Undeniably His: Bliss Series, Book Five

by Hall, Deanndra

  “And you weren’t afraid she’d show up and want to take him back?”

  “Nope. When Micah left for the war, she wouldn’t have anything to do with our family. I heard later that they’d been having a lot of marital trouble before he ever left. That was just the icing on the cake, and when he died, she saw that as an opportunity to get away once and for all. Of course, when we adopted him I made her sign paperwork that said she’d never try to reclaim him. So he’s ours. The older he gets, the more he looks like me. Honestly, though, Micah and I favored a lot, so it’s not surprising. Our dads look a lot alike too, so nobody would ever guess he’s not mine. All I know is that his genetic kidney problem came from her side of the family, not ours, and we couldn’t have known that. Doesn’t matter. He’s my little boy through and through.”

  I’ve pulled on my panties, hooked my bra, and slipped my dress over my head and down when I sit down on the bed next to where he’s lying, and he takes my hand and kisses the back of it. Warmth flows through me and I look down into his face. “You’re so lucky. I don’t have kids. Never will have.”

  He’s smiling. “Never say never.”

  I just shrug. “I need to go dry my hair, I suppose.”

  He sits up and kisses my cheek. “Nah. Not necessary.”

  “But if we’re going to dinner―”

  “I said not necessary. And it’s not. You’ll find out why soon enough. Come on. About ready? Are we going to the club after dinner?”

  I just shrug. “Do you want to?”

  “I don’t care, as long as I’m with you.”

  Oh, wow. That’s … wow. “I feel the same way.”

  “Then let’s see how it unfolds, shall we? I’ve been working on something that I want you to see. Grab some fetwear in case we go and let’s get on the road.”

  “Where are we going to dinner?” I ask, afraid of the answer. I don’t want to go to some fancy place with no makeup and wet hair.

  “You ask a lot of questions. Normally, I’d like that, but I want to surprise you and you’re making it incredibly difficult,” he says with a snicker.

  “Okay. No more questions.” After I’ve pulled out a few possibilities for play, I grab a bag, throw it all in there, and we head out.

  He’s driving, of course, and I can’t figure out where we’re going. We go on out past the roadhouse, through areas with fewer and fewer houses. Now I’m starting to wonder if he’s taking me out into the dessert to hack me up. That thought makes me laugh inwardly. Boone might be a lot of things, but serial killer he’s not.

  Wherever we’re going, it’s really pretty. We finally pass a sign that reads, Issaquah – Population 37,485. I’ve heard of Issaquah but I’ve never been out here. We pass a little feed store, some very pretty houses, and then out into a less heavily populated area. I can see the hills around us, and if I recall correctly, there are a couple of national forests or state parks or something out here.

  He finally slows at this little driveway, and the mailbox looks like a cabin. Very cute. The Rover stops and he gets out, grabs the mail, and tosses it in the back seat. He doesn’t bother to put his seat belt back on so I assume we’re not going far. The drive is totally covered in trees, with bushes and grasses on either side, and it looks like we’re disappearing back into the forest to nowhere.

  But when we come out into the clearing, I almost faint. The house is huge, all cedar and glass and stone, and when we round the end, I can see a beautiful pool out back. He pulls into an open garage underneath the house. “Welcome to my home,” he says with a tiny, sneaky kind of smile as he opens the door. “Stay right there and I’ll open your door.” I do as I’m told. That’s not hard. I’m completely overwhelmed when I look around, and he opens the door and helps me out. “Come on. Dinner’s waiting,” he says and takes my hand to lead me up a flight of stairs.

  We come out in the kitchen and, oh my god, what a kitchen it is. There’s a tiny lady in jeans, a tee shirt, athletic shoes, and an apron working like a maniac, and the aroma wafting through the air makes my mouth water until I almost choke. “Millie, how’s dinner coming?”

  “Had a little trouble, Missur Lawzun, but got it under control.” I’m trying to place the accent when she says, “You gonna love it.”

