Loyal Heir

by Michelle Heard

“We shouldn’t have hidden our relationship,” Aria replies.

  Kennedy’s eyes dart to me before she focuses on Aria again. “You’re lucky to have Forest. I wish you both only the best.”

  “Thank you,” Aria murmurs.

  Kennedy’s eyes come back to me. “How do you feel?”

  “Much better, thanks. The pain has decreased a lot over the past week.” With my right hand, I reach for Aria’s thigh under the table. She instantly places her hand over mine, giving me a squeeze.

  “Great, with that settled, I’ll leave you to enjoy your meal.”

  I wait until Kennedy walks away from us, then I lean into Aria, and I press a kiss to her temple. “Are you okay?”

  She nods and turns a smile to me. “I really appreciate the apology.”

  “Good, feed me now,” I mutter, and it draws a chuckle from Aria.

  She pushes my plate closer to me and hands me a fork. “Feed yourself. I’m hungry too.” And then she digs into her food.

  I pop a piece of steak into my mouth, and we keep stealing glances as we eat.

  “Tale as old as time, tune as old as song. Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong,” Carla croons as she impersonates Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast. Then she grins at us as she plops down in a chair. “The two of you are so stinking cute together.”

  “If you’re going to quote Beauty and the Beast all day long, I might just throw myself off of a building,” Noah mutters as he takes a seat on the opposite side of the table from Carla.

  Carla lets out a sigh as she reaches for the menu, then again mutters Mrs. Potts words from Beaty and the Beast, “Tale as old as time, true as it can be. Barely even friends, then somebody bends unexpectedly.”

  Noah lets out a chuckle while shaking his head. “Not gonna happen.”

  Carla sets down her menu and stares at Noah until he meets her eyes. “Just you wait, Noah West. It’s only a matter of time.”

  If there’s one thing I love about my cousin, it’s that she never backs down and she fights for what she wants.

  My eyes move to Noah and seeing the heat simmering in his gaze as he stares at her, I have to agree with Carla, it’s only a matter of time before they’re a couple. Noah never stood a chance, to begin with.

  Carla picks up a menu and then says, “I’m going to have the salmon salad again. Fallon got me hooked on it.” She gestures for a waiter, and after placing her order, she glances at Noah, “And he’ll have a cheeseburger and shoestring fries. Extra cheese.”

  Noah leans back in the chair and stares at Carla. “What if I was in the mood for something else?”

  “You had pizza yesterday, which means today is burger day,” she mutters as she pulls her phone out of her bag and begins to check something on it.

  “It should be creepy, you know that about me,” Noah grumbles under his breath.

  Carla’s head snaps up, and she grins at him. “But it isn’t, is it? My point exactly.”

  I shake my head as I continue with my meal. Aria watches them for a couple of seconds longer, then she turns her attention to me and widens her eyes as if to ask, ‘Do you see what I see?’

  I nod and whisper. “Yep, seeing it too.”

  ARIA

  Forest and I have managed to catch up with all our work, so I have spare time again. I got Professor Neels’ permission to work on a new series of paintings after class.

  Staring at the canvas, I remember the devastation the earthquake caused and how all the people got together to help those in need.

  Wanting to show the human spirit, I lift the brush to the canvas, and I begin to paint the man looking down at me through the hole. I wish I could’ve met with him again to tell him how thankful I am.

  I’m almost done with the outline when Forest walks into the classroom. He’s carrying a holder with two beverages in it, and he sets it down on my work station before he grabs a stool to sit next to me.

  His eyes drift over the canvas, then he asks, “What are you working on?”

  “A series of paintings of the earthquake. This one is of when the man looked down at me through the hole they made.”

  “Yeah?” Forest’s gaze meets mine. “I think that’s a great idea.” He leans closer to me and presses a kiss to my mouth. “It will help you process what happened, but I’m here whenever you need to talk about it.”

  “Same goes for you,” I say, then I ask, “Can you give me ten minutes to finish up?”

  “Take your time. I love watching you work.” He grabs a beverage and takes a sip.

