Liability (Alfha Law #2) - C.A. Rose

ALFHA LAW Liability By C.A. Rose

Copyright © 2015 Crystal Aurora Rose Reynolds E-Book and Print Edition Cover and Cover design by Sara Eirew All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons or living or dead, events or locals are entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/ Use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Epilogue

Chapter 1 Carter I know I shouldn’t be looking at her. I know she is way too fucking young and innocent for me. But every goddamn time she walks into her grandfather’s office in her school uniform, with her cute black-rimmed glasses, her thick red hair pushed away from her innocent face with a headband, her white button-down top tucked neatly into her green pleated skirt resting just below her ass, her long white socks hitting her mid-thigh, giving the occasional glimpse of creamy perfect skin, I have the urge to get up from behind the desk keeping her from me, push her down onto the cold surface, and ruin her for anyone else. I want her. No. I fucking crave her. “Carter, we’re going to have to call it an early night. Fern’s eighteenth birthday is today, and I promised I would take her out,” Mr. McCauley says, leaning back in his chair across from me and rubbing his hands down his face. “And you’ve been working all week, Gramps. You need a break,” Fern’s soft, melodic voice chimes in as she pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “And I need a break,” he agrees, turning to look at her with an easy smile. “That’s fine. I have some business to catch up on, so I’ll see you Monday,” I tell him, pushing away from the desk and slipping on my suit jacket. “Have a good weekend, son,” he says, standing as well. “Happy birthday, Fern.” I smile, giving her a wink and opening the door. “Thanks.” She smiles back as her cheeks turn pink and her face dips toward the desk. Closing the door behind me, I wonder what the hell it is I’m feeling. Elation? She’s eighteen now, legal in every sense of the word. I can have her if I want to, and no one can stop me. It shouldn’t make me this happy. I can have my pick of any beautiful woman—fuck, I’ve had most of the beautiful ones in this city—but I want Fern. No. I need her. Hitting the button for the elevator, I take it down to the garage level, where I parked my Bugatti Veyron this morning. Slipping off my suit jacket and tie, I toss both onto the passenger side seat before getting behind the wheel and starting her up. Hearing the purr of the engine, I back out of the parking spot, switch gears, press my foot to the gas, and speed up the ramp to the exit, using the mirrors at the entryway to judge the street before taking a right onto it. I should go home, but I need to drive. I need to drive and clear my head so I don’t track down wherever the fuck it is Fern sleeps and sneak into her room. Hitting the highway, I head through the Bronx then out toward Westchester. I’m going to have to find a way to get Fern alone. I know she goes to an all-girls Catholic school, but I wonder if she would freak if I met her outside when she got out of class. She probably would; she’s shy anytime I address her directly, and turns the sweetest color pink. Getting off the highway, I head back toward the city. I do have some paperwork I need to get done before Monday.

An hour later, I pull into the garage of my condo and park just as my phone rings. Looking at the caller ID, I see it’s Britney calling and, sighing, I answer, “Hello.” “Hey, baby,” she purrs into my ear. I wish I could use her to get rid of this pent-up energy I feel, but I know my boy, and he won’t have it. He has a mind of his own, and since Fern walked into my life, he’s not interested in anyone but her. “Britney, what do you need?” I ask, keeping it casual. “I need you,” she whispers then my phone dings and a picture message pops up on my screen of Britney in bed, her legs spread wide. “You need to lose my number,” I say, hearing her gasp as I click off her call and delete the picture. If I’m going to get Fern to come to my bed, I’m going to need to make a few changes, and one of them is deleting all of the women from my phone and life. I don’t want anyone to ruin my chances of having sweet Fern under me or over me. Taking the elevator up to the penthouse, I get off when the doors open and the view of the city comes into view. I love this place. I bought it for the view before there were even walls put up. When I designed the floor plan, I wanted to keep it open. The only walls are the ones around the two bedrooms, my office and the guest bath. It’s four thousand square feet of open space. Moving to my room, I unbutton my shirt, laying it over the end of the bed, and take in the view through the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that run the length of the room and look out over the city. I can imagine myself pressing Fern to that glass and taking her from behind, her innocent cries of pleasure filtering through the open space. I need a shower and a game plan. I’m not worried about Fern’s grandfather. Not yet, anyways. My biggest dilemma is going to be getting Fern alone so I can tell her what I want.

Chapter 2 Carter “Hey, man,” I greet Spencer at the bar of the club with a pat on his back. “Took you long enough to get here.” He smiles, giving me a one-arm hug. “I was on the other side of town and wasn’t exactly planning on coming out tonight,” I explain, taking a seat next to him on one of the stools in front of the bar. I was going to stay home and work, but I need a drink. I have been at battle with myself for the last twenty-four hours, wanting to track down Fern. “Still having problems with the Tensus case?” he asks, calling the bartender over with a flick of his wrist. “Nah, we should be closing the case next week, depending on what judge we get,” I tell him, shaking my head. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see red flash in my peripheral vision. My head turns, and my blood ignites with rage and desire as I watch Fern walk through the crowded dance floor, wearing a little black dress and heels that make her legs look a mile long and should be fucking illegal. Tracking her movements, I watch her walk to a table with a few other girls. All of them seem to be having a good time, but my girl looks uncomfortable and out of place amongst them. “Do you know them?” Spencer asks, nodding toward the table my eyes are glued to. Grinding my teeth, I nod then mutter, “I’m gonna get out of here.” “You just got here,” he complains, but I ignore him, get up from the bar, and stalk toward the table of girls, who all watch me with lust-filled eyes as I get closer. Well, all except one set, which belong to a girl who has them pointed toward her lap. “Hey,” one of the girls purrs, licking her lips. “Fern,” I bark, ignoring the other bodies at the table. “Carter,” she whispers as her head lifts and her gaze connects with mine. I watch fear enter her eyes as she looks around. “Come on. I’m taking you home,” I growl, holding out my hand to her. “I—” “Now,” I thunder, making her jump as I pull her out of her seat and lead her through the crowd on the dance floor without giving her any other choice. My jaw starts to tic, watching the men looking at my property with lust as we pass them. I have never felt anything like I’m feeling right now, and I know I need to get her out of here before I do something I will regret. Stopping, I swing her up into my arms, hearing her squeak as I carry her the rest of the way out of the club. Pulling in a lungful of cool night air, I move to my car, setting her on her feet so I can open the door. “Carter,” she whispers as I place her gently into the passenger seat and buckle her in. Ignoring her, I slam the door shut, jog around the car, get in behind the wheel, and start the engine, turning up the heat when I see her rub her arms. “Where does your family think you are right now?” I ask her, knowing there’s no way in hell her grandfather knows she was going to a club. “They think I’m staying at Alicia’s house,” she whispers, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

“You lied?” I ask just to clarify, seeing her face pale. “No, I...” She pauses, taking a breath, and I feel my pants get even tighter as her breasts strain against the material of her dress. “I didn’t know they were planning on going out. I thought we were going to a movie and dinner.” “How’d you get into the club? It’s twenty-one and up.” “This,” she says, pulling a fake ID out of the little purse in her lap. “Do you know how much trouble you could have gotten into if you got caught...what could have happened to you if you were left alone?” “I know,” she says then tears begin to fall from her beautiful eyes, causing my gut to clench. Unhooking her seatbelt, I pull her into my lap and smooth my hand over her hair, feeling it for the first time, realizing it’s even softer than I ever imagined, and she feels even smaller in my arms than I thought she would. “Hush, baby. You’re safe, and nothing is going to happen to you.” I rock her until she calms then place her back into her seat, helping her buckle up once more before putting the car in drive and pulling away from the curb. “Um...Carter, my grandparents’ house is the other way,” she says softly, and I grab her hand in mine. “You’re staying with me, beautiful.” “What?” “Do you really want to go home and tell them you lied about what you were doing tonight?” I ask her, stopping at a red light and looking at her. “No.” She pales. “I didn’t think so,” I mutter, pressing the gas again. It feels like the ten-minute drive to my building takes an hour, and by the time we arrive, my hands are holding the steering wheel so tightly that I may have to get it replaced. Her scent is intoxicating me. I swear I can smell her fucking cherry from where I’m sitting, and I want it. Getting out of the car, I command her to stay put and wait for me to come around and get her. I have never been one for dominance—I don’t play that way—but I need her to listen to me. I want her to follow any rules I lay out for her. I want her to do exactly what I say. I don’t even understand why it’s so important. Opening her door, I drag her out and head toward the elevator with her hand held tightly in mine. “Are you hungry?” I ask, knowing she said her friends had told her they were going to dinner, but they ended up at the club instead. “Very, actually,” she says quietly, ducking her head so I can’t see her eyes, which annoys me. “I want your eyes when you’re talking to me,” I tell her, pulling up on her chin until her eyes meet mine. “Okay,” she whispers just as the door to the elevator dings, letting me know we arrived. Stepping out of the elevator, I hear a gasp come from Fern. Looking at her, I watch as her face lights up when she looks around. I know she comes from money; she’s used to the finer things in life. Her grandfather is one of the wealthiest men in Manhattan, so hearing her gasp when seeing my place fills me with pride. “Come with me,” I tell her, leading her through the open space toward the bedroom. “You can change into something else while I order us some takeout,” I say, walking over to my closet and pulling out a shirt for her to put on. “I don’t mind keeping the dress on.” “I don’t mind it either, baby,” I tell her while my eyes roam over her curves. When my eyes meet hers again, there is a stain on her cheeks that wasn’t there before. “But I want you to be comfortable while you’re here.” It’s a lie. All I really want is to see her in something of mine.

“Okay,” she says quietly, nibbling on her bottom lip again. “What would you like to eat?” “Can we get sushi?” she asks timidly. “Anything you want,” I tell her immediately, and that’s not a lie; I will give her absolutely anything she desires. “Just two California rolls and a ginger salad,” she says then bites her lip again. “And vegetable tempura if they have it.” “Anything else?” I tease, making her smile, which does some funny shit in my chest where my heart’s supposed to be. “I don’t think so,” she whispers softly. Leaning forward, I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and run my fingers down the length of her jaw. “Get changed, and I’ll get us some food,” I say, watching her nod as I leave my room, closing the door quietly behind me. Going to the bar in the kitchen, I pull out one of the menus I’ve collected and put my phone to my ear then look towards the bedroom door, adjusting myself as I picture her on the other side slipping out of her dress.

