Sarah came by to see Meggie the day before they all prepared to head back to NYC. They both cried as they held one another; for Meggie and all that she had endured and for Sarah, whose face was bandaged and scarred beneath. Meggie was overwrought with guilt over what happened to Sarah, but Sarah assured her it was a small price to pay in comparison to what could have happened.
Drake had told Meggie when they were in the hospital a few nights back that both Sarah and Lake were made aware of what happened to her eight years earlier; he assured her they both promised to keep her secret forever. Meggie prayed they would. She couldn’t face her parents if they knew what had happened to her. She forgave Drake for telling them. After all, what choice did he really have? If he didn’t tell them, she might not be here right now. They helped save her life, and if it weren’t for John Lake running into Tommy the night after she was raped, they never would have put the pieces together and got to her on time. If it weren’t for Sarah knowing where she was that night, they never would have found her. Meggie trusted Sarah with her life and she trusted that John Lake would keep her secret as well.
* * * *
“Sarah, don’t be angry with me. I know I should have confided in you, but you would have treated me differently. You would have worried about me. I didn’t want pity, I wanted to forget. I did what I thought was for the best, just leave it be. It’s over now. I’m happy. Thanks to all three of you, I’m safe. I will never feel threatened or scared again. I’m thinking of going to visit John Lake. I have to thank him before I leave town, and I also want to make sure he doesn’t tell anyone what happened eight years ago.”
“Meg,” Sarah walked over to where Meg was sitting on the couch; they were alone. Drake was upstairs in the kitchen with her parents, and Meg appreciated the privacy he gave her with her friend. “John would never say anything. I trust that man with my life. I’ve known him since we were little kids, and he’s not a hurtful person. He would never share your secret with anyone. He’s the last person in the world you need to worry about. You know, he blames himself for what happened to you eight years ago?”
“Why, why would he blame himself? It wasn’t his fault. He didn’t do anything.”
“No, but he feels he let you down, Meg. In his mind, he failed to protect you.”
“As much as I want you to go see him and make your peace, how do you think Drake is going to feel about you visiting him? He’s pretty possessive over you, and given your history together, do you really think he will be okay with that?”
“He trusts me, Sarah. If he doesn’t know that, after all we’ve been through, then what do we really have together? He’ll be okay with it. Obviously, he won’t be thrilled at the idea, but I believe he’ll understand and support my intentions.”
“You’re right, I guess. Do you know where John lives?”
“Yeah, I do. I heard he’s living in a chalet on the lake just outside of town. I’ll talk to Drake after you leave and let him know. This will be difficult, but it’s something I feel I need to do.”
“Did you guys go to the sheriff’s office and give your statements?”
“Yeah, we went this morning, what about you?”
“Done. I just came back from there. I ran into Will. He’s so upset over all of this. He mentioned he went by the hospital to see you. I was asleep when he dropped by, and I wasn’t taking any visitors at the time. But I’m glad I ran into him this morning. He looks good.”
“Does he know anything? I mean about what happened all those years ago?” Sarah asked quietly.
Meg steadied herself at that question, and thinking back to two nights earlier at the hospital and what Will had said, she didn’t think he put the two together. Thankfully, they didn’t have a name to go with, and even if they did, Meg would have denied it was her that was raped. There was no way in hell she would live through that part of her life again and retell that story to anyone, particularly a courtroom.
“If he knew anything, he certainly didn’t let on. He assured me that Tommy would be put away for good, and I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear that. He was pissed when he heard what went down at Tommy’s house, but he didn’t insinuate knowing anything other than what happened the other night. He chopped it up to Tommy’s condition and figured that was the reason behind the attack. He said he’ll make sure Tommy gets what he deserves and both Will and his dad have a lot of pull here in the county. He’ll have a few charges against him, but Will mentioned he’ll most likely be put away in a psychiatric ward for the rest of his life. He’s too unstable, and from what I hear, his parents couldn’t seem to control him at home either.”
Both Sarah and Meg talked well into the afternoon hours. Unfortunately, they didn’t plan their return trip back to NY very well. They had separate flights which really sucked. Meg let Sarah know she was planning to stay with Drake for a while when they returned. She promised she would stay with him for the remainder of the week until he went back to work.