  I turn my attention back to the canvas, and a couple of minutes later, Forest begins to draw lazy patterns over my back.

  “Mhh… I’m going to fall asleep if you keep doing that,” I warn him.

  “Should I stop?” He asks, his hand pausing for a moment.

  I shake my head. “No, I love it.”

  I work for another thirty minutes before I call it a night. I clean up my work station and taking Forest’s hand, we walk out of the classroom.

  “Want to watch a movie after we’ve showered?” I ask as we walk toward the dorms.

  “Sure,” Forest murmurs. He lets go of my hand and wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side, “Or we can do something else.”

  “Like?” I ask, glancing up at him, and seeing the heat in his gaze, I already know the answer. “How’s the pain?”

  “My arm is fine, and I’ve taken pain meds for my ribs. They don’t ache as much anymore,” Forest explains.

  We walk into the lobby and take the stairs to the top floor. “Ever think we’ll set foot in an elevator again?”

  Forest shakes his head. “Not anytime soon.”

  We walk into the suite, and I stop to get clean clothes from my room before heading to Forest’s bedroom.

  “We should just move your stuff over,” Forest says while I grab a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt for him from his walk-in closet.

  “Yeah?” I let out a chuckle. “You think you can handle my underwear lying next to yours and my tampons in your cabinet?”

  Forest grins at me. “You forget I’ve done a drug store run to get you those tampons.”

  I let out a burst of laughter. “Yeah, and you almost died.”

  “Do you blame me? I had two women giving me all the facts on which tampon works best for what flow. No man needs to hear that.”

  I go to press a kiss to his mouth, then ask, “Do you really want me to move in here with you?”

  Forest tucks a bunch of strands behind my ear, and his eyes lock on mine. “Only if you’re ready.”

  “In that case,” I grin at him as I walk to the bathroom, “I’ll move my stuff over after we’ve showered.”

  No, no, no,” Forest chuckles as he follows me. “You can move in tomorrow. I have other plans for you when we’re done showering.”

  “Yeah,” I give him what I hope is a seductive look. “What plans?” I begin to unbutton his shirt.

  “You on top of me,” Forest murmurs as he leans in to kiss me. My fingers work on getting him out of the shirt while our tongues fight for control over the kiss.

  I have to break the kiss to tug his pants and boxers off, and seeing how hard he is, I rush to get out of my clothes. I grab his hand and pull him back to the bed. “We can shower once I’ve taken care of my man.”

  I position the pillows against the headboard, then say, “That should be comfortable for you.”

  Forest sits down on the bed, then he leans back against the pillows. When I climb over him, his hand instantly grabs hold of my hip, and he crushes his mouth to mine.

  As Forest’s tongue brushes against mine and his fingers dig into my skin, I begin to rub my clit over the hard length of his cock. We both groan with pleasure, and it makes me push down harder on him.

  “Fuck, finally,” Forest gasps into my mouth. “I love the feel of your pussy rubbing over my cock.”

  God, his words send an intense rush of lust t
hrough my body.

  Forest’s hand moves up my side until his palm covers my breast. He lowers his head to my nipple and nips at the hard bud, his teeth and tongue working me into a frenzy.

  He lifts his head, and locking eyes with me, he murmurs, “You’re fucking perfect, Aria.” Then his mouth gives the same attention to my other breast.

  I arch into him, and rubbing my hands over his shoulders, I grind myself down on Forest. The friction makes electric tingles rush through my body.

  I gasp as a sharp sensation begins to tighten my abdomen. My hips move faster, and my clit rubs feverishly over Forest’s hardness.

  “Forest,” I whimper when I’m close. His teeth tug at my nipple, and the slight sting sends me tumbling over the edge. Pleasure swarms through my insides, setting me alight. My body convulses until I have to brace my hand against the headboard, so I don’t slump against Forest. I gasp for air while my hips sensually massage his cock.

  When I’ve caught my breath, I reach down between us and positioning Forest at my entrance, I slowly slide down on his cock, taking him into my body. The size of him stretching my inner walls makes residual pleasure ripple through me.

