Finding Our Forever

by Lan LLP

  “I protect what is mine,” he justifies.

  “I’m not your property, I’m your fiancée—the one you should trust to love you faithfully.”

  “I do. It’s assholes like him that I don’t trust,” he clarifies with a head tilt toward Edison’s direction.

  “I can handle myself,” I clip, feeling a rush of stubbornness course through my veins. “I already told him I’d save a dance for him.”

  “The hell you will,” he objects. His face is flushed blood-red while his breathing paces out of control.

  “Watch me,” I tell him and march toward Edison.

  Appalled, he plants the heels of his shoes into the floor and watches me leave his side in disbelief. My heart is racing a mile a minute as my hands tremble slightly. I can’t believe I stood up to Carson and won. Taking in a deep breath, I exhale the rise of adrenaline out of my throat.

  Keep walking, Lil.

  “Lucy, I’ve been looking all over for you,” Edison hollers to me as soon as I’m in an ear’s shot of him. “I ran into Isabella and Nikki earlier. They told me you didn’t have the patience to wait for wine, so I got you a glass.”

  “Thanks,” I reply as I try to calm my unsteady hands.

  He dodges Jasmine and Aladdin to pass me the wine. “After you finish this glass, how about that dance you promised me?”

  Carson’s narrowed eyes are fixed on me, but he does not budge from his post. Guilt starts to filter in. I’ve already made my point. If I dance with Edison now, I might push myself beyond an unforgivable place. This isn’t what I want.

  “Lucy, hello… What about that dance?” Edison repeats, seeking my attention.

  Clearing my thoughts with a sigh, I reply, “I’m really sorry, Edison, but I can’t. I have an early flight to catch tomorrow morning. I came over here to let you know.”

  “It must be one of those unfortunate nights for me,” he gripes. “I can’t seem to find anyone who’ll spare a little time for me.”

  “I’m sorry,” I regret, feeling a bit guilty. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I understand,” he tells me. “Have a safe trip. Where are you going?”

  “Home.”

  “Where’s home?” he asks.

  Before I can answer Edison, Carson strides over to us with his hands in his pants pockets. He appears much calmer. His furrowed brows weaved with rage is now relaxed. There’s even a pleasant expression on his face. But he can’t fool me. I know what’s really under that composed facade.

  “Edison.” He nods.

  “Carson, good to see you again.”

  “Likewise,” Carson replies distantly. “Lucy, are you ready?” he asks in a soft voice. “The limo is waiting outside. I’ll give you a lift to your place.”

  “Yes,” I agree. “Edison, enjoy the rest of your evening. Bye.”

  “Bye, Lucy,” he bids me and then leans in for a hug. Being mindful of Carson’s unpredictable reaction, I stretch my arms out to offer him one of mom’s typical hugs. He’s at my arm’s length, and I’m patting his back with my fingers instead of squeezing him in my arms. This is the remotest form of hugging. He appears disappointed while Carson’s expression is amused.

  __________

  Once we say our good-byes to the gang and his parents, Carson’s security team checks for clearance, running an inspection mirror along the bottom of the limo as well as scrutinizing all around the perimeter.

  “It’s clear, sir,” a tall man in a dark suit and almost invisible ear buds confirms.

  The limo driver steps out to open the door for us. It’s snowing outside. What a magical way to end the evening. Dainty snowflakes like tiny fairies dance all around us, lightly dusting the tops of our heads. If only Carson and I weren’t upset with each other, it would be even more magical.

  “Good evening, Mr. Bradley, Miss Lucy,” the driver greets us. Carson is a very cautious man. Even the driver is instructed to address me by my fake name. I enter first to escape the frigid wind as well as Carson’s aloofness. He hasn’t said one word to me since we left Edison. I’ve really done it this time. I’ve pushed him beyond his tolerance for my pigheadedness.

  “Good evening, Rollin. Please drive until I ask you to stop,” Carson instructs him while dodging my curious eyes questioning him from inside the limo.

  “Yes, sir. Anywhere in particular?”

  “Head toward Weston.”

