Defiant Heir

by Michelle Heard

  Chapter 25

  FALLON

  The expression on Kao’s face as he thrusts into me is… nothing short of erotic. It’s a complete sensory overload.

  Finally, having Kao inside me after loving him for so long is surreal. Every time he pushes back into me, I feel his cock massage my inner walls, and it sends tingles shooting through my body like fireworks. Lifting my head, I claim his parted lips and mimic his movements with my tongue. My hands caress the broad expanse of his back, memorizing every rippling muscle.

  Kao takes control of the kiss, and he begins to thrust harder and faster. I wrap my legs over his ass and hold onto him as my abdomen begins to tighten again.

  “Fuck,” Kao gasps into my mouth. He lowers his head and presses his lips to the scars on my neck as he sinks deep inside me. Knowing he’s caught up in ecstasy tells me all I need to know – Kao really doesn’t care about the marks on my face and neck.

  I tighten my arms around him and bury my face in his neck. The sound of our skin coming together and our breaths racing over our lips makes my insides tighten, and then pleasure rolls over me like waves lapping at the shore.

  I let out a whimpering moan as my orgasm shudders through me. Kao begins to jerk, and his cock slams deep into me, making residual pleasure pulse in me.

  When Kao finds his release with a soft grunt, he pushes his arms under me and grips me tightly to his chest.

  Coming down from our orgasms, Kao doesn’t move off of me. He keeps pressing tender kisses to my neck, working his way up to my cheek before he stops to stare down at me.

  I begin to draw lazy patterns on his back, soaking up the last couple of moments of us being one.

  “You complete me in every way,” Kao whispers.

  My mouth curves up, and lifting my head, I kiss him before I murmur, “You are the only man I’ll ever love. No one will be able to measure up to the high standards you’ve set.”

  Waking up in Kao’s arms is nothing short of blissful. I snuggle against his strong body and let out a contented sigh.

  “Morning, beautiful,” Kao murmurs, his voice low and hoarse with sleep.

  “Morning.” Lifting my head, I press a kiss to his jaw, and then I pull away, climbing out of bed. I walk to the windows and opening the curtains, I look at the sunny day awaiting us. Turning back to the bed, I say, “Time to get up. I’m starving.”

  “Yeah, let me feed my woman,” Kao teases as he throws the covers back.

  I pull on a red long sleeve shirt and a pair of black pants, opting for boots instead of my usual heels, just in case Kao wants to go for a walk after breakfast.

  When I walk into the bathroom, and I see Kao squirting toothpaste on the toothbrush, my eyes widen. “Can you see what you’re doing?”

  Kao pauses, and then realization flashes over his face. “Shit, I can see it.”

  “Oh, my God!” I let out a happy shriek and rush to hug him from behind. “We have to celebrate.”

  Kao drops the toothbrush and toothpaste in the sink, and he spins around, a shocked expression on his face. “Fallon, I can see red.”

  Seeing the relief and amazement on Kao’s face makes tears jump to my eyes.

  Lifting myself on my tiptoes, I press a kiss to his mouth. “It’s only a matter of time now before you’ll see clearly again.”

  A burst of laughter explodes over Kao’s lips, and wrapping his arms around me, he lifts me against his body and hugs the crap out of me. I wrap my arms around his neck, and thankful tears escape my eyes.

  KAO

  Holy shit. I can’t describe how I feel right now. I want to laugh and cry. I want to shout my relief to the heavens and fall to my knees with absolute gratefulness.

  I cling to Fallon, and when I manage to regain control over my emotions, I set her down on her feet and then push her back so I can look at her top again.

  “Red is officially my favorite color,” I chuckle.

  “Thankfully, I have a couple of red items I can wear for you,” Fallon teases me. She hugs me again. “Now, this weekend is perfect.”

  We brush our teeth like an old married couple while grinning at each other in the mirror’s reflection.

  The thought gets stuck in my mind.

  I want to marry Fallon. I don’t want to spend a day apart from her.

  “What?” Fallon mumbles around her toothbrush.