  My abdomen clenches tightly, wanting all of him, and it makes me press down hard. Forest lets out a moan, and his eyes drift shut as his head falls back against the headboard. “Fuck, you feel incredible.”

  I crash my mouth to his, and I suck his tongue into my mouth. Forest quickly takes control of the kiss, and as I begin to lift myself, his right hand grabs hold of my hip. When I push down again, his fingers curl into my skin.

  I break the kiss wanting to see his face as I make love to him. My eyes drift over his features, and I drink in how they tighten with something that looks like a mixture of relief and ecstasy.

  Framing his jaw, I murmur, “You look so hot right now.”

  Rocking my pelvis against Forest, I become intensely aware of how full I feel. I lift myself until I feel the head of his cock massaging my opening, and sinking down again, I let out a moan as his girth stretches me.

  I was so in my head the first time we made love, I didn’t get to focus on how good Forest feels inside me.

  Chapter 28

  FOREST

  When I recover from the initial relief and pleasure of finally being inside Aria, I move my hand back up to her breast and massaging her nipple into a tight bud, I say, “I could watch you ride me all night long.”

  The corner of her mouth lifts, and her eyes lock on mine. “You feel so good inside me.”

  Wanting to know what she’s experiencing, I ask, “How do I feel?”

  “Mhh…” she lowers herself again, taking all of my cock until her ass touches my balls, and her lashes lower over her eyes, “Your cock hits just the right spot when you’re all the way in, and you stretch my inner walls.”

  My touch grows harder, and I tug at her nipple. It makes a gasp explode over lips. “God, that feels good. Do it again.”

  I can’t tear my eyes away from her as she arches her back when I pull her nipple and slightly twist the bud.

  She grinds harder down on me, and it makes my heartbeat speed up even more. An uncomfortable sensation spreads through my ribs and needing to come before the pain returns, I growl, “Fuck me, Aria. Hard and fast, babe.”

  She places her hands on my shoulders and begins to move faster, and soon the sound of her slick heat sinking over my cock fills the room. It sends me into a wild frenzy and grabbing hold of her neck, I yank her to me. My tongue thrusts into her mouth, and I begin to nip and knead her lips, fucking her with my mouth.

  Aria matches her movements to my tongue’s, and our bodies grow tight as our impending releases build. Pleasure sizzles down my spine, and it has me breaking the kiss so I can gasp, “Gonna come, babe. Harder.”

  Aria slams her pussy down on me, and then it feels as if her inner walls are squeezing my cock, trying to milk my seed from me.

  My hips buck up as I empty myself inside her, and intense pleasure mixes with the dull ache in my rib cage, but it does nothing to lessen the high I get swept away in.

  “Fuck, Forest,” Aria whimpers, and then she convulses on top of me, her pussy frantically rubbing against my cock. “Holy shit,” she gasps, and her features tighten as another orgasm pulses through her body.

  Aria’s movements become sensual as she rides out her orgasm, and it makes residual pleasure rush through my abdomen.

  I watch as she comes down, a soft smile around her lips. Her lashes lift slowly, and then the intense blue of her irises focus on me. “Best feeling ever,” she murmurs as she leans forward to press a tender kiss to my mouth.

  I lift my hand to her neck to keep her in place as I deepen the kiss. My cock twitches inside of her as if he’s trying to snuggle into her warmth. It has me grinning against her lips. “My cock loves your pussy.” Aria lets out a burst of laughter, and it makes me slip out. “And just like that, I’m evicted.”

  Aria quickly climbs off me and clenches her thighs together, and then she does the penguin walk to the bathroom.

  I wait a moment to give her privacy before I climb off the bed.

  I sit down on the couch while Aria goes to get a cold compress from the fridge. She brings it to me with some painkillers and water.

  She watches me swallow them down, then asks, “How do you feel?”

  “Not as bad as I thought I would. Just tender.” I wrap my right arm around her, then ask, “What are we watching.”

  Aria grabs the remote, then snuggles against me. “Shrek.”

