Defiant Heir

by Michelle Heard

  “And who am I?”

  Not hesitating, I answer, “Mine.”

  KAO

  Dr. Hodgson has cleared me to drive, and honestly, as I stare at the brand new Aston Martin, my heart is thundering against my ribs.

  “Come on,” Dad says as he holds the key out to me. “You have to get behind the wheel at some point. The sooner, the better.”

  I take the key from Dad and pressing the button, the doors unlock.

  Dad climbs into the passenger side, then calls, “Get your ass in the car, Kao.”

  Sucking in a deep breath of air, I climb in behind the steering wheel. After we’ve put on our seat belts, I freeze.

  Dad places his hand on my shoulder. “I’m right here. You’re going to be fine. Start the car.”

  I notice my hand is shaking as I press the button.

  “Now put it in gear,” Dad instructs me.

  Pushing the clutch in, I put the car in drive.

  Christ.

  Closing my eyes, I try to breathe through the panic, tightening my chest.

  “You’re doing great,” Dad murmurs as he rubs my shoulder. “Just one mile. That’s all you have to drive.”

  I nod, and opening my eyes, they scan over the empty stretch of road.

  I can do this.

  I place my hands on the steering wheel and then let the car slowly roll forward.

  “Will you look at that?” Dad chuckles. “We’re moving.”

  I let out a nervous laugh. “You’re not helping.”

  Slowly I pick up speed, and then Dad says, “Seeing as we passed the mile marker and we’re still going, you might as well take your old man for a drive.”

  My confidence grows with every mile that falls behind us, and I steer us in the direction of the beach.

  By the time I park the car, and we look out over the ocean, the apprehension I felt is gone.

  “Thanks, Dad,” I murmur.

  “You’re welcome.” He grins at me. “So, do you love her?”

  “Oh yeah, thanks for the car as well.”

  Dad shakes his head. “I meant Fallon.”

  I let out a chuckle. “With all my heart.” I turn slightly in the seat so I can look at Dad as I say, “I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

  Dad’s eyebrows pop up. “Wow, aren’t you full of surprises?”

  “I’ve already spoken to Mr. Reyes.”

  His eyebrows lift even higher. “How did that go?”

  I let out a heavy sigh and shake my head, and when Dad begins to frown, I say, “I got his blessing.”

  “Fucker,” Dad mumbles. “You had me worried there for a second.”

  Knowing we have to have this conversation at some point, I say, “Noah and I have been talking. I don’t have the patience to work with numbers.”

  “Do you want to take over from your Uncle Jax?”

  I nod. “Do you mind?”

  “Not at all.” Dad gives me a reassuring smile. “Will Noah then stay on an extra year at Trinity to complete his masters in accounting?”

  “Yeah, he’s already enrolled.”

  “Then it’s all good.”

  “Also,” I clear my throat, “seeing as I’m graduating, I’ll have to look for a place of my own.”

  “Whaaat?” Dad pretends to be shocked. “You’re not coming back home?”

  I let out a burst of laughter. “Not a chance.”

  “Ungrateful little shit,” he teases, but then he grows serious again. “Your mom and I will give you and Fallon a house as an engagement present.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” I reach over the space between us and hug him tightly, then I grin. “So, what’s our limit?”

  Dad begins to laugh. “There’s no limit when it comes to my son’s first house. Just let me know the price, and I’ll transfer the funds to your bank account.” Dad thinks for a moment, then he says, “Actually, seeing as you’re graduating, I’ll transfer an amount that has to last you until your first paycheck.”

  “If you send me a hundred dollars, I’m telling Mom.”

  Dad lets out a burst of laughter. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I have a date with your mother.”

  Starting the car, I pull out of the parking area, and I steer us back in the direction of my parents' house.

  When I get back to the suite, I go check Fallon’s room, but finding it empty, I walk to mine, where I find her curled up on my bed.

  I shut the door behind me and lock it before I kick off my shoes. I strip down to my boxers and then crawl onto the bed.

  I press a kiss to her healed cheek, and it has her stirring.

  “Hey, beautiful,” I murmur.

  Fallon turns onto her back and stretches out. “Hey, how did it go with your Dad?”

  “Good.” I push up her shirt and press a kiss to her toned stomach. “We drove around.”

  “Hmm…” she moans as I push her shirt over her breasts.

  “No bra. I like this,” I tease before I suck her nipple between my teeth. Pulling back, I take hold of her sweatpants and panties and drag them down her legs. I kiss my way up her body until I reach her shirt and pause to pull it over her head.

  When I have Fallon naked, I quickly get rid of my boxers. I part her legs with my lower body, and then I rest my arms on either side of her head. I stare at her beautiful face for a moment before I press my lips to hers, and then I kiss her with all the happiness I feel.

  Fallon’s arms wrap around me, and her palms brush over my skin until she grabs hold of my ass.

  I begin to rub my cock against her clit, and it has Fallon lifting her hips to get closer to me.