  I rinse my mouth out, then say, “I’m just happy.”

  As soon as we’re ready, I take Fallon’s hand and weave my fingers with hers. We leave the villa and leisurely make our way over to the restaurant. Fallon picks a table that looks out over a pond. She grabs a menu and begins to read the dishes to me, making my lips curve up.

  “Pancakes,” I blurt out before she reads the whole list of food to me.

  “Hmm, and bacon,” she adds. She places our orders and also asks for two cappuccinos and freshly squeezed orange juice.

  When the waiter leaves, Fallon grins at me. “I love this place. Thank you for bringing me.”

  Smiling, I say, “We should make time to come here at least once a year.”

  “That would be awesome,” she agrees. “We can make it our New Years' getaway.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  We don’t have to wait long for our food, and my tastebuds are in heaven from how fluffy and full of flavor the pancakes are.

  I cut off a piece and feed Fallon, then I watch as she lets out an orgasmic-worthy groan. “So good.”

  “You have no idea,” I mumble under my breath.

  After breakfast, we walk in a random direction. We don’t take in much of the immaculate grounds because we’re too busy stealing smiles from each other.

  “What does your dream house look like?” I ask as we follow a path.

  “As long as it’s big enough for you, me, two kids, and a couple of dogs, I’ll be happy.”

  “Only two?” I ask, pretending to be shocked.

  “Yeah, unless you plan on giving birth,” she sasses me.

  “I’m good with two.” My quick reply draws a chuckle from her.

  “I’d like something we can fix up. A house we can make our own. I guess I’ll only know once I see it,” Fallon explains. “I also want a sunroom like my Aunt Jamie has. It’s the perfect room to curl up with a book.”

  “And huge bay windows for light to come in,” I begin to weave my dream with hers.

  Fallon grips my hand tightly, and there’s excitement in her voice as she says, “Yes, and I really like white furniture, like in the villa.”

  “And wooden beams over the ceiling,” I add.

  “God, now I want to go house shopping,” Fallon says, her excitement coming off her in waves.

  Spotting a bench, I gesture to it. “Want to sit for a while?”

  “Yeah.”

  When we take a seat, I drape my left arm over Fallon’s shoulders and ask, “So two kids. A boy and girl?”

  “That would be ideal, but it’s not like we can place an order.”

  “Okay, if we’re lucky and we have a boy and a girl, what do you want to name them?”

  Fallon crosses her legs and turns her body into me. She takes hold of my right hand and begins to follow the map of veins running up my forearm with her pointer finger. “For a boy, I like Asher, and for a girl…” she pauses to think about it, then says, “Emery.” She glances up at me. “What are your favorite names?”

  “Hmm…” I think about it for a while, then answer, “I like Asher for a boy. But I really want to name my daughter, Summer.”

  Fallon smiles at me. “After your aunt?”

  “Yeah,” I murmur.

  The tragedy which took her life is a dark secret only those closest to my family know about. My dad almost died when my grandfather shot his whole family before turning the gun on himself.

  “Then we’ll name our daughter Summer,” Fallon says before pressing a kiss to my mouth.

  “Our daughter,” I whisper as she pulls back. “I love the sound
of that.”

  “Let’s just wait a couple of years, though.” Fallon grins, then she teases me, “Your dad’s too young to be a grandfather.”

  I let out a bark of laughter and hug her to my side.

  Chapter 26

  FALLON

  When we get back to Trinity late Sunday afternoon, I feel like a new woman. The weekend away with Kao was a dream come true and what we needed to put the past month behind us. I feel secure in our love and relationship, and all the doubt I had after the accident has faded away.

  After we’ve unpacked our weekend bags, Kao and I go sit in the living room. He picks up my legs and drapes them over his lap, and then he wraps his arms around me. I snuggle into his chest and let out a happy sigh. “The weekend was amazing. Thank you.”

  He presses a kiss to the top of my head, and I feel his breaths stirring my hair. “I wish we could stay there, but responsibilities call.”

  I let out a soft chuckle. “Dang those pesky responsibilities.”

