The entire time, Braxton remained completely still above me, letting me take as long to adjust to his invasion as I needed. I could tell it cost him. His jaw was clenched hard, sweat dripping down his face and chest, his breathing labored.
Lifting my hand, I cupped the side of his face. “It’s okay,” I assured him. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to cause you pain, Kitten.”
I shifted under him again, moaning at the delicious fullness now. “You feel so good, Brax. Please move.”
“Baby,” he growled. “You feel so fucking good. Nothing has ever been this good.”
I felt myself glowing under his words even as my body began to quicken with every thrust of his hips. I’d dreamed of this—one more first with the only man I’d ever wanted to have every first with—and reality was a million times better than any fantasy I’d had over the years.
He rocked his hips against me, his thrusts becoming harder, more demanding. I liked that he was losing control. That he couldn’t hold on to that superhero-like willpower of his that he must have been exerting for so damn long.
“Baby,” he growled. “I’m gonna come. Want you with me.” His thumb grazed over my clit, and suddenly I was hanging right on the edge again.
“Braxton!” I cried, my nails biting into his sides. “Harder, please. I’m almost… I’m going to… Oh fuck!”
His hips stopped as soon as my orgasm hit me, and he just held himself over me, watching as I fell apart for him while he was deep inside me. Panting, I looked up at him through my lashes, barely able to keep my eyes open after two powerful releases.
“Kitten,” he growled, his hips suddenly pistoning into me as if he had no control over his own body.
His cock became even harder and more engorged inside me, and with the next thrust, his entire body stiffened. Braxton threw his head back, a look of pure agony on his face as he bellowed, “Goddamn, Kitten,” and exploded inside me.
I felt him going off inside me, the liquid proof of his release filling me. It was hot and thick, and it felt so good, my entire body trembled with a mini orgasm.
Exhausted, he fell on top of me, his delicious weight pressing me deeper into the mattress. I stroked my fingers up and down his muscular back while he tried to catch his breath. But only a minute later, he was lifting his head, cursing himself for crushing me.
“Sorry, Kitten,” he murmured, turning onto his side and pulling me in close. Our naked bodies were still covered in sweat, and I shivered because the heat wasn’t enough to warm me after having his warmth blanket me moments before.
Reaching down, he grabbed the comforter and pulled it up over us. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly, kissing me tenderly. “Did I…hurt you?”
I quickly shook my head. “I loved everything you did to me,” I told him honestly, and I felt the tension release from his muscles.
Kissing me again, he tucked my head under his chin and let out a heavy exhale. “Which room do you want to make ours? This one is a little smaller than mine, but I’m okay with whichever one you want to stay in.”
I gasped in surprise. “You want us to share a room?”
I felt the vibrations of his deep laugh all the way to the tips of my toes, my nipples hardening instantly. “Kitten, you are mine now. I’m not sleeping anywhere but beside you from here on out.”
Everything inside me melted. A content smile lifted my lips, and I closed my eyes, welcoming sleep.
Chapter 14
Nevaeh
I didn’t have a Monday class, so I slept in the next morning and then vegged out around the house all day. Having traveled so much my entire life, my body was used to it, so jet lag wasn’t something I suffered from. But after the weekend I’d just had, I was slow-moving and just wanted to curl up into a ball on the couch while eating comfort food.
Braxton stayed with me the whole time, and while it didn’t make the heartache I felt over my dad go away, it did make it easier to handle. I didn’t cry, but when it seemed like I was going to, he would distract me in ways that left me mewling like the kitten he called me.
By the time I left for my first class on Tuesday, I no longer felt like I was going to crumble at every single thought of Daddy and his illness. Like always, Braxton walked me to campus, and we stopped for coffee at the café. In the beginning, Braxton walking me to class had annoyed the hell out of me. It was as if he thought I was a little kid who needed a big, strong man to hold my hand and fight all my battles. But over time, I’d gotten used to it, and if I was honest, I’d grown to like it. Now that we were together, I was all too happy to let him be his normal alpha self and hold my hand while we walked to my classes.