Chapter 3 Carter Watching Fern walk out of my bedroom wearing my shirt is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life. Her long red hair is still down, but without the headband to hold it away from her face, she seems almost wild. Tracking her as she goes to the window, I move to her without thinking, pressing myself to her back, and wrap my hands around her front. I hear her squeak as I lick up the side of her neck, where I growl, “You don’t have a bra on,” while cupping her breast through the thin material of my shirt. “Carter,” she whimpers as her head tilts, allowing me full access to the column of her throat. “What do you want, beautiful?” I ask, nipping her neck, feeling her shiver against me. “I...I don’t know,” she breathes, arching into me, her movements letting me know how innocent she is, and that alone is intoxicating. “Has anyone ever touched you here?” I ask, plucking at her nipple while kissing the skin below her ear. “No,” she says, shaking frantically in my arms. “Has anyone ever touched you here?” I ask, roaming my hand down her stomach, feeling myself tense, not sure how I will react if she tells me yes. “No!” she cries out as I pet her over the silk of her panties, feeling wet on my fingertips then growling low in my throat when I hear the buzz for the door. “I should eat you for dinner. Would you like that, Fern? Would you like to be my meal?” I ask as my fingers rub vigorously against her, needing her orgasm like it’s my own. “If you’re a good girl, baby, I’ll eat you for dessert,” I whisper, hearing her moan and feeling her slide over the edge at my words, which causes her body to go limp in my arms. Smiling against her neck, I pick her up and carry her to the couch, where I lay her down, placing a kiss on her lips and covering her with a blanket before going to the phone and telling the concierge to let the delivery man up. Knowing I won’t be able to keep my hands off her, I step out the front door and pace. I feel like a wild animal. I want her to myself. I want her naked. I want my mark on her and in her. And I don’t want to share her with anyone. Spotting the deliveryman as he gets off the elevator, I give him a hundred dollar bill and tell him to keep the change before going back into the apartment, finding Fern just where I left her on the couch. Setting the food down on the counter, I go to stand in front of her. She looks peaceful lying there, her hair spread out around her, her face soft with sleep. Moving, she kicks one leg out of the blanket, bending it at the knee. Without thinking, I drop to the floor next to her and move the blanket out of the way, being careful not to wake her as I do. My shirt has ridden up, showing the flesh of her belly and the silk nude panties she’s wearing. Leaning forward, I run my nose up the center of her core, smelling her innocence. “Carter.” My eyes meet her unsure ones as I press my hand to her belly to hold her down, and I use my teeth to nip at the lips of her pussy.

“I’m really hungry, Fern.” I bite her again. “Starving,” I tell her, pulling her panties to the side, listening to her breathing become labored as my tongue works through the lips of her pussy, drinking in her essence as she spreads her legs farther, giving herself completely to me. “You’re being a very good girl,” I praise her, lifting her thighs up and over my shoulders until her body is bent almost double and my face is buried deep between her legs, eating her like I’m a starved man. Sliding one finger inside her, I feel how tight she is and the thin barrier of her innocence as she screams out with her orgasm. Her small hands hold onto my hair as I wipe my face on her inner thigh, pulling her panties back over her pussy, covering her and giving her one little kiss before helping her sit up. “Do you want to eat in here, or in the kitchen?” I ask, pulling her into my lap, where I notice she fits perfectly. “What?” she asks, pulling her head away from my chest and blinking up at me, looking adorably disheveled. “Would you like to eat dinner in here, on the couch, or in the kitchen, at the bar?” “Oh...wherever you want is fine with me,” she says, laying her head back down. “In the kitchen,” I say, knowing if we stay in here I will not be able to keep my hands off her and she will most likely end up riding my face before she’s able to have one bite of her meal. She will need her strength for the things I have planned for us. Lifting her off me, I take her hand and lead her to the kitchen, getting her settled on one of the barstools and stealing a kiss before going to the fridge. “What would you like to drink?” “Do you have sweet tea?” she asks quietly, studying my every move. “I don’t, but I’ll tell Sue, my housekeeper, to pick some up,” I tell her, and her brows pull together. “You’re going to be here a lot, Fern. You opened your legs for me, let me eat your sweet little pussy and feel your virgin cherry on my finger. That cherry is mine, your body is mine, and you are mine. Like I said, you’re going to be here a lot,” I promise. “You’re scaring me,” she says, breathing heavily. “You’ll get over it, and you’ll get used to me.” I know she wants to say more, but she smartly presses her lips together. If she thinks I’m going to give her up, she has another think coming. She’s lucky she’s in school, or I would find a way to move her in with me. Grabbing her a juice and myself a beer, I pull off my shirt and toss it toward the living room before sitting down on the stool across from her. “Eat, baby,” I nudge her knee, bringing her eyes from my chest up to mine, waiting for her to take a bite before I do. “My grandfather talks about you,” she says, moving around a piece of sushi on her plate. “What does he say?” I ask her, seeing her face has lost some of its color. “Nothing, I don’t know why I brought it up.” “Tell me,” I command, sitting back and crossing my arms over my now bare chest. “He... he says you’re a player, that you will never settle down,” she whispers. “He was right,” I agree, watching her eyes fill with hurt. “He was. I won’t lie to you and tell you that I haven’t bedded a lot of women in this city, but not one of them has been to my home. I wouldn’t care if any of them were at the bar with their friends, and I sure as fuck wouldn’t be sitting across from any of them sharing a meal while they wore my clothes.” “Oh,” she murmurs, ducking her head again and pulling at the hem of my shirt. I do have a reputation in this city, but I have never felt what I’m feeling right now with any of the women I have been with, and I refuse to let my past ruin my chances of getting what I want. And I want Fern more than I want my next breath.

Once she’s finished eating, I clean up the empty containers then lead her to the bedroom without giving her a choice. “Get into bed. I have some stuff to take care of,” I tell her gently. “I need to brush my teeth.” “Okay, then go brush you teeth then get into bed,” I say, giving her a kiss and a tap on the ass, sending her into the bathroom. Once the door is closed, I let out a frustrated growl. I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing. I don’t want to scare her off, but I also need to be inside her. Running a frustrated hand through my hair, I head toward my office and sit down at my computer. I need her to trust me. I need her to get to know me, but how the hell do I do that? I’ve never dated any woman more than a few times. I know how to make a woman beg for me, but how the hell do you make someone fall in love with you? Giving up on getting any work done, I head across the open space of the kitchen and living room and quietly open my door. The room is dark. Only the light from the hall casting a glow across the expanse of my bed shows me she’s under the covers. Pulling the door closed behind me, I kick off my shoes and take off my pants before getting into bed with her. “Carter.” Her voice cuts through the darkness. “I’m here.” I pull her into my body, tucking her head under my chin as I hold her until she falls back asleep. Looking out at the city, I know I will do whatever is necessary to have this for the rest of my life.

Chapter 4 Carter Leaning back in my chair, I rub my eyes then pick up my desk phone when it rings. “Carter,” I answer. “Hey, son, how’s it going?” my dad asks as I sit back, taking a breath. I haven’t seen Fern in three days, and my body is going through withdraws, I think but don’t say, instead muttering, “Good, getting ready to call it a night. What’s up?” “I just got a call that Mr. McCauley is in the hospital. Seems he suffered a heart attack this afternoon.” “Shit.” I stand, starting to put my stuff in my briefcase. “What hospital?” I demand, knowing Fern is there, probably scared out of her mind. “Presbyterian,” he says, but I don’t hear anything else, because I hang up then head out of the office. “Den, forward all my calls to my cell,” I tell my assistant, who watches me with wide eyes as I move past her, out of the office, and toward the bank of elevators. Getting into my car, I fight through traffic until I’m parking in one of the lots a few blocks from the hospital. I know Mr. McCauley won’t be expecting to see me, and will probably wonder why the fuck I’m there, but something in me is screaming at me to get to Fern as quickly as I can. As soon as I arrive at the hospital, I use my charm on one of the nurses until she tells me what room he’s in then jog down the hall in that direction. Outside the door to his room, I pause when I hear a woman’s voice say angrily, “This is all your fault. I told him the devil was in you, and he didn’t listen,” before hearing a loud bang and a whimper. Without thinking, I open the door to the room, where I find Fern with her back pressed to the wall, while an older woman holds her by the throat. “Let her go now!” I roar, stepping into the room, noticing the bed is empty. “Who are you?” the woman asks softly, stepping away from Fern but running her hand down her hair like she was comforting her. “Come here, Fern,” I command, holding out my hand to her, noticing her face is red and blotchy and there are tears in her eyes. “Who are you?” the woman repeats, narrowing her eyes on Fern as she steps away from her and comes to my side, burying her face in my chest as she sobs. “Where is Mr. McCauley?” I ask, hearing Fern begin to sob harder. “He’s dead,” the woman says with no remorse or concern. “Jesus,” I hiss, tucking Fern closer to my body, wanting to shield her from this. “Now give me my granddaughter. I’m taking her home,” she says, holding out her hand in my direction, which causes the woman in my arms to cling tighter to me. “You’re not taking her home. I heard what you said to her when I came in, and I also saw your hands on her,” I growl, watching her face transform with rage. “You’re not keeping my only grandchild from me!” she yells, pointing a finger at me. “I’m not letting her go with you,” I state firmly, moving toward the door. “I’m calling the police.”

“Please do, and while you’re at it, tell them she’s eighteen and with Carter Vault in his penthouse at one-oh-one Warren Street. I’ll be expecting their call,” I say, leading a still sobbing Fern out of the hospital. When we reach my car, I pull her into my lap behind the wheel, holding her until she calms down enough that she is able to take a full breath without sounding like she’s hyperventilating. “Are you okay to sit in your seat while I drive, baby?” I ask her gently, pushing her hair away from her face. When she nods, I place her beside me and get her buckled in before starting the car, taking her hand in mine, and holding it firmly against my thigh while I move in and out of traffic with precision. Reaching my building, I pull into the underground parking space then pick Fern’s slight weight up and carry her into the elevator, whispering soothing words to her as I carry her through the apartment and lay her in bed. “Do you want a shirt?” I ask, pulling off her shoes, noticing for the first time that she’s still in her school uniform. “Yes.” She nods. Helping her out of the rest of her clothes, I tug her hands away from her breasts when she tries to cover them. “Don’t hide from me,” I tell her firmly, slipping my shirt over her head. “Is your grandmother always like that?” I ask her, sitting next to her hip on the bed. “Yes, but grand—” She swallows as more tears leak from her eyes. “He’s always stepped in.” “Shhh, it’ll be okay.” “She’s going to call the police and make me go home,” she whimpers, rolling to her side. “Fern, you’re eighteen. She can’t make you go home unless you want to,” I tell her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. “I have nowhere to go,” she says through a gulp of air. “You’re staying with me,” I tell her, watching her eyes grow wide. “And do not even think about arguing.” “Carter—” “No, now you rest,” I tell her, lying down behind her, wrapping myself around her. Waking up a couple hours later to the concierge phone in the kitchen going off, I quietly get out of bed and head across the living room to pick it up. “Mr. Vault, there are two police officers here who wish to speak with you.” “Send them up,” I say, opening the door to the apartment then moving back to the kitchen to dig through the items in the fridge, trying to find something I can make Fern for dinner. Finding frozen lasagna, I open the box and put it in the oven. “Mr. Vault?” a police officer not much older than Fern asks, knocking twice on the open door and poking his head inside. Going to the door, I greet him and his fellow officer with a firm shake. “How are you guys doing tonight?” I ask them both, leading them toward the living room. “Slow night,” they both mutter in unison as I take a seat and point to the couch across from me. “What can I do for you? “ “We received a call from a Mrs. McCauley stating you are holding her granddaughter here without her permission.” “I’m here, because this is where I want to be,” Fern’s voice cuts in, and I watch the two men in front of me sit up a little taller and suck in there guts as they take in her wild hair while wearing my shirt. “Baby, go get some clothes on then come out and talk to us,” I tell her, grateful when she nods and heads back into the room, seeing how I would hate to go to jail today for assaulting an officer. “As she said, she’s here because she wants to be, and is legally old enough to make that decision for herself.”