  “I bet we do. This is Millie, babe. Millie, this is my friend, Melina.” The woman turns and I choke back a gasp. Scars. Her face is covered, some cuts, some burn marks.

  “Iz very naahice to meet you, Miz Melina,” she says and extends her hand, which I take and squeeze gently. “Missur Boone say lots of vurry naahice things ‘bout you.”

  “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too, Millie. Smells great in here!” I tell her with a smile.

  “Aww, thank ya. Ready in about ten. Got wine chillin’ for y’all and some fingerlins,” she says and points through a doorway.

  “Thanks, Millie. You’re the best,” he says and leads me into the next room.

  It’s the living area, and it’s gorgeous. Huge stone fireplace, overstuffed leather furniture, dead animal skins as rugs everywhere, stuffed and mounted animals on the walls, beautiful artwork that looks really expensive, and everything is gleaming and amazing. The tables are some kind of highly-polished wood with black iron bands and bolts as trim. There, on the coffee table in front of the sofa, is a huge platter of all kinds of delicious-looking stuff. I sit down beside him. “Hmmm. Let’s see. I’d say this is probably smoked salmon,” he says and picks up a piece of crostini with cream cheese, a pink meat, and funny little sprinkles. “Open up,” he orders and when I do, he pops it into my mouth.

  “What are those?” I ask, pointing to the sprinkles.

  “Fish roe. Caviar,” he says and grins.

  Caviar. Never had it before. Oh, my god, it’s delicious. We set about trying everything, eating and laughing and talking. “This place is beautiful,” I tell him, trying not to gush but knowing I probably am.

  “Thanks. It actually belonged to the same guy who owned the building our store here is in. When he sold us the building, I found out about the house and he made me a really good deal.” Boone licks his fingers from his latest snack―I had one and it tastes like chipped beef in a crème wine sauce on baguettes―and points out the enormous window. “If you look out that way,” he says, “that’s Squak Mountain State Park Natural Area. And that way,” he says, pointing the other direction, “is Tiger Mountain State Forest. I love being out here. Reminds me a lot of Alabama. Well, a little. With mountains,” he says with a snicker.

  “Wow. I mean … wow. It’s so amazing. I bet Baker loves it out here.”

  “God, yeah. His mom lives in the suburbs, so he doesn’t have a lot of room, but here he can wander all over the grounds and have a ball. He has to wear a tracking fob all the time. It would be easy to get lost in the woods―if you’re a seven-year-old boy, that is―and I don’t want that. It gives him some freedom while letting me keep an eye on him. Most of the time I’m with him, but sometimes I’m not. And I still want him safe even then.”

  “Of course. By the way, this is all delicious,” I say, pointing at the platter. We’ve really made a huge dent in it.

  “She’s an amazing cook. Her husband worked for my dad for years. Right before I moved out here, some guys broke into their house, beat her husband dead, and lit the place on fire after they raped her for about two hours. She almost didn’t survive. Mom and Dad wanted to know if I’d bring her out here so she could start over, and I jumped at the chance. She’s like a second mom to me. Grew up in New Iberia … Louisiana … Creole.” Aha―that’s the accent.

  “Seems like a nice lady.”

  “Yeah. There’s a guest house out at the edge of the garden. That’s hers. She loves it out there. Asked me if she could plant a little vegetable garden. I told her to knock herself out, and most of our vegetables come from her garden now. She says she misses the seafood. We have seafood here, but it’s not like the seafood at the gulf.”

  “I bet. She sounds like an
interesting person. Hope I get to know her better,” I say, not thinking about how I sound. Then I blush a little when I realize what I’ve said.

  “Melina?” When I turn to look at him, he smiles. “I have every intention of you getting to know her. I hope you’ll be around a lot. There’s something I want to talk to you about after dinner, and I think you’ll like it. But first, I have something I want to show you.”

  “Dinnah, y’all,” I hear Millie call out.

  “Oh, good! I’m starved,” he says and pulls me up by my outstretched hand.

  My god, it’s good. It’s all peppery and spicy, not all bland and green like most of the Seattle fare. I could get used to this. “How’s everthin’?” she asks as she brings in more drinks.

