Defiant Heir

by Michelle Heard

  “Welcome to Rancho Valencia, Mr. Reed, Miss Reyes. This way, please.”

  When he leads us away from the reception area, I ask, “Do you have our key card for the villa?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Damn, I already love this place, and we’ve only been here five minutes.

  “Has everything been arranged like I asked?” I check with him.

  “Yes, sir. Once you’re ready, I’ll take you to the stalls.”

  “The stalls?” Fallon asks.

  “A surprise,” I murmur.

  The concierge leads us to a beautiful villa, and opening the front door, he sets our bags down by the couch. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes, sir.”

  “Thank you.”

  I wait for him to leave, then turn to Fallon. “This place is really beautiful.” The white furniture makes the place look spacious and clean, accentuated by wooden beams stretching across the ceiling.

  “Right.” Fallon grins at me, then says, “Let’s look around first.”

  Taking her hand, I let her lead me through the villa before exploring the immediate outside terrain. Everything is luxurious, and there’s a peaceful atmosphere drifting in the air. Even though it’s winter, all the plants must be evergreen because we’re surrounded by nature and pristine grounds.

  Walking back into the villa, I say, “You brought a pair of boots like I asked?”

  “Yeah?”

  “It’s time to put them on.”

  “Why?” Fallon gives me a mischievous grin.

  Shaking my head, I chuckle. “No prying. It’s a surprise.”

  Once Fallon has changed out of her heels, we meet the concierge out front. He leads us to where two horses wait for us, and the moment Fallon sees them, she grabs my arm with both her hands and does a little excited dance.

  “Oh my gosh, they’re magnificent,” Fallon gasps, and she immediately steps closer to them, giving them attention.

  The concierge explains which trail we should follow to get to the picnic they have set up for us.

  I wait for Fallon to climb on her horse before I get on mine, and once we’re both ready, we slowly gallop toward a path that disappears into a lining of trees.

  Fallon has a beautiful smile on her face as she glances around, and then she lets out a happy sigh. “You’ve outdone yourself, Mr. Reed.”

  “I’m glad you like it.” My only mission this weekend is to impress Fallon and to show her how much I love her. The past couple of days, we’ve been ripping each other's clothes off and just wanting to talk with Fallon, I ask, “How’s the school work coming along? Are you all caught up?”

  “Yeah, but my accountancy mark dropped to seventy-five. I need to get it back to ninety.”

  “Noah can help you,” I remind her.

  “I just have to study hard for the exam next week. I should be fine after that.”

  There’s a moment’s silence as our horses leisurely carry us through the greenery and trees, then I ask, “Are you still going to work at CRC during the summer break?”

  “Oh, definitely.” She lets out a chuckle. “There’s no getting out of that.”

  Fallon will eventually take over as vice president of CRC Holdings, and I’m worried about the pressure she’ll be under. “Are you at least looking forward to it?”

  “Yeah, and I’ll have Jase and Hunter there.” Fallon smiles at me. “You’re graduating in a couple of months. Last we spoke about the future, you were in two minds about joining Indie Ink. Have you decided what you’re going to do?”

  I pull an unsure face. “I’ve been talking to Noah about it. He was going to take over the design department from Uncle Jax. He’s better with numbers than I am, though. We might swap, and Noah can take over the finance side from my dad.”

  “So, you’ll take over from Mr. West then?” Fallon asks. “Honestly, I think that would be a better move for you.”

  “We still need to talk with our fathers, so until then, I’m not sure what’s happening when I graduate.”

  “It will all work out for the best,” Fallon encourages me.

  We guide the horses around a bend, and then a beautiful sight greets us.

  Fallon gasps, “Oh, Kao, it’s so romantic.” When we climb off the horses, I tie them to a tree so they can graze. The concierge will come to get them and take them back to their stalls, so there’s no hurry for Fallon and me to head back.

