He perceived her violent hunger because he spanked her three times in a row. In spite of the deep moans of satisfaction rising from her belly, she caught the harshness of his respiration, the sudden tension coursing through his fingers as he smacked her curves. More slaps rang past her ears, more strokes heated up her skin, and the pleasure knotting her insides reached a new level.
Unable to breathe through her nostrils, she spat out the fabric drenched with drool but kept her forehead pressed against the cover. The small movement raised her butt a fraction, and he uttered a low groan.
Her muscles loosened for a second, only to twist again as his pants brushed the side of her leg. Why would he change position? She loved him right where he stood so what did he have in mind that . . .
She let out a whine when he raked his fingernails down her buttock. Mouth agape, she gulped in oxygen, the rush of air penetrating her lungs but heightening the havoc within her. Then he slapped again and her hands balled into fists. The raw feeling eating at her expanded, compelling her to express the only thing that would liberate her.
“Harder, Garrett.”
He yanked up her top. Her bare flesh took in the cooler atmosphere right before he began grazing his nails across the small of her back. With his free hand, he caressed her exposed cheeks. He petted them, he fondled them, the gentle caress suffusing her senses but beeping at bay the explosion churning inside her.
She couldn’t repress the noises coming out of her mouth as he stimulated her while maintaining her just out of reach of the orgasm biting her clitoris. Was this a new form of punishment? Gosh, but he was getting good at this.
His knuckles brushed her skin, the steady motion sending shivers across her stomach and along her folds. His other hand stroked her ass, sometimes smoothing, sometimes groping and pinching. Her body throbbed with delectation. She lifted her lids when a tear of frustration escaped her left eye to slowly run down her face. He was torturing her and she didn’t want him to stop.
Then her vision blurred when his palm collided with her rump. She cried out, all her muscles tightening under the acute feeling. He hit her again, more forcefully this time, drawing a long wail out of her.
Shudders invaded her belly as he gave her what she’d asked for. Heat and cold assailed her limbs. She clenched and unclenched her hands, mind caught in a delirium of uncontrollable sensations.
She sobbed with abandon when the thwacks intensified, each blow resounding across the room and driving her to fulfillment. He slapped and slapped, making her writhe, the continuous walloping propelling her toward rapture.
On the verge of climaxing, she blurted out his name. He struck her burning flesh just a little harder and her knees gave way. She sagged onto the bed as spasms after spasms of unconceivable pleasure shook her.
Face buried in the bedspread, she quivered and panted, barely feeling the gentle touch now enveloping her tushy. A soft caress soothing the heat still prickling her flesh, a slow cuddling bringing her back to him.
Light kisses showered her back while she remained sprawled onto the bed, her total absence of movement slowly lessening the choppy beating of her heart. Shivers still coursed through her when he applied his lips on her skin, the cooler touch making her body tingle. So refreshing after his hot spanking.
Her pulse evened out, her muscles relaxed, and the air she forced into her lungs finally dispelled the last tremors nicking the inside of her legs. He didn’t cease pecking the small of her back until she rubbed her palms on the bedspread. As though her slight motion triggered something in him, he slid his hands under her armpits.
Without allowing her a second to sort out her thoughts, he curled his fingers around her shoulders and yanked her up. What now? Was he still mad at her after the amazing punishment he inflicted? She found herself standing up, her back pressed against his front as he brought his mouth close to her ear.
“How could you forsake me?”
At last, she knew the source of his rage, the downside being that she’d already explained her position on that matter. Why wouldn’t he listen to her? Because his misplaced fury prevented him from thinking straight?
“Garrett, I didn’t—”
“Dare not contradict my words. You have so little faith in me that you assumed I wedded Ashton.”
“Well, yeah, but Dad—”
“William’s schemes are irrelevant. One allows oneself to be deceived solely out of one’s own volition.”
What? He believed she misjudged the situation on purpose? That she spent the past four years in happy, happy land without ever chewing over him, her fate, or the hole darkening her heart and soul?
“Oh, this is too rich, Garrett. How can you even contemplate such a thing after everything we’ve been through?”
“With clarity of mind.”
His growling tone raised her hackles more than the grip flattening her against him. Besides, he was one to talk. Hadn’t he accepted the fake break-up letter her father wrote in her stead? Unfairness drying her mouth, she twisted her upper body to shrug him off but only succeeded in strengthening his grasp.
“And what did you do while I raised our son? Devote your waking hours trying to get in touch with me? Harass Dad until he gave up and hauled you over to my world? Because I’m pretty sure you didn’t do any of those things.”
“I merely respected your decision.”
“Based on a lie. You know I never wrote that damn message, and you know I’d have come to you if you’d been single.”
“I am.”
He pushed her. Hands flying forward, she stumbled back onto the bed, her pulse instantly accelerating while a shiver traveled her spine. A shuffle behind her set off an alarm in the corner of her mind yet rough as his actions were, the sudden desperation in his voice melted her insides.
“Tracy, you tore my heart apart.”
“So did you. I thought you married Ashton.”
