The Proposition 4: The Ferro Family

by H. M. Ward

  I shiver when he speaks. My heart pounds harder, forcing blood to roar through me, making me hotter. A bead of sweat rolls down my spine. Bryan’s finger catches it before it disappears down the small of my back. He wraps that arm around me, showing me the drop. He puts his finger to my lips, still holding the bead of sweat, “Suck.”

  My lips move around his finger, licking the salty sweat off his hand. He pulls his finger from my mouth and dips it between my breasts. They swell larger as I breathe harder. My body is practically vibrating, wishing he were inside of me. I shiver as he moves the sweat-covered finger to my lips again, opening my mouth, but he passes me and sucks his finger himself, wrapping his arm around my throat. When he’s done, he lowers his hand so his arm isn’t pressing into my neck as hard, but he still holds me against him.

  I feel his dick slide against my back. He rubs against me, making the damp heat between my legs throb. He’s breathing hard, his slick body hot and firm behind mine. Then he grabs my shoulders and steps back, separating us. He looks at me for a moment, moving around me with his hand stroking his jaw. I breathe hard, looking straight ahead into shadows. His eyes burn a trail over my body. My chest is heaving as I try to control myself. My fingers clench by my sides, over and over again.

  Finally he says, “On your knees.” His hand smacks my ass hard and I fall to my knees. Before I look up, his dick is in front of my eyes.

  I sit patiently waiting for him to tell me what to do. Instead, he grabs my hair on both sides of my head and pushes his long, hard shaft into my mouth. When I move to wrap my fingers around him, he pulls away. “No. Keep your hands behind your back. Move again, and I’ll tie you up.”

  He starts again, taking my hair and he thrusts deeper into my mouth. I suck him, working his length with my tongue. Heat pools between my legs. I can’t help it. The position, the way he grabs me makes me want him more. He pulls out and wipes his dick across my cheek. The silky smooth skin is hot and leaves a trail across my face. I try hard to keep my hands behind my back, but I want to stroke him. I want to feel his erection in my hands and stroke his soft head.

  Without warning, he’s back inside my mouth. I taste his salty sweetness and take him in. He’s developing a rhythm, pushing in shallow twice, then hard once. His body rocks as he does it. The light is on the floor, shining up at my body, just beneath my breasts. Bryan’s eyes are on me, watching the bounce of my breasts, the silver chains that sway with me, tugging on my sensitive parts. The taste of his dick, the way he fills my mouth, makes me so wet. The pulsing starts between my legs as I suck him, as I taste him. He pulls my hair harder, and I want more. I want him to push harder, faster. I intend to make him give me more and move my hand.

  But, when I reach for his dick, he pulls away suddenly. Before I can protest, he grabs me and pulls me over his lap and backs up onto the bed. I’m lying across his lap; his dick is out of reach. His hand lands hard on my ass, stinging as he spanks me. I flinch as the burn spreads across my skin. “I said no touching.” His hand comes up again, and he strikes me lower this time, stinging the bare skin between my legs, right over my most sensitive parts.

  The sensation shoots through my bottom and travels through my belly, making me wetter. He spanked my pussy. I gasp and he ignores it. Instead, he thrusts his fingers into me, pushing deep inside. I bite my lip, loving it—wanting more. His other hand comes down again. I clench on contact. Tears sting my eyes, but I’m silent. The only sound he hears is a rush of air as his hand strikes my skin.

  “Good,” he says and pulls his hand out from inside of me. God, was his whole hand in me? I need him. “Do as I say, and I’ll make you come, Hallie. I’ll make you come deep and long.” He turns me toward him, and looks at my eyes. He’s wondering if he hit me too hard. In response I moan. He grins and shakes his head, realizing just how far I can go. Turning me around, he ties my wrists behind my back with his belt.

  He commands me, “Kneel.”

  And we start again, but this time he teases me, rubbing his dick over my face, sliding it across my skin, over my lips and eyes. I’m breathing hard. In my mind I’m begging him to fuck me. In reality, I’m silent. My ass still stings from his hand, and I clench deep inside thinking about it. I breathe hard as his dick slips over my cheek.

