“Welcome home, Laynie!” Confetti blasts on my face the moment I step into Brandon’s mansion. The same greeting is written on a huge poster, and everyone is gathered in the hall—Brandon’s cousins, Ms. Lennie, Mom, and my siblings.
I gape at everyone. “What’s going on?”
Mother rushes to me, immediately clasping me against her, and sobs loudly. “I know what happened! Why didn’t you tell me, sweetheart?” I can feel the gentle clack of her palms on my back.
I can’t think of anything else to say, but I apologize. “I’m sorry, Mom…”
“Laynie!” The kids cry, run towards me and surround me too.
“They told us you had an accident.” Elman, our eldest, snivels, then wipes his tears with his shirt.
“And y-you had to stay in the hospital,” Kit stammers as he sobs.
Accident? Right. Aside from my mother, the kids shouldn’t know. They wouldn’t understand, and polluting their minds isn’t a wise idea either.
“Hey, I’m okay. Laynie’s fine, okay?” I touch their heads. “I’ll be fine.”
“All right, kids.” Mom sniffles. “Give Laynie space. She’s still hurting a lot, and we want her to get better soon, right?”
“Yes, Mom,” my siblings answer dejectedly and step back.
“It’s okay, Mom. I missed them.”
“Alayna.” Casey appears at my side.
“Case.”
She briefly and carefully embraces me as well. “Welcome home. We were so worried.”
“Sis?” Arianna approaches me too and holds my hand. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
I chuckle. “Why is everyone apologizing?” I look around and meet everyone’s concerned gazes. “I’m fine.”
“All right, I don’t mean to intrude, but the doctor said Alayna still needs more rest, so I’m taking her upstairs,” Brandon finally interjects. “Casey? “It’s my pleasure.” Casey grins.
“Mom. Kids. Everyone,” I mention as we excuse ourselves. Brandon then takes me to his bedroom.
Our bedroom.It takes a moment for me to acknowledge that I’m back. It’s good to be back in New York and in the mansion, a place I considered my home.
“I’ll help you with the shower. Your wounds need to be attended to properly. I’ll just get you something to change.” Brandon walks to the closet as soon as we settle. “I already had your stuff moved in here from your room…”
I stand up and scan the space. It actually warms my heart that it looks and smells exactly the same as before I left. I stalk him into the walk-in closet.
“If you need something else, or you want to redecorate, I can ask Lennie to—”
I hug him from behind, wrapping my arms around his waist. “I like the room this way. No need to redecorate.”
He takes my hand and pivots to face me. He cups my cheek between his warm hands. “Are you sure? It’s very… It’s still a little dark, and it’s cramped. As much as possible, I want you to feel comfortable. This is your room now too.”
My heart melts. Sharing a space with him excites me, but coming from him, it feels like an official approval.
“This is cramped? Your room is more spacious than our house in Seattle.”
He sighs. “You know what I mean.”
“Right.” I stroke his chest with my palms. I play with the button on his shirt. I look up at him to see his reaction, and he really doesn’t disappoint. Desire fills his eyes.
“Alayna, no.”
I grin. “What? I’m not doing anything.”
He catches my hand. “Don’t. I’ll only hurt you. Not in this state.”
I pout. “Why don’t you join me in the bath? We don’t have to…” I bite the insides of my lip. “You know.”
He brushes his thumb on my lip and stares into my eyes. He grunts under his breath, then closes the gap between us.
Gently and lightly, he kisses my lips. He moves his mouth leisurely, causing me to melt against him. He tastes too sweet, too delicate, and too slow that I run out of patience. I slide my hands on the back of his head, tangling his hair as I take the initiative. Deepening our kiss, I savagely devour his mouth with my own.
He moans between our mouths and breaks the kiss. “You’re one dangerous woman. Are you sure you want to do this?”
I nod. I’ve just missed him terribly. I need to feel him again. “You won’t hurt me.”
“I’ll be careful.” Brandon then lowers himself and lifts me off my feet, bridal style. He kisses me hard. His tongue explores my mouth, owning me with every sultry move. The sparks of our kiss send pure pleasure straight between my thighs. My clitoris throbs in need. Yes, yes. I need this. I need him.
Brandon only then puts me down when we get into the bathroom. He starts undressing the cast on my wounds.
“You’re very stubborn. We weren’t supposed to do this.”
“I have no broken bones. Not really dangerous.”
“It’s not that.” His jaw ticks as he stares at my bruises. He touches one of them lightly. “But look at you. This will scar.”
I exhale sharply. “I’m fine. Trust me. Please, I just want to feel you.”
