by Reana Malori
“You know, this doesn’t mean you’re getting out of going fishing with my dad next weekend. So, you might as well wake-up now. You know he’ll fuss at you if you try to get out of it. You’re the one who’s supposed to bring the bait worms,” she reminded his sleeping form.
“Fishing? Julian’s already met your father,” Harold asked from the other side of the room.
“Hmph. Well, that’s more than he did with that other gal,” Georgia replied. “That’s a good thing, Harold. That means Julian’s serious. And she has a little boy.”
Kori heard them speaking but didn’t pay much attention. She’d worry about them later. “Morgan is expecting you at the house tomorrow to help cook burgers and watch the robot movie with him again,” she continued speaking to Julian’s prone form. “We have to make sure you don’t disappoint him. You know how much he loves it when you hang out at the house with us.” Wiping her eyes, she gave a half-smile. “I know you can’t hear me right now, but I need to tell you something. I love you, Julian. Yeah, I know it’s probably too soon for those words, but I don’t care. When I woke up this morning and saw the news reports, I knew something was wrong. I felt it in my soul that you weren’t okay. Nothing would have kept me from getting here to you.” Leaning her head down to rest on top of his hand, she repeated the words, praying they would break through to him this time. “I love you, Julian. Please wake up for me.”
Silence came over the room again, but she could hear his mother sniffing behind her. Janice and Steven were probably glaring at each other with daggers in their eyes, and she was sure there was a story there. There had to be something she could do to help him. Jarred from her silent musings, Kori looked at Julian’s face and prayed it would happen again. She gasped when his fingers moved, clasping her hand within his.
“Harold. Georgia. Guys! He’s moving. Come over here,” she whisper-yelled. As everyone surrounded the bed, she and Georgia began speaking to him, begging him to open his eyes. A few more minutes passed, and his lids began to lift. The beautiful blue of his eyes latched onto Kori’s face, and his lips tilted in a smile.
“Did. You. Mean it?” Julian’s voice was low and scratchy, but she heard him loud and clear.
She nodded her head because she knew exactly what he was referring to. “Yes. I meant every word. I love you, Julian MacMahon.”
“Good.” He nodded. “Because you’re going to be my wife.” Closing his eyes, he leaned back on the pillow and took a deep breath. “I love you, too, Kori. I told you. Nothing but death would keep me from you.”
EPILOGUE
“Are you ready?”
“Seems like I’ve been waiting for this day forever.”
“I can’t believe it’s finally here. After everything that’s happened, I thought this day would never come.”
“You and me both. How do you think Morgan feels about everything?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Honestly, I have no idea. Whenever I’ve asked him about it, he says he’s excited, but I just don’t know. I worry about him.”
“Don’t worry. I think Morgan’s going to be okay. No, I know it for a fact. Our little man is brave. Today will change everything for us. After this, we’ll never look at this place the same way again.”
“Come on, Baby. It’s time.”
“Okay.” She smiled. Walking over to the door, she opened it and walked into the long hallway, knocking on the doors along the way. “Alright, everyone! Let’s go. This adventure isn’t going to happen without us.”
“Yay,” Morgan yelled as he came running from one of the rooms. “I can’t believe we’re actually in Orlando. Gigi, Pop Pop, Grammy, Grandpa! Time to go.”
“Hold on there, big fella.” Julian grabbed him up and flipped him over his shoulder. “You know your mom can’t move all that fast with your little brother growing in her belly.”
“Hey,” Kori laughed. “No making fun of the pregnant woman.”
Julian leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. “I love you, woman.”
“Yeah, you’d better still say that when I’ve gained another thirty pounds, and I have swollen feet topped by grapefruit-sized cankles.”
“I’ll love you, no matter what. I’ll even rub your feet when we get back tonight. How does that sound?”
She moved in front of him and Morgan, walking towards the bathroom. “I’m going to hold you to that, Mr. MacMahon.”
“I’m looking forward to it, Mrs. MacMahon.” Looking at her ass, he bit his bottom lip. “Damn, girl, I like you pregnant. Your junk in the trunk is looking might fine. Are you sure you want to head to this big ass amusement park today with thousands of other people around us?”
“Yup, I sure do. This is going to be our only family vacation for the next three to four years, so suck it up, Buttercup. Now, make sure to remind your son again about the rules of the day. One infraction, and we’re packing it up and heading back here to the resort. That goes for both of you, and your crazy-ass, gun-toting brother.”
Smiling at his wife, he blew her a kiss as she stuck her tongue out at him. “Alright, little man. Did you hear your mom? Now, are you sure you remember the rules?”
Morgan giggled. “Yes, Dad, I remember. I promise to walk really, really slow so Mom can keep up with me. If I go too fast, mom will start to waddle like a duck, and she doesn’t like that. And Gigi and Grammy made me do a pinky-swear that I would always be holding someone’s hand. Oh, and I’m never to go with anyone but the family.”
