by Ana E Ross
She chewed her bottom lip pensively. “Is that why you demanded the blood tests before we were married?”
“Yes, but that was for your safety, too. I’ve always used protection with other women, but I needed to know that I was okay.” Kaya could have simply told him that she’d never been with a man. She was probably trying to save him face. He’d also thought that it was shame or fear that had caused her to reject him on their wedding night. It was the reason he never made any more sexual advances. He didn’t want to scare her, but give her time to heal and trust him.
“That’s what you thought I was going to tell you just before we made love?”
“Yes again.”
“And you didn’t care.”
“Nope. I didn’t care. God knows I’m no saint when it comes to women. I was in no position to judge you.”
She looked at him with dreamy eyes. “You’re a good man, Bryce Fontaine. Genuine. A lot of other men would have run the other way.”
“I’m glad I’m not a lot of other men. You’re a rare breed, Kaya, and I’m happy you agreed to marry me.” He drew her closer and planted a soft peck on her lips.
“Why did you go to Florida in the first place?” she asked.
“To warn Jack to stay away from you and the children. I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for another Victoria to happen. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself, deal with the guilt if anything ever happened to you or the kids.”
“Bryce, what happened to Pilar and your baby wasn’t your fault. That woman blind-sided you. You couldn’t have foreseen what she was capable of.”
His mouth twisted wryly. “I could have put a restraining order on her. I could have paid her off. I could have charged her while she was pointing the gun at me. I could have picked something up and thrown it at her. Every time I think of that night, all these scenarios go through my mind. Bottom line is, I failed to protect my wife and baby. If it weren’t for my arrogance, my neglect, Pilar and my child would be alive today.”
“You can spend the rest of your life ‘could having’ yourself to death and it wouldn’t change anything.” She cradled his face between her palms. “A wise little boy told me that his daddy used to say that it’s a waste of time to regret things we should have done. We must learn to pick up the pieces and move on.”
He wondered if Kaya had moved on from her past. He was still in the dark about her relationship with Lauren and their father, and the “it” they never spoke about. He still didn’t know why Kaya had spent time in juvenile detention or why she’d been in foster care. Where was her mother? Had he done the right thing in burning the report the detective had sent him, or should he have dug deeper into his wife’s past to really get to know her? Seemed he was doomed to repeat his impulsive behavior. Were they mistakes or blessings?
“Pilar believed Victoria’s lies,” he said, surprised that he’d even spoken the words. “She told me she forgave me. It hurts that she questioned my fidelity, my commitment to her and our vows. Perhaps if we’d taken the time to know each other before jumping into a marriage less than a month after we met, she would have had more faith in me, in us.”
Her lids slid down over her eyes.
“Oh, that was insensitive of me seeing you and I were also married weeks after we met.”
She glanced up at him and spoke with a quiet, but desperate firmness in her voice. “I know why we got married, Bryce. It was different for you and Pilar. You were in love. Don't be sorry about it.” She paused. “Sometimes even people we’ve known for a long time surprise us. I’ve known Jack since we were kids, and yet when he dumped me so unceremoniously, and now after the lies he told you about me, I realize that I really didn’t know him at all.” She linked her fingers with his again. “But you, I’ve known you for less than two months, yet I feel… I feel—”
“What do you feel, Kaya, dear?” Would she tell him that she loved him in the light of day when he was fully awake and gazing deeply into her chocolate-brown eyes? Bryce had no idea how he would respond if she did.
He held his breath waiting, but then the moment was lost when his cell vibrated on the floor beside the mattress. With a groan halfway between relief and regret, he reached out and snatched it up. “Hello.”
“Hi, Bryce. I trust you’re sober.”
“Hi, Michelle,” he said on a chuckle. “I’m sober. Very sober.” He winked at Kaya. “I guess you’re ready to get rid of our kids?”
“I’d love to keep them for the rest of the day, but I have to leave for Manchester soon. I have a book signing in a couple hours at the Youth Center.”
