Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 45361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Taking cash from my pocket, I lay it on the table, then offer her my hand.
“What the hell was that?” she says, pacing in front of my car.
We’re alone in this corner of the lot. It’s not like I parked down here intending to keep everybody else away from us, but that’s my instinct always guiding me.
“The truth,” I say.
I can’t lie to her now.
“Those bastards had no right to insult my woman.”
“Your woman?” She stops, looking around. “Where is she? Who are we talking about here?”
I smirk, walking right up to her and grabbing her hips. I hold them hard so she knows who she belongs to.
“Don’t play games with me. I didn’t plan on telling you this. I’ve tried to fight it and be the good uncle, but I can’t anymore. The truth is, Layla, you’re mine—your body, soul, talent, womb, and future. Everything you are belongs to me. You are going to be my wife. You are going to have my children.”
She leans back in my embrace, both hands propped on my chest.
“Why are you saying this?” she whispers.
“Because it’s the truth.”
She pushes away from me, pacing again. “You can’t just say things like that. It’s not fair to get my hopes up.”
I grab her hand and stop her pacing. “Your hopes up? Does that mean you feel the same?”
Her answer is to throw herself at me. I catch her, captivated, as she leans up to kiss me.
“Is that a yes?” I say in between kisses.
She pushes her lips against mine again as if buying time to answer. It’s not like I’m going to complain, though, especially when she wraps her arms around my body, spreading her hands over my back.
“Do you mean it?” she finally says, moving her hands to my face, holding me so we can stare into each other’s eyes.
“I’ve never meant anything more.”
“But it’s impossible,” she whispers. “You know that, right?”
She says this with the air of having to say it. I can tell she doesn’t mean it. She’s not really trying to push me away, and hell, I’m not letting her go even if she was. I’m never going to stop obsessing over her and needing her.
“I know you belong to me. I know every inch of your young, excitable virgin body is mine. I know every single perfect curve is mine. Everything, Layla, you… I thought you would say you never wanted to talk to me again.”
“I’ve thought about it so much,” she murmurs. “Our future together. So in the car, on the ride here, all that baby talk… Was that about us?”
“Yes.”
Her smile is bright with relief. “I knew it. Well, I didn’t know it, but I thought it might be.”
I smooth my hand from her hip around to her belly, gently cradling it. “You’ll have a bump soon, and we’ll start planning our future: a house and a good neighborhood. I’ll contract your dream kitchen. Anything you want.”
“Miles,” she whispers, her eyes glistening as her hand rests on mine. “You can’t say any of this, not yet, not until we tell Mom and Noah.”
“So, you’re ready now?”
She shakes her head. “I wish I could say yes, but it’s not that. We don’t have a choice. You told those men how you feel about me, and they know Graham. If they tell Graham, he might tell Mom.”
“Does he ever talk to Elena?”
“I don’t think so, but I didn’t know he knew Dad, either. From how Mom was acting before, we can’t risk it.”
“Good. We have to tell them eventually, anyway.”
She returns her hand to my chest, pressing down and clawing onto me at the same time. It’s like she can’t decide whether she wants to draw me nearer or push me away.
“You’re not thinking this through. We’re about to tell a mom and her husband that their daughter’s uncle wants to marry her.”
“No, we’re not. We’re going to tell them he needs to.”
She flushes, glowing as she rolls her eyes. Her eye roll aside, she can’t mask her smile.
“I’m not sure if that makes it any better.”
I kiss her cheek tenderly. I’ve got to be gentle and take it slow because now I know her body is waiting for my seed, and I won’t be able to stop once I start. I won’t be able to tame the hunger.
“Either way, we have to,” she goes on. “We can’t risk Graham finding out.”
“After, we’re going to do it, Layla. We will build a life together. Tell me you want it.”
She smiles wider. “Want? Nah, need.”
“That definitely makes it better.”
I kiss my step-niece, pulling her against me, forgetting the caution I’m supposed to use. I’m supposed to be calm and withdrawn, but when I feel her breasts and body, my manhood floods, and I push my hips forward. She moans and writhes against me, then presses on my chest, stepping away.