Saving Easton Read online

  So, I tell them about Easton and me growing up, and the crush I had on him, but my brother keeping him away. Then, I tell them about the day I found him at Oakside and his progress.

  We talk about him and Allie, and what happened with the kitchen guy, and how Easton held me all afternoon, and then our picnic date yesterday. I even spill about the kiss.

  "Ahhh, it's the most romantic thing I've ever heard!" Mandy says teary eyed.

  "But your brother doesn't know about him?" Kaitlyn asks.

  "No, Easton isn't ready to see him, and honestly, I'm worried Leeland will ruin all this. Especially, if he finds out Easton is the 'patient' I was seeing, when I was attacked." I rub my neck, thinking about it.

  I thought about trying to hide the marks with makeup, but I don't wear a lot of it and couldn’t really hide them, so I started wearing my hair down with higher necked clothing to help hide it. Too bad it isn't winter, because turtlenecks would be perfect right now.

  Looking around the room, Lexi doesn't have any emotion on her face, but Brooke is biting her lip, like she wants to say something, but she’s holding it back.

  "What is it, Brooke?" I ask.

  "Well, there’s no doubt you’re helping him more than anyone here has been able, too."

  "But?" Lexi asks.

  She sighs. "But I just want you to be careful that he isn't using you as a crutch to get better. This is an odd time to start a relationship. Lexi can tell you from experience, so just be cautious."

  "Brooke is a worrier," Lexi says softly.

  "Comes with the territory of losing your parents and seeing what I have, being a nurse." She shrugs her shoulders.

  "I won’t lie and say it hasn't crossed my mind. But I just can't think Easton's changed that much, because I know he wouldn't do that."

  Needing to shift the spotlight, I turn to Lexi. "That leaves you, Lexi."

  Lexi smiles and looks into her drink.

  "Things with us are good. We have been trying for a baby. Just fun trying, and nothing too much. Noah is thriving at Oakside helping the guys out and all. The news I have isn't really guy related, though."

  "Oh, yeah?" I ask.

  "Well, remember Owen and Ellie, when they came with their two girls to tour Oakside?"

  "He's the billionaire that lives in Knoxville, right?" I ask.

  "Yes. Well, they’re doing a family trip this summer, and that leaves Ellie's friend, Mia, who is their nanny, free for the summer. She contacted me, and we talked. She’ll be coming here, staying with me, and volunteering at Oakside for the summer."

  "That's great, but if you’re trying to have a baby, are you sure you want someone staying with you?" Mandy asks.

  "Oh, the basement is a walk-out basement and was set up as a two-bedroom apartment, when we bought the place. We kept it the same, so she’ll be able to come and go as she pleases, and my dad installed a security door at the top of the stairs here, so we just have to remember to lock it more." Lexi says with a slight blush on her face.

  We all laugh. We spend another two hours talking and chatting, before everyone heads out to pick their places to sleep.

  After taking Molly out for the night, I go to the family room, where they have a large sectional couch. I grab a blanket, curling up with my head in the corner, and Molly on the other side, cuddling up with me.

  Me: Goodnight, Easton. Hope you and Noah had a good night.

  Easton: We did. I'm glad you texted. I was thinking of you, and it was stopping me from sleeping.

  Me: Well, Molly and I are curled up on Lexi and Noah's couch for the night.

  Easton: Okay, sunshine. Get some sleep, and I’ll see you for dinner.

  Me: I really like when you call me that.

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 18

  Easton

  It was very hard to sleep last night, knowing Paisley was so close, but not here with me. But I'm glad she had girl’s night and got to hang out with friends. Even though I know they were talking about me, and I wanted to ask, but figured it best not, too. I'm still new to this whole couple thing, and I haven't seriously dated before, so I'm still learning.

  "Hey," Noah greets me.

  "Man, aren't you sick of me yet?"