With his hand at the small of my back, we approached the counter. “You want a muffin, baby?” he asked as he gave the guy behind the register our drink orders. Braxton knew my favorite, and I hadn’t even had to tell him what I wanted.
“Do they have any double chocolate?” I asked hopefully. I felt like I’d gained a good ten pounds from all the carbs I’d gorged on the day before, but I didn’t even care.
“There are two left,” the barista told him.
“We’ll take both to go,” Braxton told him and handed over his card.
I’d given up trying to pay for my own things a long time ago. In the past two years, I’d rarely had to use the cards my parents had given me because no matter what it was or how much it cost, Braxton always paid for my stuff. I’d felt bad about him spending money on me until he told me to just let him take care of me.
When he’d turned eighteen, he’d gotten his trust fund, and while I didn’t know how much that was, I knew he never had to work again if he didn’t want to. But he still worked for Seller Security, and he and Barrick had big plans for the company when Barrick finally took over from his stepfather. The cousins were going to become business partners, and I had faith the two of them would make a formidable duo in the world of security.
While he was getting our drinks and food, I walked over to an empty table and sat to wait. I didn’t check my social media feed often, but I’d ignored it for over five days, so I opened the app to see if there was anything going on with Arella or one of my many cousins. I didn’t expect them to keep me constantly up-to-date with what was going on in their lives, so I just let their social media tell me what was happening with them.
I wasn’t surprised to see the first picture in my feed was of my sister. It was who she was with that gave me pause. That along with the moon eyes she was giving Jordan Moreitti, who had his arm around her, grinning at the camera as they took a selfie on the beach.
Arella wasn’t boy crazy, which I had to give her credit for. Boys were the ones who got crazy over her. As beautiful and talented as she was, I didn’t blame them. But Jordan was older than her and, more to the point, a total player. Given that my sister was only sixteen and I knew Moreitti didn’t go for jailbait, Arella was only going to break her heart if she thought she had a future with Mia’s best friend.
Next in my feed, I saw the twins. I knew which one was Lyric from the way he grinned—it was more easygoing, whereas Luca’s was always full of mischief. Luca was sweaty, his hair plastered to his skull and forehead, obviously having just finished football practice.
He was on the defense; that was all I understood of his position on the team, and I really didn’t care to learn more about it. But he’d been offered a full ride to some college in Texas and several in the SEC. He hadn’t picked which one he was going to attend yet, but no matter what he chose, it was going to cause issues for him.
Lyric, however, wasn’t into sports. He was more artistic, and given his obsession with ink lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if he became a tattoo artist and opened his own shop one day.
In the background, I saw a group of cheerleaders eyeballing my twin cousins like they were pieces of meat, and I nearly rolled my eyes. It was Lyric’s post, and the caption was short: Feeling cute, might bang the whole cheer
squad later. IDK.
Seeing the reactions below it, I wasn’t surprised at the eye-roll emoji my cousin Violet had commented with. Sighing, I kept scrolling until something caught my attention. My eyes scanned over the post, reading everything—twice—before it all clicked in my head.
It wasn’t Braxton’s post, but because he was tagged in it, I was seeing it in my feed. There was a picture of him in a tux, standing on some grand staircase with an older couple—his parents, from what I’d read. And beside them stood a beautiful blonde in a dress that would have rivaled any celebrity on the red carpet at the Grammys, diamonds dripping down her neck like melting ice.
She had dark blond hair that was pulled to the side in an elegant twist, her makeup expertly applied and showcasing her bone structure. Her brown eyes looked up at Braxton like he hung the moon, and I had to read the post again to make sure I hadn’t read it wrong.
Collins and Hamilton wedding scheduled for the post-Christmas season as the two families prepare for their new grandchild.