  He traces my lips slowly, saying, “Don’t move.” My fingers wiggle behind my back as I think about touching him. I want to taste him. I can barely sit still, but I don’t move. “Knees apart,” he says and I spread my legs. The cool air stimulates me more.

  After he traces my mouth, he grabs my long hair, and pushes his dick slowly past my lips. Gradually, he pulls out and pushes in again, going deeper this time. He slides back, sighing as he does it. His fingers tangle in my hair, pulling it tighter. He goes deeper, not worrying about hurting me. His hard length slides past my lips and over my tongue, and doesn’t stop until he hits the back of my throat. I breathe in sharply, taking him in my mouth, wanting him there. He moans, and leans his head back. He rocks, pushing into my lips harder and harder.

  My breasts bounce as he watches his dick disappear into my mouth. I look up at him and take him, his whole dick again and again. His hard length starts to slide down my throat as he rocks. Sucking hard, I stroke him with my tongue while I suck. He moans, gripping my hair firmer, watching me. He’s so incredibly hard, but he doesn’t come. He controls himself, though I wish he wouldn’t. He pushes me back.

  I nearly whimper, I’m so disappointed. “Bryan,” I pant, “please.”

  He grins down at me. “Please what? Tell me what you want baby. Tell me…”

  Looking at the floor I say, “I want to suck you and swallow your come. I want you to fuck my face, baby. Please baby, fuck my face.”

  He tilts my chin up, “Beg for it. Beg until I give you what you want.”

  His touch sends currents through my body. I nearly die when he pulls his hand away. “Fuck my face, Bryan. Pump into me. Push down my throat. Come in my mouth. I want to taste you. I want to swallow your come. I want to feel it slide down my throat. Please baby. Please, fuck my face. Please.” I’m shaking, now. I can’t control myself. I want him so badly. I have to taste him. My head lunges forward, but he steps back, out of my reach. My heart sinks, “Baby, please,” I beg again and look up into his eyes ready to cry if he says no, “Fuck my face. Come in my mouth. Please, Bryan. I need it. I want it. Please give it to me.”

  A soft smile lines his lips. My breasts tingle as he steps toward me, brushing his dick against my cheek. I shiver, and want to take him in my mouth. “Stay perfectly still,” he breathes. His hot skin continues to tease me, slipping across my cheek and then my eyes. Finally, he lowers his dick to my lips and traces each one slowly with the tip of his cock. My body trembles and my wrists strain at the binding that holds my hands together. The heat between my legs throbs. I need him. I want him.

  I whimper, begging, “Baby, please.”

  And he loses control. His fingers tangle in my hair and he tilts my head back. “Watch me,” he says. My eyes are open and watching him slide his long hard shaft in and out. The carnal look in his eyes makes me hotter. My pussy is so sensitive that I think I’ll come right then.

  Bryan pushes his dick over my lips and past my tongue. It slams into the back of my throat and I take in all of him, not stopping until the base of his cock is at my lips. The hold on my hair tightens as I suck. I hear him sigh and see him hang his head back. Then he does it again. And again. His dick slips past my lips over and over and I let him bury it deep into my throat, sucking in every time he thrusts. I swallow and his lips form an O. I do it again, and feel him pulsing, knowing that his come will fill my mouth any second. A warm, salty gush flows over my tongue and I suck and swallow, gently stroking him, working every last drop out of his cock. I don’t stop licking and sucking when he’s done, although I’m gentle. His hands remain in my hair, but he’s petting me now, watching me suckle him.

  My pussy is so hot and wet. I can’t stop. I don’t
want to. When he pulls his dick out of my mouth, I nearly cry. But I don’t have the chance. He pushes me onto my back, knocking the wind out of me. I fall onto my wrists and can’t move. That’s when I feel his lips between my legs. He licks me perfectly and then thrusts his tongue into me. His fingers tug my chain and I scream, coming in his mouth, rocking my hips as I do it. He drinks me in, savoring every last drop.

  When he’s done, he gently rolls me over and unties my wrists. I’m on the cold floor. He scoops me up in his arms and holds me against him. His hands are in my hair, gently smoothing it against my head. “God, I missed you, Hallie.”