  The resort has put up a canopy, and white lace gently flutters in the breeze. Pillows are scattered elegantly over the ground, and our dinner is waiting on a table situated in the middle.

  With Fallon being under twenty-one, I had them give us non-alcoholic champagne.

  I sit down opposite Fallon and grin at her. “I hope you’re okay with finger foods. I just want to sit out here for a while and enjoy the evening with you.”

  “It’s perfect.” One of the horse’s grunts, and then Fallon asks, “Ah, how are we getting back if they’re taking the horses?”

  “We’ll walk. I didn’t think it would be wise riding horses in the dark,” I explain. Taking the champagne from the ice bucket, I pour us each a glass. Holding mine up, I say, “Here’s to us having a weekend alone.”

  “For the first time,” Fallon adds before we each take a sip. The fruity taste is refreshing.

  “It’s still surreal that we’re sitting here,” Fallon suddenly admits.

  “After everything that’s happened?” I ask.

  “Not just that.” She pauses for a moment. “It feels like it’s taken forever for us to get here.”

  “Sorry I’m so slow,” I chuckle.

  Fallon places some cheese on a couple of crackers and hands me one, then she says, “When I asked you to the prom, I was kind of hoping you’d get the message that I liked you.”

  Tilting my head, I reply, “But you asked me as a friend.” I begin to frown. “Didn’t you?”

  She shakes her head and first swallows the bite she took. “I was already head over heels for you back then. You have no idea how happy I was when you said you’d go with me.”

  Reaching across the table, I place my hand over Fallon’s. “We’re together now.”

  “Yeah.” A happy smile stretches over her face. “And now is all that matters.”

  Chapter 24

  FALLON

  As the sun sets and the sky is filled with brilliant colors, I wish Kao could see it.

  We’ve been gorging ourselves for the past two hours and just talking about everything. I realize this is what I’ve needed most. Just me and Kao communicating about the important things in our lives.

  Kao takes a sip of his champagne, then says, “To think in four months, everything will change again.”

  A frown forms on my forehead, and I ask, “What do you mean?”

  “Jase, Hunter, Noah, and I will be moving out of the suite. I’ll have to go house shopping during the summer break.”

  He pulls a worried face that draws a chuckle from me. Kao hates anything that forces him to interact with people. It has me offering, “I could make you a list of properties you might like?”

  Kao’s eyebrows pop up. “That would be amazing. Actually, if you love the house, I’ll just sign on the dotted line.”

  “Hmm… that’s a lot of trust you’re placing in me,” I tease him.

  “Why? We might as well choose a house we both love because you’ll move in eventually,” Kao states in such a nonchalant way it has me gaping at him like a fish out of water.

  “You want me to live with you?” I ask, still feeling ripples of surprise trickling through me.

  “Of course.” His mouth curves into a sexy grin. “Or do you plan on dumping my ass any time soon?”

  “Not a chance in hell,” I grumble. “Next time you try to get rid of me, I’m kidnapping you and tying you to my bed.”

  I try to make a joke about it, but I still feel embers of hurt smoldering in my heart.

  Kao gets up. “Let’s move the table to the side so we can li
e down. I help him, and once we’re comfortable between all the pillows, Kao asks, “Have you forgiven me?”

  I turn on my side and rest my cheek on his shoulder. “Yeah, I understand why you pushed me away.”

  “Still, I hate what I did to you,” he murmurs. “But I want you to know, even though I lost my mind, I still loved you. That’s the one thing I don’t want you to ever doubt.” Kao turns, so he’s facing me, and he presses a tender kiss to my mouth. “I wish there was a way I could show you how much I love you.”

  “There is,” I murmur while a bubble of happiness forms around us. “Just stay by my side and trust that I’m strong enough to handle whatever life throws at us. Don’t make decisions about us by yourself. We’re in this together.”

  Kao brings his hand to my scarred cheek, and for the first time, I don’t have the urge to pull away as his fingers brush over my skin. “You’re such an amazing woman, Fallon.”

