“You make me feel gorgeous, Ethan.” Her breathing was labored but she knew he heard the words when that intense stare softened.
“No Freddie. It’s all you.”
Chapter Four
It was time for Freddie to leave Silver House, even though she never wanted to leave. It wasn’t the house, although the house itself was a magnificent work of art, it was the big man with the strange eyes. The crush she had on Ethan years ago had turned into something more. Something significant. Intimate. They spent their days acting like a happy family, going to kid friendly restaurants, arcades, bowling alleys and even a water park over the past few weeks. It was the most fun she’d had since college.
But it was the nights that had her body overheated and reaching out to Ethan, her heart longing to offer itself up to him. Every night he came to her, wearing nothing but a pair of pajama pants that hung sinfully low on those well-muscled hips. He took her body to heights she had never traversed. She learned what pleased her body as he worked her from head to toe, using her gasps, sighs and moans as a roadmap to her pleasure. She learned what pleased him by being bold and doing things she’d never done with a man. The first time she took him in her mouth she’d never felt so powerful. The way his strong legs almost buckled under her hands and his hips thrust ever so slowly into her mouth had her dripping with desire but she couldn’t stop. His moans and grunts, the way he pulled her hair until it almost hurt, it all conspired to give her an orgasm that sent him deep down her throat where he happily emptied himself and she more than happily accepted.
She didn’t want to leave but she couldn’t stay. It was a trick of the mind, making her believe the three of them could be a happy family. They weren’t. Matt was Ethan’s son, with her sister. He wasn’t hers and he never would be.
Freddie worried about leaving Matt, he’d already lost his mother and she didn’t want him to feel as though she was abandoning him too. I’ll just get an apartment in the city so I can always be close to him. She packed her bags and set them by the door. She would bring it up after lunch and it would be fine.
Wouldn’t it?
***
“Guys it’s time for me to go.”
“No!” Matt stood up and threw his small body at her, wrapping his arms around her waist with all his might. “You can’t leave me Aunt Freddie, I won’t let you!”
Freddie felt like the lowest of the low when her nephew’s body shook with tears in her arms. “I’m not leaving you kiddo. I’m just stepping back so you and your dad can have more time together.”
Matt pulled back and looked from Ethan to Freddie. “We don’t need you to leave to spend time together. We have our guys nights together so if you need girl time you can hang with Brooke and Galina. See? It all works.”
She smiled, allowing a few tears to creep out at her nephew’s earnestness. He wanted so badly for everyone around him to be happy. “You are the sweetest kid in the world, you know that? I love you so much.” She pulled him in for another hug. “Sweetie this isn’t my home, it’s yours.”
“No.”
She wanted to laugh at the stubborn tilt of his head, his arms crossed telling her he meant business. “Yes Matt. You belong here with your father.”
“But you belong here too Aunt Freddie!” She shook her head but he just nodded in return. “I know you and my dad like each other. I see you with those googly eyes and I saw you kiss once.”
Well hell. At least someone wanted her to stay. Her gaze cut to Ethan who sat still as a rock and wore an emotionless expression. She shook off the block of ice his look sent her way and focused on Matt. “I’ll be moving to the city so I can be close to you and we can hang out all the time.”
“But Dad says he doesn’t know where we’ll live we he gets a new job.”
Ethan reached for Matt and turned him around. “Hey buddy can you give your aunt and me a minute to talk?”
Matt looked between them several times before nodding and walking out the door.
He turned his stare to Freddie and took in her delicate features. She was still beautiful but he could see this decision weighed heavily on her. Her flawless porcelain skin was only marred by the dark purple crescents under her eyes. “Why are you leaving?”
“You know why.”
His jaw clenched. “Pretend I don’t.”
She stood and began pacing between the sofa and table, back and forth trying to put her thoughts and feelings into words. “Dammit Ethan, I was only supposed to be here for two weeks. Two weeks I could deal with. Two weeks and I would—,”
Ethan felt his body tense, waiting for the words he knew were coming. “And you would what? Get back to your fun exciting life instead of playing mommy to a kid that’s not yours?”
Freddie turned to face him and gasped. “Go to hell Ethan Silver!”
He saw her face pale and frowned, trying to figure out what he’d missed. “Well I….”
She cut him off. “You just assumed that I was just like Toni, is that right? Well you can take your assumptions and shove them up your ass Ethan! I’ll let you know when I settle in the city and we can set up a schedule for me to see him.” She took a full minute to take in all his features, to remember every detail about him before she said goodbye. When she was done she nodded once and made her way to the door. “Goodbye Ethan.”
“If you’re not leaving because of Matt it must be me.” His heart sank when her shoulders slumped. He was right.
Freddie didn’t turn around, she couldn’t stand to see evidence of the hurt she heard in his voice. “It is because of you Ethan but not in the way you’re thinking.”
“Not too many ways to think about it.” He smirked when she mumbled about stubborn ass men and turned to face him.
“You, Ethan! You are why I only intended to stay two weeks. Two weeks would have kept me safe.”