“We would still like to talk to Miss McCauley,” one of the policemen says, and I nod, sitting back in my chair. When Fern comes out this time, she’s wearing a pair of my sweats that she obviously found in the closet. Holding my hand out to her, I scoot over in the chair, placing her next to me. “We’re sorry about your loss, and we understand this is a difficult time for you,” the officer with the nametag Murphy says softly. “Your grandmother is very worried about you right now, and—” “She’s not,” Fern cuts him off, showing more fire than I have ever seen from her. “She called us, so that leads me to believe she is,” the other officer states. “Well, I’m not going back there,” she says firmly, but I watch her chin wobble, which causes anger to course through me. “As you can see, Fern is fine. She’s obviously upset about the loss of her grandfather, but that is completely understandable. If you guys have anymore questions for her, I’m going to have to ask you to speak with her in a few days when things have settled,” I say, standing and waiting for them to stand along with me, then lead them to the door and open it. “We’ll be in touch in a few days,” Officer Murphy says, handing me his card before I close the door behind him. Turning, I come face-to-face with my beautiful girl, who once again has tears in her eyes that are dripping down her cheeks and onto my shirt. Seeing her standing there, looking vulnerable, makes something within me twist and a pain to hit my chest. I’ve never cared when a woman has cried before, but I can’t stand to see Fern with tears in her eyes. Closing the distance between us, I pick her up in my arms and carry her back to the bedroom, following her down onto the bed, where I kiss away each tear as they fall.

Chapter 5 Carter “I’ll get that, baby. You go get changed,” I tell Fern, kissing her forehead, watching her eyes close as she nods before walking to the bedroom in her simple black dress, carrying her shoes in her hand. Picking up the concierge phone in the kitchen, I tell them to send up our guest. Today, we went to Mr. McCauley’s funeral. I knew before leaving the house this morning that it was going to be difficult for Fern to be there, but after seeing the way her grandmother snubbed her nose at my girl, I had to pray for patience to make it through the service. Especially when Fern got up to say her goodbyes and her grandmother rolled her eyes. I admit I didn’t know much about Mr. McCauley, but I’m starting to understand not everything was as it appeared to be on the outside. Once the service was over, we were approached by the family attorney, Mr. Ramos, who is well known in the city for estate planning. He explained he needed to have a sit-down with Fern, regarding her grandfather’s will. Fern didn’t want to wait, and neither did I, so I asked him to meet us here. Loosening my tie, I pour myself a finger of scotch as I wait near the door. This is the last thing on Earth I’d like to be doing right now; what I want to do is go into the bedroom, strip my beautiful girl down, and make love to her. Having her in my arms the last three nights, holding her while she sleeps, and waking up to her scent surrounding me has been a test of my willpower. I know she’s grieving the loss of her granddad, but I don’t know how much longer I can wait to have her. Opening the door for the lawyer when he knocks, I’m surprised and a little pissed to see Fern’s grandmother standing next to him. “Come in and have a seat,” I say, leading them to the living room then moving to the bedroom door, catching a glimpse of Fern’s flat stomach as she pulls her shirt down when I step into the room. “Your grandmother decided to show up as well,” I tell her, watching as her teeth clench tight. I hate that look on her, and I’m determined to replace it with something else. Closing the door behind me, I take the two steps separating us, wrapping her in my arms and covering her mouth with mine. Her gasp of surprise allows me to slide my tongue into her mouth while I heft her up into my arms until her legs wrap around my hips. “I need to be in you,” I groan, pressing her into the wall of windows. “I need to know what it feels like when your hot little cunt grabs hold of my cock,” I growl, hearing her whimper as I lift her higher then lazily move my hands under her shirt to cup her breasts. “I can’t wait to see these full of milk after I fill you with my cum.” I kiss her again while pulling her nipples between my fingers. Pulling my mouth from hers, I look down between us, where my erection is testing the limits of my pants and I can feel the heat coming off her core. Lifting my gaze to hers, I press her back into the windows and move her hair out of her face while pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Tonight, I’m taking what’s mine, Fern,” I say, watching her eyes slide half closed. “Tonight, you’re giving yourself to me. Right, beautiful?” “Yes, Carter,” she agrees, which earns her another kiss. “Now, let’s go see what the Wicked Witch of the East Village wants,” I say, making her smile and shake her head.

Taking her hand, I lead her to the door then stop when her hand in mine tightens. “What’s up, baby?” I ask, watching as she comes to stand in front of me. “I just... Thank you for everything,” she says, leaning up on her tiptoes, barely reaching the underside of my jaw, where she places a gentle kiss, which causes another pain to hit my chest. “Anything for you, Fern,” I tell her, watching tears fill her eyes. She leans up once more on her tiptoes, and this time I meet her halfway, giving her a soft kiss before swinging the door open and leading her out of the bedroom. “It took you long enough,” her grandmother huffs as we walk into the living room. “If we could get this over with, we have plans for the rest of the day,” I state, taking a seat and pulling Fern down next to me, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “Fern, as I said before, I’m very sorry about the loss of Bill. He was one of my dearest friends, and I know he loved you greatly,” Mr. Ramos says as Fern’s grandmother scoffs. “He babied her.” Swinging my head to look at her, I growl, “This is my home. If you disrespect my woman again, I’m going to ask you to leave.” “Do you see the way he talks to me?” She waves her hand in my direction while looking at Mr. Ramos. “Karen, let’s just move along so we can all carry on with our day.” “Fine,” she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at me then Fern. By the time Mr. Ramos has gone over the first page of the will, I know half the money is going to end up being donated, because one of the first stipulations is about her not getting married until after her twenty-first birthday, which doesn’t work for me. I want...no, I need her to have my last name. Another is her not having a child until after the age of twenty-five, and seeing how I plan on having her pregnant as soon as humanly possible, I know she may as well kiss this money goodbye. Not that she will need any of it; I have plenty. She will never want for anything. “There was one final stipulation. In order for the estate to continue paying for your education, you must live at home or on campus if you’re going to a boarding school,” he says, and Fern’s fingers latch onto my leg and her nails dig into my skin through the material of my dress slacks. Covering her hand with mine, I look at her grandmother, who has a very smug smile on her face. “If that’s all, Fern will be in contact with you, Mr. Ramos.” “Again, sorry for your loss, Fern,” he says, standing from the couch and placing his items back in his briefcase while handing Fern a copy of the will. “I’d like to talk to my granddaughter alone,” Mrs. McCauley says, crossing her feet at the ankles while sitting up a little taller on the side of the couch. “Not happening.” “It’s okay, Carter,” Fern says quietly from my side. “Fern,” I growl in frustration, turning my head to look at her, wondering what the hell she’s thinking. “You’ll be right outside, and I have a few things I’d like to say to her alone,” she presses, and I search her face then let out a breath. “Three minutes,” I tell her, waiting for her to nod. Placing a kiss on her temple, I get up off the couch and walk Mr. Ramos to the door, stepping out into the hall with him. “Who requested the stipulations in the will?” I ask him, closing the door behind me. “Mrs. McCauley and Mr. McCauley both. Mrs. McCauley’s daughter had her when she was eighteen, and then disappeared, leaving the McCauleys to raise Fern on their own. I believe they are just trying to prevent something like that from occurring again. “Has anyone heard from her mother since she disappeared?” I ask, wondering how much Fern knows about this situation.

“Not that I’m aware of, but then again, I’m not in the McCauley home, and we were friends, but not close enough for either of the McCauleys to share that kind of information with me.” Looking at the door opening behind me, I watch as Mrs. McCauley steps into the hall, and then I look behind her as Fern lowers her head, following behind her while avoiding looking at me. Rage and vengeance begin to burn through me as I see a red handprint on Fern’s cheek, which she attempts to hide with her hair. “We will be leaving now,” Mrs. McCauley says, pulling on Fern’s arm. “Did you hit her?” I snarl, tilting Fern’s head up until her tear-filled eyes meet mine. “Get out now!” I roar, causing Fern to flinch and Mrs. McCauley to release her arm. “I do not give a fuck who you are,” I state, turning to face the woman I’m likely to murder. “You will never see her again. Do you understand me?” “You know the stipulations of the will, Mr. Vault. She’s coming home with me now.” “She’s not, Mrs. McCauley, and if you think the little bit of money you’re holding over her head will stop me from keeping your granddaughter, you’re sorely misinformed about the way I feel about her.” “Are you going to pay her way, like she’s some kind of whore you picked up off the street?” she asks snidely. “You ever call her a whore again, and I will bury you. Now get out,” I thunder, watching her face lose some of its color then her eyes narrow on her granddaughter. “I knew you were just like your mother,” she hisses before storming off down the hall toward the elevator, leaving a stunned Mr. Ramos behind. “We’ll be in touch,” I tell him before wrapping my arm around Fern’s shoulders and leading her into the apartment, locking the door behind us. Leading her into the kitchen, I set her up on the counter then grab one of the dishtowels. I place a few ice cubes in it before moving to stand in front of her, spreading her legs to stand between them. “You’re not leaving me, Fern. I don’t care what that woman says to you; you’re not going anywhere.” “I can’t use you, Carter,” she whispers, placing her hand over mine on her cheek. “She’s right. I can’t use you. It’s not right.” “You’re right,” I agree then pick her up off the counter and carry her to the bedroom to lie down. “I have some business to take care of, so I want you to get some rest,” I tell her, ignoring the look of anguish in her eyes. If her grandmother thought she was going to scare my girl away by making her believe she could hold something like money over her head, she had another think coming. Placing one last kiss on her forehead, I go into my office and make two phone calls—one to a private investigator, who I hope will be able to tell me more about Fern’s mother, and another to my estate attorney.

Chapter 6 Carter “Are you hungry?” I ask Fern, who is standing in the open doorway of the bedroom, once again wearing nothing but my shirt. Adding getting her stuff from her grandmother’s to the list of shit I need to get done today, I move to the kitchen and pull out some bread, peanut butter, and jelly, when she says, “Yes,” softly. “Come eat, and then we need to get dressed so we can head across town.” “Where are we going?” she questions, worrying a piece of hair between her fingers. “We’re meeting a friend of mine,” I say as I start to assemble her sandwich. “Okay,” she says, taking a seat on one of the barstools, watching me closely. “How much longer do you have in school?” “Three months, but I only have to go to two classes a day, in the afternoons.” “That’s good, baby. What did you want to do after graduation?” I inquire. “I was going to help Gramps out in his office over the summer then decide after that.” “You can help me in my office,” I state immediately, thinking about her sitting in front of me at my desk with her legs spread, showing me her pussy while I work on cases. “Only requirement is you have to wear skirts and no panties. That way, I have easy access to my favorite snack,” I tell her, watching her blush. Then I think about her being around the other men at my firm, and the lust I was feeling is replaced with something else entirely. “Never mind about the skirts. I don’t think I could handle my colleagues looking at you.” “No one looks at me.” She shakes her head, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “They do, baby. You’re beautiful and smart; plus, you have these long legs that go on for miles. Trust me. They would look, and then they would die.” “I don’t think so.” She shrugs, taking a bite of her sandwich I set in front of her. Tilting her head up to look at me, I tell her firmly, “You’re beautiful, Fern, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” “You’re blind, Carter,” she says breathlessly, but I see a flicker of happiness in her eyes that’s been missing since I took her from the hospital. “No, you are. The old witch got into your head, didn’t she?” I ask, and she tugs her chin from my grasp. “Look at me.” “I’m going to go get ready,” she says, pushing her plate away and taking off toward the bedroom. Giving her a couple minutes’ head start, I follow behind her into the bedroom, where I find her in the shower. The clear glass doors don’t keep anything hidden from me as she leans her head back, causing rivulets of water to stream down over her face and breasts. I have seen beauty before, but absolutely nothing compares to her. Slipping off my clothes, I move into the shower stall and wrap my arms around her back until she’s pressed against me. Lowering my face to her neck then down over her breasts, I kiss each pink nipple. “You’re beautiful, Fern, and I won’t stop telling you until you believe me,” I growl, moving my hand down over her ass and placing the tips of my fingers at her entrance, feeling her slick heat coating them as