* * * *
Just before dinner that evening, Drake and Meg were sitting on the couch downstairs watching TV. Both her parents reluctantly went to visit her aunt who had grown even weaker by the day. They didn’t want to leave Meggie on her last day at home. But Meg assured them she would be okay at home with Drake. “Meggie, why don’t you go take a nice hot shower and then take a nap, relax a bit.”
“What are you saying? You don’t want to join me or you don’t want to sleep with me, that you’re afraid to touch me?”
Meg tore away from his embrace. They were finally alone together. She needed the intimacy with him. She stood back a little, so they were staring at one another. Everything went very quiet. “This doesn’t change a God damn thing, Drake, do you hear me?” Meg’s voice grew louder. “You see, this is the reason why I didn’t want you know what happened.” She pointed her finger at him. “I don’t want to be treated differently, like I’m fucked up, or that you need to protect me, afraid to touch me, that you might scare me and send me over the edge. That’s not what I want from you. I want you, the man that stole my heart. I want your masculinity, and the vulgar words you use when we’re caught up in the moment and the aggressive ways you take me. You set me on fire every time I’m around you. I don’t want you to be afraid to touch me, Drake. That will kill me and ruin everything we have together. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. I want you controlling in the bedroom. I want the roughness. If that stops, then you may as well walk out the fucking door right now. I love who you are, Drake Noble, not the person you think you need to be now that you know my horrible secret. I’m not fucking broken and I’m certainly not afraid of you.”
Meg shook from uncontrolled anger and resentment; the very thought of Drake thinking she was weak and broken was something she couldn’t endure. She stood her ground while he towered over her; he was speechless. Meg turned and stormed away toward the bathroom, and in one long stride, he was on her, big arms wrapped around her from behind, holding her tightly against his chest, she couldn’t move.
“Meggie,” his voice was low, steady. “If you think for one second that I would treat you differently, you’re out of your fucking mind. Yes, I feel terrible for what happened to you, and no, I can’t change it. But I won’t feel bad for wanting to keep you safe or giving you a little time and space to adjust after what you just went through.” He turned her so that she was facing him and gripped her shoulders. “Do you hear me? As for me treating you differently when we’re alone and making love, I know your body inside and out. I know exactly how you react to everything I say and do. I know you’re not scared of me, of this.”
Drake’s lips came crashing down on hers, with a possession and a passion like she’d never felt before. Everything in his grip, his touch, told her she was his and that he had no intentions of walking on eggshells around her. Quickly, he pulled the shirt she wore over her head, he fisted her hair and pulled her toward him, swallowing her up in a deep kiss, tongues twirled around one another, teeth clashed, both of them greedy and overcome with the need for one another.
His hand traveled upward and he unclasped her bra, ridding her body of the material and her breasts fell free. The kiss grew harder. Meg let out a whimper and he swallowed it. Both his thumbs hooked into the material on either side of her track pants. He pulled them down in one quick motion.
“I want to fuck you so bad right now and I want to feel everything inside you tighten up around me and then watch you fall apart while I fuck you hard. Do you want that, Meggie? Do you want to feel me inside you, exploding inside you?” He fisted her hair in a tighter hold and pulled her head back so that their eyes were aligned and their lips only inches apart. She could feel his breath on her face and wetness settled between her thighs.
His teeth grazed her jaw and then her neck. “Tell me what you want, Meggie. I want to hear you say it.”
“I want you, Drake. Please, I want you so badly right now.”
“Tell me, Meggie. Say it. What do you want? How can I make you feel good, what do you want me to do? Tell me, baby.”
“Touch me,” she begged. “Please, I need you. I can’t wait any longer.”
“Where, where do you want me to touch you?”
Grabbing the back of Drake’s soft, thick curls, she pushed herself out of his hold and with one hand on his shoulder, she pushed him down, so that his mouth settled directly in front of her throbbing sex. “I want your mouth on me, I want to come in your mouth. I need you so bad.”
