Unequaled
Page 14
“Before you, I had nothing. I’ve never been loved by anyone other than my brothers. Even then, I didn’t have them a majority of the time. We’re all too broken. The only time I’ve ever been in love before meeting you, it did not end well for me.” Rhys’ eyes fell closed for a moment. He visibly swallowed before reopening his eyes. They’d become so sad, Asher wanted to close his own eyes in order to escape them. “Within a few short months of each other, my father killed himself, I realized the woman I loved did not love me in return, and we’d lost our baby.” Rhys turned inside of himself for a moment. Blinking rapidly he eyes refocused. Wherever he’d gone, Asher didn’t want him to ever go there again. He wanted to hold him. A baby? Asher’s heart broke. The way he was with Adalyn told Asher everything. He would have been an amazing father.
“What happened to this woman who was to have your child?”
Rhys’ eyes went flat. “She married my brother the day I met you.”
“Oh.” He had nothing else. It explained so many things.
“I was angry and bitter when I met you.” Rhys ran his fingers along Asher’s jaw. Asher’s skin tingled everywhere their skin touched. “In an instant, you changed everything. In a moment, when I thought I might drown, you saved me.” His gaze became almost pleading as if begging Asher to understand. “You said you don’t believe it, but I’m telling you it is true. There have been many, many times when I have looked in the mirror, and all I could see was an image of this broken, unwanted man.”
Asher experienced a rush of fury. None of it aimed at Rhys. It was at a world that would allow a man such as him to feel unwanted for a single moment. “Get in the car, Rhys.” Even to his ears, he sounded deadly.
Against his will, every muscle in his face had gone hard. There was no telling how it appeared to Rhys. He was powerless to stop it from happening. When Rhys didn’t move, Asher repeated his order. It came out in a growl as he bit down on his rage. “Get in the car, Rhys.”
Without questioning his reasons, Rhys did as he bade. The second Asher sat behind the wheel of the car he locked the doors. It was a ridiculous move. Rhys was a grown man. He could simply unlock the door and get out. Asher had done it to make a point. In case Rhys didn’t understand, Asher cleared it up. Turning his head, he held Rhys’ stare.
“You belong to me now. There has never been another man as sexy or as desired as you are, by me. We are going home. When we get there, I expect you nude and in our bed within five minutes.” Asher started the car and worked his way out of the garage. “From there,” he continued, “I intend to do many, many naughty things to your body. All of these things will end in several sticky fluids coating your body if you so wish, but you will know your worth afterward. Capisce?”
In an unexpected move, Rhys threw his head back on a roar of laughter. Asher’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Do you think I am joking?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Rhys shaking his head. “I’m happy,” he explained. “It’s you. The things you do and say. They make me so fucking happy. Sometimes, it doesn’t have anywhere to go and I have to let it out.”
Rhys’ answer soothed Asher’s ire. It also made him realize how crazy he sounded. His shoulders relaxed. Swiping a tired hand over his eyes, he said the only thing he could think of that really mattered at all. I love you, Rhys.
Rhys dropped his head back against the headrest. I love you too, Asher.
Reaching over Rhys swiped his hand up Asher’s thigh. He left it there. In that moment, Asher truly understood they would be okay. All the many confessions they’d made to one another throughout the life of their relationship still held true. Neither of them could or would stand without the other. They made it home, and everything Asher said came true.
The End
About Charity Parkerson
Charity Parkerson lives in Tennessee and is an award winning, multi-published author of several different genres. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to transfer this quirk to her book characters. She loves hearing from readers.
Charity welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Charity Parkerson
No Rival 1: Unsurpassed
No Rival 2: Undaunted
Seven Levels 1: Bedroom Games
Seven Levels 2: Chained by Desire
Seven Levels 3: Claimed by Sin
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Unequaled
ISBN 9781419991233
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Unequaled Copyright © 2014 Charity Parkerson
Edited by Victoria Reese
Cover design by Dar Albert
Cover photography by Andrei vishnyakov, zlikovec
Electronic book publication July 2014
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