Rose In Bloom

by Mia Michelle

  “Don’t stop,” I beg him, moving my hips to urge him on, but he doesn’t move.

  Instead, he leans down and tenderly kisses me. Each slow stroke of his tongue in my mouth pulls at my throbbing core. This man is going to make me fucking cum just by kissing me. Leaving me breathless, he pulls out and gently slides my panties down my hips. Moving back between my legs, he pushes himself slowly into me, leaning down to grasp my face in his hands.

  “I.” Thrust. “Love.” Thrust. “You.” Thrust.

  I feel the enormous pleasure building as it spirals out of control. My insides tighten and I press my nails into his ass urging him deeper.

  “Sebastian,” I manage through a shaky voice as I struggle not to break his gaze. I watch as my husband comes apart above me, triggering my own release. His body shakes as I feel his warmth pulsate inside of me. My hips milk him for more and he groans at me like a savage. I don’t let go of him; I don’t want him pulling out of me. Right now, I need him inside of me.

  We hold each other for a long time, kissing and touching tenderly. He lifts my hand, kissing each of my fingers before entwining his hand with mine. He plays with my wedding band for a few moments before he finally speaks.

  “I don’t know how I’m going to put you on that plane tonight. I’d just as soon cut the heart out of my chest. It would be less painful, that’s for damn sure.”

  “Don’t think about that right now. We still have the whole day together.”

  “Then let’s spend it in bed,” he says, pulling me in for another kiss.

  “We can’t silly. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment today,” I say, giggling as he nuzzles back into my neck.

  I jump as I feel the baby moving and place his hand quickly over my stomach. Another tiny thump and I see his face light up. Leaning down, he raises my silk camisole, tracing his fingertips lightly over my skin before pressing his lips on my stomach.

  “Hi, little princess. Did we shake you up in there? Don’t blame me. It’s your Mommy’s fault. She’s just so damn beautiful I can’t resist myself,” he says, smiling back up at me. I play with his hair as he rests his chin on my stomach, still staring into my eyes.

  “Everything is going to be all right, I promise, Skylar. Now, let’s get moving so we can listen to my daughter’s heartbeat,” he says, climbing off me to stand up. “Besides, I’m dying to see how much weight you put on. You really killed my back carrying you up those stairs last night.”

  “Shut up!” I say, tossing a pillow at him.

  Catching it, he throws it down and charges towards me, earning a loud squeal as he takes me into his arms. My stomach picks the perfect time to growl.

  “How about you go ahead and get dressed while I go fix us something to eat?”

  “No way! You almost burned the kitchen down last time. I think there are some fresh bagels and fruit in the kitchen. I’m good with that for now. We can grab an early lunch after my appointment if you want.”

  “You got it.”

  “Are you excited?” he asks, squeezing my hand as we walk to the doctor’s office.

  “Yes, I always love getting to hear it. It makes everything seem so real.”

  He smiles, releasing my hand to open the door for me. Just as I’m signing in, his phone rings. Looking down, he frowns and immediately walks outside. Sitting down in the waiting room, I try to busy myself by looking through a parenting magazine nearby. Over and over, I try to read the article about breastfeeding, but my mind is too much on Sebastian and that phone call. Finally, he returns inside, looking very upset. He sits in the chair beside me, turning to face me, so I sit the magazine back down and look at him.

  “Baby, I’m sorry, but that was Lucas. Maverick just messaged him about a meeting that is about to go down. I’ve got to go.”

  “What? No, you can’t go to that meeting alone. He’ll kill you!”

  “I’m taking Harrison with me. Will you be all right, doing this alone today?”

  “She’s just going to do a quick check on things. I’ll be fine,” I say, trying to sound convincing. I’m not fine. I won’t be until all of this is over.

  “Calvin is already outside in the vehicle, waiting for you when you are done here. I love you, sweetheart. I’ve got to go, but I’ll meet you back at home. I promise you a romantic dinner before you leave tonight,” he says, cupping my face and kissing me.

  Letting go of his hand is harder than I ever imagined possible.

  What if I never hold it again?

  Brandon

  Goddamn, she is so fucking beautiful!