His grin was wicked. He stared up at her just before leaning in to take her with his mouth. He pulled one leg up and placed it over his shoulder, letting go of the grip she had on his hair, Meg placed both hands on his shoulders to steady herself. He pulled her panties to the side, “God, you smell so good, you’re so wet for me, you’re glistening with your juices. Fuck, Meggie, I’ve been dying for you. It’s been too long.” He bit in to the inner part of her thigh, harder this time. Meg screamed from the pain and his luscious mouth covered the area immediately removing the sting and replacing it with frivolous pleasure. Meg submerged herself into ecstasy. His hands held her waist in a tight hold to steady her. Her legs shook uncontrollably, anticipating the pleasure she knew that only he could give her. God, I need this.
“Drake, I need your mouth on me.” Her panties were still on, but not for long before she felt them tighten around her skin and in one quick rip they were tossed aside and thrown to the floor. Drake drew his hand back and spanked her. Meg moaned at the feel of the sting left there. It took her by surprise, but what surprised her even more was the fact that she loved it, and wanted more.
“Yes, ah yes,” she moaned out into the open room. That was so fucking hot. Her pussy throbbed at the action, juices flowed willingly, and Meg was now lost to the feel of his mouth on her.
She threw her head back, “Mmm, ahh yes,” she breathed out. “That feels so good, it’s not enough, more, I want more, I’m so close.”
“Hold on, Meggie, don’t let go yet, baby.” Two long fingers made their way inside her aching channel, and Meg thrilled in the delight of his touch as his fingers filled her. “Ahh, that feels so good.” His fingers swept through the folds of her sex, teasing her, before he took her into his mouth and sucked hard on her clit. Meg was quivering at the sensations and then he softly bit into the tight bundle of nerves, Meg moaned her appreciation. An electrical surge went straight to her womb, deep inside as he continued to suck greedily. Pleasure built quickly, and Meg prepared herself for release. There was no way of stopping it now, she was there. His mouth moved lower, and he pushed the leg that straddled his shoulder back a little further, giving him better access. His tongue found its way down further until it found her aching channel where he delved in and out working his tongue further and further inside of her. “You’re so wet, Meggie. Come for me, baby. Let go.”
Again his tongue started moving aggressively in and out of her sex and his free hand moved up, applying just enough pressure to her clit. He circled it with his thumb, faster and faster until she threw her head back and her lips parted. “Ahh yes,” she couldn’t stop the uncontrollable urge, Meg exploded. Her body convulsed with pleasure as Drake continued to torture her clit with his perfectly capable mouth.
Within seconds, Meg felt it again, the urge to explode, her sex started to spasm uncontrollably. “Drake,” she said in a gravelly voice, barely audible as she tried to get the words out. “I’m coming again.” He covered her clit with his mouth again and sucked harder this time. He circled the tight nubbin faster with his tongue and sucked harder, taking every ounce of pleasure from her body. He looked up, right into the heart of her and she fell completely apart. Stars danced before her eyes. The warm feeling of a climax floated through her body, taking her into a place like no other. His name continued to fall from her lips along with whimpers of pleasure that she couldn’t hold back. Meg finally opened her eyes again and looked down into his familiar face and he was staring back at her, watching intently as she fell apart in his arms.
“You have no idea how fucking gorgeous you are when you fall apart around me like this. Hearing you moan out in pleasure as you take everything I give you, God, what you do to me, Meggie.” He kissed both her inner thighs, caressed her clit lightly, sending a shiver through her one last time before removing her leg from his shoulder. Drake caught her as she collapsed on to him. He lifted her into his arms and walked over to the sofa and laid her down.
Their eyes locked on to one another. “Perfect, you are so perfect, Meggie. I love you,” he said before he stole her lips in a kiss that had her panting and wanting more of him.
Meg’s eyebrow drew upward. “You have too many clothes on,” she said in a small voice, weak with desire. Although he was shirtless, his erection stood at attention straining against his trousers. He looked sexy as hell to her right now, and she wanted him like never before.
Rushing, he unleashed his belt, pulled down his zipper and his long thick shaft sprung forward looking ready to explode and angry with the need to be taken. Her breath hitched and her eyes fixated on the size of him, wanting him to fill her.
An overwhelming need to taste him urged her forward, and she took a seat at the edge of the couch. He stood directly in front of her, his erection in close proximity to her mouth, and she licked her lips at the very sight of him. Meg moved forward taking him into her mouth, inch by long inch. She slowly sucked him back until she felt the head of his shaft at the back of her throat and she swallowed down.