  Carson slides in next to me, avoiding my eyes still. Yep. I’ve really pissed him off. Leaning forward with one hand purposely resting on my thigh, he depresses his index finger on the privacy screen button. My body stiffens from his warning touch. Rollin is no longer able to hear or see us. We’re now in our own silent world. Feeling uneasy, I scoot slightly away from him.

  “You think you can escape me with that little gap?” he asks in a flat voice as he removes his dinner jacket and cufflinks. Loosening his black bow tie, he undoes the top buttons of his shirt.

  “I’m not sure what I think,” I reply, my tone unsteady, as I lace my fingers together, looking straight ahead to hide my intimidation.

  He pours himself a glass of some kind of dark liquor, swigs it down his throat and then turns his attention back to me. His breath is sweet, warm and intoxicating. With one hand, he tilts my chin up and over so my eyes are on his commanding hazel orbs.

  “Let me tell you what you’re thinking. You’re thinking why did I test him? What repercussions lie ahead for my unprovoked actions? Will I have to beg him for forgiveness? I will then tell you, ‘Yes. You will have to beg, beg me for mercy.’ I’m going to fuck you eight times—as hard as I can fuck you and in any way that I want to. You’re going to scream, but I won’t hear anything but the rousing sound of your moans. After I’m done with you, you’ll never test me again. You wanted to meet my alpha side. Well baby, you’re going to meet him deep inside you tonight.”

  I look at him, stunned, my eyes are enlarged and I’m hanging on to my last breath. I’m not sure if I’m being punished or rewarded for defying him.

  “What if I resist you?” I ask, nervous and shaky. I’m challenging one of the most powerful men on this planet in his deadliest form, the alpha male.

  “You think you can?” he asks. His expression is composed.

  Unexpected, I feel his warm hand reach under my gown. The wetness between my legs will betray my claim. His fingers will testify that I am incapable of resisting him.

  Leaning into my neck, he murmurs, “You’re already drenched in nectar. You don’t have a faint chance of resisting me, Angel,” and tugs my panties down to mid-thigh.

  Placing one weak hand against his chest, I attempt to fight him off.

  “Don’t,” he croons along my neck. “Don’t resist me. It’ll just be a waste of your energy—energy you’ll need to conserve after I’m done with you.”

  I fail miserably as he predicted. Instead, I pull him closer and crash into his mouth with an unquenchable need, exhaling my desire into his core. He’s rough. His lips are forceful as his tongue snakes around mine.

  “Tell me to fuck you. I want to hear those words come out of your mouth,” he murmurs.

  “No. I can’t.”

  “Say it,” he urges.

  “Dodging his eyes I whisper, Fuck me,” and then listen to that crude word bounce off my tongue for the first time with Carson. Wow. It’s actually sexy, not vulgar like I thought.

  “Mmm…hearing those words come out of that sweet, innocent mouth of yours drives my cock fucking crazy.”

  His hands circle around my chest to unzip my dress from the back while my fingers struggle to get his remaining buttons off. He slips my poufy gown down the length of my body, taking my panties with it. I’m lying naked from waist down on my back with my legs skewed over the leather seat, staring into his hungry eyes. I watch him slip his dress shirt off his broad shoulders, exposing his muscular chest and toned abs. He unzips his pants and lowers them passed his hips, revealing those slanted lines
that drive all women wild, including me.

  “Sit up. Turn and face the window on your knees,” he commands.

  I do as I’m told. He reaches for my bustier to release me from its hold. With his hard body, he presses my chest against the cold glass pane, holding me captive there. It sends an uninviting chill all the way down to my sex. He removes my tiara and grabs a handful of my hair, persuading my head to tilt to one side. Running his tongue along my shoulder and neck, he nips my delicate flesh.

  “Hang on to the handle,” he instructs. “It’ll help steady you. Once I start, I won’t stop. Do you understand?”

  I nod obediently. The frosty window against my breast makes me shiver.

  He notices and assures, “You’ll be burning inside soon.”

  Separating my legs with his knees, he grabs his erection and glides it between my wet folds, filling me, teasing me.

  “Ah…,” I groan as my body adjusts to his length and thickness. God, why does he feel so good to me every time?