I move them slowly in and out of her. “Carter,” she cries, and I kiss down her neck then pull each nipple into my mouth, sucking and biting until her hands in my hair are grasping tightly. Licking down her stomach, I drop to my knees. Our size difference is so drastic that her breasts are now at eye level. Lifting my gaze to hers, I slide my fingers slowly over the bare lips of her pussy until her hips begin moving with my fingers and she begs me to touch her. Moving my hands around the backs of her thighs, I pull her forward until her my mouth is hovering over her core. “Tell me,” I say, looking up at her beautiful face and the way the water beads on her skin. “Carter, please!” she whimpers, pressing her pussy closer to my mouth. “Tell me, Fern,” I growl, and her eyes close and her head tilts back. “I’m beautiful,” she says so softly I barely hear it over the fall of water in the shower. “Look at me and say it, Fern,” I demand, giving her one sweep of my tongue. “Oh, God, Carter,” she moans as her legs begin to shake. “Tell me now.” “I’m beautiful,” she cries out, and I lick her again, over and over, pulling and biting her clit until she’s standing on her tiptoes, trying to get away from my mouth. Screaming out at the top of her lungs, her juices flood my mouth and down my throat while her nails dig into the skin of my shoulders. Kissing her belly, I stand up and thrust my tongue into her mouth, letting her taste herself. Feeling her hand wrap around me, I’m momentarily stunned then pull from her grasp, causing her eyes to fill with hurt. “No.” I shake my head. “I’m filling your womb the first time I fuck you, Fern.” “But—” “No buts. Now get your sexy ass out of the shower and get dressed. The sooner we get the shit done with my friend, the sooner I can be inside you.” She nods, and I watch her scurry out of the shower. Turning the shower on cold, I let the ice water cool me down enough that I don’t go into the bedroom, throw her on the bed, and take her, when I know I won’t have enough time to enjoy her like I want to. Getting out of the shower, I catch a glimpse of my reflection. My body is tan and honed from years of swimming and outdoor sports. I need a haircut, but I love the way Fern uses my longer hair to anchor me to her, so I doubt I will have it cut. My face is classical, or that’s what a few women have said. Running my hand over my jaw, I feel the stubble coming in. I should shave, but I like the idea of my mark on Fern any way I can get it. Moving out of the bathroom while wrapping a towel around my waist, I see Fern is already dressed, wearing the same dress we picked up for her to wear to her grandfather’s funeral. “It’s either this or my school uniform,” she says, holding her hands out to her sides before lowering them. “We’ll stop and get your stuff from your grandmother’s,” I assure her, dropping a kiss to her mouth as I pass her on the way to the dresser, where I grab a pair of boxers and pull them on. “I’m going to wear my flats, if that’s okay,” she says, slipping her feet into a pair of black leather flats that make me tower over her even more. “Wear whatever you like,” I say lightly, pulling on my jeans while wondering how much her grandmother monitored her clothing choices before. I don’t think Fern had much of a say in anything, and as fucked up as it is, that makes me want to re-kill her granddad. He should have done a better job of protecting her against her grandmother. Walking past me, she stops suddenly and places a kiss on my bare chest before moving toward the bathroom. I don’t even know if she realizes it, but with each of those small moments, she’s sealed her fate

to mine. I will never let her go.

Chapter 7 Carter “I don’t want your money!” Fern yells, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at me. “It’s your money now, baby, so there is no reason for us to fight about it.” I shrug, starting my Bugatti. “You can’t just give someone that kind of money, Carter. Are you crazy?” She groans, leaning her head back against the headrest of the car seat, making me smile. I’m starting to see my little mouse occasionally turns into a roaring lion. “Why are you smiling? What about you giving me fifteen million dollars sounds funny to you?” “It’s already done. Now, are you ready to go get your stuff from your grandmother’s?” I ask her. “Fine,” she growls, crossing her arms over her chest, knowing she can’t win. “You know why I did it, don’t you?” I ask her softly, picking up her small hand and intertwining her fingers with mine. “No.” “Now it’s just me and you. There is no money hanging over your head, making you feel guilty. You can do what you like.” I lift her hand, kissing it. “Except leaving me—that you cannot do.” “But I could. There were no stipulations,” she whispers, sounding like there are tears in her voice. “There are no stipulations,” I confirm, watching her eyes close. “You’re crazy, but thank you,” she says quietly, making it all worth it. And really, that money is nothing but a drop in the bucket. I know in the long run that as long as I have her, I couldn’t care less about the money. “Now, let’s get your stuff and then go out to dinner. What do you say?” I ask, watching her smile. “I’d like that,” she replies, leaning over and kissing my cheek. Pulling away from the curb, we head across town to one of the wealthy neighborhoods. There was a time I thought about buying one of the houses over on this side of the city, but at the time, it was just me and I wasn’t planning on having a family. Now that I have Fern, I might reconsider moving. I want any kids that we have to have their own bedrooms, and a backyard. Pulling down the block ten minutes later, my anger is back tenfold when I see all of Fern’s belongings are outside on the sidewalk in front of her grandmother’s house, covered in paint and garbage. “Oh no,” she whispers, covering her mouth. “No, please stop!” she cries when she sees I’m going to speed up and drive by. “Baby, it’s all ruined,” I point out to her. “We’ll get you new stuff.” “I have to see if my jewelry box is there,” she sobs, fumbling with the handle of the door and swinging it open before I have a chance to put the car in park. Following her out of the car, I ask her softly, “What does it look like?” “It’s pink and has a ballerina on the top of it,” she says, digging frantically under stuff until she comes up with the small box. “It’s here,” she whispers, opening the top and pulling out a necklace from the confines before dropping the box back into the pile of garbage. “What is it?” I ask her, seeing the sadness in her eyes as she grasps a chain in her hand. “It was my mom’s,” she says, holding it up and placing it around her neck.

“Did she leave it for you?” I ask while leading her back to the car and helping her in. “No, I found it in Granddad’s desk drawer at his office, along with her picture.” She smiles a sad smile. Buckling her in, I kiss her lips, whispering, “I’m sorry, baby.” “It’s okay. I don’t remember her, and every time I would ask about her, Grandma would act like she never existed, but this necklace is the one thing that proves she was around at one time. In the picture, she was wearing it and holding Granddad’s hand.” She smiles, placing her hand on my cheek. “I think my grandpa loved her.” “I bet he did,” I agree, still pissed at the old man for not protecting his granddaughter and daughter, from what it sounds like. Placing one last kiss on her cheek, I walk around the car and slide in behind the wheel. “We’re going to go out to dinner another night, baby. We need to get you some clothes,” I tell her, watching her face scrunch up. “I hate shopping.” “Really? Don’t most women love it?” “I guess, but I used to have to follow Grandma around for hours while she shopped, and I hated it,” she confides. “Didn’t you get stuff for yourself?” “Sometimes, but I still hate shopping. If I buy stuff, I just order it online.” “Well, let’s get you some stuff to hold you over, and then you can just order the rest and have it delivered,” I suggest. “That works for me.” “Where to?” I ask, and she shrugs then answers, “Old Navy.” “You’re not shopping at Old Navy.” I shake my head in disbelief. “Okay,” she says, and I hear it in her tone and know right away that’s what has always been done to her; her opinions or wants are always ignored. “Old Navy it is,” I mutter, watching as her face lights up while I mutter, “Fuck,” under my breath. Four hours later, I’m happy as fuck to shove the rest of Fern’s clothes into the trunk of the car, which is now overflowing with shopping bags, most from Old Navy. But three large black ones have made the trip worth it, because I picked out the shit in them and can’t wait to see how my Fern looks covered with lace and silk. Speeding through downtown, I make the trip in half the time and leave my car with the doorman, giving him instructions to leave the stuff outside the penthouse door when he brings it up. Then I pick up Fern, who squeaks as I carry her inside, through the doors, and straight into the elevator, which is thankfully empty. Once the door closes, blocking us from view, I lift her in my arms until her legs wrap around my hips then hold her to the wall, pulling her dress up around her waist. Growling when I see she doesn’t have any panties on, I dip my face closer to her and order, “You’re never to leave the house without panties, baby, unless you want me to beat your ass until it’s red and you can’t walk for a week.” “I won’t do it again,” she promises, but I see a heat in her eyes that makes me wonder if the idea of me spanking her makes her hot. Running two fingers through her folds, I find my answer then hold it up for her to see. “Looks like you want me to spank you,” I tell her, flicking my tongue over my fingers and tasting the sweetest ambrosia I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. “I don’t.” She shakes her head, twisting her hips against me, rocking her hot pussy over the length of my cock through my jeans.

Pulling my hand back, I spank her twice—not hard, but just enough to cause her eyes to flare. Then I dip my fingers back between her legs, finding even more liquid heat. “Don’t lie to me,” I say as I slide my fingers into her, sawing them in and out, watching as her face softens and her head falls back. “You’re a greedy girl, aren’t you? “No,” she denies while riding my fingers hard. “You are,” I tell her, carrying her off the elevator when we arrive and walking her to the bedroom. “Lose the dress,” I command, pulling my shirt off quickly, not wanting to miss anything about this moment. Her hands go to the bottom of her dress and she pulls it up slowly, showing her body inch by beautiful inch until she’s completely naked in front of me. “On the bed, lie back, and spread your legs.” Getting onto the bed, she crawls slowly, looking like the most erotic sight I have ever seen. Then, with the grace of a cat, she moves to her back and bends her legs at the knees, spreading them. Unzipping my jeans and kicking them to the side, I palm myself, watching her eyes heat as they roam over me. Moving to the end of the bed, my eyes devour her and the way she looks spread out for me. Placing my knees on the bed, I use my free hand to spread her legs wider then lean over her to lick away the juices that are dripping out of her. Hearing her moan and feeling her hands in my hair eggs me on as I work to make sure she’s ready to take me. I want her soft and drenched when I enter her the first time, and the best way to do that is to bring her to orgasm. I don’t want her thinking about the pain when I take her cherry. Licking her, I use the fingers of one hand to spread her open then take my hand off my cock and roam my fingers up her inner thighs. Then, sinking into her, I fuck her with my fingers, dipping in and out of her over and over, purposely missing her g-spot while I focus all of my energy on her clit until I feel her pussy clamp down on me. I curl my fingers up and rub vigorously across the spot I know will have her screaming, until her orgasm erupts through her, soaking my face. Kissing her little clit one last time, I move up her body until I’m hovering over her, feeling the head of my cock brush against the sweetest heat it has ever felt. “You’re mine, Fern, for eternity,” I tell her, adjusting and slowly sliding into her as her legs and arms wrap around me. Pushing her hair away from her face, I pause when I feel the barrier of her innocence against the head of my cock. Locking my eyes with hers, I know this is what I have always wanted, something that is mine and only mine. “How are you feeling?” I ask through gritted teeth as she wiggles below me. “Full,” she whispers, even though I feel her trying to get more of me. “So greedy,” I rumble as I push through the thin obstacle, sliding in until I’m balls-deep inside of her. Watching her face, I wait until her eyes open and she looks at me. “Carter,” she moans, circling her hips. “I’m here, baby,” I murmur, kissing her slowly as I slide out an inch then back in. Leaning back, I watch her eyes darken as I bump her cervix on each downward stroke. I’m so close to coming that I know I won’t last. This is the sweetest torture I have ever felt, and knowing it’s mine only makes it that much better. “I think...” She moans, pressing her head back into the pillow as her pussy squeezes me like a vise. “Let it go. I want to feel it,” I groan, feeling her orgasm begin to pull me over with her as she pulses around me hard. “Fuck!” I roar, planting myself deep inside her as my cum shoots all over her womb. Coming back to myself, I feel her arms and legs are wrapped tightly around me, and feel wetness on my chest, where her face is buried. “Did I hurt you?” I ask, pulling away from her so I can see her face. “No. It was so...it was so beautiful,” she cries.

