“Hmm,” is all Ben says.
“Instead of going home for the summer like everyone else, I moved in with him. I put so much distance between myself and my friends and family because I thought that’s how I was supposed to act.” He squeezes my hand tight and I manage to look him in the eye. There’s so much love written all over his face it’s hard to believe I even considered sacrificing our relationship. “I finally realized what I had done and ended the relationship.”
“Did he put up any kind of fight? Try to win you back?”
My shoulders slump slightly. That was always the thing that bothered me about breaking up with Brandon. “No. He let me end things pretty easily.”
“Well, he sounds like a total knob.”
“It doesn’t matter if he is or isn’t. The damage to other relationships was already done. When I went home for the summer, my grandmother died and I was so heartbroken. I missed out on spending time with her and then she was gone. I was devastated.”
Ben reaches up and brushes away my tears. “I’m so sorry you went through that.”
“So am I and I promised myself never to let it happen again.”
“Do you think I’m going to just give up everything in my life to appease Alistair?”
I shrug. “I don’t really know.”
He brushes the back of his hand along my cheek and it sends shivers down my spine. “Darling, there’s been a rift between my brother and I for years. It started growing the moment I bought the pub. I love my brother, but we have different ambitions. The title and the estate have always mattered to him whereas I’m perfectly content being my own boss.”
“Aren’t you worried about Alistair ruining your businesses?”
“Absolutely not. Alistair is all talk, no action.”
Relief floods through me and I exhale loudly. “I owe you an apology Ben. I made such a mess of things this last week. I’m so sorry.”
His lips tip up into a half smile. “No one said that love is easy, Milly. It’s going to be messy and complicated. We just have to be honest with each other.” He places a finger over his lips like there’s something else he wants to say. His cute half smile turns into a full-blown shit-eating grin. “That sounds like something you ought to put in your vows.”
“Oh god, I don’t even want to think about a wedding right now. I’ve still got months of waiting for my visa.”
“Do you want to get married in England?”
“Don’t you? In the walled garden at Waterstone Hall?”
“I want to be your husband more than I want to get married in a garden.”
The devilish grin is back and I quirk one brow. “Why do I get the feeling you’re hiding something from me?”
“I have no intention of hiding anything from you. I want to marry you Milly.”
“Why are you coming back to the States with me?”
“For one very important reason.” He purposely pauses, keeping me in suspense. “To elope!”
My jaw hits the floor. “Elope? You can’t be serious.”
“It’s so much easier if we get married in America. You’ll still have to apply for a new visa but lucky for you, your husband-to-be is wealthy and willing to pay to expedite your application.”
“You’ve been doing research!”
“No, I’ve just got friends in immigration.”
“Why are you doing all of this?”
His brown eyes soften a bit. “Milly, I’m willing to fight for you. I’m not Brandon or some other tosser. I won’t let you go so easily because I’m madly in love with you.”
Ben
For days, I watched Milly fret over the whole visa situation. All I had to do was make one phone call to my friend Spencer and I had the answer to all our problems. Elope. Will my family consider this another black mark against my name? Yes, but honestly, will I ever be redeemed? Probably not.
But now, I need to worry about Milly’s forgiveness because I lied to her about Alistair. My brother is notoriously vindictive and petty. When we land in Boston, I’ll call my lawyers in case he pulls anything while Milly and I are in America.
Milly is suspiciously quiet for a woman who is going to elope. Isn’t she curious about what I’ve planned so far? One glance tells me she’s nervous about something because she’s gnawing at her fingernails.
“What’s the matter?” I whisper, catching her off guard.
“It feels like forever since I’ve been home,” Milly answers. “But I don’t feel like I’m going back home though.”
A smile fills her face briefly before it disappears. Like every woman, I’m sure Milly wants a big, traditional wedding with all of her friends and family in attendance. “Does eloping bother you, Milly?”
“What?” The look on her face guts me. She looks stricken. “No, it doesn’t. We can have a big reception and invite all of our friends and family, right?”
“Yes, of course. But something is bothering you. Tell me.”
“It’s just hard to imagine getting married and not having my best friend Holly there.”
“So, invite her!” God, that was such an easy problem to fix! I know not to get used to it though; marriage is not going to be this easy.
There is still a look of uneasiness in her eye and I wonder what exactly is bothering Milly, but I let it slide. She’s never kept anything from me for long.
I spend the rest of the flight wishing we had joined the Mile High Club, picturing all of the ways our bodies can contort to fit in one of those tiny airplane toilets. When our flight finally lands, I’m ready to haul her into a dark corner of the airport because we’ve spent too many nights apart.
I follow Milly through the airport and when she starts heading in the direction of public transportation, I stop her. “Do you really think we’re going to take the bus? I’ve arranged for a rental car.” She looks slightly uneasy which makes me chuckle. “Even without my family’s money, I’m still pretty well off so just get used to it, ok?”
“Well, can you drive in America? ‘Cause I can’t.”
My jaw drops. “What? What do you mean you can’t drive?”
She shrugs like not having a driver’s license isn’t a big deal. “I just never learned. No one was willing to teach me when I was younger.”
