“Wes…” I instinctively turn when I hear my name, and I nearly choke when I see who it is.
Shite. Shaw is going to think I planned this meeting. No way she won’t. I’m certain she’ll lose all trust in me now.
I get up and Mitch kisses the side of my face. “Surprised to see you here.”
I laugh nervously. “Same here.”
Mitch looks at my lunch guests, waiting for an introduction. All color drains from Shaw’s face, no doubt because she recognizes Mitch from the photos I showed her last night. “Mitch, this is Arabella and Shaw Hendry.”
His eyes go directly to his intended, and he smiles. “Shaw…” He moves toward her and holds out his hand. I sigh with relief when she offers her hand instead of… I don’t know what. Shaw’s behavior has been so unpredictable that she’s capable of just about anything. “This day just got a whole lot better.”
Shaw smiles. “That’s a nice thing to say.”
“Would you care to step outside with me for a moment? I’d love to talk… just the two of us.”
Shaw’s eyes widen, and she nods. “Okay.”
Arabella and I watch Mitch and Shaw walk toward the front door. “I would love to eavesdrop on the conversation those two are about to have. Did you know that Mitch would be here?”
I come here for lunch often, and I’ve never seen him in here at this time of day. “I had no idea.”
“I hope that he says something to bring her to her senses. As much as her father and I have tried, we haven’t been able to make her see reason.”
Shaw’s continued refusal to wed Mitch is going to cause a big problem with The Fellowship. They could stop my marriage and try to take me back. I don’t want that. And Kieran won’t allow it without a fight. If she doesn’t go along with the treaty, there will be a war.
“I thought she was coming around a little last night when she saw the pictures of him.” I could tell that she was liking what she saw.
“She did say that he was handsome, but I don’t think his physical appearance is going to change her mind. She wants to marry for love.”
She looked happy to meet him just now. “She could fall in love with Mitch.”
“And you could fall in love with Kieran.”
“I’m fairly certain that’s already on its way to happening.” I look down to hide my embarrassment. “That’s crazy, right? We’ve known each other for five minutes.”
“Everything about your relationship with Kieran is on high speed. I don’t think it’s crazy at all.” So many factors have sped up this process.
“When did you know that you loved Lennox?” Or does she love him?
“I was infatuated with him very early on. Before we married. But I don’t think I loved him until about halfway through my pregnancy with Kieran.”
“How long before he loved you?”
“It happened much sooner for me than for him, but I think that’s just a man thing. They’re different creatures and don’t feel the depths of emotion the way we do.”
“I’ve been surprised by Kieran’s behavior. I expected him to be coldhearted, and he was right after we met, but he’s different now. He acts as though he’s open to falling in love with me.”
“My son is under your spell.” I think she’s politely saying that he is obsessed with my vagina. And she’s right. He is. “Enchanted or captivated or whatever you want to call it… it’s not a bad place to be at this early point in your relationship.”
“I like where things are going with us.”
“Kieran likes it too.” Arabella looks over my shoulder. “Here she comes… without Mitch.”
Shaw takes her seat and battles a smile while saying nothing. She’s going to make us ask.
Arabella is on the edge of her seat. “Well?”
“Well what?”
“Stop being a shite and tell me what happened between Mitch and you.”
“He’s giving me until Sunday evening to come to him on my own. After that, he’s coming to the compound to claim me. Well… to collect me. And then I guess he means to claim me.”
Wow. That’s not what I was expecting out of mild-mannered Mitch.
“What are you going to do?” Not sure why I ask. I know she isn’t going voluntarily.
“If he wants me, he’ll have to come take me.”
“Will you go willingly?” Arabella sounds so hopeful.
“No way. I’m playing hard to get.”
Arabella lowers her forehead to her palm. “You are hard to get. There’s no playing to it.”
“Well, things are different now that we’ve met and spoken.” Her cheeks redden. “He told me that I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.”
That catches her mum’s attention. “Oh? I’m sure that must have been very flattering to hear from a handsome man.”
“No man has ever said anything like that to me.” She covers her mouth and giggles. “And he couldn’t stop touching me.”
“Touching you?” Where did they go that he was freely having body contact with her?
“Nothing out of line. He reached out and took my hand and rubbed his thumb back and forth over the top while he told me what he planned to do. It was nice. I liked it.”
Shaw is like me in the respect that she’s never gotten much male attention. I’m sure she is flattered by Mitch’s interest.
Before last night, Mitch was a faceless name. Then he was only a person in photos who she’d never spoken to. This chance encounter changes everything.
“I think it’ll be romantic if Mitch comes and takes me. That’s what Dad did with you. And the same with Kieran and Westlyn, except with more force. Both of those instances worked out.”
Arabella inhales and releases her breath slowly. “I’m relieved that you’re finally accepting Mitch as your fate.”
“Well, I’m relieved that he isn’t disgusting. He’s even better looking in person. And taller than I expected. And more muscular.” Sounds like Shaw was noticing every detail about Mitch. “Thank you for bringing us here.”
“It was just fate for you two to meet today.”
“I think so too.”
