by M. S. Willis
JOSEPH FALLEN
(Estate Series – Book 0.5)
By M.S. Willis
This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Joseph Fallen: Copyright © 2013 by M.S. Willis
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, scanned, distributed in any printed or electronic form or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
ISBN: 978-0-9894479-6-6
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www.facebook.com/mswillisbooks
OTHER BOOKS BY M.S. WILLIS
Control Series
Book One – Control
Book Two – Conflict
Book Three – Conquer
Estate Series
Book One – Madeleine Abducted
Coming in 2014
Because of Ellison
Hope Restrained (Estate Series #2)
Captured (Control #4)
Changed (Control #5)
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Epilogue
Prologue
There are stories that are too painful to tell. Although, better left buried within the deep recesses of the minds of those who lived them, those stories never truly leave a person. But they must be told, because, even in their silence, they can affect and shape the future of others.
This is one of those stories…
You may think you know what happened, the supposed knowledge acting as a warm and gratifying blanket that protects you from the darkness; A seemingly innocuous barrier between a person and the truth.
You know how this ends and you must be acutely aware that there is no anticipation of an uplifting and inspired ending. But what you don’t know is why…
He was a good man. One who envisioned the life of a successful businessman; a wife, a child and a sprawling mansion so large, most could not help but envy the lifestyle achieved by such a handsome, charismatic and intelligent person. He was a genius. He deserved his youthful accomplishments. But like every sorrowful tale, that achievement became a poison; one that allowed darkness to seep inside --- to imbed itself so far within his soul that reality twisted and insanity followed.
His name was Joseph Carmichael and when he started The Estate, he not only created Hell…
He ruled it.
Chapter One
“Joseph, you shouldn’t have.”
Laughing seductively, Arianna Carmichael lifted the golden curtain of her hair from around her shoulders while her adoring husband, Joseph, locked the clasp of a diamond necklace across the perfection of her sun-kissed skin. It was their honeymoon. Much like when they’d dated, Joseph lavished what he could on the woman who lifted his spirits. She was a balm; a soul who could soothe the machinations of his brilliant mind, and a spirit that infused him with so much beauty and light, he could barely function without having her in his life. When it came to Arianna, there was no posturing, no political manifesto by which he had to operate; it was simply love - pure, honest, and absolute.
With blue eyes that resembled dancing flames, she peered up at him through the mirror of the dark wood dressing table. Glancing down at her reflection, he realized they were both lost to their bond, one that had been established only a few years prior, but one that had driven Joseph to achievements not known by most men his age. Although only twenty-three, Joseph had excelled in his education, had graduated early and was in line to become a top-seated executive in the large corporation where he’d accepted his first job.
It was while attending a holiday gala that he’d first seen Arianna. She was the epitome of elegance when she walked into the room. She attracted the attention of each man in attendance when the light bounced off the champagne colored fabric of her gown. Gracefully, she traveled the room, her movement so fluid it appeared that she floated on air. He wanted her the moment he saw her and when their eyes met across the crowded space, the people in the room disappeared from around them. Their love was instantaneous, their relationship was destined, and their partnership was spoken about as an ideal to which every couple should strive.
Letting the necklace fall across her shoulders, he clasped her hand and swept her up from her chair, leading her immediately through a suggestive and provocative dance across the expansive bridal suite. Music drowned the atmosphere and the light swish of her wedding gown could also be heard from their movement. A goddess dressed in white, Joseph admired how beautiful she looked in the dress, but also anticipated the moment when he’d remove it. He’d not slept with her before they were married, could not bear to tarnish the purity of a woman he’d never felt he’d deserved. But now, she was his wife, and his body molded to her while they danced, every nerve along his skin burning with his need to feel her wrapped around him and the slide of her sweat-soaked skin against his. His face brushed across her hair as they spun, and his heart swelled when her delicate scent wrapped around him like a soft caress or a tender touch.
In a wistful tone, he teased, “Have I ever mentioned how much of a gift you are? You may have made a mistake today, Mrs. Carmichael, by marrying a man not worthy of your perfection.”
The responsive laughter was a delight to his ears. She smiled up at him with an expression that revealed the truth of her exhilaration in that moment. Her head fell back as he dipped her low to the ground; sweeping its way across the burgundy carpet before being pulled back to her body when she was once again lifted and held against his chest. “I don’t know about that. There are rumors that I am not worthy of you. Apparently, I’ve failed to pay my dues to your society, not having come from old money and not having the education granted to the women whose fathers can afford it.”