“No crying, baby,” I hush her, rolling to my back and pulling her to lay on top of me, both of us falling asleep with me still deep inside her.

Chapter 8 Fern Feeling something licking over my clit, I moan and squeeze my eyes closed tighter, not wanting to ruin the moment by waking up. “Morning, beautiful.” Peeking one eye open then the other, I look down my body, realizing I’m now naked, or maybe I never even put anything on last night before I went to sleep. “Play with your nipples,” Carter demands in a tone that has me wanting to do anything to please him. Raising my hands to my breasts, I roll my fingers over my nipples, lifting my pussy higher into his mouth and circling my hips until he rewards me with two fingers plunging deep inside me. I’m still a little sore from losing my virginity a couple days ago, but I love the way he feels inside me, so I would never deny him. Flipping me to my belly and bending one of my knees, his big body blankets mine as his fingers run over my sides before he straightens my arms. He locks his fingers with my own as he slides inside me, this position hitting something different as he moves slowly, whispering into my ear, “You’re so fucking beautiful.” “Carter,” is all I can manage to whimper. “You have the sweetest pussy, baby. I love knowing how close my cock is to your womb on each thrust. I can’t wait until my seed fills you and takes root,” he groans in my ear, which causes my pussy to tighten around him. “You want that, baby? You want my cum in your womb?” “I want all of it,” I whisper, feeling him bump my cervix. “It’s yours, Fern. All of it belongs to you,” he says, fucking me harder then pulling me up onto my hands and knees, every thrust causing his balls to slap against my clit. “I’m coming!” I scream as wave after wave of a breathtaking orgasm slides over me suddenly, so quickly I don’t even have a chance to prepare for the moment as I’m pulled under. “Fuck, you made me come,” he growls, pulling me out from under the tide by spanking my ass over and over until my body is bent double and I’m coming again, this time harder than the first. Each time my core contracts, I feel him shoot deep inside me until I’m so full of his cum it’s dripping down my inner thighs. “I need to teach you how to hold off your orgasm,” he grunts against my ear. Turning to look at him, I whisper, “Why?” through panted breaths. “Control, baby.” He smiles. “The longer you can hold it, the bigger it will be.” He kisses my brow. “I came hard,” I tell him, feeling my cheeks get red, which is dumb, because he’s still inside of me and probably knows my body better than I do. “You can come harder.” He grins, making my heart beat harder. “Okay,” I whisper, liking the look on his face. His eyes go soft and he rolls me to my back then slides back inside me, showing me how holding off my orgasm can make it that much bigger and better. ~**~

Pulling out my cell phone when it buzzes, I’m surprised to see a text from Cathy. We haven’t really spoken since I left my grandmother’s house two months ago. Really, I think the only reason she was even friendly to me was because of who my family is, and because her mother and my grandmother are good friends. Cathy: Can you meet me in the bathroom over on E-hall? Me: I’ll be there in two minutes. I type back quickly, slamming my locker closed. Making it to E-hall takes me a few minutes, because the bell announcing school is being let out chimes in the halls when I’m halfway there, causing the halls to overflow with people. Pushing open the door to the restroom, I hear someone sobbing inside and move toward the sound of distress, finding Cathy sitting on one of the toilets with her face in her hands. “What happened?” I ask, and her head lifts and her eyes meet mine. “I found out Byron was sleeping with Trisha. Can you believe that?” she asks on a sob. I actually can believe it, since they had been dating before Cathy decided to go after him, stealing him away from Trisha. But I’m not going to say that to her, seeing the hurt in her eyes. Instead, I pull some tissue off the roll next to her and place it in her hand. “It will be okay, Cathy,” I tell her softly. I hate seeing people cry. Even if we have never been very good friends, I wouldn’t wish her situation on anyone. I would be heartbroken if Carter did something like this to me. I have no idea how it happened, or when exactly, but I have fallen in love with a man who had always seemed unattainable. The craziest part is I know he loves me. I feel it in every touch, hear it in every soft word. I know it down to my very being that he’s meant for me. I also know, because he gave me the exact amount of money I would have gotten if I had followed the stipulations of my grandfather’s will, only his gift to me didn’t come with any kind of rules or requirements on my part. I could walk away from him tomorrow and start a life somewhere else if I wanted to. Not that I want to. For once in my life, I’m happy. Our age difference scares me to death, but like last night, when I mentioned to him that he’s ten years older than me, he just shook his head and pulled me into his lap, telling me that in a few years it wouldn’t even matter. The only reason it seems taboo now is because I’m still in school. He’s so sure about us that he’s constantly making love to me without any kind of protection, even knowing I’m not on any form of birth control and have told him over and over I may get pregnant. Really, I think that eggs him on. He wants me to have his child. Placing my hand on my stomach, I wonder if I’m already carrying his baby. “Are you even listening to me?” Cathy cries, tugging on my hand. I shake my head and murmur, “Sorry, I have a lot on my mind right now.” “I don’t want to be alone. Do you think you can come home with me? We can order pizza and eat ice cream, like old times?” she pleas. Feeling guilty, I nod without thinking, and her face transforms in front of my eyes, her tears drying up as she stands. “Great, I’ll call a town car to take us,” she says happily. “Can I use your phone?” she asks, seeing me pull the phone that Carter bought me out of my pocket so I can send a message to him, telling him what’s going on so he isn’t worried about me. “Um...sure,” I mutter as she takes the phone from my grasp, and then I watch as she fumbles with it, right before it falls into the toilet. “Oh no,” she breathes, covering her mouth, looking at the phone that is now in the water.

“Don’t worry; I have mine,” she says, moving from the stall, putting the phone to her ear, and requesting a cab. Pulling my phone out of the toilet with two fingers, I take it to the sink and wrap it in a paper towel then wash my hands. I have no idea if Carter is going to be mad about the phone. I doubt it, but I know he will be worried if I don’t call him. “Can I use your phone?” I ask her, shoving my now waterlogged cell phone into my backpack. “Sure, when we get in the cab. It should be here now,” she says easily, walking out of the bathroom. Following behind her down the hall and out the front door of the school, I see there is a black town car out front with the windows tinted. Walking to the cab, Cathy opens the door and slides across the seat. Following her in, as I get into the backseat, I notice a familiar smell as my eyes adjust to the darkness of the interior of the vehicle, and I see my grandmother and a large man wearing a dark suit sitting across from me. “Thank you for your assistance, Cathy,” my grandmother says from the seat across from me, pulling an envelope out of her purse. “You’re welcome,” Cathy says happily, taking the envelope from my grandmother before opening the door to the car and getting out. Realizing what’s happening, I scurry across the seat in an attempt to follow her out of the car, but large arms wrap around my waist, stopping me before I can make it. “Please don’t!” I scream, feeling the tips of my fingers run over the door handle. “I have to get the devil out of you,” I hear my grandmother say right before something sharp stabs me in the side of the neck and everything goes black.

Chapter 9 Carter Looking at my cell phone when it rings, I’m surprised to see Max, Fern’s bodyguard, calling. Since the moment I hired him after the funeral, things have been quiet. I was worried for a while that Fern’s grandmother would do something to try and get back at her, but as far as I know, she has been keeping a low profile. It may have helped that I explained to my father what went down, and he went and had a chat of his own with Mrs. McCauley, explaining to her that now that Fern was mine, she had a huge family at her back, and if she thought about doing anything else to cause Fern distress, her lifestyle would be changing drastically. My parents both love Fern. My mom was a little worried at first, but once my father reminded her that he too is ten years older than her, she settled. Yesterday, she had my grandmother’s ring delivered to my office. I think she was trying to hint I need to stop fucking around and put a ring on Fern’s finger, and that is my plan. Picking up the phone, I step out of the meeting I’m in and walk toward the large wall of windows in the hall, shoving my hand in my pocket. “Max,” I greet then feel my body go tight when I hear the sound of his voice. “Fern just got in a town car with a girl named Cathy.” “And?” I growl. “The young lady got into the car, Fern followed her in, and then Cathy got out the other side a couple moments later before the cab pulled away with Fern still inside,” he says, and I feel like my heart was just ripped out of my chest. “Are you still following them?” I ask, jogging across the building to my office and grabbing my keys. “Yes, we’re on the Westside Highway now.” “Do not let them out of your sight. I’m getting in my car now,” I roar. “I won’t,” he says firmly, and I hear his car’s engine rev in the background. Rushing down to my Bugatti, I get in and speed out of the parking garage then head uptown through traffic until I hit the Westside Highway. Pressing call on my phone, I grit my teeth when I hit a red light. “Where are you?” I ask. “We’re heading toward the Bronx. How far out are you?” Max asks. “If the fucking light would change, I would be there,” I spit out then say fuck it and swing my car around the two cars in front of me, pressing the gas and switching lanes until I’m out of the congestion of the city and halfway to the Bronx. “We’re pulling up to a building at two-fifty Sixth Street,” he tells me, and my heart starts to pound in my chest. “Do not let them take her inside. I’ll be there in two minutes,” I tell him, cutting through traffic as I exit the highway. “They won’t,” he assures me, hanging up. Speeding through the narrow side streets, I put my car in park across from the building and run across the street, seeing Max is out of his car with a gun pointed at a large man holding Fern in his arms. Her

face is pale, her body is completely limp, and her head is rolled to the side at an awkward angle. Without thinking, I walk directly toward them. “Give me my fucking woman now,” I thunder as I get close to him. “This is just a job, man,” the guy holding Fern says, looking between Max and me. “You’re going to die for your job in a second,” I tell him honestly. “The lady took off,” he says, looking across the roof of the car to the open door. “That’s my woman in your arms. I don’t give a fuck if you were doing a job or not. If you don’t give her to me, I will order my man to take you out,” I promise. “Tell him to lower his gun,” he says, nodding toward Max. “Give her to me and I will,” I assure him, watching the way Fern seems to be fighting for each breath she’s taking. “Please, don’t shoot me,” he says to Max over my shoulder as he hands Fern to me, whose body feels cold to the touch. “What did you give her?” I ask, feeling Max come up to my side. “I don’t know what it was,” he confesses. “Max, I need you to stay with him until the cops get here. I’m going to take Fern to the hospital,” I say as I start off toward my car. “You can’t call the cops!” the guy shouts. “Cops are on their way, and Max, if he moves, shoot him,” I toss over my shoulder as I quickly cross the street with Fern in my arms. Once I have her in the passenger seat, I rush around the car and get in behind the wheel. Picking up my cell, I ask Siri where the nearest hospital is and, thankfully, it’s only seven minutes away. When we pull up to the emergency entrance, I get out and move around to get Fern out of the car while ignoring the guy who is yelling at me that I can’t park here. Carrying her inside, I’m relieved when a nurse approaches us. “Is she okay?” the older woman asks, looking at Fern. “No, she was drugged and she may be pregnant. She needs a doctor now.” “Bring her in here,” she says gently, leading me into one of the rooms. Placing her on the bed, I step back when the room fills with nurses and doctors. “Do you know what she took?” “She didn’t take anything. She was drugged,” I explain, watching as one of the nurses takes a vial of blood from her arm. “We have a puncture wound here, Doctor.” One of the other nurses points out a spot on Fern’s neck that is slowly forming a bruise. My hands clench into fists at my sides and I take deep breaths to fight back the rage that is consuming me. I’m going to kill her grandmother. I know she did this. I know that, for whatever reason, she was going to hurt my beautiful girl, and there is no way I will let her live to see another day. She could have killed her. “Blood test is positive for pregnancy,” a nurse says, stepping into the room. My knees go weak and my eyes lock on my woman, who is unconscious in a bed that makes her look a million times smaller than she already is. When she gets out of here—not if, but when she gets out of here —I will never let her out of my sight again. She will be at work with me, at home with me, and there will never be a time I will leave her alone for something like this to happen again. Moving to the bed, I place my hand on Fern’s stomach and wrap my hand around hers at her side. “Sir, I’m going to need you to stand back so I can start an IV,” one of the nurses says, wrapping her hand around my shoulder.