He stood quickly. “Safe? You needed to be kept safe from me?”
She wrapped her arms around her body. “Yes. No. Well yes and no, I guess.”
His nostrils flared and he was seeing red. “You better explain that now.”
“God you’re an idiot. When I met you I was awestruck. You were handsome with that great smile, you remembered me, listened to what I had to say and you were always nice to me. I had the biggest crush on you.” She blushed and shook her head at the memory. “I didn’t talk to Toni for six months after she broke things off with you. I was so mad at her.” She could see the confusion on his handsome face and shook her head. “When Toni died I knew I had to come here and tell you about Matt even though she told me not to. Even though I didn’t want to.”
“Why did you?”
She smiled, tears trickling down her cheeks. “You deserved to know your son and Matt deserved the chance to know you Ethan, you’re wonderful.” She wiped the tears that seemed to fall quicker. “I agreed to stay because you said two weeks and I knew I could do two weeks. I could spend two weeks with you and not fall in love with you. But I’ve been here too long.”
“So you’re in love with me?”
Her heart cracked a little at the stiff and impersonal way he asked the question. A sob was threatening to break free so she bit the inside of her cheek and nodded, turning away from his all-knowing gaze. She looked at the rain streaking down the window and thought it was appropriate for the moment her heart broke into a million pieces.
He stood behind her and twirled her around in his arms. “If you love me and you love Matt, why are you leaving?”
She pushed him away. “Because you big idiot, it isn’t enough for me to love you if you don’t love me back. That would be worse than leaving, which is why I’m going.”
“Who said I don’t love you?”
Her heart stuttered and stopped for a minute before kicking into overdrive. How she wished he really did love her, but he didn’t. She suspected he was terrified of parenting on his own but he would be great. She could already tell. She had to be strong. “Who says you do?”
�
��I do!”
“You do?”
“Yes dammit!” He raked his fingers through his already mussed hair and took in the question in her gaze. “Of course I’m in love with you Freddie, how could I not be? You’re beautiful as fuck, kind, nice, funny and goofy as hell. Your pussy is the best thing I’ve ever had and your heart is so big it taught me to love.” He saw more tears falling and cringed. “Don’t cry Freddie. I can’t stand it.”
She smiled at the big strong Ethan Silver brought to his knees by tears. “You love me?”
“I do but I didn’t think I was enough.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face to his chest. “You’re more than enough. God, I love you.” She inhaled his sweet scent. “Why would you ever think you’re not enough for me?”
“I wasn’t enough for my mother and Vance only took me in because I was all alone. You already know about Toni.”
“Well their stupidity is my good luck because I really do love you and the only reason I would walk away is if you didn’t love me back.”
“He does love you Aunt Freddie, I know he does! I love you too so you can stay! You can stay!”
They both turned to find Matt peeking at them from behind the sofa. “Come here kiddo.” She bent down to take him in her arms. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Promise?” he asked. She nodded and his smile got even wider. “Because you both love me?” She nodded again. “And ‘cause we’re gonna be a family, all of us?”
She nodded and turned to look up at Ethan. “Forever.”
Epilogue
One year later
Vance was happy, if pressed he would say he was positively giddy. All three of his boys were happily in love and settled with wonderful women. He wasn’t happy with the way he’d done things to get them to change their ways and he wasn’t at all sure they had completely forgiven him. Jackson was the easy kid, always had been. He was happy with Galina so it didn’t really matter how they got together and he treated Vance the same as he always had. Chase was cordial but he didn’t confide in him the way he once had and he kept his distance. Vance would like to believe it was because Brooke occupied his time, but he suspected the problem was him.
Chase and Jackson had allowed him to plan a big Christmas wedding for each of them, and thus he quietly accepted the changed dynamics of their relationship. He was happy that he could at least plan two weddings since Ethan and Freddie hopped a plane five months ago and got married in Las Vegas. Matt was the best man and Brooke the maid of honor, with Galina, Jackson, Chase and Vance as witnesses. It was a wonderful ceremony that was fun and nontraditional, just like Ethan and Freddie. Matt wasn’t just the best man, they also worked him into the ceremony with his own platinum band.
After spending two weeks in New Zealand on a family honeymoon Ethan returned and Vance gave him back the reins as CEO of SE. He was reluctant to take over the company again, given the whims of his father recently, but Vance knew there was no one else for the job. When Ethan accepted his old position back, Chase was reinstalled as President of Mergers and Acquisitions and Jackson as CFO.
All was right with Vance’s world these days.
He spent less time at Silver House and more time in his penthouse in the city so he could spend time with Matt. They visited museums, parks, shows and toy stores. He’d even learned to play video games to get as much time with his grandson as possible. He spoiled the boy rotten but Matt was still the sweetest, most generous and grateful boy he’d ever met aside from Ethan. They were so similar that way and the new spark in Ethan’s eyes meant more than him settling down ever could.
