“No one’s looking at me,” I protest. “And even if they were, the first thing they would notice is this giant rock on my hand.”
I wiggle my ring finger around, the gigantic diamond on top catching the rays of light coming in from the window.
Robert gave me this extravagant engagement ring to make up for not having one when he initially proposed to me outside my parents’ house. I love it, but it’s so heavy I usually don’t wear it around the house, preferring to wear my simple gold wedding band instead.
But whenever we go outside, Robert requests that I wear this ring, and I do, loving that such a small act from me can make him feel more secure and at ease when we’re in public.
When we get to our bedroom, Robert throws me down on the bed and immediately follows, his body lying heavy and right on top of me.
His hands reach down and roughly grasp the material of my dress, pulling it over my head.
I hear a ripping sound and gasp. “Robert, you—”
His mouth swoops down to capture mine, and my ire dissipates into the ether. For the next twenty minutes, I’m aware of nothing but bliss as I rake my nails down Robert’s back and dig them into his ass, encouraging him to keep thrusting. He does, faster and faster.
“That’s it, mark me,” he pants into my neck.
My hands scramble to clutch at his body, my moans muffled in his shoulder as he moves, moves, moves inside me.
* * * *
As expected, when we arrive at the restaurant, everyone is already seated at the table and waiting for us. James and Clarissa are seated to the left while Brandon and Julia are occupying the right side, leaving two chairs in the middle for me and Robert.
I first met them a few weeks after Robert and I officially started dating. I say officially because Robert will tell anyone who listens that we’ve been together since the moment we met and I was just too stubborn to realize it. Over time they became my friends too, and we have dinner together regularly, at least once a month.
I smile at the thought, pressing a kiss to Robert’s cheek as he pulls my chair out and helps me get seated.
James playfully raises his eyebrows in Robert’s direction, and Brandon remarks with a teasing lilt to his tone, “You’re late. Again.”
Robert shrugs, completely unrepentant as he replies, “Something came up.”
A giggle escapes me at the double entendre in his statement, and I smooth a hand over my new dress that I changed into after our encounter while looking pointedly at the women seated next to their men. Clarissa and Julia both smile in understanding.
As Robert is about to take his own seat, Clarissa gets up from hers and goes to hug him.
I tense in my chair. I know Clarissa and Robert were friends long before I met him, yet I can’t help the jealousy coursing through me.
But before they can touch, Robert steps back just as Clarissa is pulled back by James. The sigh of relief that escapes me is completely involuntary. James settles Clarissa in the chair bedside him and slings an arm over the back of it, glaring at Robert. In turn, I glare at Clarissa who mouths sorry to me, a sheepish expression on her face.
Robert glances back at me and grins, making it clear he heard the sigh of relief I expelled when he stepped back so Clarissa couldn’t touch him. His whisper as he sits down next to me is for my ears alone. “You don’t need to worry, wildcat. I’ve only ever been yours.”
I take his hand under the table and smile at him, unapologetic over my possessiveness. He looks delighted and brings my knuckles up to his lips for a kiss.
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen you,” Clarissa begins.
“Not since the wedding, I believe,” Julia adds. “I can’t believe you two got married so soon.”
“How did you even plan a wedding in such a short time?” James queries.
Robert smirks. “It was a small affair,” he remarks. “And like you have any room to talk. If I recall correctly, you gave Clarissa exactly three days’ time before getting married.”
James shrugs, his gaze trailing hotly over his wife’s body. “Well, I couldn’t wait.”
“While this one waited three years,” Julia imparts with a slight pout, hiking her thumb at her husband, Brandon, who’s seated next to her and looking at her as if she’s the only woman in the world. I don’t think he’s even paying attention to what we’re talking about, so I’m mildly surprised when he speaks up.
“I’d wait for you forever, sweetness,” Brandon whispers in her ear, and she melts into him, all traces of her previous mock upset gone.
“Aww, isn’t that sweet?” I coo over their obvious love for each other. Turning to Robert, I mischievously address the rest of the group. “I could barely get this one to wait for six months.”