  Noah hung out with me, while the girls did their thing. He said Lexi kicked him out of the house, and I needed the distraction, so it worked out. We had dinner, then played some cards, and just talked, more than we have in the past. Noah is a great guy, who also got dealt a shit hand, when an IED blew up and injured most everyone in his unit.

  If you ask him though, he doesn't regret it, because it brought him Lexi, and he's channeling it all into this place, and I’ll agree, it's a great outcome for him.

  "Playing cards with you? Yes, but I heard back from the cop on Alec, the kitchen guy, and wanted to tell you." He comes in and sits on the couch.

  "Is it that bad?" I ask, reading his face.

  "Yeah. His fingerprints tied him to another name out of Atlanta. He has several warrants out for his arrest, including rape and murder. Apparently, he stalked a girl he worked with for months, hounding her for date after date. She kept turning him down, so he kidnapped her, brutally raped her, and then murdered her and dumped the body, and fled. The body was discovered the next day and has his DNA all over it."

  "Didn't you do a background check on him?"

  "Of course, I did with the name he used. It's his brother’s ID, who hasn't talked to him in a decade. They look a lot alike, so they passed with the company we use."

  "Well, you obviously need a new company," I mutter.

  "I obviously need you, so do us all a favor and hurry your ass up here."

  "How did you find out about me?"

  I did security and intelligence work in the military. It's something I hadn't shared with Noah, though.

  "Doing some digging. I was hoping to find something that might help you back when you weren't talking, except for a grunt here and there."

  "Maybe, let's not mention the gory details to Paisley?"

  "I’ll let you tell her, and I plan to keep the gory details from Lexi as well."

  Noah leans forward, resting his elbow on his knees and folds his hands. “Listen, I know you still aren't talking to your therapist.”

  "So, we are no longer in friend mode?"

  "I'm here as your friend, Easton. You’re making amazing progress, but you have to talk. If you don't want to talk to him, talk to me, or talk to Paisley. Talk to someone, Easton. You can't lock it away. It will eat at you, and trust me, that's not how you want to start anything with Paisley."

  "I know, but I don't want this to touch her. It's too dark," I say.

  "Do you see a future with her?"

  "Of course, I do," I say without hesitation.

  "Then you have to tell her. I'm not saying every gory detail, but she needs to know what happened. It's not that you’re dragging her down to the dark. It's about her pulling you up to the light."

  Neither of us says anything, as he looks over at me, and then stands up.

  "Okay, then," he heads towards the door, before he pauses. "Have you thought any more about taking on Allie?”

  "A little bit.”

  "For what it's worth, I think you should do it." He says, before he leaves.

  The sad part is I know Noah is right. I also know I can't have a relationship like Paisley deserves, until I move past this, and until I open up to not only my therapist, but Noah and Paisley, too. But I also need to make things right with Leeland. Though, once he finds out about Paisley and me, I think it will damage our friendship beyond repair; not that we have a good one now.

  I know Paisley is worth it; there’s no question in my mind.

  The problem is, am I worth it for her to stick around?

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 19

  Paisley

  Wrangling two dogs, who love to visit Oakside, isn't easy, but it's worth it for Easton. I stop in to see Lexi, who groans when we get to the door
.

  "How are you not more hungover?"

  "Well, I knew I had a busy day today, so I stopped drinking at least four drinks, before you last night.”

  "New girl’s night rule. Everyone has to drink as much as me." She says, as Noah walks in.

  He goes over and rubs her shoulder.

  "Fuck, that feels almost better than sex," she says, looking up at Noah, and they exchange a heated look.

  "And that's my cue to leave. Make sure you lock the door." I say, taking Molly and Allie upstairs.

  We get to Easton's room and find him on the couch, as both dogs run over to him and jump one on each side, begging for attention. A small smile crosses his face, as he pets them, looking up at me.

  "I think I'm kind of jealous you have two ladies stealing all your attention." I joke.

  "Come here." He holds out his hand.

  I take it, and he pulls me down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me.