  I deepen the kiss, my tongue brushing hard strokes against her as I reach down, and positioning myself at her entrance, I push inside with one thrust.

  Fallon throws her head back, a gasp rushing over her lips, and then she moans, “God, so good.”

  My mouth latches onto her throat as I pull out before I drive back into her. Unable to keep the pace slow, my hips speed up, and when Fallon’s body begins to tense up beneath mine, I quickly claim her moan with my mouth so the others won’t hear us.

  I keep thrusting fast and hard, and when I feel Fallon shudder against me, my own orgasm shoots through my body.

  We capture each other's moans with a heated kiss, and once our releases fade, I slowly keep pumping into her, not wanting to pull out yet.

  Fuck, I wish I could just bury myself permanently inside her. Knowing that’s not an option, I reluctantly pull out, and we go clean ourselves up before crawling under the covers. I pull Fallon against me and drop a kiss on her hair as she rests her cheek on my chest.

  “Who loves you?” I murmur as I take hold of her hand so I can flatten her palm over my heart.

  Fallon lifts her head and rests her chin on my peck. “You.”

  My eyes lock on hers, and I see my entire world in her golden-brown irises. “Who am I?”

  Fallon gives me the most beautiful smile. “Mine.”

  Yeah, I’m hers, because without her, I’ll just cease to exist.

  Epilogue

  KAO

  (Start of summer break)

  I check my pocket again to make sure the ring is still there, then glance at the watch on my wrist.

  “We’re going to be late,” Jase yells on my behalf.

  Only the guys know I’m proposing to Fallon tonight. They all thought it would be a great surprise for the girls.

  “Mila!” Jase yells again.

  “What did I do wrong?” Mila shouts back, and a couple of seconds later, she walks into the living room, looking amazing in a royal blue dress Fallon probably forced her to wear.

  “Nothing, I’m just calling you,” Jase says.

  “But you used my name,” Mila argues.

  “Yeah, that’s your name last time I checked,” Jase teases her while he wraps his arms around her waist.

  “No, you call be Babe. Mila is for when you’re upset with me.”

  I begin to laugh, but it dri
es up the second my eyes land on Fallon.

  “God, woman,” I breathe as I drink in the sight of her in a red dress,” you’re a vision to behold.”

  “I’ll never get tired of you looking at me like that,” Fallon teases, and then she holds a necklace out to me. “Help, please.”

  I take it from her and first brush her hair to the side before I clasp the necklace in place. I press a kiss to her neck, then pull back so I can look at her again.

  “Everyone ready?” Jase asks. We all nod. “Good, let’s get this show on the road.”

  Jase and Mila take the lead with Hunter and Jade at the back as we make our way out of the building.

  When I open the passenger door to my Aston Martin for Fallon, my eyes drift over her face for any sign that she might be nervous. We’ve driven together a couple of times, but tonight we’re going to The Ranch House, and we’re taking the same route the accident happened on.

  She gives me a bright smile before she slips into the car.

  My gaze scans over the other cars, and I watch as Hana and Noah get into his car.

  Then Jase catches my eye, and he gives me a chin lift. “I’ll be right in front of you. Don’t worry,” he assures me.

  I turn my head to where Hunter is, and he grins at me. “We’ve got your back. Let’s go.”

  I climb in behind the wheel, and we first pull on our seat belts. Then I lean over to Fallon, and I press a kiss to her mouth. “You ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  I wait for Jase to pull out of the parking lot before I fall in behind him. Noah and Hunter bring up the rear end of our convoy as we leave the campus grounds.

  God, please. Don’t let anything go wrong tonight.

  Wanting to distract Fallon, I ask, “Have you made a list of houses for us to go view?”

  “Yeah, we have two appointments on Sunday.”

  “Good.”

  I tighten my grip on the steering wheel, and Fallon must notice because she murmurs, “We’re going to be fine.”

  “Yeah,” I whisper as we turn onto the road where the accident happened.

  As we near the scene, Jase begins to slow down, and reaching the spot where the truck hit us, he puts on his hazards.

  My eyes dart to the rearview mirror, and I notice Noah and Hunter doing the same.

  Fallon lets out a shaky breath, and then she covers her mouth as she tries to regain control of her emotions.

  “We made it past the accident site,” I say.

  It finally feels like the past is now behind us and we can one hundred percent focus on our future together.

  The minute I stop the car outside the restaurant, Fallon unclasps her seatbelt, and then she darts into my arms.

  She holds me tightly, then says, “Thank you for not leaving me.” Before I can respond, she presses a kiss to my lips. Pulling back, her eyes shimmer with emotion. “Let’s go eat.”

  When we climb out of the car, Jase lets out a holler. “Let’s get this party started.”

  Walking into the restaurant we reserved just for our group, with the most beautiful woman at my side, there is no doubt in my mind that our love is one of a kind.

  FALLON

  Trust Kao to reserve the entire restaurant just for us. We all enjoy the fantastic food, and when we’re waiting for dessert to come, Kao pushes his chair back and rises to his feet.