  Kao’s arms grip me tighter for a moment, and then he says, “I checked with Summer, and the decorating committee is meeting tomorrow morning at seven.” I glance up at him, still apprehensive about being active around campus with the scars. Kao gives me an encouraging smile. “I’ll go with you. Like I said, you can even put me to work.”

  I know it’s important I resume doing the things I love, but…

  “Just one meeting. If it doesn’t go well, I’ll stop pushing,” Kao tries again.

  Not wanting to disappoint him, I nod. “Okay. One meeting.”

  A smile stretches over his face. “Thank you.”

  I lift my face and press a kiss to his lips.

  “You’re back,” Jase says as he comes to plop down on one of the couches. “How was your trip?”

  “So good,” I grin. “You should take Mila there. She’d love it.”

  Jase’s gaze sharpens on us, and a pleased look settles on his face. “You both owe me a bottle of whiskey.”

  Frowning, I ask, “Why?”

  “For playing cupid to your stubborn assess.” He gets up and walking to the hallway, he says, “Glad to see you both happy.”

  “Thanks, Jase,” I call after him.

  Kao lets out a chuckle. “I’ll get him a thank you gift from us.”

  I’m anxious as Kao walks with me to the office space I had converted for the decorating committee to meet and prepare for events.

  Entering the administration building, my stomach tightens with knots. I’m scared one of the girls will see the scars. I don’t want someone’s horrified reaction ruining the little progress I’ve made, and it’s only two weeks until my surgery.

  Kao tightens his hold on my hand, and leaning closer, he says, “I’m proud of you.”

  I give him a nervous smile right before we walk into the room.

  “Fallon!” Summer shrieks, and she rushes over to give me a hug. “I’m so glad you decided to come.” She pulls me away from Kao to a table where we do all our planning. “I was just about to cry. With you gone, some of the girls got out of control, and they wanted to take over. It was a mess.”

  My gaze moves over the table, and I frown, “Silk hearts? Seriously? They’ll be all droopy.” I begin to remove everything that won’t work, then grumble, “You’d freaking think we were planning a junior prom. What the hell?”

  “Exactly,” Summer whines. “It was a nightmare.”

  Suddenly she throws her arms around my neck and hugs me again. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

  When she pulls back, I give her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll get it under control again.”

  I glance to where Kao’s grabbed some coffee. He’s leaning against the wall, watching me with a proud smile on his face.

  The rest of the girls arrive, and when they see me, they all take a turn to hug me. They all shoot Kao a curious look, and it has him moving to the back of the room.

  Kao being here, even though he struggles to be around people, shows me how much he loves me.

  Wanting to draw everyone’s attention away from him, I say, “Let’s start the meeting.” I plug my laptop into the overhead projector. When an image of various heart-shaped lanterns appears on the screen, I say, “This is the theme we’re going with. The traditional red heart theme is overdone. We’re going with light and hearts this year.”

  Once I have the girls’ attention, we begin discussing all the various aspects of the ball. By the time the meeting comes to a close, I feel more confident.

  Kao was right. I have to continue doing the things I love.

  As I unplug my laptop and place it back in my bag, Kao comes to stand next to me. “Admit it, you enjoyed that,” he teases me.

  “Hmm…” I pull an unsure face, “maybe a little.”

  Kao takes my bag so he can carry it, and then his arm wraps around my waist, and he pulls me in for a kiss.

  When we pull apart, one of the girls asks, “Are you guys official now?”

  Grinning, I nod while joking with them, “Yeah, so hands off my man.”

  Summer is the only one who says, “I’m happy for you both.”

  She used to hang out with two girls I couldn’t stand, but after they left Trinity, Summer has become a friend and a great asset to the decorating committee.

  Kao’s fingers intertwine with mine, and he begins to drag me out of the room, saying, “It’s time to feed your man.”

  KAO

  Over the past two weeks, my sight has gotten much better. I’m able to see all the primary colors but still struggle with shades. The blurriness has lessened somewhat, and I’m hoping in another two to four weeks, my sight will be back to what it was before the accident.