  Pulling my hips against his, he begins to pound into me. There’s nothing gentle about his attack. He’s relentless. I belong to him. He’s reminding me he’s the only man who can pleasure me to the brink of blissful tears. The friction between his hardness and my softness builds up, we’re both moaning, gasping.

  “Uh…uh…fuck!” he grunts. “You’re what my body always needs,” he mumbles breathlessly.

  Hot sweat spills down his front, coating my backside. The windows are all steamy. I’m no longer trembling because of the coldness. I’m trembling because I’m on the verge of a powerful climax. His right hand moves down to my mound, fingering over the small ball of nerves that have been aching for his touch. My breast fills his left palm as he gropes and taunts my nipple. There are no sensations unmet. He has me precisely where he wants me, under his control as I hang on to a handle to support my frazzled body.

  “Oh god, please…,” I plead softly, shamelessly. My breathing is rapid and labored.

  “Let me hear you moan.”

  “Ah! I need you, Carson!” I scream, not caring if Rollin can hear me. At this point, my modesty has escaped. My desperation to cum surpasses everything. I want his ecstasy to explode inside me. Fill me. Satisfy my Carson addiction.

  “That’s it, baby. Scream. Let me hear what I’m doing to you.”

  With both arms, he locks my body firmly against him while his hands cup my breasts. His pelvis thrusts upward, deep into me. In and out, he pumps his throbbing erection, intensifying that euphoria we both crave. This is it. I’m going to meet him at the edge of heaven.

  “Uh…baby. Cum,” he commands, his breathing is rugged.

  Releasing my grip of the handle, I drop my arms to cup his face with my hands. His lips are sealed over my pulsing vein, infusing his pleasure into my bloodstream and sending it directly to my heart. At last, the tension that’s been holding me back is released. Together we cum hard with orgasm number five. Our bodies melt into each other. I’m not sure if my wilted frame can physically handle seven more of those. Carson is a powerful man whose endurance has no end. I’m exhausted, sinking back into the seat. Meanwhile his feasting eyes are still prowling with lust as he rakes them down the length of my body, appreciating me in my most vulnerable form.

  Falling into my chest, he croons, “Your body is my temple. I worship every part of you faithfully. It is all mine.”

  Chapter 21

  Carson Bradley

  Exhaustion consumed her after the fourth round. My perspiring body rested over hers as I descended from another earth-quivering orgasm. I had to own her body, had to erase the scent of another man and mask his with my mine. She was beyond spent as she exhaled short, rapid breaths. She wasn’t revivable. I had to wrap her ivory gown around her wilted body and carried her into the house in Weston. We’re staying there not by choice, but by precaution.

  During the party, Owen received a warning from Alpha. I disappeared to my office to take his call. Another letter had surfaced at BPC via the old-fashioned postal service. They didn’t want to open it without my presence. From dealing with other assholes in the past, I knew whatever’s in there couldn’t be good. When I returned to the ballroom, I witnessed Edison kissing Lil on the cheek. Fierce, molten blood rushed to my brain, clouding my judgment straightaway. I had never wanted to commit a crime until that very moment. I envisioned me over him, punching his face until it was no longer recognizable. This is what my possessiveness of Lil does to me. It makes me irrationally violent. It was the will of God that kept me from attacking him. I took comfort in a shot of bourbon, which only leveled me out for a fleeting instance–until I saw Alison approach Lillian with one of my purple scarves. I was fucked. Once Alison revealed the purpose of that scarf, Lil would walk out of my life for good. I had to stop her, and I knew just how to do it. Alison is submissive and easily intimidated. I would use her weaknesses to my advantage. It worked like a charm, but Lil still stormed off. I chased after her to settle her insecurities only to have her end up in Edison’s company again.

  Guilt is another new emotion I’ve acquired since Lil came into my life. I have no problem running a multi-billion dollar corporation, but I can’t stop screwing up this love thing. I know it’s abnormal and unacceptable for me to overreact every time Lil is around other men, but I honestly can’t control myself. Rage and jealousy, my evil vices, consume me so easily. If I wasn’t obligated to hide behind Lil’s cover-up, being Lucy’s cousin, I would’ve showed that asshole the door with my foot. It was obvious how badly he wanted her. His greedy eyes devoured her every chance he had, made me wanted to gouge them from his sockets. Then she had to encourage him to defy me. Lil’s stubbornness is like no other, but so is mine. When you fight fire with fire, the result is a woman who aches from head to toe from being thoroughly fucked.