He brought her arm above her head as he spun her softly along the floor, and when her back was to his, he pulled her to him so that he could rest his mouth softly against the rim of her delicate ear. “Jealous bitches…all of them. They wouldn’t last one day with me with their inane babble and superficial bullshit. But, if you want, I could see to it that we never hear from them again...” His mouth twisted up slightly at his mischievous suggestion. “…Maybe I could pay someone to intimidate them into silence.” His brows bounced, making Arianna laugh loudly.
Turning towards him, she slapped her hand against his shoulder, and said, “You wouldn’t do that, Joseph. You are far too intelligent to do anything stupid because of the opinions of petty and pathetic women. If they were in any way happy with their own lives, they wouldn’t waste their time trashing mine.”
He twirled her again then held her apart from him so that he could look deep into the blue depths of her eyes. With a wicked grin, he responded, “You’re absolutely right. Intimidation would be stupid. Death from an unfortunate accident will be a more permanent approach.”
Arianna laughed again
, her hair flowing behind her while she was danced through the room. The music slowed, faded off into silence, and Joseph chose that quiet moment to take her mouth with his. What started as a gentle and heartfelt kiss quickly grew in its intensity; their fingers entangled into each other’s hair as the two lovers became desperate to converge with the person they desired.
Pulling away from his bride, Joseph’s eyes traveled down over her skin, down further along the lace bodice of her gown and the white satin that danced like deliquescent pearl along her hips and legs. She was stunning and his heart beat furiously at the sight of her while he attempted in vain to shake the prickling anger in his mind towards the women he knew spoke poorly of his wife.
Ferocity and tenacious anger flooded his eyes when he looked into her face once more. “Those women, I can’t stand what they say about you. I’ll let it go for tonight, but I won’t allow them to continue their attack once the honeymoon is over. I don’t care what type of money, society, or esteemed family they come from; you are now my wife, and as such, you are a part of me.”
His words startled Arianna in their sincerity. Quietly, she responded, “I don’t need your protection, Joseph. I’m perfectly capable of ignoring their rumors - as long as I know the truth behind their lies, than what they say doesn’t matter.”
After brushing away the hair that had fallen in her face when they’d danced, he said, “Let’s forget about them. That is not what this night is about.” Forcing a smile on his face, he watched as Arianna beamed back in response.
His hands reached behind her to find the tiny white buttons that trailed along the center of her gown. Frustrated with the amount of buttons he’d encountered, Joseph dramatically rolled his eyes as he openly lamented how long it would take to remove the gown from her body. “You would think that the designer of this particular dress would have a better understanding of how quickly it is meant to be removed. How many buttons are there exactly?”
A giggle escaped her rouge stained lips, and Arianna stepped back, nearly tripping over the train of the gown. “Here – allow me. Buttons such as these are meant for a far more nimble finger.”
Watching his bride reach behind her back, a soft growl emanated from his chest as the bodice of her gown gave way. With each slight motion to her arm, the dressed peeled down, no longer acting as a second skin to her incredible form, but becoming nothing more than the clothing used to attract the attention of her intended betrothed. As the dress descended to the ground, it puddled at her feet creating a barrier she had to step over to be completely freed of the fabric.
His breath caught, his eyes left unblinking as a shudder trembled a path along his skin, through his muscles and into his bones. He’d known she was beautiful, but to see her standing in nothing more than the corset bra and delicate silk panties she’d worn under her dress, it caused his body to quake in anticipation and to marvel at her transformation from splendid innocence into mesmerizing temptation.
Stepping forward, Joseph brushed the back of his hand along her face, down along her jaw, past her shoulder, to finally rest just above the swell of her breasts and over her rapidly beating heart. The steel grey of his eyes remained locked to the infinite blue of hers; he noticed how her chest heaved and how her skin prickled in expectation of what was to come.
Refusing to look away from the eyes of the woman that had bewitched him years before and who had held him in wonderment since the day they’d first met, he said, “When I take you tonight, you will finally and completely become mine. I’ll never fail you, I’ll always protect you and I will give you the life that only a woman of your caliber deserves. Thank you, Arianna, for giving me a reason to live, a reason to breathe, and a reason to succeed. If it is you that I am allowed to care for, I can achieve anything, even if it breaks me apart to do so.”
The low light of the room sparkled brilliantly off the diamond ring on her finger when she reached up to place her hand over his. Rapidly, her blood surged through her veins and they both felt the beat of her heart against their joined hands. Her eyelids fluttered; her body overtaken by the anticipation of his touch mixed with the remnants of the alcohol they’d drank at the wedding just hours before.
He watched the full pout of her lips curve when she spoke, the moisture glistening in the light, making him imagine what those lips would feel like along his heated skin. “We’ll take care of each other, Joseph. Not one above the other, not one weak and one strong – but beside each other. My love for you knows no bounds and I will give to you everything that I have and accept from you everything that you are willing to give.”
