by Franca Storm
“I…uh…okay,” she finally says. “Ple—”
“On your knees,” I command.
“Come on, Dan. That’s—”
“Fine,” I say, making a move to leave.
“Okay! Okay!” she shrieks.
God, that sound grates on my last nerve. She used to reach the same pitch when she climaxed and it always got under my skin.
I turn back around and watch as she drops slowly to her knees.
I walk over to her and glower down at her. She looks up at me and I snap, “Eyes down! Look at the floor!”
She trembles at my words and I know that she’s scared now. She knows I’m not fucking about. I’m deadly serious.
“Now…fucking beg me.”
“Please…Dan,” she says through gritted teeth.
“You’re going to have to do better than that. You played me, slut.” She flinches at the word slut. Good. I want her on edge. “Remember that? Remember what you did?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, Dan. I didn’t realize…I didn’t know what a good guy you were when it first started. I thought you were just another rich, womanizing asshole. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have…I would have called it off when I had the chance. But it was too late.”
Her apology catches me off guard. She never apologized for what she did. I’m more than able to tell when she’s lying now after what she put me through and it’s clear that she’s actually telling the truth. She really means it.
But it doesn’t mean shit to me.
“Too little, too late.”
She looks up at me then and yells, “What do you want, Dan?”
It’s not a plea this time. It’s a demand.
I move closer to her, careful not to touch her. Not just because the very thought of it disgusts me, but also because I don’t trust her. The last thing I need is my DNA anywhere near her, so she can then lie and claim I roughed her up or some shit.
“I want you to fucking submit to me!” I thunder. “I want to watch as every drop of power you have leaves your body and your only thought is to please me.”
“Okay,” she murmurs as she drops her head and returns her gaze to the floor. A few moments later, she lets out a long breath of defeat and her shoulders slump. She leans forward on her knees. “Please, Dan,” she finally says in a small voice.
“Please what? Put your back into it, Is. I know you can beg me better than that. At least make it worth my while,” I taunt.
She starts crying then.
“Look at me. I want to see those tears.”
She obeys and I see real tears, not crocodile tears for a change.
“Good. That’s better.”
“Please,” she sobs. “Please help me, Dan. I need you. I need your help. You have the power here. Please. Please help me.”
Satisfied, I crouch down in front of her.
“Real tears? Now, that pleases me immensely, Is.”
“I’ll do anything. I’ll give you anything you want.” Something dirty flashes in her eyes. “Anything,” she says, pointedly.
Her innuendo isn’t lost on me and I fight to push my anger down at such a suggestion. She’s sick. Offering to fuck a man who has a pregnant girlfriend at home. She really has no morals, no sense of what is right at all.
I shift my weight and lock eyes with her. “The thing is, you have nothing to give me. There’s nothing I want from you. Just looking at you makes me sick to my stomach. You’re worn out trash, Isabella. It’s all you ever were. And if you ever come after me or those I love again, I will make it my mission to destroy you. You fucking bitch. Are we clear?”
She murmurs a response through her sobs.
“Say it!”
She jumps at my sharp tone. “Yes, I swear. We’re clear, Dan.”
Without another word, I get to my feet and turn my back on her.
As I make my way to the door, she screams, “Dan! No! Stop! I did what you wanted! Help me! Please! Please!”
I knock on the door and the Chief opens the cell.
As I walk away, Isabella is still screaming my name.
As soon as I walk out into the cool night air, I slump against the wall, exhausted from the emotional toll of what I just did.
“You okay, kid?” the Chief asks, surprising me. I didn’t realize he’d followed me out. “I know what she did to you. Did you get what you needed?”
“Yeah,” I breathe. “I did. I finally did.”
***
Em is awake and sitting up in bed when I finally make it back into her bedroom.
Expecting her to be pissed that I took off in the middle of the night, I’m surprised when she just smiles kindly at me.
“You okay, baby?” she asks in that cute, sweet tone of hers.
“Yeah.”
“Do you want to tell me what happened?”
I strip down to my boxers and climb into bed with her. “It’s not pretty, babe. I’m not sure I should.”
“I won’t judge you, Dan.”
I hesitate. “I…okay…I went to see Isabella.”
I tell her the whole story, exactly what went down in Isabella’s cell tonight, not leaving anything out. When I’m finished, she’s silent for a little while. I’m not surprised. That shit was pretty damn intense.
And then she asks, “Did you manage to conquer those demons of yours?”
I smile. “Yeah. They’re gone, Em. They’re really gone now, after all these years.”
She wraps her arms around me. “I’m glad.”
“Me too.”
She doesn’t let go of me. Her arms don’t leave me even after I close my eyes. The last things I remember before I fall asleep are her arms warming me, soothing me and her tiny kisses on my shoulder.
Chapter 28
~Emma~
This might seem odd after what happened to me in that parking lot a few days ago, but I feel free, invigorated and different. It’s like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I’m not saying I’m ready to be around people every day like a normal person, but at least I know I can go into the town center from time to time and be okay.
I’ve been on some sort of natural high for the last few days.