I spent the day showing Arabella and Shaw around Edinburgh, particularly some of the best places to eat and shop. We even went into a bridal shop and looked at dresses. My mum would be furious if she knew I did that with Arabella instead of her.
I enjoyed our time together. Arabella is so much more pleasant than my mother, and Shaw showed me a new side of her I’d not seen. One I like very much. I think we could be fast friends.
Everything about my new life is good. I didn’t know that I could be this happy and with people who were strangers to me not so long ago.
I’ve heard people say that it’s possible to meet someone new and feel like you’ve known each other for years. That’s how I feel about Kieran. Like we’ve known each other in another life and this isn’t our first time meeting.
I feel myself beginning to care for him. It’s not love yet, but I feel like that’s something that could come easily… especially if we continue to grow closer through physical intimacy.
Every time he touches my body, another part of me becomes his. At the rate we’re going, he’ll own every part of me by the time we marry.
Only a month until I’m Mrs. Kieran Hendry. I wonder if I’ll already be pregnant when I walk down the aisle. Part of me hopes not, but then another part hopes I am so I can please Kieran; I know a baby would make him happy.
A son. An heir. That’s what Kieran wants first, and then sweet little girls to adore and spoil. I wonder if there’s a way to increase the odds of conceiving a boy. I think that’s something I should investigate.
* * *
My head is tilted back, the water rinsing the conditioner from my hair. My eyes are closed, but I hear the bathroom door open and then close again. “Kieran?”
“It’s me. I’m coming in.” Amazing how quickly I’m becoming accustomed to living with Kieran and doing everyday
domestic things together. Like showering at the same time. God, I love the way his hands feel on me when my skin is wet. It’s so much more sensitive and responsive.
“You missed dinner.”
“I’m sorry. I had Order business. I should have called.” He isn’t in his I just shot and killed some people funk, so I’m guessing he was taking care of another kind of business.
“It’s okay, but I would have appreciated a call to let me know you’d be late.” I hope that didn’t sound like a nag.
He stands behind me and places his hands on my hips, giving me a sweet kiss on the side of my neck. “You’re acting like my wife or something.”
“I can’t imagine why.”
He releases me and begins washing his hair. “Not much longer until you walk down the aisle wearing a pretty white dress.”
“I looked at wedding dresses today.”
“Only looked?”
“My mum and sister will want to be there when I buy my dress. And probably Bleu and Ellison and Lorna as well. Ellison and Shaw will need dresses too. Maybe we can make a girls’ day out of it.” I know the girls will love Shaw. And she’s going to be Mitch’s wife. She’s becoming part of our girls’ group even if she doesn’t know it yet.
“I’m not sure that Shaw will need a dress; Mitch is going to call off the whole thing if she keeps acting like a brat.”
I can’t wait to tell him about today. “Trust me… Shaw will need a dress. Soon.”
“Has something happened?”
“I took your mum and Shaw to The Fellowship pub for lunch today. Mitch came in while we were there. He took Shaw outside for a private conversation and told her that she had until Sunday to come to him. If she doesn’t, he’s coming for her.” I’ve never been prouder of Mitch.
“I would say good for him except that’s the worst fucking thing in the world he could have said to her. She hates ultimatums.”
“She didn’t hate this one. She thinks it’s romantic for him to come and take her. And I think he should do it before Sunday. Maybe we take her to Ellison’s inception ceremony with us, and he snatches her from there.”
“Why would he do that when he doesn’t have to?”
“Because she thinks it’s romantic to be stolen. I think she’d find it extra romantic if he tells her he couldn’t wait until Sunday. She also won’t be expecting it, which would be a nice touch.” I think Shaw is like me. Deep down she likes a bossy alpha even if she doesn’t know it yet. “Shaw is going to be Fellowship. She wouldn’t question a request for her presence at the ceremony. It’s a perfect opportunity.” I’m sure she’d be eager to go so that she can see Mitch again.
“I like your idea a lot. I’ll talk to Mum and Dad, and if they approve, I think we should make it happen.”
I love that Kieran listens to my ideas and allows me to have a voice. “I’ll talk with Mitch as soon as you have your parents’ approval.”
“This ceremony is coming at a good time. I can use this opportunity to meet your people while they’re gathered in one place.”
“I should probably schedule a time for you to officially meet my mum and sister before the ceremony.”
“Aye, it would be nice to be introduced to your mum while I’m wearing clothes… and not being ridden like a bull.”
Oh God. I still can’t believe my mum walked in on Kieran and me like that. We weren’t doing it… yet, but I was on top of him about to sink down on his dick. So humiliating. But I don’t think she cared at all. She was too high about learning that I was going to marry a leader.
“So many people to meet. So much to learn about each other.”
We swap places so Kieran can stand under the water. “What would my wife-to-be like to know about me?”
“Everything, but start with what kind of work you do when you’re not…” I hate to say killing. “When you’re not solving problems for the brotherhood?”
His chuckle relieves me. “I’m a numbers guy. I do most of the accounting and bookkeeping. Projections, statistics, etcetera.”
He’s an accountant? “You’re about to be my husband. Why did I not know that about you?”
“I wasn’t formally trained. I didn’t go to college. I just happen to be good with numbers.”