  "Much better." He whispers in my hair, as he gives the top of my head a kiss.

  "I was going to suggest going out to the garden again, but it's supposed to rain soon, so maybe, we take a lazy day inside?" I suggest.

  "That sounds perfect, but I need to talk to you about something first."

  His tone is serious, and though I try to sit up to look into his face, he holds me tighter.

  "Everything okay?" I ask.

  "Noah came in, and he heard back from the cop, handling the case with the kitchen boy."

  "Okay?"

  "Well, they ran the guy’s fingerprints, and he had used a fake name. He's wanted for rape and murder in Atlanta."

  I let that sink in. This could have been a lot worse than what it was. Molly knew, though. She knew something was wrong, and she tried to tell us.

  "Come here, Molly," I say, and she half climbs into my lap, as I start rubbing her neck and back. "You’re such a good girl. You knew something was up with him and tried to tell us. I’m so proud of you, and I’ll never doubt you again."

  Easton reaches over and pets her, too.

  "I know it's a pain to bring two dogs, but I don't want you alone again. Promise me, you’ll always have Molly with you," he says.

  "I promise, though even before this, I can count on one hand the amount of time I've been without her. She may not be my service dog, but she’s a service dog that gets special treatment to be anywhere I am."

  "Good. Now, what movie do you want to watch?"

  We flip through what’s on TV and end on How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. We watched this together not too long before he left, and I know he won't admit it, but I'm pretty sure he loves the movie, as much as I do.

  He lets me sit beside him and wraps an arm around me, cuddling me to his side. Taking a blanket off the back of the couch, he pulls it over us.

  "You remembered," I say in awe.

  No matter how hot it is, I love watching movies cuddled under a blanket. Easton and my brother used to poke fun at me for it.

  "Of course, I did. Even the smallest memories of you are ingrained in my head. They pulled me through my darkest moments, and they still do."

  A memory flashes through my mind of what Brook said last night.

  ‘Be careful that he isn't using you as a crutch to get better.’

  I like to think I’m helping him, and that I'm not a crutch. I know I'm not.

  As we watch TV, Easton lightly runs his hand up and down my arm. It's so soothing I end up drifting off without meaning, too. When I wake up both Easton and Molly are gone, but Allie is lying with her head on my legs.

  I stand up to get my bearings. When Easton walks back in with Molly, I'm fixing my hair, as he gives me a shy smile.

  "She had to go out, and I didn't want to wake you."

  "She let you take her out?" I ask in shock.

  Molly doesn't like anyone taking her to do her business but me. Both my mom and dad have tried, but she refuses.

  "Yeah, I don't think she wanted to wake you up either."

  My smile is big, when I say, "Easton, I told you that you can do this."

  He looks at Allie and hesitates only for a minute.

  "Allie girl, you need to go potty?"

  She jumps up and heads to his side. Then, he takes a deep breath, and together they go out. I swear Molly has the biggest smile on her face.

  "You knew exactly what you were doing, didn’t you, Molly girl?" I give her back a good scratch.

  I fight the desire to go check on Easton and make sure he's okay. He has to do this, and there are plenty of people to help if he can't. I really want him to see that he’s able to do this and that taking Allie full-time is the right thing for him.

  When he returns, I watch his entire body relax, as he steps through the door, and then a smile spreads on his face. He pets Allie and gives her a treat, before coming to sit beside me.

  "I think I'm ready to take on Allie full-time."

  "Oh, Easton, this is a good thing. I think she’s going to help you a lot."

  "You helped me a lot already, and if she was trained by you, I have no doubt she’s going to be perfect." He leans in to give me a quick kiss.

  I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him in, turning the quick kiss into a deeper one. His large hand cradles the back of my head, as he runs his tongue across my bottom lip. The moment our tongues touch it's magic.

  He wraps his other arm around my waist, and like I weigh nothing, he lifts me on to him, so I'm straddling his lap, and there’s no mistaking the large bulge between my thighs. He pulls me even closer to him and then runs his hands up my legs to my hips.