Yet her emotion didn’t lessen the force of his statement as it shot through her guts. Eyes widening, she made to straighten up, but he touched her folds coated in the juices he spanked out of her. Speech eluded her. If only he’d give her a minute to sort things out, they . . .
She moaned as he drove his cock into her. The rigid shaft went through her in a swift motion and her flesh became alive. Desire flooded her, overruling the clarification that needed to be made, consuming the part of her brain that held rational thoughts. He began pumping her, and she welcomed the ensuing torrent of sensations.
The same way he’d punished her with the flat of his hand, he now chastised with his erection. She squirmed under the deep penetration. Although the strikes of his dick weren’t in the least gentle, the pummeling didn’t feel like revenge. More like anguish, frustration, or possibly freedom.
Breath caught in her throat, she relished every beat, lust knotting her belly as he brought all her senses under his control. He needed to vent the emotions that tortured him since they parted and with tacit approval, she demanded the same of him. Her inflamed body requested it.
“You tore my heart apart.”
Her eyes watered, and her soul cried as he repeated the confession searing her mind. She wanted to soothe his despair, but he quickened his rhythm and the words of love suspended on her lips dissolved.
He grabbed her waist, his fingers biting into the flesh above her hips. His thighs glued to the back of her legs, he drew her to him, her ass smacking against his navel each time he jerked her backward. His cock filled her, hardness stabbing softness, and her moans turned to blissful cries.
“No woman shall ever hear my vows, but you.”
She tasted salt in her mouth, the tears she didn’t feel spilling moistening her lips. He grunted every time he rammed his dick into her, the rough piercing expanding her pussy and rubbing against her clit.
Vi
olent shards of pleasure robbed her of strength. The delicious torment ruling her body grew as his grip stiffened, and he picked up speed. Her nipples hardened while the heat swirling around her belly reached her folds. Whatever battle raged on inside him, she was getting the best end of the deal.
“My lady.”
The thickness of his shaft took her breath away. His fierce pounding set her off as he broke free of all his restraints and fucked her with the passion he kept so well hidden beneath his normally self-possessed attitude. Not now though. With a few more thrusts, he impaled her so deeply that she snapped.
Her body heaved when she climaxed, fingers contracting to the point of pain, eyes squeezed shut, shudders running through her limbs, inner muscles throbbing so hard that she felt the tremors surging along his cock. His cry of release mingled with hers and the sound of his pleasure shot straight to her heart.
Seconds faded into a minute while she recovered from the most astonishing orgasm he’d ever given her. She remained slouched over the bed, letting her body find its way back to regularity, breathing through both her mouth and nose, enjoying the slow tightening and retreating of her pussy.
When feeling returned to her cramped hands, she glanced past her shoulder. He stood behind her, his fingers still around her waist, looking drained and appeased. He didn’t seem about to speak, and he was right because no words were needed anymore. Their united bodies had already told the tale.
She took her time to change position, undress them both and slid beside him between the silken sheets. He brought her into his arms, shutting his eyes as he caressed her cheek with the tip of his thumb. She drifted off under the gentle caress, becoming alert when he passed his hand over her breast.
The brushing instantly hardened her nipple, yet she didn’t open her eyes. In slow motion, he started stroking it against his palm. Nice and easy. Warmth flowed through her, the sensation soon trailing down toward the top of her thighs. Did he have in mind to make up for the lost four years?
“Garrett?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“I never stopped loving you.”
A shudder went through him. Unwilling to move, meeting his intense stare, savoring the sensual curves of his mouth, she cocked her head. “What happens now?”
He smiled and the sight of his radiant grin made her heart palpitate. Without ceasing his fondling, he drew her closer. “We are going home.”
She didn’t need him to explain where home was. She knew. Pure happiness blowing her away, she arched her back to increase the pressure of his fingers around her nipple. He brought his face down, his lips finding hers, the feel of his tongue urging her to open her mouth and bask in the kiss sealing their destinies.
They were one, they were a real family. Soon they’d get out of bed, put their clothes on, leave this manor, walk to the garden house hand in hand, and take Johnny back to her world. Their world.
But not just yet because Garrett stroked her breast while his tongue ignited her desire. She moaned in his mouth as he twirled her nipple before lowering his palm. Wetness pooled between her legs when he reached her pulsing flesh, glided a finger through her folds, and then slithered it up to close on her clitoris.
Although the soft touch jolted her, an unresolved issue flashed in her mind when she perceived his erection grazing her hip. She needed to ask him before he turned her into a body writhing with pleasure. Breaking the kiss, she licked her lips and raised her gaze to capture his attention.
“Garrett, there’s something you haven’t told me.”
He retrieved his arm from behind her neck and shifted to place himself above her. His chest brushing her stiffening nipples, the tip of his shaft caressing her pussy, he paused to nibble at her lips.
“Is there, my love?”
She almost lost the question as he entered her inch by inch, his unhurried motion coating her nape with perspiration and making her want to shout her happiness. Biting the inside of her cheek to stay focused, she rolled her arms around his shoulders when he buried his cock inside her.