“Oh yes, I totally forgot. Congratulations on the release of your second book. Make sure you bring me back a signed copy.”
“I will, Bryce.” She cleared her throat. “Um, I’m taking Precious with me and Jason wants to go along. We’re flying down, so we wouldn’t be gone all day, just a few hours. Jason will be back home in time for dinner. Is it okay?”
“Hold on. I’ll put you on speaker phone.” He pressed the speaker button, and frowned at Kaya’s attempt to stop him by flailing her hands in the air and mouthing the word “No”.
“You guys are up and about already?”
“We’re up, but not about. We’re still in bed.”
He chuckled when Kaya covered her face with her hands and groaned.
There was a long pause, then, “Oh,” from Michelle.
He could hear the shock and surprise in her voice. Had Kaya told her and Libby last night that they hadn’t consummated their marriage? Well, that was the purpose of the brides club—for the wives to confide in each other. He wondered if they’d given his virgin bride any ideas. “We’re newlyweds, Michelle. These things happen,” he said in a velvety tone.
“You’re preaching to the choir, Bryce,” she responded with a chuckle.
“Is it okay if Jason goes to Manchester with Michelle and Precious?” Bryce asked Kaya. “Michelle has a book signing. They’re flying down, so he’ll be back in time for dinner.”
Kaya dropped her hands and glared at him. “It’s okay, Michelle. Just remind him that he has to do his homework when he gets back.”
“I’ll tell him.”
“I’ll have Bryce bring over a fresh change of clothes for him when he picks up the girls.”
“Great. You two go back to doing whatever it was you were doing. Kaya, we will talk later,” she added rather dramatically and hung up.
Bryce set his cell phone on the floor and leaned over Kaya. “You heard the woman. We should get back to whatever it is we were doing.”
“We were talking,” she said pointedly.
“Not anymore.” He pulled her gently to him.
“You have to pick up the girls and take Jason a change of clothes,” she said, pushing against his arms.
“Methinks the lady doth protest too much.” He captured her mouth with his and tried to nudge her legs apart with one of his knees.
“I’m sore, Bryce,” she whispered against his lips.
His heart jolted. He raised his head and stared down at her. “Oh, sweetheart, I forgot last night was your first time.” He squinted his eyes. “You know if you’d told me you were a virgin, I would have been a lot more gentle and patient. Because I didn’t know, I may have torn you.”
“You probably did, and I did try to tell you.” She graced him with an accusatory slant of the eye.
“With something that colossal, you should have tried harder.”
“Well, maybe if I’d known you were so colossal, I would have shouted it at the top of my lungs.”
“My sweet wife has a sense of humor,” he declared as hearty chuckles erupted from his throat. He kissed her on the forehead and rolled off of her. “You need a day or two to heal before we make love again and I know just what will help the process along. Stay right there.”
Kaya’s eyes were glued to Bryce’s gorgeous body as he eased his way over to the edge of the mattress. They’d made love last night bathed in the light of the m
oon and the flames from the fireplace, but the only part of his anatomy she’d had glimpses of were his wide chest and powerful shoulders, and strong upper arms as he’d been bent over her, plunging into her over and over again.
Kaya felt a surging ache between her legs at the memory. If she weren’t so sore, she knew he’d be inside her at the moment, taking her to love’s passionate pinnacle and then pushing her over the edge where she’d crash and burn in the melting flames.
She smiled at the thought that she was a woman now—Bryce Fontaine’s woman, his wife in every sense of the word.
She—little insignificant Kaya Brehna from Palm Beach, Florida—was married to one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world. And that amazing man had not only shared his body with her, but a part of his heart and soul as well. He’d opened up to her and told her about his deepest darkest hurts and fears. He’d cried out his pain in her arms.
She’d given him something of herself she could never give to any other man, and he’d shared something of himself she was sure he’d chosen not to share with any other woman.
That knowledge filled Kaya with insurmountable affection for her husband.