Her lips moved over the length of him, over and over again, his shaft glistened from the wetness of her mouth, and Meg knew she would never tire of taking him in this way. “Suck me, Meggie, harder,” he begged. She looked up into his dark eyes to see they were dilated and almost black with desire. He was so close. Placing both hands on either side of her head, he fisted her hair around his hands and pulled out so that the head of his penis rested on her bottom lip and he set the pace. He took his own pleasure. He fucked her mouth until his head fell back and his lips parted. She took back control. With her hands gripped securely around his waist and she grazed her teeth lightly over his shaft, before settling on the tip. She swirled her tongue around, applying a little more pressure to the underside, not wanting him to come just yet. She took him in deep and stilled herself for a moment, breathing out her nose. She reached down lower with her free hand, the other fisted his shaft and she held his heavy sac and massaged, bringing him closer to the edge. Drake let out a low curse while Meg continued to massage. His erection fell free from her lips and a loud popping sound filled the room. She took one of his legs and moved it up on to the seat of the couch and lowered herself to take the delicate tissue of his sac in to her mouth. She sucked gently and massaged.
“Meggie,” he said, his voice was strained. “Play with your clit,” he said softly. Meg lowered her hand, between her thighs and found the aching bundle of nerves that now danced in excitement. She circled the tightened nerve endings with two fingers and knew it wouldn’t take long for her to go off. Her mouth enclosed around his erection again, and after applying the right amount of pressure to her clit, she moved her fingers faster and faster giving herself over to the quick build up of pleasure and sucked him harder until she felt the familiar warmth settle over her once again and she moaned her orgasm around his shaft, working her mouth over the head of his erection while giving in to her own release.
She removed her fingers from her clit and fisted around his erection with one hand, the other dug into his outer thigh. Her mouth closed around him tighter, and she sucked at him harder, eager to make him moan, to make him come. She was rewarded with a low grunt, he pulled out right away and hot spurts of semen shot out over her breasts. He watched intently and she realized without a doubt, he was marking her as his.
Bending down on the floor in front of her, he tilted her chin up and forward capturing her lips in an exotic kiss, his tongue caressed her lower lip before pushing its way through. When their lips pulled away, he stood to his full height and held his hand out for her to join him. He walked them both into the bathroom. He sat Meg on the edge of the tub and turned on the shower. Once inside the shower, he took the white facecloth, covered it in body wash and moved carefully over every inch of her body. Taking his sweet time, he washed the evidence of his desire away from her breasts. He caressed every crevice of her body before he washed her hair, and then turned to wash himself. Meg was too far gone to take care of him. She simply stood with her back against the wall to enjoy the view, taking in every part of his well- toned body and his devastating good looks. I have got to be the luckiest woman alive.
* * * *
They wrapped themselves around one another on the sofa, both of them gloriously naked and a warm blanket thrown over them. “Meggie, what’s wrong? You’re quiet. Should I be worried?”
“No, there’s nothing wrong, but I do want to talk you about something. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous in how you’ll feel about what I have to say.” After finally being together so intimately for the first time since Meg left New York to come home, she realized how much she missed being snuggled up to Drake with her back against his chest, a nice bulge settled firmly between her thighs. God, she wanted him again already. They caressed one another absentmindedly and simply enjoyed the feel of their skin touching. Drake held her breasts in his hands from behind with both arms wrapped around her, he held her tighter to him for a moment before loosening his hold.
“There’s no need for you to be nervous around me, Meggie. Tell me, what is it?” he said in a low voice. The way he was looking at her made her heart skip a beat. She felt treasured by him.
“I’m not sure if you will understand, or if you will agree, but I need to see John Lake. I need to know for myself that he will never tell anyone what happened to me. I also want to thank him for helping save me.” She turned over to face him, staring back into his eyes and hopeful that he would understand that she had to do this, for her, for them. “Drake,” she murmured softy, “You know how I feel about you, how much I love you,” she reassured him. “I would never betray your trust, you know that, right?”
Drake hugged her closer to him, his chin rested on my head for a moment, before he said anything. Meg remained silent, knowing she was asking a lot of him but also knowing she would never forgive herself if she didn’t thank John for everything he had done. She trusted him to keep her secret, but for a reason she couldn’t quite explain, she needed to see him one last time. “Meggie, I do trust you. I don’t trust him, but I trust you to do the right thing.”
