Brand Me (Imagine Ink Book 2)

by Verlene Landon

  While walking away, Tonya turned back one last time before she disappeared through the glass doors, “You sit there and let that sink in Michael, I’ll catch a cab.”

  And just like that, his world imploded. Reasonable or not, how could he explain all that away? Shit, he couldn’t, but he wasn’t just going to give up either. Michael left the office numb and in a trance, heading for the hotel.

  In a zombie-like state, he shuffled through showering and loading the car with everything he needed. He would go through with his proposal, try to explain, beg if he had to. And, if, or rather when, she said no, he would return to the darkness and exist as a shadow of who he was when he was bathed in her light.

  The last few days weren’t easy ones to get through, but she managed, and she was proud of herself for that. Michael was still front and center of her mind, or this other man, Florida Michael, was. Somehow, she had managed to separate them into two distinct individuals. It was the only way she could cope with the things that had happened since she returned home.

  Tennessee, or Wingman Michael, was a beautifully flawed, perfectly imperfect individual, who added a certain flavor to her life that was missing. That Michael managed to give her back something she thought lost to her. He was sacred and would always hold a place of honor in her heart. That Michael had branded his name on her soul, never to erode away.

  Florida Michael, or lying douchcanoe, was flawed beauty and imperfectly perfect. He was engaged to another woman whom he apparently liked to snack on and serenade. That Michael only brought the bitterness of betrayal. He was not sacred, would not have a place of honor, but was a lesson learned. That Michael tried to sign her heart, but lucky for her, he used erasable ink, and his name was already fading.

  Tori knew she couldn’t have one without the other, in reality, as they were one body. So she split them, that’s how she did it in her head. That way, she could look back on their time in the cabin and not have it tainted by a silicone blonde and a summer wedding.

  Tori returned her attention to her book and the words started swimming on the page. She began humming “Don’t Turn Away,” the song Michael had sung against her lips when he was still Wingman Michael. The tears that were blurring her vision were those of mourning—for their time together and the future loss she would suffer, because now, more than ever, she was afraid Coverdale was on to something, she would drown in sorrow, and paint a lon…

  All of a sudden, Whitesnake was interrupted by…Bad English? The strains of a stilted acoustic guitar floated in through the screen door, accompanied by Michael’s voice singing “When I See You Smile.” Tori froze in place as her paperback fell to the floor and Michael’s voice gained volume. Sixx and Mars leapt from their beds and added their voices. On shaky legs, she slowly made her way to the screen door, only daring to peek because she feared if she looked too hard, it would be a mirage, but it wasn’t. She peeked again, and again.

  Finally gathering her courage, she flung the screen wide and stepped onto the porch, with Sixx and Mars flanking her. Her breath was caged in her chest at the sight before her. Michael stood proud in a camel-colored trench coat, playing his guitar and singing. This was Wingman Michael. But, she could only separate them in theory, not in actuality. The two were one in the real world. Michael stopped playing and held his guitar above his head but continued to sing.

  “You know, that’s not a boom box, you’re not John Cusack, and that isn’t Peter Gabriel.” She tried to lace her words with a scolding tone, but her amusement won out. He just freaking Say Anything’d her, who does that? God, he knew her so well. If this had been three days ago, it would’ve been perfect. She loved movies, and she loved him, but this wasn’t three days ago.

  “I know, Princess, but I wouldn’t even know where to find a boom box, and I may not be John Cusack, but I did find this snazzy coat at a second-hand store, and well, Bad English was a better choice for you. It’s true you know, when you smile at me, I turn into Iron Man. I can do anything. Your touch is unique and magical. You make everything all right, Tori, and you are all I need.”

  Michael left his guitar on the lawn and advanced onto her porch before dropping to one knee. “Torionna Krystle-Carrington Reid, would you be my light? Will you guide me through the storms of life with your smile that shines straight through to the darkest part of my soul?” He produced a black, velvet box from his pocket and held it open to her. “Will you be my home? Marry me, Tori? If you say yes, I will be yours until I leave this Earth.”

