by Elle Rease
“I was home-schooled,” Tessa answered. “I, uhm, hung around nightclubs a lot, especially when they had Gothic-themed parties. I was quite the metal head back then.”
He scoffed at her good-naturedly. “As if you’ll ever quit Children of Bodom.”
Tessa laughed. “I meant physically. Now, I like to dress more femininely, even though I still listen to metal at full volume.”
“Okay, so you met at a club?” Cinnia enquired, dragging their attention back to the original topic.
“Yeah, at Club Vex, actually,” Brennan told his wife. “When I saw Tess, I thought she was you for a split-second, before the differences became obvious. Like the fact that she isn’t as tall as you, and that her eyes aren’t green.”
“He was pretty hung up on you,” Tessa chuckled.
“So wait, you weren’t a lesbian back then?”
“Wow, so straightforward.”
Cinnia’s cheeks went red. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t worry about it.” Tessa sat back with a warm smile. “I like it when women are so persistent. No wonder Bren loves you so much. I bet it’s your inquisitive nature that set you apart from the rest, right from the beginning.”
He smiled to himself, remembering how curious Cinnia has always been about everything. “Just answer her question, Tess.”
“Well, I was definitely attracted to women as a teenager,” Tessa informed Cinnia. “I used to think there was something wrong with me, which was why I tried to do the straight-thing. There was one guy before Brennan. The sex I had with men was always amazing, oddly enough, but they didn’t… I don’t know, fulfil me, if that makes sense.”
Cinnia nodded with a soft laugh. “More than you know.”
“So yeah, Bren and I had a great time for a couple of months. Then we stopped, and I decided it might be a good idea to go after my actual desires, instead of the ones everyone wanted me to go after. And I haven’t been with a man since.”
“When was your last relationship?”
“A few months ago.”
Brennan raised an eyebrow. “Was it amicable?”
“Not really,” Tessa responded truthfully. There was tension in her body now. “It was one of those toxic relationships. We weren’t good for each other, but we didn’t want to believe it, so we kept fighting for something that was dead in the water to begin with. And when I finally broke up with her, she didn’t take it well.”
“When last did you hear from her?” Cinnia chewed on her bottom lip. “We just don’t want anything jeopardizing the pregnancy, you know?”
“I get it, don’t worry.” Tessa sighed deeply. “I saw her two weeks ago. We don’t have contact anymore, but bumping into each other at random places has become the norm.”
He frowned. “Does she want you back? Do you think she’s stalking you?”
“At first I thought she was following me around, but she’s moved on to a new woman.” Tessa shrugged, as if that didn’t turn the knife. “Point is, you don’t have to worry about an ex-girlfriend screwing things up.”
“That’s a relief,” Cinnia said. “I think we should phone the agency and start the process right away.”
“Hold on, tiger. Buy me dinner first,” Tessa teased.
“I’m sorry, but there’s a chance the treatment might not take…” Cinnia rubbed her temples and hid her eyes behind her hand. “Finding a surrogate who won’t jump my husband is the first step of many, and I…”
Brennan wrapped an arm around his wife and pulled her closer. “Cin, it’s okay. Don’t worry about a thing.”
“It’s just hard when…” She trailed off, sniffing, and clutched his shirt. “I just don’t want—”
“Aye, I know, lass.” He looked at Tessa, who seemed concerned about Cinnia’s torment. “She’s okay.”
“I made the right choice,” was all Tessa said.
It was the only thing Brennan needed to hear, especially with his sobbing wife in his embrace.
“Thanks for lunch.” Tessa wiped her mouth with a napkin and got her things together. “I’m glad you got a hold of me, Bren, and I’m sure you’ll stay in touch.”
“Yes,” he said. “Just write down the number plate of your car. I’m going to have two of my guys follow you around, to make sure you don’t run into any trouble.” He shrugged at the questions in Tessa’s eyes. “Standard MC procedure.”