“Would you like to come with me?” she offered with her face snuggled into his neck, she was hopeful that he would say no.
“No, I think it would be best you did this alone. Don’t get me wrong, I would rather you didn’t go at all, but I think I understand why you need to do this. I also feel it’s important that you close that chapter in your life in order to move forward with me, with us.”
“Drake,” she whispered, “I am ready to move forward with you, I don’t want anyone but you. I am not going there to test the waters and make a decision between who I want. That’s not what this is about. I love you, you are everything to me.”
“Jesus, Meggie, I know. I know you love me. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.” He stared down into her eyes before he continued. “I don’t feel threatened by him in that way. I’m just jealous as hell when it comes to you, especially when it comes to him. He loves you. I’m not stupid, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. But I trust you, and if you need to do this, I won’t hold you back, no matter how much it kills me. Would you like me to drop you off there?”
“No, I’ll take my mom’s car. I’ll only be gone an hour tops, I promise, and Drake, thank you, I know this is hard on you and I get that.”
* * * *
An hour later, Meg pulled into the driveway of John’s chalet. The view was stunning. The chalet stood on a small cliff overlooking the lake. She stopped the car and looked toward the house. He was standing there, a little over to the left, with an axe held in his hand. He stopped what he was doing and looked in her direction, but he didn’t move. Meg hesitated for a moment thinking maybe she should have called first.
He continued to stare in her direction until he realized who she was. In one quick movement, he raised the axe above his right shoulder and it came down in a loud thump splitting the wood that stood up straight into three even splints. Meg sensed his discomfort right away and walked over to where he stood. He didn’t take his eyes off her, he nodded and then pointed to the front door of the house where he confidently led the way up the stairs.
“What brings you here?” His tone was curt. He didn’t sound annoyed, but he didn’t sound pleased either.
“I was hoping we could talk.”
“What is there to talk about?” He walked in first and removed the lumber jacket he was wearing and hung it on the coat rack just inside the porch.
Meg shivered from the cold and waited for him to invite her inside.
“Come on in,” he politely held the door open, and she walked past him.
Once inside, he took her coat and hung it next to his. They removed their boots, and he placed his hand at the small of her back and led Meg into the family room. His touch still did something to her. Meg was nervous, her body tense and betraying her. Despite the fact that she knew she was totally and utterly in love with Drake, John still moved something inside her. Now that she was getting over her past, she realized she felt more comfortable around him. They were alone in the same room after everything that had happened, and suddenly, he found it difficult to think.
“Maybe I should leave,” she said as she turned back toward the door.
“The hell you will, you came here to talk. Say what you have to say, Meggie.” He ushered her back into the family room. The burning wood crackled loudly in the fireplace, giving off a wonderful woodsy aroma and warming the room nicely. It was cozy here. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively, she wasn’t at all cold, but she was nervous.
“I’m not sure why I’m here. For some reason, I felt it important that I come by and see you, but now I feel kind of stupid for showing up unannounced like this,” she said, staring up at him. She felt confused all of a sudden and wasn’t quite sure why she really wanted to do this to begin with. Old feelings quickly resurfaced, making her aware of the effect he still had on her.
“You don’t need a reason to come by here. You’re welcome in this house any time. I’m sorry if I seem pissed,” he continued. “but I am. I’m pissed you didn’t tell me. I’m pissed that I left you that night.” He shoved his fingers through his hair and continued. “Hell, I knew, all this time, I fucking knew it was him. But I had no idea what happened to you. I thought you called him. I’m so stupid. I should have known better. I should have figured it all out, and I should have asked you back then if you slept with that prick. Then you would have known who it was.” John sat down on the couch, his forehead resting in both palms as if his head hurt. He really was blaming himself. No doubt he was pissed, but it was clear to Meg that he was having a difficult time forgiving himself. It was up to her now to be strong and to set him straight.
She took a step forward and stood directly in front of him. Both hands reached out and caressed the sides of his face with her thumbs. “John, look at me,” she ordered. He looked up, their gaze connected and a familiar feeling ran through her. “What happened eight years ago was not your fault,” Meg assured him in a whisper.