“Sure,” I agree, moving back against the wall, watching as they all work. I don’t even know how long I stand there, but eventually, the nurses start to dispel from the room one-by-one until we are left alone. Sitting in the chair next to Fern’s bed, I take her hand in mine and rest my head against her side, praying for the first time in years. “Is she okay?” Looking up, I find my dad and mom standing in the doorway. “She hasn’t woken up. They started an IV in hopes to flush her system. The drug tests haven’t come back, but they are hoping it was just a sedative and she will wake up on her own.” “Oh my,” my mom whispers, coming toward the bed with her mouth covered by her hand. “She’s pregnant,” I tell them, watching my mom’s eyes fill with tears. I didn’t want to tell them like this, but I needed to tell someone. I needed to say it out loud to make it more real. “She doesn’t even know yet,” I say, resting my hand on her stomach. “I’m...we’re so happy for you, son,” Dad chokes out. “You gave her the ring,” my mom says, pointing at Fern’s left hand. “She doesn’t know about that yet, either,” I mutter. I hear my dad chuckle, and my mom mumbles, “Just like your dad. I don’t even think he asked me to marry him. It was like one day we were dating, and then he took me to the courthouse and married me. Lord, your grandmother hated him for years for doing that.” She smiles as my dad kisses her cheek. “I asked you to marry me when we said our vows,” my dad reminds her with a smile. “Darling, my mom still hates you for not having the chance to plan the wedding.” “She would have taken too long.” “That’s true.” She smiles as my dad kisses her cheek. Watching them, I know I’m doing the right thing, that Fern is to me what my mom is to my dad. Holding her hand a little tighter, I lay my other hand over her stomach and will her to wake up.

Chapter 10 Carter “Carter.” Hearing my name and feeling fingers run through my hair, my head lifts and my gaze meets the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. “Hey, baby.” I sit up and press the call button near her hip so the doctor will come. “Stay down,” I tell her, placing my hand against her chest when she begins to sit up. “What happened?” “You’re at the hospit—” “My grandmother,” she whimpers, and tears begin to fill her eyes. Sitting down on the side of the bed, I hold her face between my hands. “Shhh, she will never touch you again.” “She injected me with something an—” “You’re safe,” I cut her off. I don’t want her to think about any of that right now. Not when my child —our child—is growing inside of her. “How about you try and drink some water?” “Where is she?” she asks, placing her hands over mine and taking a sip from the plastic cup I hold in front of her. “My guys are looking for her,” I assure her, running my hand over her hair. “We’re happy to see you’re awake,” the doctor says, coming into the room and turning off the alarm on the side of the bed. “We’ve been waiting for you to wake up.” “How long was I asleep?” she asks, pulling her eyes from the doctor to look at me. “About sixteen hours.” “Sixteen hours,” she repeats as her face loses color. “The good news is you’re free to go home as soon as you’re up and out of bed.” “Are you sure that’s safe?” I ask, frowning at the doctor. “Maybe we should get a second opinion.” “I have been the head doctor at this hospital for the last ten years. I am the second opinion.” “Then I want a third opinion.” “Carter, it’s okay. I’m fine.” Fern’s quiet voice cuts me off before I can say anything else. “You’re not fine!” I snarl then gentle my tone and repeat, “You’re not fine.” “I just want to go home,” she whispers, and tears fill her eyes, making me feel torn between forcing her to stay here and giving her what she wants. “If something happens to her once we leave, I’m holding you responsible,” I say, turning towards the doctor, watching his chest puff out and his nostrils flare. We stare at each other for a few seconds before he finally takes his eyes off me and looks at Fern. “I’ll send in a nurse,” he says before leaving me glaring after him. “I’m okay,” Fern says softly from behind me, and I turn my glare on her. “Stop saying you’re okay,” I roar, watching her jump. “Fuck.” I run my hand through my hair in frustration.

“The doctor said you were up. Let me help you to the bathroom, and then you’re free to go home,” a nurse says, walking into the room before I can apologize, and swiftly moves to Fern’s side, where she unhooks the small alarm on Fern’s finger and helps her stand from the bed. Watching her go into the bathroom, I pull in a breath. My worry for her is making me irrational, and she doesn’t need that right now. She doesn’t even know she’s pregnant. Shaking my head, I pull my cell phone out of my pocket and send a text to Max, telling him to meet us downstairs in fifteen. When Fern comes out of the restroom with the nurse, I feel my hackles rise as the nurse asks her something quietly, and Fern’s face turns a deep shade of red as she nods. “As I just told your girlfriend, the doctor says you’re free to go, but to make sure you aren’t doing anything too exerting during sex for at least a few weeks.” “You don’t think I fucking know that?” I growl, ripping my hand through my hair, watching the nurse shrug and Fern shoulders slump forward in embarrassment. “If you’re done, I’d like to get my fiancée home, where she can rest,” I tell the woman, who presses her lips together in annoyance then moves to the door, closing it behind her. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s get you changed,” I prompt Fern, who looks from the closed door back to me then raises her hand and frowns when she notices the ring on her finger. “Carter?” “We’ll talk about it when we get home,” I say, moving to where she’s standing, taking her hand in mine and pulling her towards the bed. “This looks like an engagement ring.” “It is,” I agree, helping her sit then untie the flimsy gown she has on, setting the bag from the floor onto the bed and pulling out a shirt and sweats. “You told that nurse I was your fiancée.” “You are,” I state, getting down on my knees in front of her and placing a kiss on her abdomen then slipping her feet through the legs of the sweats. I help her stand, pulling them up her thighs and over her ass. “Carter,” she whispers, and my eyes meet hers once I have her shirt pulled down over her stomach. “When we get home, we’ll talk, Fern.” “Okay, when we get home,” she agrees, and I lift the bag to my shoulder and pick her up with an arm under her knees and one behind her back as her hands wrap around my neck. I then carry her from the room, glaring at anyone who even looks our way. Once we reach the front entrance, I see Max standing next to the SUVs with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at a cop who is ripping off a ticket while muttering under his breath. Ignoring their exchange, I get Fern into the back seat and buckle her in then walk around to the driver’s side door, gaining a strange look from Max, which I ignore as he gets into the passenger seat. There is no way I will trust anyone with Fern now, and I don’t give a fuck if I’m acting irrational. Pulling up in front of our building, I get out and go around the back, telling Max to stand back while I help Fern out of the SUV. I adjust her in my arms so I can carry her inside, receiving a few looks from people as we pass them on the way to the elevator. Once we reach the condo, I don’t set her down until we’re in the room then I help her out of the clothes I just put on her. I take off my own before going to the shower and holding her against me as we get in under the warm water. “I was scared, beautiful...so fucking scared I would never have you in my arms again,” I tell her honestly, burying my face against her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she whispers against my chest. “I won’t be able to let you out of my sight again, not for a long time,” I tell her, adjusting her legs around my hips and sliding into her, not moving, just needing to feel her surrounding me and in my arms. “I was scared too,” she whimpers.

“I know, I know,” I murmur, running my hand down her now wet hair. We stand like that for a long time, with her in my arms, my cock buried deep inside her. When I carry her out of the shower and to the bed, laying her under me, I move slowly and gently, feeling her walls grasp me as her limbs wrap tightly around me, and we both come, clinging to each other before I roll us to our sides so I don’t hurt her. “I’m pregnant.” Tilting my head down to see her eyes, I slide my hand through her hair, pushing the wet strands back away from her face, trying to understand the look in her eyes. “The nurse told me,” she says, and I fight back the anger I’m feeling at not being able to tell her myself, knowing she doesn’t need that on her mind right now. “I know, baby.” “Is that why you gave me the ring?” she whispers, raising her hand between us, looking at the antique four-carat ring that has been in my family for generations. “No,” I state firmly, moving her back under me and sliding back inside her. “I love you, beautiful, so damn much,” I whisper into her ear while stroking in and out of her slowly, our bodies moving in sync. Lifting her hips, I slide deeper, fighting myself for control, when all I want to do is fuck her so hard that everyone in the building knows what we’re doing. “Your pussy is so fucking wet for me, Fern, so wet.” I groan, taking her mouth in a deep kiss, forcing my tongue between her lips and tangling it with hers. Tasting her on my tongue has me craving more of her. Slipping out of her, I kiss the tip of her nipple then lick over the puckering bud before blowing across it, watching it tighten further. Sliding my fingers over her stomach then pubic bone before rolling over her clit in the lightest touch, I then slide them lower, entering her with two, scissoring them and moving in and out of her. Hearing her moan, I kiss and nibble my way down her body before settling myself between her spread thighs. I lick between my fingers, which are slick with her juices, pressing my aching cock into the bed to alleviate the pressure. I lick up her center and land on her clit, pulling it into my mouth. Her body lifts off the bed and her hands go to the sheets, fisting the material between her fingers. Flicking her clit with my tongue as my fingers move in and out of her quickly, I lap up as much of her sweet juices as I can, not wanting to waste a single drop. “Carter.” My name leaves her mouth on a breathy moan. Groaning against her, my fingers move faster and I pull her clit into my mouth, biting down then sucking hard. I feel her fingers run through my hair, grasping it tightly. I press my cock harder into the bed, needing to calm down before I lose control and hurt her or our child. Screaming my name, her hips raise and she holds my face tighter against her as her hot cunt squeezes down on my fingers and she floods my mouth with her orgasm. Kissing her clit one last time, I wipe my chin on her inner thigh then kiss up her belly and slide into her, resting my forehead against her collarbone as her pussy spasms around me. “Fuck, baby, you feel so good,” I tell her, raising my head above hers. “So fucking good, Fern.” I move slowly, our bodies sliding against each other’s easily as perspiration coats our skin. Her legs lift, wrapping tight around my ass, pulling me deeper into her depths. “Oh, God,” she whimpers as her nails dig into my back. “I feel it, beautiful. Squeeze me tight. Fuck, just like that,” I growl, burying myself balls-deep inside of her as her orgasm pulls me over the edge, sucking every last drop of cum from me. Rolling to my back with her in my arms and my cock still buried inside her, I pull the covers up from the bottom of the bed and toss them over us. Listening to her breathing even out while my hand runs over her hair, I eventually follow her off to sleep.