I breathe in the refreshing steam of the shower as I wash the conditioner out of my hair. When I’m done and I’m about to step out, an idea occurs to me.
“Dan!” I call through the open bathroom door into my bedroom.
“Getting dressed, babe.”
“Come here.”
I hear a disgruntled growl from him. Aww…he’s so cute when he’s mad about something. He stalks into the bathroom. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers and a white t-shirt.
I flash him my sexiest come-fuck-me look. He grins, recognizing what it means. But then he shakes his head. “We’re supposed to be at my parents’ for dinner in half an hour, Em.”
“It will go smoother if you’re relaxed when we get there.”
I dip my hand between my legs and start to play with myself. Dan’s eyes immediately zone in there, hooding with desire. I watch him lick his lips.
“Oh, fuck, babe,” he growls.
I smirk at him as I remove my hand that’s now coated in my arousal and circle my nipples slowly, teasingly. His eyes flash with intensity and I know I have him now.
In a second, he’s stripped off his shirt and boxers and he’s under the shower with me, his hands kneading my breasts, his raging erection pressing against me.
I push him against the shower wall. My hands slide down his chest, to his stomach, enjoying the feel of his chiseled abs beneath my fingers. I hear his breath catch in his throat as I move lower, past his hips, my fingers brushing the tip of his hard dick that’s standing to attention and throbbing with need.
I close my hand around his length and stroke him slowly, up and down, teasing him.
And then I abruptly release him.
“Em, you’re gonna kill me. Fucking hell,” he pants.
My eyes flash at him, promising a he
ll of a lot more. I see a sly smile creep across his lips.
“That’s right, baby. You’re going to enjoy this.”
I drop to my knees in front of him. Cupping his balls in my hand, I lick my way up his shaft with firm strokes. I swirl my tongue around the tip, lapping up drops of pre-cum as I go. He groans his approval and sinks back against the wall, gasping out, “Fuck, yes.”
I continue teasing him with my tongue for a little while longer before moving down to his balls and massaging them with my tongue. I suck one into my mouth.
“Ah, yes. That feels fucking amazing,” he grits out, hoarsely.
I do the same with the other one and his legs tremble.
Licking my way back up his shaft, I smother the tip with my lips, enjoying the taste of more of him.
And then I take him in my mouth. He growls loudly as I drive him right to the back of my throat.
“Shit. Ah, fuck!” he cries out as I deep throat him, holding nothing back, giving him everything.
My hands play with his balls as I continue to pump him in and out of my mouth, loving the fact that I learned to control my gag reflex long ago.
He’s panting erratically and moaning like crazy now.
I feel his hands fist in my hair. Expecting him to push my head down, I’m surprised when he doesn’t.
Instead, he eases my mouth off his cock.
Before I can verbalize a protest, he lifts me to my feet, spins me around and grabs my hips. He thrusts inside me in one sudden motion, driving right to the hilt.
Ah! Yes!
The way he fills me is indescribable. I relish every rough thrust, every grunt of his in my ear. His fingers fist in my hair, forcing my head back so he can lick my neck and whisper dirty things to me that drive me crazy.
I’m so turned on by the fresh memory of having him in my mouth and now him fucking me like an animal in the shower, that I’m already right on the edge.
His fingers slide down and brush my clit. He barely gets a chance to touch me, before I explode. A fierce climax rips right through me. He’s not far behind. He thrusts hard a couple of more times and then I hear him grunt as he comes deep inside me.
I collapse back against him and he wraps his arms around me.
“That was fucking amazing. Where did you learn to suck cock like that?”
I laugh. “I don’t think I should answer that question, but I’m glad you liked it.”
“No one has ever taken all of me before. Fuck me, babe.”
I’m not surprised. He’s not exactly average in that department. I feel a swell of pride that I managed it. That I caused him to make those primal sounds of pleasure and drove him right to the brink.
“So, I take it you’re more relaxed now?”
“Beyond relaxed, thanks to that dirty mouth of yours.”
I pull away and shake my head with disapproval. “Uh uh. Don’t start.”
“Don’t start what?” he asks, all innocent and flashing me those puppy dog eyes of his.
“With the dirty talk. You know what it does to me.”
His eyes flame with fire. “Mmm…yeah. I know very well. It always drives you right over the edge.”
He reaches for me and I step back, pressing myself against the far wall. “You shower and then I’ll shower. We’re going to be late if we go round two right now.”
“Fine,” he reluctantly agrees. “Are you sure you’re gonna be able to handle watching me standing here wet, naked and all soaped up?”
“Yes,” I say, even as I slap my hand over my eyes.
He laughs. “You’re so cute.”
“And you’re the devil.”
“Yep. That’s why I need my little angel beside me.”
Chapter 29
~Daniel~
Dinner with my parents wasn’t anything like I’d imagined it would be.
I’d expected intense awkwardness, both between my mom and me and from Em being around people. But, to their credit, my parents had created such a relaxing atmosphere that was—for once—anything but formal.