“But how do you get around?”
“Boston has some pretty great public transportation. Now, can you drive or not?”
“Yes, I can drive,” I grumble.
By the time we reach the rental car center, I’m still gobsmacked over Milly’s lack of a license. “But what exactly do you mean no one was willing to teach you? Surely your mum or dad could have taught you.”
Milly slips into the passenger side and waits for me to get behind the wheel. She watches me carefully as I familiarize myself with the car’s controls.
“Milly, I’m not leaving this car park until you explain yourself.”
She sighs. “No dad and my mom didn’t want to teach me. She said teaching my older sister was bad enough.”
Why did it feel like I was meeting Milly for the first time? There was still so much to learn about her. “I didn’t know about your dad,” I say softly as I put the car into gear and start navigating my way out onto the streets of Boston.
“He left when I was a baby. Came back around when I was little for a few years but left again.” She says it so casually like it doesn’t matter. But it does.
“I’m sorry he wasn’t around much,” I murmur, reaching over the car’s console to take her hand.
“It’s not a big deal. I have an amazing grandfather who is like my dad.”
“And he couldn’t teach you how to drive?” I still can’t get over this. When we get back to England, I’m going to take her out to Waterstone Park where there’s plenty of space and teach her.
Milly directs me through Boston until we’re on a quiet residential street. Her flat is one of several in an old converted Victorian home. It’s ungodly small but perfectly Milly. Every room is filled wi
th an eclectic assortment of furnishings and is painted a different color. The kitchen is a bright turquoise and the living/dining room is a cheerful coral. I love every square meter of it.
“I know it’s small,” Milly says, inspecting the space through a critical lens. “But I own it. It’ll be sad to sell it.”
Slowly, I walk up behind her and place my hands on her shoulders. I knead them softly and then place a light kiss just below her earlobe. “Giving up your life here to be with me in England is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. I promise you’ll never regret it.”
Milly
Being home is weird. As much as I love my condo and all that it represents, it doesn’t feel like home anymore. Home is with Ben. Home is a cozy flat in the middle of Notting Hill or a noisy, crowded pub.
Ben’s promise echoes in my ears but really, he has nothing to worry about. I lean against his strong frame and sigh. “I’m proud of all I’ve accomplished but it’s time to move on. I’m not giving up anything, Ben. I’m getting what I’ve always wanted.”
He spins me and traps me in his arms. “Good, now it’s time I get what I wanted.” His hands travel down the length of my back to my ass and he lifts me. My legs wrap around his waist as he starts to carry me through my small condo. “One of these doors must lead to a bedroom.”
He kicks open each door until finally, we make it to my bedroom. “That’s the ticket,” he growls right before he dumps me onto my bed. I feel like a voyeur as I watch him work furiously to unbuckle his belt and unfasten his jeans. “You’ve been quite the tease and I’ve restrained myself for far too long.”
The sight of his hard cock in his hand makes me lick my lips. It also makes me wonder why the fuck I’m still dressed. I start to remove my shirt but Ben stops me. “Oh no, sweetheart. I want to fuck your pretty mouth.”
I scoot to the edge of the bed as he approaches, stroking himself; his eyes dark, smoldering and focused on me. He runs his thumb along my bottom lip and presses down, forcing my mouth to open.
Then I get my first taste of his clean masculinity. Instantly, I devour him. I feel starved and greedy, like feasting on him isn’t enough. I sneak one hand below the waistband of my jeans and brush it along the front of my panties. A tremor of need runs through my body.
“Tsk tsk,” Ben admonishes, looking down at me through his hooded gaze. “Wait your turn.”
When Ben and I are together, there are no rules for how we make love to each other. Some nights, it’s slow and lazy and other times, it’s fast and frantic. Tonight, Ben is all alpha, ready to push my boundaries. The anticipation of feeling him inside of me, of being filled with his cock, of feeling him explode makes me drenched. I want him to fuck my mouth but I’m dying for him to fuck my pussy.
“Please,” I beg, letting his cock pop from my mouth. The ache between my legs is growing and I need something, anything to ease it just a little.
He cups my breast with one hand, squeezing and kneading it while the other hand brushes the tip of his cock along my lips. It slips back inside my mouth and I suck him right down to the base, until I feel the head hit the back of my throat before instantly releasing it.
“Fuck, sweetheart, I might just cum down your throat.”
YES! I scream internally.
I repeat the same action, taking him deep and then quickly releasing him. His cock is rock hard when I reach out to cup his balls. I lavish the head with my tongue, swirling and sucking until he starts to tense. My cheeks hollow as I suck him hard and deep until his cock begins to pulse in my mouth and the first hot streams of his orgasm land on my tongue. Ben moans as I drain the last drops from his cock before he slips out.
Ben looks down, pleased as he runs his fingers across my cheek. “I don’t deserve you,” he says with a soft smile.
My impatience dies down and I stand up. “Yes, you do,” I tell him. “We deserve each other.”