  This is exactly how she always dreamed it would be—the perfect proposal from the man she loved, but she couldn’t reconcile that with what had recently transpired. With a shaky voice, Tori was finally able to speak through her tear clogged throat. “What about your fiancée, you know, the one with the fake boobs and the hickey who answered your door. The one you serenaded with your mother’s song?”

  “It’s not what you think, Tori, I can explain everything if you would just hear me out.” Michael started to get up, but was halted by her grunts of disagreement.

  “Nah uh, if you want my forgiveness, you better have some damn good explanations, and you can stay on your knee for them.” She knew it was a bit cruel, but she wanted him to suffer a little at least. Besides, if he stood, she’d fall into his arms, and become the other woman, yet again. She couldn’t. If he stayed down there, she had better resolve it seemed. Plus, her backup, Sixx and Mars, were on high alert and were eye level with him in that position. If he stood and she accepted him, they would too, and right now, she wanted them menacing him a bit.

  “Okay, Princess, anything for you. Tonya was only at the house because we bought it together. She had moved out and we had a payment arrangement but she sashayed in as I was leaving for Tennessee. She refused to leave until I bought her half in full, which I did this afternoon. She’ll be gone by the time I get back. The announcement in the paper was not my doing. Our engagement was ended months before I met you. She printed the announcements to try to corner me into marrying her. I called the paper this afternoon to print a retraction, which they don’t really care to do by the way, but it was placed while I was gone, you can verify that with them if you need to. And as for the serenade, the girl next to Tonya picked that song. It was her birthday, and the club owner hired us for her, not Tonya. That woman just has a way on inserting herself where she doesn’t belong. So see, it’s all a bunch of bull shit and has nothing to do with us.”

  He produced a letter from his coat and offered it to her.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s a letter proving everything I told you about us breaking up months ago is true. I had Tonya explain her deception in case you wouldn’t, or couldn’t, trust my word.”

  Tori believed him, maybe she was naïve, but she did. It all made sense, but she noticed he avoided one tiny little detail, a very damning one. “And the love bite, was that yours?” As soon as the question left her mouth, she was chanting in her head, please say no, please say no, please say no.

  The shadow descending upon his visage answered her verbal question and crushed her non-verbal plea. It was. She wasn’t sure she could forgive that. If he loved her the way she deserved, he couldn’t have slept with someone else. Not bothering to wait for the answer, Tori ushered her guards inside, dropped the letter to the porch, and slowly turned and entered the house. She shut the door softly, but instead of the expected snick, it bounced back as Michael tipped forward to put his hand in the jamb.

  “Fuck.” He cursed as the door bounced off his bad hand. Tori felt sorry for hurting him, but she couldn’t seem to muster an apology. “Please leave, Michael,” she whispered.

  He gained his feet and cradled her face around the box in his hand. “No, Tori, not until you hear me out. If you still want me to leave after you know everything, then I’ll leave without argument, but please, just listen.”

  She turned her eyes to his and saw her heartache mirrored in their silver ice depths. “Okay, explain how you tripped and f
ell against her neck with a sucking motion.”

  “It wasn’t like that. It happened when I first got back, I was exhausted. I watched you ride out of my life that morning and something seismic happened in my chest, a shift so great, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. When I finally got home, it was the middle of the night. I tried to sleep in my bed, but it smelled like her. She had moved in and made herself at home. I slept on the couch in my studio. I was dreaming of you. You were touching me and I wanted to touch you back. I knew it was a dream, kind of, but in a way I thought I was back in the cabin with you in my bed.”

  Michael closed his eyes and leaned his forehead into hers. Tori was grateful for the loss of eye contact, she didn’t think she could breathe if she had to look into his face while he describe what would surely mince her heart.

