Now I watched her as she played nervously with her fingers on her lap with her head down. “Tell me you understand everything the lawyer said. If not, I’ll explain it again.” She showed the first signs of life when she picked her head up and looked at me.
“It doesn’t make sense; why would your brother keep something like that from me?”
“Maybe because he wasn’t expecting to die so soon. He probably thought it was a none issue as you two were so young and might’ve had children together somewhere down the line.”
My ass, there was no way I was going to let that shit happen, but that’s another story for another time. “Come sit here next to me.” I sounded like every old pervert in every old porno classic but couldn’t find it in me to care. I was barely hanging onto my civility at this point.
She looked at the seat next to me and chose a chair across the way instead. I smirked knowingly, and let it go for now. “So, I’ll ask you again so that there’s no confusion. Do you understand that you now belong to me?”
She drew in her breath sharply and glared at me. “I don’t belong to anyone but myself. This is the twenty-first century you can’t seriously believe that you can hold me to some archaic ritual that I knew nothing about.”
My eyes dropped to her nipples as her chest rose and fell. I wish I had the time it would take to talk her around, but I was working on a schedule, I needed to be back to take care of my business in a matter of days, so time was something I did not have.
“You think so? Would you like me to convince you?” I got up from my chair and walked over to her. “What are you doing?”
“Claiming what’s mine?” I didn’t give her a chance to argue as I pulled her up from the chair and into my arms.
I took a moment to enjoy the feel of my woman in my arms for the first time pressing her against me as I buried my face in her hair.
“Gavin, your brother’s not even cold yet.” Her words were like a bucket of cold water thrown over my head, and the anger that came though unjustified was fierce all the same.
“Shut up, don’t mention him to me again.” I pulled her head back and looked into her eyes, seeing the need there like it always was. “You’re lucky I waited this long.” I took her lips for the first time and got lost in her.
Gavin
She tasted like heated sin, and my pulse raced as my heartbeat thundered in my ears. She felt so small, so vulnerable in my arms that just for a moment, I almost relented until the need that was building inside took over, and I came to my senses.
If I leave her now, she’d balk the next time I come near her. I had to finish this tonight, before fear and recriminations set in. I could already see ahead to when things were good between us, had already started planning for our life together, but like every other female out there, I knew it was going to take her longer.
I dragged her over to the couch and sat her down, too hungry for the sight and taste of her naked flesh to make it all the way upstairs though the bastard in me would like nothing more than to take her in their bed.
She tried bounding up from the couch, but I pushed her back down with my hands on her shoulders. “Look at me, Amber.” She reluctantly raised her eyes to mine. “There’s no need to pretend with me; there’s no one else here. I know what you really feel, what you’re afraid of. Just so you know, I would’ve come for you even without the tradition.”
Her nostrils flared, and her cheeks reddened. “Did you think I didn’t know?” I ran my thumb over the pulse that beat wildly in her throat. “This right here, it was going crazy even when we were in the lawyer’s office, it started as soon as you saw me earlier.”
“No!” She shook her head and looked away.
“Yes! And I’m not about to let you deny yourself or me for that matter. We didn’t do anything wrong; you didn’t do anything wrong.” She drew in her breath and looked up at me as understanding dawned. “I’ve always known.” She swallowed hard, and her lips began to tremble.
“Congratulate yourself on the fact that neither of us ever crossed the line, but I won’t let you pretend that you don’t want me just because that asshole is dead.”
The look of shocked surprise on her face told me that she thought all this time I didn’t know, hadn’t noticed, that she’d been able to keep it hidden from me, but nothing could be farther from the truth. It’s because I’d seen the need in her that I’d had such a rough time staying away.