Unstoppable (Forehead Kisses #4) (22 page)

Scotty got under the covers then stared at the ceiling, his thoughts hidden from me.

I grabbed my yoga pants and t-shirt and changed in the bathroom. I pulled my hair into a quick braid then returned to the bedroom. Scotty was in the exact same place I left him, his eyes still glued to my roof.

As soon as my body touched the bed, his arm circled my waist and pulled me to him. Now his arms were the size of my head. He could crush me if he wanted to. He positioned me on his chest and rested his hand on the small of my back. His other hand rested behind his head.

The darkness enveloped me, and I took a deep breath, cleansing my lungs. Nothing could hurt me when I was with Scotty. I used to rely on myself and the walls of my home for protection, but now I clung to him, feeling relaxed for the first time in six months.

“My mom stopped by.” I never told anyone but Ash the chaos of my life. But I felt comfortable with Scotty.

“And what did she say?” His voice was strained.

“That I was rude to William…”

He took a deep breath, clearly annoyed.

“She said I was nothing but a series of bad decisions, that you were a gangbanger, and…I’m pretty much worthless.”

“A gangbanger?” A slight smile was in his voice.

I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. “She’s something else… She’ll never approve of my boyfriend unless she chooses him.”

“You told her I was your boyfriend?” The hope was in his voice.

“Yeah. And then I told her to get off my property then slammed the door in her face.”

“You really did that?”

“I’m a horrible person…I know.”

“No,” he said immediately. “She deserved worse. I’m proud of you.”

“Proud?”

“If someone only drags you down and brings you no joy, they have no business in your life.”

“So…I’m not a horrible person?”

“Not at all. You stood up for yourself. If she really loves you, she’ll come around and apologize. And if not…you’re better off anyway.”

“Okay.” Scotty was always on my side. When I questioned my worth and decisions, he supported me. He was the best friend I ever had. He meant so much to me… “I’m so glad I have you.”

His arm tightened around me and his lips pressed against my head. “You complete me as much as I complete you.”

There was no way better to describe it.

I woke up early the next morning and finished the painting. My mom rudely interrupted me the night before, but I was almost done. I dabbed the last bit of paint where it needed to go and added a few more strokes with my brush.

I was finally done. I finished the quickest masterpiece I’d ever created. Different experiences inspired my drawings. Sometimes it was music, a beautiful day, or a conversation I eavesdropped on. But a very special day and special person inspired this work of art.

Scotty came into the living room, his hair a mess. When he just woke up, the hair on his chin was a little darker. His eyes were brighter. And he looked exceptionally sexy.

Sexy…did I just say that?

He wore his jeans but still didn’t have a shirt on. His hard chest fused with his powerful shoulders. His hand ran through his hair, exposing his torso to me. His abs were prominent and noticeable. He had a perfect body.

“I didn’t like waking up without you.” His voice was low and raspy.

“Sorry…I wanted to finish my painting.”

He didn’t move to take a look at it, respecting my privacy.

I stood up then pulled my apron off. My tools were scattered around the table, and the newspapers on the floor were stained in blobs of paint. “I want you to see it.”

“Really?” He seemed moved.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him in front of the painting.

His eyes took it in, and then they softened. He examined every inch of the painting, taking in the detail and the colors. He said nothing for minutes, just staring. His chest rose and fell with deeper breaths but that was the only reaction I got out of him.

It was a painting of our day at the zoo. Hand in hand, we walked down the path together, eating our swirled ice cream cones. The gorilla cage was on one side of the path, and the other side held the giraffe with the broken neck and the dancing hippo. Kids and families moved around us, but we were the center of focus. I captured that day as best as I could, trying to get the exact color of the pink clouds. I remembered exactly what he wore so I painted that too.

Patiently, I waited for him to say something, to acknowledge what I spent an entire day doing.

Did he not like it…?

“I…I don’t know what to say.”

I was disappointed.

“It’s…I can’t believe you made this. It’s…there are no words.”

My heart fluttered.

He stepped closer to it. “It’s exactly how I remember it. You captured the moment perfectly. Now it will never die.”

That’s what I was hoping for.

“Are you going to sell it?” he asked sadly.

“No. I made it for you.”

He finally looked at me, emotion in his eyes. “You painted this just for me?”

I nodded, unable to speak.

He took a deep breath then stepped toward me. His eyes searched mine, the heat and intensity evident. It made me nervous, but in a good way. It was hard to hold his gaze when I saw so much adoration emit like a beacon. He always looked at me that way, like I was a cherished painting at a museum.

His hand moved to my neck, and his fingers slowly grazed across the skin. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stick up. Every time he touched me, he brought the life back into me, transferring his energy and strength into my heart and soul.

Then he closed the gap between us, pressing his face close to mine. My breathing hitched when he was this close to me, our lips almost touching. His other hand moved to my back, keeping me still. I was breathing so hard that my breaths were landing on his face. Thankfully, I brushed my teeth before I left the bedroom. He inched closer to me, finally pressing his mouth against mine.

When we touched, my hands moved around his neck, not wanting him to pull away. My body betrayed my mind, doing what it wanted without any thought. His lips started to move, massaging mine with his. When he parted my mouth, I breathed into him, feeling his lungs expand.