  “It’s excellent, Millie. You’re such a talented chef,” Boone says and gives the woman a smile that lights up the room.

  “Aww, thank ya, Missur Boone. Y’all enjoy now,” she says, then turns. “And theys some of that pudapan in ‘ere when you’re done.”

  “Thanks, Millie. That stuff’s awesome.” As soon as she walks out, he says, “Bastardized pronounciation of pouding au pain. Her version of French for bread pudding. It’s delicious stuff. She only makes it when I have company. I’ve even whined for it, but she says, ‘Naw, Missur Boone. Iz for guests only.’ Never have talked her into making it for just me!” he says and laughs.

  I grin. “Then I feel special!”

  “You should. You’re the first woman I’ve ever brought here.” He doesn’t look at me when he says this, just continues to eat, and I feel the gravity of that revelation. This is serious to him. He wasn’t kidding―he’s not playing with me.

  Then it hits me. “Does that have something to do with what you want to talk to me about?”

  He nods a little. “It does. Let’s eat our pudapan and then talk about it.”

  I can see why he’d want her to make it for him. It has to be the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted, with strong hints of caramel and rum. We chitchat while we eat it and as soon as we’re finished, Boone stands. “Let’s take a walk and talk, shall we?” When he reaches for my hand, I take his and let him pull me up. He opens the doors onto the massive deck and we stroll out.

  There’s an ornamental pond not too far from the deck, and I love looking at the water plants. Sculpture is tucked here and there, all kinds of sculpture, most of it made of natural materials and depicting things like water birds or other kinds of animals. He points out Millie’s cottage, then we wander around a bit more. There’s an outdoor fireplace, complete with seating, and a beautiful fountain, and then he points at a gap in the trees. “That’s a trail. It actually goes into one of the wilderness areas. I can go hiking and never have to leave home.”

  “Do you have trouble with animals?”

  “We’ve had mountain lions on the property, and a bear or two. I have motion sensor wildlife cameras around so we know what’s going on. There are times of the year when Baker can’t come out to play by himself, like during bear mating season. If he does go out, I’m sitting on the deck with a rifle in my hand, watching. It’s a beautiful place, but it can be very dangerous.”

  “I can see how that can be.”

  “Yeah. I have repellent devices around all the entries, like the entrance to the garage, to help keep them out of places like that. But with a house in the middle of a lot of wilderness areas, I’ve come to expect that since I’m encroaching on their natural territory, they may encroach on mine. The nature of the beast, no pun intended.”

  I’m so curious that I’m about to bust, and I can’t stand it anymore. “So you wanted to talk to me?”

  He nods. “Could you see yourself living out here like this?”

  “Oh, god, yeah,” I blurt out, not realizing how eager I might sound. That makes me blush. “I mean, who couldn’t? It’s beautiful.”

  “Some women wouldn’t like it. Some are just too fixy and persnickety to want to be outdoors.”

  I snort. “I had brothers. Nothing persnickety about me. I mean, I like to look nice, but I don’t mind getting dirty and being outdoors. Matter of fact, that garden of Millie’s is something I’d love.”

  “Yeah, I saw your potted plants. They all look very nice. I’d say you have a green thumb,” he says with a grin. “So what I wanted to talk to you about … I’d like to work on a contract for us, if you’d want that.”

  Something inside me screams, YES PLEASE! Outwardly, I manage to keep my cool, thank god. “Yes. I think I would.”

  “Good. Then I need to finish showing you around. Come on.” He grabs my hand again and hauls me toward the house, with me wondering what’s next the whole way.

  Once we’re back inside, he leads me through the house and up the stairs. Oh, god, I hope we’re going where I think we’re going. Sure enough, he opens a door at the end of the upstairs balcony and I can’t think straight.