Chapter 11 Carter Walking out of my office, I hear the tinkling of Fern’s laughter coming from somewhere on the office floor, which surprises me. She was pissed two minutes ago, when she walked out of my office in a huff because I told her she couldn’t go get lunch for us without me. Since she got out of the hospital a month ago, I still haven’t felt safe having her out of my sight. I know she’s feeling trapped, but I don’t give a fuck. Until my men find her grandmother, this is the way it’s going to be. Then again, I’m not sure things will change after her grandmother is brought in. Walking down the hall, I pause at the door to the copy room and rage fills me. Fern is standing with her back to me, the pencil skirt she’s wearing clinging tightly to her ass, her cream-colored sheer top allowing a glimpse at her lacy bra through the back. I have no idea how I didn’t notice her outfit before this, but seeing Galvin, a lawyer five years younger than me, standing next to her, I see it clear as fucking day. “What’s going on?” I bark when Fern laughs again. Jumping, she turns to look at me over her shoulder then pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose, smiling. “You have to see this video Galvin showed me,” she says, touching his arm before turning fully towards me. Narrowing my eyes on Galvin, I glare before turning my attention back to Fern. “Go wait in my office,” I say, trying to speak with much more softness than I feel. “Carter?” she whispers, looking unsure as she studies me. “Now,” I hiss, pointing to the door, waiting until she’s out of sight before turning my attention to Galvin. “Stay the fuck away from her.” “I was only showing her a video.” He frowns. “Do I look like I give a fuck?” “Chill out, man. It was innocent.” “What did you just say?” I ask, taking a step towards him, moving my face an inch from his, praying he says something so I can lay his ass out. I know he’s telling the truth, but I can’t see through the red that is covering my vision. “What’s going on here?” my father asks, pressing his hand to my chest as he steps between us. “Just laying down some ground rules,” I tell him, not taking my eyes off Galvin as I step back and straighten my tie. “We need to talk in my office, son,” Dad says, and I hear something in his tone that has my eyes going to him. “Let me look in on Fern first,” I tell him, and he nods. “Galvin, let’s go get a coffee,” my dad says as I turn for the door. Doubling my pace, I walk into my office and slam the door behind me. “Carter,” Fern whispers as I prowl towards her, watching her back up until her ass hits my desk. Caging her in, I fist my hands in the fabric of her skirt and pull it roughly up over her ass then turn her around to face the desk. I place my hand at the back of her neck, pushing her face forward until she’s bent at the waist then spank her three times hard.

“Carter,” she moans my name, letting me know she’s not hurting but turned on. Looking down, I see she’s wearing a lacy cream thong. Wrapping my fist around the flimsy material, I yank. Moaning, she tries to lift her head to look at me, but I keep her immobilized as my fingers run down the crack of her ass and plunge into her. She’s already soaked, which is good, because I don’t want to hurt her. Roughly, I fuck her with my fingers, bringing her close to orgasm before stilling my movements then repeat again and again until she’s crying out in frustration. “Who owns you, Fern?” I growl, bending over her body so my mouth is near her ear as I bring her closer to another orgasm. “Who owns this cunt? Who do you belong to?” I snarl, stilling my hand as her body bucks back, begging me to continue. “You do,” she moans. Removing my fingers, I unhook my belt and free my cock, wrapping my hand tightly around the base. “Is this what you want?” I question, running the head of my dick up and down her slit. “God, yes.” “Tell me,” I snarl. “I want it.” “What do you want?” I whisper against her ear, feeling her shiver. “I want your cock,” she cries, and I slam deep inside her. Her walls convulse around me as her juices coat my cock and balls. Sliding in and out of her slowly, I don’t know how long I will be able to hold off. She’s so fucking hot that it feels like her pussy is on fire. Holding her in place by the back of her neck, I slide my free hand around her waist and roll my fingers over her clit then move my hand from the back of her neck to cover her mouth as she screams out her orgasm. Slamming deep three more times, I plant myself behind her then bend forward and growl my orgasm into her neck as her cunt milks every last drop of cum out of me. Biting down on the skin of her neck, I pull it into my mouth, sucking hard enough that I know it will bruise. “You’re mine, Fern. Don’t ever forget it,” I tell her, pulling my weight off of her. “I’m having your baby and wearing your ring. It’s kinda hard to forget who I belong to,” she whispers, closing her eyes, and I see a small smile playing on her mouth. Fuck, I love this woman. “Love you, beautiful.” Opening her eyes, her gaze meets mine over her shoulder as her hands move to the top of the desk and I help her stand. Turning to face me, her hand comes up and her fingers run along my jaw. “I love you, and I only want you, Carter,” she says softly as her gaze searches mine. Fuck, I have never felt like this before. She drags all of my primal instincts to the surface. I need to know she’s mine, because I’m all hers. She owns me...every part of me. “You own me, Fern,” I confess, wrapping one hand around the back of her neck, the other around her waist, so I can drag her flush against me. “Ditto.” She smiles, looking up at me, and I can’t believe she’s mine. Her skin is still rosy from her orgasm, her eyes heated with desire and love. She’s so damn beautiful. Leaning my forehead against hers for a brief moment, I then lead her into my private bathroom and get both of us cleaned up. “I need to talk to my dad for a minute. Wait here, and when I get back, we’ll go get some food then head home early,” I tell her, leading her over to the couch. “Is everything okay?” she asks, and I nod, kissing her forehead then mouth. “Everything’s fine. Lay down and rest. I’ll be back in just a minute.” “I’m not tired.” “Fern.” I growl her name, thinking she’s going to put up a fight about staying in my office. “I’ll stay here, but I’m not tired, so I’ll finish working on my final.”

“Good,” I agree, gaining an eye roll from her. Giving her one more kiss, I leave my office, walk down the hall to my dad’s, and enter without knocking. “What did you need?” I ask, shutting the door behind me and walking toward his desk. “Have a seat.” “If this is about Galvin, I already know,” I tell him, running a hand through my hair, pissed that I need to apologize to the guy, even though I still don’t want him, or any man for that matter, close to Fern. “It’s not about Galvin, and trust me; I know what that was. You should have seen me with your mom back in the day. If it wasn’t impolite to piss circles around her, I would have done just that to keep other men away.” He chuckles, earning a smile from me. “So what’s it about then?” I question, taking a seat in front of him. “Fern’s grandmother was found this afternoon, and she was taken into police custody an hour ago.” “So it’s done.” I breathe a sigh of relief. “Not quite. We still have to prove she was responsible for what happened to Fern, and the man who was arrested claims he doesn’t know who the woman was. And the girl that led Fern into the car says she wasn’t involved and believes Fern was lying because they fell out as friends.” “Fern saw her. She’s a witness,” I protest. “She also has a reason to lie. You have to think about this like a lawyer, not like the man in love with the victim.” “Fuck,” I growl, knowing he’s right. Her attorney would use Fern’s relationship with me and her grandmother as a defense against her. “Is there anything else we can go on? Anything else that will put her away for good?” he asks, sitting back in his chair. “Fern’s mom disappeared. If we could track her down, maybe we could show a history of instability.” “When did she disappear?” Dad asks. “Shortly after Fern was born, from what I understand. I have people looking into it, but so far they haven’t come up with anything.” “I’ll put a call into Nolan and get Bernard’s information from him. If anyone can find out where Fern’s mom disappeared to, it will be him,” he says, referring to a lawyer at another firm’s security detail, the same man who was able to figure out who was after his wife before she ended up hurt, or worse. “I’m gonna get Fern home. Send me an email after you speak with Nolan and let me know what he says. I don’t want Fern to know what’s going on until we have a better idea of how we’re going to proceed,” I tell him, standing. “Just take care of her and my grandbaby for now, and I’ll handle the rest,” he says, getting up from his chair and walking around to where I’m standing, patting me on the back.

Chapter 12 Fern Looking over at Carter, I make sure he’s asleep before getting out of bed and picking up his shirt from the floor, covering myself with it before going down the hall to his home office. I know he’s hiding something from me. Ever since we got home from the office, he’s been on edge, but he refuses to talk to me about whatever it is that is bothering him. I know he doesn’t want to stress me out right now because of the baby, but seeing him so worried is worrying me. Turning on the computer, I wait until it loads up then sign into his email. I have no idea what I’m looking for, but tonight, when his phone pinged with an email alert, he picked it up all too quickly and went into the other room with it. Then, when he came back into the living room where I was working on my final, he seemed even more on edge, but refused to tell me what was wrong. Scanning the emails, I notice there are a lot of unread ones with subject lines like: Can we meet tonight? I haven’t felt you inside of me for so long. Call me. I’ll be in town this weekend. I miss your cock. Let’s hook back up soon. I sent you pictures of my new Brazilian. Clicking through the emails one at a time, I answer each one without thinking, telling the women they obviously need to give up because he’s not interested, and then I tell them that desperation is not attractive. Ten minutes into my email tirade, I’m startled when I hear his phone begin to ring from across the condo. “Oh, shit,” I whisper when the computer, which is obviously hooked up to his cell phone, rings as well, with the caller ID showing a woman’s name, a woman who I just emailed. Pressing decline over and over on the screen, I suck in a relieved breath when the call disappears. “Fern, what the fuck are you doing?” Jumping, my eyes go to the door and I see Carter standing there in all his naked glory, with a frown on his face and his phone in his hand. “Just surfing the web,” I grimace, trying to watch him while looking at the computer so I can shut down the screen before he sees what I’m really up to. “Really?” He raises a brow, taking a step toward me. I stand from the desk, debating on whether or not I should accidently push the computer onto the floor. “Yep, that’s all,” I say, raising my hands above my head then cover my mouth, pretending to yawn. “Let’s go back to bed. I’m sleepy.” I pout, hoping he finds it cute enough to follow me. Looking down at his phone when it beeps, he scans it quickly then looks at me again. “You’ll be happy to know that Mandy said she’s not desperate.” “That’s good for whoever Mandy is. I mean, no woman should be desperate, right?” I shrug like I have no idea what he’s talking about. “Why were you going through my email?” “What?” I squeak. “You heard me. Why, Fern?”

“I don’t know,” I tell him honestly, letting out a deep breath. “You have nothing to worry about when it comes to me and y—” “I know that,” I cut him off before he can say more. I trust him completely, and really, I don’t know what came over me a few minutes ago. Well, that’s a lie. I needed to stake my claim on him. “Then why?” “You’ve been acting strange since we got home, and then when you got an email this evening, you left the room and refused to talk to me about whatever it was, even after I asked you repeatedly. I guess I was hoping I could find out what it was that was bothering you and help in some way,” I confess all in one breath. “Your grandmother was arrested and taken into custody today.” “What?” I breathe. “There’s not enough evidence against her to keep her behind bars.” “No,” I whisper, laying my hands over my stomach, sitting back down in the chair behind me, and feeling tears fill my eyes. “This is why I didn’t want you to find out about it until we were able to find something more solid to hold her there,” he says, coming to his knees in front of me, holding my face between his palms. “I won’t let her hurt you,” he assures me, running his thumbs under my eyes, catching my tears as they fall. “I want to help. How can I help?” I ask, wrapping my arms around his neck as he lifts me from the chair and carries me down the hall to the bedroom. “Bernard is on it. He assured my dad that he will find your mom, so hopefully she can be a character witness against your grandmother.” “I think she’s dead,” I tell him—something I have been feeling for years now. His body stills and his arms tighten around me. “Why do you say that?” “I don’t know. I just always felt like she would have come for me if she wasn’t. She had to have known what her mom was like. She wouldn’t have left me if she didn’t have to,” I say on a sob. “It’s okay. We’ll figure it out. I promise. Tomorrow, I want you to sit down with Bernard and me and tell us anything you can remember,” he says, taking off my shirt before he lays me on the bed and gets in with me, tucking my head under his chin. “I can do that.” I nod into his chest. If my grandmother did kill my mom, I want to know where she is so she can be put to rest. And if she didn’t kill her, I hope I can talk to her and ask her why she left me, knowing the kind of person she was leaving me with. “Let’s get some sleep,” he murmurs, pulling the blankets up around us. “I’m sorry about your email,” I tell him, pressing a kiss to his bare chest. “No, you’re not, but it’s okay.” He chuckles, pressing a kiss to the top of my head, making me smile before I float off to sleep. ~*~*~ Waking up, my heart is pounding hard in my chest as I recall the dream I just had. “What’s the matter?” Carter asks, getting up on his elbow and looking down at me. “Bad dream,” I say, rubbing my eyes. “It’s probably just the hormones,” he says, running his hand over my hair. “The baby book said that sometime they could cause bad dreams.” “It felt so real.” I shake my head, trying to erase the memory of it. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asks, gathering me against him, and I nod against his chest.