  I let out a silent chuckle. Letting out a contented sigh, I turn my attention to the TV screen.

  Carla jogs into the living room and plops down on the couch, which has me saying, “No impersonations. I can’t laugh right now.”

  She glances up at me. “Did you take something for the pain?”

  “Yeah.”

  Noah comes to join us, and I’m surprised when Carla doesn’t make a witty remark. Ten minutes into the movie, movement catches my eye, and I watch as Carla slinks off the couch in stealth mode. She crawls around the back of our couch, sneaking up on Noah, who’s fully focused on the TV screen.

  Suddenly she pops up, her face hovering above Noah’s, startling him.

  Then she freaking impersonates Donkey from Shrek, and I know I’m in for a world of pain.

  “I hate it when you’ve got somebody in your face, you trying to give them a hint, and they won’t leave. Then there’s that big awkward silence… you know…”

  I begin to laugh, pressing the cold compress to my ribs.

  Noah just stares up at her, which has her saying, “Can I lie with you?”

  “Nope.”

  Carla pouts down at him. “Can I lie with you… Please.”

  “Fuck,” Noah mutters. “You’re not going to stop, are you?”

  “Nope.” She even lets the damn ‘P’ pop, just like Noah.

  “Fine,” he huffs.

  Carla darts up, and before Noah can change his mind, she lies down half over him and rests her head on his chest. She lets out a happy sigh. “Not so bad, is it?”

  Noah shakes his head. “You’re not the one being used for a pillow.”

  Carla snuggles into him. “My favorite pillow.”

  I watch as emotion washes over Noah’s features, and his eyes dart back to the TV.

  Yeah, he’s the only one watching because both Aria and I are staring at them.

  After a minute or so, Noah places his arm over Carla, and when his attention is absorbed by the movie, he begins to caress his fingers up and down the length of her arm.

  Yep, he’s already fallen for her. Lord only knows why he’s still fighting it.

  ARIA

  It feels as if I’m walking around with a permanent smile etched on my face.

  Today is our two-month anniversary, and Forest has a surprise planned for me.

  I’m giddy with excitement as I pack a weekend bag for us. Forest comes out of the bathroom with ou
r toiletries and hands them to me.

  He has fully healed, thank God. I hated seeing him in pain.

  “That’s everything, right?” he asks as he glances inside the bag.

  I zip it closed. “Yeah.” Excitedly, I say, “Let’s go.”

  When we walk into the living room, I’m surprised to see Dad, Uncle Falcon, and Uncle Lake. “We didn’t know you were coming over.”

  “I asked them to come,” Hana says as she gets up from the couch. “There’s something we need to do before you go away for the weekend.”

  “Yeah?” Forest looks just as puzzled as me.

  “Let’s go,” Dad says.

  We follow them out of the suite, and when we approach the elevator, fear slithers down my spine, and the words burst from me, “I’m not ready.”

  Dad comes to place his arm around me. “We’re all getting in with you and Forest. I had the elevator inspected.”

  “Still.” My gaze darts up to Dad’s face. “I don’t think I can.”

  Dad tilts his head and gives me an encouraging smile. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Trust me, sweetheart.”

  “I do,” I whisper as emotion begins to war in my chest. I glance at Uncle Falcon and Uncle Lake.

  Then my gaze stops on Forest, and he comes to weave his fingers with mine. “We can do this.”

  He just recovered.

  What if…

  My breathing speeds up, and I shake my head.

  I won’t survive it a second time if something goes wrong.

  Forest lifts his arms and frames my face with both his hands. “You and me, babe. We can do this.”

  I can see that Forest needs to do this, and hesitating for a couple more seconds, I gather every last bit of my strength and nod. “Okay.”

  God, please don’t let this elevator fall.

  Hana presses the button for the doors to slide open, and then she steps inside with her father. Uncle Lake gives me a comforting smile, then he reaches his hand out to me. “Baby steps.”

  Uncle Falcon steps inside, taking Uncle Lake’s hand while joking, “You shouldn’t have.”