  I want to be even closer, and as I wiggle my hips, he groans but doesn't stop me. His hands grip my hips, and thinking he's going to stop me, I pull back, trying to catch my breath.

  "I'm sorry this got out of hand." I start to climb off of him, but he holds me in place.

  "I want this, Paisley." He looks me in the eye like he’s searching for something.

  "It's not too much too fast?" I ask in a whisper.

  "Not for me. If it is for you, we can stop. No pressure."

  "I want this, too," I admit, and this makes him smile.

  He pulls me down on his cock and watches me, as he slides me on the thick ridge. I brace my hands on his shoulders and start grinding on him, but he uses my hips to keep the movements slow and steady.

  He kisses my neck, nipping under my ear and at my collar bone like he's exploring and wants to know how every movement makes me react. The pressure builds, and my arms start to shake right before they give out, and I fall onto his chest.

  I bury my face in his neck, only able to concentrate on the sensations overtaking me. I can hear how fast his heart is racing, and how fast he’s breathing. It matches mine.

  "Cum for me, Paisley," he groans, and keeps one hand on my waist, and then brings the other up to pull me to his mouth for a heat searing kiss. A kiss that makes my pussy flutter, and I can feel my orgasm start to build.

  I grip his shoulders, and just as the organism starts to peak, I dig my nails into his shoulders, crying out as I ride the intense pleasure. Pulling back from the kiss, he watches me cum so hard nothing comes out, when I scream his name.

  Then, his whole body goes rigid, as he falls forward, resting his forehead on my shoulder, groaning.

  I collapse onto his chest, and he wraps his strong, muscular arms around me. When a tremor runs through his body, I tilt my head up to look at him.

  "You okay?" I ask.

  "I'm perfect, Paisley." He rests his head on mine.

  When I try to get up, his grip tightens.

  "I just want to hold you for a little longer." He whispers.

  "For as long as you need."

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 20

  Easton

  My first night with Allie here by my side, and all I can think about is that make out session on the couch with Paisley earlier today. Knowing what she looks like, when she comes, is a sight that I’ll take with me to
my grave. I've never seen anything so beautiful.

  If I were to go back in time and tell my teenage self about that make out session, he'd never believe me. How many nights did I stay up dreaming of a night like that, rubbing one off to the thought of her in that little bikini she wore all summer?

  Part of me now wonders if she knew what she was doing wearing those tiny pieces of fabric around me day after day. It wouldn't surprise me.

  As I sit on the couch, watching one of these Mountain Man shows Noah told me about, I really like having Allie here. She’s sleeping on the couch with her head on my lap, and petting her, really makes things easier. Knowing I'm not alone in my room, helps me relax in a way I didn’t think possible.

  Paisley knew. All this time, she knew this is what I needed. Someone to have my back, putting me at ease, and that’s exactly what Allie does.

  Allie lifts her head and growls a fraction of a second before a soft knock on the door gets my attention. The door is open, and I see Jamie, my nighttime nurse, there.

  "Hey, I just wanted to check on you and see if you needed anything."

  I look down at Allie, "Do you need to go potty girl?" Allie perks right up.

  "I'm going to take her out, and then turn in for the night," I say.

  "I’ll be right here in the hallway if you need me."

  Allie doesn't seem to have any interest in playing around, as she heads right to the courtyard, does her business, and then drags me right back to our room.

  "Goodnight, Easton. Just call if you need anything," Jamie says with a smile.

  I nod, and then close the door behind me.

  "Time for bed," I say to Allie, and she seems to like this because she jumps up on the bed and lies down in the middle. Paisley wasn't kidding that Allie loves to sleep and cuddle.

  I laugh to myself, check to make sure she has water, and then finally get ready for bed. Standing at the bed looking at her, I'm glad for the first time, since I got here, that the bed is a queen size.