With the birth of Braxton Collins and Darcy Hamilton’s first child, the two dynastical families will become one formidable business empire. Braxton and Darcy are both only children and met in high school. The two have been engaged since their graduation four years ago, but plans were put on hold due to Braxton’s injury while serving in the Marines. Belinda Hamilton has hinted that her son’s upcoming nuptials will rival any royal wedding in history.
Heart pounding, I skimmed my eyes over the picture again. The ring on Darcy Hamilton’s finger was huge and flashy, something that made a statement and screamed for attention. I thought it was ugly and made her fingers look pudgy, but she didn’t seem to care as she gazed adoringly at her fiancé. Mr. and Mrs. Collins were beaming proudly at their son and future daughter-in-law.
I stood so quickly, my chair fell back with a loud crash, tears blinding me. Grabbing my backpack, I hurried toward the door.
“Kitten?” Braxton was still standing at the counter, waiting for our drinks.
I shot him a glare through my tears and continued toward the exit. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
Shaking my head, I pushed open the door without looking back. I couldn’t believe what I’d just read. There was no way Braxton was engaged to someone else. No, he just wouldn’t do that. He fucking wouldn’t. No way he would ask someone to marry him and then fly across the country to celebrate my birthday with me. Any more than he would cheat by making love to me.
Yet the picture spoke volumes. He looked remarkably like his father, but he had his mother’s eyes. And there was that ring and the blonde who couldn’t keep the stars out of her eyes. All of it posted by a legitimate news channel.
My heart was breaking. I couldn’t suck in a deep enough breath.
It couldn’t be true. Braxton wouldn’t do that to me. He knew how much I cared about him, how much I loved him, and how long I’d waited for us to be together. He would not break my heart like that.
Would he?
The fact that I even had to question it pissed me off. This on top of getting the news about my dad was too much, damn it. My heart couldn’t take any more of this shit.
Strong hands caught me around the waist from behind, stopping me in my tracks. Keeping one hand on my side, Braxton walked in front of me, his face tense as he met my gaze. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you storm out like that?”
Lifting my phone, I shoved the picture of him with his parents and fiancée in his face. “What the fuck is this?” I demanded, going on the offensive and watching his face as he looked at the screen.
His jaw clenched as he took my phone from me and groaned. “Fuck. I should have known it would get out like that. My parents don’t have social media, though, so I didn’t consider it.”
“Is it true?” I cringed when I heard the catch in my voice, hating that I didn’t sound stronger. My anger was already dying down, and the heartbreak was winning.
He cupped each side of my face in his hands. “No, baby. No. Of course it’s not true.”
“Then why is this a big story on a reputable news site? This isn’t fake news, Brax. It’s a legit site.”
Muttering a curse, he touched his lips to the corner of my mouth before pulling back so our eyes locked. “Because my parents want it to be true. They’re delusional if they actually think I’m going to marry Darcy, though.”
“Just who is Darcy to you anyway?”
His lips twisted in a pained grimace. “She was my high school girlfriend. And before you ask, yes, I did ask her to marry me back then. But I regretted it almost as soon as I did.”
“You loved her?” He shrugged, and jealousy twisted in my gut. “Do you still?”
“Fuck no!” he exclaimed, his hands dropping to my waist and pulling me closer. “I love you, Nevaeh. Listen to me. I don’t even think I ever loved Darcy back then. It was more infatuation and the fact that she was good in bed.”
My jealousy wasn’t getting any better with his explanation. If anything, I only wanted to rip Darcy’s hair out more and more with every word out of his mouth.
“When I lost my leg, she didn’t want anything to do with me, and I was relieved to be finished with her without having to break it off myself. I swear to you, there is nothing—absolutely nothing—going on between the two of us.”
His vehement denial calmed some of my doubts, but I was still hurt he hadn’t told me this had gone on at the party his parents had forced him to attend. Yet I understood why he hadn’t. I’d been a mess all weekend, so of course, he wasn’t going to unload all of that on me when I was dealing with Daddy’s illness.