  My lips curve up. “Only in your eyes.”

  I curl up against Kao and watch as the stars begin to twinkle in the night sky.

  This is the Kao I fell in love with. The man who moves in the shadows and avoids people like the plague, but deep down, he’s a hopeless romantic who loves with all his heart.

  Even though we were ripped apart, Kao fought his way back to me.

  My stubborn hermit.

  I let out a chuckle.

  “What?” Kao asks.

  “We actually fit perfectly together. I’m a neurotic control freak, and you lock down when anything disturbs your routine. With me by your side, your days will be planned years ahead.”

  Kao pulls me closer and presses his lips to my temple, then he whispers, “That’s because you’re my soul mate.”

  I turn my face to his and let my eyes caress his handsome features. “I love you so much. My whole world revolves around you, Kao.”

  We lie and stare at each other, and every couple of minutes, we steal a tender kiss, quietly enjoying each other.

  Time fades into the night, and my heart weaves every dream, every hope, and every day that’s left of my life around Kao.

  A week ago, I was an empty shell – a ghost of the woman I used to be before the accident. But then Kao came back to me, and he took every broken piece and glued me back together with his gentle nature and profound love.

  As we hold hands while walking toward our villa, I’m overcome with emotion and relief that I didn’t lose him. No man would ever be able to fill the place Kao has in my heart.

  He is my heart. Every single beat.

  This past week it feels like I fell in love with him again. Only this time, it’s not the teenage crush I had on him, nor the contented emotions I had before the accident. Now I love him fiercely, with a desire that will never burn out.

  I’m going to love him every second of every day as if I can lose him at any moment. I’ll never take him for granted again.

  Kao pulls his hand free from mine then wraps his arm around my shoulders. He pulls me tightly to his side and presses a kiss to my temple.

  When we walk into the villa, I come to a sudden halt as a gasp rushes over my parted lips. Lanterns have been lit, and they’re scattered around the living room, making it look like a fairyland. Soft music fills the air, and the moment is so emotional it fills my eyes with tears.

  Kao shuts the door, and then he pulls me to his chest, and we begin to dance slowly. I wrap my arms around his neck and stare up at his face, my entire being bursting with something that can’t possibly just be love. This is more. It feels sacred.

  Every song we sway to feels like a promise from Kao.

  He lowers his head and softly brushes his lips over mine, then he pulls back an inch. I feel him breathe, and it makes my insides tighten with anticipation. Smelling his woodsy scent, feeling his arms around me, and having his sole focus on me – it makes my heartbeat speed up, and desire burns through me like a wildfire.

  When Ed Sheeran’s Perfect begins to fill the air, Kao’s mouth finds mine. It’s explosive and consuming, as if he’s branding me as his.

  My fingers slip into his hair as our tongues dance to the rhythm of the music.

  KAO

  Kissing Fallon, it feels like I’m a man on my knees, begging her to accept my love.

  She can have any man she wants, yet she’s standing in my arms. I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I’ll never stop thanking the universe for giving her to me.

  Breaking the kiss, there’s an aching twinge in my chest from how much I love her. I frame her face with my hands. “Everything I am begins and ends with you.”

  Fallon takes hold of my hand, and then she pulls me out of the living room and up the stairs to the bedroom.

  We stop at the foot of the bed, and she turns to face me. The music drifts to us from downstairs as I close the small gap between us. With my eyes on her face, I lift my hands, and I begin to unbutton her blouse. When I push the fabric off her shoulders, and it drops to the floor, I lower my head and press a kiss to the swell of her breast peeking from the lacy bra.

  “Give me a second,” Fallon murmurs, and then she sits down on the bed to yank off her boots. She gets back up and unbuttoning her jeans, she shoves them down her legs, stepping out of them.

  I move forward, and wrapping my arm around her waist, I yank her against me. “I want to undress you.”

  “Oh… okay.”

  I pretend to be serious as I ask, “Are you going to let me love you?”