“Got it.” She jotted a few things on a piece of paper and slid it over to him. “I’ve got to get back to work, but I’ll look out for your call.”
“Thanks again, Tess. I would walk you out, but…” He glanced at Cinnia. “We’ll see you again.”
Tessa smiled. “Of course.”
His eyes followed his ex-lover out of the diner and he let out a grateful breath. Then, carefully getting his phone out of his pocket, he sent Haye the details Tessa had left behind. All the while, his free hand stroked Cinnia’s ebony hair.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled on his chest.
“What for, lass?”
“I don’t know why I’m crying.”
The corners of his mouth twitched and he dropped a kiss on top of her head. “I think it’s because you found out you’re going to be a mom.”
A shudder went through her body. She held him tighter. “We’re going to be parents, Bren.”
“Aye, lass, we are. Now we get to eat like pigs until the baby comes.”
“We don’t,” she reminded him with a giggle, “but we get to watch someone else fatten up.”
“I have the best of both worlds.” He held her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes. “Your body gets to stay the same, but I still get a child.”
“Although something tells me you would’ve loved it if my boobs got bigger.”
He shook his head. “Cin, I want you the way you are at any given moment. I won’t want you any less just because you won’t have the belly and the tits.”
She seemed doubtful. “Are you sure?”
Grabbing her wrist, he steered her hand to his crotch, where he was sporting a semi. She turned him on so easily. He was a slut for her. “What do you think?”
Cinnia ran her fingertips over the leather that covered his dick. “Hmm, I think we should go home so I can have you naked.”
“Sexy and smart,” he joked, like she always did with him. He kissed her and pulled away. “Why don’t you go ahead? I’ll pay the bill and follow.”
“Okay.”
He got the waiter’s attention, made the universal sign for the bill and rose when his wife did. “Oh, and Cin?”
She waited for him to speak, anticipation in her eyes. Those gorgeous orbs that had captured—haunted—him from the very start. He reached under her skirt, between her legs, not giving a fuck if anyone was looking. For once, she was wearing panties, much to his annoyance.
“You better be naked by the time I get home,” he murmured, leaning forward to catch her earlobe between his teeth. “Finger yourself while you drive, but don’t cum. I want your panties soaked, and I want you to leave them on the front door’s handle. And then, when I walk into the bedroom, I want to see you on your back with your legs spread wide. Do you get me, lass?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
“Good. Off you go.”
She blinked a few times before scurrying to the exit, a complete contrast to the way she’d strode in here when she’d thought he was meeting a mistress. Chuckling, he adjusted himself and thanked the waiter for bringing the bill. He took his time paying, savoring the anticipation of what was to come.
He sauntered outside, where Byron was waiting in the parking lot. Brennan took a moment to gaze at the young man, remembering how close he’d come to losing Cinnia, both physically and emotionally. He didn’t blame them for forming such a strong bond after the attack, but it hadn’t hurt any less, watching them hit it off. Sometimes, Brennan was almost certain that she was in love with Byron… Yet the kid treated her with utmost respect, seeming oblivious to
her attachment to him.
The Brennan of a few years ago would’ve banned Byron from spending time with his wife, possibly even voting him out of the club. Today, though, he was able to appreciate the things that brought Cinnia joy. The fact that Byron was so protective over her made Brennan value the lad more.
“You can follow me home, but I suggest you head to your place afterwards.”
Byron didn’t seem surprised. “You two are like rabbits.”
“So are you and Cass, but you don’t see me complaining, do you?”
The young man clenched his jaw. “That was the last time. I’m with Zoey.”
“Keep telling yourself that, lad.” Brennan mounted his Blackline and put his helmet on. “Are you still enjoying the apartment?”
“Yeah, it feels good to have my own space.” Byron ignited the engine of his Harley and gave Brennan a look. “Are you going to be a dad?”
Smiling proudly, happily, Brennan nodded. “Aye, I am.”