“I was sitting outside on the grass in a big backyard with flowers all around me. It was the middle of the day, and I was little. I could barely walk, but I stood up and wobbled to a dirt pile in the yard. I started to cry when I saw the dirt was covering my mom. When she wouldn’t move, I reached down into the grave and took her necklace....then I woke up,” I say, feeling sick. “I think stress and the questions about your mom have your imagination running wild,” he says, gently kissing my forehead. “What if it was real though?” I ask in a whisper, lifting the necklace up and running my fingers over it. “My granddad had to know I took this from his drawer. He had to know, and he didn’t ever question me about it. And he never asked anyone else either.” “He knew it was something that was meant to be yours.” “I don’t know,” I mutter. I can’t get rid of the feeling it wasn’t a dream but a memory. I close my eyes. “You don’t believe it was a dream.” “I don’t,” I say, opening my eyes back up to meet his. “Where could this have happened if it wasn’t a dream?” he asks, studying me while his hand runs gently over my stomach. “I don’t know. We didn’t have a yard in the city, and I don’t remember having one when I was younger, or going anywhere that was like the place in my dream,” I tell him, wishing I knew if it was real or not. “Come with me,” he says, getting out of bed and handing me his shirt to put back on as he puts on a pair of sweats. He takes my hand and leads me out of the room and down the hall to his office. Sitting in the chair I was in last night, he pulls me down onto his lap then clicks away on the screen. Not knowing what he’s doing, I wait for him to tell me what he’s looking for. Soon, my grandfather’s information is there, detailing every account and piece of property he owned before his death. Moving through the list, he stops on a house that my grandparents owned in Connecticut around the time of my birth before selling a few years later. Pulling the address from the list, he pastes it into the internet search bar and the house pops up on a website. Clicking on the link, pictures of the home come into view, and my breath leaves me in a whoosh when I see the backyard that was in my dream. “That’s the yard,” I tell him, running my finger over the image of the flower-covered backyard. “I’m gonna make a couple of phone calls. Why don’t you go get something to eat?” “I can’t eat right now.” I frown, wondering if he’s crazy. “Fuck, when did you start talking back?” he asks. “Here,” I say, picking up the phone and handing it to him. Then I turn on his lap, resting both my legs over his, and lay my head on his chest, not wanting to push his buttons too much by laughing at him. “Fuck,” he growls, wrapping one arm tightly around me then the phone starts to beep, and a few seconds later, he’s talking to his dad. After that, he calls the police in Connecticut where the house is located, and then he calls a judge in the same area. I don’t know how many people he talks to, but I watch the time tick away on the clock for two hours before he puts the phone down and folds his arms around me. “Now, we wait.” “What’s going to happen?” “They’re going to send a forensics team to the house to scan the backyard. If anything comes back abnormal, they’ll dig and call us if they find out anything. Nodding against his chest, I close my eyes and pray. Sitting at the kitchen counter on one of the barstools, where Carter planted me, telling me I needed to eat, I look at him when his phone begins to ring. Wrapping his arms around the back of my neck, he searches my face—for what, I don’t know—then kisses my lips briefly before picking up his phone. “Hello? Yeah.” He closes his eyes then wraps his hand around the back of my head and pulls me into his chest. I know I was right. I know it wasn’t a dream without him having to tell me so. After a few more

words I don’t really hear, a loud bang sounds in the quiet condo and I know he just threw his phone into the wall. As he wraps his arms around me, I hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest. “It was her, wasn’t it?” I ask, and his arms tighten. “We can’t know for sure until they do DNA testing, but I can’t imagine it being anyone else, beautiful,” he says, sounding gutted. “She killed her,” I tell him as wetness covers my cheeks. “She didn’t leave me on purpose.” I cry in relief and sadness then wrap myself around him as he picks me up and carries me across the room. He then lays me down in the bed, holding me tightly as I cry for a mom I never knew.

Chapter 13 Carter Watching Fern walk across the stage at graduation, I can’t help but feel proud of my beautiful girl. Three weeks ago, forensics confirmed her mom was the woman buried in the shallow grave in the backyard of the house in Connecticut. I knew she needed to know if her mom had left her or not, but I didn’t know how much that information was effecting her until she got the phone call verifying what she already believed. The police were still building a case against her grandmother, but between what was found at the burial site and her history with Fern, it didn’t look like she would be getting out of jail until she was taken out in a body bag. We would never know if her grandfather knew about what happened, but I want to believe he didn’t. Standing up from my chair, I clap loud and yell as her hand wraps around her diploma. Turning, she looks at me and presses her fingers to her lips, sending a kiss my way, and my eyes land on the new ring on her finger and I smile. A week ago, I dragged her to the courthouse, much to my mother’s disapproval. I couldn’t wait any longer for her to be my wife, and I told my mom I was just keeping up with tradition. Neither of us cared about having a big wedding, and really, all I needed was everyone to know she belonged to me. ~*~*~ “Where are we going?” Fern asks, turning on my lap to look at me. “I already told you it’s a surprise,” I remind her with a kiss once again as my hand roams over her stomach that is now sporting a small bump. “Can I have a hint?” “Nope.” I smile then dig into my pocket for the blindfold I put there before we left home. Covering her eyes before we reach the airport, I lift her out of the car then carry her onto the private jet and into the backroom, laying her down on the bed. “Are we on a plane?” she asks as I nibble my way down her body, settling myself between her legs. Lifting the bottom of the dress she has on, I pull her panties to the side and distract her with my mouth and my cock until we land in Jamaica two hours later. “We’re here, baby,” I say, kissing her neck and waking her up. “Where’s here?” she asks with a smile, running her fingers through my hair. Leaning down, I ignore her question, pressing a kiss to her mouth then lifting her out of the bed. I help slip her dress back on over her head then take her hand and lead her to the front of the plane, giving the pilot a nod before stepping down the stairs of the plane, hearing Fern gasp behind me. “Welcome to Jamaica,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her once we’re both on the tarmac. As she lifts up on her tiptoes, I meet her halfway, kissing her deeply. “I can’t believe you brought me to Jamaica,” she says excitedly. Kissing her once more, I then lead her over to a car that is waiting for us. “This is so beautiful,” she says, stepping out the glass door to the balcony that leads to our private pool. Watching her lean her face back and close her eyes as the sun shines down on her, I see the outline

of her body through the white material of her dress and feel myself grow hard. Prowling toward her, I cover her mouth with my own, sweeping my tongue across her lips, earning a moan from her as her hands run up under my shirt and her nails scrape over my abs. Skimming my hands down her sides, I rip her dress up over her head. “So perfect. Fuck, you’re perfect,” I say, cupping her breasts as my eyes roam over her naked body, which has gotten more beautiful with pregnancy. “Carter,” she whimpers as I lift her against me so I can suck on her breast. Pulling at my shirt, I give her what she wants and place her on the ground, stripping out of my shirt and jeans quickly. I then duck my head and pull her breast into my mouth as my fingers slide between her legs, feeling she’s already dripping for me. Wrapping her hand around my cock, her hands slide up and down my shaft, making my vision blurry. “Hey,” she pouts as I pull away. “I’ll give it back to you,” I promise with a smirk, picking her up and carrying her out the door and through a large garden of tropical flowers. “Someone might see us,” she protests, ducking her head when I walk out onto the sand of the beach. “We’re all alone out here, just me, you, and the sun. No one will show up unless they want to die,” I assure her, gripping her ass in my hands and impaling her on my cock. “Oh,” she moans and her head tilts back. Kissing her throat, I walk toward one of the three outdoor beds and sit with her in my lap as her cunt ripples around me. “Feel how deep I am,” I say, rocking against her as my hand roams up her back and tangles in her hair. I nibble her bottom lip, her chin, and then I pull back on her hair, forcing her head backward while skimming my mouth down her neck and over her breasts, switching from one nipple to the other. She moans, and the heels of her feet dig into my back as she uses me for leverage. Lying back, I watch her pupils dilate as her hands come down on my chest and her hair falls forward around us like a curtain. “Fuck,” I growl when her head tilts back toward the sun and her breasts bob in front of me as her hips swivel and dip. Fuck, I love this woman. Lifting up, I open my mouth over hers and her tongue slides across mine. Growling, I hold down her hips as I raise mine in fast thrusts, watching her back arch and her hands move to hold onto her breasts, pulling her already tight nipples, which sends her hot, drenched cunt into overdrive as she milks my cock. Waiting until she comes back to herself, I flip her to her knees and sink back into her as my hand roams around her waist, zeroing in on her clit. Her head flies back and a loud whimper leaves her mouth as my thrusts slow, but my fingers speed up, bringing her closer to the edge as my cock head runs over her g-spot while hitting the underside of my shaft just right. “Do you want my cum, beautiful?” I ask, and her answer is a loud cry. Picking up speed, I pinch her clit, sending her over then thrust fast once...twice...then throw my head back and roar my release. Kissing her back, I pull out, watching my cum drip out of her and down her thighs. Gathering her limp body in my arms, I carry her toward the water. Wading out until we’re waist deep, I adjust her, wrapping her legs around my hips. “It’s so beautiful,” she whispers, looking out at the ocean as the sun sets on the horizon. She’s right, but nothing compares to the beauty that is Fern.

Epilogue Carter “Suck my cock, Fern, like a good little girl, and I’ll give you what you want,” I tell my beautiful wife, watching as my whole cock disappears into her mouth and down her throat. “Good girl,” I groan, petting lightly over the folds of her pussy, still not giving her what she craves. Hearing her moan and cry out around me, I finally give in and rim her pussy with one finger. “You’re such a good girl, baby.” I moan, closing my eyes and leaning my head back. Without warning, she pushes me to my back and straddles my hips, impaling herself on me, screaming out as I fill her with every hard inch of my cock. Bringing her forward toward my body roughly, I pull her arms behind her back and hold them with one hand, spanking her hard with the other. “Did I say you could have my cock?” I ask her between spankings. “No,” she moans, soaking me with her juices. “You know you’re not supposed to get off on me spanking you,” I tell her, flipping her to her stomach and slamming into her. “I know, but I need to come, and Gabby is going to be up any minute,” she reminds me about my daughter, the most beautiful little cockblocker in the whole world. “I told you to get a nanny,” I gloat. “I’m not letting someone else raise my child!” she shouts as I ram into her. She isn’t lying. She hardly lets anyone hold our baby girl. Even I have a hard time getting Gabby from her, and I’m her father. “I think it’s time for another one. What do you think about that?” I ask, feeling her come all over my cock. “I take that as a yes.” I fuck her harder until I’m filling her with so much cum that it’s dripping out of her. “You really want another baby?” she asks, flopping down to her stomach and turning her head to look at me. “Yes, I want three more.” “Three more,” she repeats with wide eyes. “I like you pregnant, and maybe if we have four, I can hold one every once in awhile.” “I’m not that bad,” she pouts. “Baby.” I shake my head, kissing her neck and smiling. “I love her so much. I don’t want her to ever think I don’t love her,” she whispers. “She knows you love her, baby,” I promise her gently. I know that finding out her mom didn’t actually leave her behind, but was killed, still effects her, but I also know our girl will never worry about the way her mom feels about her. She will always know how important she is to us. I love my family, and everyday, I’m thankful I had the balls to take Fern.