The rest of his clothes come off as do mine until there’s a small pile on the floor. He brushes my hair back, exposing my shoulder and bends his head to place a soft kiss there. His hands are warm and soft as they travel the length of my body. He hitches one leg up, holding it against his thigh as he draws me close for a kiss. His cock brushes against my center and I moan, my desire for more re-igniting.
My arms wrap around his neck as Ben lifts me slightly and together, we fall onto the bed. Our kisses deepen and grow heated as his hands trace familiar paths along my curves until they brush against the apex of my thighs. I open for him automatically, ready for more of his touch.
Ben makes love to me slowly, sinking his cock deep inside of me. Every movement is calculated and thoughtful because this more than just making love. This is worship. His mouth reverently covers one nipple, sucking it gently into his mouth before letting it fall out.
“What do you want,” he asks breathlessly as we move towards ecstasy together.
My back arches slightly as his rhythm becomes more intense and I feel my body start to tremble with the first waves of bliss. His grip on me tightens as his jaw clenches. “Tell me what you want,” he asks again through clenched teeth.
A loud moan escapes my lips as my orgasm sends shockwaves through my body. He groans with one final thrust and I feel his cock pulse, spilling his seed deep inside of me. He collapses on top of me, his breath hot against my flushed skin.
“I want to be your wife,” I say at last as I run my fingers through the sweaty strands of his hair.
I swear I can feel his grin against my skin.
He squeezes my waist playfully and pops his head up. “When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“I thought you wanted Holly to be there,” he asks as we cuddle together post-sex.
I hum thoughtfully. “It’s better to ask for forgiveness later.”
Ben stretches out alongside me and gathers me against him. “Well, my love. Tomorrow sounds like an absolutely bloody brilliant day to get married.”
Ben
I knew I’d wear Milly down with my plan but I didn’t think it would happen so soon.
After we both showered off the shagging and travel grime, we started making plans.
“Well shit,” I growl as I read the requirements to get married.
“What’s wrong? Can a British citizen not get married in the US?” Milly comes up beside me and stares at the screen of my laptop.
“No, we have to wait three bloody days!”
“Oh. Well, now I have plenty of time to buy a dress.”
I can’t help but pout. “But I don’t want to wait three days.”
She runs her hand through my hair and kisses my cheek. “It’ll be fine. There’s so much we can do while we wait.”
I sit back and glower at her. “Like what?”
She turns her head and whispers her dirty thoughts in my ear. But I don’t get the chance to take her back to bed because my bloody mobile interrupts us. I can’t ignore the phone call either because it’s my lawyer.
“I’ve been gone one day, Seamus,” I growl into the phone when I answer. “Not even a full day!”
“I do apologize for bothering you so soon,” he says politely. “But Alistair has been talking to your investors.”
“And what has he told them?”
“According to Lewis, he’s offering to buy them out.”
My jaw clenches. “And have any of them budged?”
“Not yet.”
I glance toward Milly, who’s watching me closely with her thumb between her teeth.
“Call an investor meeting. I’ll be there day after tomorrow.”
The call ends but now I have to explain to Milly our wedding plans will have to be put on hold.
“You have investors?” The woman has the keenest hearing in the world.
“I do. I went to the London School of Economics, Milly. Eventually, I want to own more pubs than just my own.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I guess talking about my c
areer never really seems important.”
Her arms are crossed and she’s scowling. “Unbelievable.”
She starts to walk away but I scramble after her, grabbing her arm and spinning her to face me. “I’m sorry. Truly. But I have to go back to London and deal with this.”
“What about eloping?”
“We’ll apply for the license tomorrow. We have to wait three days anyway, so what’s a few more?”
Her eyes narrow again. “You said your brother wasn’t a threat.”
Fuck me, Milly’s memory is insane. I feel like I’m constantly apologizing to her. “I know. I didn’t want you to worry. I can handle Alistair.”
She gnaws on her bottom lip. “It seems like he’s pretty desperate to expand. Why?”
“I have the exact same question but I don’t want you to worry about Alistair. I want to focus on going to city hall tomorrow and applying for our license. Let me handle my brother, okay?”
“I hate that you have to go back to London.”
“So do I.” It’s not an ideal situation but I’m glad Alistair made a move, saves me from waiting. “Now, let’s forget about all of this and go back to bed.”
* * *
Being British doesn’t cause any problems when we head to city hall to apply for our marriage license. Seamus advised me on the necessary items I would need to bring with me, so I showed up prepared. The only issue was the clerk who kept batting her eyelashes at me. I thought she was being rude but Milly found it hilarious.
“She thought you were totally smexy, dude,” Milly laughs as we head out for a celebratory lunch.
“Your American is showing,” I tease her. I love the blush that creeps up her neck and blooms on her cheeks.
“It’s gonna do that from time to time.”
I place a smacking kiss on her cheek. “I love it.”
Hand-in-hand, we enter the restaurant I picked. It’s quite upscale and specializes in fresh farm-to-table cuisine. We’re seated at a table facing the harbor and the natural light spilling in through the windows illuminates Milly perfectly. Slowly, I remove my mobile from my pocket and capture a quick picture when she’s not looking.
Wanderlust Wedding (Wedding Season Series) Page 4