“Fine.” His brows knit together as he undoes the buttons on my blouse and gently takes it off my body. Then he unties the knot of my pants, letting them drop to the floor.
“I’ll stop if it hurts. I don’t want to be the cause of your discomfort,” he mumbles.
“I promise. And it doesn’t hurt. You’re very careful.”
“Okay. Turn around.”
I do as he says, then he unhooks my bra. “Tenacious as always,” he mumbles. “You never listen.”
I chortle. “I ought to break the rules, remember?”
“Sometimes you need to learn how to wait,” he remarks, then I feel his mouth touch the cheek of my buttocks, then pull down my panties. I suck my breath, licking my lips.
“But you hate waiting too…”
I spring up, and he breathes in my neck. “Take a deep breath and try to relax, okay?”
“Okay.”
Brandon grabs the shower handle and turns it on. Soft sprinkles of warm water touch my skin. My body miraculously eases.
“Unfortunately, I was told a bath might be bad for your injuries, so a shower will suffice for now.”
I nod like a child.
“You’ll be fine,” he assures. He can’t wash me with a body wash either—just water. My legs are in better shape than the rest of my body, so he strokes the body wash on them instead, massaging as he goes. Most of my bruises are on my back and on my arms and shoulders.
It doesn’t take longer than five minutes; he turns off the shower and dries me with a towel. I let out a deep breath of relief.
“You’re spoiling me.”
“This is nothing.”
“No, I actually love it.”
He grins charmingly. “Then I’ll keep doing it. I love spoiling you too.” He wraps a robe around me. “Go to the bedroom. I’ll treat your wounds first. And be careful. The floor is slippery.”
I unhurriedly step out of the bathroom and walk toward this bed.
“Sit,” he instructs, and so I do.
He bends on his knee in front of me, then opens a medicine kit. He picks up the ointment and starts putting it on the open cuts.
“We have to do this two times a day,” he adds.
“I can do it.”
“No, you can’t.” He smirks. “At least, let me do this for you.”
He makes sure he treats each of them and seals my wounds with small plasters, discarding the bandages. Thank God! I don’t have to walk around like a mummy anymore.
Brandon stands up. “How do you feel?”
“Good. Much better, actually.”
“Drink this.” He hands me a glass of water and a medicine capsule.
“Oh.” I gratefully accept it and pop the meds in my mouth with a gulp of water. “Thank you.” I hand the glass back to him.
He winks at me. “You’re welcome.” He then disappears somewhere again with the medicine kit.
What now?I consciously look around me. I see my clothes on the bedside table. Should I get dressed or wait for him? Will he dress me or keep me naked?
The anticipation is making me nervous.
Brandon returns with a bare torso, flaunting his delicious abs and toned muscles. He’s changed into gray sweatpants. I watch him turn off some lights, raise the thermostat, and turn the stereo on.
“Get onto the bed and lie down,” he says while heading toward me.
We now have pleasant room temperature, dim, romantic lights, and a mellow piece of music.
Okay. I’m not getting dressed then.I slide my buttocks along the bed’s cushion and move over the middle. I swallow dryly.
Brandon crawls on the bed. Gradually, he positions himself on top of me and snatches off my robe.
“Let me just remind you…” he whispers. “You asked for this. You’re too persistent that I have to do something about it.” He pushes himself up, then begins to yank down his pants and boxers without breaking eye contact. His erect shaft swells up.
No matter how many times I see him in this state, I just can’t get enough. Everything about him is just too beautiful. At times, I find him hard to handle.
He lowers himself again. “Spread your legs.”
I do as he commanded, utterly welcoming him in. He then kisses the curves of my neck. I sigh with delight as he savors me. My nerve endings have awakened completely, quickly losing myself to his touch… his world.
Brandon’s mouth trails down my breasts, and then he groans as he takes one of my nipples in his mouth. He circles the tip with his tongue before suckling the entire crown into his mouth. The uncontrollable pleasure makes my back arch. With his mouth, he makes erotic sounds and ravishes each of my breasts. I can feel his cock brushing against my thigh.
“Brandon…” I gasp as he starts moving down my stomach to my navel. I raise my head, but I breathe even harder when his tongue skims the slit of my fold.
“What is it, love? Are you hurting somewhere?” He momentarily stops when he asks me. But I want him to keep going.
“No, no! Don’t stop. It feels so good…”
In response to my cue, he traps my legs with his hands and presses his mouth against my pussy. Licking me gently, massaging my clitoris with his tongue.
“Oh gosh…”He swirls his tongue harder.