“But I…”
“No, John. Listen to me, it was not your fault. You did something that night that any other teenage boy would have taken advantage of. You walked away, thinking it was best for me. You did that for me. You were trying to save me from myself, for someone special that might have appreciated me for the long run. There is no shame in what you did, and there should be more men in this world like you. You were never at fault here, John. I don’t want you to regret that decision, and this is not your burden to bear.”
Meg zoned out for a moment and looked over to where the window displayed a nice view of the lake. She continued to caress his face with her fingertips and around his jaw line. Her gaze fell on his handsome face once more. “I admit that over the years when I thought about you and that night and what happened to me, I felt a definite connection between the two. I was angry, bitter at the world, and confused and then seeing you in NY opened up old wounds. It made me feel vulnerable, everything resurfaced, and it all came rushing back at once. But that’s a normal reaction to the horror I went though.” She looked back to his face to see that he was staring at her intently. His eyes were caring and there was no denying the feelings that still remained there. “I don’t blame you for what happened to me, John Lake.”
She cleared her throat and dropped to her knees in front of him. She covered his hands with hers before continuing. “I came here this evening to thank you for what you did for me this past week. You helped save my life, and I will never forget that. I’m sorry that you got caught up in the middle of all of this. I also wanted your reassurance that you will keep this secret to yourself forever and promise to tell no one. Can you do that for me, John?”
“Your secret is safe with me. You don’t ever have to worry about that, Meggie. I will carry it to my grave, and you have my word on that.” John moved his hand from beneath her hold and covered her hands with his. He caressed her knuckles lightly with his thumb and didn’t take his eyes off of her.
“You know, if you guys didn’t make it when you did, I’m not sure I would have survived him a second time. It would have been disastrous for me,” she admitted with a nervous smile.
“I’m just happy you’re okay. If anything happened to you again, I never would have forgiven myself.”
“I’m sorry about the fat lip and black eye.” She noticed the bruises that covered his neck as well, but she kept quiet about that. “You know, despite what he did to you and that he initially blamed you, if you knew him, you would know he’s a good man. He never would have done this under normal circumstances.”
Absentmindedly, her hand reached out to caress John’s bottom lip, swiping her thumb over the dark, bloody sore. Her eyes fixated on his perfectly sculptured mouth for a quick moment before she looked back into his eyes again. What am I doing? “I really should go now, John.” Meg stood and rushed toward the door. She pulled on her coat and boots and realized that despite her feelings for Drake, she still felt something for John. It threw her off guard and she had to get out of there quick.
She was just about to turn the doorknob when his body pressed against hers, pinning her to the door. He held her there before leaning down to whisper in her ear. “There’s no denying it, is there, Meggie? You feel it too, don’t you?”
“John,” she whispered, “Please don’t. Don’t do this. I can’t. Please just let it go.” Tears pricked her eyes, threatening to fall. She turned the knob again, when she felt his strong hold on her waist and he turned her slowly toward him.
“One kiss, Meggie, just one.” And before she could answer, he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his. He kissed her tenderly; it wasn’t an urgent hungry act. It was much deeper than that. Meg broke away quickly, turned and walked out toward the car. He took one last look and he was standing at the door. She backed out and never looked back.
* * * *
On her drive home, Meg thought about John Lake. The image of him standing in his doorway and watching her intently while she backed out would be forever embedded in her mind. She realized on her drive home that she had no regrets. As much as a part of her would always care about him, she was without a doubt in love with Drake Noble. He was her future, her absolute everything. With Drake, she was free. There were no bad memories. There was pure happiness and a hunger she couldn’t imagine having with any other man, not even John undid her in the way that Drake did.
* * * *
After an hour of talking over hot tea with her parents, she said good night and headed downstairs. The lamp in the small bedroom was glowing dimly casting a shadow over Drake’s handsome face. After removing her clothes, she climbed in to bed next to him and snuggled closely against his back. He rolled over so that they were facing one another, and she draped her leg around his thick thighs, enjoying the incredible warmth and feel of his body. They talked at great length; she told him about her conversation with John, but of course, left out the parts that he didn’t need to know. John would always be special to her, but her heart truly belonged to the man lying next to her.