  “In my dream, I was kissing your neck. But you didn’t taste right. You didn’t taste like home. I struggled to pull myself awake, and when I did, you weren’t there, but Tonya was. She even pointed out that I was calling your name when she entered the room. I swear, that’s how it happened. I was not with her, beyond what I explained, and I don’t want to be with her. It’s all in that letter if you don’t believe me. That’s why I forced her to write it. I wanted you to never doubt this, doubt me. Doubt us. There is only you, Tori. Please forgive me for the pain I’ve caused you, intentional or otherwise. And if you give me another chance, I will rip out my own heart before I break yours. Please, say you’ll be mine.”

  His lips found hers and, at first, she didn’t respond, but as the truth of what he was saying sunk in, they shared a tear-stained kiss.

  She shoved him away, and she could tell Michael misunderstood her intentions, so she spoke up quickly, “You can’t ask me that standing up, so back on your knees, Wingman. Do this right.”

  Talk about a beaming smile, his blinded her when he realized what she was saying. He complied. Once on bended knee, he picked up the letter and offered it to her again. She shook her head. “I don’t need a letter to know what is real, it’s in your eyes. Now, ask me before I change my mind.” Michael did as instructed, and she let him off the hook.

  “Yes, Michael, I’d be honored to marry you. Now, grab your guitar and get in here. I have a fantasy about you playing naked for me.” She turned to head down the hall. She didn’t wait; she knew Michael would catch up.

  “Damned if I’m not the luckiest man in the world.” He caught her in an embrace from behind as she raced down the hall, squealing. She hadn’t remembered this light feeling between them; even in Tennessee, there was a heaviness. She turned in his arms and realized it was him. He had lost a weight he had been dragging around.

  “Damn skippy you are, and don’t go forgetting it any time soon. But I’m pretty lucky myself, how many men would sit on my lawn playing guitar for me?” He nuzzled her under her ear and she damn-near lost consciousness—God, she loved that.

  “There better not be any other men, with guitars or not.” She allowed herself to be backed up to the bedroom and into the bed. As she fell backwards onto her elbows, she eyed him with interest.

  “You know what? I wanna see you wearing nothing but that trench coat.”

  “Oh, yeah?” He bit his lip and slanted his eyes, drawing a moan from her lips. “Well, I wanna see you wearing nothing but my ring.”

  The fact she turned down the letter and took him at his word was a major deal to him. That level of trust was the best fucking foreplay ever. He was amped up on the combination of love and the visual of that smoking hot body.

  Michael could live a thousand lifetimes and still not forget the sight of her lounging on the bed in all her glory. The dips and ridges of her muscles turned him on to no end. His mouth watered as his gaze tracked down her six-pack to her neatly trimmed cunt. He fucking loved that hot, wet paradise.

  He dropped to his knees and hooked his arms under her thighs so he could bring that beautiful pink pussy toward his face and nuzzled the sensitive crease at her thighs, inhaling deeply.

  Home.

  Unable to resist for another second, he dove in with a veracious appetite. Thrusting his tongue in and out of her in a preview of what his cock would do later, he savored every drop of Heaven that she could offer. Turning his attention to the bud above, he lathed and nibbled it until she was writhing beneath him. He added his fingers to the assault and laid siege to her body.

  Just as he sensed she was teetering on that razor thin edge, he narrowed his vision on her beautiful face and asked against her body, “If you want to come, you’ll tell me what I want to hear. Do you want to come, Princess?”

  “God, yes. Please, Michael, please.”

  “Then say it, Princess, you know exactly what you need to say to earn your satisfaction.”

  “I love you, Michael, but if you don’t finish me now, I’ll do it myself.”

  “As you wish, Princess.”

  Thrusting his crooked fingers with purpose and sucking on her clit, he flicked it with his tongue, bit down gently, and added his pinkie to her tight, hot ass and she exploded. Michael lapped up every drop and felt her grip his fingers as her slick walls drew her pleasure out.

  When she’d finally quit shaking, he kissed his way up her body, leaving no skin un-worshipped. When he had successfully scaled his way to the top, he flipped them, and urged her up in the saddle after rolling on a condom. He was going to live that fantasy damn it, and not freak out.