“You’re so wet.” He grunts. He slips two fingers inside me, thrusting them as far as they can go. Without any more sign of his next step, he buries his head into my core and utterly devours me. He plunges his tongue deeper and deeper into my opening.
I can’t help but grab his hair. I’m not sure if I want him to stop for too much pleasure or let him continue. The harder I tug on his hair, the harder he lashes his tongue inside of me.
“I’m… I’m going to come…” I pant.
“Not yet.” He suddenly stops and grasps my thighs to wrap them around his waist. “I want you to come around my cock.”
I look down at his massive erection, and my arousal elevates. I already want him inside me so badly. I clasp my fingers around his cock. And damn. He feels like hot metal in my hand.
“Let me,” he says. He slides the tip on the cleft and sinks into me, stretching me wide with his shaft.
“It feels so good,” I whisper. “You feel so good inside me…”
He has no idea how I wanted him to fuck me hard right now. I know, because Brandon has the face of a drowning man who’s only restraining himself right now. He’s rocking into me with long but leisurely thrusts. I need to feel him more.
“I know you don’t want me to get hurt, but I’m fine, and I’m letting you,” I assure him.
“What do you want, love? I can’t keep letting you get hurt.”
“You’ll never hurt me. Please? Don’t limit yourself.”
His brows knit together. “All right,” he says. “Spread your legs a little wider and ease your back.”
I do as he instructs. He positions both his hands on my waist and prepares himself. Holding on to his shoulders, I embrace his wild entrance.
Like always, my fiancé is an incredible lover. He plunges home inside of me—completely impaling me with force. I gasp as he finally takes me to come so hard that would usually hurt, but not with him. Now, it’s only all about pleasure. All I care about is the feeling of his thickness ramming into me and savagely owning me…
“I’m yours…” I whisper as he continues to pound into me. “I’ve only ever been yours.”
“I know.” He kisses my head. “I know, love.” He grunts, never stopping his relentless fucking.
I close my eyes, focusing on the sensation between my legs. In the next few minutes, we stay like that—with our flesh intertwining… becoming one.
Finally, I feel an electrical tingle on my spine, and it spreads all over me. I’m coming. I writhe beneath him, unable to gather my wits together. All I can think of is his sturdy cock impaling me and how delicious he feels inside of me.
Brandon’s thrust hastens, getting as deep as he can into my pussy. I know he’s finally letting go, the way his cock throbs as he releases inside me. My inner muscles tremor as he milks every last drop into me. We finish simultaneously, but none of us moves right away. We are both mesmerized. I see it in his eyes.
After a short while, he pulls out of me and rolls to his side of the bed. “You feel incredible,” he whispers. “Did I hurt you?” he asks again.
I look up at him and shake my head. “I feel sore, but it’s a good sore. Not my injuries.”
He chuckles and lays his arm for me to rest on. “Come here.”
I move close to his side and wrap an arm around his torso.
“You know what? I change my mind,” he inserts.
“What is it?”
“Let’s get married as soon as possible. I can’t wait another month, Alayna. Please, baby?”
I trace the lines of his abs. “When?”
“Tomorrow? This week? Maybe this weekend. Next week is already too much.” He rises onto one elbow. “I just can’t keep my hands off of you. I want you like this, next to me. I want to build a family with you, have kids with you, and share everything with you. Grow old with you. I want you forever.”
A lone tear runs down my cheek. God. I’m crying again. “That’s the sweetest I’ve ever heard.”
“And you’re making me crazy.” He wipes my tears. “Do you understand me? I love you too much, Alayna. Please. Let’s not wait.”
I touch his face. “I feel the same, but I want to look good in my wedding dress. It’s our special day, and I can’t walk down the aisle with a black eye.”
He sighs in frustration. “You really know how to torture me.”
I laugh. “But I’m already here anyway. I’m already next to you. Believe me, I can see it now.”
“You can see what?”
“My future with you.”
His brows met. “You didn’t see it before?”
“I did, but it’s never clear like this.”
“Really?” He smiles.
“Yes. This is us. Nothing can ever change that now, but I can’t marry you with this face. Our wedding will be photographed, and in the future, when we look back, it’ll only remind me of what happened. So I want our day to be perfect—not extravagant like the engagement, but specialHe stares into my eyes, then tucks a lock of hair beneath my ears. “Fine. Let’s wait until you’re healed, but on one condition.”
“Thank you!” I kiss his cheek, giggling. “Okay. What’s the condition?”
“I’m taking you to Greece for our honeymoon.” Brandon gets up and starts kissing me again. My nose, my jaw, my neck…
I giggle. “Condition granted!”
He bruises my mouth deeply. “Okay, let’s talk about that later. I want a round two…”