Somewhere, she’d heard that women have sex because they were in love and that men have sex because they were looking for love. Kaya wasn’t sure about the latter part of that statement, and whether or not Bryce was looking for love, but she knew she’d given herself to him because she was in love with him.
As Bryce pushed off the mattress and stood to his feet, Kaya’s eyes were drawn to the corded muscles of his broad shoulders and back. She gasped at the long angry welts along his smooth brown skin. In her passion, she’d marked him, but he seemed to wear his passion wounds with pride. She bit her lips as her gaze continued down his narrow waist that tapered off into the tight sinews of his dimpled buttocks, and the sturdy pillars of his thighs and long hairy legs supporting hid humongous frame. Her heart fluttered as she recalled her heels digging into him, spurring him toward the flaming precipice of passion, roaring all the way like a champion thoroughbred stallion. She’d satisfied him. Her smile deepened at the simple awareness.
For a few moments, he stood with his back to her, giving her time to admire him before he walked slowly from the room, down the corridor toward the His and Hers bathroom and dressing suites.
When she heard water running into what she was certain was the smaller, woman’s size Jacuzzi, Kaya covered her face with her hands and groaned. Was he disappointed that she couldn’t make love to him again for a few days? She was. She didn’t want to wait that long to be with him again, but the ache in her body warned her that it was best. She wondered if this was what it was like for all virgins, or was it because her husband was so huge?
She’d never really given sex that much thought. She’d never had a serious boyfriend until Jack, and even though he’d tried to make love with her, she’d never even been slightly tempted. And thank God, after the jerk he’d turned out to be. How could he tell Bryce such nauseating lies about her? What the heck was wrong with him?
Kaya dropped her hands to her chest and raised her eyelids when a shadow fell across her. Her gaze collided with Bryce’s. All thoughts of Jack vanished from her mind, and her heart began to hammer in her chest at the sparks of eroticism she read in the dark recesses of Bryce’s eyes.
He stood at the foot of the mattress, straight as a sturdy oak tree. As Kaya took in the background of the Corinthian-columned balcony, the blue skies, and the evergreen pine tree line, one thing became clear to her: Bryce Fontaine didn’t blend in. He stood out. He had presence like no other man she’d ever known.
Kaya licked her lips as her gaze slid down the wide chest to his stomach. She’d heard of six-pack abs. Bryce had eight. Divinely ripped and corded. She lowered her gaze to his hips and the turbulent root of his sex in its half-awakened state. She shuddered and swallowed when it jerked against his thigh in anticipation and excitement. How in heaven’s name had she taken him into her little virgin body last night, and enjoyed it so thoroughly at that? It must have been a miracle.
Kaya had never seen a real live naked man before. But she was wise enough to know that they could not all possess the same generous virility as Bryce Fontaine. There was an awful lot of him. He’d definitely broken the mold. No wonder she was sore. And no wonder he hadn’t allowed her to see him or touch him last night, because honestly, she would have run from his bed screaming. But now…
“Your bath is ready,” he said looking her over seductively. He knelt on the mattress and scooped her up in his arms.
Both of their eyes became riveted to the dark stain on the duvet. His body tensed, and feeling a sense of embarrassment, Kaya nuzzled her face into the warm comfort of Bryce’s neck and looped her arms about his shoulders. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said, carrying her from the room. “It’s normal.” He knelt beside the Jacuzzi—strategically positioned under a low window overlooking the lake—and lowered her gently into the warm water. “I sprinkled some baking soda into your bath. It will help soothe your aches away. Got the idea from Grannie,” he added with a grin.
“Oh, this feels good,” Kaya murmured as the jet streams immediately began massaging her body. She hadn’t realized she was so achy, like a big truck had run over her. Well, one had actually, she thought, taking in the look of contentment on Bryce’s face. He’d run over her and right through her, forging paths on the uncharted terrain of her body.
“I’ll leave you now,” he said.
“You don’t have to go.” She enjoyed looking at him. She liked having him close. They’d been apart for so long on so many different levels that she was afraid that if he left, he wouldn’t come back.
