Sanctuary Found (Pelican Bay 2)

I watched him long enough to see his face contort into a mask of pure pleasure as he came deep inside of me. In that moment, I wished more than anything that he could have been bare, so I could have felt his cum burning my insides. But I had to settle for the warmth of his juices through the latex barrier. His body jerked now and again as the aftershocks rippled through him and seeped into me. I was still trembling all over and trying to catch my breath when Maddox eased his hand from my cock. I looked down and gasped at the sight of a little bit of cum in his hand. When he pulled his hand back, white fluid began seeping from the fine openings of the lace and dripping onto the floor.

“Don’t worry,” Maddox said as he leaned over my shoulder to watch my cum pool on the floor at my feet. “We’ll wash them. Oh, and I’m buying you one of these in every color they have available,” he added with a kiss to my shoulder.

I laughed and then angled my head so I could kiss him. He eased out of me and then led me to the shower, where he proceeded to wash me from head to toe and then just held me under the spray of water for a while. Then he was getting us under the covers of what seemed to be a new duvet. The mattress itself felt like heaven compared to the sleeping bag, but I also kind of missed it.

“Um, don’t get mad, but I bought you something else that I want you to make use of tonight.”

“Not sure my ass can take another pounding like that right now, babe,” I said with a smile. Maddox chuckled and kissed me lightly.

“Not that… at least not yet, anyway.” He leaned across me to grab something off the floor. It was an envelope. He opened it for me. “Put out your hand.”

I did and as soon as he tipped the envelope, a key fell into my palm.

A car key.

My heart flip-flopped as I realized what it was for.

“It’s nothing fancy,” Maddox said. “It’s just an SUV, but it’s got all-wheel drive and good safety features. And a DVD player so Newt can watch movies in the car.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he kissed me hard. “It’s bought and paid for, Isaac. It’s in my name so you don’t have to worry about any kind of paper trail. I’m paying the insurance too, and I bought the maintenance plan that will cover everything under the sun on the car for five years, even the oil changes. All you have to do is say yes.”

“Maddox, I—”

“Just give me this,” he whispered. “I’m terrified you’re going to drive off in the middle of the night when I won’t be around, just so you won’t have to tell me I can’t come with you.”

My chest seized because that was exactly what I was planning to do.

“At least give me the knowledge that you’re in a safe, reliable car when you do that. I’ll store your car here and maybe someday you’ll come back for it.”

I felt like I was going to die. The way he was talking, it sounded like he was going to let me go, after all. But it was what I wanted, right?

“No, don’t do that,” Maddox whispered as he stroked my cheek with his thumb. “I’m still planning on being in the passenger seat of that car,” he said. “In fact, I might withhold sex until you agree to let me come with you.”

I let out a watery laugh at that because I knew he was trying to lighten the moment. I looked at the car key.

I couldn’t.

I just couldn’t.

But I closed my hand over it. “I’ll just borrow it for the few days we’re still here,” I said.

Pain lanced through my body at the crestfallen look on Maddox’s face. It clearly wasn’t the answer he’d wanted. But he nodded silently, then took the key from me and put it on the floor. “I have one more thing I want to give you.”

“Maddox, it’s too much,” I said.

But he ignored me and reached beneath the pillow I had my head on and pulled out a simple white box with a red bow on it. I was lying flat on my back with him on his side next to me so he could watch my expression as I opened his gift. I worked the top off and gasped when I saw what was inside.

“Maddox, no,” I cried in disbelief, then I was sitting up. I glanced at his chest to confirm what I was seeing was real.

It was his dog tags.

In the box.

Not on his chest.

He was giving me his dog tags.