You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Harper

 I'm exhausted.

Mom and Dad have finally gone to bed, but I wouldn't put it past them to do room checks like they used to at summer camp.

I'm still downstairs with Easton bingeing some murderous documentary about a crime of passion, and some creepy stalker who always pretended to be her work friend but secretly cut pieces of her hair and slept with them in his pillow.

Ryan and Sadie are upstairs doing who knows what in the kitchen.

The creepy man on the screen continues his stalking.

Gross.

I shudder.

"Are you cold?"

Easton asks, pulling me close.

I frown.

"Is it just me or are you way too into the part where he almost gets away with it.” He shakes his head like he's disappointed in the mass murderer.

"I mean, he's an idiot, he could have made it, but noooo, he has to go back for one of those creepy pieces of hair like he didn't just kill her for rejecting him."

I scrunch up my nose.

"Weird that the husband ended up living."

"Poor guy probably wishes he were dead, imagine someone standing over you while you sleep with a butcher knife."

"Yay, what a great Christmas, so merry and bright,"

I tease and give him a hard shove.

“I'm going to have nightmares tonight about knives.” He laughs.

I turn to him and grip him by the shirt.

"I will end you if you sneak into my room, hover over me with a knife and scare the shit out of me.

I'll take that same knife and chop off both balls.” "Wouldn't that make me a eunuch?"

"Yes,"

I seethe.

"With the giant dick but a severe lack of testosterone and desire to have sex."

"Should I be scared that you just gave me an exact definition?"

He smiles.

"Chill, I won't scare you, I actually like my testicles and um..."

finger and whispers in my ear, "So do

"Do not."

and look

hard the other day I was afraid you were going to

His smile is devastating.

a wild animal in bed, not that I'm

up his

"In fact..."

in, my heart pounds so hard it

in a hungry

this man? These kisses?

going to get tired of us, of this, that one day we really will make it through

answers that question as our legs tangle with each other and

love you and I want this to

he says between kisses.

the whole man with the butcher knife, I can't stop thinking about your dad coming down the stairs with one

groans and kisses

messing with my

messing with your erection, that's new,’ I tease, kissing

quickly unbuttoning his jeans and pressing me back against

saw this in my future, I

dick was, but now my body instantly relaxes, basically sucking him in and saying a small prayer that

and emotional I can't even control

stairway like he's afraid then looks

about how fast I was going to go but fuck, it's even worse than

you have a

really all there is to

laugh and it makes the pressure shift just enough for his

know

It's just

find out that the couch has joined the soon to be long

as Easton pulls

mess, like a way bigger mess than we've

"I got it."

with an array of paper towels and

groan as he

do that...the only reason I have self control is

I say as he tugs my shorts back up and

his old shotguns that

"Perfect."

eyes and gathers the used paper towels, tossing them in the trash in the corner, taking one look at the wash-—rag and looking

prophetic story actually come true.” I fall back on the

towel and walks

that funny?” “Hilarious.” I laugh again as he pulls me into his arms, kissing me on the top of

can feel your stress,

body is hot against

the reflection of the documentary on the

know that I'm here, by