  The main thing I’m focusing on is that my vision keeps improving.

  Fallon checks the time again, and it has me taking hold of her arm. I pull her against my chest and wrap her up in a hug. “Everything is going to go well,” I try to reassure her.

  Wrapping her arms around my waist, she sucks in a deep breath. “I’m just scared.”

  “I’ll be there every step of the way.” Pulling her a little back, I press a tender kiss to her lips and getting to make out the rich golden-brown of her irises, a smile tugs at my mouth. “We’re in this together. Okay?”

  Fallon nods, and she gives me a quick hug before she pulls back and linking our hands, we leave the room.

  When we walk into the shared open space, Noah glances up from where he’s drinking coffee, “Are you guys leaving?”

  “Yeah, Fallon needs to check-in by seven.”

  He sets down his cup and comes to give her a hug. “Good luck, Fallon.”

  “Thanks.”

  As we take a step toward the front door, Hana calls out, “Hold your horses.” She comes to join us, then says, “Did you think I’d let you leave without me?”

  A wide smile splits over Fallon’s face. “Of course not, but I wanted you to sleep in.”

  “Not a chance in hell of that happening.”

  Fallon, Hana, and I file out of the suite. While we make our way out of the building, Fallon says, “Thank you for coming with, Hana.”

  “Of course. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  When Fallon unlocks the car, Hana climbs in the back, and I slip into the passenger side. Fallon gives me a nervous smile. We first put on our seat belts, then I lean over and give her a kiss.

  I’ll only be able to drive once my doctor clears me. Dad’s already gotten me another car, seeing as my old one was written off. Then again, I’m not sure I’m ready to be behind a steering wheel. That’s something I’ll face once Fallon is better.

  When Fallon parks the car outside the hospital, she lets out a heavy breath. “Ugh, I’m so nervous. I feel nauseous.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Hana says before she climbs out of the vehicle.

  It’s a process of checking Fallon into the hospital, and when we finally get shown to a private room, Hana says, “I’m going to get us so
me coffee.” She rushes out of the room, probably to give us some privacy.

  I bring my hands to Fallon’s face and framing her cheeks, I stare deep into her eyes. “Who loves you?”

  She begins to grin as she looks up at me. “You.”

  “And who am I?”

  Her grin widens into a smile, “Mine.”

  “Damn right,” I chuckle, then growing serious, I say. “You’re going to be fine. Okay? Dr. Menard is the best.”

  Fallon nods, looking a little less tense.

  I lean down, and moving my left hand out of the way, I press kisses to her scars. A nurse comes in, and I pull back so she can take Fallon’s vitals. Once she’s done, the nurse says, “Dr. Menard has been notified that you’re here. He’ll be with you shortly.”

  Once the nurse leaves, Fallon sits down on the bed.

  When Hana comes back into the room, she hands me a coffee.

  “Thanks.”

  Hana takes a sip of her own, then her eyes lock on mine.

  “What?”

  A smile tugs at Hana’s lips. “Thanks, Kao.”

  Frowning, I ask, “For?”

  “Being the man Fallon deserves.”

  A grin spreads over my face. Before I can think of something to say, Fallon chuckles. “Yeah, he’s the best, isn’t he?” Then she glares at our coffees. “So unfair that I can’t have any.”

  “Sorry, but I’ll turn into a serial killer if I don’t get caffeine in,” Hana jokes.

  Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Reyes comes in. They hug Fallon and greet us before Mr. Reyes asks, “Has Dr. Menard been to see you?”

  “The nurse said he’ll be here soon,” Fallon answers.

  Fallon sits down on the bed but shoots back up when Dr. Menard comes in.

  He first greets everyone, then turns to Fallon, “How’s my patient today? Nervous?”

  “A minute away from a nervous breakdown,” Fallon admits. “It’s good to see you again, Doctor.”

  “Don’t worry,” Dr. Menard says, a reassuring smile on his face. “When I’m done, you’ll be good as new. Sit so I can take a look.”