wife, I fuck the jazzed feeling out of me.

Jer and Freddie leave, and I lock up behind them. Once I've checked the house is secure, I make my way to our bedroom. As I slowly open the door, a mischievous grin spreads across my face as I catch sight of my beautiful wife lying naked on the bed. The soft glow from the lamp in the corner illuminates her flawless form, highlighting every curve and dip of her delectable body. With each step I take, my cock aches, straining against my zipper. She’s lying on her stomach, her perfect ass on display, ready for me.

I remember the first time I came home to find her sleeping like this. Without hesitation, I took her with a fierce possessiveness that surprised even me. At first, she was startled when she woke up, but it only took seconds for her to surrender to the pleasure and join in. It was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. It was fucking amazing. But tonight, will be even better—she is fast asleep and ready for me. My wife has grown so much since coming here to live with me, both in confidence and beauty. I can't help but admire how stunning she looks at this moment.

Stepping closer to the bed, I quickly strip out of my clothes before climbing onto the mattress beside her. Unable to resist any longer, I trail my fingers along her slick folds, reveling in the way she responds to my touch. But as much as I enjoy pleasuring her, right now all I can think about is fucking her—hard and deep.

With a firm grip on her thighs, I position myself between her legs and guide my throbbing cock to her entrance. The moment I sink into her tight, wet heat, a guttural groan escapes from my throat. I thrust hard and fast, my cock bottoming out inside of her. Christ, this is it. This is what I want, what I love. She’s moaning lightly in her sleep, on the edge of sleep and awareness. As I pull back, she pushes her ass back against my cock, pulling it into her pussy once again. I release yet another low, guttural growl as her pussy clenches around my cock.

I need more, a fucking lot more. I want to see her eyes when she wakes. I pull out of her, my finger replacing my cock, thrusting into her hot, wet pussy as I turn her onto her back. Her breasts bounce as I move her, and I lean forward, capturing one of her nipples between my teeth.

Once she’s in position, I release her nipple and remove my fingers from her pussy. Then I reposition my cock at her entrance and slam into her. “Christ,” I growl.

The sound of my voice stirs her from sleep, her eyes flickering open to take in the sight of me above her. A soft gasp escapes from her lips as she feels me entering her, her hands instinctively reaching out to clutch at the sheets beneath us. Even in her half-asleep state, she moves with me, matching my rhythm as I slowly thrust deeper into her welcoming warmth. The pleasure is intense, consuming me entirely.

My fingers dig into the soft flesh of her hips, pulling her closer to my body. With each stroke, I can feel myself getting closer to climax, the pressure building within me until it's almost unbearable. But I am not ready yet. I want to savor this moment with her, drawing out the pleasure for as long as possible.

Her body arches beneath mine, a soft moan escaping her lips as she reaches up to tangle her fingers in my hair. With a sudden hunger, I lean down and capture her lips with mine, swallowing her gasps and moans as our tongues intertwine. The taste of her only fuels my desire further, pushing me towards the edge faster than I'd like.

Her nails dig into my back as she clings to me tighter, sharing in the intensity of the moment. The sight of her beneath me—flushed with desire and basking in the pleasure I'm giving her—pushes me over the edge. I can’t hold back. I thrust harder into her, and that’s all it takes to send us both over the edge. She shudders against me, my name ripping from her lips in a plea. Planting my head in the crook of her neck, I groan long and low as I unload inside of her.

Fuck, it gets better and better every time I’m with her.

Gently, I pull out of her before collapsing beside her on the bed. Our heavy breathing fills the stillness of the room, creating a soft rhythm that’s lulling Jess back to sleep. I keep my gaze on her, wanting to drink in every inch of her, memorizing the way she looks in this moment. Her face bears a look of pure bliss, her cheeks flushed and eyelashes fluttering slightly as she drifts off to sleep.

I carefully slide closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into me. She snuggles into my chest instinctively, her body fitting perfectly against mine. I press a kiss onto the crown of her head. I fucking love this woman. There’s no doubt about it. I love her.

As I listen to the sound of her steady breathing slowing down, I realize how damn lucky I am to have her. Still holding tightly on to her, my eyes lose focus on the woman within my arms before drowsiness finally claims me under its inevitable spell. Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow, we’ll try once again to find her da.

ChapterTwenty-Four

JESSICA