I hear something there in his voice. Regret? Chagrin?
Breckenridge men have higher educations, but I don’t want Kieran to believe I see him as less because he didn’t pursue that. “College degrees are mostly unnecessary in our world. Being a lawyer or doctor… those kinds of things are the exception. I have a college degree, but a lot of good it’s done me.”
“I would have liked to have attended college, but I was too busy mastering my skill.”
Kill skill. Well, if he’s the one doing the killing, then he’s not the one being killed. That’s the only positive way to look at what he does.
“I’m surprised that Abram allowed you to attend college since a woman typically only continues her education to learn a trade for contribution.”
“My education was in childhood practices.” It’s embarrassing to admit how I talked my father into it. “I was supposed to be learning how to properly mother Sin’s children, the future of The Fellowship. That’s why my father conceded and allowed me to attend.”
Kieran chuckles. “Your education wasn’t for nothing. You were learning how to mother my children.”
“I guess it’s a good thing, because I damn sure didn’t learn how to parent a child by example.” I wonder if Kieran has considered that… that my parenting could mimic the worst parents on earth.
“I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful mother.”
I want to be a good mother, but I’m not sure I have it in me. “I hope Arabella doesn’t mind if I count on her for parenting advice. I sure can’t count on mine.”
“I’m sure she would love to advise you. My mum was a wonderful mother. She loves babies so much.” She must. She had five. “She’s excited to have a grandchild. My father is too.”
The only reason my mother would be excited for a grandchild is so she can brag about it being the next leader. That’s sad. It’s also sad to say that the kindest thing she ever did for her children was handing us over to a nanny. She was a horrible mother. But she’s still my mother.
“Talking about our baby makes me want to work on it.” He wraps his arms around me from behind, filling his hands with my breasts and squeezing. His mouth presses to the side of my neck. “I thought about you, and this, all day. I could hardly add one and one.”
I lean into him, feeling his erection against my bum. “I did some research today. I have something for us to try.”
He thrusts his pelvis so his hard cock pokes into one of my cheeks. “I like the sound of that.”
“But not here. In the bed.”
He turns off the water. “By all means.”
We move straight to the bed, not taking time to dry off. I place my hand on his chest when we reach the bedside so he’ll know to hold up. “Turns out that there are theories about how to conceive a boy.”
He grins. “You have my attention.”
“Boy sperm needs a shorter distance to swim to the womb in order to win the race. They’re weak and die off before crossing the finish line if deposited too far away from the mouth of the womb. Girl sperm is resilient and will soldier on after the boys die.” I can’t stop my grin. “We need to do it in a position with deep penetration.”
Kieran wraps his hand around his erection and slaps it against my stomach. “With a dick like this, all positions involve deep penetration.”
He’s so proud of his manhood. And he should be. Even though I’ve not been with anyone else, I still know it’s impressive. “Some positions are deeper than others because of my anatomy.”
“Deep penetration. Got it.”
He moves toward me, and I stop him with my hand again. “Also… I need to come before you. Boy sperm have a better chance at survival if the alkaline secretion released with orgasms is a
lready present.”
“You always orgasm before me. Because I’m nice like that.” Kieran is a very giving lover. He has made every sexual experience between us pleasurable, which makes me want to do it more and more. Smart move on his part.
“Yes, you are nice like that. And I very much appreciate it.”
“I think the first thing on our to-do list is to give you an orgasm.”
I sit on the bed and scoot to the middle. He moves over my lower body and moves his nose up and down between my legs, inhaling deeply. “You always smell so good. I can’t get enough of this scent.”
His mouth devours everything between my legs. Kissing, licking, sucking, nibbling. It’s done with meticulous skill. “You are so good at that.”
I open my legs wider and he places his thumb at the top of my slit, pulling upward and completely exposing my clit for his tongue. So much more sensitive that way. “That feels amazing.”
Kieran inserts his fingers and pumps, rubbing me on the inside with curled fingers. I lift my head from the bed to watch him between my legs. He looks at me and I’m a goner when our eyes meet. “Ohh… uh… ohh.” I push my fingers into the top of his hair and tilt my hips up so that he is rubbing and licking me in the most sensitive areas, in the most exquisite way.
I whimper and writhe beneath him. He sucks and licks harder, and the pleasure goes on and on. “Kieran, I’m still coming.”
It finally ends and my body turns into a big panting mess of toneless muscle and trembling legs. “That is one good-tasting pussy you have there.”
“That is one vulgar-talking mouth you have there.”
He chuckles. “I could be less vulgar if you like. Maybe I could say something like madam, your vagina is an excellent vintage. Or I could say that your flower is fragrant and your nectar is sweet.”
I can’t do cheesy. “Go back to vulgar.”
“Aye, I do vulgar well.” Kieran takes his fingers out of me. “Orgasm, successful. What’s next on the menu for making a baby boy?”
I push myself up and move to my knees, turning around and scooting closer to Kieran before I get on all fours. “Doggy style. It was number one on the list.”
“Oh. Fuck. Yes.”
Sin Series Stand-alone Novels: Endurance, Unintended & Redemption Page 37