  When he holds his hand out to me, I ask, “Dance? Now?”

  “Come on. Humor me.”

  I place my hand in his, and we walk to an open space. A familiar song begins to play, and instantly tears push up my throat.

  Stand by Me by John Newman fills the air, and just like when we danced to it on our first date, I get swept up in Kao’s arms.

  My eyes never leave Kao’s as I listen to the lyrics.

  When the song ends, and silence falls around us, a smile tugs at the corner of Kao’s mouth. Then he takes a step back, and when he goes down on one knee, pins and needles spread over my entire body as the surprise hits me full force.

  “Fallon.” I nod like an idiot even though he hasn’t even asked me anything yet, and it makes his smile grow. Then Kao pulls a ring out of his breast pocket, and holding it to me, he says, “Facing a day without your beauty in it will be worse than being blind.” Tears well in my eyes, and I struggle to keep them back so I can see his face. “Facing a day without hearing your voice will be worse than being deaf. Facing a day without you will be my end because my heart only beats for you. Will you marry me?”

  When I nod, Kao climbs to his feet. His eyes lock on mine. “To answer your question, yes, I will still love you when you’re old and wrinkly.”

  A sob flutters over my lips, and throwing my arms around his neck, I bury my face against him. “You remember?”

  “Sorry, it took me so long to answer you.”

  I shake my head, and pulling back, I fan my face with my hand. “Now, let me see the ring.”

  Everyone starts to laugh.

  Kao slips a princess cut diamond onto my finger, and the rock gleams in the electric light above us.

  “Now you’re finally mine,” Kao murmurs.

  Shaking my head, I smile up at him. “I’ve always been yours.”

  The End.

  Want to read where it all started?

  Go 1 Click HEARTLESS.

  And when you’re done with the Enemies To Lovers Series, follow it up with Trinity Academy.

  All the sale links are listed in the back matter of the book.

  The Heirs

  Reading order of future releases:

  Coldhearted Heir

  Novel #1

  Hunter Chargill (Mason and Kingsley’s son)

  &

  Jade Daniels (Rhett & Evie’s daughter)

  Arrogant Heir

  Novel #2

  Jase Reyes – (Julian & Jamie’s son)

  &

  Mila West – (Logan & Mia’s Daughter)

  Defiant Heir

  Novel #3

  Kao Reed (Marcus and Willow’s son)

  &

  Fallon Reyes (Falcon & Layla’s daughter)

  Loyal Heir

  Novel #4

  Forest Reyes (Falcon & Layla’s son)

  &

  Aria Chargill (Mason & Kingsley’s daughter)

  Callous Heir

  Novel #5

  Noah West (Jaxson & Leigh’s son)

  &

  Carla Reyes (Julian & Jamie’s daughter)

  Sinful Heir

  Novel #6

  Tristan Hayes (Carter & Della’s son)

  &

  Hana Cutler (Lake & Lee’s daughter)

  Tempted Heir

  Novel #7

  Christopher Hayes (Carter & Della’s son)

  &

  Dash West (Jaxson & Leigh’s daughter)

  Forbidden Heir

  Novel #8

  Ryker West (Logan & Mia’s son)

  &

  Danny Hayes (Carter & Della’s daughter)

  Stand Alone High School Romance

  Black Mountain Academy Series

  Not My Hero

  Colton Lawson

  (Brady from Coldhearted Heir’s Brother.)

  &

  Brie Weinstock

  (daughter of Serena from Trinity Academy)

  Trinity Academy

  FALCON

  Novel #1

  Falcon Reyes & Layla Shepard

  MASON

  Novel #2

  Mason Chargill & Kingsley Hunt

  LAKE

  Novel #3

  Lake Cutler & Lee-ann Park

  JULIAN

  Novel #4

  A Stand Alone Novel

  Julian Reyes (Falcon’s Brother)

  &

  Jamie Truman (Della’s Sister – Heartless, TETLS)

  THE EPILOGUE

  A Trinity Academy Novella

  Enemies To Lovers

  Heartless

  Novel #1

  Carter
Hayes & Della Truman

  Reckless

  Novel #2

  Logan West & Mia Daniels

  Careless

  Novel #3

  Jaxson West & Leigh Baxter

  Ruthless

  Novel #4

  Marcus Reed & Willow Brooks

  Shameless

  Novel #5

  Rhett Daniels & Evie Cole

  False Perceptions

  Novel #6

  A Stand Alone Novel

  Hayden Cole (Evie’s Dad)

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  Website

  About the author

  Michelle Heard is a Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author who loves creating stories her readers can get lost in. She resides in South Africa with her son where she's always planning her next book to write, and trip to take.

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  Acknowledgments

  Kao’s story would not have been possible without my amazing reader, Donita Burgess. Girl, your strength left me speechless and inspired. Thank you for all your advice and guidance throughout the book.

  To my alpha and beta readers, Sherrie, Sheena, Allyson. Kelly, Elaine, Sarah, and Leeann – Thank you for being the godparents of my paper-baby.