“Passcode?” He and Kori designated an emergency family password. If there was ever a time Morgan was approached by a stranger, he was to ask for the family password.
“Purple people eater,” he repeated, rolling his eyes in that way only children could.
“Good job. Okay, buddy, let’s get on the road.”
“Daddy, is Auntie Janice and Uncle Steven coming with us today?”
Julian laughed at his son’s mile-a-minute questions, except the one about his aunt and uncle. He wasn’t quite ready to answer that one just yet, at least not for a six-year-old child. “Um, I think they’re going to meet us around lunchtime.” Lifting Morgan from his shoulders, he placed him on the floor. “Go make sure we have all the backpacks ready.”
Julian followed behind, thinking about everything they’d gone through in the past year. Morgan’s accident, which started them down the path to becoming a family. Julian’s injuries that pushed them to admit their love for each other. Their wedding. And now, they were having another child. Before that day, more than a year ago, he never thought he’d have a life like this. A loving family that supported him, a wife who championed him, even when he admitted his past failings and what he’d done to the man he’d caught in bed with his ex-girlfriend.
When he’d first told her about the incident, she didn’t bat an eye. There was no pulling back or asking him how he could hurt someone that way, and no look of disappointment in her eyes. Kori asked him about the details of what happened that day, and he’d been honest. If she tried to leave him, he was determined to convince why they should stay together. He’d been ready to beg, plead, cut off his left pinky, whatever it took to make her never leave. When she simply nodded and wrapped her arms around him, telling him how much she loved him, Julian felt the vice surrounding his heart fall away. Later, after they made love, he began to question why she’d accepted what he’d done so easily? He never expected to have that type of response.
Then he’d met Max and Kiana, and Nico and Lavinia. It explained everything. More than anything else, it helped settle his soul even further. Kori was made for him, and he’d spend the rest of his life proving to her that she’d made the right choice in choosing him to be her husband and the father of her children.
Watching his wife walk toward him, he smiled. From the very first moment he saw her, she’d tempted him, made him want things he never thought would be available to him. She was his lover, his best friend, the mother of his c
hildren, and his healing angel.
“Why are you looking at me like that, Julian?”
“Because you’re just so goddamned beautiful.”
She stopped in front of him and smiled. “Keep those thoughts to yourself until we get back tonight.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Sweetheart, that’s a Grade A guarantee.”
~ FIN ~
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Keep swiping to read an excerpt from Dark Angel, Max and Kiana’s love story.
Dark Angel
Summary
Maxwell Bishop was the man with a plan, and nothing—and no one—would get in the way of what he wanted. Until the day Kiana Moore walked into his life. Her beauty made him pause. Her kindness made him want to claim her. She was supposed to be off-limits. He was supposed to respect boundaries. Pursuing her could bring his perfect world crumbling down around him. In the end, none of that mattered. He wanted her, and he would do whatever it took to have her.
To keep her sanity, and her job, Kiana Moore needed to stay away from Maxwell Bishop. No matter how much she tried to deny her desire for him, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. His lips beckoned her closer, teasing her with his sinful smile. His deep voice seduced her with every word he spoke. She had to resist him, even if it was the last thing she wanted to do. Her livelihood was at risk. Her reputation could be ruined. Then again, none of that mattered. Maxwell wanted her, and she knew he wouldn’t stop until she was his.
When need and desire can no longer be denied, just how far will he go to claim his woman? Maxwell always gets what he wants. He’ll let nothing get in the way of convincing Kiana they belong together.
CHAPTER 1
Waking up to the warmth of the sun streaming through his bedroom window, Maxwell Bishop opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a woman’s naked back as she slumbered. Beautiful chestnut-colored skin lay atop his all-white sheets. The sight made him smile.
His lady. His Kiana.
Rubbing one hand down her bare back, he trailed his fingers along her smooth skin until he reached the curve of her hip. Moaning low as his fingers kneaded her soft flesh, he couldn’t help but think about sinking inside her again. His member thickened as he replayed the events of last night.
After dinner at his favorite restaurant, they’d returned to his house in the suburbs. Within minutes of entering, he’d had the front of her body flush against the wall, her dress pulled over her hips. She’d yelped in surprise when he tore her panties from her body, throwing them to the side. The material of her skintight dress pulled and stretched as his hands yanked the material under her beautiful, perfectly sized breasts.
“Damn. You’re so fucking beautiful,” Max whispered in Kiana’s ear before biting down on the soft flesh of her ear. “I can’t get enough of you.” Kissing her neck, he nipped at the skin. “Let me in.”
“Max.” Her tone breathless, Kiana turned to look at him and smiled. “You want this?”
“You know I do. Say the words, baby.” He’d almost resorted to begging.
Since he’d picked her up from her apartment three hours ago, he’d been waiting for this moment. When he had her all to himself, away from all the crowds and people vying for his attention. Time alone with his woman was all he needed. When he could sink inside her so deep, he didn’t know where he ended, and she began.
“Give me the words.”
“If you want it, then you have to take it.”