  It’s been almost a year since I’ve laid eyes on her and I can’t drink her in fast enough. Fuck me, the way her long legs look in that dress and those boots. So many nights I’ve dreamt about them wrapped around me. Soon, that will no longer be a dream. It will be a reality. I wish she wasn’t wearing that damn red coat, but I remember everything hidden underneath. Trust me. No one can forget the way that tight body looks once they’ve seen it for themselves.

  Sitting in the SUV, I can’t help but laugh at the crumpled body in the floorboard. Thorne’s hired bodyguard for her was a freaking joke. Caught off guard when I sat in the backseat, it took me all of five seconds to slit his throat. With the windows this tinted, no one saw a damn thing. I opted to park on the side street that has virtually no traffic to wait for her.

  I’d been waiting for the perfect time to get her alone. For a week now, I’ve followed them, but it has never been the right moment. Today felt different. When I received a text from Lucas Drake about Sebastian wanting to meet with me, everything fell into place. Texting Lucas back on my father’s phone, I indicated that I wanted a meeting immediately. His reply had been virtually instantaneous and only sealed my plans. When I watched Sebastian leave the building, I knew he’d be all the way across town, leaving her vulnerable and alone. Alone for the taking.

  Fighting the cool wind, she tightly hugs her body as she scampers across the street. No one is around. This can’t get much more perfect. My heart pounds in my chest, watching her get closer. Licking my lips, I can taste her skin from here. I will never forget how delicious those lips are. Shit, I’m getting turned on just by thinking about all the other parts of her that I want to sample. Adjusting my hardening cock, I know it is time. Grabbing the plastic bag beside me, I step out of the SUV and tip my hat down. I’m ready to take back what is mine.

  Skylar

  Grinning like a fool, I can’t stop staring down at the ultrasound pictures in my hand.

  Our beautiful baby.

  With everything laying on the line, I refuse to let all this drama take away from the one perfect thing going on in our life. This baby. When I’d arrived for the appointment, I thought she’d just do the normal checkup routine, but she’d surprised me today by offering to take a quick look at our baby. I’d wanted Sebastian to be with me when we did this, but I wasn’t going to pass this opportunity up. After she reassured me that everything looked fantastic, she’d asked if I wanted to know the sex of the baby and I caved in. As soon as I heard her say the words, I swear my heart about melted in two. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when the baby is born. That is, if I can’t taunt him to give in before then.

  Dr. Brantley scheduled our next visit for a month away and gave me a list of recommended doctors in LA just in case I need to see someone in between our next visit. Hopefully, I won’t be in LA that long.

  The cool wind hits me as I step out onto the sidewalk from the doctor’s office. Now that I know what we are having, I can’t wait to make my first purchase at Sweets, a new children’s boutique just down the street. I wave to Calvin at the SUV, motioning that I’m walking down the street. Thankfully, the outfit that I’d been eyeing last week is still there. I’m so excited that I just can’t resist getting the matching blanket and socks, too. Smiling, I watch as the lady wraps my items up in their fancy trademark tissue paper. I simply can’t wait to bring our baby home from the hospital wearing this.


  The lady hands me the bag and waves to me, bidding me a good day. Reluctantly, I step back outside into the cool wind, this time wrapping my arms around my body to fight the chill. I see that Calvin already has the door open waiting on me. Carefully crossing the street, I’ve just reached the Range Rover when I catch a familiar sickening smell in the air. It grows stronger before the realization hits me.

  Brandon.

  “Hello, Beautiful. I’ve missed you,” he says, pulling me back against him.

  Immediately, I open my mouth to scream for help, but a white cloth covers it. The hand over my mouth muffles each desperate cry for help.

  “Shh. I got you, baby,” Brandon says, kissing the back of my head. He pulls me back to the side alley where a dark black Tahoe is parked. Panicked, I breathe even harder, tasting the cloth’s unusually sweet flavor on my lips.

  NO!

  The world begins slowing down around me.

  Please God. Someone help me… the baby.

  I try to fight it, but it’s useless. The last thing I see before shutting my heavy eyelids is my baby’s outfit fall to the ground.