He suspected Freddie was pregnant but he would wait until they announced rather than hiring a private detective to find out. She was always sleeping and eating, but claimed it was because of her recently completed book tour. A cartoon series was being made based on her Moondog books so she could be tired, but Vance knew it was a Silver baby.
Vance watched his grandson kick a soccer ball as other little boys chased him and thought his life was pretty much perfect. Jackson had fired Galina and bought her a bakery that was doing extremely well, but he suspected it had more to do with hiring the widowed Mrs. Sands and trying his hand at matchmaking than it did making Galina’s dreams come true. Of course Mrs. Sands was age appropriate, but she also had the legs of a thirty year old and wit to spare. She was sharp as a tack and kept Vance on his toes. His boys didn’t need to know he stole kisses and smacked her fanny when they were alone. They would be far too happy about that.
The only dark cloud was Zoe, no Sabrina. He always knew when she tried to reach out to their boys because they all three were in a bad mood. She tried regularly but neither Jackson nor Chase ever responded back to her. It broke Vance’s heart but only he knew how hard it was to get the boys through losing their mother. He would ignore his instinct to interfere.
Now if only I had more grandchildren to spoil.
THE END
Table of Contents for FREE Bonus Books
Demon Romance Series
Cougar Romance Series
Dragon Romance Series
Vampire Romance Series
Italian Billionaire Romance Series
Demon Romance Series #2
Regency Romance Series
Regency Romance Series #2
Cowboy Romance Series
Demon Romance
Forbidden Mate: Submission to a Demon Lord
Secret Blood World Series Book One
Lucile Wild
Forbidden Mate: Submission to a Demon Lord
Prologue: A Slow Burn
One hundred years since his mate's passing, and still Luthias had trouble sleeping. The hope of finding her reborn self faded as time passed him by. He had searched tirelessly for the first ten years, when their son had still needed a mother. Then, grief had gotten the better of him. There would be only one Emilie. This was to be her final cruelty: to break him with love for her, then to abandon him to immortality. How far the demon lord had fallen, to still be alone in bed because he couldn't bear to let anyone use her pillow. The lord he had been, before her, would be disgusted.
Lord Luthias had tried to fall asleep that night with a heavy sedative, which the palace healer claimed was strong enough for a Canine Demon of his caliber. It wasn't. He remained awake, staring at the portrait on the wall he kept covered with a sheet as his thoughts rushed through cycles of her, his frustration, his loss, his duties, and back to her—so he thought. He must have been sleeping, because he was stirred awake by a tightness around his member, and a low moan.
His eyes opened. He was greeted by the sight of her pale figure, dark ringlets falling over large breasts that heaved with each measured thrust of her pelvis against his, as her slit attempted to swallow as much of him as she could handle. He could feel her inner walls expanding with his girth, making him even harder.
"Emilie..."
Luthias clenched his teeth with the indignity of an involuntary erection, but he could never be angry with her for doing this. He stared up at his mate, watching her heaving bosom jiggle against such a thin frame, but when he tried to sit up to touch her breast she held him down, hand pressing into the middle of his chest and shortening his air.
"You're dreaming," Emilie whispered, as her lips lingered just above his. "This is how our son was born. Remember?"
He did. He could recall waking up to this, the scheming glint in her dark eyes and that smile as he exploded inside of her, not knowing that nine months later it would be him between her legs—reaching for the child pushed forth by a womb engorged by this union.
"You promised to find me," she breathed, arching back to reposition her legs. She now had one tucked beneath his, providing her another angle with which to sink into him. She moved up and down, and he choked with pleasure like a teenage boy, not the lord of a nation. He despised her. He loved her.
"I...tried," he managed.
"I'm alive," she moaned, her sly smile
returning as she leaned back down, letting her nipples brush over his chest. "I'm blonde, and pretty. Not as clever, though...for now..."
He tried to sit up again, but again she pushed him down, nails like claws digging deeper into his chest. He snarled at the pain, but in truth was only more aroused. It took all his concentration to hold in his seed.
"Where?" he demanded, even as he let out a heated breath.
"America...Vegas."
She leaned down, whispering coordinates in his ear, as if to embed them in his subconscious. As she did so, her hand slipped down to caress his scrotum, and he tensed with sensation.
"I'm even submissive, this time," she breathed, tongue flicking his earlobe. "You'll be able to keep your backbone."
"Name," he groaned.
"Elizabeth..."
Emilie somehow managed to sink even further onto him. She touched herself, index finger rolling her clit as her other hand squeezed her large tit. Luthias felt her climax around him as she gazed into his eyes, and he finally lost it. He emptied himself deep inside her and collapsed back, heaving, mournful as her warmth slowly slipped from his member. Still she knelt over him, a drizzle of his semen falling from her opening around his naval. She leaned down, stealing a long kiss.
BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Unforgettable Billionaires: The Complete Collection Boxed Set 1-12 (Young Adult Rich Alpha Male Billionaire Romance) (Alpha Bad Boy Billionaire Romance) Page 37