Her words unleashed the beast inside of him. Releasing his weeping cock, he pressed against the wetness of her pussy. His cock slid inside like a hot knife slicing butter, and it felt like heaven. A loud hiss released from his lips as he felt every inch of her body open for him. Her whimpers and moans reminded him of the sweetest, most beautiful music to his ears.
It had taken him thirty-six years to find a woman who knew how to give him what he needed. Someone who was just as willing to have him fuck her against the wall, as she was to want the romance and roses. This woman was going to be the death of him one day but damn, what a way to go.
His teeth bit along the back of her neck and shoulders as he pounded inside of her. Wetness seeped from her body, coating his dick, making his path easier. The tightening of her channel sent electricity coursing through his body.
“Oh baby, that’s what I like. You know exactly what I need. Best pussy in the fucking world,” he whispered. One hand reached up to her long hair, grasping the long strands in his fist. Max pulled her head back, baring her neck to him. “No hiding tonight. I need to see your face.”
And he did. There was an urgency in the air tonight. He couldn’t put his finger on what was happening, but he needed a stronger connection.
“No hiding,” she agreed in a whisper. Her eyes fluttered closed. One of her arms reached back, grabbing the shirt at Max’s waist, as if pulling him closer to her.
“This is all mine. Tell me you’ll never leave me.” As he spoke, each word was punctuated by a hard thrust. At her continued moans and groans, Max clenched his hand tighter around the hair he was holding, forcing her head back more. “Say it, Kiana.”
“I-I’ll never leave you, Max.”
That breathless tone of hers set him off. He felt the orgasm rushing through his body. Increasing his thrusts, he wrapped his other arm around Kiana’s waist, pulling her body closer to his.
“Damned right, you won’t. You belong to me. This pussy is only for me,” Max growled.
If he could, he’d never let her out of his sight. This woman meant more to him than she knew. Or that he was willing to admit. Honestly, it scared him to feel this way about a woman. She held the power to destroy him in her hands and had no idea.
As her orgasm hit, her body began to shake and quiver in his arms; her voice began rising in a scream as the overwhelming sensation traveled through her body. Just as she hit her highest pitch, he stopped fighting against nature.
With a loud groan, he released his seed inside her. A little voice in his head wished his little swimmers could finish their intended mission. Visions of her swollen with his baby had begun playing in his mind, but he knew it was too soon.
Coming back to the present, Max slid his hard cock against Kiana’s bare sheath. He knew one surefire way to wake her up with a smile on her face. Lifting one of her legs, Max stared at her for a few seconds before guiding his thick member inside her warm channel. Pumping slowly, he knew this morning was the time for some slow loving.
He’d taken his woman hard last night. Multiple times. Never once did she tell him to stop or slow down. Kissing her naked back, he guided one of his hands to her chest, palming one of the fleshy mounds as he rocked her awake.
For a guy like him, this wasn’t the life he’d ever expected to have. Growing up in government housing with a mother who worked two jobs, and a little sister who’d looked at him as if he hung the moon, his life had seemed to be on a one-way track.
Prison.
Hell, maybe even death. Somehow fate had stepped in, giving him a chance to do something different. He’d jumped at the chance, never looking back. Twenty years later, he had more than he’d dreamed of, and then some.
As Kiana began rotating her hips, pushing back against him as he pushed into her, he smiled at how good things were for him. Having this woman in his bed, moaning against him as he slid inside her, was his idea of fucking perfect.
Max stared at the form of the woman sprawled across his bed. If he could, he’d keep her right here where he could see
her every day. He knew they were on borrowed time. Secrets had a way of coming out when you least expected it. Nothing in his life had ever been easy. He didn’t believe his relationship with Kiana to be any different.
Sighing deeply, he picked up a lock of her thick, dark hair. He’d pressed his luck with this one. From the moment he saw her, she called to him. He knew she was too good for him, and one day soon, she’d know it as well. The time was coming when he’d have to pay the piper for this sliver of peace he’d been allowed to have.
His reckoning was coming soon, but he wasn’t ready to pay the price.
He could only hope that when his angel realized the man lying next to her was the devil in disguise, she didn’t rip his heart out. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her body closer to his. Closing his eyes, he wanted to grab another hour of sleep before they started the day.
Kissing her on the forehead, he whispered, “When you find out what I really am, I hope you’ll still need me as much as I need you.”
♦♦♦
A few hours later, Kiana stood in Max’s kitchen, making a cup of coffee. Taking a sip of the dark brew, she sat down on a chair in front of the breakfast nook. Her body was sore this morning, but it was a good kind of sore, she thought with a smile. Every ache and pain had been worth it. On any given day, Max was insatiable.
He’d taken her repeatedly until she passed out with exhaustion. But last night was different. More desperate. Driven. He’d kept going long after they would have usually stopped. Asking her again and again not to leave him. Turning her head to look at the bedroom where she knew he still slept, her brow creased in concern. Maybe there was something else going on with him.