  CHAPTER 12

  It kills me that I don’t know if I have hours, days, or weeks with Bryan. When I get home, Neil acts like nothing is going on. “Hey, babe.” He gives me a peck on the cheek that stings like acid.

  “Hey.” I step away before he can hug me. I remind myself that this thing I have with Neil is an alliance. I need it. People get married for all sorts of reasons, and sadly, love is not usually one of them. There are those who feel pressure from their families, others whose clocks are ticking and accept Mr. Good-enough. I thought I’d marry for love, but that’s not how things panned out. “Where’s Maggie?”

  He sighs and returns to his seat at the table with his cup of coffee. “Apartment hunting. She told me that the two of you were moving out until the wedding. I told her no, but she didn’t listen. You already know how much she irritates me. It’s kind of you to want to separate us, but Maggie has to make it on her own, Hallie. You’re not her keeper.”

  Holy. Fuck. He did not just say that. It’s like the man mashed on the sleeping dragon’s tail that lies within me. The beast is ready to tear him a new one when the phone rings. Neil has no idea his words bothered me. I’m livid, so I head toward the front door and sit down on the porch. No car again. This sucks. I need to pester Cecily about my advance. I need a way to get space and be on my own when Neil gets like this.

  Maybe I shouldn’t marry someone I can’t be in the same room with. The thought bangs in my head like a drum, but I’m too emotionally worn out to deal with him right now.

  The front screen door opens and bangs shut as a phone is shoved in my ear. “It’s Cecily.”

  I take it and press it to my ear. “Hey, how are you?”

  “Skip all that honey, I’ve got news.” Skip all the pleasantries that make us human? Sure, why not?

  “Go.”

  “The contracts are done. Casting has begun and there are big names interested. The movie script is being written by the best. All you have to do is sit back and relax. But first, oh, well, I better let him tell you.” Cecily coughs into the phone.

  I make a face. “Tell me what?”

  “No, no, I shouldn’t have mentioned it. Loose lips and all. Go ask him, babe.” The line goes dead. I roll my eyes, then push up on my knees and walk inside.

  Neil is standing there with a huge smile on his face and something behind his back. “What’s up? Cecily said you had something to tell me.” The floor of my stomach goes into a free fall and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. There’s no way this is good. The last time I saw that expression on his face, the man proposed.

  “Surprises.” The way he says it sounds like nothing major, maybe a candy bar or something that I like. It’s nice that he’s being thoughtful again, because recently he’s been an asshole. It makes me wonder which man is real—the one who bought my father’s plot or the man who sold me to a Ferro for sex.

  I drop my guard and the tension flows out of me. “Oh.”

  “Come here.” He holds out one of his hands and I take it, unsuspectingly and follow him to the living room where we sit on the couch. He takes the packet of papers from behind his back and sets them in front of me. On the cover is a picture of a home so large it would qualify as a mansion. “What do you think?”

  I glance at him. “It’s pretty.” The lawn is manicured perfectly. It looks like a model home. I lift the packet and point at the daisies. “I’ve always loved these.”

  “I know.” He’s still grinning. I tilt my head at him, waiting for him to tell me what’s up.

  “Do you want to redo the backyard or something?”

  Neil shakes his head. The pit of my stomach dips as the smile fades off my face. “Open the folder.”

  I take the thing and open it up. Inside are floor plans, color choices, and tons of paperwork. “Neil?” I can barely speak. This isn’t what I think it is. There’s no way he’d go buy a house without me.

  “Do you like it, Hallie? It’s ours.”

  Oh my God. He did. He bought a house without me. My hands are shaking so hard that I can’t hold the folder. “What do you mean, ‘it’s ours?’ Are you going to have this built after we’re married?”

  “Nope.” He’s still grinning.

  “Neil.” I’m not using my inside voice anymore. I don’t like this surprise. “What’d you do?”

  “It’s already done. We can move in as soon as we want, which is why it’s ridiculous for Maggie to go apartment shopping for the two of you. This is your new home. Isn’t it gorgeous? I spared no expense. This is a thirty year shingle, the stone on the façade was imported from Italy, and this gate is from an old castle in Europe—I didn’t think it’d get here in time—the builder and I had words about that.”