His kiss was different than any other I had. Each time we embraced, his kiss was purposeful and precise. He felt my lips, sucking them and kissing them. He gripped my back and pulled me closer, breathing into me. Then his tongue parted my mouth further and slowly touched mine.

I felt the heat burn through me like a forest fire.

Oh my…

He sucked my bottom lips before he touched his tongue against mine again. My breathing went haywire because of the energy I felt. His touch electrified me, made me weak and strong at the same time. I wanted more of him, everything he could give.

Scotty was a foot taller than me, so I had to stand on my tiptoes while he bent his knees. Despite the disadvantage, I loved his height. He made me feel small, smaller than I already did.

He squeezed me to his chest while he kissed me, wanting more of me. His pace quickened, and he kissed me with more passion than I’d ever experienced. I could feel his control slipping away, just like mine was. The chemistry between was volatile, like we would ignite at any moment.

My hands moved to his chest, feeling the strength I was so attracted to. He breathed deeply as my hands glided down, knowing I was enjoying his physique. I felt his shoulders and his abdominals, loving every groove and caress. I felt his small hips and rested my hands there, feeling his hipbone.

Damn, he was hot.

I shouldn’t be thinking this…

Scotty removed his tongue and kissed me gently. When his lips started to slow, I knew the embrace was coming to an end. He pulled his lips away then rested his head against mine. I missed his touch. I’d never felt so much excitement for another person. My body could barely contain it.

He caught his breath while I caught mine. Then he pulled back slightly. “I’ve never had a kiss like that…”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Neither have I.”

He stepped away and looked at the painting. “Thank you. It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever gotten.”

“It’s the least I can do…”

He looked at me. “What do you mean?”

“For everything you’ve done for me.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Scotty

I was conflicted.

I’ve never been happier in my life. Livia was the missing piece, the one woman who could make me into a better man. She made me believe in happiness, fun days at the park, and in love. Just a smile from her made me weak. And a kiss made me melt.

But I’ve never been angrier in my life. Whoever violated her was at the frat house. I was in the same damn room as that fucker but she wouldn’t tell me who he was. There were a least a hundred people cramped in that room. I never would have figured it out. The only way to make sure I had the right guy was to take each one out back and shoot him in the head.

She picked up her brother from parties countless times, but she was nervous about that frat house before she even went inside. I think that’s where it happened.

Where she was raped.

I felt sick just standing in there. I wanted to get out of there as much as she did. I just didn’t want to leave empty handed. I wanted the fucker’s head on a platter before I walked out.

Why wouldn’t she tell me? It was the perfect time to confess to me when all her emotions were at her peak. I took care of her and comforted her in every way possible. I’d never let her down, lied to her, or betrayed her. Why didn’t she trust me? Why couldn’t she tell me? I’ve told her everything about me, everything I’ve never told another soul.

Why wouldn’t she reciprocate?

“I’ve narrowed it down.”

“Where?” Liam asked while he sat across from me at the diner.

“The Sigma Pi frat house. The fucker is in the fraternity.”

“You know this how?”

“I went with Livia to pick up her brother. She freaked out and…I know she saw him. She sprinted out of there faster than I could keep up with her. And she was nervous to go inside so I think the…incident…happened there.”

“Those are just conjectures.”

“Dude, I know what I saw.”

Liam ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I’ll go into battle with you and I’ll die for Livia. She’s an innocent girl who needs to be protected. I’m just as angry about this as you are. But remember, you don’t know if any of this is even true.”

“I know,” I snapped. “She won’t admit it but I know it’s true.”

“Secondly, you’re still at the university. If you put this shithead into the hospital and you get caught, you’ll probably be expelled. Me, it doesn’t make a difference. My job is to be violent. It doesn’t affect me at all.”

“Well, I’m going to be a fighter too.”

“You haven’t had your first match yet.”

“I don’t give a shit about school,” I blurted. “I just care about her.”

“What’s the point if you can’t take care of her?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Liam finally backed off. “I say we go in there and snoop around, gather information. I know a few guys in that fraternity. Maybe they know something. But let’s not jump the gun unless we know for sure. I’m a fighter so I can protect those who can’t protect themselves. I refuse to beat someone to a pulp unless they absolutely deserve it. Code of ethics.”

“Agreed.”

The week passed without incident. I sat next to Livia in psychology and tried not to touch her. But once the period was over, I was all over her. She was fair game as far as I was concerned.

We got lunch during the day and sometimes I’d take her out to dinner. But I didn’t want to overwhelm her by wanting to be with her every second of the day. We just had our first and passionate kiss. I wasn’t sure if that would take her some time to get used to. I had to make sure I took this slow with her so I didn’t hit a trigger point. When someone went through that kind of trauma, it didn’t just disappear overnight. But I would wait as long as it took.

Because she was worth it.

When the weekend finally arrived, I was thrilled. I wanted her to sleep in my bed, to feel her body molded to mine. It’s what I looked forward to most. While I loved spending time with her, talking to her, and just looking at her, sleeping with her was my favorite activity. The intimacy we shared was what I craved, and I know it helped her trust me more. I never pressured her for sex and I never hinted at it. When I was hard, I hid it so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

She came to my door on Friday night, a bag over her shoulder.

I liked that.

“Hey.” I pulled her inside then gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Thanks for coming.”

“Well, I want that breakfast.” A playful look was on her face.

I smirked. “I get it. So, you’re using me?”