Breaking Him check-in!
This snipped takes place six months after Eli and Abi got their happily ever after in Breaking Him.
Elijah
I shook the snow from my hair and stared down at the old sleigh Abi’s father had made when she was a kid. It had needed a lot of repair, but it was finally ready.
I ran my hand over Gus’s side when he whinnied and stomped his feet, glancing up at the house, the lights were on, warm through the lace curtains. My eyes lifted to the second floor, to our room. Ours. I’d never had anything that was mine. Nothing that mattered. So much had changed since Abi followed me into the barn that night. The hunger, the yearning, the feverish need I had for her, it hadn’t lessened, not at all—but now, if I needed her, I could have her. And I could give her everything she needed in return.
Abi was mine, and I was hers.
No more pain. There was no more pain.
My beautiful Abigail was everything. My reason for getting up each day, for drawing breath. I’d do anything to make her happy, just to see her smile. Anything.
So when the front door opened and she walked out, rugged up warm like I told her to, and her face crumpled in front of my eyes, I thought I might actually die.
“Angel?” My voice broke, a knot tightening like a fist in my gut.
She lifted her gloved hands and covered her face, then her whole body started shaking, wracked with deep sobs that I felt in the center of my chest.
I rushed to her, gently pulling her hands away from her face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Oh god, I’d done that, I’d caused her pain. I dragged her into my arms, lifting her off her feet and started for the house. “I’m so sorry, darlin’. I’m so sorry. I’ll put it back where I found it, I’ll…”
She shook her head against my chest. “I love it,” she whispered. “Oh, Eli…” She sniffed. “I love it so much.”
I stopped at the steps to the house and looked down, sliding my fingers under her chin, tilting her face up. “You do?”
“It’s beautiful,” she said, lips quivering.
My heart smacked against my ribs, like it wanted to pound right out of my chest. “That’s why you’re cryin’?”
She bit the glossy bottom lip and nodded, her eyes shifting over my shoulder, back to the sleigh. I looked back as well. I’d covered it in pine and red ribbons, and I’d even found bells, so they’d jingle when we went for a ride.
She smiled as another wave of tears ran down her face. “I want to go for a ride…now please.”
I turned instantly, heading back the way I’d come.
“I can walk, Elijah.”
I shook my head. “Can’t let you go, not when you’re cryin’.”
Her fingers crept up, curling around the side of my neck. “They’re happy tears.”
I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. When my Angel cries, she does it in my arms.”
Her arms tightened around my neck and she pressed her face deeper, nuzzling my scarf higher so she could kiss my skin. My breath stuttered past my lips, desire slamming through me from just that simple act. As soon as we got back, I was going to make her hot chocolate, warm her up, then tie her to the bed and make her scream my name until we were both sweaty and spent.
I sat her in the sleigh, and the sound of her laughter as we took off made my heart full—with pride, with a rightness I’d never felt in my life, not until I had Abi in it. She’d taught me I was worthy of love, made sure I knew she needed me as much as I did her.
She made me whole.
We finally reached the spot I’d planned to bring her to. It was beautiful, snow covered mountains in the distance, clear blue sky over head. It didn’t hold a candle to the woman beside me, though. I twisted in my seat, and pulled her into my lap. I loved that this didn’t surprise her. I liked her there, and she liked being there.
“I have a present for you,” I said against her hair.
“Another one?” She leaned back, cupping my jaw. “The sleigh was present enough.”
I felt nervous all of a sudden, but pushed it down. I had nothing to be nervous about. My Abi would never hurt me. She loved me.
My absolute certainty of that had me tugging off my glove, and taking the small box from my pocket. I felt her still, body tense up as her eyes dropped to what I was holding.
Her eyes lifted back to mine, and they were glistening again, filling with more tears.
I grabbed her hand and took her glove off as well, holding it in mine to keep it warm. “Abigail Smith…” My voice cracked with emotion, but I didn’t care, the woman in my arms knew how I felt about her, I didn’t want her to ever forget. “You changed my life, Angel, and I can’t imagine not spending the rest of it with you.” I lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. “Will you marry me?”
Tears were streaming as she nodded. “Yes.” She flung her arms around my neck. “Yes, Eli, I’ll marry you.”
“I love you so much, Abi,“ I said as I slipped the ring on her trembling finger.
“I love you, too.” Then she tightened her arms around my neck, pressed her lips against mine, and kissed me, with all the emotion she was feeling.
I wanted my angel all the time, but right now, I thought I might die if I didn’t get inside her. “I need you, darlin’.”
“Take me home,” she whispered, voice husky with her own need.
As soon as we got home, I picked her up and carried her inside, kicking the door behind us. Tearing off our coats and scarfs, I lay her on the couch, covering her body with mine, quickly undoing her pants, and peeling them down her legs, taking her underwear with them. A deep groan tore free when she immediately cradled my hips with her thighs, attacking the front of my jeans, freeing me, stroking me.
“Please, Elijah,” she whispered against my lips.
Taking her hands in mine, I slid my thumb over the sparkly little diamond I put on her finger, and possessiveness overwhelmed me, made my limbs weak and my heart pound.
Mine.
My angel.
Lifting her hands over her head, I pressed them into the cushions. “Don’t move,” I rasped. “I’m about to show my fiancée how much I love her.”