  Sebastian

  “The son of a bitch has stood us up,” Lucas shouts.

  “Why would he do that? I don’t understand.”

  We look at each other in realization as her name escapes our lips at the same time.

  “Skylar!”

  Pulling out my phone, I can barely dial the numbers.

  “Please, pick up. Dear God, please, pick up!”

  “Where is she?” Lucas demands.

  “She had a doctor’s appointment.”

  “Calvin should be with her.” Harrison tries to reassure as he begins dialing him.

  When he doesn’t get an answer on the third attempt, I know something is wrong.

  “Harrison, why isn’t he picking up the phone?”

  “I don’t have an answer, sir. Perhaps they are in a bad location.” He tries to calm me, but it’s not working.

  “Let’s go. I’m driving,” Lucas screams, ignoring Harrison’s words.

  Knowing I’m fucking pissed at him, Harrison steps back, allowing me to follow Lucas out of the building. He shouts that he’ll follow in his car behind us, as we waste no time skidding out onto the main road. We’re all the way across town and it’s going to take forever to get to her. Larson had done this on purpose to make sure we couldn’t get to her in time.

  “Damn, look at this traffic!” Lucas roars angrily, hitting his steering wheel.

  “Take this turn. It’s quicker,” I shout as I continue dialing her.

  We are only a couple blocks away, and the torture of not being able to get to her is killing me. Without even telling Lucas what I’m doing, I just jump out of his car and run down the sidewalk. Each step closer to her sends me into panic. My stomach twists and turns when I spot the Range Rover up ahead.

  Why is that back door standing wide open?

  “SKYLAR?” I scream, running to the open door. My heart sinks as I look down. Right below my feet is a shopping bag with a fancy pink blanket hanging out the side.

  Pink? She’d bought pink? Without hesitation, I reach down and pick up the bag, pulling out the soft pink woven blanket and holding it close to me. I need something to hold to me. Right now, I need any hope that they are okay.

  “SHIT!” Harrison screams as he opens the driver’s side door. I hadn’t even noticed that he and Lucas had gotten here.

  “What?” I ask, trying to find my voice, and refusing to let go of the blanket. Stepping around Harrison, I peer inside and spot Calvin slumped over in the floorboard.

  “Someone’s slit his throat,” Harrison adds.

  “Not someone. Maverick Larson. And now he has my everything.”

  Lucas looks at the pink blanket in my arms and sees the agony on my face. His face matches mine, and it’s at that moment that I finally see how much he loves her.

  “We’re going to get her back, Sebastian. We’re going to get both of them back.”

  Brandon

  Adrenaline surges through my body as I pull my vehicle into the warehouse. Glancing at the time, I smile. About right now, I’m sure they are rushing to find her, but there is no way they will. I’ve been too smart for all of them. Shutting off the engine, I walk back over and pull the rusty rollup door down behind me, sliding the metal bolt in place to secure it. Now we are all alone. Finally.

  Opening up the back door of the vehicle, I ease inside and begin wrapping her tightly in the thick blanket. With all of the broken windows and concrete, this place stays freezing during the cooler months of the year. I don’t want her to get too cold before I can get her upstairs. Gently, I lift her out of the backseat and adjust the blanket around her. When I shift my arm, her face falls limply to my chest and I feel my heart soar. Finally, she’s mine now and I’ll never let her go.

  This building is so damn old that you’d probably not believe it even had this lift in it. I admit it looks like a metal death trap, but it still works well. The pulleys on the elevator loudly screech as we begin moving up to the next floor. Panicked, I look down to check on her. The last thing I need is for her to wake up before I have her in the room. Nothing I’ve done so far seems to rouse her from her slumber. I’m beginning to wonder if I gave her a bit too much of the chloroform. I’m used to dosing big men with it, and it’s been quite a while since I’d used it on anyone near her size.

  Pushing back the lift door, I steady her in my arms before walking down the platform to the loft. Soft music plays in the background and scented candles flicker from when I had been here earlier today. I’d wanted everything to be nice and calm for when she wakes up, even though I’m sure she isn’t going to be happy at first about the arrangement here. She’ll come around eventually.