“No secrets,” I told him, forcing myself to relax against him. “Promise me we won’t keep anything from each other. No matter how big or small.”
“No secrets,” he vowed, brushing his lips softly over mine. “I’ll tell you everything. Now, let’s go get our stuff so I can walk your fine ass to your math class.”
“Only if you tell me you love me again,” I murmured.
He brushed my hair back from my face, his dark eyes full of need and adoration. “I love you, Kitten. Always.”
Chapter 15
Braxton
After leaving Nevaeh at the door to her class, I met Lyla on the edge of campus. She was helping me shop for Christmas because I sucked so royally at it.
She sat in the back of the town car, the driver one of the many guards her brother had hired from Seller’s after one of his other men had kidnapped Lyla and her stepdaughter, Josie. Getting in beside her, I tossed her the list of names I needed to buy for and leaned my head back against the seat with a groan.
“Saw the picture of you and that slore Darcy with Aunt Belinda and Uncle Miles,” she commented casually. “What kind of acid were those three on over the weekend? I mean, shit, do they actually think they can play with your life like that?”
“They need professional help, that’s for fucking sure. They are seriously delusional if they think I’m going to play along and marry that bitch. It’s already messing with Nevaeh and me. I hadn’t told her what happened at the party yet because of everything going on with her dad, and then she saw the picture in her social media.”
I’d nearly lost my mind when I’d seen her run out of the café with tears in her eyes. She’d shot me a glare, and I’d suddenly felt like I was gasping for air. When she’d shoved her phone in my face, I’d wanted to tear my parents and Darcy apart with my bare hands.
“That sucks. But she’s cool now, right? You two are okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, we’re good. She knows I wouldn’t marry Darcy even if they paid me a billion dollars.”
Lyla turned in her seat to face me. “I’m not worried about the wedding thing. It’s that she was talking about a baby. I mean, she knows better than to say shit like that if it’s not true. Yeah, okay, sure, she could say she had a miscarriage if it really came down to it. But what if she’s not making it up?” She frowned, pressing her lips into a hard line.
“Maybe she really is pregnant and wants you to play baby daddy to this kid?”
I sat up straight, tension filling every muscle. “Ah fuck, Ly. What if you’re right?”
“I suggest you find out one way or the other, little cuz.”
“How the hell do I do that?” I asked with a groan. “It’s not like she’s going to tell me the truth if I point-blank ask her if she’s knocked up.”
“Well, I doubt any doctor’s office would tell you if she was a patient there or not because of HIPAA, so that’s out.”
“Fuck,” I muttered, scrubbing my hands over my face.
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. I have an idea…” She trailed off, a devious grin lifting at her lips as she picked up her phone lying on the seat between us. “I’m going to need Mia’s help, though.”
Ten minutes later, we were picking up Mia and driving toward my parents’ house instead of the mall. Christmas shopping could wait, but finding out if Darcy was actually pregnant or not wouldn’t.
Mia was looking green as usual as she sat on the other side of Lyla. “This baby is really working you over,” Lyla murmured sympathetically.
“I’m never getting pregnant again,” she said with a moan. “I haven’t eaten in days. I’m lucky if I can keep down fluids.”
“Well, we will find you the best doctor and get you taken care of, my friend.” Lyla patted her on the shoulder as the driver pulled up in front of my parents’ mansion.
I didn’t particularly like Lyla’s idea, but it was the only one we had at the moment, so I had little choice but to follow along. Stepping out of the car, I walked around to help Mia out and kept close to her in case she tripped as we walked up the steps to the front door.
Lyla was already ringing the doorbell, and moments later, the housekeeper pulled the heavy door open with a welcoming smile. My father was at work, but my mother was always at home during the week. The housekeeper led us down to the library, where my mother was sitting with Julia Hamilton. On the table between them were wedding invitation samples and other things that made no sense to me, but they looked like they had to do with wedding preparation.
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