Chapter 93 The Stalker is Out

Chapter 93 The Stalker is Out
JOAN COLE’S POV

The new car still felt like a dream every time I slid behind the wheel and I still caught myself smiling like an idiot whenever I saw it parked outside my house.

I ran my fingers over the smooth leather steering wheel. 

I no longer had to worry about the old engine coughing and breaking down on cold mornings or praying for it to start after a long day at work.

I had even been the talk of my workplace ever since Dave soft-launched us coupled with them seeing me with a new car.

I pulled out of the driveway and headed towards my office.

My phone connected to the speakers automatically via Bluetooth and Dave’s voice filled the car.

“Good morning, beautiful. You driving the new car?”

“How did you know?” I laughed softly.

“You sound lighter… like you are not carrying the whole world this morning,” he said, his voice warm and teasing.

“And the engine doesn’t sound like it’s going to explode,” he laughed.

“You are never going to let me forget how bad my old car was, are you?”

“Just kidding babes.”

“You deserve better… always.”

My heart was filled with gratitude, but I didn’t know how to express it enough.

Because he didn’t have to do that, but he did.

“Thank you again, Dave,” I said softly.

“It’s too much, but… I love it. I really do,” I added.

“It’s not too much. It’s exactly what you needed. Drive safe. I will see you tonight?”

Yeah, tonight,” I promised.

We hung up and I drove the rest of the way to work with a bright smile on my face. Dave’s presence in my life felt like a shield against the chaos.

I was deepening into this relationship and letting myself trust it, but as I parked the new car outside my office building, a small, stupid thought slipped into my mind.

“Why did safe suddenly feel like settling?”

I pushed it away immediately.

Being with Dave was good. It was enough.

And it definitely had to be.

DAVE WILTON’S POV

I hung up the call with Joan and leaned back in my office chair, smiling at the ceiling.

She sounded very happy and I was glad that she accepted the gift with that soft and genuine gratitude.

She didn’t even hesitate and that surprised me.

I wanted to give her the world, not because she needed it, but because she deserved it.

She worked so hard and carried so much on her shoulders. I just wanted to be the man who would make her load lighter.

My phone buzzed on my desk.

I checked and it was a text from my sister.

“How’s my favorite couple doing? Is Joan still glowing?”

I chuckled and replied.

“Of course, she is. You should trust your brother.”

She sent back a string of heart emojis followed by a single line of text.

“Don’t mess this up, Dave. I really like her and… she’s the real deal.”

I smiled.

She was right.

Joan was the real deal and I was going to do everything to keep her.



JOAN COLE’S POV

Dave had surprised me with a private villa booking on a quiet stretch of coast just outside the city. 

So, the beach date we were going on was his idea.

I’d packed lingerie along with sunscreen and a few dresses.

When we got there, the villa was quite stunning. It had white walls, a private pool overlooking the sea, and a canopy bed on the terrace that made my stomach flutter with anticipation.

We spent a few moments swimming, reading, and feeding each other fruits on the terrace. 

As the sun began to set, the air between us became hot.

Dave pulled me onto the canopy bed, and kissed me slowly, his hands slipping under my sundress and lifting it over my head until I lay there in nothing but the bright red lace lingerie.

“God, Joan…”

He whispered, looking straight into my eyes.

I felt powerful at that moment.

“I know exactly what drives you crazy,” I whispered back.

Then I pushed him gently onto the bed and climbed over him, taking full control. I kissed him deeply, grinding against him, until he moaned in my mouth.

I took my time undressing him, teasing every inch of his bare skin. When I finally sank down onto him, we both moaned. I rode him slowly at first, then faster, placing my hands on his chest to keep me in position as I took all I wanted.

His hands gripped my hips, eyes locked on mine as he moaned softly.

I came hard, crying out his name.

He followed right after, groaning as he poured inside me.

We collapsed together, breathing hard.

The sex was intense and passionate.

I lay in his arms, listening to the waves of the ocean. 

A few seconds later, a quiet voice whispered in my head:

“Does it feel like Alex’s?”

The comparison was so unnecessary and I hated it.

I pushed it out, buried my face in Dave’s chest, and held him tighter.

“I love you,” he whispered as he kissed my hair.

“I love you too,” I replied.

I meant it, but the guilt refused to leave.

DAVE WILTON’S POV

Joan fell asleep in my arms, breathing slowly with her hair fanned across my chest. The ocean whispered a few miles away from us but I couldn’t sleep.

She had been amazing. Sex was good too, but I had felt something.

The slight hesitation and the way her eyes had clouded for a split second after she came, like her mind was somewhere else entirely.

I knew where it was.

Alex.

She still thought about him. I could see it in the way she sometimes stared into the distance, but I didn’t blame her. He was her first love and he had hurt her deeply.

I tightened my arm around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

I would be patient with her and I would prove to her that I was the one who would never let her down.

But as I lay there listening to the waves, a thought crept in.

What if she never truly let him go?

What if I was always going to be second place in her heart?

I quickly pushed the thought away, because she was here with me and that was more than enough to assure me that her heart was with me.

Just as I wanted to close my eyes, my phone beeped.

When I picked up the call, it was from the police station where the stalker was remanded.

“Hello, Mr. Wilton,” the voice came.

“Hello officer,” I replied.

What I didn’t know was that he was about to drop a bombshell.