By the time he was back to my lips, I had calmed, and quit frantically thinking about what I needed him to do and let him take control. He was going to anyway, my begging had no influence on him. He kissed me deeply, and I moaned in his mouth as he moved between my legs.
He made slow passionate love to me, and when he would sense that I was leaving him for Drew, he would stop, make me open my eyes and look at him, telling me that he loved me before he would move again. That seemed to become routine for us. I was glad that he didn’t do as I begged him to do. I knew that so many men would have jumped at the chance to treat me like I felt I deserved, but not Dawson. Dawson truly did love me, and I loved him.
I laid in his arms that night feeling like I had never felt in my life. I knew that I craved the things that Drew did to me because it was the only time I was touched. I never grew up with loving parents that made sure I felt loved. Drew surely never made me feel loved, but his touch was something I emotionally needed. Dawson’s touch was different from anything I had ever experienced.
“Thank you,” I said, looking up to him as he kissed the tip of my nose. He knew what I was thanking him for, and I truly was grateful that he hadn’t given me what I wanted.
“You’re welcome. Is he still in Indiana?” He asked, and I already knew what he was thinking.
“Yes, and you promise me that you’re not going to do anything. I just want to forget him Dawson, please don’t try to do anything.” I knew that he was a cop and could find out fairly easy that he was in Las Vegas and not Indiana, but I thought it would at least throw him off track.
And I wasn’t about to give him a last name.
“Ry, don’t you want to see that prick rot in prison?
He bought you. You were forced to marry him, and I am sure that too was not a legal wedding.”
“It wasn’t, but I want you to let it go. It was a legal document because a judge did it. I signed all of the papers myself. Please don’t do anything, Dawson. I am begging you.”
“A judge did it?” he asked, disbelieving his own ears. “What else did you sign?”
“I’m not even sure. I signed the marriage license and then something else that was about ten pages. He just flipped it to the back page, and I signed it. I’m sure it was a prenuptial agreement, not that he was ever going to let me leave him anyway.”
“Why would you sign something without reading it first?”
“Dawson, I was barely eighteen. My dad had just sold me to a man that I didn’t know. I did what I had to do to survive.”
Dawson took a deep breath and kissed the top of my head. “You’re going to be okay, Riley. I promise,” he said, and I smiled.
I didn’t dream about anything that night. I fell asleep in Dawson’s arms feeling safe and content. I had promised myself before I had come to the little tourist town that I would never introduce any of my skeletons to anyone there, but I was glad that I had. I was glad that Dawson knew where I had come from and still wanted me.
It felt good to tell someone.
***
We landed at the McCarran airport just before
noon. I was still a nervous wreck, afraid that someone would recognize me. I wasn’t sure who I was worried about. I never did get out much. It wasn’t like I was someone famous and Drew had his own private plane. He didn’t fly out of McCarran. I still wasn’t sure what was said about my disappearance or if he just told people that I had left him.
I wore dark sunglasses and a ridiculously large sunhat. Las Vegas was a very public city and anyone could really blend in. I didn’t relax until we were in our hotel, miles away from Drew’s home. He would never come to this side of town. I enjoyed dinner with Starlight, her sister Sunny, and all three of her hippy friends who were just as unconventional and carefree as she was. I loved them all. We had so much fun. I think all of us had a little too much of something called purple Martian’s.
Dawson called to check on me just before we turned in for the night. Starlight moaned in the bed next to me, regretting the deep purple drinks that she had consumed too many of.
“Was that Star?”
I laughed. “Yeah, she may have had one too many drinks downstairs.”
“I miss you. You should come home now,”
Dawson teased.
I looked over to Starlight, not wanting to say anything in front of her. “I’m sure you will be fine for a couple of days,” I said, playing it safe.
“Will you?”
I knew what Dawson was asking. He had been in my bed every night for three full months. He was there to calm my nights, hold me, and tell me that I was there with him, and Drew was nowhere around.
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m hoping the alcohol will help.”
It didn’t. I was afraid to go to sleep at all, afraid that Starlight would deem me a lunatic and fire me or something. I lay awake purposely trying to tire out my subconscious mind. Maybe if I was beyond exhausted, I wouldn’t dream. I did finally let the fatigue take over some time around three in the morning. I may had been okay had I kept my mind on Dawson back in Maine, but I didn’t.