  __________

  While Lil is still passed out in bed, I use this opportunity to call Luke. The letter and its contents have been chewing at my nerves all evening, agitating and breaking me down. I know they’re going to go after something more personal. What concerns me most is who, or what, they’ll target next.

  “Luke, how far are you from here?” I ask in a cautious voice.

  “Around the corner, sir. I’ll be there in five.”

  “Meet me in the guest house. I don’t want Miss Ly to be alarmed.” Until I know what I’m up against, I don’t want Lil to worry about anything. It’s my responsibility to protect her, physically and emotionally.

  “Yes, sir.”

  I disconnect the call, shield my half-dressed body with a trench coat and slip out the side door to meet Luke. The snow is coming down more densely. I hope it won’t delay our trip to Lil’s hometown. I’d hate to break her heart again. Damn it. What the hell is that code? Oh yes, 1-9-8-2-3-1-5, my date of birth backward. The alarm is disarmed. It’s pitch dark in here. All the brocade curtains are closed, sealing out any hope of light from the outside. I’m startled when Luke approaches me stealthily from behind.

  “Shit! I didn’t expect you so quickly.”

  “Sorry, sir.”

  The lights come on to reveal an exhausted man holding a black envelope. His weary red eyeballs are enclosed in heavy dark circles. He appears as if he hasn’t slept for days. Once again, that new emotion, guilt, materializes. I’ve overworked this man, having him double as Lil’s bodyguard during the day and my spy at night.

  “It’s alright. Can I have the envelope?”

  “Yes, sir. It’s already been dusted for fingerprints and X-rayed for any contaminations. It’s spotless. We’re dealing with professionals here,” Luke informs as he hands me the envelope.

  My chest begins to thud harder and louder as my index finger runs along the sharp paper edge to open it. I pull out an off-white folded letter. Hesitating, I sigh and seal my eyes to calm my nerves. I’m already expecting the worst. Slowly, I unfold it to reveal a picture of Lil in her missing I.U. sweatshirt, standing outside the dance studio she’s been taking lessons f
rom. It’s far worse than I anticipated. They’re going after my heart, my source of life. Over and over, my eyes continue to reread the typed message of eight venomous words under her picture, hoping it’ll give me some kind of clue.

  Meet your deadline! This is a friendly reminder.

  “Fuck! How did they know about that sweatshirt? And how did they get so fucking close to her?” I shout. “She’s not safe!” I’m hysterical as I pace back and forth, raking my fingers through my hair. I’m choking with fear—fear of losing her. I can’t think. I can’t focus. All I see is darkness caving in over my powerful kingdom. I’m nothing without her.

  “Sir, no one will get to her. You have my word,” Luke consoles.

  “I need more eyes on her,” I demand. “At least five more men. It’ll be a 24-7 watch.”

  “I can arrange that. What about tomorrow’s trip?” Luke reminds me.

  “Fuck! I can’t cancel that trip. Lil will never forgive me. Call Owen and have him increase security.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Luke, Miss Ly can’t know anything about this letter,” I stress.

  “I understand.”

  “You better head back. Get some sleep. It looks like neither one of us will be sleeping much in the future.”

  “Thank you, sir. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  “One more thing. Can you give this letter to Owen? He’ll know where to store it.”

  “Consider it done.”

  I watch Luke exit through the side door before allowing myself to fall pathetically apart. Why couldn’t I have just left the island and leave her untouched? Why did I have to convince her to enter my world, full of malice and greed, knowing that it could destroy her? Her life is in danger because of me.

  “Fuck! Look what you’ve done! You selfish son of a bitch!” I curse myself out loud. The vision of her lifeless body in my arms sends a surge of poison to my heart, maiming and then destroying it. My eyes turn dark and lethal. It’s time to call Mateo. He’ll have the solution I need. I pull out my phone and dial his number.