“Oh, yes, I do.” He traced a finger across her eyebrows. “If I don’t leave, I will scoop you out of this tub and take you back to bed. But we do need to wait. I want your next experience to be even more fulfilling that last night.”
Kaya didn’t think that was possible, but only time would tell. “How long do we have to wait?” Her own eagerness surprised her. She’d never craved anything this much.
“A couple days at the most.” He groaned. “I have to pick up Alyssa and Anastasia. And I’m giving Haley the day off. You, the girls, and I will spend the day together. Would you like that?”
She nodded on a smile.
“Close your eyes, relax, and enjoy your soak. I’ll see you downstairs when you’re ready.”
“Thanks, Bryce.”
“No, thank you.” He leaned in and kissed her lips, then pushed to his feet and left her.
Kaya nestled into a more comfortable position, rested her head against the spa pillow, and closed her eyes. A smile graced her lips when she heard the shower in the His bathroom.
A day with Bryce and the kids sounded splendid. It would be the first time that they would spend time together like a true family.
Dear Lord, she’d told him that she loved him.
Had he heard her?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kaya’s heart swelled with a sense of fulfillment as she watched Jason, Alyssa, and their friends trek through knee-deep snow to toss snowballs at each other. It was hard to believe it was only two months ago that tragedy had crushed their spirits and taken away their will to live.
With lots of therapy from Samantha, love and patience from her and Bryce, and constant interaction with friends, they were back on course, behaving like normal children again. Even Anastasia was thriving, she thought, glancing down at the baby nestled in the crook of her arm, gnawing away on a frozen teething ring and drooling from both corners of her mouth.
Thank God she was finally sleeping through the night. Even though she had a live-in nanny, Kaya’s maternal instinct propelled her out of bed each time Anastasia awoke in the night.
Kaya placed her feet on the ottoman in front of her and glanced around the four-season porch off the kitchen. Large potted plants from her Palm Beach apartment were scattered about, gi
ving her a sense of connection to the place where she’d grown up, the place she no longer called home. This place where children frolicked in the backyard snow was now her home. For the first time since she arrived in Granite Falls, Kaya felt a sense of belonging with the town, with L’etoile du Nord. She could safely credit her growing assimilation to what she and Bryce had shared last night and the amazing day they’d spent together.
After her soothing soak in the Jacuzzi, she’d dressed and come downstairs to find a lovely bouquet of white and yellow orchids—that Bryce knew were her favorite flowers—waiting for her, and a card that read: Thank you for last night, and for listening. Bryce.
Kaya tingled from the memory of the “thank you” kiss she’d given him in return. If her body could have handled him, she would have definitely taken Bryce upstairs to her room where they would have spent the rest of the day. But he said they needed to wait a few days before indulging themselves in each other.
After a cereal breakfast at home, she and Bryce had taken the girls to Pine Forest Petting Zoo in the neighboring town of Evergreen, where they’d run into Libby who was babysitting her niece, Courtney. Since it was a sunny, pleasant day, they’d all taken a horse and buggy ride around the farm until Alyssa and Courtney cried “hungry”. Realizing that Alyssa was having such a good time, Kaya had asked Libby if Courtney could spend the day with them. Her sister was happy to oblige, and so was Libby who wanted to spend time with Steven.
Upon leaving the zoo, they’d driven into town and enjoyed a leisure lunch at Marble Pond Terrace, then walked through the mall window-shopping. Of course Alyssa had battered her eyelashes at Bryce and dropped ‘a one hundreds of kisses’ on his face until he caved and bought her a new doll. Now that she understood why he was such a pussycat when it came to that child, Kaya forgave him and allowed him to buy her a diamond bracelet from Forsythe Jewelers on Main Street.
Kaya extended her arm and stared at the pink diamonds sparking against her tan wrist. She smiled as she recalled the stares and attention they’d received from the other customers and passersby, who’d done double takes when they recognized Bryce.