“I wasn’t waiting,” Robert objects, looking affronted at my suggestion. “I was merely giving you time to get used to the idea of us.”
The others at the table laugh, and I lean over to give him a sweet peck on his cheek, familiar with his possessiveness by now.
A soft chime interrupts our banter, and James grimaces in apology as he pulls his phone out and presses a few buttons on it. Clarissa looks over at him fondly before explaining, “He’s hooked the baby’s nursery camera’s feed to his phone and gets an alert every few hours.”
James looks up as he pockets his phone. “It’s a security feature I had added when Clarissa was pregnant.”
Robert looks very interested as he leans forward to discuss the safety issues, and I can see Brandon also listening carefully, nodding thoughtfully at Robert’s suggestion to encrypt the feed and make it almost impossible for any external source to access it.
I remain quiet, knowing Robert is asking because of both his professional and personal interest. We’ve talked about having children someday, but I don’t think I’m ready for them at the present stage of our lives where we’re both focused on our work and each other.
When I discussed my views with Robert, he agreed completely, wanting to spend more time together before we think of expanding our family. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t always planning for the future, and it makes me feel happy and safe knowing he’s always looking out for me and any children we might have one day.
Soon after, a waiter comes over to take our order, and then we fall back into conversation, expressing delight and wonder at little baby Grace’s photos on James’s phone and teasing Clarissa about how she’s glowing with motherhood.
As we talk and laugh, I look around the table and a sense of gratitude almost overwhelms me. The man I love and am happily married to is sitting next to me, his hand in mine and his eyes full of affection for me. Our friends, whom we adore and admire, are seated all around us, and I’ve never felt happier.
I may not have had the best family while growing up, but I chose to make my own family with Robert and our friends as we sit together with love and joy surrounding us.
During a lull in the conversation, Robert looks over to ensure I’m all right, and I smile back at him reassuringly while I say a silent thanks to the universe for putting him in my path.
There is no one else I’d rather be tied to for life.
About Michelle F. Adams
My happiest memories involve a comfortable chair, soft morning light, and a book in my hand. I’ve always identified myself as a reader who loves to write. Reading romance and erotica helps me escape to a world filled with love, passion, and happily-ever-after. With my stories, I hope to provide people with a haven they can have a brief respite in when life gets too hard. My heroes will always be possessive and completely devoted to their heroines. No cheating, love-triangles, OW-OM scenes, man-whores, or players. If you want to read safe, sweet, and short stories, then dive into my world and believe in the power of love.
Michelle’s Website:
www.michellefadams.wordpress.com
Reader eMail:
[email protected]
About the Alphamen in Suits Series
Book 1: Bound to Him
Now Available
Book 2: Tethered to Him
Now Available
Book 3: Tied to Him
Now Available
Bound to Him
He will bind her to him…in marriage.
James Marshall never takes no for an answer. He is feared for his cunning wit and ruthless drive in the business world. From the first moment he lays eyes on Clarissa, he knows he will stop at nothing to have her…every part of her.
Clarissa Moreland knows her father’s dire situation, and she resolves to do whatever is necessary to save their family’s company. But she doesn’t expect the solution to be a man who looks at her with raw desire and naked yearning. Now her only option is to agree to be his, and he intends to keep her forever.
Content Warning: contains strong language and sexual content
Tethered to Him
Their love tethers them together.
Julia Marshall has been in love with her brother’s chief of security since the moment she first met him at sixteen. Believing he would never feel the same way, she left to attend college abroad, but now she’s back, and the intense way his eyes devour her whole tells her she was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Brandon Stone has been in love with his boss’s little sister for years. Letting her leave to study abroad was the hardest thing he ever did. For three years, he faithfully waited for her. Now that she’s returned, nothing will stop him from claiming her…forever.
Content Warning: this book contains an over-the-top alpha who’s waited for his woman for three long years, and hot, steamy sex scenes.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Back Cover Copy
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
About Michelle F. Adams
About the Alphamen in Suits Series
Bound to Him
Tethered to Him
Tied to Him (Alphamen in Suits Book 3) Page 8