  It’s the most incredible thing I think I’ve ever seen. Lovely sand and turquoise linens cover the bed and drape the windows, and different intensities of those colors are echoed in rugs, pillows, and the artwork on the walls. It looks like paradise, honestly, and I want to crawl up in the middle of that bed and snooze for about a week. “What a room! Look at that view!” I say as I step to the huge glass outside wall. “This is amazing!”

  “Before you decide you like it, there’s something else I need to show you.” As he walks by another room, he flips on a light switch and I can see the interior of a bathroom that I could only dream about before that moment. But he doesn’t stop there. “You need to see this.” At his touch, a panel on the wall swings open and he points inside.

  When I step in, I almost faint. Every sexual torture device known to man is in that room, I do believe. “W-w-w-wow,” I finally stutter.

  “This is the project I wanted you to see. Quite the collection, huh?” he says, stroking the leather of a fucking bench lovingly, his voice bright. “I dreamed of having a room like this for most of my life, and I finally have it. The idea of having a dedicated submissive here, exploring all our deepest fantasies, is something I’ve wanted most of my adult life. I didn’t have a hope in hell of that with Marie.” That’s the first time I’ve heard him call his ex by name. “But what about you, Melina? Is this something you’d want? Or would you even consider it?”

  I think the dew from my lily is running in a river down the inside of my leg. “Oh, god. Um, Boone, I―”

  Some of the excitement leaves his voice when he speaks. “You can just think about it. You don’t have to give me an answer.”

  “I don’t have to think about that part. Yes―I’d love this. But I’d really like to meet your family before I make some kind of commitment, you know? Since they’re so important to you? They might not even like me. They might think―”

  “If I love you, they’ll love you. But come on. I’ve got a surprise for you.” This time when he takes my hand, he squeezes it tightly. We wander out and back down the stairs, straight to a media room festooned with a huge screen on one wall and big comfortable recliners facing it. There’s a control panel in the middle of the chairs, and he starts punching buttons. When the TV comes up, he starts choosing things from its menu, and he’s doing it so fast that I can’t keep up. There’s the sound of something ringing and I hear a voice say, “Hey, little brother!”

  Up on the screen pops a face and while it’s very similar to Boone’s, no one could mistake them for each other. “Hey! What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. Just finished watching a movie. Hey, Misti! Boone’s nabbed me in here!”

  In seconds, a beautiful young woman comes into view. “Hey, baby! How ya doin’?”

  “Good, good! Melina, this is my brother Blake and his wife, Misti. This is Melina,” he says to the faces on the screen.

  “Hey, Melina! Wow, you’re more beautiful than he said!” Blake says with a huge grin. I like the guy already. He’s got this openness about him that he couldn’t hide if he wanted to.


  “Thank you,” I almost whisper. This is strange to me. I’ve never done this video conferencing before, and I feel awkward.

  “Babe, you’ll have to speak up. They won’t be able to hear you otherwise,” Boone whispers into my ear.

  “I said thank you,” I say loudly, then blush. I hear Blake laughing on the other end.

  “You’re adorable. Hey, Misti wants to talk to you.” Without fanfare, she appears in Blake’s place.

  “Melina! So, what do you like to do?”

  I’d like to tell her, I like to fuck your brother-in-law, but I don’t think that would be polite. “Um, I like to read. And I have potted plants.” God, I sound pathetic. “Um, I like to go dancing. Oh, and I like to work out, and go to movies, and paint.”

  “You paint? I do too! Oil or acrylics?”

  “I prefer acrylics, but sometimes I do oil. I’ve got a few paintings I’ve finished. Took a class at the recreational services center through the department of parks.” I give her an embarrassed shrug. “I’m not much good, but I enjoy it.”

  “I like acrylics best too. Lots easier to clean up. I make jewelry too.”

  “That sounds like fun! I don’t know how to do that.”

  The smile she offers me is warm and it makes me want to hug her. “When we come to visit, I’ll bring my stuff and show you how to make some simple things. It’s a lot of fun. I give them as gifts and people seem to like them.”

  “That would be nice,” I tell her, and suddenly I realize why Boone’s close to his family. It would be nice to have other people I can count on. “I’d really like that.”