Their words closely resembled the vows they’d just spoken at the alter of the cathedral church where’d they’d been married. Joseph reached his arm around her waist, pulling her against him as he allowed his fingers to slowly travel down her back and over the fine silk of her panties. When her body trembled beneath his hold, his breath was wrenched from his lungs. His head moved forward, his lips taking hers, as his body moved to possess her fully.
Lifting her into his arms, he swiveled towards the large bed that sat unrumpled in the center of the room. Placing her on the bed, he pulled her into a sitting position and reached around in another attempt at freeing her from her clothes. When his large fingers slipped easily over the small clasps of her bra, she laughed again and shook her head in amusement. Their eyes met, hers crinkled at the sides from her mirth and his, wide-opened in astonishment at the depth of his feelings towards the woman before him. Her legs slipped open where they hung over the edge of the mattress, he pressed closer between them, watching while she removed the lacy boned garment from her breasts.
When she’d been freed of all but the small triangle of silk stretched taut between her thighs, his pants tightened while his eyes took in the smooth expanse of her naturally tan skin. Stunned momentarily, he sat frozen before her, a man sitting in reverence of a woman unlike any other he’d known.
“You are the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen – and to think that you are mine, always…”
“…And forever.” She smiled shyly.
Eyes the color of polished steel widened when she completed his statement. “Yes, Arianna…forever.”
Taking her mouth with his, he licked along the crease of her lips demanding entry as his hands traveled to his shirt to slowly and deftly undo the buttons. Never allowing his lips to leave hers, he slowly peeled off the shirt, dropping it to the floor beside him. Pushing himself up from his crouched position, his hands came to her shoulders and he moved her back to the center of the bed and finally released her kiss so that he could remove his pants. He noticed how her eyes watched as he undid the button and lowered the zipper, eventually freeing himself of the offensive material that was the only thing keeping him from burying himself in her at that moment. Her breath caught when he was finally completely bared to her and he slid what remained of her undergarments from her body.
Lying over his bride, Joseph shimmied himself between her legs, positioning himself to finally and fully take her as his. “I don’t want this to hurt you, tell me if it is too much.”
She smiled up at him, however her nervousness could be seen as a sheen in her beautiful blue eyes. “Will you use protection? I could get pregnant…”
Placing a single finger over her mouth, Joseph silenced her. “You are my wife. If we conceive a child tonight, than it is a gift of our marriage, a blessing bestowed on us on the night we were married. We are a family now, and I do not fear building upon it.”
Arianna settled beneath Joseph and he brought his mouth to hers once more. His hands traveled along the prickled skin of her stomach and torso, the rush of blood through her veins pounding against his hand as he felt her skin heat and flush at his touch. His large hand came up to cup the weight of her breast and a sigh escaped her perfectly pouted lips, now swollen from the force of his kiss. His fingers pinched the tip of her breast into a taut peak just as he kissed his way down her skin, finally taking the nipple of her
breast between his lips and allowing his tongue to lave across the tip. She pressed her body up into his face, begging for more while he allowed his other hand to reach down towards the apex of her thighs. Finding that her skin had already slickened with desire he worked her body into frenzied need, until her breath came in erratic spurts and her heart could be heard pounding against the walls of her chest.
When she’d come close to orgasm, he slowed down the actions of his hands and mouth and looked up into her hooded gaze. “I believe I’ll be taking you now, Mrs. Carmichael.”
Her mouth formed a fevered grin and her eyes rolled back as he began to push himself inside her in one slow, yet deft maneuver. The wet heat of her body molded over him like a glove, and once buried to the hilt, he stopped, checking her face for any sign of discomfort before moving within her, building from an excruciatingly slow rhythm to one that would send them both over the edge into ecstasy.
The muscles of her core gripped at him hungrily and her head fell back against the pillows. When her mouth opened to scream out his name, he released himself inside her, claiming her as his. He fell against her, their sweat slickened skin creating a luscious and lustful sensation across their bodies. Their hearts pounded in unison and Joseph looked down at his sated bride and almost wept at the beauty that lay beneath him.
They made love several times that night, lost in the splendor and astonishment of their lust. While falling asleep in the early hours of morning, Joseph’s eyes closed against the tendrils of light that peeked around the curtains of the room, and he held Arianna to his chest, the decision overwhelming his mind that she would be his forever and he would build a kingdom worthy of her alone.
Chapter Two
“Congratulations, Joseph. For someone of your age, your accomplishments within the company are a first. Usually, a man needs to be greying and wrinkled before finding a top seat within the executive offices. Yet, here you are, not only running this show, but taking it over from the owners. I wish I’d had your enthusiasm and skill as a younger man. It would have saved me many years chained to my desk for those bastards.”