  My jaw is hanging open. The gate is bigger than this apartment. My eyes bug out, tumble from my skull and roll across the floor. There are too many questions, but I ask the most glaring one first. “How did you afford this?”

  “It’s already ours. I paid cash for it.”

  “How?” My jaw is hanging open as I stare at him.

  “Your book deal. I figured you always wanted a house, so I got one for you.”

  I’m going to scream, cry, and beat the shit out of him simultaneously. “You spent my money?” He didn’t. There’s no way he did this. He’s messing with me. He has to be. No man alive is this stupid.

  “Our money,” he corrects, pointing a finger at me before touching it to the tip of my nose. “We’re getting married.”

  “Wait a second. You mean to tell me that Cecily gave you my money?”

  Neil is getting annoyed. “Ours, Hallie, everything is ours. There’s a ring on your finger. That means we do things together.” He’s gesturing between us like this is old news and something we agreed on ages ago.

  I erupt in anger. “This wasn’t together Neil! This was you taking what was mine and buying a huge-ass house without me! What if I wanted a different house? What if I had plans for that money?”

  The man is dumb enough to laugh, like I’m cute. “I tried to get back your old house. Someone already bought it. This was the next best thing, right?”

  I want to cry. I can’t stand this. “How much is left?”

  “Plenty. Nothing to worry about. We still have a ton of royalty payments coming.” He smiles like he made the best financial decision ever.

  “So all the advances are gone? You spent them on the house? This house cost well over seven figures!” My fingers flex and then relax as I chant, Don’t kill him, again and again inside my mind. I can’t speak.

  “Nope, I told you there are surprises, as in plural. Come see.” He takes my hand, although he’s upset, and pulls me to the front door. As we walk outside, he fishes keys out of his pocket and presses the unlock button. A car down the street chirps. It’s a white Z car and it’s loaded. “Check it out, Hallie! It’s perfect, right?”

  For someone else. I want to tell him, but I just nod. “And, they match!”

  “They?” I’m in shock. I just stand there and stare.

  He pulls out another set of keys and the car across the street chirps. It’s black and exactly the same. My head feels light. I grab for something, but only find air. Neil mistakes my passing out as me swooning at his awesomeness. “Hallie, it was too much too fast, right? Damn it. I knew this would happen. Come on inside. Let’s have a drink and then I’ll take you
to our house.” He’s still happy, beaming, chipper as a chipmunk in a nut factory. Fucking nutter.

  I have my fingers pressed to one temple and manage to pull away. “Stop! Neil, this is too much! You had no right to do any of this!”

  He laughs nervously because this is about to become a public outburst, which horrifies him. “Come on back to the house and we’ll talk about it. I’m sure we can change the color if you don’t like it.”

  I growl and snatch a set of keys from his hands. It’s the black car. I storm toward it, and jump inside. Before he can get another word in, I’m gone.

  CHAPTER 13

  I drive like a crazy person straight to Bryan’s house. I don’t care who’s there or how much they hate me. I have to see him. I pull straight up the driveway and stomp on the brakes. The car squeals to a halt. I jump out and by the time I’m at the front door, the butler guy already has it open.

  “Madam?”

  I shove past him, saying I’m going to Bryan’s room. He tries to stop me, but I run. The old guy can’t keep up with me. When I get to Bryan’s door, I’ve run past half of the household staff and they all noticed me. I also drew the attention of someone I should have avoided.

  I bang on his door, but there’s no answer. “Bryan?” I call out his name and push my way inside.

  The old man is finally behind me again. “Mr. Ferro is not here, Miss.”

  “But I am.” A cold female voice says behind both of us. “Charles, please leave us. We have some business to discuss.” I whirl around and see Constance Ferro, Bryan’s aunt, standing there in her perfect blood-colored silk suit. She hates me and I know it. I stiffen, not realizing she was even in the house. I’d rather get the plague than come face to face with her.

  Charles leaves swiftly and closes the door behind him. He flashes a look my way that makes me uneasy. He’d never want to be on the bad side of Constance Ferro, everyone knows that. But I already am.