  She quickly nods, and it makes the corner of my mouth lift.

  Lifting my other hand to her face, I brush her hair back. “You take my breath away.”

  I press a kiss to her scars before moving to her mouth. I keep the kiss slow, wanting to savor every moment of making love to Fallon.

  Moving my arm that’s around her waist up her back, I unclasp her bra. Pulling the lace off of her, I let it fall to the floor. Breaking the kiss, I bring my hand to the swell of her breast as I look down.

  With my sight still stuck in black and white and the blurring, it feels like I’m caught in a movie from the early nineteen hundreds. For some weird reason, I can’t explain, it makes this moment more profound. I’m focused on how soft and feminine Fallon feels beneath my hands, the sound of her breaths rushing over her lips, the heat coming from her body.

  I brush my thumb over her nipple, and feeling her skin pebble makes me achingly hard for her.

  I brush my palm down her ribs and trim waistline. Lowering myself, I go down on one knee, and I take hold of her panties, slowly pulling them down her legs. It feels like I’m unwrapping the greatest gift of my life.

  I press a kiss to her thigh, then to her hip before I climb back to my feet.

  “You’re really good at this,” she whispers. “You have me all naked while you’re still fully clothed.” Fallon lifts her hands to my shirt, and she begins to undo the buttons. “It’s my turn now.”

  I keep still as she undresses me, and when we’re both naked, I close the distance between us, and pressing my body to Fallon’s, I crush my mouth to hers. Lifting my hands, I frame her face as I tilt my head, and I pour all my desire and love into the kiss.

  Fallon grabs hold of my forearms for a moment, but then she wraps her arms around me, and her nails dig into my back.

  Pushing against her with my body, I force her toward the bed. We pull apart as Fallon slides onto the mattress, but I follow her and our mouths fuse together again.

  I lie down, only half my body covering hers, placing my right hand on her hip. Our tongues keep dancing, and it feels like I’m getting drunk on the taste of her. My breaths come faster, and my heart is thundering against my ribs as the moment grows with intensity.

  I slide my hand down and softly brush my knuckles over her pussy. When I massage her a little harder, her breaths burst into my mouth. I focus on her clit and circling her opening. Her hips begin to move, and she grinds herself against my hand. I pull my mouth away from hers and pressing kisses to her skin
, I move down her body until my tongue flicks over her clit. A moan drifts from Fallon and wanting her to orgasm, I begin to alternate between sucking hard and thrusting my tongue inside her pussy.

  “God. Kao,” she cries, then her body stiffens before she shudders as she finds her release. A sound slips over her lips, sounding like something caught between a gasp and a low moan, and it drives me wild.

  I crawl up her body and positioning my cock at her entrance, I pause to stare down at her. I will my eyes to stop blurring for a moment just so I can see her face clearly as I enter her for the first time.

  Bringing her hand to my jaw, she whispers, “What’s wrong?”

  I keep staring until her face comes more into focus. “Nothing. I just want to look at you.”

  There isn’t a word to describe what I feel for Fallon. I press a tender kiss to her mouth, and bracing my arms on either side of her head, I begin to push into her.

  Her breath bursts over my lips, and bringing her hands up, she takes hold of the back of my shoulders.

  “I love you, Fallon,” I say, my voice filled with the wonder I’m experiencing as I push deeper inside her. When she stiffens, I pause so she can adjust to me. I feel her relax again and do my best to enter her slowly. By the time I’m entirely inside her, my body trembles from having to hold back.

  Knowing I’ve just taken Fallon’s virginity fills me with complete awe. I press a kiss to her mouth, but then I feel her lips quiver beneath mine.

  “Did I hurt you?” the words explode from me as worry pours through my veins.

  Fallon quickly shakes her head. “No. I’m just emotional because we’re finally together like this,” she whispers.

  I press another kiss to her lips, and then I pull out. Thrusting back inside Fallon, my eyes drift shut from the intense pleasure rushing through my body.