I surged forward, filling her, and she cried out, then all I could hear was the sound of her pleasure, her love, ringing in my ears.
Elijah
I shook the snow from my hair and stared down at the old sleigh Abi’s father had made when she was a kid. It had needed a lot of repair, but it was finally ready.
I ran my hand over Gus’s side when he whinnied and stomped his feet, glancing up at the house, the lights were on, warm through the lace curtains. My eyes lifted to the second floor, to our room. Ours. I’d never had anything that was mine. Nothing that mattered. So much had changed since Abi followed me into the barn that night. The hunger, the yearning, the feverish need I had for her, it hadn’t lessened, not at all—but now, if I needed her, I could have her. And I could give her everything she needed in return.
Abi was mine, and I was hers.
No more pain. There was no more pain.
My beautiful Abigail was everything. My reason for getting up each day, for drawing breath. I’d do anything to make her happy, just to see her smile. Anything.
So when the front door opened and she walked out, rugged up warm like I told her to, and her face crumpled in front of my eyes, I thought I might actually die.
“Angel?” My voice broke, a knot tightening like a fist in my gut.
She lifted her gloved hands and covered her face, then her whole body started shaking, wracked with deep sobs that I felt in the center of my chest.
I rushed to her, gently pulling her hands away from her face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Oh god, I’d done that, I’d caused her pain. I dragged her into my arms, lifting her off her feet and started for the house. “I’m so sorry, darlin’. I’m so sorry. I’ll put it back where I found it, I’ll…”
She shook her head against my chest. “I love it,” she whispered. “Oh, Eli…” She sniffed. “I love it so much.”
I stopped at the steps to the house and looked down, sliding my fingers under her chin, tilting her face up. “You do?”
“It’s beautiful,” she said, lips quivering.
My heart smacked against my ribs, like it wanted to pound right out of my chest. “That’s why you’re cryin’?”
She bit the glossy bottom lip and nodded, her eyes shifting over my shoulder, back to the sleigh. I looked back as well. I’d covered it in pine and red ribbons, and I’d even found bells, so they’d jingle when we went for a ride.
She smiled as another wave of tears ran down her face. “I want to go for a ride…now please.”
I turned instantly, heading back the way I’d come.
“I can walk, Elijah.”
I shook my head. “Can’t let you go, not when you’re cryin’.”
Her fingers crept up, curling around the side of my neck. “They’re happy tears.”
I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. When my Angel cries, she does it in my arms.”
Her arms tightened around my neck and she pressed her face deeper, nuzzling my scarf higher so she could kiss my skin. My breath stuttered past my lips, desire slamming through me from just that simple act. As soon as we got back, I was going to make her hot chocolate, warm her up, then tie her to the bed and make her scream my name until we were both sweaty and spent.
I sat her in the sleigh, and the sound of her laughter as we took off made my heart full—with pride, with a rightness I’d never felt in my life, not until I had Abi in it. She’d taught me I was worthy of love, made sure I knew she needed me as much as I did her.
She made me whole.
We finally reached the spot I’d planned to bring her to. It was beautiful, snow covered mountains in the distance, clear blue sky over head. It didn’t hold a candle to the woman beside me, though. I twisted in my seat, and pulled her into my lap. I loved that this didn’t surprise her. I liked her there, and she liked being there.
“I have a present for you,” I said against her hair.
“Another one?” She leaned back, cupping my jaw. “The sleigh was present enough.”
I felt nervous all of a sudden, but pushed it down. I had nothing to be nervous about. My Abi would never hurt me. She loved me.
My absolute certainty of that had me tugging off my glove, and taking the small box from my pocket. I felt her still, body tense up as her eyes dropped to what I was holding.
Her eyes lifted back to mine, and they were glistening again, filling with more tears.
I grabbed her hand and took her glove off as well, holding it in mine to keep it warm. “Abigail Smith…” My voice cracked with emotion, but I didn’t care, the woman in my arms knew how I felt about her, I didn’t want her to ever forget. “You changed my life, Angel, and I can’t imagine not spending the rest of it with you.” I lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. “Will you marry me?”
Tears were streaming as she nodded. “Yes.” She flung her arms around my neck. “Yes, Eli, I’ll marry you.”
“I love you so much, Abi,“ I said as I slipped the ring on her trembling finger.
“I love you, too.” Then she tightened her arms around my neck, pressed her lips against mine, and kissed me, with all the emotion she was feeling.
I wanted my angel all the time, but right now, I thought I might die if I didn’t get inside her. “I need you, darlin’.”
“Take me home,” she whispered, voice husky with her own need.
As soon as we got home, I picked her up and carried her inside, kicking the door behind us. Tearing off our coats and scarfs, I lay her on the couch, covering her body with mine, quickly undoing her pants, and peeling them down her legs, taking her underwear with them. A deep groan tore free when she immediately cradled my hips with her thighs, attacking the front of my jeans, freeing me, stroking me.
“Please, Elijah,” she whispered against my lips.
Taking her hands in mine, I slid my thumb over the sparkly little diamond I put on her finger, and possessiveness overwhelmed me, made my limbs weak and my heart pound.
Mine.
My angel.
Lifting her hands over her head, I pressed them into the cushions. “Don’t move,” I rasped. “I’m about to show my fiancée how much I love her.”
I surged forward, filling her, and she cried out, then all I could hear was the sound of her pleasure, her love, ringing in my ears.