  Approaching the large bed, I honestly find it hard to let go of her. There is so much to finish before she wakes, so I know I don’t have a choice but to lay her down. Brushing away her long curls, I study her face. There, just below her right eye, is a scar that I know wasn’t there a year ago. My fist clenches, thinking about whether Thorne lost his temper and hurt her. Only one person touches her and that’s me. I’ll gladly put a bullet in him, but not before I make him fall to his knees.

  “I’m doing all of this for you… for us. Soon you will see. Soon you will remember,” I whisper before kissing her lips. Fuck! She tastes even sweeter than I remember.

  My eyes are pulled downward to the way that short dress is pulled up above her knees. Even though it would be so easy, I fight the temptation. Placing my hand under her calf, I slide down the zipper of the boot and repeat the same thing on the other. As hot as those shoes are on her, those sharp heels can be vicious if she tries to kick me with them. Taking my index finger, I slowly trail up her delicate skin, closing my eyes when I reach the area just at her thighs. Everything in me wants to spread them wide and feast on what is in between, but I have to stop myself. I have to wait. I won’t take her before it’s time.

  The delicate skin on her cheeks is bright red, indicating she is reacting to the medicine. I rush to the bathroom to run some water in a metal basin. Soaking a washcloth, I quickly place it on her head. It doesn’t seem to be cooling her off quickly enough, so I reach down to unclasp the silver buckles on the front of her red coat. The moment the second buckle pops free and the material falls open, everything ceases to matter. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Her stomach. This fucking whore is pregnant with that cocksucker’s kid! Here I’ve been locked away in that rat hole for almost a year, and she’s let another man have what’s mine!

  I react before I know it, pulling out my knife, and placing it to her neck. Furiously, I press the blade harder into her skin and smile at the bright red drop of blood that forms. Like a feral animal, I watch it drip down her neck. So simple… so fucking easy, but I can’t do it. Pulling at my hair, I battle with the voices inside my head that scream for me to finish her now. Deep down, I love her too much to kill her. I can’t belie
ve I’m saying this! She cheated on me! Disgusted at myself, I trail the sharp knife down, slicing the three buttons on the front of her dress and exposing those fucking luscious tits of hers. Licking my lips, I again fight the urge to take her. I’m not putting my cock in her body until that devil spawn is out.

  Throwing my patience out the front door, I decide it’s time she wakes up. She’s going to face what she’s done. I’m done being nice. Reaching over, I grab the basin full of cold water and sling its contents into her face. She fights and struggles for a bit, coughing and gasping for air as she claws her way up off the bed. I won’t lie. I love seeing the look of sheer panic in her eyes. I’ll love it even more in just a bit when she begs me to stop. The cunt is going to pay dearly for betraying me this way. The first mention of Sebastian out of her mouth is not going to end well for her, that’s a promise.

  Looking down at the knife in my hands, she surprises me by remaining calm and collected. The look of terror is now gone and it looks like something else is there. Can I be wrong in what I see? She’s looking at me as if she is happy… like she cares. And then, just when I thought I couldn’t be more shocked, she utters the words I thought I’d never hear.

  “Thank goodness you came for me.”

  Skylar

  Everything is dark and then suddenly I feel cold daggers slice into my face. The water is sucked into my lungs, causing me to lose my breath. Bolting upwards, I begin gasping for air and begging my memory to be wrong. When my eyes lock into Brandon’s, I know I’m living the nightmare. Seeing the sharp blade in his hands, I feel the fear surge through me. Breaking his stare, I look around the room as I struggle to calm my breathing. I have to be smart about this. I can’t let him see me freak out. I’ve been in these shoes before with him. Brandon is irrational and psychotic and would not hesitate to kill me. I’ve fought him before and it only fed his rage. Now I have to think about how to keep the baby safe at all costs. Obviously, he’s gone through a lot of trouble to do this for me, so I’ll play on that. Sebastian will see that I’m missing and come for me. Right now, I just have to hold on and play along a bit to buy some time. It sickens me what I’m going to have to do, but it’s the only way to stay alive. Moving my hands through my wet hair, I switch into survival mode.