“Congratulations, Bren.”
“Thanks, lad.”
Feeling the high of the news all the way home, Brennan was in an exceptionally good mood by the time he parked in front of the garage, next to Cinnia’s SUV. Byron waved as he rode off and Brennan smiled, amazed by how much that kid has changed. He was turning into one of the most valued members of the MC, even though he had such a tortured past. The Raptors were very proud of his commitment to his sobriety.
So much has happened in the last year, since Byron was released from rehab, and things can only get better moving forward.
He smirked once he saw Cinnia’s underwear right where he’d asked for it to be. He took it off the handle and went inside the house, pressing the black lace to his nose and inhaling her scent. His eyelids drooped and his cock rose to the occasion.
Everything about his wife aroused him. It’s something he used to be terrified of. How could he get hard when she was pissed at him? When she was chewing on her bottom lip while going over the Raptors’ expenses at work? When she was simply moving from the fridge to the stove to make him breakfast?
He’s given up trying to find the answers to these questions, and has learned to accept that he’ll always yearn for her.
“Cin, I’m home,” he called as he took the stairs two at a time to get to her. “You better be naked, or I’ll have to use my… belt…” His thoughts vanished into thin air at the sight in the bedroom.
She was leaning against the pillows, the silicone cuffs he’d bought at SEXPO—for their anniversary a few months ago—around her wrists and the long chain that linked the two hooked to the wrought-iron of their bed’s design. Her arms were spread and powerless. Her heels were pressing into the mattress and her knees, as per his request, parted enough so he could see her glistening folds.
Lifting a hand to his heart, he grinned. “You went through so much trouble.” He removed his shirt and unbuckled his belt. “I wanted to tie you up.”
“That would’ve taken too long,” she explained, eyes glued to his body as his clothes came off.
“Are you impatient today?” Like a predator, he got on the bed, crawling closer. “Do you want it fast and hard, lass?”
“I always want your cock hard.”
He chuckled and massaged the inside of her thighs. “Then it’s a good thing I can never get enough of you, huh?”
“Best thing.” She arched her back and tilted her hips up, silently urging his hands closer to her core. “Bren, please, I’m so horny.”
“How did your fingers feel here?” he asked, dipping one of his appendages into her. “Did you go so hard at it that you almost came?”
“Yes!” she gasped.
“How many did you use?”
Her face was flushed with desire. “Two.”
“Only two?” He extracted his finger and added another, going deeper this time. Finding and caressing that spot inside that always made her toes curl. “You need much more than that, lass.”
“Yes, your cock.”
“And my tongue.”
“Bren—”
She broke off as soon as his lips started working in tandem with his fingers to add fuel to her runaway fire. He moaned at her taste, as he so often did, and parted her with his free hand so he could suck on her clit. She jerked against her self-imposed restraints, impatience dripping off her in waves.
“Bet you wish you weren’t tied up,” he commented.
“Please fuck me!”
“Soon.” First, he had to make her cum using his tongue.
Shifting on the bed to get more comfortable, he tilted her hips up, removed his fingers and opened his mouth on her warm, slick flesh. He grazed his teeth over her swollen clit and moved lower to spear his tongue into her opening. He got into a luxurious rhythm, giving her enough stimulation on all of her sensitive parts.
Once he sensed those familiar tells her body had when nearing the precipice, he extended his arms to grab her breasts. His fingers clamped on her nipples and, with a hard tug, she came undone. Her cries of passion were like music to his ears.
“Yes!” She was huffing as if she’d been sprinting, her legs trembling on either side of his head. “Oh my God, Bren!”
He gave her clit an adoring kiss before he got to his knees, admiring his handy work. Her pale skin was stained with red; sweat glistened in the low light of the room; her pupils were dilated. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he contemplated something.