“What’s that ring on your finger?”
Epilogue
Apart from the larger size of the chapel, the wedding was pretty much like in the dream she experienced so many times before traveling back to Garrett’s universe. Hot and cold dishes were laid out under the smallest white pavilion tent, next to the wider reception area where they’d dance later on.
Conversations struck up as soon as the guests exited the chapel, and just watching them filled her with contentment. No guns for Jake, especially since he arrived with Jessica and their six-month-old baby.
Keeping close to his master, White Fur circled and sniffed the infant for several seconds. Then the wild animal bounded away from Weedon, a good friend she hadn’t seen in years. Fresh scents around the willow trees seemed more appealing to the wolfdog. Soon enough, he padded back toward Johnny, his new favorite playmate.
Andrew came with his wife who had been told the truth about parallel universes. Displaying a pale yellow modern dress, Miss Perfect looked happy. No doubt she’d managed to overcome her strict education and the satisfaction she gave and took from her husband showed in the way she moved.
Small wonder given her fairly recent status as mistress of the Burnes’ empire. With Garrett’s departure, Andrew became head of the household and sole owner of the estates, properties, privileges, rights, and blah-blah-blah. He seemed to enjoy his new duties even though he rarely got to see his brother.
The defection of her first-born son had probably left the dragon queen foaming at the mouth, but Garrett never said a word about it. He worked with her father now, drove Johnny to school almost every morning, helped her with the daily chores, took care of his family, and lived in the present.
Timothy, Josh, and all her friends regrouped around the tables when her dad unfolded a piece of paper. He wasn’t much of a writer yet his speech brought smiles on everyone’s face. Of course, he left out the parts of their lives revolving around an alternate nineteenth century. People grinned when he hinted at the first time she met Garrett, and Weedon clapped him on the shoulder after the praise finally ended.
Yes, they were all there, except one.
As daylight withdrew to give way to evening, her eyes darted past the trees now and again, yet she never spotted his tall, dark shape. A pang twisted her heart, just like it did every time she thought of him. Raphael, her guardian vampire. Would he ever find solace and, with a boost from Lady Luck, maybe a small measure of happiness?
The band started playing a romantic ballad. Moving away from his guests, Garrett came up to her, folded his hand around hers and led her to the center of the pavilion tent. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pressed her against him, the intensity in his gaze leaving no doubt as to what he’d do to her when the reception was over. With a sigh, she let herself sink into the slow rhythm.
He held her tight, the sensual melody and lyrics cutting them off from the rest of the assembly. Couples joined before closing in to dance around them, the sentimental ambiance encouraging tender gestures and loving looks.
With her arms laced around Garrett’s neck, Tracy touched the wedding band he slid on her finger two hours earlier. One of two matching rings he purchased five years ago, on the very same day he proposed to her. When his parents and her father made sure they’d never see each other again, he kept hers in a box.
But he didn’t hide his.
The ring hadn’t left his finger since that time. He wore it always, as a symbol of his love and loyalty to her. Even though people inquired, he never gave them a straight answer. Nobody knew the real reason, and he wanted it that way. He also believed that wearing the golden band would disrupt the linear path of destiny and reunite them. Yes, she’d suffered away from him, but the full disclosure of his side of the story and of his unwaverin
g faith in her twisted her guts.
Two days after he revealed his motive for wearing the ring, she filed a petition to establish paternity. The pride shining in Garrett’s eyes made her legs wobble. Johnny was now John Burnes-Richardson, heir to nothing but loved by his parents.
She sighed again when the ballad ended. The band began playing a classic rock song and within the next minute, the dance floorboards shook with the sound of frenetic feet. They spun and pranced well into the night, the guests from Garrett’s universe doing their best to take on a casual attitude.
The wedding reception ended just before dawn. After an emotional farewell, the Coopers and the Burnes went to Bonita Street with her father. He’d usher them into the telepod and see them safely home. Andrew and Ashton to London. Jake, Jessica, and the baby to San Francisco.
Weedon had decided to stay for a few days. The adventurer in him longed to discover her world, so different from the northern lands he cherished. Besides, Johnny had jumped on his dad’s lap, flashed his adorable child’s dimples, and made it clear that he didn’t want to part with the awesome big wolf just yet.
She smiled when Garrett listened to his son and agreed without so much as a ‘One ought to be taught civility and obedience’. Tomorrow was Sunday, so they’d all have a picnic on Rodeo Beach.
Garrett tucked in Johnny as soon as they got back to her condo. After his fantastic day, the boy fell asleep in a matter of seconds.
In the main bedroom, she took off her white dress with care, smoothing the length one more time before hanging the gown in the closet. She unhooked her bra while walking toward the bed.
Air caught in her throat as her eyes met her husband’s. Bare-chested, his dark gaze riveted to her breasts, Garrett looked at her with hunger. She wriggled out of her panties then kneeled on the comforter. “Hey, handsome, your wife needs a cuddle.”