I’d briefed them about Em before we’d arrived and they’d listened to everything I’d said and incorporated it into our visit. They’d asked her about her writing. Unbeknown to me, my mom had actually read one of Em’s books. That had brought Em out of her shell considerably. She was comfortable talking about her work and she’d really been in her element. We’d talked about the baby as well, which my mom had enjoyed immensely. I’ve never seen her so incredibly excited about anything before.
Em seemed so comfortable around my parents, that I decided it was okay for me to leave her side for a while.
As I make my way back from the bathroom, my mom stops me at the lobby, blocking my path to the salon where everyone is lounging now after dinner.
“Daniel, I’m sorry,” she says, suddenly.
I’m stunned. She never apologizes. Ever. Even when she knows she’s in the wrong, she will never admit it. She’s incredibly stubborn. Maybe that’s where I get it from.
“I never told you that I was sorry for bringing Isabella into your life. But I am, Daniel. I truly am. I have very few regrets, but that will always be one of them.”
I can feel emotion welling up within me, constricting my chest. Shit. I’ve never realized until this moment just how much I’ve needed her to say those words, to admit that she was sorry and that she’d made a mistake. It’s as if an enormous weight has been lifted.
“Thank you, Mom.”
“I wasn’t doing the right thing for you. I was doing it for appearances, to maintain our standing in society. I shouldn’t have interfered that much in your life. I want to know what’s going on with you though, especially now you’re starting your own family.” She steps towards me, her eyes brimming with tears. “Please don’t shut me out any longer, Daniel. Don’t keep me from the two of you and my grandchild. I couldn’t live with that.”
“Mom,” I say, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. “I forgive you.”
She starts sobbing at my words and I pull her into me, wrapping my arms around her. “It’s okay, Mom. I’m sorry too. Things shouldn’t have stayed like this between us for so long. I want you and Dad to be a part of my life. Besides, Em and I will need your help with the baby. We’re new to all of this.”
She nods her head against my chest.
“I love you, Mom.”
I catch sight of my dad and Em now standing in the salon doorway smiling at me. My dad nods and Em gives me a thumbs up.
Fuck. After all these years, I’ve finally done it.
I’ve finally let it all go and vanquished my demons.
Chapter 30
~Daniel~
Em and I listen to J’s report on the progress that Harlson Construction is making with the house renovations. They’re three weeks into the job right now and everything is right on schedule. For now. These things can change in a heartbeat.
“A month and a half and we should be done,” J finishes.
“Great,” Em says, flashing him one of her cute smiles.
“Thanks, man,” I say, slapping his shoulder.
“No problem. Besides, the faster I get this done, the faster you guys will be out of the penthouse and it’ll be all mine.”
“Shit, you’re gonna defile this place, aren’t you?”
“Think playboy mansion gone wild.”
Em rolls her eyes. “Remind me to call before I come over then.”
J laughs. And then he looks at his watch. His gaze snaps to mine. “Hey, don’t you have somewhere to be right now? Sunset’s almost here.”
Oh shit. The time completely got away from me. He’s right. We need to get moving.
“Yeah, thanks,” I say, throwing him a discreet wink.
“What? Where do you have to be?” Em asks, at a loss.
“We, babe. We,” I say, taking her hand and leading her to the elevator.
I look back at J quickly, suddenly needing the support. He mouths good luck and flashes me a rea
ssuring smile.
Right, yeah. It’s fine. It’s gonna be fine. I need to calm the fuck down.
***
When we reach our destination, I pull over to the side of the road and cut the engine. I unbuckle my seatbelt and glance over at Em. She’s looking around, perplexed, not sure what the hell is going on.
“Why did you stop on the side of the road?” she asks.
I grin and climb out of the car. “Come on, babe.”
She follows me around to the front of the car.
I grip her hips and lift her onto the hood. At six months pregnant now, it would be too difficult for her to hop up there herself.
“Comfortable?”
“As comfortable as a pregnant woman can be.”
I chuckle. “When we get home, I promise to do everything in my power to make you unbelievably comfortable, angel.”
Before she can say another word, I gesture around us. “Does this look familiar to you?”
She glances around again for a few seconds and then she turns back to me, smiling widely. “Yes. This is where we first met. You thought I was having car trouble and when you realized that I wasn’t, you hit on me.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” I chuckle.
“Why are we here?”
“I figured it was appropriate.”
I drop to one knee on the side of the dirt road.
I hear her gasp in surprise.
I pull out the ring box that has been burning a hole in my pocket all damn day. I open it and hold it out for her to see the diamond engagement ring nestled inside.
“When we met, I was broken, Em. Shattered. But in that inexplicable way of yours, you somehow managed to put all those pieces back together. You revived me. You saved me. You make me a better man. I can’t bear the idea of not waking up to that sweet laugh of yours every day. That cute grin. The feel of you against me. The taste of you in my mouth. I don’t want us to ever be apart again.” I pause for effect. “So…will you marry me, angel?”
She answers with a sob, “Yes. Oh my God, Dan. Of course. Of course, I will.”
“Aww…don’t cry,” I say getting to my feet and hurrying towards her. “Hold out your left hand.”