  The question was there on her face, are you sure? In response, Michael raised her by her waist, and thrust her down on his waiting cock in one swift motion. The sheer ecstasy of coming home ripped a moan from his lips.

  “Fuuuuck, Tori,” he managed to grate out between his clenched teeth. “You’re so fucking tight, I feel like your strangling my cock, but in the best possible way. Now, my beautiful jockey, ride it like you stole it.” Hands on his chest, she set the perfect pace without his help, but when he was about to come, he took over, rocking and grinding until he shouted her name and emptied himself. Just when he thought to come down from the high, she ground down on him and started pulsing against his cock, pulling more from him than he knew she could.

  Several minutes later, he slipped wetly from her body and they shifted to a spoon position. It hit him like a lead balloon. “I want us to get pregnant as soon as possible. Tell me you want kids with me.”

  She turned to him with a look he couldn’t define, and in a small voice asked. “Do you mean it?”

  He caught her chin in his hand and kissed her quick and possessively. “Yep, as soon as I’m in the clear, we can start trying. Wanna practice some more?”

  She flipped around and threw herself into his arms and kissed him repeatedly, “Oh, Michael, yes, yes, yes. I should cancel my Friday appointment then.”

  Puzzled, he raised an eyebrow.

  “The fertility clinic, I was going for in-vitro, with a donor.”

  “Oh, Hell no,” he said as he threw her on her back and rose above her. “If you’re getting pregnant, it won’t be by anyone but me, babe.”

  They made love again, but as they lay spent, Michael knew it was time to spring the rest on her, both the good and the bad. With her head on his chest, he lazily stroked her shoulder with his free hand. “Tori, I have some things I need to tell you. I wasn’t hiding them or anything, I just wanted to clear the air about Tonya, and then you had to go and look like you do.”

  Twirling his chest hair, he felt her stiffen and stutter in her pattern. He knew he had to lay it all out there.

  “There’s a possibility that Wendy…could be pregnant. And if she is, and it’s mine, I want the kid in my life, which means, it would be in your life, too. You okay with that?” Her quick response eased his mind.

  “Of course I am, Michael, any child that’s a part of you is welcome in our home. Now, what’s the other news?”

  God, she is perfect.

  “I want us to go back to the cabin. I don’t have to, the cabin was mine the minute Richard spilled t
he beans, that was in the papers you found. But, I do have to go to file the charges, and I figured it’s an excuse to have you all to myself. I know it’s a lot to ask, but once you launch the business, it might be a while before we have this opportunity again. What do you say?”

  Tori snatched another condom from the bedside table. She reached between them and urged him to turn so could roll it on and bring him into her body, setting a gentle pace. “I say, alone in the woods without distractions has its advantages. One being, we can be as loud as we want.”

  “Umm, you do like to scream, Princess.”

  Baiting him with a smile on her lips, she admonished with no heat at all. “I was thinking about you, tiger.”

  Snapping his teeth at her nose, he went from gentle to rough in no time.

  John flew them back to Tennessee the next day. Tori got to meet his sister, Stacy, and instantly fell head-over-heels for her. She was feisty and fierce, totally her new girl-crush. And, she was not going to let Michael down, that was crystal clear.

  The first week or so was a lot of back and forth on the Bobcat to the car, to the courthouse, or police station. There wasn’t a whole lot of alone time, but they still managed to make love every night at least once, and run around the lake in the mornings.

  This was not an easy path they were walking, going public and trying to prove Michael was raped, but Stacy and John were the most amazing people to have at a time like this.

  Wendy agreed to the DNA test in exchange for dropping the civil suit. They opted for a non-invasive test to minimize risks. The sad part was, Wendy still didn’t realize she did anything wrong. She seemed truly horrified at being called a rapist. But then again, before date rape was established as a valid sexual assault, that’s how date rapists felt, like they were just persuasive, not rapey.