“Call me an arse if you want, but I love that your body won’t be changing,” he murmured honestly, tracing circles around her bellybutton. She was back to exercising like an athlete, and he loved how her physical strength mirrored her inner tenacity. “I love it like this.”
“Good.” She tugged on the chain that prevented her from touching him. “Take this off, will you?”
“Hell no. Sit up.”
Giving him a look, she obeyed his order. The chain loosened a little now that she was seated against the headboard, but she still couldn’t use her hands. “What now?”
“Now, I’m going to get in you,” he replied simply. He hoisted her up and positioned her onto his lap, easily gliding into her lubricated depths. They both let out a sigh of appreciation once he was sheathed. “Legs around me, lass.”
She complied, instinctively rocking against him. “Bren, you feel so good!”
“Aye, so do ye.” He rolled his hips and held her around the waist, pushing their bodies together. “So fuckin’ gorgeous.”
The chains rattled as his thrusts grew in intensity and he began losing his train of thought, forgetting the teasing he’d planned earlier. How could he focus on that when her tight pussy clenched around his cock, massaging the most sensitive part of him? When he was so deep inside her, he had no clue where he stopped and she began? When her mewls of encouragement had his balls constricting in expectation?
“Brennan!” she exclaimed, biting her bottom lip. “Holy shit, I’m coming!”
When that piece of information had him shooting his load as soon as the first ripple went through her core?
“Christ!” He went harder, ramming into her to make her release more powerful, all the while coming so violently that he felt he was going to pass out. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ!”
“Ah!”
He closed his eyes and swayed forward, stopping from crushing her at the last second. He gripped the headboard and buried his face in her neck. “Fuck, I’m like a teenager around you.”
Laughing softly, she kissed the side of his head. “That’s a big lie. I love that you can sometimes last for hours and, other times, hardly last two minutes.”
“That was longer than two minutes,” he grumbled, nibbling on her skin.
“Yes, of course, babe,” she laughed, louder this time.
He let out a breath, straightening. He loosened her restraints and helped her get the blood flowing to her arms again. He always tried to stay in her for as long as possible and today wasn’t any different. By the time he had h
er on her back, bracing over her, he was still sheathed in her pussy.
“We’re going to be parents,” she whispered, running her fingers over his back.
His heart skipped a beat, which she no doubt felt, since they were pressed so closely together. “How awesome is that?”
“So awesome that I wouldn’t stop you if you wanted to fuck me again,” she responded mischievously. She arched into him and grinned. “Do you think you’re good to go, or are you getting old now that you’re gonna be a dad?”
“I’ve told you before, Cin: we’ll be old and fucking like wild horses.”
Her giggle turned into a moan as he pulled back slightly to drive into her, and he got lost in their lovemaking again.
Chapter Twenty-Four
It shouldn’t be so hard, not after everything. That smug asshole was resting in peace, yet here she was: still battling to move forward and forget that night. All she wanted was a family with the man of her dreams but, even with Tessa’s inputs, she wasn’t having much success.
“Today’s a bad day,” Cinnia whispered in apology, reaching for another tissue.
Dr. McKauley gazed at her kindly. “I understand, Cin. You don’t have to worry about losing face in here.”
Cinnia nodded. She knew all of this. She just hated herself for being so damn weak. “I thought it would be easier, you know? That Tessa will fall pregnant after the first treatment and we’ll be well on our way to having a baby right now.”
“I’m going to sound like every cliché out there, but things happen for a reason, Cinnia. Life won’t throw this at you if it thought you couldn’t handle it.”
“Obviously, I’m not handling it,” Cinnia mumbled. She gestured to her tear-streaked face. “I’m always crying and I feel like I could murder someone.”
“The type of trauma you sustained doesn’t disappear overnight.” Dr. McKauley interlinked her fingers, resting them on her knee. “You were physically abused and nearly raped. There are people out there who broke their arm by falling out of a tree, and have a crippling fear of heights as a result.”
“I want it to be over. I want to move on.”